A Day Aboard the Norwegian Epic

Posted by Jewel on February 22nd, 2011

Norwegian Cruise Line has been holding monthly “tweetups” on board their newest ship, the Epic. They choose a lucky few of their Twitter followers to tour the ship and have lunch. I was lucky enough to grab a spot on last Saturday’s tour. What a GREAT day to be on a cruise ship!

I started to get excited when I arrived at Port of Miami, just seeing all of the tourists. As I drove up, the ship was massive! I could hardly wait to even park and meet the group. We met at the information desk right inside the terminal. Security was bustling with folks boarding the ship for the week. We made it through security and boarded the ship. I did, however, think it was cruel that all the staffmembers were out and about–welcoming everyone aboard. I started thinking about stowaway options early.

Once on board, we were led past the cavernous Epic Theater, where the Blue Man Group performs. We also saw the Spiegel Tent, one of the many dining options aboard, where a Cirque show performs. Right outside is the Headliners Comedy Club, where The Second City Comedy Troupe brings laughter. We made our way down to O’Sheehan’s, a 24 hour bar and restaurant. They have games as well–darts, bowling, foosball, and pool.

Epic’s atrium holds a very cool glass sculpture and looks down unto one of the many restaurants on board. We also passed through the casino and on to a VERY FAB jazz club, Fat Cats! Here the walls are plastered with old playbills and photos of jazz greats. We made our way to the far end of the ship and into the Manhattan Room, one of the main dining rooms. I was definitely WOW’d by the “supper club” concept, with entertainment while you eat.

We also visited the Bliss Ultra Lounge, a swanky nightclub and hit the stairs to the Studio Staterooms. I had heard that NCL was offering rooms for single passengers, but I envisioned a closet-sized space and really wanted no part of it. But, when we got into private lounge for those folks that booked these spaces, I was impressed. When we actually got to see one of the rooms, I was MORE than impressed. Granted, it wasnt a HUGE space, but it certainly wasn’t a closet. There was a big bed, a shower and bathroom, vanity, television, etc. I could stay in one with no problem. There are more than 100 on board.

Next up was the Kids Zone. It was GIGANTIC, with a light up dance floor, wii stations, playstation stations, karaoke–everything a kid could even think of. We left there and headed down the corridor to see some of the staterooms. The Spa Balcony rooms were amazing. While they aren’t enormous, I think NCL has done a great job with making use of all of the space. These aren’t your usual box spaces, but have curved walls, a sitting area and sleep up to 3 people. That corridor led straight to the Mandara Spa. Again, I was impressed–relaxation lounge, hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam room, treatment rooms–even a hair and beauty salon. We saw the fitness room too.

This brings me to one of the coolest things about the Epic–an ice bar. Nevermind that I don’t drink. Nevermind that I don’t like cold. I STILL thought the Svedka Ice Bar was uber cool! It’s kept at a temperature of 17 degrees. They give you cool faux coats, hats, and gloves and you go in and enjoy your cocktails, while watching tv and enjoying the…errr…cold. They have huge ice sculptures and even the bar is icy. We just went in for a few minutes, but I thought it was FAB!

From ice to warmth–we headed outside to Spice H2O–an all adult deck with a giant LED screen. LOVED IT! We left there and headed to the VERY top of the ship, where there’s a huge outdoor basketball court. LOVED that too! We also saw a rock climbing wall and finally, the Aqua Park. The main feature here was a tube slide. It looked so much fun. Too bad I was going home soon!

Our tour guide saved the luxe for last–the Courtyard Villas. Really? Seriously? Villas? At sea? This is REALLY need to see. Well, I saw. Villas–living room, dining area, 2 separate bedrooms, private balcony, 2 bathrooms. WOW. The Haves and the Havenots. I’m very sure about which side of the line I stand on. The Villa’s also have concierge service, a private adult deck, a private pool area, private bar and restaurant. Everything is private. ME LIKEY!

Finally, we were seated at Taste, to enjoy a well deserved lunch and to share our thoughts about the ship. This will DEFINITELY be the next ship that I cruise on. In fact, it might be sooner than you think! <wink> ….