A LITTLE BACKGROUND:
Just a quick note that I feel that my expectations are pretty realistic. There are many reviewers that fault mass-market cruise lines like Carnival, NCL and Royal for poor food quality or "nickle-and-diming" but I think the simple truth is that cruising is very affordable and it would be impossible to provide premium dining and other services without a supplemental charge. I personally like having the option to order "a-la-carte" and pay for the extras that I want.
THE SHIP: Embarkation was very congested, but otherwise I think EPIC had pretty good flow and a successful traffic design. I am not sure I agree (contrary to other reviews) that having a central elevator bank would make much difference in getting around the ship -- nearly all of the Dining and Entertainment venues were located either fore or aft -- so having a central elevator bank would not really alleviate the need to travel to one end of the ship or the other - and aside from embarkation, elevators were never congested. Public rooms were attractive, innovative, and functional. The ship itself was extremely smooth even with 8 foot seas - little vibration and steady. I agree that the pools were small -- but there were lots of adjacent areas with fountains and water features that invited guests to relax, get a little wet, and stay cool. Although some of NCL's innovative approaches missed the mark, overall I liked the their creative approach.
This is a good cabin location -- Standard layout and balcony. Generally it was convenient to be nearby to elevator banks and there was enough distance that there was never any noise from the elevator lobby. This category of room - Deluxe Balcony -- is rather tight on space, but storage space is very large. The shower is excellent - nice rain type shower head (detachable) with room for 2 people. Coffee maker and mini-bar is a nice convenience and there is good lighting throughout the cabin.