She weighs 153,000 gross tons, can hold over 4,000 passengers, has bowling allies, a rock-climbing wall, and a full size aqua park! Only one word can describe a vessel of this magnitude: E-P-I-C! Issued into service in July 2010, this innovative vessel has become the newest attraction to an array of cruisers all over the world. For Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), this is a ‘cruisemendous’ leap, for they did not even have a cruise ship that ranked in the world’s top twenty largest cruise ships, and Norwegian Epic debuted at number two! There are twenty different and unique dining options offered on-board (most, not all, require a reservation and a cover charge fee). The food was pretty decent on-board, but I could definitely taste the food was “cooked for the masses.”
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Norwegian Epic Review by Shon Ford (Cruise Man 3000)
Norwegian Epic has absolutely the best entertainment on any cruise ship from any cruise line in the entire world—some refer to Norwegian Epic as an entertainment Mecca. The Blue Man Group, Second City Comedy Troupe, Legends Live in Concert, and many other entertainment acts head-line every night on-board keeping passengers of all ages asking for more. Norwegian Epic also sails withNickelodeon at Sea on-board! This is a great addition allowing kids of all ages to see some of their favorite cartoon characters. Norwegian Epic does require something other ships within the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet do not, and that is reservations in excessive amounts. In order to attend any of the fabulous shows I mentioned above, dine in one of the specialty restaurants, attend the circus, or chill-out in the 17 degree ice bar, reservations are needed.
If you don’t make reservations, then you’ll be put on standby for some of the events you want to enjoy (standby doesn’t guarantee you a seat in the performance, but give it a try—they got me in to see Blue Man Group with no problems even on standby). The reservations for the shows do not cost anything, but it’s something you want to plan within the first couple hours you are on-board. I think because of the people traffic on-board, NCL has reservations in place to keep things under control and monitored both effectively and with great efficiency. (The Ice Bar and Circus require cover charges, those are not free).
On the entire cruise it was hard to get a chair on the deck; there were multitudes of people all the time everywhere on the ship. The crew was one of the best I have ever experienced at sea, and truly made the cruise a ‘cruiserific’ experience. The amenities on board are truly amazing! Norwegian Epic sails with a bowling alley (2 of them), a rock climbing wall, rappelling wall, an open-air ice skating rink, basketball court, spider web obstacle course, and an adult only zone (Spice H20). The only things that I did not see on-board were a golf course and library. I giveNorwegian Epic 4.25 out of 5.00 stars. Be sure to check out this immense innovative vessel, and see the word E-P-I-C redefined!
Thanks Shon for that great review, you can check out Shon’s awesome cruise blog HERE.
