Do you have to book your shows up front?

So after all the anticipation and wait it is only 4 weeks to my cruise on the Norwegian Epic, in the meantime I will also be seeing the latest Queen, Elizabeth in just over a week, what an exciting few weeks I should have.

I have been reading some of the reviews on the cruise.co.uk website about the Epic, the 'blogs' of my colleagues about the ship and also some of the other comments passengers have been making about the ship. Am I apprehensive?
Well, yes I have read lots about the design of the cabins and I wonder if the cabin I have will have had the small sink replaced by the time I get there? But as with everything that is new I will go with an open mind and see what I think.

I have also seen comments about entertainment and specialists dining being 'full' and people being unable to book whilst on ship. Well, it is a big ship and if full there will be about 4200 passengers on board so I can understand that some of the shows and restaurants will get very busy. When on board I like be relaxed on do things on impulse, but the comments did concern me.

Well, having just had an email from NCL, I managed to access their online check-in and this gave me a list of excursions, events and dining and the opportunity to pre-book before you go on the cruise.

This is a copy of NCL's web showing the options available, it was easy to use and as usual payment is made on ship. I do now understand some of the comments i have heard, although I have booked the shows now, I did not get my first choice of times and now see how others might be disappointed if they waited until they embarked only to find they cannot get into the Blue Man Group et al.

So although I usually wait to arrange my trips and entertainment I am glad we have sorted it now, hope it works out that way!

As for the cabins, well things that are different need a little time to get use to, so I will wait and give my views after the cruise, so come back then for a full review, comments and some photos.