Departing from NY City the sailing began with the ship’s naming ceremony which was hosted by comedian Jeff Garlin and featured the ship’s godmother Reba McEntire. And the way that one area just seemed to “flow” into the next (without the “cookie-cutter” rigidity sometimes found on cruise ships) was truly remarkable. At 153 000 tons with a passenger capacity of 4 100 (based on double occupancy) the Norwegian Epic is by far the largest ship in the NCL fleet Cruise Ship Epic. Adding to the festivities was the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks show which was broadcast live from the Epic on national television (WNBC).
The bow is somewhat “stubby-looking” and the stern is “squared-off” so that the ship does not have a “sleek” appearance from the. It included musical performances by Justin Bieber Enrique Iglesias and LeeAnn Rimes. So let’s start there. In fact with the exception of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas (which was launched in December 2009) NCL’s Epic is among the largest cruise ships at sea. I was invited to attend the exclusive 2-night (July 2 – 3 2010) pre-inaugural sailing for NCL’s newest and largest ship the Norwegian Epic.
In most cases that “uniqueness” is a very positive attribute which reflects the thoughtfulness and attention that the Epic’s designers must have paid to maximizing the use of space to achieve a much bigger wide-open “feel” to all of the ship’s public areas. But in a few areas I did not perceive the unique design of the ship to be an advantage. It is also one of the most uniquely designed cruise ships that I have ever been on (…and I’ve been on quite a few) Cruise Ship Epic.
The “Hardware” When discussing the physical attributes of a cruise ship (i.e. it’s layout and appearance) industry professionals often refer to the ship’s “hardware”. For instance the exterior shape of the ship seemed a bit “odd” to me. As I have experienced many times in the past the folks at NCL really know how to throw a party! But let’s focus on their new ship the Epic.
yrizyrudy 