BIG SHIP CRUISING
Elegantly erfectP T
here’s nothing particularly new about big ships these days. Cunard broke the 150,000-ton barrier with Queen Mary 2 eight
years ago and Royal Caribbean have since topped that figure five times, including with their two 220,000-ton monoliths Allure and Oasis of the Seas. So the fact Norwegian Epic weighs in as just the third-largest ship in the cruise cosmos may not necessarily be headline news. Except that Norwegian Cruise Line’s ocean-going behemoth just happens to of- fer the most extraordinary array of options of any vessel anywhere. In fact, Norwegian Epic could actually
In hoice C Aboard the Ship of Food & Music
Editor Simon Veness samples the colossal Norwegian Epic – and comes away excited by the amazing range of onboard possibilities
be a pseudonym for Elegantly Perfect In Choice, such is the tempting variety on offer, a something-for-all-tastes-and-ages that is extremely polished, wonderfully exciting and full of modern cruise sophistication. Yes, it is a big, high-density ship. At double occupancy she carries 4,100 and, with all berths, it is close to 5,000. But, with the exception of the main pool deck, which does feel a touch crowded on sea days, you rarely know you are at sea with that many fellow passengers. And therein lies Norwegian Epic’s
secret – choice, in just about everything, and the ability to spread a LOT of people among its multitude of high-quality
venues, whether for dining, daytime activities, evening entertainment or just sheer, honest-to-goodness music. Taking each of those as excellent separate reasons to take a Norwegian Epic cruise, the Fab Four stack up as follows.
Delectable Dining There are 18 dining venues aboard this ship. That’s (almost) enough to eat some- where different for all three meals for the full week. As if that is not enough, there is a 24-hour pizza delivery service and regular room service. It’s a mind-boggling array and takes some getting used to. It is highly advisable to do a
Spring 2012 I WORLD OF CRUISING 39
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