We are latitude members and had purchased a future. Since we were familiar with the NCL itinerary and had been with NCL on another ship less than a year before, we felt comfortable scheduling the cruise on the Epic. Boy were we amazed at the difference from our expectations! Who designs a cruise ship with cabins wherein you come into a toilet on one side of the cabin with a "frosted-like" glass door, shower on the other side, and a sink---all within a few feet of the cabin entrance! The lighting in the cabin was terrible. Again, the person who designed the ship included small lights, maybe two or three in the entire main area of the cabin, which were not enough to illuminate the cabin, let alone put on makeup!

Embarkation and disembarkation were poorly organized. On disembarkation, I made the mistake of going to the restroom and had to negotiate through the lines of people on the ship. I ended up finally rejoining my husband to disembark near the exit/gangway 15 minutes later.

Know ahead of time that NCL now does not let you bring on board your own water---Apparently they want more money from you in addition to the alcohol you have to buy on the ship. Plan on seeing a show or want a specialty restaurant? Well, you better sign up for it way in advance because precious little space was included in the theater---better to assign it to the casino and other high traffic areas for purchase. Now, were there any bright spots on the ship? Yes, the Brazilian steakhouse. The manager is wonderful and accommodating. Our room steward was attentive and accommodating. We went on a decent itinerary, which, thankfully, had only a few days at sea on the Epic.