After reading over 50 reviews about the Norwegian Epic, I was quite concerned with sailing this ship for Spring Break the last week of March. The four biggest lingering concerns included poor/unfriendly /slow service, smoky promenades, mediocre food, and too many up charges. I will address each of these.

I have been on about 10 cruises on four different cruise lines. The kindness of this ship’s crew far exceeded ANY of my previous 10 cruises. From the cabin steward to each waiter my family felt nothing but complete acceptance and kindness. Each worker went above and beyond and did his or her best to meet our every need. Also, we never sat in the main dining room for more than an hour and a half. The nights we arrived to the dining area before 6:30, we were in and out in an hour. Our target time was always 6:00, but often arrived about 6:15. This is faster than any other line I have cruised. The one night that we arrived at 7:30, it did take longer, but the place was jammed packed, so it was to be expected. We found that if you arrive between 6:45-8:00, you can expect to take longer. Just plan accordingly and you will have no problems.

Smoke? I am highly sensitive to smoke and avoid smokers at all costs. I was almost shocked at the LACK of smoke. We walked through the casino SEVERAL times a day, and NEVER thought it was smoky! My husband even said he thinks it was the least amount of smoke in any casino we have ever encountered. Yet another concern debunked. A side-note…we turned in for the evening about 10 – 11:00 each night, so maybe late in the evening it gets worse??? Read more