Although I was not particularly impress with the Epic itself, I did like the shows, the entertainment, the staff and the various food venues. I would sail NCL again, but not this ship.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Arrived a little past scheduled time due to traffic and the line to get in the terminal was long. It moved relatively quickly and once inside, the process was quick and easy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Felt the buffet was very good with many choices for all meals. Loved the "real" ice cream! Went to dinner at one of the dining rooms was told there was a 45 minute wait, that we should have made reservations. Next day we called to make dinner reservations, only to be told reservations were not needed! Confusing to say the least. Another evening we went to the opposite dining room. Drink service and taking our order was prompt. However, a table of 4 (we were party of 2) next to us received their drinks an appetizers before we did, even tho we had ordered about 10 minutes before them.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Dance lessons with Ari. Trivia with Lester. Both were lots of fun. Used the pool, but the waterworks was not working for some reason. Used the water slides a number of times. Crew talent show was very enjoyable.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Absolutely loved "Burn the Floor" and "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert". Best stage stage I have seen on any cruise ship. Titou, the magician/illusionist put on a very good show. The band Siglo was impressive. Spent many evenings in the Cavern Club with them.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Rosalie Carlos was our cabin attendant and she was fantastic. Room was always in great shape with all supplies well stocked. We did not keep a regular schedule, so I am sure it was difficult for her to get to our room without bothering us. She always greeted us with a great big smile and hello. The woman deserves a raise for all she does!
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
I found all areas to be clean and well-maintained. The bathroom set up left a lot to be desired, even tho we knew it was a different layout before we were onboard. We had an inside cabin and the lighting left a lot to be desired. Lighting in toilet and shower stalls was adequate, however, main part of cabin and vanity and sink area could have you much brighter lighting. There was not one deck we could walk around the outside of the whole ship. The only outside area we could find was where the lifeboats were hanging but did not have any seating and still could not get fore and aft and the pool deck which was always crowded and noisy. We did find the adult only deck on 17 or 18 which was nice, and spent some time there.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Cabin was always clean and well stocked. Size was as anticipated. Lighting could have been brighter.
Ship tip
Don't expect a lot a quiet, outdoor areas. Public restrooms are hidden away in stairwells, so you really have to look for them. Photographers were really good. Take the time to have your pictures taken at several stations. We really had a lot of fun doing that! If you do find a pic you like you have to buy it in the size printed. They do not make alternate sizes. 8x10 was $24.99 but packages started at 10 for $149.00.
Have been to Nassau numerous times, so basically got off the ship to walk the downtown area to get freebies at the various merchants. We did visit the straw market briefly and stopped for a frozen drink at one of the waterfront establishments and connected to the free wi-fi they offered.
We did a walking tour with Jamaica Culinary Tours. Our guides were amazing. We learned a lot of the history of Falmouth, stopped at 5 different areas to sample various foods and drinks well known to Jamaica. Would highly recommend this tour to those interested in the cultural aspects of Falmouth and Jamaica in general.
Have been to Georgetown numerous times, so we had not planned to get off the ship as the port area can be very hectic if there are a lot of ships in port. This day there was only one other ship, so we did get off the ship to pick up a couple of items a friend at home wanted, and to walk the downtown area to get freebies at the various merchants.
Way to crowded for my liking. Lounge chairs not even separated by 6" so you could get on it easily. As we did not have an excursion planned, we stayed onboard ship, had a leisurely breakfast then took the tender into port at about 11:30 a.m. At approximately 2:30 p.m. we headed over to the pavilion to get lunch only to find that it had closed at 2 p.m. ! I realize staff has to pack things up and get back to the ship, but a notice in the Freestyle Daily stating the hours of the lunch service would have been nice. We got back to the ship 10 minutes before the buffet closed and had a late lunch there.
Had breakfast in the dining room, then headed off the ship. It was orderly and there we had no issues at all. Luggage was in correct location, lines moved pretty quickly thru customs.
The ship has a weird layout. Also, the bathroom layout in the stateroom is odd. But those things didn’t bother me. I loved my cruise on the Epic, so much that I booked another cruise on that ship for next year.
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