First, I just want to say that I am not a complainer when it comes to cruising. We always have a good time on a cruise whether because of our friends, family, the itinerary, the weather.... Really compared to Chicago weather, getting on a cruise ship and travelling to the Caribbean is a slice of heaven. My husband and I have been on 30+ cruises together and consider it the best way to travel.

I will start with Embarkation. It went very smoothly! NCL had two terminals loading the 4500+ passengers onboard. Thank God! It made for a quick non crowded experience. We had read a previous review of the Epic and knew that once on board we should head to O'Sheehan's instead of the buffet for lunch. It was nice and quiet and we were able to sit down and order off a menu instead of trying to balance plates and carry-on luggage in the crowds.

Our first impression entering the ship was that it was very pretty with lots of wood. Our cabins were ready shortly after we finished lunch and we headed to our balcony on deck 9. Our party had 3 cabins in a row. Ours was the layout with the bed by the door. It was awful! The space around the bed is very tight and the sink in the room is right at the edge of the bed. (So close I could probably brush my teeth while seated on the edge.) There is plenty of storage space, but the room is so narrow, it's ridiculous. The bathroom layout is pretty bad. You step out of the shower and you are standing naked right in front of your door. Read more