Good times but not fine dining
Norwegian Epic Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean
7 Night Western Mediterranean (Barcelona Roundtrip)
Sail date: June 17, 2018
Ship: Norwegian Epic
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: GTY
Traveled as: Large Group
Reviewed: 6 years ago
Review summary
This ship was a mix of highs and lows averaging out to a generally enjoyable experience. I would call this ship solidly average. As one of the largest ships traveling in Europe, there were a lot of passengers aboard this ship. This means there were always crowds EVERYWHERE on the ship. On the plus side, there were never those awkward moments where there are only 2-3 people attending a given event. Conversely, food prep in the main dining rooms was disappointing; there were always lines (bars; water slides; most restaurants if you didn't have reservations; entertainment; etc.). Most of the entertainment on the ship was very good or excellent, though there were definitely exceptions. The food was disappointing to say the least--either because they were cooking for so many people or because they were trying to up-sell the premium restaurants. Either way, I will look to smaller ships or better rated cruise lines for future trips as a result. But for an experience that was broadly enjoyable for different age groups and members of my family, this cruise was an enjoyable experience at a fair price.Embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
Make dinner reservations! Even if you wait until the day before or the morning of the meal, you will save yourself much heartache if you hope to just show-up and be seated. Especially during premium hours, which I would say is typically 1.5 hours before departing port and 2 hours after departing port). Additionally, if you like to drink, get a drink package! Alcohol is exceptionally expensive and will quickly add up for even your average drinker (2 glasses of wine with dinner and a cocktail or two will run you $40-70 or more!)
Ports of call
Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy
Palma De Mallorca, Balearic Islands