Norwegian Epic Review

Not Quite There NCL

Review for the Western Mediterranean Cruise on Norwegian Epic
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PeterB52
6-10 Cruises • Age 70s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Nov 2015
Cabin: Studio

I have to admit straight off that I would not normally have chosen NCL for a cruise. The incredible price I got it for made the chance to do a comparison with my other cruises worth the gamble. The gamble however did not pay off. My first sight of the ship gave the impression that the designers had given some kids a Lego set and asked them to build a ship. Then the Haven was stuck on top as an afterthought. Embarkation went faultlessly. I am a solo traveller and when I got to my cabin (one of the studio cabins on decks 11 & 12) the first problem was clearly evident. There is a total lack of storage space (people travelling for more than one week be warned). If the studio cabins are only for solo travellers they could do with reducing the size of the bed and increasing wardrobe space. If not only for solo use then couples have no chance. I then went to the top deck to have a look at Barcelona from the ship and was met with a 6’ wall of tinted glass with little gaps to see through which was ok if you were 5’3” or 6’4” otherwise you had to do a lot of bending or get something to stand on. My experience of the main restaurants, (Taste and Manhattan), was very disappointing. The food was average at best and the service slow and very inconsistent. A wine refill ordered at the start of the main course arrived with the sweet. The food however in the themed restaurants made up for this by being of the standard I have come to expect on cruises. It’s just a pity that in most of them I had to pay extra to experience this. The buffet restaurant was ok, nothing special, but at lunch time seemed to lack fish dishes and decent vegetables. The Spa was a little haven of excellence, as was The Cavern (the Beatles tribute band was excellent), and the Burn the Floor show I went to was of a very high standard indeed. The bars were another story, with waits often over 10 minutes for a drink. My overall impression of the main restaurants and bars is that they are greatly understaffed. It was also apparent that a lot of the staff were undergoing training and hadn’t a clue where stuff was. Although not a total disaster I feel I can only give this cruise a 6 out of 10.

Cabin Review

Studio

Cabin T1

Acute shortage of storage space.

Port Reviews

Barcelona

Had 2 days in Barcelona prior to cruise. Recommend using the hop on hop off buses. Beautiful city I hope to visit again.

Cannes

Lovely place just for a stroll.

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