Cruised on the Epic for Halloween

I cruised on the Epic for it’s 1st Halloween cruise Oct 31-Nov 6, 2010. The Epic is NCL's newest most innovative, 4,100 passenger cruise ship. Here are some of my notes and observations (I made throughout the trip) followed by tweets and Facebook posts!!

Epic Reflections
• Doesn’t feel like a ship---more like a floating (Vegas-style) hotel
• 2 bowling allies
• 3 water slides
• 21 dining establishments
• REAL SHOWS: Blue Man, Cirque Dreams, Second City, Legends at Sea. Must reserve seats. Pay for Cirque Dreams dinner theatre
• No window rooms (inside OR balcony)
• Swedish Ice bar—they give you parkas and gloves
• Old fashioned candy shop
• Enclosed deck areas—almost no feeling of wind in hair
• Complete Russian/Finish-style Banya Spa with 2 steam rooms/ovens lounge chairs on balcony facing sea with unobstructed view restricted to 60 couples $199 for cruise
• Largest outdoor TV screen
• Large screen in atrium. Great screen saver, NFL, movies, WI games
• Face recognition software compiles all rooms photos and photos are accessed via kiosk with room key (like ATM)
• No grand staircase in atrium with glass elevators
• Blues club—Louie and Roadsters is great!
• Lobster night was OK
• No chocoholic buffet (all other NCLs have one)
• Howl at Moon dueling pianos sing along
• Manhattan Club--Main dining room is super club w. band and dance floor and shows
• Huge state of the art gym
• Forced to walk thru casino
• Casino almost entire 6th floor. Even games by pool and a bar with built in slot machines
• Swipe for entry to 4 main shows
• Balcony rooms small and tight squeeze. Probably smallest in the industry. Advise: Get deluxe balcony or higher category. No desk in balcony room.
• NO FREE in-room movies. Only one off beat TV channel. Must pay $9.99 per movie (NEVER seen THIS before!)
• Lots of storage space in staterooms
• Touch screens with maps, restaurant availability, show schedules etc
• Nice wide aisles in Garden Café
• 3 water slides
• Lots of Jacuzzis
• Separate adults club with great free snacks
• Irish pub with good snacks etc
• Must leave key card in room to activate lights
• Roatan, Honduras: Took 2.5 hour island tour for $25 pp. Marley was tour guide. Lots of development on this formerly undeveloped fishing town
• Cozumel-good shopping
• Best Halloween party ever—more than 100 in the costume parade/contest.
• Lots of babies and obese people
• Second City Comedy was Awesome!
• Cirque Dreams supper theatre has a great menu. Impressive show!! Paid $30 p/p for premium seating.
• Comedy Magician was awesome!
• Michael Jackson in Legends At Sea is VERY talented. Nailed MJ
• Room service good and prompt
• Overall, the SERVICE was excellent!! Everyone was EXTREMELY gracious and helpful

Tweets and Facebook Posts:
Having a great time on the NCL Epic which is like a floating (Vegas-style) hotel. All new technologies onboard this innovative vessel.

The NCLEpic has the largest TV screen at sea, 3 water slides, state of the art gym and spa, 2 bowling alleys, blues club, comedy club and lots more.
Cozumel today.

Cirque Dreams supper theatre tonight. Still in port due to heavy winds in port of Cozumel. Don’t know when the Epic will sail. It’s 11:45PM Thursday and we were supposed to leave at 5:30PM. UPDATE: We finally left at 9AM the next day (today). It was sooo windy that the enormous EPIC couldn’t leave port. Apparently, an unpredicted storm rolled into western Caribbean. We are rockin and rollin today.

Another fun-filled, relaxing cruise with dancing, great dining, watching great Vegas-style shows, lobster night, folded animal towels, trivia contests, visits to exotic ports of call, comedy and magic shows, Blue Man, Cirque Dreams, swimming, poolside games, movies, music, destination lectures, shopping, and the best Halloween party ever!

7 favorite things about Epic cruise
1 Best Halloween party ever—more than 100 in the costume parade/contest
2 Being on a new ship.
3 People watching
4 Being at sea
5 24-hour food choices
6 The fabulous shows
7 No phones ringing.