As mentioned in my Norwegian Bliss review, I am a Norwegian cruise line fan. I have been on 5 Norwegian cruises on 3 different ships. I have had an overall great experience on all of them.

I spent 7 nights onboard the Norwegian Epic sailing out of Barcelona, Spain on a Mediterranean cruise that had stops in Spain, Italy and France. The ship is nine years old, but definitely not showing its age. Norwegian has done a great job of keeping it up to date. With a max passenger limit of 4,100 people, the ship is really big. There is a water park, bowling alley, sports complex, spa, Ice Bar, comedy club, live theatrical performances and much more.

The Norwegian Epic biggest difference from all the other Norwegian ships is the bathroom layout. Luckily, I had already been on this boat so I let my group know in advance so they were prepared. There is a toilet room separate from the shower. The sink is in the main part of the room and the shower is separate by a curtain. The benefit of this is that someone can be brushing their teeth while the other person is in the shower or using the bathroom. The studio rooms do not have a curtain but as a solo passenger it really does not matter.

Pros:

• The food: We enjoyed the food at the Garden Buffett, the Taste (one of the main dining rooms) and Shanghai’s Chinese Restaurant. The room service is great as well. The food arrived quickly, was fresh and hot. The flavored water and juices available for free all over the ship is also a plus.
• Studio cabin size: The bed in the studio cabin was a queen which is great. The room is a perfect size for one, but you can have a couple of visitors and not feel crowded.
• Lounge chairs: There were plenty of lounge chairs available for everyone. We were always able to find some when needed. It might not be in the exact place we were originally looking for but that it ok.
• Latitude Rewards: Norwegian automatically signs you up for latitude rewards which is their loyalty program. There are some great rewards you can earn at the different levels that saves you money and adds to the experience of the cruise.
• Crew Members: The crew members were awesome. They are very friendly and helpful.

Cons:

• Irons/Iron Boards: This is always the hardest thing to get on the ship. It was a huge hassle to get an iron and it took 2 days before I finally got it. They need to do better on this aspect.
• Broadway Shows: I wish the offered it 3 times a week instead of just 2. The 7 pm show was hard to make it to if you had an excursion that day. With the heat and long bus rides, all you wanted to do when you got back is shower and eat. Making it to a 7 pm show was not always in the plans. The 10 pm show was always sold out.
• Smoking Section: There is a smoking section by the pool. This is different from other Norwegian ships that I have been on.

Overall, I enjoyed the ship and would give it a B+. It’s not my favorite Norwegian ship (that would be the Bliss), but I would go on it again. I have now been on this ship twice.

Have you been on the Norwegian Epic? How would you rate your experience?