amygutman

We have the DOS on the Encore coming up in about 80 days… The few videos online look amazing, and we booked it for the crazy extended balcony which gives you the best of the front and the side of the ship. I definitely plan on taking a lot of photos to post - we have been waiting two years to sail in this room on this itinerary in Alaska. We booked this particular room because of the reviews on cruise critic and the videos of a similar room for the Bliss that we saw on Harr travel’s YouTube channel. Apparently @Sthrngary has some DOS videos of the Joy as well on YouTube. Listen… It’s the Haven. You have your private observation area in some of the best balconies on the entire ship. It’s a win win situation whatever you choose! Warmest, Amy

@Sthrngary I'd love to see your Encore DOS video if you posted it online. There are only a few quality videos online - oddly, Harr videos, which shows the "whole" Encore Haven with suites, does not show the DOS. It would be lovely seeing this suite from your perspective. I did Google your CC name + Encore DOS but came up empty-handed. Warmest, Amy

We will keep that good weather vibe going for you!!! Met my DH in Cooperstown, so I feel ya re: cold weather. Ketchup on pasta must hurt you to your bones...I offer you my sympathies! We booked Sept to have the max hope of both humpbacks and northern lights...you should have the same luck in October and I will cross my fingers in your son having a wonderful, amazing time. Warmest, Amy

A wonderful smelling memory....

Agree with @Charles4515 - Great tours there and at https://kswatersports.com/. Lived in Hamilton for years and loved both companies. Reliable, friendly and great options. If you really want a treat, rent a whaler yourself - yes, you provide your own swizzles, but the feeling of being on the open water yourself is amazing! Warmest, Amy

@Grimix We are on the Sept 24th Encore Alaska...I understand if you don't want to give details but if you happen to be on this sailing our 14 yo Ronan would love to meet a new friend! Since he moved up to the teen club from the kid's club, he has spent less time there as most of the kids have been >16 and very clique-y. The staff are wonderful, but meeting kids in the Haven has always been our best bet. He too is a great lover off all things chicken fingered and plain (dear Lord no sauce, no butter, no green garnish) pasta! Warmest, Amy

@Wombservice First of all...fantastic name. Now...to your question - very comfy. My kiddo LOVES this room, but there have been nights when he and my husband have had "man time" and fell asleep watching movies in the main bedroom relegating me to the 2nd bedroom. Not only is the bed comfy (with egg crate), it is firm and not saggy at all like many pull-out couches. He actually keeps the bed open all day because he likes to stretch out on it and my 300 lb husband and he will also read and play games together. So yes - comfy and although not as large as the master, very roomy. Warmest, Amy Warmest, Amy

Sad news from DH who is in Oneonta visiting his dad as we speak...Brooks no longer has a dine-in restaurant and online store for sauces. Only take-out. Apparently the sons have run that magnificent institution into the ground. It was an AMAZING smell - and those parking lot grills. Oh, the times they are a changin'... Sadly, Amy

@bluestar1 As the mother of a high-functioning autistic teen, I feel ya when you say "when he is done, he is done"! From first hand-experience, I can tell you that the service and care our son has received in the Haven is amazing. The quiet areas are perfect for him, and having a dining room / wait-staff that is smaller and more attuned to his needs, catering specifically to his likes and dislikes is fantastic. Special food orders were never an issue, and even down to his drink preferences were provided with a smile. We worked with the room attendants, butler and concierge to ensure that when we needed to quickly leave a venue, unfinished meals were boxed and sent to the room, room service was happily provided, and if he was in the middle of a difficult afternoon (meaning, please, please do not disturb), we were not disturbed. Other guests were kind and understanding, except for a few rare ugly stares and comments. One couple accused us of "using our child to go to the head of the line" - um, it's the Haven...that's what we pay good money for. When he splashed people once in the pool, once couple complained (even though we and he apologized) and asked the concierge to "ban us for being rowdy", the concierge refused them but asked them to speak to us if they had concerns (they did not...they just shot us dirty glances for the rest of the cruise). The only issue we have consistently have is when we pack into elevators for priority tendering / priority show seating and that is a big "hold your breath and hope for the best" for us - but most people are very understanding. Use the pre-concierge early and often to ensure his dietary requirements are pre-ordered if possible. Also, you they will send you the "special needs" forms to fill out before the cruise. My email is prehospitalmd@gmail.com - reach out at any time and I can give you more specifics. You will have a wonderful cruise and the Haven staff makes family time with any child, special needs or not, wonderful. Warmest, Amy

@EODHorn First of all, thank you for your Service. It's lovely that NCL offers that discount. The 2 bedroom Havens are our favorite footprint of any room on any ship we have been on. The side balcony is wonderful and the extra living space is fantastic. Yes - the smaller 2nd bedroom is smaller, but it is private and have a full 2nd bath. If the other couple prefers a view, they can always use the living room as their "bedroom" (but be greedy with the master bath - it's glorious). 😄 The physical location is prime as well - right near bar, restaurant, observation area and pool complex. Glorious. As for the usability of the front-facing rooms, we are aware of the wind problems with any front-facing balcony, but the Bliss / Encore DOSs have side balconies as well. We've had two forward-facing suites on the Dawn and Pearl, and yes...can get windy (actually, the "vortexes" are quite legendary). But you cannot overlook those front-facing views - especially at slower speeds. We want to optimize the chance of whale and northern light sightings. Have a wonderful trip! Warmest, Amy

@EODHorn That is very strange you cannot book an available DOS this far out from your sailing. An open room is an open room - unless as the postings mentioned that people have put the room "on reserve" for 24 hours then let the incomplete booking expire without purchasing. Maybe then the room is not considered "available". We booked our DOS on the Encore for our September 24 2024 Alaska nearly 2 years ago to secure that room. The prices increased exponentially since then. Trust me - it was no bargain, but it is a bucket list trip and that room (more precisely, that balcony) is exactly what we wanted for the experience. Good luck in your bidding, but I would continue to work with your TA or NCL if you prefer to book outright. Warmest, Amy

@cruiseny4life Thank you! Yes - booked for May/June 2025 the Haifa to Athens cruise. Looks like an amazing itinerary. Yourself? As an aside, DH is from Oneonta and we both used to work in Cooperstown. He loves the fishing on the Mohawk! Warmest, Amy

Hello @Whinenowine! One of the frustrating YC things for our family is although the physical footprint of the larger suites is greater, with the exception of the Duplex suites, suites only have one bathroom. Not even a full + 1/2 bath. With more than 2 adults, that could be difficult. With one teen (we have a 14 yo), we prefer at least 1 + 0.5 baths if possible. Not a deal-breaker as the prices tend to be lower than the other "ship-within-a-ship" brands, but a big difference between NCL and RCCL, and from researching Celebrity, it looks like a feature of the larger Retreat suites as well. The Duplexes are lovely for the two separate areas, 2 full baths, but not in the actual YC area require a little logistical juggling to get into the YC area itself. Also, not ideal if differently abled as these suites have stairs. They do have a balcony hot tub though, so that is a big plus! We do not like the physical layout nor the physical location as we prefer to be IN the complex itself (not 2-4 flights below, an elevator / stair ride, and 2 hallway walks which is not fun when you are soaking wet). The big YC plus is the separate area with a pool that all can use (some look to have no pool prior to "revitalization", and some are 16+ only). Not all of the Retreats have this feature and it's once we love. All of the benefits are listed online at https://www.msccruisesusa.com/cruise/msc-yacht-club but one nice one is included use of the thermal spa for all YC cruises, not just spa class as in the other brands. Great feature if you are cold-weather sailing. Hope that is helpful and I am sure others will add their advice as well. Warmest, Amy

Love these!!!! is it just me, or does the ship seem busier than the Prima? Maybe it’s just all the construction? Warmest, Amy

@Slk1z and @BigDaddy75 am not sure if it’s an “official” thing, but I know golf carts are used to transport items from the main areas to each individual villa. Another thread (my apologies for not being able to link as it’s been a while), mentioned that these golf carts have also been used to transport older folks and folks with limited mobility. It might be worth discussing with your butler prior to arrival to the island. That way, a golf cart may be available to take the cruiser from the larger tram directly to the Villa. As with all things in the haven, and with the villas, anecdotal prior experiences don’t always hold true, but it never hurts asking! Warmest, Amy

@morpheusofthesea I love this! #25 +/- The super-clean shiny, mirrored hallways / doors. Love the cleanliness...hate the bruising from repeatedly smacking heads, arms and knees. 😇 Warmest, Amy

Seems like a great plan. Just pay attention to the website if you are booking tickets to Space Center. There are lots of websites that look like the "official" website. These sites are independent, and whilst you will get tickets (usually prices are exactly the same as on the official website), NONE of the money goes to maintenance / programs of the actual KSC including tons of charity work, school educational programs and wildlife conservation. Only www.kennedyspacecenter.com is the "official" website. Warmest, Amy

Sorry you had bad experiences but a hysterical description! Our laundry experiences have been 180 degrees different - came back the next day, smelling lovely and everything pressed (even DH's cotton underwear which was odd to say the least. Crisp underwear is apparently not comfy 😄). Anecdotal experiential differences are always interesting - but it's been our experience from the small ships (Pearl, Gem, Dawn) to the larger ships (Escape, Breakaway). Hoping for the same on the Encore where laundry will be very important as we are packing as light as possible for Alaska. Warmest, Amy

@room with a view Very jealous. Had booked the Alaska to Hawaii for June 2025 for our 20th anniversary. The Middle East itinerary is amazing but....sigh...the Spirit looks so beautiful. I am sure you had a great cruise! warmest, Amy

@Smitheroo am excited to hear about your Epic TA because we will be on a return leg from Europe to Orlando in Nov 2024. Seems like a quirky ship with whom people have a love-hate relationship. Regarding Orlando, it's very easy to get from the port to the airport and vice-versa. Tons of options - even your dreaded Uber. Some advice for Orlando Ubers / taxis: 1) Many of the drivers are not primary English-speaking and may not be great conversationalists if you do not speak Spanish or Creole (if you are into chatting). Always super-nice and pleasant (I take an uber at least 3-4 times / month for work and have yet to run into anyone unpleasant). 2) The trip from the airport to the terminal is not scenic. It is highway, packed with some of the worst road-raging drivers in the world for the first 30 miles. Not relaxing. 3) There are plenty of taxi / uber options at the airport - yes, you can book in advance and it's more expensive than a shuttle, but you can also go to the taxi-stands pretty much 24/7 and get a quick and easy ride. In regards to your flight - I echo everyone else in saying come at least a day early. There is so much to do in the area, and Port Canaveral also is packed with cool activities. Do not pass up the Kennedy Space Center if you have an extra day - 15 minutes from the cruise port and is awe-inspiring. I look forward to hearing about your trip! Warmest, Amy

I may be in the minority here, but both the Prima and Viva look "modernly ugly". Taste is personal and subjective, but it looks like Ikea vomited up a over-crowded cruise ship. Don't get me wrong...this class is striking, but not in what we thing is a good way vs. a more traditional ship design. Did it stop us from booking the Viva? No...but with trepidation. We went from a cancelled Spirit cruise on a beautiful ship to the Viva to which our first (and subsequent reactions) have been "ugh". Even Emma and Ben & David, some of our favorite vloggers who just raved about the Prima, could not convince us to book that ship. So why did we book the Viva, and in a Haven to boot? Simply because the middle East and Greek itinerary is amazing. This is the 3rd time we booked for itinerary > ship: The Dawn (Bermuda...itinerary a win, ship a toss-up), The Pearl (Panama Canal...itinerary AND ship winners), and hoping to be pleasantly proven wrong on the Viva. Looking forward to actual photos / videos from the Viva and hoping the itinerary doesn't change (like the recent Irish cruise no longer going to Ireland!). Any day at sea is better than a day at work, but still having a tiny bit of buyer's remorse...would love to have my mind changed. Warmest, Amy

@NCteacherlovescruising Oh my gosh that sounds amazing! Not only a back-to-back but a back-to-back on a fantastic itinerary. What a wonderful way to celebrate your 30th! Warmest, Amy

Following along happily!!! About a month out from our Seaside cruise. Having been on the Meraviglia and Seashore, am very curious as to the differences in the ships. We loved the ship and YV layout of the Meraviglia > Seaside, but I am very excited to try the zipline! If you have a moment, could you say what the shows are and any recommendations? There's really nothing online about current offerings. Enjoy being spoiled...we love taking the deep cleansing "vacation" breaths once aboard. Somehow the sea air is just better when you are in the YC! Warmest, Amy

That's awesomle! If you need an agent to assist, we love our TA who makes everything just so perfect for us. You can email me at prehospitalmd@gmail.com and I can give you his contact info. He is a genius at really knowing his clients and when he suggested this itinerary, we knew it would be a wonderful adventure. I'd love to know if you book it (and no pressure at all to email me, I am just excited to share my good fortune in having a kind, ethical agent), and if you do...I would love to hear about your experience! Warmest, Amy

I feel the same re: itinerary vs ship. Keeping in mind that every cruise may miss a port, be re-routed or short-changed re: time in port due to weather, ship issues, passenger emergencies - so sometimes falling in love with an itinerary vs loving the ship / experience can lead to disappointment. Rolling the dice ourselves June 2025. We fell in love with the Spirit's Alaska to Hawaii cruise for our 20th anniversary. The ship looks gorgeous, and we booked a suite for whale and glacier / volcano viewing. Loved BOTH itinerary and ship. Well...we all know what has happened to the Spirit. So, we stumbled upon a wonderful itinerary from Israel to Egypt, Greece and Turkey. Amazing. Will be enriching and full of faith and science visiting the seats of Judiasm, Christianity, and Athenian culture. However, it's on the Viva which we are "meh" about at this point. We HATE the look of the Prima, and despite what looks like an equally hideous ship layout and design, will be taking our Middle Eastern cruise on the Viva so definitely itinerary over ship. Heck...any day not at work, right? I know you will love however you spend your cruise and look forward to hearing details! Warmest, Amy