I hate to be a downer, but one can do much better on other ships. The layout of this ship does not accommodate the number of cabins they have. This really squeezes the non-reservation strategy. The layout requires you to walk back and forth, up and down, through the casino constantly. There is a lack of "sandwich shop" and "pizza place" style dining options which forces you into either the buffet or a small section of centrally located (difficult to get to without central elevators). The buffet is mediocre, so it doesn't address the issue.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very quick, well organized.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The main dining rooms sounded like a bar. The casual, non-dining room locations were limited and very difficult to get into. Reservations were not available. They were centrally located on a ship that doesn't have mid-ships elevators so there was a lot of walking back and forth across the ship. I felt like I was trapped in a casino the whole time. The buffet was sub-par and reptitive.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The quality of the performances was very good for what they were. The challenge I had was that it seemed like they were all lounge singing acts other than the primary Broadway style performance which was good.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship was very clean. The design and layout were not good. This ship has more cabins than the amenities can accommodate. I felt like I was trapped in a vegas casino with the associated smoking and crowd. There were no quiet spaces onboard. The layout required constant back and forth walking and traversing stairs due to the lack of mid-ships elevators - even to get to one of the main dining rooms you had to either take the forward elevators and walk to the back or you took the aft elevators to the floor above and then walk to a mid-ships stairway where you walked down and then walked back to the aft dining room. It was very annoying.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin size was fine for an inside. It was very clean. The lighting was poor. There was no general lighting to light the whole room adequate to read something. One had to hold items under a light. The lights were all like small spot lights. There was nowhere to sit. A stool was provided that didn't have a back. There was nowhere to put the stool out of the way when it wasn't in use (there was no under-counter space to tuck it) which left it in the walkway at all times. Luggage storage was somewhat limited due to not being able to store suit cases under the bed.
The island and facilities were nice. Having to tender back and forth (after all these years they haven't built a dock) consumes a frustrating amount of a short day.
We were just on the Epic, and it was the worst cruise we've been on so far. It was our first and will be our last with NCL. Way too much wasted space on the Epic and nowhere for people to go or sit down. People were scavenging for chairs everywhere we went. We highly suspect that the long lines for the bars are on purpose. There were 50 people busing tables, but only 1 or 2 taking drink orders. We asked one of the crew in the pool area if he could get us a drink, and he said they were told not to do so. Several people onboard said they wouldn't stand in a 20-30 minute line for a drink. Now why is all that?? Unless it is purposely done by NCL, knowing that most people won't get their money out of what it cost you to get the drink packages, even with "free at sea". Probably trying to prop up their falling stock prices.
No value at all with NCL or the Epic! Stay clear of both.
I’ve been on the Epic and definitely didn’t have the same issues. I’ve found a number of other ships that are actually much harder to navigate, including some of NCL’s older ships share you can only get to the MDR from one set of elevators. While it definitely has some quirks, I would definitely sail on it again.
I cruised on the Epic and didn't have the issues you had. Maybe pay more attention to maps of ship when going from point A to B. Personally, I had a great time, good food, and shows in theater, but I guess its all perspective on what constitutes a good cruise.
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