Back in September of 2006, Norwegian Cruise Line put in an order to STX France for two brand new, 4000 passenger, 155k ton cruise liners for their all-new Epic class. These were the first ships that were not to be built by Meyer Werft since the construction the Windward in 1993. However, NCL found themselves in a dispute with STX over price and design, and both ships were put on hold until they could reach an agreement. This agreement was that at least one of these Epic class ships would be built. NCL canceled the second ship in 2008. The sole remaining ship was delivered to Norwegian Cruise Line on June 17, 2010, as the Norwegian Epic. She was the third largest cruise ship in the world at the time of her delivery. The Norwegian Epic is unlike any other cruise ship out there and boasts a unique design.
Epic comes in at a total of 155,873 gross tons, can carry up to 4,228 passengers (at double occupancy), and is 1,081 feet long with a beam of 171 feet. Her top cruising speed is 22 knots. She features 19 decks with 10 bars and lounges. There are six types of staterooms offered on board. These staterooms include inside staterooms, studio staterooms for one passenger, balcony staterooms, spa staterooms, mini-suites, and Haven Suites.
Epic offers a wide range of entertainment on board. From Broadway shows to live music, there is definitely something to quench everyone's thirst! You can be dazzled by dinner, and a show in the first Spiegel Tent at sea at the Cirque Dreams show, or enjoy the journey of three drag queens across Australia at the Priscilla Queen of the Desert Broadway show. Check out the Beatles every night at The Cavern Club, or laugh until you cry at Headliners Comedy Club. There are many more amazing shows on board the Norwegian Epic, such as Burn the Floor and Howl at the Moon that are guaranteed to captivate audiences!
Since November of 2016, Epic has been sailing her winter cruising season from Port Canaveral to the Western and Eastern Caribbean. These ports of call include Great Stirrup Cay (Norwegian’s Private Island); Ochos Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; Tortola; British Virgin Islands; and Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas. These cruises range from 3 to 7 nights.
During the summer season, she sails 7-night cruises from Toulon, France; Barcelona, Spain; and Civitavecchia, Italy, to Barcelona, Spain; Naples, Italy; Civitavecchia, Italy; Tuscany Region, Italy; Cannes, France; Livorno, Italy; and Palma De Mallorca, Balearic Islands.
In the winter cruising season of 2019, the Norwegian Epic will begin sailing 7-night cruises to the Southern Caribbean from San Juan, Puerto Rico, instead of Port Canaveral. Ports of call will include Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curacao; Kralendijk, Bonaire; Castries, St. Lucia; and Basseterre, St. Kitts. When we were on onboard at the end of March (check out my live blog of our cruise here), the hotel said the reason for the repositioning was because Port Canaveral simply cannot accommodate all of the passengers that the Epic brings every week. It will be a nice change of scenery from the cruise. If you were hoping to hop on the Epic from Port Canaveral, you better book it soon!
Thank you to Joe from Cruise Ship Crayz for inviting me to write this blog! Don't forget to check out my website, cruiseveryday.com, and my social media for more! This has been PJ Morrissey from Cruise Everyday for Cruise Ship Crayz, signing off!
PJ Morrissey:
I love cruising and taking pictures! That's where I got Cruise Everyday, ya see. Get it? Probably not, but I'll keep going. We've been on 4 cruises so far, and I've "successfully" blogged 3 of them. Did I mention I have a blog? Check it out: https://cruiseveryday.com/
