novanoto

My wife and I recently purchased it for our Encore sailing last month and we would probably buy it again. We got on with the Platinum/Ambassador people and were actually in front of them. This mattered to us because we wanted to ensure we got Vibe passes. We also utilized the free room service breakfast on three occasions, the priority tender in Great Stirrup Cay, the $50 spa discount (can't be combined with any other promo and must be used on a body or facial treatment, ie massage or facial), and for disembarkation, we were allowed to leave as early as we wanted. So overall, for us, it was worth it. 

21 minutes ago, MrsKC08 said:

Curious where your terms state this!? There was nothing in the terms stating this when I purchased. Simply that it was a one time credit per person and that it was to be used on a port day...period. I've also gone back to my printed confirmation and it doesn't state anything about a minimum or a signature service.

 

The below snip is directly from our documents as well:

I want to say it was in a printout we received in our cabin, but don't quote me on that. I just remember seeing it somewhere. 

We purchased Priority Access for the Encore out of Miami and luckily had a better experience. We walked on with the Platinum and Ambassador group, even though the terminal crew had no idea who or what we were. The announcement was clear. We also got priority disembarkation luggage tags. Our terms were pretty clear that the spa treatment booked had to be $100 or more. 

Who knows if the difference in ships had something to do with it. 

17 minutes ago, PederLin said:

 

Hmm. No Shizzle.  We did wonder. Many thanks for the clarification.

 

San Juan was the only night we had to re-visit the old haunts so that just wasn't an option..  Hope you enjoyed your meal. 

 

We did try every day afterwards but there was nothing available.

 

Money talks I guess. 

Ahh, gotcha. I misunderstood...sorry about that! Yea, the staff opened reservations at 930 and later most nights, but were keeping it somewhat quiet in light of the timing and frustration people were having in regards to the venue being closed most of the other times. 

59 minutes ago, PederLin said:

We were also on this sailing. First time on NCL and possibly the last. 

 

We loved the brand new decor but our stateroom bed was shot already and I'm so  glad someone else has commented on the noise in the room.

 

Something hasn't been bolted together right on this ship.  Creak groan bang thump - all night long. We were in a mini suite on deck 10 midship. Worst week ever spent. I'm a light sleeper. It affects me.

 

We'd been on a short 2 nighter on Celebrity Equinox prior to boarding this cruise and the difference was quite tangible.

 

The Encore was a massive fail.  More like a Disney / Carnival cruise. Kids running around out of control all day and night. Everywhere you went. Not what we expected at all.

 

However, there are some good things to note.

 

The staff were mostly great.

 

The entertainment - Kinky Boots , Choir of Man , The Yesterday Beatles (saw them 4 times) was the best.

 

The Food. - Better than Celebrity, especially the buffet. However. We were so annoyed that the Bistro had been taken over and block booked for the whole week by a group of people.

 

We were celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary and re visiting our Honeymoon destination ( Monarch of the Seas out of Puerto Rico in Jan 1995) and we really liked the idea of celebrating that in the Bistro (the best food on the ship)

 

How NCL could allow someone to just remove that as an option for everyone else is just absurd.

 

Never again.

 

 

 

it was the owner/developer of the Port of Miami who booked Le Bistro the entire week, morning, noon and night. If you noticed the very large groups (over 300 families) that were on our sailing, that is who was booked in the venue the entire week, allegedly. 

Also, we had dinner at 9pm in Le Bistro the night in San Juan, so you could have booked and eaten there that night if you wanted to. Not trying to be difficult, just saying it was possible.  

Considering I was on the same sailing as dshefter and bkrickles, what they're saying is 100% accurate; same with birdtravels. For those of you complaining incessantly about the Encore, here's a thought...trust those who have BEEN on it and make your own decision IF you decide to go on it. Total pool deck had more space and availability than I've seen on the Escape or Getaway (numerous sailings on both). Who cares if Vibe was expanded...either pay to go in or don't. If you don't, guess what...still plenty of room for you. It didn't take away from the overall capacity of both sun and shade. 

I had the same frustrations. They refused to apply an extra $100 OBC I had and when I spoke to them on three different occasions, I got the same line of "my supervisor isn't in right now, but will call you". Never got the call. Went on our final morning before we disembarked when it still wasn't rectified and I said I would dispute the amount with my CC company since we were out of time and they advised I should do that. So, yea.

1 hour ago, CruisingSince1982 said:

The pool deck on Encore is much smaller. That is obvious, and anyone trying to gloss that over by comparing it to other ships is in denial. Vibe is much larger on the Encore. $200 per person - NCL is making out like a bandit here. I'm not overly concerned - I get up early, and most definitely will save seats for my family. However, like any other cruise, if you are strolling outside at 11 am, you won't get a seat. 

No it's not...have you been on Encore yet? The pool deck itself is bigger than the Escape. There's just no Spice. But there are two completely separate pools. 

As for Vibe, it's worth its weight in gold if that's what you're into, which my wife and I are. We will gladly pay $418 for the week for a completely private area with a max of about 200 people with no kids, no hassle, a private bar and servers, etc. Has it doubled since we started going years ago? Yes, but it's still well-worth it to us. I guess NCL just takes advantage of us. 

7 minutes ago, dshefter said:

Don't live too far from you. We are in Stewartsville (near Phillipsburg). I work in Liberty Corner, N.J. Definitely Mediterranean for us (Greek Isles, Croatia and Montenegro, Italy). Either the Getaway (10- and 11-day sailings from Rome) or Dawn (7-day from Venice). Can't go wrong either way. Just a matter of time/price. One is a larger ship. 

Ha, small world...not far at all. Plenty of companies I work with (insurance-related) in Liberty Corner, so I know it well. 

Yea, either of those Mediterranean itineraries would serve you quite well. It's all beautiful over there! 

3 minutes ago, dshefter said:

Thank you. It was tough to come home to temps in the 30s! We had a blast. Can't wait for our next NCL cruise, likely in 2021 to the Mediterranean. We have CruiseNext certificates to use within the next four years.

Same here across the board. We're in Chatham (Morris County) and it wasn't that fun getting off the plane on Sunday. I guess it could have been worse and could have been in the teens like it was when we left...but still. 

We too got CruiseNext certificates and I'm already getting antsy to see where we'll be headed next! 

I completely agree with this review! We were on this sailing as well and had a great week. Service and staff from top to bottom were excellent...my wife and I commented to each other a few times that we couldn't for the life of us figure out how people on prior sailings had issues with the staff. I think people just look for things to complain about. 

As for the movement and motion, I agree...that Friday got interesting at times. Combination of winds and high speeds make for some rocking of the horizon...side to side and front to back. But at no time did we feel that we were going to be sick from it. Just was interesting up at the Vibe with the winds! 

Cheers to a great week! 

Just now, hallux said:

That depends on what you expect from it.  Having been the first cruise where I even had the option (I hadn't paid for it on my first 3) I actually didn't even use it all on my last cruise.  I'm a gadget guy and a baseball fan and it was still more than enough during the World Series, but I also had cell service in the ports.

 

Manage your expectations and pre-plan for limited connectivity (I do anyway as my cell plan has metered data) and it is MORE than enough.  In these times when people have an expect unlimited connectivity, I get that it can be daunting to go on vacation and have almost nothing, but if someone who is on some kind of device for a lot of the day can manage with only 250 minutes, anyone can unless their employer expects them to be available even on vacation (but then it's not a question as said employer should be paying for the internet service needed)..

I don't disagree with you, but there's also the issue of people remembering to type in logout.com every time they're done as well. I can't tell you how many people I heard complaining that their minutes were all gone after the first day on my sailing last week. So for some, $55 extra for unlimited starting on the second day, is worth it for peace of mind alone. 

Just now, RNRcruisers said:

 

My expectation was that so soon after Christmas kids would be in school. I don't dislike kids but in my mind a cruise is more of an adult vacation and I avoid times when I can expect a lot of kids. This time was unexpected.

Ha, my wife and I definitely agree with you. We'll try to avoid kids as much as possible when we're away. 

1 hour ago, Phaedrus78 said:

I think I remember seeing one on the Encore?  It was around the Local.  

 

I may be wrong on that.  I definitely got my money's worth out of the beverage package that week.  

Ha, Encore does have one. Your eyes did not deceive you! 

3 hours ago, LS6Caddy said:

We (DW, and about 10 other friends and family) are sailing on Breakaway out of Port Canaveral to the Eastern Caribbean this spring.  For most of us this will be about our 10th cruise, mostly on RCCL and a few on Princess.  I have started scouring the NCL boards here for information, but also wanted to ask a few questions. 

 

Generally, what differences, good and/or bad, can we expect on NCL versus RCCL?  (Note:  none of us are real foodies and understand food tastes are very subjective...and also have reasonable expectations when eating on a cruise ship that is preparing 1000's of meals at a time).

 

We have the free at sea WiFi...is that sufficient to use messenger, Whatsapp, or something of the sorts to communicate to each other on the ship?

 

What time is best to show up to port.  With RCCL, we typically get to port between 10:00-11:00 (despite the fact that boarding doesn't "start" until noon) to beat the rush and get on the ship as early as possible.

 

Thanks in advance   

As other's have said, the free 250 minute internet doesn't get you very far. That said, if you wait until the second day, you can "upgrade" to unlimited internet for the week for $55. It's $180 less a $125 credit (cost of the 250 minute plan). So that's well worth it I think. Just wait until day 2 or after midnight the first night. 

As for differences vs similarities, my wife and I have done plenty of both RCCL and NCL and we prefer NCL overall, but they're really all similar. Food is a bit better on NCL we feel, as is restaurant variety for specialties. Shows are all similar as are the other entertainment offerings. Biggest difference I think is that the NCL ship is fairly straightforward instead of the neighborhood concept that RCCL has. 

27 minutes ago, RNRcruisers said:

 

Wow, if it is normally MORE kids then we will definitely not be on Encore again. 

 

Well I think for any cruise line, if it's a schools-out week, the expectation is that there will be a lot of kids, especially on NCL or RCCL. I didn't think our sailing was teaming with kids, but because of the groups, we seemed to notice them more. 

1 hour ago, natb said:

Do you know if you don’t use the wifi at all, you get a $125 credit?

You do not get a credit if you don't use it, no. It's a use it or lose it type of thing. 

1 minute ago, Mcarsey said:

I have a quick question concerning JVD.  Do you happen to know why your reservation was cancelled?  We are sailing in March and have this excursion booked, the 1030 slot.  But with the itinerary change with us leaving Tortola at 2 PM now, i don't see them having the 1030 trip.  I wad curious if you had this scheduled originally.  I tried to get an answer from NCL, but had no luck.  Do you know if they still had 2 trips to JVD?  Thanks in advance.

As of now, they only have the early slot, the 815 slot, as there isn't enough time for the 1030 slot. The crew of the Rebel Yell is trying to figure out if they can make any changes with NCL, but as of now, nothing has changed. You will inevitably have your 1030 slot canceled sooner or later, so if you want to go, I would change to the 815 slot. 

We had ours canceled because although we booked the 815 slot, they told us they essentially overbooked that slot and there was nothing they could do. I told them they better fix it and eventually they did, as they had cancelations and we were first on the waitlist. But they did say they canceled people based on the timing of when you booked the excursion, so to be safe, better to change yours sooner rather than later. 

For the record, also, it was worth its weight in gold! My wife and I's favorite excursion we've ever done, in about 15 cruises or so! 

17 minutes ago, Cookie002 said:

Thank you for this information. How many passes are available, do you know?
 

seriously, thanks for taking the time to answer

Not sure if anyone knows for sure, but I've heard between 250-300 on this ship. There was never that amount of people even remotely close to that at any time we were in the Vibe, which was daily and often. 

2 minutes ago, Cookie002 said:

 

We did get them, yes. We had purchased Priority Boarding (can do so when you check-in to your sailing online in advance) and walked on with the Platinum/Platinum Plus crew. Boarded at the aft of the ship and speed-walked to Q all the way forward and got #'s 52-53. People who boarded regularly said they had no problem getting the passes as well. 

We were on this sailing too...and on Escape to Jost Van Dyke with you...and in front of Hendo's lol. So now I'm just trying to figure out who you guys were, since we were on the roll call together too!!! 

I agree with most of what you wrote...I had many hesitations about Encore and truthfully, it started out poorly, as we got to our room to find a cancelation notice for Escape to Jost Van Dyke instead of our tickets. But I went immediately to the shore excursion desk and got them to waitlist us. The day before Tortola, the assistant manager called us and we had our JVD tickets in hand. Sometimes it pays to just say that you're not happy with something, and more often than not, they'll try and accommodate. 

After that though, my hesitations and trepidation were completely for naught. Loved the ship...staff was mostly great; entertainment was great; plenty to do or not do; real easy to book dining and entertainment reservations the first day, etc. We had Vibe passes and had a blast up there, but as you said, the pool deck didn't seem as crowded as people made it out to be. 

The only thing I'll disagree with you on is the amount of kids. We were overwhelmed by the amount of screaming kids about 60% of the time we weren't in Vibe. There were a few large groups on our sailing as I'm sure you noticed and they all seemed to be a part of the groups. So when they annoyed us, we did what any adults do and went to the bar, lol! No harm, no foul. 

Glad we all enjoyed it and now I'll be trying to figure out who you guys were at JVD! 

21 minutes ago, Cookie002 said:

Thanks for the comprehensive review OP. We are sailing in February.  
 

question regarding vibe pass- I have heard it’s guest service for the pick up, but I think you said it’s at the social. Does anyone have a definitive answer?
 

Thanks!

We got off the Encore yesterday and it was Q. The past few sailings have been as well, it seems. 

Q is for Vibe passes. 

Social is for entertainment/comedy/shows/go-karts

Teppanyaki is for dining reservations 

Hope this helps those who couldn't get definitive answers! 

Does anyone who's already sailed the Encore (or otherwise) have a definitive answer as to where Vibe passes are being sold? I've seen The Social and Q as it seemingly depends on the sailing, but trying to see if NCL has made a final decision.

Thanks! 

I sailed the Escape the first week in December in its inaugural year, and it was fully decorated and decked out. No pics though, sorry! 

2 minutes ago, TheDougOut said:

 

No known construction days.  They shortened the transatlantic and cancelled  your sailing to make way for additional industry/preview sailings.  Same thing they did with Joy a few weeks ago.

Yea, just saw in the TA thread. Frustrating to say the very least, as there's nothing the customer can do about it and NCL just continues about their merry way. Thanks Doug.