Cruise the High Seas in Love

By Maggie Reyes on Tuesday, June 4, 2013

The Norwegian Epic has so many features, activities, restaurants and events that if it was a movie, you would have to start the first one already planning the next 2 sequels!

If you love cruising, this is a ship to explore and enjoy. I am so glad we took the trip while in the Caribbean instead of Europe because there is so much to do onboard, the ports are almost secondary. *Almost.*

Important things to know about the Epic if you ever plan a cruise on it –

  • There are so many restaurants onboard, you will not visit them all. Read and reserve online so you don’t miss out on your favorite style of food while onboard.
  • Same for the shows. You could sail for 7 nights and not see every show. Make sure to plan for the ones you don’t want to miss.
  • The magic of NCL is really in the Freestyle Cruising concept – you don’t reserve a specific dinner time unless you want to and you don’t have to sit with the same people every night.
  • Some people feel nickled and dimed because so much is for sale onboard. So many choices are “a la carte” means that you get to choose what to experience. There are main dining rooms with delicious meals included in the cruise fee. You *can* do the whole cruise and never visit any of the specialty restaurants that have cover charges. However, you might not want to because there is maximum deliciousity going on there too. And you don’t want to miss that!
  • The rooms are curvy and the bathrooms can be awkward – sinks in main room with a separate toilet and shower. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

My personal highlights –

epic collage1

If you enjoy Saturday Night Live, Jon Stewart and adult comedy (think The Hangover) you will love the Headliners Comedy Club with fabulous improv comedians from The Second City. If you don’t enjoy that type of comedy, skip the comedy club completely, it won’t be fun.

Don’t expect to see Cirque du Soleil at Cirque Dreams. While there are acrobats and dancing, it is more of a comedy-revue-mixed-with-cool-cirquey-stuff than a full acrobatic show. It’s fun and entertaining, just a different style.

Linger at the Maltings Whiskey Bar – it’s right in the middle of the ship and you are sure to pass it on your way somewhere. When I was onboard there was a solo-guitar-singer who knew over 100 songs and would take requests. For all the spectacles of the Blue Man Group and Legends in Concert, this was my absolute most favorite entertainment of all.

Have your first lunch at one of the Main Dining Room Restaurants. I know there aren’t many secrets left in the travel world but this one seems to be overlooked on every cruise I have ever been on. I like to get there early and board as soon as they let me. Instead of heading for the Buffet, where everyone is, The Hubs and I head over to the Main Dining Room which is usually empty. We have a calm and delicious meal, away from the hoolaballoo of hundreds of people storming the buffet at once.

What is your favorite cruise tip? Please share in the comments.

*Full Disclosure – although I don’t work there now, I worked at the corporate office of NCL for over 6 years and am totally biased in their favor.*

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Maggie Reyes

Life Coach, Writer + the Founder of ModernMarried.com
Maggie Reyes is a Life Coach, Writer + the Founder of ModernMarried.com. Her romantic-yet-practical approach to wedded bliss has been featured on Project Happily Ever After, Daybreak USA, Cristina XMRadio and Military Spouse Magazine. When she’s not writing, working or creating pins for her fabulous Facebook Community, you can find her cuddling with her hubby, reading a romance novel or embracing how the words “over-achiever” and “TV Junkie” can still go in the same sentence, to describe the same person. Learn how to love like a newlywed no matter how long you have been married at ModernMarried.com.

 

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  • http://www.happywivesclub.com/ Fawn @ Happy Wives Club

    Keith and I have seriously been looking at cruises lately. Neither of us have been on one (can you believe that) but want to go within the next couple years. So, you’re clearly biased based on your time with NCL (which in my book is a plus since ex-employees are usually even more honest) but are there any other cruise lines you’ve been on or heard about that you’d recommend? I want a few comparisons so hubby and I can book our first cruise! :)

    • http://www.modernmarried.com/ Maggie Reyes

      So exciting Fawn! Our first cruise was our very first anniversary on the Norwegian Pearl to Alaska (again future post, maybe by 2014! So many posts to write!!) but that was pretty amazing – we walked on a glacier and took the helicopter ride to get there. Felt very jet-settery.

      One suggestion is to visit cruisecritics.com and check out their reviews – they are people who love cruising have been on tons of different ships and really compare honest to honest.

      While I worked at NCL I only sailed on their ships (loyal to a fault) but even from ship to ship the experience is very different. So a 3 day caribbean cruise on the Sky – super party oriented whereas the Alaska Cruise on the Pearl – less party atmosphere, in general an older, calmer crowd. So the location matters too.

      We sailed on the Disney Dream for our 5th anniversary last year (future blog post on that one). Some things were Disney Magical and some things were not. I deeply did not enjoy having a set dinner time and sitting with other couples we didn’t know. From all my years in coaching and HR I could extract conversation from a rock, but in this case one of the couples was practically mute. Anything we asked the answers were Yes. No. Interesting. So that part was not fun. They did have a pirate night and we did dress up as pirates making my hubby a very happy man, so that alone was worth the whole cruise.

      I haven’t cruised on Celebrity but one of my friends raves about Azamara which is a higher luxury line. And the hubs wants to sail on one of the big Royal Carribbean ships just because it’s so huge and we watched the travel channel special about it.
      I am sure other HappyWivesClubbers will have great insights on other lines too. So excited about your research and to see which cruise you end up taking!

      • http://www.happywivesclub.com/ Fawn @ Happy Wives Club

        What a great site you suggested! We’ll probably go with your suggestion of NCL but we’ll also look into these others, as well. Definitely want to go on a cruise sometime in the next couple years. Thanks, Maggie!

        • http://www.toodarnhappy.com/ Kim Hall

          When my parents retired, they took the entire family—over 30 of us—on a cruise on the Disney Magic. I was sure we’d be bored. I was so very wrong! We adore cruises now for the variety of entertainment and things to do, the ability to be with family and yet be apart, as well as going to shore to explore. Since that time, we have been on several cruises on Royal Caribbean, including one to Alaska during July. Disney was absolutely top notch, and RC was very good.

          • http://www.modernmarried.com/ Maggie Reyes

            Kim Hall! I just read this today! So great to see that you discovered the beauty and magic of cruising. I love ships. :-)