I hated how this ship was more crowded than pre-pandemic times. The noise and crowds, amplified by the scarcity of staff and entertainment, made this the worst experience we have ever had on NCL. We shouldn't have to pay to find a quiet spot to enjoy a drink and conversation, but there certainly weren't many of those in the common areas. And, the lack of information regarding most activities - no price, no place to sign up online for small events was ridiculous in this day of apps - you have an activity with a fee - have a link to find out the specifics and the amount of the fee.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
MDR - staff was unfriendly and rushed us through taking an order. Food was okay, but nothing special. Manhattan Room could have been great, but between the engine and crowd noise it felt as if we were in a subway station. The band was the only highlight of that evening. Taste was a bit quiter and the staff was a little less aloof. the food was once again just okay. Le Bistro was a cut above, but again we felt rushed and the staff wasn't very personable - we joked that the Epic is where they sent staff to apprentice for the other ships. On every other NCL ship we have been on the staff has been so much friendlier. We have always enjoyed O'shean's in every ship except this one. Once again, the noise from a bowling alley, crowded walk ways and openings to the casino. The staff was rude, rushed and the food was subpar. La Cucina was the only place that seemed special and dinner was very good, as was our server. At Shanghai's my vegetable fried rice came out cold, but at least this waiter checked on us. The Garden Cafe had food that was as good if not better than the MDR. The staff was mostly very nice, and kept the area clean and well stocked. The crepes were one of the best desserts on the ship.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We didn't go in the pool, but we like to sit in the pool areas and listen to the music. it was hard to find a seat. There were many unoccupied chairs, but with towels with clips on them - they should not be able to do that even for a short time. If someone in the party can't stay with the chairs, they should not be allowed to do so.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Burn the Floor, was very professional, but a bit repetitive and not exciting. The Newlywed game was fun and entertaining. The dueling pianos were okay. Not truly dueling and they would mock people's choices which i felt was cheap. The older Australian/British dude acted like he was bored, feigning interest in his job of entertaining. The main problem with anything was less the entertainers and more the crowds. An hour before any event the line was already a hundred people deep. If you are going to book over capacity then add extra shows so people have choices. One of the most irritating things that happened was when we read there was a "Behind the Scenes" tour - when we went to sign up, we were told it was for a certain class only - perhaps that should have been communicated from the beginning. The dance parties outside were great but ended too early.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Our room steward was great! He took care of us and was friendly and helpful. There was a great bartender at Maltings who was personable and made great drinks. Our server at La Cucina was very nice and many of the staff members in the Garden were friendly, helpful and more attentive than the staff in the MDR. The roaming staff of the bars seemed to be few and far between. The staff at customer service were very helpful when I lost my key card. Your cruise director staff though, seemed to have no desire to communicate besides over a loud speaker. They were pompously rude when asked a simple question as to what line was for those with reservations. A simple sign stating that would have helped everyone.
Ship Quality
2 out of 5
Having the casino in the main aisle of an entire floor with open spaces to the floor above let the nasty cigarette smell and noise. I get that a good many people like to cruise, but I have never seen a ship that seemed to showcase their casino so much. It was a bottleneck it was hard to avoid. It was hard to find quieter areas to enjoy conversation. We will never book a cruise on the Epic due to the design.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Bed was comfortable, it was clean, but one off the drawers was broken. The cabinet nearest the balcony was just one big open space - shelves or addition bar for hanging more clothes. The round couch was only b=good for sitting to put on shoes. the curve made it very uncomfortable. Plenty of storage.
Ship tip
There is a dessert crepe bar in the garden vuffet every night.
It was very nice, but there didn't seem to be much shopping for souvenirs, the bar lines were very long. Our kayak adventure was very nice and the guides were great.
Just shopping and a lame tram up to a great view - but that was about an hour's worth of time going up and down and shopping at the little plaza at the top. I have never been thrilled with the port of St. Thomas.
Clean, large amount of shopping, but we didn't go to the resort side. It was warm and we didn't want to get too far from the ship as we didn't feel comfortable with the issues on the other side of the island.
once again, it was very well done - we missed the notice that we had to leave the room by 8 since we were driving and chose a late departure to allow those rushing for planes to get off. , so it was a bit of a rush. to leave the room.
What an endless rant of negativity. For all the monies spent on that cruise, instead of complaining about everything that didn't meet your needs, you should've tried to just enjoy the cruise. Maybe cruising isn't for you if you couldn't enjoy it.
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