Norwegian Epic Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We chose this cruise as it was on over the Easter holidays and we would both be able to take the time off easily.It was our first cruise with NCL and the free at sea offers tempted us away from Royal Caribbean after five previous cruises with them.
I booked directly with NCL which was also a first as all our other cruises were booked through a TA and in Ireland you get the cabin you book and there is no changing cabins or price drop upgrade afterwards. I have cruise critic to thank for our upgrade from a basic inside to an aft balcony as I saw other members on our roll call talking about upselling to a higher cabin for little or no extra cost .I had priced upgrading our cabin a few weeks previous and it was 600 euro for us both but a large price drop just before final payment meant we got the aft cabin as well as the drinks package , a dining package and 50 free photos as well all or our original price booked !
Barcelona cruise port is one of my favourites as it is so central to the city and it is very well run.When we arrived at 11 45 there was a huge line to drop bags and crowds everywhere, we were sure we would be there for hours but we were on board within an hour after a short wait. We also brought a few packs of bottled water on board without any hassle, another first .
Cabin Review
Aft-Facing Balcony
Aft facing balcony with a slightly larger balcony . A lovely quiet cabin with not much passing traffic and the entrance to the outside secret staircase right next door.Our cabin assistant Pax was great.We asked for an iron and an ironing board and ten minutes later they were delivered. A great service we never had available on other cruises we have been on..
Port Reviews
Cartagena (Spain)
We walked around ourselves with the aid of a trip advisor map. It is a beautiful city with lots of historical sites and great shopping
Sardinia
A beautiful city , we did our own thing here again and it is easy to walk to from the ship.
Naples
We went to Pompeii and a nearby vineyard for lunch and a wine tasting organised by a member of our roll call, I would say this was the highlight of our trip.
Florence (Livorno)
We took a bus directly to Florence and had four hours to look around, it was very busy but we enjoyed walking around and a nine euro icecream !
Palma de Mallorca (Majorca)
We walked off the ship and turned right to the cathedral which was closed of for Easter Sunday mass but we could still walk around and enjoy the views. A beautiful city and there was a craft market outside that had beautiful leather goods.
Barcelona
We love Barcelona and had one night in hotel u232 beforehand which is lovely
Palermo (Sicily)
we walked around ourselves , leaving the port was a bit of a challenge as there were a lot of halkers but just keep saying no and walk fast!