Norwegian Epic Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We chose this cruise because our car club wanted to go someplace warm together. The Epic was chosen because of the itinerary and cruise length. The wife and I had never been on what I would call a "Mega-Ship" before and thought this would be as good a time as ever to give one a try. Embarkation was a madhouse. We stayed at the Radisson because they offered a cruise and park option with a free shuttle to the port. Well, that didn't work out as planned. We got there around 3 PM the day before departure and were informed that the earliest shuttle the next day we could get was 12 noon. Our cruise documents stated we needed to be there between 10 and 10:30. We nixed the "free" shuttle and hailed a Uber driver instead. Took almost an hour to go 4 miles. Driver was great but BE PREPARED! Actual embarkation went fairly smoothly, some waiting and lots of walking, sort of like Disneyworld in the summer.
Had to wait for cabin to be ready and the luggage to arrive, which is typical and not a problem for us. I will sum up the pros and cons below:
PROS: Great service. Superior food. Attentive staff. Good entertainment. Nice balconies. Super cabin steward (Thanks, Putu!!) Reasonable embarkation and disembarkation times. Clean ship condition.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Balcony
FORM OVER FUNCTION?? The cabin was "trendy" meaning it was glitzy with lots of curves and wasted space. Not enough storage space for clothes, bed too short, even for height-challenged cruisers like us. NO TABLE!! Any room service had to be put on the seat of the "couch" which was curved and uncomfortable. Shower was fine, sink took some getting used to. Toilet was at an inconvenient height. (too low) and right next to the cabin door. Lacked privacy. Mini fridge was filled with overpriced drinks and created a lot of heat. Thermostat worked well to regulate cabin temps. The overall result of the cabin design was to WOW the occupants, but fell sort in the storage and functionality department. To sum up: give me a traditional cabin layout with a table and a TV you can actually see from the sofa. I was not impressed with the cabin at all. Layout was created by a deranged interior designer on drugs. Sorry, will not sail on this mega-ship again. Too many better choices..