NCL Epic is Norwegian Cruise Line’s biggest ever ship and breaks all the design rule books. Not only that but it is the first ship to have acts such as Legends in Concert tribute groups and the Blue Man Group. In keeping with NCL’s brand of Freestyle cruising, there are numerous places to eat, some included, others charged as extras, and no dress codes.

OVERVIEW

Norwegian Epic is Norwegian Cruise Line’s biggest ever ship and breaks all the design rule books.Out went bathrooms, in came separate shower and toilet cubicles, with the sink in the bedroom. Out went dining rooms, in came single cabins. Out went the ship’s singers and dancers, in came established entertainment acts such as Legends in Concert tribute groups and the Blue Man Group.

It was a bit of a gamble, but mostly it has worked. If nothing else, it landed Epic the title "most exciting ship launch of 2010".In keeping with NCL’s brand of Freestyle cruising, there are numerous places to eat, some included, others charged as extras, and no dress codes.Cruise ship firsts include an ice-bar and waterslide with a "bowl" at the bottom that you circle, held up until the centrifugal force runs out of steam, at which point you plop through a hole at the bottom.

There is also a private ship-within-a-ship complex housing 60 suites and villas, a nightclub, pool and restaurant. Access is by key card only.

DECK AREA

Norwegian Epic has 14 public decks, numbered five to 18. Deck 18 is split into two sections. The forward end forms part of the villa complex and houses the Posh Beach Club and sun decks. Another section towards the aft of the ship forms the entrance to the Epic Plunge waterslide. Deck 17 is also split into two sections. The forward end, also in the villa complex, houses suites and a fitness centre and spa. There’s a sports area, open to all, at the aft section of the deck. The lower level of the villa complex is at the forward end of deck 16. Here there are more villas and also a pool, restaurant and lounge. 

CABINS

Norwegian Epic has 2,114 cabins, made up of inside and balcony rooms. There are 60 villas and penthouses in the private courtyard complex at the top of the ship, 128 Studios for single travellers, 39 spa cabins and 42 rooms with wider doors to allow wheelchair access. Cabins sizes range from 100 square feet for the Studio accommodation to 852 square feet for the Deluxe Owner’s Suites. Courtyard Villas and Courtyard Penthouses, all with balconies, measure up to 504 and 322 square feet respectively.

New Wave balcony cabins, featuring curved walls and with separate shower and toilet cubicles instead of a traditional bathroom, measure 216 square feet. Family mini-suites, sleeping four and located near the kids’ club, measure 245 square feet. The Studios apart, all cabins have TVs, a mini-bar, safe, hairdryer and a tea and coffee maker. Passengers in the villa and penthouse suites additionally have a CD and DVD player, a butler and private access to the villa complex, which has its own pool, sunbathing deck, gym, restaurant and bar.

Owner’s Suites have a CD/DVD library, separate bath and shower and walk-in closet. Spa cabins come with private key card access to the spa’s thermal suite and fitness centre. Instead of having a TV in the cabin, passengers in Studios get private key card access to the two-storey Studio lounge, which has TVs and a bar. There is free 24-hour room service.

ENTERTAINMENT

This is one of the areas where Norwegian Epic stands out from the cruising crowd as they offer established acts that perform in venues around the US. 

The Blue Man Group performs eight shows per seven-night cruise in the Epic Theatre. On other nights, Legends in Concert, a Las Vegas-based tribute company, performs in the theatre. Legends in Concert singers also play in the Manhattan Room three nights per sailing. Howl at the Moon, a duelling piano show, and Second City comedy improvisation group perform in Headliners. Fat Cats is the place for jazz and blues.

There are bowling alleys in O’Sheehan’s and the Bliss Ultra-Lounge nightclub. The casino is open whenever the ship is at sea. Entourage, the teen lounge, is at the back of deck 16, along with the adult-only Spice H2O outdoor grill and bar.

Deck 15 houses the lower level of Spice H2O. Moving forward, there’s the rock-climbing and abseiling walls, the bottom of the Epic Plunge, swimming pools and the Garden Café self-service restaurant. La Cucina Italian restaurant is below the Garden Café on deck 14. This deck also houses Recess, the kids’ club, spa cabins and the spa and gym. Decks eight to 13 are devoted to cabins.

Deck 13 forward also has a bridge viewing room, decks 11 and 12 house the Studio lounge, a private area with TVs and a bar for single passengers booked in the Studio cabins. The forward end of deck seven houses the Bliss Ultra-Lounge nightclub, which has three bowling alleys. Moving aft there’s the upper tier of the Spiegel Tent, venue for the Cirque Dreams and Dinner show and Nickelodeon character breakfasts, various shops, the Ice Bar, beer and whiskey bars and a barber shop. Cagney’s Steakhouse, the Churrascaria, the Teppanyaki and sushi bar are on this deck. Deck six forward is the Epic Theatre.

Moving aft is the lower tier of the Spiegel Tent, the Headliners’ Comedy Club, the casino and Fat Cats jazz club. O’Sheehan’s Bar and Grill, the Chinese restaurant and noodle bar and the Manhattan Room restaurant are also on this deck. Deck five houses the lower level of the Epic Theatre, the internet café, shore excursions and guest relations and the Taste Restaurant.

DINING

There are 21 places to eat on Norwegian Epic. Taste on deck five, is open for lunch and dinner, and the Manhattan Room, on deck six, is open for breakfast and dinner. Both serve international dishes and are free. O’Sheehan’s Bar and Grill and the Garden Café self-service are also free. And there is also no charge for the Courtyard Grill in the villa complex, but access is limited to passengers staying in the suites. The Noodle and Sushi Bars are priced à la carte. Reservations are not needed. Other dining options include Cagney’s Steakhouse, the Churrascaria, where meat is sliced from skewers at the table, the French Bistro, the Italian La Cucina, Shanghai’s for Chinese food and the Teppanyaki for stir-fried Asian dishes prepared in front of diners. Bookings are necessary for all these venues, and all carry a small to moderate charge. The Cirque Dreams and Dinner show in the Spiegel Tent also needs to be pre-booked – there are 12 shows per seven-day cruise and just 237 seats available per show - and comes with a set meal. There is a moderate charge. Nickelodeon Character Breakfasts are also held in the Spiegel Tent, as are Presumed Murdered, a murder-mystery lunch performed by improvisation comedy group Second City. Three character breakfasts and murder-mystery lunches are held per cruise. Bookings are necessary and there is a moderate charge.

SUITABILITY

If your idea of a holiday is clubbing in Ibiza, Epic’s the ship for you, because apart from the fact it visits a few ports as it sails around the Caribbean, it has very little to do with cruising and everything to do with having fun in the sun, with plenty of lively indoor and outdoor entertainment, food and noise.Young couples will have a ball in the various nightclubs, while kids and teens will love the waterslides, rock-climbing and abseiling walls and Nickelodeon-inspired games and characters.There is also a supervised kids club, Recess, for children aged two to nine and 10 to 12. Entourage is a no-adults-allowed area for teens aged 13 to 17-years-old.

HINTS & TIPS

Passengers should reserve seats for the entertainment online before the cruise to guarantee seeing their favourite shows.

Cirque Dreams and Dinner, a two-hour show of pantomime and acrobatics, has to be pre-booked. Dinner is a set menu and there is a moderate charge. The Nickelodeon character breakfasts have to be pre-booked. It’s a set breakfast and there’s a moderate charge.Pre-book restaurants as soon as you can as they fill up fast.For dining venues such as the noodle or sushi bar, which don’t take bookings, aim to eat at odd times of day to be sure of getting a seat.There are no dress codes or formal nights so leave the black tie at home.Per person per day gratuities are automatically added to all cruise accounts. These are not mandatory and can be changed at guest relations.

An 18% service charge is added to the cost of all spa treatments. No other gratuity is need.

A 15% gratuity is automatically added to the cost of all bar purchases. 

SHIP INFO

• Year Entered Service: 2010
• Onboard Currency: US$
• Nationality of Crew: International
• No. of Crew: 1,690
• No. of Passengers: 4,200
• Tonnage: 153,000
• Passenger/space ratio: 36.4

Interested?

For more information on this cruise line, call us today on (028) 3832 3618, arrange a callback or email us.

Alternatively, if you would prefer we are very happy to see you in person at our new Travel Lounge, Lurgan. Visitors are advised to make an appointment with one of our specialist consultants.

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