12 reasons I like this poorly rated Norwegian Cruise Line ship. Are the critics wrong?

This past month, I sailed onboard the only ship in Norwegian Cruise Line’s Epic Class, the Norwegian Epic! 

I was able to get to know the Norwegian Epic quite thoroughly after a 12-night Transatlantic voyage from Orlando, Florida to Rome, Italy. I had plenty of time to explore each deck and adequately see everything the Norwegian Epic has to offer its passengers, as well as investigate why this is one of the least popular ships in the Norweigan's fleet. 

In the past, Norwegian Epic has received some negative reviews. Oftentimes, frequent Norwegian Cruise Line travelers remark that there's a reason there's only a singular ship in the Epic Class. I was curious about this, so I decided I needed to uncover why Norwegian Epic receives so much hate. 

After 12 nights onboard, I discovered 12 things that I happened to enjoy about this unique ship. I'm a firm believer that cruising is all about what you make it, and so is Norwegian Epic. 

#1 - A really cool bar (literally) 

Norwegian Epic has one of the coolest bars I have ever seen onboard a cruise ship. The Skyy Vodka Ice Bar is a must-see for anyone sailing on this one-of-a-kind ship! 

While the Skyy Vodka Ice Bar is present on some of the other ships in NCL's fleet, the one onboard the Norwegian Epic is different than the others, meaning that even if you have seen the sister Skyy Vodka Ice Bars onboard other ships, the version onboard Norwegian Epic will be a new experience for you.

In fact, during my visit, the helpful bartender informed me that there are just 22 ice bars in the world, and three of them can be found on Norwegian ships!

This bar is a real-life ice bar and has many features made completely of ice, such as the bar itself, the seating, and even the glasses! To enter the Ibar, guests will need to pay a $18 cover charge, which includes a parka rental and gloves, as well as two Skyy Vodka cocktail creations. 

The Ice Bar is one of my favorite things about the Norwegian Epic, and I highly recommend that all guests over the age of 21 years of age check out this venue. Make sure to chat with the friendly bartenders; they are quite nice and are happy to chat and answer any questions you might have. 

Read: I spent $20 at the Ice Bar onboard NCL Epic, its the ship’s best-kept secret

#2 - Seven complimentary food options 

If you have selected Norwegian Epic for your next cruise vacation, you will not go hungry! There are seven complimentary dining options for guests to dine at for no additional charge.

From the upscale Manhattan Room dining restaurant to the unique Asian-inspired Shanghai restaurant and Norwegian Cruise Line's classic 24-hour O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill, Norwegian Epic has a lot to explore when it comes to food onboard. 

The seven dining locations onboard include O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill, the Garden Cafe buffet, Shanghai’s Chinese Restaurant and Noodle Bar, Spice H2O buffet, Taste, Great Outdoors buffet, and The Manhattan Room, as well as room service. Though it's available 24 hours a day, there is a $9.95 delivery charge. 

Having seven different complimentary dining locations to choose from is a great amenity onboard the Norwegian Epic. Some of the newer ships in NCL's fleet do not have as many complimentary dining venues. 

No matter the guests’ tastes, preferences, or dietary needs, they are sure to find something that they enjoy. I appreciate that every crew member in the main dining restaurants would inquire if guests had any dietary needs or allergies.

Something fun is that the Noodle Bar and Shanghai Restaurant have different menus, even though they are located within the same venue. For this reason, I recommend trying out both while on your cruise. Note that Shanghai Restaurant was only open for dinner onboard my sailing.  

My favorite dining locations were The Manhattan Room Restaurant and Shanghai’s Chinese Restaurant!

#3 - Solo traveler accommodations 

Norwegian Epic was among the first ships in Norwegian's fleet to feature Studio Staterooms onboard catering to solo travelers. 

Since the debut of the first Studio Staterooms, Norwegian has embraced the solo cruiser concept and has made plans to increase the number of accommodations for single travelers onboard all of their ships. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in the Studio Staterooms onboard Norwegian Epic. I found the room to be quite cozy in a good way, and it became the perfect home base during my 12-night Transatlantic cruise. I appreciate that there was lots of storage in my small yet mighty room, as well as plenty of outlets to charge all of my devices. 

From the fun and unique mood lighting inside the rooms to the special access lounge, the Studio Staterooms come with their own charm and amenities that those who are cruising by themselves can enjoy. 

This was my second time trying Norwegian’s Studio Staterooms. The first was in 2023 onboard Norwegian Encore. While talking to my fellow passengers inside the Studio Lounge, I quickly found out that many of the other guests also have done multiple solo cruises with Norwegian, highlighting just how big of a player Norwegian is in the solo cruiser field. 

Read: Take a look inside my Studio Stateroom that I stayed in for 12 nights onboard the Norwegian Epic

#4 - Howl At The Moon dueling piano show 

One of my favorite forms of entertainment onboard Norwegian Epic was the Howl At The Moon dueling piano show. 

This vibrant and engaging musical performance occurs almost every night of the cruise and is guaranteed to get spectators and passengers singing, clapping, stomping, and dancing along to the music. 

Guests will have many opportunities to catch the show, as it's performed almost every night from 9:00pm to 1:00am.

The performers are quite talented and are happy to take requests from those in the audience. Make sure to stop by Howl At The Moon at least once during your cruise onboard Norwegian Epic!

Read: 6 things I've learned after sailing with NCL 6 times

#5 - Friendly and engaging crew members 

Something I noticed right away was how friendly the crew members were. From assisting with passengers’ requests to simply offering a smile, all of the crew members I interacted with were exceptional. 

There was even a technical issue onboard during our cruise, in which the ship experienced electrical issues and caused the ship to miss one of the planned ports. 

Even during these circumstances, the crew members were nice, sympathetic, and willing to help guests who asked nicely. Of course, it is always important to treat crew members with respect and kindness. 

Some of my favorite crew members onboard were my cabin steward and the bartender at the Skyy Ice Bar. Make sure to say hi and engage with the crew members on your next sailing! 

#6 - Expansive Spice H20 venue 

Spice H2O onboard Norwegian Epic is one of the largest that I have seen within the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet. 

Featuring two hot tubs, a small pool, a buffet area, a giant television playing movies and sporting events, and countless lounge chairs, Spice H2O onboard Norwegian Epic has plenty of space to explore and relax during a sailing. 

Typically, this is an adults-only venue. However, there may be occasional times on certain Norwegian ships when it's open to all passengers under the age of 18.

I highly recommend checking out Spice H2O, especially during sunset for beautiful views. Sometimes themed parties will also be held here, such as Norwegian’s iconic Glow Party. 

Read: Norwegian Cruise Line dress code, what to wear on a cruise

#7 - Burn The Floor theater show 

One of the most impressive theater shows that I have seen onboard a cruise ship is Burn The Floor on Norweigan Epic. This is an absolute must-see performance that features exceedingly talented ballroom dancing and vocals. According to NCL, “An international championship cast show off their best ballroom dance moves with plenty of European flair, from Grand Viennese waltzes to the sensual Tango and provocative Rumba."

During my sailing, Burn The Floor was performed twice on two different nights of the cruise. This means that there was a total of four opportunities for passengers to catch this vibrant show. 

Burn The Floor is also performed on some of the other Norwegian ships, and I appreciate that during a 12-night sailing, I was able to see this show several times.

#8 - Great ship for multi-generational families 

Norwegian Epic may be an older ship by some standards, being built in 2010; however, I think this ship could make a fun choice for a multi-generational cruise vacation. 

There is a surprisingly large amount of activities and amenities onboard for children and younger cruisers. Guests can find the Splash Academy onboard, a kids' club designed for children 3-12 years of age to participate in age-appropriate activities, meet new friends, and have a fun cruise experience. 

There is also a kids' water splash area onboard, as well as a small mini-golf course. From water slides to a pool designated for kids, there is so much for the little ones to do when onboard Norwegian Epic. 

While there is a lot for kids, there are things onboard that adults will enjoy as well, such as the aforementioned Spice H2O, many bars and lounges, large casino, exciting entertainment, and more.

#9 - Fun variety entertainment 

Onboard my 12-night Transatlantic cruise, there were multiple forms of variety entertainment in addition to the main theater show. For my sailing, there were multiple live music performers in several areas around the ship, in addition to the Beatles cover band that performed at the Cavern Club venue and the performers that sang at Howl At The Moon. 

There were three comedians onboard, too. These comedians performed family-friendly shows, PG-13 shows, as well as adult-only shows. 

For some even more unique variety entertainment, there was also a card magician and a hypnotist onboard during my cruise. 

This is a lot of variety of entrainment for any cruise! I was pleased to see that for a Transatlantic crossing, Norwegian Cruise Line seemed to have put quite a bit of thought into the entertainment for their passengers’ lengthy cruise sailing. There was always something going on each evening! 

Read: 15 things I loved and hated about Norwegian Epic

#10 - Large main pool deck with multiple pools and amenities

Something that pleasantly surprised me about Norwegian Epic was how big the main pool deck was, as well as the multiple hot tubs onboard. For guests who enjoy lounging by a pool or taking it slow and relaxing during a sea day, Norwegian Epic has everything passengers might want or need. 

There are two pools on the main pool deck, as well as several hot tubs. Within the Spice H2O venue, which is located at the back of the ship, guests will find an additional pool and two more hot tubs. 

For passengers sailing to warm destinations and on a warm-weather cruise sailing, Norwegian Epic has plenty of amenities on the upper outside decks.

Additionally, there are also three water slides onboard on Deck 19 within the Aqua Park. One of the slides is the 200-foot Epic Plunge, the first-ever bowl slide at sea.  

During my particular sailing, it was rather chilly, as we were sailing across the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Italy. Because of this, the pools and water slides were often not in use by many guests. However, I think that for a warm-weather cruise, Norwegian Epic has a great pool deck! 

#11 - Additional buffet seating 

The buffet onboard Norwegian Epic is sizable; however, while it's rather large, it can get quite busy during peak meal times, especially during lunch and dinner.

To help with this problem, Norwegian Epic allows guests eating at the buffet to also sit inside the specialty dining restaurant called La Cucina. 

Because La Cucina is a specialty restaurant, the decor and environment are quite nice! Guests will find leather chairs, soothing piano music, and nice sizable tables. 

This area became one of my favorite indoor spaces to hang out during a sea day. I highly recommend checking it when eating at the buffet for breakfast or lunch. Guests can find the entrance to La Cucina at the front of the buffet, toward the very front of the ship. 

Read: Guide to Norwegian Cruise Line’s Freestyle Dining System

#12 - Unique cruise sailings and itineraries 

For those looking for an affordable and unique cruise sailing, Norwegian Epic may be a good fit for your next cruise vacation, as the ship currently sails to the Caribbean and Bahamas, Mediterranean, and Greek Isles, as well as Transatlantic and weekend sailings. 

Transatlantic sailings can be rather rare, and for this reason I was excited to see an affordable Transatlantic cruise onboard Norwegian Epic. Additionally, this sailing was scheduled to dock at two relatively rare cruise ports: Gibraltar, United Kingdom and Alicante, Spain. 

Keep an eye on the itineraries conducted by Norwegian Epic; you may just find a great and affordable vacation option for you!

Read: My 15 best tips for cruising with Norwegian Cruise Line 

Overall, I think there are many things to like about Norwegian Epic

One of the best things about cruising is that there is a cruise ship and itinerary out there for everyone. With the right mindset, I believe that Norwegian Epic can become someone's favorite cruise ship. 

From the expansive pool deck to the themed bars, unique Studio Staterooms, and an impressive amount of entertainment, Norwegian Epic has many amenities that guests are sure to enjoy.