Norwegian Epic Review

First real cruise and we chose a transatlantic!

Review for Spain Cruise on Norwegian Epic
User Avatar
SilviB
2-5 Cruises • Age 70s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Apr 2019
Cabin: Mid-Ship Balcony
Looking back towards the front door.
Pool deck etc
View from the exercise equipment I was using at the time.
The friendly greeter at the Garden Cafe Buffet.
Beautiful Palma de Mallorca port showing the Bellver Castle in the backgrou

I was celebrating a big birthday in April and our wedding anniversary in May so we decided to do something different - we usually do golfing vacations or visit family back in the U.K. So, we chose a 15 day cruise from Port Canaveral finishing in Barcelona. I did extensive research and also found the Roll Call on Cruise Critic invaluable as other passengers had great information to share. There were negative remarks on the internet about the design of the cabins, the wavy walls and especially the bathroom set up so I looked up videos on YouTube - we did not have a problem with the design - both the toilet and the shower are in cubicles of frosted glass and there is a privacy curtain to pull across if needed.

There isn't a lot of space between the bottom of the bed and the units making it impossible for 2 people to pass at the same time, but you organize yourself .. Plenty of storage space, I was surprised.

We found the food to be excellent and liked the freestyle dining very much - you didn't have to sit at the same table at the same time every evening and they offered the possibility to share tables with others, which we found to be very enriching as we spoke with people from different parts of the world and it was a very pleasant way to spend most mealtimes.

Cabin Review

Mid-Ship Balcony

Cabin BB

The cabin had a lot more storage space than expected, even after watching a very comprehensive YouTube video. Plenty of hanging space, 3 deep drawers, lots of hidden areas, we didn't even use everywhere.

Maybe the layout is a little different - we don't have a lot to compare it to - seems a little strange walking in the door with the toilet cubicle on one side and the shower cubicle on the other, then the wash basin in the room itself, but it was actually quite practical and caused us no problems.

It was good to have a full sliding window onto the balcony. The cabin was bright because of that. Limited plug ins for devices but we managed perfectly. The only way to comfortably watch tv, which we didn't do much of, was sitting on the bed.

All in all - and until we go on another cruise on a different ship to compare (I went on a 4 day one 10 years' ago and don't remember that much about the layout), we were very satisfied with our cabin.

Port Reviews

Ponta Delgada

We walked around the town, took the little tourist tram, visited the 16th century fort and military museum finishing off with the best seafood/fish stew we have ever eaten at the Avenida Dos Anjos restaurant on the main promenade. It was 26 euros for 2 people and was absolutely delicious.

The only negative thing we found was young men begging on some of the streets - they looked able bodied, so it was a little off-putting.

Madeira (Funchal)

We decided to take the hop on hop off bus in order to cover as much ground as possible. The views were stunning from many parts of the route, although the bus driver appeared to be in a hurry and barely hesitated at some of the stops making it difficult to get off if you were upstairs, as we were. A delightful place.

Cartagena (Spain)

Within a few minutes walk you're in the town, which has an attractive pedestrian area with little shops, bars, restaurants. The atmosphere was pleasing and we enjoyed our short visit.

Palma de Mallorca (Majorca)

We lived on this island for 30 years so needed no introduction, although having lived away from it for 20, there have been some major changes - many more "high end" stores in the city center and the introduction of hop on hop off buses that weren't there previously. We had lunch with friends at a busy restaurant called Sa Premsa where the menu of the day is around 15 euros to include appetizer, entree, dessert and wine. The whole place was buzzing due to the amount of cruise ship passengers in port. The island has beautiful scenery, especially on the west coast.

4 Helpful Votes
previous reviewnext review

Find a Norwegian Epic Cruise from $298

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.