Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian EPIC Review

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian EPIC Review

One of the reasons for choosing a short cruise onboard the Norwegian EPIC has got to be the fact you cruise in and out of Barcelona. Only a 2 hour flight from the UK, from most UK airports and if you manage to secure an early flight out - you can be onboard by 11.30am.....and an early flight home allows you to disembark around 7am -7.30am and easily grab a taxi for the short drive to the airport.

Checking in is fairly straight forward but just be prepared for a short wait at peak times which are between 11.30 am and 1.30pm. One of the most frequent questions I get asked are about luggage labels. My advice is don't even bother..! Just wait until you arrive at the ship and there is a desk outside which has a plentiful supply of luggage tags for your appropriate deck and cabin number. I enclose a picture of this desk, just so you know what to look out for. 

I have never cruised with Norwegian Cruise Line before, although I have had limited experience of the Norwegian EPIC when I did a sponsored cycle ride from Manchester airport to Southampton dock where EPIC was launched to the UK back in 2010. 

Norwegian is well known to those savvy cruisers who appreciate real value in onboard entertainment and dining venues and I was particularly keen to see if Norwegian Cruise Line really did live up to this reputation. I was NOT disappointed..!! In fact there was no way I was able to take in every venue on my 4 night cruise, but I did give it a good go. Lets's start with the dining. 

First night and first on the list was Shanghai's - the only complaint was that there really was too much food, the service was outstanding and food was delivered at well spaced intervals. For only $15 cover charge, I think this was the best value restaurant onboard. 

Second night was a table in the Italian restaurant La Cucina and we were given a table overlooking the bow of the Norwegian EPIC , a beautiful setting as the sun went down sailing out of Marseilles. Once again service was a premium and the food was beautiful plus there is only a $10 cover charge. Third night was time to move countries and over the border into France...

Le Bistro was our next gastronomical delight. This was a venue where the starters could easily have made up for a main evening meal. I would have been happy to have chosen 3 starters including the stunning mushroom soup for my evening meal. The cover charge in Le Bistro on the Norwegian EPIC is $20 and again worth every penny, cent or dime!! 

My last night onboard was spent in Cagney's Steak House. Please make sure you have the Oysters Rockafella and ask for the bottle of Tabascoa and a slice of lemon. Probably the best starter I had onboard the Norwegian EPIC. This was followed by a small fillet mignon and choice of sides. At $25 per head cover charge, I would not repeat Cagney's because as good as it is, I thought Shanghai's, Le Bistro and La Cucina were better value. We are not talking big money, but it is equivalent to 2 meals in Shangia or La Cucina....just something to think about. 

Entertainment Wow - I didn't get to bed until gone 2am every night and some didn't reach their cabins until 5am - Bliss night club was packed every night and the atmosphere was fantastic. This really is a ship that comes alive in the evening. We didn't take dinner until 8pm every night and we didn't miss out on anything!! Seriously, there was the duelling pianos in the comedy club, Party's out on deck at the Spice H2O Zone where we even had snow falling in the middle of the Mediterranean sea. A fantastic venue which during the day returns to a lively sunbathing and pool area with a large screen. 

Probably the best venue for me was Fat Cat's Jazz & Blues Club led by the legendary Slam Allen where his band deliver hit after hit from legendary artists such as BB Kings and Otis Redding. If there is anything I encourage you to visit whilst you are onboard the Norwegian EPIC is it Fat Cats, especially if Slam is on board. Decks 5,6 & 7 have something for everyone, families, singles, couples, gamblers, drinkers, dancers and probably most other things that have escaped my memory..!! 

If you just want to relax and enjoy a cup of tea with a slice of cake, it's all free and you can do this every day on deck 5 and there's always a film in the afternoon on the big screen. 

Is there anything I didn't like or thought could be done better? I don't think so - some of the shuttle fares were expensive and it is far cheaper and easier to get a taxi at some ports of call - Palma is a good example. Norwegian charge $10 each way for a shuttle to the Cathederal when in all honesty a taxi to there and a leisurely stroll back is a much better and healthier option. This is what we did and the taxi cost us €13, we had lunch at a street cafe then walked it off with a stroll along the sea front marina back to the ship. The walk took us 1 hour, but in the heat of summer, make sure you are well sun screaned and have a bottle of water (each person) to hand. 

Was Norwegian what I expected it to be? Yes and no but both on the positive side. I did expect it to be a bit brash, loud and wasn't sure what the dress code would be in the evenings. It certainly is not brash or loud - and people really did make an effort onboard. I guess the large mix of Brits, and Europeans allowed for this, there were very few Americans on this cruise. Not that I have an issue with Americans - quite the opposite, but they do dress down much more in the evenings from my experience. Norwegian delivered on so many levels and I was extremely impressed with how far the company has come in terms of delivering exceptional service on a large scale. The efforts made by Norwegian from their senior management down to the ships crew over the last few years are really starting to pay off big time. 

Would I cruise Norwegian again? - you bet I would and really would like some of my close cruise friends to consider cruising like a Norwegian some time in the near future. The whole of the cruise industry continues to deliver the highest standards of service across the world hotel industry and I simply cannot stress just how good the value of taking a Norwegian cruise really is. 

In finishing I want you to consider this scenario - 

Tickets to see the Blu Man Group in New York approx $101pp - Free on the EPIC
Dinner in a 4 star restaurant approx $30pp per night - Free on the EPIC

Dinner in a speciality restaurant approx $40pp per night - $15 on the EPIC

Jazz & Blues venue New York approx $30pp - Free on the EPIC

On a 7 night cruise - if you did 5 nights in the main restaurant and 2 nights speciality dining plus the entertainment above you would receive in real terms - $331 value of entertainment.

Now if you add in the cost of your cabin against the cost of staying in a 5 star resort hotel with breakfast included for 7 nights..plus all the other free entertainment Norwegian offers....you will begin to appreciate the actual cost of a Norwegian cruise holiday is minimal.

Next time you call The Cruise Village team for a cruise holiday (0800 810 8481) - why not think about cruising like a Norwegian?

This is a cruise news blog entry by Phil.

Phil Nuttall

Director
The Cruise Village