Norwegian Epic Review
Norwegian Epic; The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
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Additional details
This was my 9th cruise, (four with Carnival and four with Royal Caribbean) and we were a large group of 24 people. One couple we were traveling with are BIG Norwegian fans and talked us into trying the cruise line. We travel every year with several families and usually all share the same opinion.
We were quite surprised at embarkation because the lines were very long and seemed to be moving slowly. We waited about 40 minutes to embark. Last year we went on Royal Caribbeans Oasis of the Seas which was filled to capacity and literally walked right on. They embark according to the cabin deck your room is on, making for a very smooth, quick embarkation.Considering this ship was not even full the long lines were surprising.
Once we cleared the lines and walked onto the ship our mouths dropped. Not from awe or excitement but from shock and disappointment. They brought us straight into the casino. Talk about a let down. Usually you walk into a beautiful lobby or promenade and see all the glitz of the ship but no, we walked into a smokey casino.Very disappointing!
Cabin Review
Family Balcony
Very important for all who book a balcony cabin on the NCL Epic. Good thing I did my research on you tube prior to our cruise. I was originally in a balcony cabin on the 8th floor mid-ship. When I watched the video it showed how many cabins on deck 8 would have an obstructed view from the lifeboats on deck 7. Unlike most cruise ships where the lifeboats are tucked under a bit, these lifeboats protrude completely off the side of the ship. NCL does not consider it an obstructed view because you can look out to the horizon, but it is very much in your field of vision if you look down. I moved up to deck 12 and still found this annoying. I would have been very angry had I kept my original cabin on deck 8.