Just returned from the 12/1-12/8 Epic Cruise. I have to say that it is a big ship, and I mean big. But with just a little walking around time, the layout made sense and it was relatively easy to get around.

EMBARKATION: Very easy. I got to the port around 11:30, and was on board before 12. Everything seemed very organized. There were two terminals involved to handle the number of passengers. Once on board, I went to Taste for lunch and met some delightful people and had a great Cobb Salad. By the time we finished eating, our rooms were ready.

CABIN: I had a mini-suite on the 14th deck. I know there have been a lot of negatives against these cabins, but mostly mine was good. (Of course, I had a mini-suite to myself which helps a lot.) Bed was comfy. There was loads of storage space, esp. for hanging clothes. Very limited drawer space. The overhead cabinets would be wonderful for folded clothes if one can reach them (which I basically could not - I'm 5'3"). But there were 4 bins inside the lower cabinets, and I used one of those for the undies. I hung everything else, including shorts. But there is plenty of space - you just need to hunt for it! Thanks to people on the CC, I already knew where to find the vanity light (under the medicine cabinet) and to turn off the light on the phone you just hit the "light bulb" icon on the screen. You may want to take a power strip or an extension cord as there are only 2 receptacles in the room, and they are inside a lower cabinet. It took me 4 days (never said I was the brightest bulb) to figure out that the button on the hair dryer would keep the dryer from overheating and shutting off. For the 1st 4 days it took me forever to dry my hair as I had to keep turning it off and letting it cool down. I even had them bring me another dryer! The bathroom facilities -- ah, the bathroom facilities! For me, they were no problem (I was by myself). I can see where they would not suit everyone. Perhaps if the frosty glass was replaced with something solid it would be better. My shower was very large, and although a little ledge for leg-shaving would have been nice, I can't really complain about it. The towels the first 2 days were fine, but starting with the 3rd day they must have opened some new towels because they were wonderful -- big, thick, plus. Really nice. Read more