Big Ship Experience Part 2

In my last blog I told you a bit about my trip on Allure of the Seas now is the turn of my trip on NCL Epic the 2nd largest cruise ship behind Allure and Oasis of the Seas. I was lucky enough to have been invited to the 2 day launch in Southampton in June 2010 and I loved the ship so much I booked it for my holidays last year. I had a stumbling block to get over before I could do this though …… my husband. Being an electrical engineer who doesn’t have to dress up for work he has always liked cruises for their formal nights and being able to dress up. He also wasn’t sure about the freestyle dining as he likes to be sat at a table with the same people every night and get the chance to get to know people (personally I think its so he didn’t have to talk to me all night!) Anyway as you can probably guess I got my own way and we booked the cruise. We flew to Barcelona before the cruise and had 2 lovely nights at the Barcelo Raval Hotel which was about 5 minutes walk from Las Ramblas. On the morning of the cruise we transferred to the ship and I waited with bated breathe for  my husbands reaction at the sight of the ship.

For anyone who has seen the ship you will know it is not the best looking ship in the world from the outside but once onboard it is a different story. Checking in was very quick (another concern because of the size of the ship) and our luggage was outside our cabin by the time we got there. We had only booked an inside cabin but found this ample as after all we dont spend that much time in the cabin anyway.

A different animal on our bed every night.

Dining on the ship was great as there were lots of different options to go for. The Manhatten Room was the main dining room for evening dining and here you felt like you were in a private New York City supper club, thanks to panoramic ocean views from the two-story, floor-to-ceiling windows. Here we enjoyed superb waiter service just as you would experience on any of the more formal cruiselines. The Garden cafe was the buffet restaurant and I have to say I think it is one of the best buffets at sea. Here chefs whipped up  freshly, prepared-to-order omelets, crêpes, pasta, seafood, ethnic cuisine, burgers, delightful desserts and more. Another favorite for us was ‘Sheehans’s neighbourhood bar and grill. Here you can dine on American classics as well as your favorite comfort foods, served 24 hours a day. Although these retaurants are all included in the price we wanted to try some of the alternative dining options too.

O’Sheehans. Buy 5 get 1 Free. Bargain!

Whilst we were onboard we tried out the the Asian restaurant Shanghai which was great. There is a $15 cover charge to use this restaurant but it was well worth the money and below is a sample menu.

APPETIZERS

Harvest Spring Rolls

Vegetables, Mushrooms, Glass Noodles, Sweet Chili Sauce

Salt and Pepper Calamari

Lightly Battered, Wasabi Mayonnaise

Barbecue Pork Spare Ribs

Drum Roasted, Hoisin Barbecue Sauce

General Tso’s Spiced Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Stir Fried Spiced Chicken, Lettuce Cups

SOUPS

Hot N’ Sour Soup

Barbecue Pork, Bean Curd, Wood Ear Mushrooms, Bamboo Shoots

Egg Drop and Corn Soup

Chinese Chicken, Corn and Egg Soup

ENTREES

Cashew Chicken

Chicken, Vegetables, Scallions, Oyster Sauce

Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce

Fermented Chinese Black Beans, Ginger, Garlic, Chili Oil

Orange Peel Beef

Tossed with Fresh Orange Peel in Spicy Sauce

Steamed Sea Bass Cantonese

Seasoned Sea Bass, Shiitake Mushrooms & Scallions

Kung Pao Chicken

Quick Fried with Peanuts, Chili and Scallions

Beef Broccoli

Stir Fried with a Savory Oyster Sauce

Cantonese Scallops

Snow Peas, Sweet Peppers and Garlic

Malay Lamb Curry

Tender Lamb, South Asian Spices, Tomato, Jasmine Rice

Sweet N’ Sour Pork

Twice Fried Pork, Peppers, Pineapple, Sweet N’ Sour Sauce

Vegetable Chow Mein with Tofu

Snow Peas, Water Chestnuts, Baby Corn, Dark Soy Sauce

Also while we were onboard we booked the Speigal Tent for”Cirque Dreams® & Dinner” where we were treated to a one of a kind theatrical dining experience. We were presented with a  entertainment extravaganza presented with an array of world class talent, Broadway acrobatics, a touch of whimsy and tasteful participation. You enter a world where personality and presentation are served with spectacle and celebration during an unforgettable dining experience. Acobats are swinging above your head while you are dining and the cast perform between the tables while you are eating. The cost for this was $25 or $35 for the premium seats which I would recomend as you do not want to miss a thing.

No real photos allowed I’m afraid!

One of my favorite experiences was our visit to the Svedka Ice Bar. This was $20 per person but included  2 Vodka cocktails of your choice and is the only true ice bar at sea and one of only 14 in the world.  A tip for anyone who does this is to make sure you go dressed appropriately… unlike me. In my wisdom I thought it would be Ok to go in with shorts and flip flops….. wrong. Although they provide you with thermal ponchos and gloves this wasnt going to keep my feet warm. Inside the ice bar we were sat on seats made of ice that had an animal skin rug on top so that you could sit down. I had to sit crossed legged so that I could cover my feet with my Poncho. Not one of the cleverest things I’ve done but hey lesson learned!

The entertainment onboard was top class with the Legends in Concert being performed in the Epic Theatre. This is the longest running tribute show in entertainment history which  brings the world’s greatest celebrity impersonators to the high seas. Legends in Concert is a live musical celebration featuring the world’s greatest celebrity tribute artists such as Lady Gaga, Steven Tyler and Elvis Presley, Shakira, Elton John, Whitney Housten  among many others. Once we had been to the show we then moved onto the “Howl at the Moon” which is a duelling piano bar. Here you can put up requests and they will play anything you ask. This became a challenge for my husband as I because as the drinks flowed we tried to think of something they wouldnt know but they were so good we couldnt find anything they didnt know.

Howl at the Moon.

We did venture to “Bliss” which is the nightclub onboard but I’m afraid my age did get in the way and I had to admit defeat after and hour.

Bliss. A bit worse for wear!

In the daytime there was as much or as little to do as you liked.There are swimming pools for adults and kids and extensive sun decks with comfortable sunloungers, hot tubs and quiet zones. I have to admit we didnt move far from the sunloungers ( except to play on the water shutes). Table Tennis,shuffleboard and outdoor chess competitions were held and for the adreneline junkie there is the bungee trampoline, gyroscope and climbing cage not to forget the climbing wallswith amazing ocean views and an abseiling wall.

This is a ship I dont think I would ever get bored with and we have booked again for next year… cant wait!