Norwegian Epic Cruise Ship

 

“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

Jacques – Yves Cousteau

We scheduled a seven day cruise on the Norwegian Epic last year which included 150 minutes of WiFi, two specialty dinning options, and a drink package on the Norwegian Epic. Norwegian offered us a great deal so we jumped on the cruise. We scheduled the trip for January 2024 on the Epic class ship that would stop in the ports of Stirrup Cay, Belize, Roatan, Honduras, Costa Maya, and Cozumel, Mexico. We were excited to be going to two new ports of call for us, Belize and Roatan.

We drove down to Cocoa Beach and stayed at the Radisson Resort at the Port two nights before our cruise. That worked out great as we were able to park there during the week of the cruise and take a shuttle right to the cruise port. The shuttle dropped us off right at the Terminal Three at the Cape Canaveral Cruise Port a short ten minute drive from the hotel. We grabbed our suitcases and followed the masses of excited vacationers into the terminal. As we entered the port building, we saw that there were long lines but the lines moved fairly fast. After getting checked in and given our room card and group number, we went through security to another waiting area. We sat down and waited till our group number was called to board the ship. All in all, it went pretty smooth and we were on the ship within forty five minutes of arriving at the port.

We were greeted by the ships staff who showed us where to go for our safety briefing. That was a breeze and once that was done, we were free to explore the ship. We headed to the 15th floor where the buffet (The Garden Cafe) was located. The ship seemed very crowded which is normal for the first day and had a hard time finding a seat. We headed to the front of the ship and found steps going down to the fourteenth floor that had some tables free near the windows. That was a great find as it was away from the crowds. The buffet had a variety of items to choose from and the food was okay.

At 2:30, there was an announcement saying we were able to get into our cabin. We were excited to see it as we booked a room on the 12th floor at the back of the ship. We had never had a room in the back so it was something new. It was then, we found out how large this ship was. The hallways, lined with cabins, seemed to go on forever. We got to our room, and it was lovely. The set up for cabins in this ship were different from what we were used to but the room seemed a good size. The shower and sink are visible from the bed since they were in the same room. The toilet is off to the other side with a sliding door. There is a sliding curtain for privacy that goes across the cabin to hid the shower and toilet. Our balcony was small but perfect for the two of us. We loved the views.

So after dropping off and unloading our carry on suitcases, we started exploring the ship. We found out that decks 16 – 19 was reserved for The Haven passengers and was off limits to us. That is where the most luxurious areas on the ship are located. This area includes spacious accommodations, private lounges, and where all guest get priority treatment. They have their own venues and also have a 24 hour trained and certified Butler service.

Deck 15 is where the pools and hot tubs were located. The Spice H2O area is for 18 year old and above. There was an aqua park with large water slides, kid miniature golf, access to the basketball court, and the Garden Cafe. We spent a lot of time at Spice H2O which was at the very back of the ship with a big screen television showing sports all day.

We sat on the balcony and watched another cruise ship leave. Right after that ship went by, the ropes came off the dock and we are off.  The ship blew the horn and we pulled away from the dock and we were on our way.  

Deck 14 had more suites for the Haven, Fitness Center and Spa, hair salon, La Cucina Italian Restaurant (a pay restaurant), and Splash Academy. We ate at the La Cucina one night and the food was amazing. We had great service and left there full and happy.

On floor 13 is the Bridge viewing room which is something special to see. It is a room where you can go view the bridge, and Captain at work. We had never seen anything like that on any other cruise ship and found it fascinating. The rest of the floor were all staterooms.

Decks 12 – 8 were all staterooms. Cruise Tip: If you get confused as to where the front of the ship is, look down at the carpet and follow the direction the fish are swimming. They swim towards the front of the ship.

Deck 7 - The Bliss Ultra Lounge is where they hosted the Karaoke in the evenings. There are also the usual kind of shops including the Duty free Shop, Wasabi, Sushi and Sake Bar, Shakers Martini Bar, Maltings Beer and Whiskey Bar, The Humidor Cigar Lounge, Barber Shop, Teppenyaki (a pay restaurant), Ice Bar, Cagney's Steakhouse and Moderno Churrascaria (Brazilian steakhouse), and deck games and shuffle board. Cruise Tip:  If you want to eat at Cagney's Steakhouse - reserve that before getting on the ship.  They sell out fast.  We tried the Moderno Churrascaria Restaurant and it was fabulous. The salad bar was impressive and then all the meats they bring to your table to try was unbelievable. We were stuffed by the time we left with no room for dessert. Cruise Tip: Try the grilled pineapple. It was fabulous.

Deck 6 – The balcony rooms of the Epic Theater, Headliners Comedy Club, O’Sheehans Neighborhood Bar and Grill, Bowling, the Casino, The Manhattan Room Restaurant (one of the main dining rooms) and Shanghai’s Restaurant, and the Cavern Club which had music nightly. The Cavern Club is designed after the Liverpool Bar where the Beatles preformed. O’Sheehans serves typical bar food and drinks and is open 24 hours a day. The food was very good there.

Deck 5 – The main floor where the Epic Theater, Biscayne Meeting room, Library, Photo Gallery, Art Gallery, Le Bistro French Restaurant (paid restaurant), shore excursion office, Starbucks, Atrium Bar, Next Cruise office, and Taste Restaurant (one of two main dining rooms). We ate at the Taste Restaurant for a couple dinners and a lunch and it was good.

Decks 4 and below were where the crew slept and spent their off time.

The ship itself is 1081 feet long, and was refurbished in 2020. She can sleep 4,100 guests and 1724 crew members. The cruise ship has a different look with the Haven attached to the top. It appears like an after thought. We were told it is going in for more renovation work in later 2024 or 2025. This ship is in the Epic class and was built by STX France Cruise Chantiers de L’Atlantique Shipyard in Saint Nazaire, France. She sails under the Bahama flag. The Godmother of this ship is Reba McEntire.

Unfortunately, during our cruise there were high winds in the seas. We got to Stirrup Cay and had to turn back as it was not safe for the tenders to take us ashore. We pulled in near the Cay and then did a turn around and headed back to sea. The neat thing about that is you could see how close this island was to Coco Cay and we were able to see the Icon of the Seas docked on Royal Caribbeans island. They could dock as there was a pier.

Then our next stop was to be Belize but the captain canceled that stop as of unrest there. So we headed towards Costa Maya but since the winds were so strong, it was unsafe to dock there. We were disappointed to miss both of these ports but we understood it was for the safety of the ship and the passengers. Instead, we ended up going to Cozumel twice. We were reimbursed for the stops we didn’t make and ended up having great excursions in Cozumel. Maybe next time we are in the area, we can make those ports of call.

Now for my impression of the ship. The Pros of the ship were, quiet rooms where we didn’t hear our neighbors, Large Shower, reasonable priced cruises, easy on and off elevators without long wait times, and there was plenty of storage in the rooms. The comedy shows were both terrific with Dan Gabriel and Nikki Carr. The Howl at the Moon Dueling Piano’s were fantastic. They put on a great show. Cruise Tip: Arrive early to the shows so you could get a seat. The internet onboard was Starlink and was super fast. If you booked a balcony or above room, you can ask for a coffee machine in your room. Your room steward will bring you coffee, sugar, and cream every day. That was a plus to be able to make coffee and tea and sit out on our balcony first thing in the morning. Also depending on your status, you can request a robe to be brought to you room.

The Cons were more numerous. This ship had the strangest layout we ever saw with congested main decks and confusing corridors. I had an elderly couple come up to me during the cruise who had been searching for their room for over a half an hour. Having the shower in the main part of your stateroom was odd. There were no good lounging areas or quiet areas to just go and sit during the day where you could see the ocean. There were lines for everything, from booking a tender to getting into a restaurant. The anytime dining was not really that. You had to get in a line to get into the dining room and then you may end up still waiting some more with a beeper. There were long lines for embarkment and disembarkment and it seemed very unorganized. Food was mediocre at best except in the specialty restaurants. The main dining room was okay but the Garden Cafe had cold food often and not a good selection. The ship felt crowded all the time, I believe since there were no lounges during the day to go sit at and relax. The main show, “Burn the Floor” in the theater was okay but not great. At one time it appeared one of the dancers was choking another dancer. I know they put a lot of work into it and it was definitely high energy but the show didn't flow and the dancers seemed spastic. There was a lot of talent there that I believe would be better in a different show. Near the pool deck, we noticed one day a lot of soot and ash was coming out of the stacks at the top of the ship. As much as we loved out stateroom at the back of the ship, it was loud when sitting on the balcony.  Would I do it again.  Absolutely. 

Did we have a great cruise? Yes we did. But my opinion is Norwegian, aka NCL could do a much better job to make everyone’s. vacation a little smoother with less wait times. I feel cruising is what you make of it, and we made the best of it but we wouldn’t choose this ship again. I would not recommend this ship. On that note, we have been on other NCL cruises that they had it all worked out much better. So do not base NCL just on this cruise ship. We’ve been on others that were much better managed.

Till next time. Bye for now.