Experience Europe the 'Freestyle' Way!

Video is courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line.

Be sure to book your next cruisetacular adventure to Europe with Norwegian Cruise Line! This summer Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Sun, and my personal favorite, Norwegian Epic will be taking vacation-goers around to see Europe's finest! These three innovative vessels bring a refreshing approach to cruising and have earned a number of awards and accolades since their respective debuts. Here's one great benefit to sailing Europe with NCL: if you book Norwegian Epic, you can garner as much as $300.00 in on-board spending money (limited time offer)! Now that's a deal for sure!

Having sailed two of these ships (Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Sun), you're bound to have nothing but a cruisetastic time! If you're traveling alone, no worries, Norwegian Epic will welcome you with open arms into one of her state-of-the-art studio staterooms! You want to bring your kids, you say? Well Norwegian Epic will be having a special Nickelodeon 'All-Access' sailing on July 24, 2011 departing from Barcelona, Spain! The whole family is bound to have a cruiserific getaway indeed!

These ships are some of the best in the industry, and are sure to be true crowd pleasers with you and your loved ones! So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags, book your cabins, and immerse yourself with the breath-taking treasures of the eastern hemisphere today! Your ship awaits, bon voyage!

Cruise Ship Review: Norwegian Epic



Norwegian Epic docked in Nassau, Bahamas
Photo Credit: Nahshon "Cruise Man 3000" Ford

 She has bowling allies, a rock climbing wall, and a full size aqua park. She weighs 153,00 Gross tons, can hold over 4,000 passengers. Only one world can describe a vessel of this magnitude: E-P-I-C!

Issued into service in July of 2010, this new innovative vessel has become the newest attraction to an array of cruisers all over the world. For Norwegian Cruise Line, this is a leap, for they did not even have a cruise ship that ranked in the world's top twenty largest cruise ships, and the Norwegian Epic debuted at number three!

There are twenty dining option offered on board, of which most (not all), require a reservation and a cover charge fee. The food was pretty decent on board, but one can taste that the food was "cooked for the masses." With that said, the food on smaller ships (i.e., Norwegian Sky, Norwegian Spirit) has a better quality. Not saying the food on the Epic was bad at all, but I could taste a slight difference in the quality of the food served on board.

The Norwegian Epic has absolutely the BEST entertainment on any cruise ship from any cruise line in the entire world. The Blue Man Group (R), Comedy Troupe, Second City, Legends in Concert, and many other entertainment acts and shows head line every night on board. They even have Nickelodeon at Sea, and the kids can see some of their favorite cartoon characters, up close and personal.

The Norwegian Epic requires something that the other ships within the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet do not, and that is reservations, and a lot of them. In order to attend any of the fabulous shows that I mentioned above, reservations are needed. Also, for every specialty dining room on board, as well as the super cool 17 degree ice bar, reservations are needed.

If you don't make reservations, then you have to stand in the standby line for the events you wish to partake in, which doesn't guarantee you a seat in the performance that you want to see. On most other ships that I have been on, the entertainment is on a first come first serve basis. Now, all cruise lines that offer specialty dining restaurants do require an additional cover charge, so no surprises there. Let me also add the reservations for the shows do not cost anything, they are free. I just think because of the people traffic on board, they have to this in order to keep things under control (The Ice Bar and Circus require cover charges, those are not free).

Sine the Norwegian Epic is a mega-cruise ship, the passenger capacity is very large. On the entire cruise it was hard to get a chair on the deck, there were multitudes of people all the time, and everywhere on the ship. The crew was one of the best I have ever experienced at sea, and truly made the cruise what it was, a wonderful experience.

The amenities that are on board are truly amazing! This ship comes with a bowling alley (2 of them), a rock climbing wall, a rappelling wall, an open air ice skating rink, basket ball court, spider web obstacle course, and an adult only zone called, Spice H20. The only things that I did not see on board was a golf course or a library. Overall the Norwegian Epic was one of my better cruises sailing in at #4! I give the Norwegian Epic a 4.25 out of 5.00 stars. Be sure to check out this immense innovative vessel, and see the word E-P-I-C redefined!

Cruise Line Review: Norwegian Cruise Line

Photo Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line

They have the youngest fleet afloat, and are changing the face of cruising every single day. Norwegian Cruise Line has truly become an innovative cruise line and has made a definite name for themselves over the past couple of years. Norwegian Cruise, founded in 1966, has been the forgotten cruise line, the dark horse if you will, but not any longer.

 A Norwegian Cruise ship can be spotted in any cruise port, whether crowded or not. Every ship is finished with a beautiful hull work design, normally surrounded by the vessel's name or itineraries, before issued into service (This trend was piloted on the Norwegian Dawn when she was issued into service in 2002).


The cruise line is also known for having the largest suites at sea. Norwegian Cruise Line gets a 4.45 out of 5 stars from me. I have sailed on 7 of their innovative vessels, and there have been no disappointments yet, and I don't plan on any either. Norwegian Cruise Line sails ships from New York City All Year Round, and travel to a variety of destinations. Alaska, The Mexican Riviera, The Caribbean (Now all year round on their newest vessel, the world's 3rd largest cruise ship, the Norwegian Epic), Europe, and Canada, just to name a few. They even offer all year round service to Hawaii on the colossal Pride of America Ship through, NCL America Line. As well as, all year round service to Europe on the Norwegian Jade.Norwegian Cruise Line was awarded, Best Cruise Line, In the Bahamas, by the Bahamas Tourism Ministry in 2009, and has been said to be the best value for your money. The Norwegian Gem even received the honor of being named one of the best large cruise ships in 2009. Most of Norwegian Cruise Ships have a contemporary feel when it comes to interior design and overall decor. Overall Norwegian Cruise Line is the best cruise line for those who just want to relax and not deal with the hassles that other cruise lines can put one under while on vacation. If you have taken a "Freestyle Cruise", then you know 1st hand how awesome NCL is! I highly recommend NCL for any first time cruisers, or single cruisers who want to relax and not party.

Their latest vessel, the Norwegian Epic, features Nickelodeon at Sea, An Aqua Park, performances by the Blue Man Group, and even cabins solely for single passengers (This is a plus because on any other major main stream cruise line, if you don't have another passenger traveling with you, they still charge you for the price of two). Other amenities that can be found throughout the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet include, Bowling Allies, Rock Climbing Walls, Golf Courses, and even more! (Note: All these amenities are not on all Norwegian Cruise Ships) . Take a dive into "Freestyle Cruising " today!


Unlike some of the other mainstream lines, Norwegian Cruise Line does not have an assigned dining time for their passengers. In fact, all of their innovative vessels come equipped with many restaurants that cater to an eclectic array of cuisines from all over the world. The attire on board is normally resort casual. Some cruise lines do not allow shorts to be worn past a certain hour in the evening, but NCL allows guest to dress, change clothes, and entertain themselves as they please.