Norwegian Epic (March 2018)

Norwegian Epic

3-Night Bahamas

03/07/2018: Port Canaveral, Florida

03/08/2018: Nassau, Bahamas

03/09/2018: Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas

03/10/2018: Port Canaveral, Florida

Crossing One off the Bucket List!

As the title says above, this is "One off the Bucket List". Ever since we started cruising several years ago we've always wanted to sail on the Norwegian Epic. I was super excited booking this sailing and couldn't wait to finally go on Epic. Now was this the sailing that we've dreamed it would be and live up to it's name (Epic) or would it just be an everyday cruise that won't stand out, you will soon find out!

Our sailing was out of Port Canaveral, and usually we took a nice 3 hour drive up from South Florida. Since our last cruise we have relocated to Orlando. Mainly we choose Orlando to be close to the mouse! We took a shorter, hour drive over to the coast from our home to board the Norwegian Epic. We were the only ship in port that day so getting to the ship was a little bit easier, since the port really didn't have many signs around telling you where to go. Luckily we were here before out of this terminal with Carnival Valor. We decided to park at the terminal like always, good thing we did, we saved the parking since the pay stations were all done, SCORE!

 Back to the first day. First day's are usually one of the best and worst times on any cruise for me personally. I hate the whole process of boarding and getting on and dragging or waiting for our luggage and having to do the safety drills, so draining. First day on Epic wasn't too bad at all. Getting inside the terminal was easy and went to the desk for check-in in no time at all. They accidentally misplaced our room cards, no worries we ended up getting them later on. We were treated to waiting with the guests in the Haven, so we enjoyed sitting and having some pre-cruise light dishes and coffee. We were a little late boarding since the night prior there was a mishap on the ship causing it to come into port late. Wasn't too bad, we were on around noon.

For our trip we had the privilege of enjoying the Haven area on the Norwegian Epic. We were first taken on a short tour around the ship with the Hotel Director's Secretary, Agatha, who did an amazing job making sure we knew where ever everything was around the ship. She then dropped us off at the Haven Restaurant. We will talk about that more below.

Overall the first day was smooth, the safety drill was quick and somewhat painless. Minus the usual staff getting snippy, is it just me or this happens all the time on Norwegian. Anyways, it went quick and all we care about.

Entertainment on the Norwegian Epic was amazing! Some of the best shows we've seen on any cruise. Norwegian Escape still holds the number one slot with For the Record: The Brat Pack. However Epic does have some of the top shows we've seen. Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Burn the Floor: Rebellion in the Ballroom, were the two main shows available and both were unbelievably phenomenal. Another show available for a charge is located in the Spiegel Tent, which was also great. All shows we will go into more detail below. Other entertainment included comedy and some events in the atrium, nothing great there.

Dining was good on this ship. We ate mainly in the Haven Restaurant and a few other places here and there. Nothing amazing but nothing terrible. Had a good experience this time around. Norwegian does have a consistency with it's overall dining and it's always been good for us.

Our two ports included Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau. Due to the weather and it being a bit on the colder side we decided not to get off at Great Stirrup Cay. Nassau, since we've been several times felt no need to get off this time. We wished we had a sea day, just so we could have got the full experience.

Overall we had a really good time on Norwegian Epic. If I were to rate the Norwegian ships that we've been on I'd say from best to worst would be, Escape (number one), followed by Epic, Getaway and Sky. All great ships. It was great to fulfill a bucket list ship and only main thing we said that we could have had that would have made our trip better was a sea day. If you're looking to do Norwegian Epic, make sure to have a sea day mixed in, just to get the full Norwegian experience. Do want to say that after being on Getaway, Escape and now Epic that we see the differences between the three and how many changes they have between the classes. We think Escape really got it right.

Pros

- Loved just being able to take a trip on a bucket list ship.

- Crew was very friendly and very helpful.

- All of the shows in the Epic Theater and Speigel Tent were amazing and worth seeing at least once.

- Loved having access to the Haven area, nice to see that section for a change and get a chance to really enjoy it.

- Balcony stateroom had a great amount of storage.

- Ship was very clean, felt it was almost brand new. For a ship that is close to 10 years old and not having a refurb lately this was stunning. Been on newer ships only a few months old in terrible conditions.

- Never saw any chair hogs.

- For a Spring Break cruise the crowd was pretty good. Same with kids, all well-behaved.

- Loved how the Epic had their own barber shop out in the open. I know most ships do but loved how they had this one. I could see Royal Caribbean doing this maybe on their promenade.

- Enjoyed going to karaoke at the Bliss Ultra Lounge. We're usually not fans but really had a lot of fun!

- The Bridge Viewing Room was pretty fun to check out.

- Casino didn't take all of our money, so props to them here!

- Cirque Dreams Dinner was amazing, a MUST DO.

- Enjoyed the size of the Epic Theater and being able to have a comfortable seat and sitting up close for a great experience.

- Next to Allure of the Seas we had a very smooth time leaving the ship. We got to the Bliss Ultra Lounge around 6:45am and by 7:00am we were heading off. No hiccups, no issues, no problem. Only reason Allure was better was because we walked right off.

- Great closet space.

- Bed and pillows were comfy.

- Loved not having to pay for parking at the terminal!

Cons

- Service was hit or miss in the Haven Restaurant.

- Comedy was a HUGE let down. Having seeing a kid-friendly and adult-only showing back-to-back with the same material was horrible.

- Didn't love the setup of the Epic, found it was a bit confusing at times. Might not have felt this way if we did Epic before Getaway and or Escape.

- Feet hung off the beds.

- Didn't like that we never saw our room steward at all.

- Did not like the rollout bar at the pool deck which was blocking the pathway, there was another bar right next to it.

- No one ever came around to ask if we wanted drinks, never saw anyone anywhere.

- Drink and coffee selection was pretty basic.

- Did not like having to reserve tenders to get off the ship, felt it was a waste of time to do.

- The ticket booth should have had longer hours, they opened some days around 3:30pm and having to book something for 5:30pm was near impossible.

- Assembly drill was very unorganized at the beginning.

- Music around the ship was geared to a middle-aged crowd, most venues playing the same exact songs, even at the same time.

- Didn't like having cold weather, not anyone's fault, but upset!

- Wished the Atrium selections were as good as ones on Escape.

- Smell of smoke around the casino was horrible at times.

- Haven Courtyard compared to Escape wasn't as nice.

- Buffet not opening sooner so we could see what was available so we can decide where we wanted to eat was a little disappointing.

- Wished they had more things to do during the port days, they need to realize going to Nassau, not many people were going to get off. Would have been great to have a cooking demo, which I think would have been available on a sea day.

- Didn't like that restaurant's were not ready as printed on the daily guides.

- Bad setup of the location for Taste, being right under the casino.

- Entertainment team was not that good. Carnival still has some of the best at sea. Same with the parties, with the exception of the 80s party on Escape.

- Didn't really care for our cruise director much, already forgot his name. Again another thing that Carnival does right some of the time. Never saw this guy much at all.

On to the tour of the Norwegian Epic!

Atrium (Cafe & Bar)

We start off our tour in the Atrium area of the Norwegian Epic on deck 5. We did not spend too much time here, but they did have a good amount of activities and movies available throughout the sailing. One thing we noticed (and we will compare to other ships of Norwegian) is that the atrium was a bit smaller than Getaway and Escape. The atrium wasn't a full wraparound and about 25% less. Not sure if we liked it or not, really didn't notice too much of a difference. The big disappointment that we noticed and heard from others was the lack of a coffee shop onboard. The coffee and pastry shop in the atrium we swore was much better on Escape and Getaway also thought they offered free options as well. Didn't have any of that here.

 (You can see from this photo the smaller space compared to Escape and Getaway.)

Barber Shop

Yes, you read that right, the Epic has their very own Barber Shop, which is located on deck 7. I heard that the prices are a bit higher than ones on land but they will keep you in great-looking condition at any point during your cruise.

Bliss Ultra Lounge

All the way in the front of the Epic on deck 7 you will find the Epic's nightclub, well one of them at least. This was a very large lounge that one of the best decorated sections on the Epic. We came here to enjoy something that we normally wouldn't waste the time on and that was the karaoke. For some reason we hit the jackpot and had some really decent singers and only bad part was not finding this sooner. Goes to show, try out things you don't normally like, you might actually like them somewhere else.

 (The entire club had these cascading metal strands and it looked awesome!)

(Probably one of the nicest bars we've ever had on a cruise ship.)

Bridge Viewing Room

If you ever wanted to see what the bridge looks like on a ship, Epic has you covered. On deck 13, all the way in the front you can go to the Bridge Viewing Room. It's really cool for those that are fans of seeing how things work behind the scenes. Note, this is not always open and can close at any time.

(You get a pretty good view from here.)

Cagney's Steakhouse

Still have not had a meal here, heard some complain about the service and food here. One day, if we do the dining plan we may opt to eat here.

Casino

The casino wasn't too harsh on us. We haven't really played on a ship's casino in some time. We lost a few and got some of it back, so not too horrible. The bad thing about this casino, and has been an issue for many years is the constant smell of smoke throughout. It's pretty rough at times. The Taste Restaurant is directly a floor below and open to the casino, not a smart choice on Norwegian's part in planning that one.

Cavern Club Liverpool

Based off the UK version, the Cavern Club Liverpool was a nightly hotspot for music. This is a lounge for the true Beatles fan.

Cigar Lounge

Behind the Shaker's Martini Bar you will find the entrance to the Cigar Lounge. I took a short walk in here and felt like I was going to get second-hand smoke, it was that bad!

Cirque Dreams & Dinner (Spiegel Tent)

We were lucky enough to have dinner here one of the nights of our cruise. This was a stunning show and not one seat was a bad one, bottom or top floor. However if you're able, try to get a seat up front facing the back section, I believe it was when you walked in to the right, opposite of where we sat. Seemed they faced that way more. The event starts with some of the performers coming around in these unique costumes and greeting guests. This takes place during the entire meal since you will be fed first. The meal is very quick, as soon as your appetizer comes out you will start seeing entrees roll out, finally dessert. Food was decent, nothing amazing. The dinner is quick, that is because they don't want you eating during the show since you don't want to miss any piece of it. The show is beyond amazing, the performers do some insane stunts right in front of you, a few guests also become part of the show as well. This is a great choice if you're looking to do something different. If you've been before you will enjoy it again. We will do this again if we come back!

(You see the sound booth in the background, we suggest sitting in that area.)

 (Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Tomato, Gourmet Young Mesclun Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette.)

(Surf & Turf, Grilled Beef Tenderloin and Lemon Pepper Shrimp, Fingerling Potato Wedges, Broccoli & Peppercorn Sauce.)

(Trilogy of Sweets, Red Velvet Cupcake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting, Vanilla Creme Caramel with Wild Berries & a Flourless Chocolate Cake with Pralie Creme.)

(Such amazing talent!)

(This was the calm part.)

(Thank you for an amazing night!)

Epic Club Restaurant & Outdoor Lounge (The Haven Restaurant)

Exclusively for Haven guests, the Epic Club Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. The menu does not change from day to day and we really never saw it packed. One big disappointment we had was one night of horrible dinner service, also the days we went to breakfast, they were supposed to be open at 6am, but never opened until closer to 7am. We tried almost everything on all of the menus and really enjoyed most items. You have the option for lunch and I think breakfast to sit in their outdoor lounge, dinner it is closed off. Most guests in the Haven usually have the dining package and are taking advantage of that nightly, making this not as busy at night.

 (Surf & Turf, Jumbo Shrimp, Filet Mignon, Bearnaise Sauce, Spinach with a Baked Potato. This was pretty good.)

 (Mustard-Crusted Rack of Lamb, Rosemary Jus, Gratin Potatoes, Green Beans & Bacon. Dish was good, we're not ones for lamb but seemed to be cooked to perfection.)

(Chocolate Pistachio Bar, Diplomat Cream with Chocolate Ice Cream. This was amazing!)

 (Classic Cobb Salad, Romaine Lettuce, Grilled Chicken Breast, Tomatoes, Avocado, Hard-Boiled Egg, Bacon and Roquefort Cheese, Served with your Choice of Dressing. Wife LOVED this salad. Said one of the best she's ever had. Me, I thought it was good.)

 (French Dip, Thinly Sliced Slow-Roasted Beef Au Jus with Horseradish Sauce on a French Roll. Overall, I did enjoy this.)

(Goat Cheese Galette, Baked Tart with Roasted Root Vegetables, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, Garlic & Thyme. This was one of the best dishes we had on the cruise. We ordered it on two different days. It is a bit heavy for a lunch option, but very good!)

 (Seared Sonoma Duck Breast, Black Mission Fig Jus, Roasted Apples & Almonds with Wild Rice. They gave us a HUGE portion. Overall flavor was nice, the rice was not good at all.)

(Seafood Eggs Benedict, Poached Egg, Lobster, Scallops, on a Toasted Brioche with a Choron Sauce. This was with the Steak & Eggs which was a Petite Filet. Originally this was two dishes that we got the day prior. However I asked since I loved them both and didn't want both full meals if they could split it this way. They did! It was amazing, the Benedict was the best I've ever had. This was served with a side of potatoes.)

(Our morning Coffee Press. I've always wanted to try this.)

(While you wait for breakfast they have an extensive bar setup with a bunch of different options. We had a piece of meat and cheese, didn't want to get too full.)

(This is the outside part of the restaurant. I know it was open for lunch, maybe breakfast as well. Dinner seemed to be closed.)

Epic Pool Deck & Slides

We never had a chance to enjoy the pool deck nor any of the slides, which was a big draw for me over the years, but due to the weather and a day of a few of the slides closed it never happened. They have two pools, everyone says they are large, but honestly they are not. The slides are nothing crazy, but the big bowl-shaped one was the big draw for me and was one of the ones that was closed during one of our days. That was a big feature of this deck. The pool was a hotspot daily, you also have another small pool in the back at Spice H20. Pools on Norwegian, no matter when we find to be usually empty and everyone all over the deck, always found that odd.

 (Pools didn't seem to big, very narrow.)

(This is the mini golf, mainly for children. Not a big course.)

(The Epic Bowl, really wanted to try this out.)

Epic Theater

The theater isn't the largest and not a bad seat in the house. We do recommended getting here early and don't be shy to sit in the front row. You will get a great view and the amazing energy that these very-talented performers are giving. Originally this was the ship to offer the Blue Man Group, but later changed out. If you're looking to see them, you might want to check them out in Orlando, one day we will. The shows that they do show on the Epic is first, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, which is based off the Oscar-winning movie. This is one that really isn't for children and the easily-offended. It's basically a show of two drag performers and a trans-gendered woman who travel across the desert to perform their unique style of cabaret. Honestly, I didn't think we'd like this much, but the show was amazing. The performers were stunning and the show was great, one of our new favorites. Another new favorite for us was Burn the Floor: Rebellion in the Ballroom. Another show that exceeded our expectations. The dancers were spot-on every, single step. The singers were also stunning. We felt the emotion from every person on that stage. We wish they had more shows, all amazing!

(The entrance to the Epic Theater.)

(This was a really great show. Wish we went to the late showing as well.)

(We sat in the front row and it was such an amazing feeling!)

(The bar in the theater.)

(Not a bad seat in the theater. I stood at the top when I took this, as you can see it's not many seats.)

(Some of the cast for Burn the Floor.)

Freestyle Daily

This is the daily guide you're giving which showcases everything going on and a lot of useful information. Below are the one's from our sailing.

Garden Cafe

This is the buffet on board. Felt it was too small compared to Escape and Getaway. Options we're not great. We only had a short, brief meal here and ended up leaving to go to the Haven Restaurant. Guess we were a little spoiled! Do also want to mention that the buffet that we saw never seemed to busy. Also didn't like how they locked the doors so we couldn't see what was on the buffet until it's open. Carnival does let you prior.

(I really wanted to this home!)

(I found chicken parm and put it on a sandwich.)

Great Stirrup Cay

We spent the day on the ship. It was a bit too chilly to get off and go onto the island. We would have loved to enjoy it, but too cold for us. Not many people got off, and waves were also pretty rough outside, so another no for us.

(View from our cabin. Not bad waking up to this. Okay this was about 2pm when the sun was hitting the water just right!)

Guest Services & Shore Excursions

Here is the Guest Services and Shore Excursions area located right off to the atrium, also the Cruise Next desk is located here.

Haven Courtyard Lounge

We spent a little bit of time here relaxing and playing some games. Found another lounge off of the photo gallery to have a much bigger selection of games to play. However this lounge gives you a nice view of the Haven Pool and is much quieter.

(This area did get pretty loud at times since it is a high traffic area.)

Haven Courtyard Pool

The pool here was much bigger than the one on the Escape. The Escape had a much nicer looking Haven Courtyard. We spent some time here enjoying the pool and hot tubs. Found that it did have kids and teens here and there taking over at times, but overall a very enjoyable experience.

Headliner's Comedy Club

First off want to say, much like the Getaway and Escape, this room is horribly setup with the seating. I talked to my wife and she agreed, when Howl at the Moon is being preformed having to sit how we were isn't going to make me stay long. Also they packed so many seats in here to the point that maybe an inch or two was between you and the chair in front of you. On to what was offered here. We checked out Howl at the Moon, we didn't really stay long. Honestly it was more of the uncomfortable bar stools than anything else. If you're looking to stay for awhile I think you'd want something much nicer than a bar stool, maybe do it in the Bliss Ultra Lounge, just a thought. The other downside was the comedian we went to see. We went to his 7pm show and then again at 11pm. I have this rule, if a comedian breaks out a guitar, I'm leaving. Well his comedy was not too great and then once the guitar comes out, we're leaving! Now the only difference between his regular and adult show was literary only a curse word here and there. Really!?!? We've done a few dozen cruises and seen countless comedian's, we've never seen them do a show the same day with the same material for a kid-friendly and adults-only show. So needless to say, we left and didn't look back!

(A few people's view.)

La Cucina Italian Restaurant

The odd thing about this restaurant is that it is under the buffet, not a floor below with a floor between it, but most of it is open and people can look right on in. Very odd. Nice views of the outside but location isn't the best.

Le Bistro French Restaurant

Here are some images of Le Bistro which on Getaway and Escape were in the mid-ship atrium, but now located further in the front in an almost hidden location across from the photo gallery.

Malting's Whiskey Bar

Bad thing about this bar is right below is the casino, so if you're sitting in the casino or walking by you can here music from here and also coming out of the Cavern Club. Sometimes the same exact song, not lying either! We were playing on the slots and the same exact songs were being sung by two totally different performers on two totally different levels. That was another complaint we had was the music selections. Yes they are all good old-time songs, but it get's old really quick when that is all you're hearing.

Manhattan Room (Main Dining Room)

The only time we came in here was for our muster/assembly drill. Now speaking of the drill and mentioning earlier of one of the sourpusses of the cruise this was where this incident took place. We were supposed to be here at whatever time it was and we got there, along with a few others about 20 minutes prior and we all sat down to wait for the drill. So some crew came in and said we needed to get into two lines, okay no problem. So we all did, and at this point the lines grew. So this crew member then came out of nowhere yelling for us to move back into the outside of the dining room, because moving 50 people or more was that easy. No one moved and Mr Pissy backed off and left us alone. The drill other than that was smooth and quick. Now originally we planned on dining here, but with access to the Haven Restaurant we opted to dine there. We wish we would have since the menu was the same at the Haven Restaurant. Did feel that this dining room was smaller than on Escape and Getaway.

Marketplace

Not really sure what this was used for, but it reminded me of Spaceship Earth at Epcot, or otherwise known as the big white golf ball at Disney. Other than that, it really served no purpose. Did have some seats and was more of a deciding-what-to-do point for many people thinking of to either take an elevator, go to the pool area or go to Spice H20.

Moderno Churrascaria

So we've done this twice already, once on Getaway and the other time on Escape. I wanted to originally do this but we chose to try out Cirque Dinner Show. Getaway we didn't like it as much as we did on Escape, not really sure why but remember really enjoying it on Escape. We're sure it's the same here. Felt this and Cagney's on the other side of the area were both very dark with the deep brown woods.

Nassau, Bahamas

We decided to stay on the ship here and enjoy the Haven pool. We were docked with a smaller Carnival & Norwegian ship as well as the Norwegian Breakaway, sister to Getaway. Which is one ship we may do when it relocated to Port Canaveral next year. Also later on when we were in Nassau I happened to look out the window and got as excited as a kid on Christmas when I saw Norwegian Escape, which is my number one ship. Loved that ship so much, make sure to check out that blog as well! I do wish she pulled in like we did and Breakaway. I would have loved to get off the ship just to get a few pictures of all of the classes side-by-side. I love seeing that!

(Can't really tell from this picture, but on this day the waves were very rough. Roughest we've ever seen.)

(Another bucket list ship. Really want to see Rock of Ages. Here is the Norwegian Breakaway.)

(If you have the chance, the Norwegian Escape is one of the best ships in the fleet. I thought it was a high 9 out of 10 for a cruise. We had an amazing time!)

(Never noticed the size difference between the two classes. Now the Breakaway is pulled up a bit, but you can still see the difference.)

O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill

We went here once, just for wings. When later that night we found wings at the late-night buffet. Food was okay. We did go one day for lunch and had to wait for about 15 minutes for them to finish switching from breakfast to lunch. Our thought was why have times if the restaurant's don't care about them. Not like they could have switched over prior since only two tables were filled when we got there. They also have full-size bowling alleys here as well. Not sure on pricing.

(Nachos with Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Jalapenos & Cilantro. With the Plastic Cheese! Comment below if you know where I got that from!)

(Half Dozen Chicken Wings covered in Buffalo Cheese. These weren't as good as other ships.)

Photo Gallery & Internet

Here is the area for the Photo Gallery. Did find (forgot to take a picture) that they have a game room here with a great selection of games and a large amount of each. It's right near the desk area, it get's loud at times but the selection of games is really good.

(In the far right you see a window, that is the card/game room. Ton's of game selections.)

Port Canaveral (Homeport)

As always we drove to port, this time an hour drive from Orlando. Make sure to pay attention, because they don't have too many signs for anything, best to use a GPS. We parked at the terminal and luckily we did, because on this day the machines for the credit cards were not working curbside, nor when we drove out and parking was free! Happy camper here! Boarding was very smooth and no hiccups. Getting off the ship was also very smooth, off the ship by 7am.

(This is the Haven waiting section.)

(Treated us really good!)

Posh Sundeck

All the way up on deck 18 is the Posh Sundeck which is reserved for guests in the Haven. General public has their sundeck across on the other side. Some reason we always got lost coming here.

Sandbar Spirits (Shops)

The shopping area took over a good part of deck 7 and stores were a really good size with a great selection. Almost felt that I was in a mall and not on a ship.

Shaker's Martini & Champage Bar

Shaker's Martini & Champagne Bar is one of the many bars on the Norwegian Epic.

Shanghai's Asian Restaurant

We tried dining here on one night of our cruise but missed the cutoff by 3 minutes, yeah we were a little upset but oh well. So the next night after dinner at the Cirque Show (yes we were hungry after) we ended up coming again between shows. Food was decent, plenty of seating. Got a seat at the bar. Food was out in no time at all. Again food was okay, nothing amazing. It is free so that was a plus for us! I really wanted to get here at least once for you guys and give you our thoughts.

(Pork Pot Stickers Steamed with a Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce.)

(Pork Pot Stickers Fried with a Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce.)

(Vegetable Spring Roll with a Sweet Chili Sauce.)

(Steamed Shrimp Dumplings with a Spicy Plum Sauce.)

(Combination Fried Rice with Shimp, Beef, Roast Pork, Egg, Chinese Cabbage, Bean Sprouts & Scallions.)

Spice H20

This is the party area on the ship. They had an 80's Night, Glow Party and I think another party or two. We went for the sailaway party which had a few people at it. Carnival does do it best for these parties. Escape did have an amazing 80s party. Did notice that they take most of the chairs away, Escape they didn't do that on all of the levels. Also unlike the other ships, the Epic offers a pool here during the day. However Escape and Getaway had a grotto, which was okay but really no purpose, so point goes to Epic here. The area did feel smaller compared to the other two ships we've been on.

Sports Deck

You're not going to find much here besides a basketball court. No real mini golf and no ropes course. Maybe they will add it one day, but the rest of the ship has a bunch to offer so it kinda makes up for that.

(Very large court.)

Stateroom 12230

We decided to get a balcony for this cruise. Usually we won't because of the price, but this time it wasn't too far off from an interior. Overall I'm still not sure how I felt about the room. They have a curvy look to them which looks really unique but sucks at times. Also another noticeable difference was that the toilet and shower and sink were all separate from one another and the only thing separating the shower and toilet besides the thin glass door was a curtain. Not the best of designs. The bed was a good size and had a couch, I think pull out. The room I do have to say had a great amount of storage space, every time I turned around I found more and more places to store things. The balcony was a good size and I enjoyed how I could look down from where we were and see other balconies below. Everyone around was always waving and saying hello. I think if we did this ship again I'd stick to an interior room.

(Look at them curves!)

(Ton's of storage, just here alone. So many storage sections all around the room!)

(Decent size balcony.)

Svedka Ice Bar

We did this on Getaway and didn't care for it much then. It's about $20 and included two drinks. Really wasn't worth it for us to do again.

Taste (Main Dining Room)

Less-formal than the Manhattan Room is the Taste Dining Room. In this space on the Escape and Getaway is the comedy club and Le Bistro, but here we have a dining room. Bad thing here is that is is directly below the smoke-filled casino. The decor was actually very beautiful here, loved the stained-glass windows and chandelier.

(You can see the casino on the floor above, that wraps all the way around.)

Teppanyaki, Wasabi Sushi & Sake Bar

On Escape and I think Getaway this was always separate, on Epic they are all in one location. I think it makes sense to do. Teppanyaki we did on Escape and really enjoyed it, did not do it on Epic.

Video Arcade

We end our tour on deck 15 at the Video Arcade. The arcade offered a decent selection of games but were very pricey. Some were about $1.50 each, seems steep.

We hope you enjoyed this long-awaited tour of the Norwegian Epic. Overall we had a pretty good trip, we felt another day at sea and nicer weather would have boosted this trip up a bit. Still a great cruise. Please visit us on Facebook! Also comment below.