Norwegian Epic Begins Dry Dock in Marseille with No Details from NCL
Epic Live Cam © Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Epic has officially entered dry dock Marseille, France. The dry dock is scheduled for April 16 through May 4, 2025. Despite the ship’s time out of service, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has yet to release any official details about the scope of the refurbishment.
However, updates to the public deck plans reveal a few notable changes:
Splash Academy, the ship’s kids’ club on Deck 14, appears to have been reduced in size.
Four new staterooms have been added: 14052A, 14052B, 14052C, and 14052D. These include two Balcony and two Oceanview cabins.
New NCL Epic Oceanview & Balcony Rooms
These are the only visible modifications so far.
In 2020, Norwegian Epic underwent a dry dock that focused heavily on upgrading The Haven, NCL’s luxury ship-within-a-ship area. The renovation included modernized decor throughout The Haven suites, updates to The Haven Lounge and Restaurant, and refreshed finishes in staterooms. These updates were designed to bring the ship’s premium offerings in line with what guests were experiencing on newer vessels in the fleet. However, that dry dock was limited in scope and did not include updates to standard cabins or the ship’s more widely used public areas.
Before that, Norwegian Epic’s last significant refurbishment was in 2015. That project addressed cosmetic improvements across several public venues and dining areas, updated flooring and furniture, and made minor changes to select cabins. Still, many areas of the ship—particularly the famously unconventional bathroom layouts in standard staterooms—have remained unchanged since the ship launched in 2010.
With the current dry dock now underway in Marseille and no official announcements from NCL, there’s growing interest and speculation about what changes, if any, are taking place. Apart from the recently noted addition of four new staterooms and a downsized Splash Academy on updated deck plans, no further information has been confirmed. Whether this dry dock is focused solely on technical maintenance or includes guest-facing improvements remains to be seen.
Guests booked on upcoming Mediterranean sailings are eager for transparency. Whether it's minor cosmetic work or larger structural changes, providing clarity would go a long way in managing expectations.
We’ll continue to monitor for updates and will share any confirmed details as they become available.
