Took the Epic to celebrate a Birthday and Christmas. We had 9 family members and 4 friends. Embarkation was a zoo. We were to have a priority boarding to our Haven Suites at 10:30 AM. We arrived at about 10:45 AM to find the check-in area packed with no seating available. Check-in was easy enough except for the fact that none of our pre-cruise bookings for restaurants and the kids clubs came through so they all had to be re-established. Actual clearing of the ship for us to board did not occur until about 11:30 AM and it was noon before we were called to be escorted to our cabins. Disembarkation was "priority" only until leaving the ship confines. We then were in a "parking lot" of humanity waiting to be able to get our luggage. There we found a porter who helped us find our color- coded luggage tags. Most importantly, the porters have access to a separate bypasses line directly to customs which will save 45-60 min. Knowing the issues at disembarkation helps explain when you should have been told you can board at noon -- not 10:30 AM.
Our dining experience was the best and the worst!! The quality and preparation of food on the Epic was better than any of our previous NCL cruises. We ate either in the Haven dining room or at specialty restaurants and O'Sheehans, only walking through the Garden Cafe which was packed at every meal. The service, however, was the worst of any cruise with any line. There were language barriers that resulted wrong orders or mis-interpreted orders. Service was absurdly slow. Several wait staff were outright rude. One bartender refused to make a specialty drink because it wasn't in his O'Sheehans bar menu book. I told him the ingredients and they were all readily available. He want so hard to show who was boss, it cost his crew their gratuity and I went to another bar where I was served what I requested and only those who provided us good, polite service were personally tipped.
Besides the masses encountered at embarkation and disembarkation, the worst experience was at our Emergency Drill. It was held in a room that would have been too small for half the people required to muster there. It started late, and all announcements had to be made in English and Spanish. Because of the inadequate seating, people were sitting on tables, sitting or lying on the floor, and universally were so fed-up with this poorly run exercise, rarely payed any attention. Not only was this a waste, it was a very unsafe waste. A restaurant or club on land would have been closed by the Fire Marshall for overcrowding.
We have had Haven 2 bedroom suites for our last 5 or 6 NCL cruises. Despite being identified with similar terminology, the cabin is much smaller. Smaller living area, bedrooms, bathrooms. We felt like we were sardines. The cabinets and furnishings evidenced significant wear -- much without attempt to repair. The bed was comfortable enough, but with the smaller size end table and a phone already there, there was no room for a C-PAP unit.
Beautiful area and tremendous water activity for our kids and grandkids. I wish I was younger and more agile to have joined them.
Went ashore for a short walk. Stores and shops typical.
Went ashore walking. Stores and shops typical.