Norwegian Epic Review
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After reading so many negative reviews, I wasn't even looking forward to our cruise. However, we couldn't cancel it, so I decided to prepare as much as possible and follow tips from previous passengers. We had never cruised on a ship this size before, and found that it was like visiting a big city versus a small town. We enjoyed the perks of a big city, such as entertainment, activities and good food, but also had to deal with rush hour and long lines.
If you are scheduled to go on this ship, book all your shows, specialty dining and excursions as soon as you get your booking number. If you can't book online, call NCL and they will take care of it then email your confirmations. Many people were upset because they had waited till the week of the cruise, or the day of the cruise and everything was sold out. With reservations, we showed up about a half hour before showtimes and had no problem getting seats. If you do an excursion with NCL, you will get gold tickets in your stateroom which allow you to get off the ship first, no waiting for them to call a certain number. For the restaurants, we showed up at the time scheduled. BTW, you can also reserve seating in the main dining rooms.
With our package, we were able to dine at 3 specialty restaurants and chose Teppanaki, Cagneys and Le Bistro. Le Bistro was by far the best. Service was outstanding and the food was delicious and beautifully presented. I wish we ate there all 3 nights! The steak at Cagneys was delicious, but service was horrible. Teppanaki was delicious and entertaining, but very loud and way too much food. Taste and Manhattan had the same menu, but we preferred the ambiance of Manhattan much more. We tried to avoid the Garden Cafe (buffet) as much as possible. It's so loud and difficult to find seating. A tip for the buffet, you can go to the back of the restaurant, there is a staircase leading down a level to La Cucina where they allow you to sit for breakfast and lunch. It's much prettier and quiet. Bring your food down there to eat in peace.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Balcony
I hated these rooms! They have no space to walk and the bathroom has no privacy. Everyone in your room will hear and smell all. Also, the cabin door opens to the glass enclosed toilet. Imagine my thrill when I went to get my father in law and my mother in law opened the door with him sitting naked on the toilet.
Port Reviews
Ocho Rios
The actual float down the river was relaxing and pretty. It lasted about 50 minutes. However, the drive to get to the river took 1 1/2 hours each way. That wasn't worth it!
Grand Cayman (Georgetown)
We enjoyed this but it was too rushed, too crowded and the bus smelled like cat litter. The tour guide was awful.