Norwegian Epic Review

4.5 / 5.0
4,413 reviews

Maximum value for first-time cruiser

Review for the Western Mediterranean Cruise on Norwegian Epic
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Ramliw
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Oct 2017
Cabin: Family Balcony
Beach in Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Jogging track on Norwegian Epic
Statue of David in Piaza Signoria, Florence, Italy

Being all-inclusive enthusiasts, we were not keen on cruising, but a too-good-to-be-true deal spotted on vacationtogo.com and confirmation of the fact that there are 2 ping pong tables sealed the deal (more about ping pong later). We paid the lowest possible balcony price, paid 0 extra (no Norwegian excursion, no fine dining option, no Unlimited Beverage Plan, no Internet package), but enjoyed all 6 port-of-calls on our own with minimal expense, walking 20000+ steps most days and gained only a combined total of 3 lbs for both of us.

Long story short: This pair of first-time cruisers had a dream vacation and had maximum enjoyment at minimum cost. Read on if you want to benefit from my tips as I had benefited from some tips from other reviewers. Of course I am speaking to those who enjoy long walk and love exploring by themselves as opposed to following the flag-waving tour guide.

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Cabin Review

Family Balcony

Cabin B2

A little narrow but comfortable. Temperature control was perfect. Nice TV, hot shower, ice bucket fill-up everyday, excellent coffee maker, lots of storage space.

Balcony was a big bonus, to be able to watch the docking and sailing from Deck 13.

Port Reviews

Naples

Leisurely had our breakfast in Taste before disembarkation at 10am to explore Naples by foot. With a map from the Tourist Info, we navigate our way to Piazza Plebiscito where the Royal Palace is. But the most impressive building in Naples is the un-heralded church of no name. I think it is San Francisco Church or something, the stone engraving has .. FRANCISCO DE PAVLA FERDINANDUS .. You got to take a panoramic photo of this impressive church, yet it is seldom mentioned anywhere, not even on the tourist map.

We stumbled upon via Chiaia, a narrow pedestrian street lined with small shops, boutiques, gelateria, pizzeria. Had gelato on the sidewalk table and enjoyed the perfect 20°C Mediterranean weather. Bought a €30 Made-in-Italy down jacket marked down 70% from Diagonale boutique, this to my wife was the highlight of Naples. Galleria Umberto is a nice indoor plaza with high glass ceiling that make it seems like outdoor. MacDonald there has free wifi.

Cannes

We were told to make reservations for tender boats to shore the night before. I booked tender #13 thinking it should be of later time but all this proved unnecessary as the tendering seem to be just first come first serve at 10am. There were perhaps 4 tenders plying between the shore and the ship and each tender has 150 capacity. The wait was about 10 minutes with 15 minutes of travel time. I imagined things would be more hectic between 7am and 9am.

Once on shore, we hopped onto a €10 tram for a 20 minute spin around Cannes' waterfront and shopping district. The headphone guide alerted us to each seaside famous hotel like the Carlton. Each famous hotel prompted a recount of some Hollywood legend and movie. After that we explored the beach, open market area and the low-end shops (not the high-end design label shopping area). The small open market was rather boring to us. We stopped by a MacDonald for coffee, washroom break and wifi connection to touch base with family back home. Then on Cannes sandy beach which is nice but not really remarkable, I just laid down on the pool towel that I brought along and enjoyed a 30 minutes of perfect weather in the sun. If the water had been warmer, I would have swam and boasted that I swam in Mediterranean Sea.

Palma de Mallorca (Majorca)

We walked off the ship around 10am to the port area as there was no port building to speak of. This had been very relaxing, stress free and leisurely vacation days, no hurry to catch early morning booked excursion as we never had one. This gave us ample time to enjoy our breakfast in either Taste or Manhattan restaurant, savouring free pot of coffee and a plate a fresh fruit to round up our breakfast.

We declined the $15 Norwegian shuttle bus to Palma city center because I knew from other reviews €1.50 on #1 airport bus will take us there. Got a map from a nearby bike rental kiosk which proved to be useful. In retrospect, renting a bike in Palma is definitely the best way to explore Palma, something I did not learn from others.

The bus was there for us and we noticed that the bus driver had banks of coins and bills to make change. Many fellow cruisers got off the bus at the first or second stops in the city center which I think was a mistake since the city center was not interesting on a Sunday morning. Perhaps they did not learn as I did that the stop to get off is some 5 or 6 stops away at Joan Maragall, which is the stop by waterfront after looping through the city center. There were just a few passengers to get off on this stop. Just 50 meters away to the left is a very beautiful beach, way better than Cannes beach. Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed our stroll along this beach. Best spot to take the most memorable vacation picture on this beach with wide walking promenade and bicycle lanes. On this 22°C midday, sunbathers were scattered around the wide and clean sandy beach where swim top is optional, as we discovered later upon magnifying our gorgeous photo and examined the faraway background scenery.

The beach must have been more than 1km long, forming a bend around the Mediterranean Sea providing a beautiful vista for aspiring photographer. We debated whether to take the bus or walk back to the ship. On this day, ideal temperature and soft sun and with Norwegian Epic visible in the distance, we opted to walk. We guessed the distance may be 2 or 3km and probably 30 minutes. It turned out to be 1.5 hours and may have been 8 km because the waterfront promenade arcs around our line of sight to the ship. No regret here, as we enjoyed the brisk walk and cherished the picturesque setting of sea, mountain, marina, expensive yachts and cruise ships in the distance, all bathed in soft sun. It was such a great pleasure to walk this vast expanse of waterfront promenade lined with ample long benches. We were lucky to encounter a couple of fridge magnet vendors along the way as there was no other place to buy souvenirs this Sunday.

We were so envious of many cyclists on rental bike going past along the bicycle path. We would have liked that and it would have been perfect from port to the beach which we now know is some 8 or 10 km away. I think many fellow cruisers missed seeing this beach. Those who got off from city bus in the city center would have a hard time finding their way there. Mid way back to the ship from the beach, we saw the Norwegian shuttle bus parked along the road. If that is the drop-off point for the port-to-city-center transfer, then most likely the passengers might miss the beach which is 5 km away and perhaps not visible from that vintage point.

After this unplanned long walk (21000 steps), we were relieved to finally arrive at the mighty Norwegian Epic at 2:30pm. Just in time for buffet lunch which close at 3pm.

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