Epic vacation

Norwegian Epic Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean

LasVegasRoller

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 144

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Western Mediterranean (Barcelona Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 08, 2014

Ship: Norwegian Epic

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 14139

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 10 years ago

Review summary

I had a Haven Spa Suite Cabin 14139, which gave us the ability to use the spa facilities and thermal pools as much as we wanted, while still having access to all the amenities of the Haven area on Floors 16 and 17, including a butler. The concierge service was the best! Ryan and Roel were very hands on in getting dinner and show reservations for us, and they were always on the dock each morning to ensure we got to our tour buses. We also received priority tendering back to the ship after our tours. On port days, Haven guests also had use of an express elevator. With almost 5000 people on the ship, this is a great perk! The Haven Restaurant served great food, and there never was a wait. The Haven Staff was the best on the ship.

I also ate in 3 Specialty Restaurants. Cagney's Steakhouse had great steaks, but slow service. The Cucina Restaurant was one of the worst Italian food restaurants I have ever been to. I ordered spaghetti and sausage, which was not served with a red sauce, but instead an olive oil which did not have enough sauce. The service was also very slow. This was not worth the $15 per person up charge. The French Restaurant, Le Bistro, had great food and fast efficient, friendly service. For an extra $10, we ordered a great lobster tail meal, which came with 2 tails. The staff, including the management made great effort to make all dining experiences positive and memorable.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Haven Restaurant was excellent. Buffet and free restaurants were overcrowded, and food quality was only fair.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Activities were not well publicized. You had to read the daily newsletter to know what activities were going on.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Blue Man Group and SoulSensation was fabulous!

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Service in the Haven was excellent. The buffet service was horrible. Every day the staff begins cleaning up half hour before closing. They are not friendly, and appear to just want to close up. When I asked one server behind the counter for something he said, we're closed. It was only 9:50 PM and the buffet doesn't close until 10 PM.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Fabulous cabin with wood-like floor, a jacuzzi tub, balcony, and spa rain bird shower.

Ship tip

This is a huge ship with only 2 areas with elevators. Plan your travel around the ship well to minimize waiting for elevators. They are almost impossible on port days when getting off the ship and at dinner time.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Barcelona, Spain

5 out of 5

We spent an extra say after the cruise. It rained, so we went to the Picasso Museum. You can easily spend 4 hours here. It has Picasso's portrait sketches and paintings from when he first started art as a young boy. I loved his pigeon paintings as well.

Thumbs Up 1

Naples, Italy

5 out of 5

I took the 4 hour Pompeii Tour. Very interesting, but a lot of walking, and hot in the summer.

Thumbs Up 1

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

3 out of 5

I took the tour of Rome and the Vatican. It was a full day. If I did this again, I would focus on the Vatican. We ran through the museum and Sistine Chapel due to time constraints that I did not feel I could fully appreciate or enjoy the sites.

Thumbs Up 1

Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy

3 out of 5

I took the Pisa Climb Tour. Going to the top of the Pisa Tower is a fantastic view, plus the bells at the top are a great photo op. However, the tour dies not allow very much free time and I did not have time to see the inside of the Cathedral or other buildings.

Thumbs Up 1

Cannes, France

5 out of 5

I took the Nice and Monte Carlo Tour. Buy your lunch and souvenirs in Nice. Everything is much cheaper there.

Thumbs Up 1

Palma De Mallorca, Balearic Islands

5 out of 5

Great shopping promenade. I did not take a tour, I just took a cab into town. 10 Euros each way. If you are 2 or more people, this is cheaper than taking the ship' s shuttle bus at $12 each. The shuttle had a large wait, but none for a cab.

Thumbs Up 1

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