Second time on the Epic. Enjoyed them both. Biggest lack is pool size. Also, the main entertainment was pretty much the same last year (Burn the Floor). Wish they had a new show to enjoy. If you go on a cruise of larger size, you will have to navigate lines and crowds. Review the daily letter to plan your evenings for shows and plan to wait in line to get good seating.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Got to the port @ 10:30. On board by noon. Looked like everyone else wanted to get on ship early but lines moved smoothly along with checkin. Just be patient
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Ate at buffet’s for breakfast and Lunch. Busy like any other cruise. Food was good for buffet. For lunch try to find carving station and pasta station. Well worth the wait for. Bring coffee mug as they only have tea cups on ship. Ate at Manhattan twice for dinner and Taste for one breakfast and one dinner. Enjoyed the food. Menu’s were different every night. Braised Lamb shank was excellent. Ate twice at Cagney’s. Filet and prime rib were excellent. Teppanyaki was a hit for the kids in our group. Food was freshly made and plenty. Only night I didn’t order dessert as was quite full. Finally Le Bistro. Dress up night for family and food was excellent. Some nights service was slow as any restaurant these days. Sit back and enjoy the food. Also spend the money to do the Ice Bar. $15/person Ship’s hidden gem. Bartender made it a show and we laughed the whole time
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Mainly just sat in the sun to relax and have drinks with group. Only thing I would have liked was bigger pools. Always crowded with kids but was able to enjoy them to cool off when needed. As for long lines for drinks. Yes they exist but the rule our group (8 adults) had was always order 2 drinks so was very little time I didn’t have drink in hand when at the pools.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Comedians were excellent. Same for burn the floor and magician/ comic. Felt howl at the moon was better on previous cruise. Epic Beatles is a must see. Plan your nights around times. Get in line early and had no trouble getting to see all we wanted. That may annoy many but not seeing the shows would have been worse.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
Plenty to do for the kids. My daughter was the only 18 yr old so she was not allowed to go to teen club with her younger friends. I felt they could have allowed her.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
They worked their butts off. Room staff seemed to be working late into the day. When we needed to relax or catch a nap in the afternoon, we just asked to have our towels replaced. Other times our room was done up when we got back from pools or excursions. Bar staff was busy but with a few extra tips and by just thanking them I was served quickly. You don’t have to tip all of them. Just the ones you go to most and you will happy. Waiters were constantly working. Take the time to chat with them and make them smile. It is not their fault that post Covid cruise staff is a lot smaller.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Second time on Epic so was familiar with the weird design. The ship does need some TLC but was always clean. We made the room work for our 3.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Plenty of storage. Enjoyed the bigger deck. Room was clean.
Ship tip
Book as much as you can early. Dinners, show and excursions. For dinners, not only schedule your free 2 but also make reservations at Manhattan and Taste for the other 5 nights. You don’t have to use them but will be happy when you do and not have to wait in a long line to be seated. If you are a coffee drinker, bring a bigger mug. For cigar smokers, enjoy the cigar lounge. Met people and had great conversations. For me it was a great way to end every day on the cruise. Bring water bottle to fill up daily at cafeteria. Water is not available unless you pay for it.
This is the kind of review I’m looking for - honest but understanding and just chill. It’s an old ship, Covid hit the staff opportunities - it is what it is, make the best of it or book a different cruise/ship. Especially the ones complaining over a Spring break cruise. It was busy?? Shocking! 🙄
Great review and great attitude, not expecting some level of perfection that doesn’t exist. Glad you enjoyed your cruise, we also enjoyed both our cruises on the Epic.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
