Just returned from a transatlantic crossing from Miami to Barcelona on the Epic. Had a fantastic time, mostly because of the passengers I met on board. I want to share a few things.

First, the ship is so big that it is overwhelming at first. Once I got used to it, it was fine. If you have trouble walking or wear out easily, I would not choose this ship. I have an 80- year old mother who loves to cruise, but I would never take her on the Epic because of all the walking she would have to do to get from point A to point B.

Second, I think that the size of the ship somehow results in an impersonal atmosphere with respect to the crew. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but the crew just didn't seem happy to be there. Our cabin steward was about to take his 2 month leave and had been on the ship for a long time. So maybe he was just burned out. (For example, he would knock on the door at 5:30 pm, hand us 2 pieces of chocolate, and ask if we were set for the night. I got the feeling he didn't want to have to wait around for us to go to dinner). I never experienced any direct rudeness from a crew member -- so I have no specific complaint - only that as I said, the crew seemed uninspired and tired. Read more