I have not yet been onboard the Epic, but my friend Donna, whom I have known for many years, and is a most discerning cruiser, just returned from a cruise and sent me her notes on her impressions of the ship.  Below are the highlights (Thanks, Donna!):

• Ships Appearance: The Norwegian Epic is by far the prettiest ship I have ever seen. The decor is subtle and well done.
• Cabins/Suites:…I thought they were beautiful.  
  • I have never seen as much storage space ever. ..under the couch, behind the couch, two closets, cabinets and drawers. Very comfortable.
  • The bathrooms are not your basic tiny box bathroom where you cannot get dressed… the toilet has its own room and the shower is separate… I felt the showers were the largest I have seen in a basic balcony room.   
  • Studios….the single staterooms I thought were amazing. I love the idea of the shared living room where singles can meet other singles. There is a bar in there, large screen TVs, snacks. Just perfect. 
  • The Villas complex…just stunning. The suites and villas are beautiful. They have a private restaurant, private bar and private sun deck with Posh a private nightclub. There is also a small gym overlooking the pool.
• Dining:  The food was fabulous. I ate in almost every restaurant.   I love the buffet for breakfast and lunch.  
  • Moderno , the Brazilian Steak House … everyone I ate with raved about the meat. I personally loved the chicken (it was) probably the best I have ever had.
  • O’Sheehan’s, our Irish pub seemed to be a meeting spot since it is central on the ship. Excellent Chicken Pot Pie. (There are also two bowling alleys here)
• Clubs/Entertainment:   The main restaurant, the Manhattan Room, has a show at 9:45…go to dinner wherever and then stop by and see the show…or go to dinner in the Manhattan Room a little later and catch the show.
  • Fat Cats, the jazz club, is always crowded. There is a jazz musician named Slam who has his band in there. First, Slam is a sweetie but he is also puts on a great show. Definitely a crowd favorite.
  • Headliners has a show with dueling piano players who also are comedians. That also was entertaining.
  • Bliss, the nightclub was a hot spot… There are 4 bowling alleys in Bliss.
  • Club H2O…is a south beach sort of atmosphere with a large movie screen and dance floor (which goes over the pool). This is adults only.
  •  The Ice Bar was fun! The bar is made of ice and they have great drinks.
• Sports: The Sports Deck (has) basketball, volleyball, tennis, ice skating, rock climbing, rappelling and bungee jumping on a trampoline. The gym was a hot spot (and) the equipment is the best I have ever seen at sea. The gym is huge and offers spinning, TRX, Kettle Bell and yoga and Pilates classes (and much more)
• Kids: The kid’s areas are top of the line. Smaller kids have a fun area with toys and little area on deck for to play. The teens have their lounge with video games and flat screen TVs.  The top deck is a water park…So much fun! I was right there in line…using the slides. The Epic plunge…made     me feel like a kid again.  

Sounds like a great trip!  Donna also said she felt the most notable thing about this ship was that many multi-generational families were sailing together and the ship seemed to offer something for everyone.  Well done, Epic!

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