Norwegian Epic Cruise Review from Cruise Diva's Cruise Planner

Norwegian Epic
Epic In So Many Ways

By Linda Coffman

Part 2: With all the activities, entertainment, and dining choices on board Norwegian Epic, it's obvious that no one can take part in all of them. However, we gave it a try and even had a few unexpected encounters. Like, with SpongeBob SquarePants. We spotted him from a distance and as he approached we were asked if we'd like a photo op. Well, who can turn down a celebrity?

Character Fun
Had we not seen him by chance, we could have met up with SpongeBob and his Nickelodeon pals at a meet and greet where the Nick crew was on hand to take pictures with passengers' own cameras. Ship photographers were also there, but it wasn't necessary to pay for a photo—a really nice touch for families. During this Nickelodeon cruise the kids had lots of opportunities to have fun with their favorite characters and the activities were numerous—Breakfast with Nickelodeon, Nickelodeon Meet and Greet, Slime Time LIVE!, Nick LIVE! poolside, Nick Jr. Story Time with Dora, Nickelodeon Arts and Crafts, Dora’s Dance Party, and Know Your Nickelodeon Trivia. While there was a charge for the character breakfast, other activities were free and the kids of all ages on board had a blast. Even those of us without children were charmed by the excited looks on the little ones' faces.

Fun For All
Another popular spot for families was Bliss Lounge, which features bowling lanes and pool tables and held family-friendly events on most evenings—such as Karaoke and a dance party. For more mature passengers, Bliss Lounge is an adults-only venues after 11:00pm. Also for the younger set is Recess, the facility for Norwegian Epic's youth program, and Entourage, the teen club.

For the older generation of course there is the Svedka Ice Bar where we donned parkas before slipping into the icy enclave (kept at 17 degrees Fahrenheit) to sit on icy stools and sip the two vodka drinks that are included in the admission price of $20 per person. Inside the frozen chamber we joined adult-style characters, including Viking and Polar Bear ice sculptures as the lighting changed from blue to purple to green, simulating Northern Lights and creating a Scandinavian atmosphere both chilling and refreshing.

Spice H2O Pool & Snack Bar

One of Three Exciting Water Slides

Epic Under The Sun
As expected, pool time was an important facet of our Norwegian Epic cruise in the eastern Caribbean. Initially, my impression was that the main pool area seemed cramped for such a large ship, but it never felt overly crowded. With The Haven pool provided for suite guests, a large children's Aqua Park splash area, a wading pool, and Spice H2O pool aft reserved for the over-18 crowd until 8:00pm, the main pool size made sense.

A few things that impressed us were the number of passengers (young and older) using the water slides, rock climbing and rappelling walls, and sports court areas. All were busy during sea days. Mel reported that the fitness center was usually full, but there was seldom a long wait for a treadmill or other equipment.

More Epic
There's so much more that I haven't even touched on. For instance, performances by Second City, a question and answer session with the Blue Man Group, talented musicians in the Martini and Whiskey bars, the casino, spa, the big screen with Wii games in the Atrium. Shopping was excellent and we appreciated the sales in the Marketplace on the pool deck where we found bargains. Then there are the restaurants we didn't get to—Le Bistro, La Cucina, Shanghai's, the Noodle Bar, Wasabi, Teppanyaki, and Taste dining room. Whew! So much food, so little time!

A week just isn't long enough aboard Norwegian Epic. We suspected that ahead of time and planned accordingly, but there was a lot we missed and we hope to sail aboard her again to make up for lost time.

Norwegian Epic Fast Facts
• 153,000 gross tons
• 1,080 feet in length
• 133 feet in width
• 22 knots cruising speed
• 4,100 passengers (double occupancy
• 1,730 crew

Norwegian Epic spends summers sailing in the Mediterranean and winters in the Caribbean.

• Embark Like A Norwegian: Day One
• Norwegian Epic: Home Away From Home
• A Night Out On Norwegian Epic
• Luck of the Irish on Norwegian Epic
• Epic Entertainment on Norwegian Epic
• Fun With Nick on Norwegian Epic
• Norwegian Epic’s “Spicy” Retreat
• A Really Cool Time Aboard Norwegian Epic