Norwegian Epic Review
Rating by category
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We try to take a cruise every Christmas...as our present to ourselves! And, since we enjoyed being on the Epic last year it seemed like a "no brainer" to do a repeat. Especially since we won a bid opportunity and were able to level up from a balcony room to an aft penthouse. That gave us access to the amenities in The Haven, something we had not experienced before.
As Haven guests, we had access to a concierge, a butler, and, of course, a room steward. All three were pretty much available all of the time to fulfill our requests. The concierge made reservations for us, the steward kept the room in excellent shape and somehow kept the ice bucket full all of the time and the butler provided afternoon and evening snacks tailored to our requests. (No chocolate for me; salty snacks and fruit for my husband).
We were also able to eat in the Haven Dining Room. It was just that, a haven: Quieter than any of the main dining rooms, with attentive servers and good food which appeared to have items directly off of some of the specialty restaurant menus. Our only complaint was that the menu did not change over the week long cruise. A little more variety would have been appreciated...although they did try to accommodate special requests.
Cabin Review
Aft-Facing Penthouse with Balcony
Our cabin (12318) was in the middle of the back of the ship. It had an Asian motif and included a large, circular bed, plenty of storage space and a separate bathroom. The bathroom had a vanity/make-up area with lights on either side of the mirror, as well as a small stool/seat and the usual amenities i.e. hair dryer, shampoo, conditioner, lotions etc. There was also a bathtub, which I unfortunately had a lot of difficulty getting in and out of. The high sides were a challenge to step over, even to take a shower. But, the balcony was wonderful. There was room for two loungers, two chairs and a small table. Plus, the location meant we saw some absolutely awesome sunsets. Oh...my husband liked the cappuccino machine. :-)
Port Reviews
Port Canaveral (Orlando)
I am a Cocoa Beach/Cape Canaveral local so it pains me to have to rank our port experience as only "average". The west end has traffic flow problems and Cruise Terminal 10 can be very difficult to navigate. You have to go early or late but absolutely NEVER aim for mid-day. If the drawbridge goes up you sit in traffic way longer than anticipated and if things get really backed up you can stand outside in the Florida heat for an hour or longer. That can pose real problems for passengers with health problems or those unused to high temperatures and sub-tropical sun.