While the itinerary allowed us to see the beautiful sights of the Med, we have to say we were disappointed with Epic. We’d have to think long and hard before we booked another cruise with NCL on a different ship.
The overall rating of 3.1 is a reflection of the trip as a whole (it was calculated by Cruise Critic, not me). If I were to rate the ship itself, compared to other cruises, I’d give Epic a 2.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
This was our first cruise with NCL. Their embarkation process was well organized.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
NCL offered three specialty restaurants as a “perk.” These restaurants (Moderno, Le Bistro and Teppayanki) were fantastic. The main dining room and buffet, however, were definitely subpar compared to other shops we’ve sailed with.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
We were off the ship for most of the days, but did expect more variety in the evening activities onboard ship. The shows were okay, not great. Bars closed quite early, other than O’Sheehans.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Our steward was awesome! He was friendly and very helpful. The wait staff in the specialty restaurants were wonderful, professional and informative. We found, though, that wait staff in the main dining room and buffet weren’t as competent. We waited a long time for our dinner in Taste and the order was wrong. The waiter never came back for drink refills or dessert. In the buffet, tables sat unbused for long periods of time. There was little variety in food and it was often cold.
Ship Quality
1 out of 5
A cruise line that does away with drinking straws in an effort to be environmentally conscious, but makes its passengers walk through a smoke filled casino to get to restaurants? Other ships we’ve been on have middle elevators, making it easier to move around the ship. Epic has only side elevators. Our cabin was laid out very strangely. It was probably no smaller than cabins in other ships but arranged so that it was very difficult to move from the bed to the bath.
Cabin / Stateroom
1 out of 5
Ship tip
Only book passage on this ship if you will be spending most of your time in port.
The itinerary didn’t allow for time in Rome, so we booked a hotel for a few nights after the cruise. I definitely recommend spending as long as your budget will allow! Rome is gorgeous!
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
