Good cruise in the time of COVID

Norwegian Epic Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 36

Overall rating:

3.7 out of 5
Verified Review
Norwegian Epic

7 Night Southern Caribbean (San Juan Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 06, 2022

Ship: Norwegian Epic

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 9076

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

We traveled to escape winter in Michigan, and we did that.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Quick and easy. They had the covid testing down to a science. It was painless and held in a hotel.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
Did the buffet and the Irish Pub. Variety was good. Food plentiful. The fish and chips in the Irish pub are not cod, which is the classic Irish fried fish. It was just okay. The apple pie was very good.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
We are seniors so mostly did the trivia and a few arts and crafts which we enjoyed.

Entertainment

We didn't attend any shows.

Children's Programs

No kids.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
With the ship half full, the staff was free to concentrate on us. Everyone was friendly and seemed glad we were cruising.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
Ship was clean. Pools could be bigger. Lots of wasted space around them. Would like a traditional promenade deck that circles the ship.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5
We had a balcony cabin 9076. Good location. Not too far from the stairs, elevator but far enough to be quiet. Nothing but cabins above and below. Cabin design could be better. Couch has a curved back making it hard to sit on. Bed was close to the small shower and toilet. Bed was comfortable. We had to cover the phone at night as it was too bright.

Ship tip

Stay away from the casino.

Ports of call

San Juan, Puerto Rico

4 out of 5
We only embarked and debarked here however, we schedule days here before and after. Love the latin culture, outdoor cafes, and the beach. Unfortunately, like many cities, they have a homeless problem. Before the cruise we stayed in a downtown hotel, the Casablanca which was themed like the movie. It was old but the rooms were fine and the people friendly. After the cruise we stayed in the Condado beach area. Very nice area. Plenty of restaurants and shops. Both the CVS and the Walgreens have mini-grocery stores inside.

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

3 out of 5
To us, these islands are all the same. There is a shopping center at the end of the pier which mostly sell the same things. After that, you are usually in the industrial port area. We never ventured far from the ship.

St. John's, Antigua

3 out of 5

Bridgetown, Barbados

3 out of 5

Basseterre, St. Kitts

3 out of 5

Castries, St. Lucia

3 out of 5

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

3 out of 5

Disembarkation

4 out of 5
No issues. There are cabs lined up to take you to where you want to go.
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