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Good ship but NOT Great by
Jen A. from NJ Sailing date: Jul 2010Pros: Staff very friendly and helpful, Very Clean ship, Entertainment Great Cons: Alot of the restaurants are not free, Cabins are very awkward and small even with a balcony, Adult pool very small We got on the ship which was a very smoothe process and I was quite impressed. The staff was very friendly and helpful and we got our luggage quickly.
I have been on 6 cruises and this was my 7th and first with NCL. I heard alot about the EPIC and traveled with my 6 month old daughter and parents and inlaws.We are not picky people but I must say this ship has its pros and cons.
The ship is huge and decorated beautifully and the staff was AMAZING. The food is really good but gets old by the end of trip. However my problem is that NCL is misleading when it says that this ship has over 12 restaurants to eat at. ONLY 3 are free the rest are all 25.00 a person a night and you need to make reservations in advance or you will not get in.
The entertainment is great but you do need to book in advance before the trip or you won't get in. Cirque was amazing as well as the comedy club and oter music shows.
Cabins as you probably read are horribly structured. Way to small maybe ok if you are traveling with 2 people. But we were forced to purchase a 3 person room because of the baby and they are the same size as a 2 person room which is annoying and unfair and very expensive. It is a tight fit and the bathrooms and showers are see through and your sink is pretty much in the bedroom. No privacy at all.
Pools are ok great for kids and the waterslides are fun but the Adult section is nice but the pool can maybe fit 10 people in it. Not even joking. Plus all the pools are about 85 degrees not refreshing at all.
Bottom line ship is great for kids , Entertainment is great, Staff amazing, Cabins are way too small, Pools are way too small, and Not that many places to eat. Ship Quality
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Nassau, BahamasJust shopping which I didn't mind . Atlantis isa beautiful excursion but Pricey
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
Philipsburg, St. MaartenOrient Beach is beautiful,
 135 out of 148 people found this review helpful.
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  An Epic Let Down by
Jennifer H from Charlotte, NC Sailing date: Sep 2010Pros: Our stateroom Cons: The service, the spa It wasn't the worst cruise ever, but with all of the hype I really expected to be "wowed".
We have cruised NCL before and found that the service on this ship was lacking. In the main dining rooms it took at least 15 minutes before someone even took our drink orders (we were the third party seated at 5:30pm) and then it took a ridiculous amount of time to get our food, which was not delicious. We ate breakfast in the dining room one other time, had a similar experience and from then on just made our way to the buffett. There were many times when we were sitting at a high top table in a bar/restaurant and either were not asked if we wanted a drink (an alcoholic drink which they make money off of) or if we did get our first drink, no one came around to ask if we wanted another after that one.
The swimming pools were extremely small (two pools about 20' x 8'), but they did have water slides. There were a lot of hot tubs and it was easy enough to find an empty one.
We loved our stateroom! We got one with a balcony and there was a ton of storage. We even had space left over.
The ship just launched in July, so everything was new and in good working condition.
Seeing Blue Man Group was great and The Second City improv comedy troupe was hilarious. We recommend the Murder Mystery dinner for which you have to pay extra.
The spa, where we normally spend most of our money was not as relaxing as it has been on previous cruises. I really felt a sense of loss about this one. It's the part that I really look forward to; just being able to relax and unwind, forget about everything with quiet, serene space with low lighting, soft music and the smell of lavender in the air. Instead I felt like their spa was a busy intersection. I heard the cruise director make an annoucement about a ping pong tournament while I was getting a hot stone massage.
We have cruised NCL twice before this cruise and we cruised Carnival once. We vowed never to cruise Carnival again, so I really thought that this cruise was going to make us NCL people for life. Now, however, it has left me wanting to see what else is out there. Royal Caribbean, anyone? Ship Quality
Dining/FoodThe quality of the buffett food was higher than on any other cruise I have been on. The main dining rooms were lacking. Our experience at Cagney's (a specialty steakhouse) was not worth the price we paid, but Teppanaki (a specialty hibachi restaurant) was amazing, we went there twice. We didn't try any of the others Stateroom QualityI would pick the same one again. Ship Staff QualityStateroom service: perfect. Restaurant/Bar service: horrible. Entertainment & ActivitiesIt was nice to have 2 great shows, would have liked more.
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Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.We took a taxi to Magen's Bay Beach. They have everything for rent there like floats, snorkel equipment, chairs etc. It has a lot of people but not enough that you are on top of each other. We had a great time there. I heard that St John was even better, perhaps we will take the ferry over next time.
Philipsburg, St. MaartenSt Maarten is a very poor country so they do not have the infrastructure that we are used to here in the US. We rented scooters and found our way to Mullet's Bay Beach. It has beautifully clear water with white sand beaches. The best part? No one knows about it. You can rent 2 lounge chairs and an umbrella for $15 and their are little shacks there where you can get food. After we left there we went around the rest of the island, but there are no street signs and the roads are poor. We got lost a few times.
43 out of 46 people found this review helpful.
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A Traveller from DC by
A Traveler from DC Sailing date: Jun 2011Pros: Clean ship, rooms. Great food options. My teenager enjoyed teen arcade & activities Cons: Too few elevators, Lounge chairs on deck Very large ship with majority of staterooms having balconies. We are not major connoiseurs of food, we had constant access to hamburgers and pizza. We ate at Cagneys steak house and had filet mignon with shimp cocktail. The dinner at the Cirque de Soleil was also very good. We were more focused on seeing Pisa, Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius, Spanish steps, and the Colosseum. It was pretty warm in late June so we made sure we had a lot of water since we were doing a lot of walking. Coming back to the clean comfort of this new ship was a great feeling. I gave Excellent reviews because it was exactly what we needed. I am aware of other more posh cruises but you have to pay more for those, they would probably get "the best" rating, but we hope to go again on this cruise, saving our money for another trip like this one. Ship QualityNew ship so very good condition. Dining/FoodProvided freestyle food service, buffet had good food options with Oriental selection one night and British (fish & chips) another. Found O'SheeHans had fish & chips whenever you wanted. We ate at Cirque de Soleil and was good and enjoyable. Also ate at Cagney's steak had shrimp cocktail and filet mignon, additional cost. Stateroom QualityClean, well kept, had hair dryer, fully enclosed shower and toilet with drape to separate them from room. Ship Staff QualityMandatory $12 per person service took the a little away from the service because it was expected. Entertainment & ActivitiesHad a variety of smaller entertainment options such as comedian, lounge singer, jazz band, organized kids activities like indoor soccer. Also had Blue Man and Cirque de Soleil. 12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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A nice cruise by
Joe P from North Haven,Conn Sailing date: Jan 2013Pros: Shows Buffet Cons: Room shape and bath /shower design Nice ship very clean friendly staff good food Dining/FoodVERY GOOD FOOD VERY CLEAN DINING AREAS Stateroom QualityVery clean,beds are very comfortable,problem is the width of the room due to curved walls really makes moving about the room dificult,and then there is the poor design of the bath/shower Ship Staff QualityVery friendly happy people Entertainment & ActivitiesHigh marks for all the shows 7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Pretty Good Cruise by
Katie H from United States Sailing date: Jun 2011Pros: Staterooms Cons: Auto-gratuity My husband and I were on a 7 day cruise across the Mediterranean. Overall the ship was impressive. Ship QualityThe ship was very big with multiple bars, a big casino, and multiple places to eat. It did take a few mins to get from one end to the other of the ship where the steps and elevators were located. Elevators were pretty slow so it was normally easier to take the steps. Dining/FoodWith "Freestyle" cruising you have a choice of the buffet, one of the two free sit down restaurants, or a themed restaurant. The themed restaurants were pretty cheap (the most being $20) and the food was good. They also allowed you to order as much as you want. I was never impressed with most of the food. The buffet was pretty limited in the morning. We never ate there for dinner. Stateroom QualityRooms were small, but had a lot of storage. The bathroom was set up to have the shower on one side with frosted glass and the toilet on the other with frosted glass. The sink was just outside the bathroom with a medicine cabinet. Ship Staff QualityMost of the staff was friendly and helpful. The bar waiters were slow when you asked for a drink and would ask multiple times if you did not have a drink if you wanted one. When we asked for water, the staff would look at you funny. Entertainment & ActivitiesMake sure to see Blue Man Group. Too many activities to count, everyone should be able to find something to do. 7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Absolutely Beautiful! by
James B. from Westfield IN Sailing date: May 2011Pros: Everything! Layout, cabin decor, ship decor, space, food, service, friendliness of crew/staff! EVERYTHING! Cons: Only gripe --- folks, let people get off the elevator before you barge in! :-) Norwegian Epic is a beautiful ship --- wonderful decor, incredibly friendly crew and staff, very pleasant cabin decor, CLEAN! Just loved it! Ship QualityEpic --- she's a big girl! And absolutely beautiful! Dining/FoodBuffet, Le Bistro, Cagney's, Mondero --- every one had something wonderful! The food was fresh and delicious, great selection, and the service was excellent! Stateroom QualityWell, okay.......gotta be honest --- I love the look of the "wave" rooms, but I gotta admit --- I'd prefer the bathroom really be a separate room. But in all honesty, it really was no big deal. Oh! And the sink --- was NEVER a problem at all. And the storage! I could not believe how much storage room there was! Great suite! Ship Staff QualityEVERY single crew or staff member we came into contact with was very friendly, always greeting us with a smile. There is pride among these folks, and it really shows! Great job! We WILL be back! Entertainment & ActivitiesLegends, Cirque, Blue Men, and everything else was great! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at every event!
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Civitavecchia (Rome), ItalyWhat can I say??? The Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, the Vatican..........beautiful, amazing, HUGE, overwhelming.........
Don't Miss: EVERYTHING! (But good luck --- need weeks to see it all!) Will definitely be back! Livorno (Florence & Pisa), ItalyHave to say --- out of all our ports of call, I absolutely fell in love with Lucca. What a beautiful city with beautiful and friendly people! LOVED it!
Don't Miss: Interacting with the locals! Naples, ItalyThoroughly enjoyed Napoli! :-) Wandered through the streets, browsing the shops. Had wonderful food, including the FRESHEST, most amazing mozzarella you could imagine! Also went to Pompeii --- this just boggled my mind.........don't miss it! Tragic, but so beautiful.
Don't Miss: Pompeii Palma De Mallorca, Balearic IslandsGORGEOUS! GORGEOUS! GORGEOUS! Did the wine tour and Belver Castle. Absolutely wonderful! The winery/vineyard doesn't export to the US, so brought a few bottles of wine back with me. I so want to delve in, but can't bring myself to open a bottle yet...........:-)
Don't Miss: Relaxation, winery tour, the people. 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Vegas on the ocean by
Kathleen H from Hannibal, MO Sailing date: Feb 2012Pros: Great restaurants, activities (rock climbing and rappelling), entertainment (Second City, Blue Man Group, Jeff Hobsworth, Silky Smooth, Apollo Duo, Legends in Concert), the restaurants (Le Bistro, Manhattan, Moderno), and the island visits Cons: The mini-suite view over boats, lack of electrical outlets, strange cabin layout with minimal space. Get a balcony, as the mini suite is not worth the extra price. Despite the large ship it is very easy to find everything. The common areas are well laid out and lovely. The staff is exceptionally hard working and attentive. Ship Quality
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Stateroom QualityStrange layout and position of lifeboats. Inadequate electrical outlets. Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & ActivitiesAgain, Vegas on the sea Children's Programs
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Fun Cruise...will never cruise NCL again by
Joy B. from Canby, OR Sailing date: Feb 2012Pros: The shows and the service Cons: The ship was so big and crowded that it was hard to make personal connections. This ship was for people that didn't want to be on a ship. There was absolutely no access to the bow or the aft. With the exception of staring out of a glass wall. There was plenty of top notch entertainment and the food was excellent as was the service. But being the 3rd largest cruise ship in the world and holding 4100 passengers and 1708 crew members made it like being in New York City and trying to make friends. I never even got in the pool or the hot tubs because they were always so crowded. I will probably never cruise with NCL again or at least this ship. Another aspect I didn't like was their "freestyle" dining. They make it sound like its open and your choice on what to eat and how to dress but they also have used it to create a "spend more of your money on food and entertainment" environment. Over half the restaurants they offered charged a $10- $25 dollar cover charge per person. Sure, if you wanted to not spend any extra money on anything once there you could but then eating would get pretty repetitive. I definately liked my past cruises where you paid once and everything was included with the exception of alcohol. Ship QualityTo be truthful this ship was amazing. It's only 2 years old and well designed. BUT there is no access to the bow or the aft. It's for people that don't really want to be on a ship. It's size was a drawback simply due to the amount of people. It was like New York City. CROWDED. We would have to wait for an elevator for like 10 minutes sometimes because they were so packed like sardines that no one else could fit on. When we disembarked we had to carry our three suitcases (one full and two carryons) down 5 flights of stairs because we couldn't fit on any elevators. Dining/FoodFood was top notch as well as variety. But the freestyle dining was another gimmick to get more of your money. Stateroom QualityWell designed and very nice BUT the way they had the bathrooms was a drawback. the shower and toilet were only divided from the rest of the cabin by a curtain. If someone stunk it up, the whole cabin stunk. There was no noise reduction either. Cruise ship toilets are LOUD. So flushing in the middle of the night wasn't an option unless you wanted to wake the other person/people sleeping. Ship Staff QualityStaff spoke very good English and was wonderful. Entertainment & ActivitiesBest entertainment I've ever had on a cruise ship. 6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Great cruise by
A Traveler from Atlanta, GA Sailing date: Apr 2011Pros: The rooms, the ship, the food Cons: The pools The ship was excellent. The check in/check out process very easy and fast. The rooms were specious and new. The fact that they almost all come with balconies is a big plus. The service was great everywhere, rooms were cleaned twice a day, the staff was there when you needed, there were plenty of waiters, greeters, bartenders and others wherever you went. There were a lot of options for entertainment, including excellent circus program and Blue Man show. A huge variety of food choices in buffets and restaurants. Some of the restaurants were accepting "walk in" instead of reservations, which was great. And of course free style atmosphere is the best for vacation. If you want to dress up for dinner you definitely can, but if you don't feel like it, it is perfectly fine too. Some restaurants required long pants, but that was all. The only downside was pools. There are two very tiny ones, and they were always crowded. It was a bit compensated by the water slides, tubs, and variety of sprinklers, but still pools were definitely lacking for the size of the ship. Ship Quality
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Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico
Cozumel, Mexico
Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, Honduras
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Loved it!!!!! by
A Traveler from Orlando FL Sailing date: Sep 2010Pros: Ship was beautiful Cons: Comedy Club First time cruising with NCL and we loved it. Ship was beautiful, food and service for the most part was great. Only experienced less than expected with the food and service at one of the restaurant. All the others made up for it. Have cruised with Royal Caribbean and Princess and definatelly NCL is up to par with Royal. Ship Quality
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Stateroom QualityWe had an inside cabin and it was pretty cool how the bathroom was set up. Shower and toilet in different area. Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & ActivitiesShows were great, specially Blue Man Group. I paid $70 in Boston to see them and on the cruise was $20.00. It was great to see the show again. Specially since we were able to take pictures with the Band after wards. The Improv Comedy was laim. Not much humor. I was disappointed since we love to go to comedy shows. 6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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