Overall such a great experience. Due to the number of ports visited in such a short period of time, it is a rigorous trip, but we went into it knowing it would be a packed schedule. beautiful sights, everyone we ran into on and off the boat were friendly and welcoming.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We arrived on the tail end of the wondow of time to embark and the process was seamless. No line and very smooth. All staff extremely friendly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
O'Sheehans Neighborhood Bar and Grill
3 out of 5
The bar area itself is often full and it is difficult to order a drink here due to the volume of people. There is typically three people working the bar, and they do an amazing job, but this bar is located where there is a lot of foot traffic and there is oftentimes a line for drinks at this bar. They need a larger bar space to allow for more people to work the bar. This place is open all the time with some great bar snacks. It is a great place to people watch and it overlooks deck five where there ore often events and games going on below.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We saw the Howl at the Moon show.......4 times. Because of the fact that it is very much driven by audience requests, the show can is different each night. The three piano players were so talented, and funny. They play off each other very well. It does get a bit more crass language wise after the first hour of their three hour set. Just something to be aware of if you happen to have younger children in there. We had intentions, but did not see any other shows.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Excellent. Friendly, attentive, and grateful. We struck up conversations with wait staff and others throughout the ship and they were engaging and helpful whenever needed.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Ship was very clean and well maintained. My biggest complaint about the design is that there is no walking deck. In other ships I have been on there is a jogging/walking deck that allows you to loop around the ship and take in ocean sites at the same time. The Epic has no such deck. The running deck is on one side of the boat and requires you to run to one end of the ship and then turn around and run back. Not very convenient. In addition, that one deck also houses all of the lifeboats which are situated in such a way that they block any view to the water. Not a good design in my book.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Room was small, but that was to be expected before arriving. The room definitely makes good use of space. Numerous other reviews had talked about the shower and toilet set up and how there was a lack of privacy. I went with my spouse so did not take issue with that at all. For the amount of space there is I would say they used it well.
Ship tip
If you get breakfast at the garden cafe in the morning it can get very crowded. There is a restaurant located downstairs from the buffet that does not serve food in the morning, but you can carry your buffet breakfast down to this quiet space for a more peaceful and scenic breakfast.
I would highly recommend any excursion that goes to Cinque Terre. Five beautiful and remote coastal towns. Beautiful ride there and the excursion we took through NCL visited 3 of the 5 towns and allowed ample free time to roam around two of the three. As part of this excursion we took a bus, a boat, and a train. It was awesome. You will probably not find an excursion that visits all five due to the limited time in port.
*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.
