I really wanted to give this cruise a higher rating… There were many positives (e.g. The ship, the ports, the entertainment, etc…), unfortunately, there were a few negative issues that overshadowed my experience. Hence, the lower overall rating.

We sailed on the Norwegian Epic. It was a 7-day cruise which departed out of Barcelona and made a loop through the western Mediterranean before returning to the same port. There were 4 friends in 2 cabins in our party. I’ve been on 9 (week-long) cruises, 6 of which have been with NCL. I reside in the US, but I’ve been on 3 Mediterranean cruises. So, I believe I have an adequate basis for comparison.

As I mentioned, there were numerous positives about the trip. We arrived in Barcelona 3 days before the cruise. As always, Barcelona didn’t disappoint…it’s a great launching point. We sailed in later October…a great time of year to be in the Mediterranean. We also enjoyed the ship immensely. The Epic is one of NCL’s largest. We prefer the larger ships due to the variety of options. We found to ship to be clean, fairly modern, and decorated nicely. We had balcony cabins which were well appointed but a little smaller than we are accustomed. The cabin size worked well for a couple, but I would not want to attempt to add a third person to the room. The food was good (not spectacular, but not bad either)… on par for NCL. We found the entertainment to be excellent. The main production, “Pricilla, Queen of the Desert” did not disappoint …the best I’ve seen on a ship. The Cirque show as also worth the upcharge. The house band, playing in the Cavern Club, was also pretty decent. Due to the hectic port schedule, we didn’t get a chance to experience the balance of the entertainment. The ports were also a big hit with our group. 5 great stops. It’s rare that one finds a great ship that also has great ports of call, but this cruise delivered! Read more