Fantastic Haven experience on the NCL Epic - Rome departure

The Epic is very clean and all areas have an updated elegant appeal.  This itinerary was great.  I'd recommend getting on in Rome because it's nice to have the break at Sea after several days of excursions.  We talked to others that got on in Barcelona and they felt we had the better itinerary - they were exhausted.  We flew in early and spent 3 days taking nite and half day tours (we wish we had a few more days in order to visit Venice - which is the only additional place we wanted to see).  This did allow the us time to get accustomed to the time change and enjoy more sights than you would see on the full day excursions to Rome.  We opted for the Haven thermal spa suite and would definitely recommend it.  We enjoyed having our special "haven" area away from the crowds on board.  The thermal spa suites are located in the Aft of the ship near Madara spa instead of directly in the Haven area (forward) so be prepared for a walk to get to the Haven amenities.  Our room was on the 14th deck with the water slide area / rock wall above us.  We assumed that there would be noise during the day but the running and jumping noise continued throughout the entire night, every night long after the slide, rock and bars were closed.  If you are a light sleeper bring earplugs or opt for the Haven area versus the Spa area on deck 14. Otherwise the room itself and balcony were lovely and it's a convenient location!  The complimentary access to thermal spa at Madara (when you book Haven Thermal Suite) was wonderful - you just have to show your room key to the desk to gain access.  On our first day on the ship we made sure we had swimsuits and other necessities in the bag we carried on; even if your room is ready (and most are) your bags won't get to your room for several hours, you can hang out in the Haven or use the Spa.  We opted for private excursions and would highly recommend that as well if you don't like traveling with crowds or on buses.   Scott with Delta was extremely helpful making recommendations and giving me great tips on dining, shows and the ship...can't wait to start planning our next trip.