We had a blast on the Epic. You just need to know what you are getting. This is not a fancy ship. The ship is fairly unstated -- clean and new but nothing elegant. The food is uniformly good but not high-end by any means. It is a laid-back atmosphere with plenty to do for everyone. If you are looking for a structured, elegant cruise where you will be pampered and eat like you were in five-star restaurants, and feel like you are guests of the captain, do not sail this ship. But if you are looking for a fun ship with a ton of things to do, and flexibility to do what you want when you want, then this is a great ship. The people on the ship were diverse in age in geography, although the Caribbean itinerary is almost exclusively American. There were a lot of families on our cruise, since it went over Thanksgiving. The kids seemed to be having a great time, particularly the tweens and teens, although we did not have our kids with us. There were a lot of Nickelodeon events and the kids seemed to make instant friends. And everyone loved the slides (adults and kids alike), although the lines were long at times. We stayed on the ship for a while in Nassau to take advantage of the short slide lines.

The entertainment is truly top notch. Blue Man Group is brilliant. Cirque was excellent (book early as this one sold out after day one). Second City was very good and funny. Howl at the Moon is a lot of fun. Slam Allen was excellent. There are a lot of great musicians throughout the ship. You could pretty much find live music of varying types all evening long in different venues.

The staff was always friendly and helpful. Bar staff, room stewards, restaurant staff, etc. were great. They did not pamper you but were efficient and friendly. The ship is very well run and incredibly efficient given how many people are crammed on board. There are lines for things, but in general we found the lines shorter than on other ships we have been on. It is a well-run ship, where things start and end on time and people get in and out (and off and on) quickly and smoothly. Read more