Big twist on cruising

Stephanie Fsadni discovers that singles’ cruising has finally arrived, thanks to Norwegian Epic’s cabins dedicated for solo travellers, a revolutionary concept in the industry.

The idea of cruising did not appeal to me… until recently. I like to explore the countries I choose to visit and the idea of spending a good portion of a holiday “locked up” on a ship did not entice me. Besides, I like to experience the nightlife abroad, so I always thought I’d opt for cruising once I’m older and my spirit of adventure and will to party would have faded away.

However, a short stay on the Norwegian Epic made me re-evaluate my viewpoint...

When I arrived at the port of Rotterdam and saw this behemoth of a cruise liner I was going to board, I admit I got quite thrilled, and by the time I reached my cabin I was already ecstatic!

The word “epic” brings to mind the idea of “ambitious” and “grand”. And this ship definitely fits this description.

The latest liner joining the NCL fleet is not only majestic in size and weight – measuring 392 metres in overall length and weighing 153,000 tonnes – but also in its innovative features.

One of the main concepts behind this ship is “freestyle cruising”. This was a new term for me although NCL had introduced this concept on previous ships almost a decade ago!

In short, this notion challenges the conventional model of cruise holidays and is particularly characterised by having no fixed dining times, no formal dress codes, up to 20 different dining options, a great variety of lounges, bars, theatres and other entertainment and activity options.

The heart of the ship lies on three floors, where most of the bars, entertainment venues and restaurants are found – and therefore where I was inevitably to be found too! I was immediately struck by the décor of the ship and especially the way each restaurant recreates its own distinctive “atmosphere” – from the elegant The Manhattan Room with its panoramic windows to the Italian restaurant La Cucina whose décor reflects a Tuscan farmhouse and courtyard, to the chic and romantic Le Bistro, which serves authentic French cuisine and boasts an extensive French wine collection; and Shanghai’s, whose ambience is reminiscent of old Shanghai in the 1930s. The most exclusive dining experience, however, must be the Cirque Dreams’ dinner, where a three-course meal is served in a sort of circus tent while colourful acrobats do a number of high-flying acts.

There are also more casual dining opportunities such as at Wasabi, which is an expansive sushi and sake bar, and the American bar and grill O’Sheehan’s.

There is also a 24/7 pizza delivery service, especially for those who feel hungry once the bars have closed...

Speaking about bars, I’ve had second thoughts about nightlife on a cruise liner. This ship is endowed with more than 10 bars, that include a jazz and blues venue called Fat Cats and the very cool (pun intended) Ice Bar, in which we had to enter wearing a faux fur coat, gloves and hat as the room’s temperature does not rise above -8°C.

For those who like to dance the night away, there is Bliss Ultra Lounge, which is a classy place with the feel of a decadent Las Vegas nightclub and Spice H20, an Ibiza-inspired beach club which offers Latin mash-up vibes. Unfortunately, I could not experience the latter one as the weather was still quite cold during my stay.

The liner also hosts a number of stage shows. I had the opportunity to watch a unique show by The Blue Man Group who deliver a mix of comedy and music at the 1,000-seat Epic Theatre, and the Las Vegas-inspired Legends in Concert, which features celebrity tribute artistes, including Elvis Presley, Madonna and Sister Sledge.

Mind you, entertainment is not only geared towards adults. Children can enjoy a varied programme of events including Nickelodeon-themed interactive shows and Nickelodeon-themed elements and there’s also an adventure playground with outdoor and indoor areas. The Aqua Park includes three water slides of varying thrill factors, two main pools, five whirlpools, a wading pool and a kids’ pool and a play zone which features whimsical sculptures, water sprays and effects.

Other activities one can indulge in include bowling, outdoor chess and abseiling!

For those who would like to shed that extra weight gained on board, there’s a fully equipped state-of-the-art fitness centre and spinning, yoga and Pilates classes, a basketball/volleyball court and an outdoor jogging track.

On the contrary, those who prefer to relax, the Epic boasts of the largest spa at sea. There are also 39 spa suites – eight of which feature an in-room whirlpool – and a hydrotherapy courtyard and thermal suite.

As regards accommodation, it obviously depends on how much one is willing to spend – from owner’s suites to courtyard villas to family staterooms and from penthouses to inside staterooms, there’s something to suit one’s taste and budget. One of this ship’s firsts is that it includes a number of studios for solo travellers. This means one does not have to pay for two or a supplement if one’s travelling on his/her own.

In fact, I was expecting such a studio but instead I was assigned a spa balcony stateroom which was spacious, modern and highly-finished in soft, warm colours with a very comfortable double bed, an LCD television and, obviously, a balcony.

Some guests were complaining that the bath/shower, lavatory and wash hand basin were in separate areas but it only seemed to me as a very minor “defect” if you could ever call it so. I could have complained that my television and telephone were not working because the ship wasn’t 100 per cent complete during our media trip but I didn’t care... I couldn’t be bothered about watching TV during my two-day stay when there was so much else to do!

Two days were in fact too short a period to make use of all the facilities and savour everything on board, which I presume is an impossible feat even if I were to enjoy a week’s stay. Unfortunately, I didn’t experience cruising to the full either because we were all the time at sea so I don’t know how it feels to wake up in the morning to find yourself in a different country... Must be a very good feeling though and thus I hope to embark on a cruise itinerary someday soon.

• Ms Fsadni was on board the Norwegian Epic courtesy of Cruises International of Ordnance Street, Valletta.

Facts & figures

• The Epic passenger capacity is 4,100 (double occupancy) and has a crew of 1,708.

• The Ice Bar uses approximately 6,000 litres of water to make up its bar, walls, tables, stools, glasses and ice sculptures.

• There are more than 30 spa therapists in the 2,883-square-metre Mandarin Spa.

• The Aqua Park’s slides run approximately more than 288 metres if they were put together end-to-end.

• It took approximately 160 hours to paint the hull artwork on the ship.

• Norwegian Epic is made of 77 million pounds of steel, which is equivalent to 28,000 mid-sized cars.

• Guests can lounge on the pool deck on one of its 2,395 chairs.

• The more than 20 dining venues serve a total of approximately 20,370 meals a day.

• The Epic boasts the largest LED chandelier at sea made up of 40,000 crystal glass pieces.

• The Epic Casino has 350 slot machines.

Epic to sail Europe next year

Christened on July 2, the Norwegian Epic is currently alternating seven-night Western and Eastern Caribbean voyages through April 2011. The Eastern Caribbean itinerary includes stops in Philisburg (St Maarten), St Thomas (US Virgin Islands), and Nassau, Bahamas. The ship’s seven-night Western Caribbean itinerary includes stops in Costa Maya (Mexico), Roatan (Honduras) and Cozumel (Mexico).

After an 11-night transatlantic voyage from Miami to Barcelona on May 7, the Epic will sail a series of 22 seven-night Western Mediterranean trips from/to Barcelona. Ports of call include Livorno, Civitavecchia and Naples in Italy as well as the Spanish island of Palma de Majorca.For more information visit www.nclepic.com.