NCL Epic – The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
In all, I have to say that I enjoyed the tiny tiny amount of time I had on the ship immensely. Because of the fact that she’s such a huge ship and there was so little time, it was really impossible for me to get to try out all of the things I wanted. Either the reservations were booked up (Cagney’s, Le Bistro), it was reserved for media only (Spiegel Tent for Cirque Dreams & Dinner), or it just seemed too chaotic to even try to get in on standby (Ice Bar). Still, I was given the opportunity to have almost full run of a brandy-new ship that still had that New Ship Smell, and that’s something for which I am eternally grateful.
The Good:
NCL did a lot of things right on this ship, and unfortunately, I think that a lot of people are going to either look at her size, her exterior, or find another reason to only concentrate on the things that aren’t quite so right. Those people are going to be missing out.
There is the decor. It is, throughout the ship, varied and mostly understated. Each area has its own personality, and that’s reflected in the furniture choices, upholstery, and wall treatments. They could have gone all glitzy and garish, and they chose not to do so. Instead, they reserved the real pizazz for the places that warranted it, and showed restraint and taste in the rest of the ship.
There is the variety. Of things to do, of dining venues, of cabin types. I think that yes, some of it is going to suffer in their quest to be all things to all people, but for the most part, they’re hitting the right notes.
There are incredible things for kids to do, even if you don’t want to shell out extra money for the Nickelodeon character breakfast. Children are clearly well cared for by professionals, and the options for play even outside the designated kid area will keep them occupied AND wear them out so that they sleep at the end of the day.
For adults, there are also many many things to do as well as opportunities for you to do nothing at all, which is part of what a vacation should be about.
The beds are very comfortable, and if our cabin steward was any indication, the service is competent, gracious, and unobtrusive.
The new cabin designs (yes, including the oh-so-controversial bathrooms) are remarkable, well thought-out, and (in the case of the Studio Complex) revolutionary within the industry. Other lines should be taking note, because NCL is really on to something here.
Entertainment-wise, I was very impressed. Having Blue Man Group on your ship is quite an accomplishment, and the fact that nobody’s thought of it before already puts NCL ahead of the game. Second City, Howl At The Moon, Slam Allen Blues Band, and all of the other entertainment on the ship seemed to be top-notch, not just something that one suffers through because there’s nothing else to do or watch on the ship.
As for the food, most of the patisserie and all of the fruit and veg I saw and tasted were fresh and delicious. The variety in offerings is fantastic. If you’re paying extra for something, chances are you’re going to definitely feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.
She’s huge. On a ship this big, not only is there plenty to occupy your time, but if you want to get lost for a while and just read a book somewhere, you can definitely do that. They say that on a 7-day sailing, the average passenger gains 12 pounds. On this ship, you’ll be doing so much walking that it will be almost impossible to gain that 12 pounds. Even though I was grazing pretty much the entire time I was onboard, I’m fairly certain that I lost weight during the sailing.
The Bad:
She’s huge. On a ship this big, even if you’re lucky enough to get a room near the elevator or stairs, you’re going to be doing a darn lot of walking whether you want to or not. I do not recommend wearing uncomfortable shoes for any length of time. It can be easy to get turned around and lost, and it was only through repetition (and keeping my map with me) that I managed to find the things I needed, and even I got turned around a few times.
Due to the many many offerings in dining, it can be difficult to make up one’s mind as to where one wishes to dine at any given time. Though Taste and Manhattan Room (the main dining rooms, which are included in your cruise fare) are both sizeable, I can imagine that when the ship is at capacity, the waiting times at popular hours are going to be staggering. Thankfully, NCL’s Freestyle way of doing things means that you have no set dining time at which you have to be at a certain place, but it can also lead to troubles when it comes to crowd control.
Service-wise, she left a lot to be desired in many of the dining venues that we tried. I’m willing to cut quite a bit of slack due to the fact that she was at half crew, but she was also at half capacity, passenger-wise. I really truly hope that they’ve planned things well enough that the service in Manhattan Room and O’Sheehan’s (where we noticed the biggest lags) will speed up considerably.
The food is another issue. Yes, it’s plentiful. Yes, there is variety. But when one is sticking only to the venues which are included in one’s cruise fare, the food comes off as almost institutional. I realize that it can be a stretch trying to serve so many people AND do it within a reasonable budget AND do it in a timely fashion AND have some variety, but if you don’t think you can do it and do it WELL, don’t do it. Swapping out garlic mashed potatoes for french fries? Onion rings that may or may not have contained real onion at some point but probably came straight out of an Ore Ida bag? Bland, watery, cheeseless spinach artichoke dip? C’mon, guys! These are basics! Easy stuff! Heck, TGIFriday’s puts out a frozen spin/art dip that put this one to shame, and I can buy that in my grocery store! I think that NCL may have blown its proverbial wad on the specialty restaurants and seems to be of the general idea that if you don’t want to spend the extra money to eat at those, you can go whistle. The only exception I saw to that was lunchtime at the Garden Cafe, which seemed to have some pretty nifty stuff going on. I wish I’d checked it out at dinner time, much like I wish I’d checked out Taste during breakfast.
It’s been no secret that this ship could have stood a couple of extra weeks in the yard, getting finishing touches. However, NCL was on a schedule, and they’d sold a full revenue sailing for her maiden Transatlantic crossing, and the amount of crap they’d have had to deal with if she didn’t sail on time would have been Brobdingnagian. So me, I can handle that there’s a few little things here and there that need to be finished (cosmetics counter, karaoke systems, library), that were forgotten at the shipyard (approximately 6 sneezeguards), and that the staff is still learning their way around this behemoth. Still, it is something that has been causing problems. I hope sincerely that they’re just growing pains, and that this ship goes on to great things.
The Ugly:
Let’s get it out there. I’ve heard more than one person say that the ship’s external design is ugly. That it has a big forehead. That they don’t like the painted design on the hull.
People, really?
Listen, if you can afford to be that snotty about the ship on which you’re sailing, you’re gonna be in one of those cabins that LIVE in that big ol’ forehead of hers, because that’s where the whole Courtyard complex is located. And I promise you: once you’re up there, you won’t even notice. Once you’re on the ship in general, what she looks like to those who aren’t on the ship won’t matter to you in the slightest, because you won’t see it. You can’t. You’re ON the ship!
So that? Is a stupid reason not to sail on Epic. Yeah, I said it. Sorry if I offended. But really. It’s just nitpicking at that point, and being unpleasant just to be unpleasant. Get over it. You dislike it that much, stop talking about it and call me to book you on Crystal or Regent or Cunard or AMA Waterways instead. Like you’d be sailing on NCL anyway, y’know?
And for those who don’t like the painted design on the hull, um, have you been under a rock for the last few years, or are you just not paying attention? It’s another nitpicky thing, because NCL has been painting stuff on the hulls of their ships for some time now. If THAT’S all you have to complain about, again, I say either get on the ship so you can’t see it, or book another line. But having a whinge about that? Does not make you look like the savviest of cruisers.
In all, she’s got some rough edges to work out, and there are some improvements to be made especially in the cuisine, but she’s a gorgeously appointed, well thought-out, filled with fun, MASSIVE ship. I wish her nothing but smooth sailing in the years to come, and I wish that during that time, I get to sail with her again. Be it in a Studio cabin all by my lonesome, in a New Wave Balcony cabin, in a Spa Deluxe Balcony, or in a Courtyard Villa, I will be a happy passenger nonetheless. Care to join me?