Jody

p The Epic is nothing short of amazing -- I don#39;t even know where to start! We started with two days pre-cruise in Barcelona -- don#39;t miss La Ramblas and the waterfront seafood resturants (recommend La Barca del Salamanca) in the Port Olympic area and this gave up a chance to reset our body clocks before the cruise. p We arrived at the port for embarking at 12:30 -- it was amazingly fast and efficient -- about 10 minutes total. We we able to head straight to our rooms with our carryon luggage -- our checked bags arrived around 2:30. Mandatory muster drill was at 4:30 -- the only time you can#39;t get something to eat or drink on board -- but it only took about 20 minutes time. Most people were gathering on the pool deck for the Bon Voyage -- it was definitiely a party atmosphere! p Our state room cabin, a forward balcony on the starboard side, was just perfect for two people. Lots of storage space. Heard complaints about the shower/toliet arrangement -- it was actually nice to have them separated. And the frosted glass is private enough, plus there is an additional curtain you can pull if you want more privacy. Our door battery went out the second day -- someone was there within 5 minutes to fix it. Our key card activation in the room (controls the lights) went out the fourth day; again, they were there promptly to replace it. Housekeeping made two stops everyday, and our steward was attentive to all our requests. p Food and drink are plentiful -- expect to pay $7-10 for specialty drinks, they don#39;t skimp on the alcohol, either! If you are a beer drinker, the bucket is the way to go -- they will refill the ice for you! Also a must is the martini tasting at Shaker#39;s Martini Bar, held on the two at sea afternoons at 4pm; 5 full-size of the most popular martinis for $15 (best drink deal on the ship!) -- and Armondo, the bartender is personable and attentive. Tell him Jody Tara sent you and order the sexy alligator or chocolate love (neither on the regular menu)! One day the Rebellious Fish is the drink of day -- don#39;t miss this fruity concoction! Also -- the Svedka Ice Bar is fun -- we did a conga line inside with about 15 people to keep warm -- it was a riot! The Blue something-or-other is VERY strong, beware -- we stayed for about 20 minutes -- WEAR PANTS and SOCKS SHOES! p Our favorite specialty resturant was Moderno Churrascaria -- go hungry! The salad bar is amazing, but save lots of room for the meat varieties and the grilled pineapple! Teppanyaki was a bit of a disappointment -- it was a good experience, but I wouldn#39;t necessarily spend the money for it again. Our favorite complimentary resturant was Taste -- they offered interesting and tasty appetizers (my favorite was a wild mushroom quesadilla) and I had a lobster entree. The Garden Cafe seemed to be the most popular -- and had the widest variety of choices -- don#39;t miss the made to order omletes for breakfast or the made to order crepes at dinner time. p We did NCL excursions in Pisa (Pisa Taste of Tuscany -- a wine and olive grove tour -- well worth it, an 8-course lunch and tasting of 6 different wines, as much as you want, is included!); Rome on your Own (an easy and fast was to get to the city -- then we did a hop-on, hop-off bus tour that zipped you everywhere!), and Local Wines Panoramic Palma (also included a wine tour that was very good!) and still had time to explore iwht a free shuttle bus back to port. p Naples we did completely on our own -- we took a cab up to the Archeological Museum, which is where all the good stuff from Pompeii was taken, cost is 6,50 euros -- be sure to visit the secret room with the erotic artifacts ... p On board entertainment is plentiful -- there were always lots of interesting things to do -- if you don#39;t want to partipate, at least grab a drink and watch the several dance lessons held on the pool deck everyday (people watching is so much fun!). For scheduled entertainment, don#39;t miss the Blue Man Group -- be prepared for lots of kids and get there early for choice seats (nothing assigned). My two favorite venues were Howl at the Moon dueling piano bar (kid friendly until 11pm -- then it gets mighty raunchy, especially after midnight) and Fat Cats Blues Bar. Both have very, very talented musicians! We did not do the Cirque show -- heard lots of mixed reviews -- generally the concensus was just do the $20 option if its on your must-do list. p I would definitely do this cruise again and I am very happy to have chosen NCL#39;s Freestyle cruising! p p