Norwegian Epic Review

4.5 / 5.0
4,413 reviews

Europe and the ship infirmary on Norwegian Epic

Review for the Western Mediterranean Cruise on Norwegian Epic
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darlenec
10+ Cruises • Age 60s

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Sail Date: Sep 2016
Cabin: Courtyard Villa with Balcony

This was our second sailing on the Norwegian Epic, and the first for Europe. Norwegian is our cruise line of choice anyway, so of course, we chose them for our first foray into Europe. The Epic is a beautiful ship with plenty of things to do. We had the haven two bedroom suite and 4 adults were very comfortable there. The second bedroom/bathroom is sufficient for a couple or for children. A nice perk in the haven is the expedited disembarkation at the ports. In all three stops in Italy, we had private shore excursions booked with Rome In Limo (who were more than excellent and I cannot recommend highly enough), and we were off the ship with our concierge in less than 15 minutes! The ship is clean and well cared for, the staff is tremendous, the food we had in the specialty and standard dining rooms was very good.

I did have a bit of a different experience on this cruise however; in that I had to make use of the medical facilities. I suffered a severe anaphalactic allergic reaction to something and that wound up being coupled with a bad case of bronchitis. I was rushed to the infirmary, and the staff there could not have been more competent and compassionate! They were awesome and the infirmary was extremely well equipped. I am an RN, so I know good healthcare when I see it. The emergency care I received, as well as the ongoing care for the next 3 days, was top notch. The doctor and the nurses were great; they professionally handled my emergency and turned a dire situation around, and then worked to ensure that I would still be able to participate in the rest of my vacation. Hopefully this is the first and last time I will have to make use of the infirmary on a ship, but it sure is comforting to know they are there and they are wonderful! Just a tip....medical care on a ship is not cheap!

The rest of the cruise was great. I would definitely recommend the haven. It is truly a haven away from the crowds. Posh is a private bar/lounge area for the haven guests, and is a really good place to relax and take in the views. The money on the ship is in US dollars, so even in Europe, it is credit card friendly. We chose private shore excursions with Rome In Limo. As I said earlier, I can't recommend them highly enough. If you compare the price, they are less than the ship excursions, but they are private, and they tailor the experience to exactly what you want to see. The entertainment was very good...but a word of warning...if you are seeing "Priscilla Queen of the Desert", be prepared for ADULT entertainment. They do announce this before the show...take it seriously. Smooth embarkation and disembarkation; excellent ports of call; onboard service excellent as always. Another excellent Norwegian cruise!

Cabin Review

Courtyard Villa with Balcony

Cabin H4

Full 2 bedroom suite. Master bedroom with large bathroom and lovely shower with seperate tub with full length windows over the ocean, double sinks, lots of storage, safe, full double closet and make up area with mirrors. Second smaller bedroom and full bathroom that would be good for couple or children. The sofa also makes into a very comfortable bed. Comfortable Living room area. Great cabin service with cabin attendant, butler and conceirge service as well. We were 4 adults very satisfied with the Haven 2 bedroom family suite.

Port Reviews

Cannes

I didn't really care for this port. There were a lot of listed excursions, none of which interested us, so we just got off and walked around the port area. It is very pretty, there are shops and restaurants in a waterfront setting. I found the merchants to be quite rude; we were standing in front of a cafe reading the menu board and the owner came out and told us to move....needless to say, we didn't patronize his cafe! In defense of this port tho...its really hard to follow Florence and Rome!

Marseille

This one really frosted my butt! You port in a big industrial area and pay Norwegian $15 a head to drive you to the town on a bus that was in need of some housekeeping. There may have been taxis, but I never saw them. We walked around the town area and did see a lovely little church...but that was pretty much it. Norwegian is probably "banking" on this! No bueno!

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