6 of our party of 8 were first time cruisers and all 6 said they loved it and definitely want to go another cruise - says it all!
Embarkation
4 out of 5
We were given a 10:00 to 10:30 slot and turned up at 9:45. We boarded after almost 2 hours but delays seemed to be down to people not having documentation ready and/or not having the required negative test in the 3 days before. We had everything in order and our checks were fast.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We were only on a 3 day cruise and didn’t eat at speciality but the complimentary restaurants - buffet, O’Sheehans, Manhattan and Shanghai were all excellent. Especially Manhattan. Drinks were good everywhere and service in all restaurants excellent. Taste didn’t seem to be open but the ship wasn’t at capacity so there were no issues getting in anywhere. Occasionally the food could have been a little bit warmer. But overall, great. The standard of drinks included in the free at sea beverage package was amazing. We paid £49 per person to have this package for 3 days and drinks like Grey Goose etc were included. Not that we drank loads, but was good to have no worries about paying a drinks bill!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
There was plenty to do on the ship - bingo, trivia, pools and hot tubs, movies, lip sync battles . We didn’t take part in most of it but that was our choice, it was there if you wanted it
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We saw the Epic Beatles at the Cavern Club and they were excellent. Be there early to get a seat as it’s very popular! Didn’t manage to get to see Howl at the Moon this time unfortunately. We went to karaoke and dance parties at Bliss, this was a great venue and highly recommended. The band out on deck 15 for the sail away party were also good and built up a great atmosphere. We didn’t attend any shows, that was our choice.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
As others have said of almost every cruise on every cruiseline since cruising started again - the staff really were amazing! They were so happy to be sailing and every single crew member you passed everywhere on the ship greeted you and asked how your day was. Our room steward Jeanette was lovely and so helpful, as was Chrisma in Manhattan who chatted to us and was laughing with us every time she served our table, and also apologised several times when our main course was a bit slow to come out even though we assured her it was ok. There was also a lovely lady who makes up the salads of the day in the buffet restaurant at lunchtime (can’t remember her name now!) Guest services were also very helpful when we had a query. I never saw our cruise director Victor only heard him over the tannoy announcing when we docked somewhere but I was ok with that!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Our room was kept spotless by Jeanette. I don’t believe in leaving stuff lying around for other people to pick up anyway so our room was fairly tidy, but you could still tell it had been thoroughly tidied and cleaned twice a day. Everywhere in the ship was spotless, there were always people cleaning. Nobody was allowed through to dinner without using hand sanitiser. I was surprised it was self serve in the buffet but hand sanitisers were everywhere and I also carried my own so I didn’t feel uncomfortable. I didn’t mind having to wear a mask round the ship, and masks were provided in your cabin for use in Italy where a certain kind of mask is required. The new slogan wasn’t Happy Happy Washy Washy it was Healthy Healthy Masky Masky!
I love the Epic, it’s the first ship I ever sailed on and I’ll always have a soft spot for it. Apart from finding it hard to see where to disembark sometimes it was easy to find your way around!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We were in a balcony cabin on port side. It was very near the front of the ship so I was worried about motion sickness but we were fine. Wasn’t a lot of noise around us at all. We had 3 people per cabin as it was only for 3 days, if it was a longer cruise we would have kept it to 2 in a cabin. There is plenty of storage but only a few charging points. I’ve been on the Epic before so knows about the strange bathroom layout, nobody else was bothered by it either. In fact it was handy having the sink separate so others could get ready while someone showers. Beds were very comfy and cabin was always kept clean.
Ship tip
Book restaurants as soon as you can, certain times fill up quick. Give the staff the respect they deserve, they have been through this pandemic too and are still doing an amazing job of making sure those of us lucky enough to cruise get to enjoy our holiday.
We’ve been to Barcelona before and also spent the day there before our cruise and loved the city, so much to see and do if you want to, or you can sit in a nice restaurant and enjoy food and cocktails like we did! The port is very central too
We chose to take our luggage off ourselves and disembarked at the latest possible time (9am). It was very smooth, just walked off the ship. I was just gutted it was time to go already!
Cowboy - I’m a lady so I’ll be the new wife but I’m definitely working on getting my husband-to-be on another cruise this year as I’ve told him I can’t be expected to wait a whole year for another one! 😀 BobandSusan - the Epic is a great ship and I’m sure you’ll love it! I’ve done excursions previously at some of the ports you’ll stop at, you have some fantastic places to visit too
Hey, Dumfy, looks like you made it home. Thanks for the detailed and full review. Thanks for all the positives, we've had a few reviews that you want to tell them stay home. Sounds like you and your mates had a great time. So glad. Maybe take the new wife next time😎
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