Some concerns

Item: Norwegian Epic
Rating: 3.6
Author: Mythickill

Norwegian Epic Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern

Mythickill

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 16

Overall rating:

3.6 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Southern Caribbean (San Juan Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 26, 2023

Ship: Norwegian Epic

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 10185

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Overall, a fun cruise. Good food, hard working crew, good shows fun ports. Poor enforcement of hygiene. No enforcement of smoking areas. People were smoking everywhere, inside and outside of the ship. There was even someone in an adjoining balcony cabin smoking marijuana, so we were not fully able to enjoy our balcony.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

I had the first embarkation time scheduled. However, there were already over 1,000 at the port before me. Scheduled times were not enforced.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

The food was great in both the buffet and the specialty restaurants. Bars were very crowded and it didn’t appear that there were enough bartenders. But they worked very hard to meet everyone’s orders. I did not like that the only quick food venue after 9:30 was O’Sheehans. Usually like to grab pizza, ice cream, or cookies late at night and it wasn’t available. In fact, they only prepared cookies once a day around 3:00 and they were only available at the poolside buffet area. So I’d collect a few and bring them back to the cabin for later.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Watched a few of the usual game shows and guest games. Really appreciated the Military Appreciation gift and function. Also the Wines of the World tasting. Lido deck was totally packed and H2O occasionally had soot from the smoke stacks raining down on you. Not enough umbrellas available in the H2O area for shade.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Really enjoyed the Beatles, Howl at the Moon, and the comedians. Didn’t go to Burn the Floor because we’d seen it on other ships. Was looking forward to Queen of the Desert, but it was taken off th ship after we booked the cruise.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

They worked very hard and were eager to serve. But were noticeably understaffed.

Ship Quality

2 out of 5

I believe the ship design did not work well with dispersing crowds as compared to the breakaway class ships. Every deck seemed compacted. Also, the placement of the interior bars added to this feeling. For example, high top tables and seating for Maltings bar was right in the middle of the walking area. The ship in general was clean. However, there was an issue with soot from the funnels dropping onto to guests in H2O. Also, this was the worst effort I’ve seen on an NCL ship for enforcing hygiene. There were sanitizing stations throughout the ship and especially near food venues. But no one was called out for not washing. Even the staff singing their “washy-washy” song by the Garden Buffet were just letting people bye. I’m not saying the the cruise is at fault, but my group became sick on the final day of the cruise, traveled home in rough shape, and tested positive for COVID the day later.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

It was clean and functional. The layout of the shower and toilet is unique. The design of the cabin made it feel cramped. Although there were plenty of storage places, the closets and drawers were very shallow.