We chose this ship for the exceptionally itinerary which was great ! This was 2nd cruise on the EPIC out of 67 other cruises. After boarding I remember why 4 years ago I swore I would not sail on it again; even on that cruise were were treated great. We are both Platinum Plus members which has it's advantages about wait list but even then the crowds were overwhelming. Let me say this first ...
We had done a repositioning cruise on the Epic 3 years ago from Miami to Barcelona. We had a wonderful time. It had only one stop on Island of Madeira. This repositioning had many stops, most of which we had not been to. We had a balcony room on both cruises. We found the facilities on the ship to be excellent. We like fine dining and opted for the dining package that gave us 4 specialty ...
We have done this before. Twice we sailed from Barcelona, west with final stops either in Miami or Cape Canaveral. This trip took us the other way and it gave us some stops in ports (Cadiz, Gibraltar, Malaga) we were not familiar with and two stops in places we have been to before and enjoyed (Bermuda, Funchal). If you ever plan on doing a TA...check to make sure we are on it...42 days under our ...
This was our 36th Cruise overall and my 5th with NCL. For the past 7 years, we have cruised exclusively with Celebrity and have never found anything negative.
Let me begin with positive comments.
The entertainment was outstanding! Best ever on any cruise we have been on. The performers very talented. The cruise director Andre, was great. This was a 15 day transatlantic cruise and he ...
This was my second TA on Epic and although the food wasn't 5 star, the people I met were A LOT OF FUN~! Cruise Critic's team on the Epic TA was excellent Geri & John (JW) along with others made this a holiday to remember. Meet & Greets, Bar Crawl(s), Cabin Crawl was informal and enjoyed by all. It was crowded and the passengers were older than I had anticipated (lots of scooters to watch out for), ...
We have taken many NCL cruises. This ship has been a real letdown. Never had to have reservations to see any shows on any other cruises. You had to have reservations. The lines to get in were extremely long, and waiting times were long.
The bathroom we had in our room was like something we never had experienced. Only a shower and toilet. When showering, the entire floor in the bathroom gets ...
Chose the cruise for the great ports of call. Was disappointed in the ship itself: casino smoke was pervasive - with no easy way to avoid it (huge 6th floor casino area) when going to either main dining room. Food was mostly very good - but sometimes did not match the menu description. Buffet always had a great variety. Entertainment was very good - if you could get a reservation or were willing ...
We were looking to go to Barcelona without flying there. Our goal was to spend some time in Europe when we got there, then board a ship from a different line to get back to the US. NCL used to be our favorite line. We hoped that our experience in Hawaii with them last year where the food and service was non existent, was an anomaly. Unfortunately, it was not.
They don't have enough staff to ...
We had sailed on the Epic twice before in The Haven and therefore decided to trust it with a transatlantic crossing, especially as the restaurant in the Haven had delivered an excellent experience on both occasions Unfortunately this time the restaurant under a brand new maitre 'd and seemingly new kitchen staff was a disaster. Waiting staff tried valiantly to rectify bad management and ...
This was our first cruise with Norwegian, and overall we were very pleased. The crew/staff were all very nice and friendly, the food was better than I was expecting. The spaces onboard were clean and nicely laid out, the ride was smooth, even when the seas were a bit rough, and there was a generally cheery feel aboard the ship. The cruise director had plenty of activities lined up for the days ...