This was our first NCL cruise and I would compare the service and food with the more expensive Celebrity. Two members of our party required wheelchair assistance to embark & disembark and the process was the smoothest ever. Service was first rate from their Call Center to the people at the terminal to the entire ship staff. We ate most of our meals in the buffet and the Great Outdoors and I was impressed by the variety of selections and the quality of the food. The ship is huge but they kept the food hot and fresh. In addition, the alcoholic drinks were awesome - you could actually TASTE the alcohol, Now for the downside, the ship. First, this size ship is way to big for my taste: common areas, restaurants, and elevators are way too congested. Meals in any of the restaurants and all shows must be booked well in advance or be prepared to wait for a possible "no show". I like to be spontaneous while cruising but that doesn't work on this ship. Second major complaint, the cabin. We had balcony #10104. The cabins are TINY and the weird shape only make matters worse. If you have any privacy concerns I'd consider another ship. The toilet and the shower are separated by the entranceway and both are fairly translucent. They are separated from the main cabin by a flimsy curtain. Only sitting on the balcony with the blackout curtain closed provided any privacy for the cabinmate. We've already booked another NCL cruise (on the Jade) but will never sail on the Epic again (even if the price was affordable for each of us to have our own cabin).