tx121

2 hours ago, Summercielo said:

Thank you sooooo much for what you have posted so far! Was looking for the daily’s!!!! Very helpful!

is there a steak and lobster night at one of the main DR? 
also how much for the go carts? I was surprised to find out there’s a charge! 
Thanks again, will be watching for the rest of the Daily’s!!!! We leave this Sunday!

You're welcome! There is no lobster served in the main Dining Rooms. If you want lobster, you will need to book a specialty restaurant that serves lobster.

Go karts are $9.95 for a single ride, $29.95 for a unlimited daily pass and $99.95 for unlimited pass good for the whole cruise. Laser tag and Galaxy Pavillion (Virtual Reality Games) also cost extra.

Day 2- Sea Day afternoon 

Unfortunately we were unable to get Vibe passes. The pool deck as you can see is crowded. There are some chairs that are in the shade along the pool deck, but if you are a sun lover, chairs are hard to come by.

There are 2 small hot tubs on the upper decks on either sides. There is a small line to use them.

Others are using the waterfront on Deck 8 to catch some sun. 

There have been some "fights" between some passengers because of the "15 minute rule". Some people are taking it upon themselves to remove people's items after 15 minutes and giving it to the pool deck staff to bring it to guest services. 

I have decided that I will use the pool deck when everyone gets off the ship in port or late afternoon when the crowd starts to disperse. There's no need for the aggravation to fight for space. There's plenty of other things available that I can occupy myself with. 

My advice if you are a sun lover, get to the pool deck early so you are not disappointed. 

1 hour ago, prbffd28 said:

I hate to even ask this of you, BUT, (there's always a but right??), if you happen to think of it as you're snapping photos of the ship, any current menus would be awesome! My fiance' is a bit of a fussy eater so knowing in advance what some of the menus look like will be very helpful for reservation purposes (I do realize they could quite possibly change for next week but will still help) Thanks in advance!!

Here is the menu for Day 2. I didnt get a chance to get Day 1 unfortunately.

Day 2- At Sea

Woke up early for a jog on the running track. It was 6:30am and people are already claiming the chairs on the pool deck. 🤦‍♂️ I feel like it is ok to save seats if you are going to be there, but to spread towels across a row and then leave is not right. Smh! 

Interesting seating behind the big screen along the running track. 🤣

Beautiful sea!

Here is the Day 2 Freestyle Daily for today!

Greetings from the NCL Encore! Yesterday I posted my experience through the embarkation process. In this post I will provide daily reviews, thoughts, Freestyle Daily Schedules for each day, and so on. Enjoy! 

Day 1- Miami

Much of the day was included already in my embarkation thread but here's a quick recap. We flew in to Miami and arrived around 830am. We decided it would be too early to goto the pier, so we decided to have a sit down breakfast at the airport (Margaritaville). The steak and eggs from there was surprisingly very good. 👍

After our meal,we took a Lyft for $13 to the pier. Uber was $17 and a taxi was $20-$25. Obviously we decided to take the cheaper option. The embarkation process took around 1 hour. 30 minutes in line to get processed and 30 minutes in the waiting area. Boarding starts at 11:30am.

Once on board we went straight to Deck 6 to make our reservations for the specialty dining and shows. All were easy to make and we got the times that fit in to our schedule. 

Since staterooms are not available until 2pm, we decided to tour the ship and tried to avoid the crowds as much as possible. We all know embarkation can be chaotic, especially in the buffet and The Local! Lol! As others have posted, Taste and Savor are available for a sit down lunch on embarkation day. Both restaurants were practically empty. If we had not eaten at the airport, we would have chosen to eat at Taste or Savor for lunch. 

The ship is beautiful and modern. All the venues are nicely decorated and I especially appreciate that they closed off the smoking area in the casino so the smell of the smoke doesnt travel between the 6,7,8 atrium area. Oddly there is smoke smell near the Manhattan Room dining area.

We stumbled upon the observation lounge which I already know will be my favorite part of the ship! It is just very relaxing and is a great place to go to wait until your stateroom is ready. Light snacks and coffee are available. Because of the Cornavirus, in the buffet areas, the crew are at the stations serving the guests. The drink stations for coffee, juice and water are still self service.

We checked in to our cabin and surprisingly our luggage had already arrived so we unpacked. There is not much storage area in the room. You have just one closet with 4 shelves and a rack to hang your clothes. If traveling with more than 2 people or on a cold weather itinerary (Alaska), this can be an issue. 

Time for muster drill which started at 3:30pm. It went by quickly and then we went straight up to deck 17 for sailaway from Miami! 

The sailaway was great! There was such a great vibe /energy and everyone was dancing and having a great time! Great music! Miami is the best port to sail from. The views from the ship are amazing!

Since this was sort of a different day 1 due to Superbowl being one of the Main Attractions. Our original plan was to eat at The Local but it was already jammed packed because everyone wanted to watch the game on the Big screen in the atrium. So we decided to eat at the buffet.The Garden Cafe (Buffet) was quite busy as well. I guess everyone had the same idea. Day 1 is also prime rib night in the buffet, so maybe that was also a reason. The food was ok. The prime Rib was decent. It needed the gravy to enhance the flavor. 

Game time! We went to watch the game on the pool deck on the big screen. It was a bit chilly but tolerable. One thing we missed while watching the game was the commercials! I guess because of licensing,  they could not broadcast them.

We noticed on the daily planner they had the First Night welcome show at 8pm. It was getting a bit cooler and the game was not that exciting (Yet!), so we decided to see the show. The theater was only half full! The cruise director did comment on this and made a joke of it. Lol!

During the first night show, they showed a preview of the shows onboard: Kinky Boots and Choir of Man, along with other show bands around the ship. They also advertised things to do while on the Encore, most of them being a sales pitch. The show was cheesy, yet enjoyable. My favorite part was some people's reaction when they realized Kinky Boots was a drag queen show. Lol! 

After the show, we went to the casino bar to finish watching the game. What a great ending!! Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs! 

After a long day, we decided it was time for bed. A great day overall!

On a side, if you are prone to motion sickness, this ship you will feel it. Very rocky and creaking of the walls.

31 minutes ago, imlulu said:

We were on this past week. We had Carney’s,  , onda, and Le bistro. Carney’s was fine but I’d then 3 the least favorite. Onda we ate outside as it was very noisy inside. It was great! Le bistro was also excellent. 

A lot of reviews has said Cagneys was not that great. I may end up switching it to another restaurant.  Can I ask, what did you feel was missing? The seasoning? The service? Etc.. 

Thanks for the advice!

14 hours ago, david_sobe said:

Happy Sailings!  What a day for sail away!  A little chilly for Miami standards but mostly sunny and bright blue skies.

Give us a review.  Will be sailing her in 3 weeks!

Yes it was very chilly for Miami standards, but I'll take it coming from the Northeast! lol. I will start a daily live review in a new thread with freestyle planners and info

Thanks! I booked Onda, Cagneys and Teppanyaki. I will probably do al a carte Food Republic and Los Lobos. Any specific dish you recommend from there?

11 hours ago, RedSoxGirl08 said:

Thanks for the great info from your first day. We board in 3 weeks.  I would love to see some of the Freestyle Daily Schedules.

You're welcome! I will post the Freestyle Daily schedules from this cruise for each day in a new thread all together. 

2 hours ago, Putter23 said:

Were you able to get Vibe passes?  Or were they sold out?  Have a great cruise!

Unfortunately no but will check tomorrow. Fingers crossed! The pool deck looks intimidating! Lol We kept going back and forth if we needed to get them. Once decided it was too late.

14 minutes ago, Snorkelfoodie said:

I have a few questions, if you don’t mind. We are a family of 3 sailing in May to Bermuda.
1) Do you need to have all 3 cruise cards with you to make in person reservations for 3 people in your cabin for go karts, laser tag and day spa? Or, can family split up & make reservations separately for 3 people with a card from 1 of the family members?
2) Are you able to use your regular internet provider while still  in port, or do you need to use the ship’s WiFi once board?
3) If you are using complimentary WiFi (Free at sea perk for 120 min. / cabin) - do the minutes run continuously once you 1st access or can they be used intermittently for short periods of time  throughout the cruise?

 Thanks so much! Have a great cruise! 

1)Only 1 person in your party needs to be there to reserve as long as 18 or above. Waiver forms. Just need to provide one card.

2) You should check with your provider for international plan per day. For Verizon I paid $10 a day to use in Bermuda. Bermuda also has free wifi at visitors center areas.

3)For NCL wifi, you login to your account. The time starts once you are logged in. Once you are finished, logout and the time stops until you sign in again.

Really great sailaway from Miami! People in great spirits 🙂 Thanks everyone for well wishes! Will answer questions...just have to purchase internet package. Will review as much as possible!

One thing is worrying to me is the pool deck does look quite congested. I wasn't able to get the Vibe passes unfortunately.  Hopefully something opens up! Bon Voyage!

Greetings from NCL Encore! 

I just wanted to go over my experience of the embarkation process so it can help others prepare for their cruise out of Miami. 

Usually we fly out the night before the cruise and stay at a hotel. Little did we know that Miami was hosting the Superbowl and that is why the Red Roof Inn was $400 for the night! 😳 So instead of spending that insane amount on a usually cheap hotel, we decided to fly in the same day of the cruise which is always risky due to weather conditions and unexpected cancellations. We took a chance and luckily it all worked out!

Our flight arrived at 8:25am which left us plenty of time to get a sit down breakfast at the airport before heading to the pier. After breakfast around 10am, we called a Lyft which cost about $13(Uber was $17) We decided to take the cheapest option. It was about a 25 min drive and arrived at the pier around 10:30am. We handed our bags to the porter and went through security. So far so good. 

After security they have 3 lines, one being priority for Platinum and higher and Casino guests. The other lines were for general boarding. The lines went pretty smoothly but the staff working in the terminal could use some organization. All in all it wasn't too bad. It took 30 minutes to get processed. We then headed to the waiting lounge where we were assigned Group #9. They do not start the boarding process until 11:30am. It took another 30 minutes before our number was called and we were allowed to board. 

We went straight to the Teppanyaki Restaurant to book our dining reservations. Don't be discouraged if you are unable to book online. They hold most of the reservations so people have a chance to book on board. We were able to get in to all the specialty restaurants we wanted just fine. 

We then went across the way to the Social club to book our show reservations. The whole process took 10 minutes. Again, there were plenty of spots open for each show. You can actually reserve your shows on the touch screens throughout the ship. This is easier since it tells you how many available spots there are. If I were to do it over again, I would book the show reservations first and then the dining. We went to Q to see how the lines were for the Vibe passes. Let's just say I think that will be the most crowded that venue will get for the whole week! 

It was crazy crowded at the buffet and Local pub as expected on Embarkation Day. We are now in the Observation Lounge which I have never experienced on a NCL ship. I have to say I already know this will be my favorite part of the ship! Unless parents bring their loud kids through. It is so relaxing and a good place to wait for your room to be ready. You are allowed to get in to the stateroom at 2pm. 

Due to the Coronavirus, the crew are serving at the buffet and at the observation lounge. 

Well I hope this helps some of you who were wondering how the embarkation process goes for this ship. All in all, it took 2 hours from drop off to getting on the ship and booking reservations for the shows and dining. 

Just a fair warning, the lines did start to get longer to check in when we were waiting in line. So if you get to the pier by 10am-10:30am it should be similar to my experience. It may take longer if you arrive after that time and the dining and show reservations may not be available the longer it takes to get on the ship. 

Anthem of the Seas vs Oasis Class....Definitely go for Oasis Class as there is so much more to do and it has that open feel like the Voyager class. Anthem of the Seas just doesn't feel right to me...."closed in" may be the right word for it. It is still a beautiful ship and has great areas like Seaplex, 270, Music Hall, etc. But like others have said, it is a cold weather ship, so things may have been made to be "closed in" for that reason. 

I've always thought that the Anthem class design felt more like a hybrid of a Celebrity ship and a Royal Caribbean ship. 

Again, if it's between Anthem or Oasis class-- Oasis class all the way especially if you have kids.

Thanks everyone for the recommendations and reviews! 

Another question, can you use the Dining Package for take out at Food Republic ,Los Lobos?  I am traveling with a very picky eater and he would not eat anything at those restaurants. He would instead order something from American Diner if they allow take out as well. 

48 minutes ago, ksmcdonald said:

 

I think we are on the same page here!  My original post said cruise prices were kept lower in hopes of the cruise line making money on all the other onboard experiences. It is your choice if you only want to spend $799 on your cruise, buying no extras on board.  That’s actually a great deal.  But these same people can’t  complain and say they are nickel and diming people with all the extras that cost money. They don’t have to buy the extras. Some people want the options.  Virgin Voyages sounds appealing to me. I might just look into that line.  

Lol. Yes we are on the same page 👍

16 minutes ago, ksmcdonald said:

 

Inflation or not, the price hasn’t increased much.   Most things usually increase in cost  over thirty years.  My first car cost $3,000 brand new off the lot thirty years ago. Nobody could buy a new car today for $3000.  College tuition was $15,000 thirty years ago, today lucky if it cost $35,000.  My point is, my cruise cost $799 thirty years ago and a cruise today is not much more than that.  

You are correct with the increase in price of tuitions, cars, home etc. My point is the price of the cruise back in 1988 was $799 which is equivalent to $1700+ today. The difference is back then, like you said cruises were more of a inclusive experience. The reason why the prices are still $799 today is because the cruise lines are basing their profits on onboard spending with all the optionals. Now NCL can sell you a cabin for $1700+ per person (inflation) today and make it inclusive, but they know that would not attract many customers because that is a hefty price. Virgin Voyages is doing the whole all inclusive deal (gratuities, specialty dining,etc)with prices starting from $1700 for a 5 night cruise. NCL is trying to make the same amount of money but having you spend more onboard to get to that price point of $1700 or more.

1 hour ago, ksmcdonald said:

 

 

You are 100% correct!  I think the "nickle and diming" expression comes from people who have cruise for 30-40 years, when going on a cruise, there was no charge for anything except drinks and tips at the end.  There really was no cash registers on the ship to take your money, for anything!  It truly felt all inclusive.  Times have changed but the price of the cruise really hasn't.  I just pulled a receipt from a cruise we took for our honeymoon 32 years ago.  It was $799 per person for a balcony on the Carnival Holiday (7 day) in Sept (hurricane season).  Prices really haven't gone up that much in 30 years.  Instead of raising the price of the cruise, the cruise line now make their money on casino, excursions, laser tag, vibe, spa, etc.  This is keeping the price of the cruise down for people that don't want those extras, yet offering extras for the people that would like to partake in these activities.  It is not fair to now say, "they are nickel and diming" us, they are giving people options.  Don't buy the extras if you don't want it.  

 

If you consider inflation, $799 was worth a lot more in 1988 than today. If you go on several websites that provides an inflation calculator,  most prices come out to this amount below, give or take.

$799 in 1988 equals $1,739.47 in 2019.

So back then you didn't feel nickle and dimed because the cost was already included in your cruise fare since you were paying a lot already upfront. The food quality in the MDR back then was the same as what you get in the specialty restaurants now, the drink package didn't exist because it was all inclusive with the cruise. 

On a side note, I kind of chuckled when I saw Carnival Holiday. Imagine with the inflation rate if you asked someone to pay $1700+per person (balcony) for a Carnival cruise today? lol! There are a lot more options and ships to choose from now which is why the prices have to be attractive and competitive. 

Yes you will probably end up spending this much on the cruise anyway with all the extras, but that's how marketing tricks us in to thinking we are getting a good deal when in fact, you are still spending as much as when things were inclusive if YOU choose to.

I agree with the OP about the shift of the cruise industry going towards a more family friendly environment. However what happens during school months when families aren't cruising and the majority of cruisers are adults? The venues such as lazer tag, go karts, VR, etc are underutilized and the pool deck space becomes very limited. 

There's a reason why the Vibe passes are selling out and why people are complaining in their reviews that they cannot find a space to lounge out in the sun in the free area. 

NCL is a business and is trying the maximize their profits with this ship and see how far they can go. Basically the OP and NCL are saying, if you don't like what we are doing with this ship, there are other ships in the fleet to choose from. 

I will also be cruising on the Encore this Sunday and will see how this cruise experience goes. I do not plan to use the go karts, lazer tag, vibe or VR room since those things do not interest me.

I think the OPs survey was polled by just families. I bet those numbers would be MUCH different if they were asked by every demographic.

1 hour ago, bkrickles1 said:

We were informed ahead of time of changes for 1/19 sailing but the changes were only to Tortola and the addition of GSC.

Tortola was changed from 8-5 to 6-2pm.

St. Thomas was a full day 8-6pm.

The times you're stating don't seem right so I'd check again in myncl.

 I checked myncl and it looks like our cruise differs from the previous cruise where they swapped the days where we visit Tortola first and than St Thomas. So we will have a full day in Tortola instead of St Thomas which is great news! When I read the review I thought we had the same itinerary and St Thomas and Tortola would be early departures! Whew! 

Thanks for the review!

We will be sailing on the Encore this Sunday. One question, were you informed  the port times changed before the cruise or when you got onboard? Right now it says we will be in Tortola 8am-5pm. Was this also the time you were to be in this port? If our time is cut like your cruise was, that means we will only be there from 8am-1pm which seems like a waste. The only "full day" would be at the cruise lines private island. 😒

I really hope that we will still have a full day in Tortola. Like you said, San Juan is a waste since we only arrive there in the evening. St Thomas we are there from 6am-2:30pm. I didnt mind having half days at these ports since we have been there numerous times, but we were looking forward to exploring Tortola since we have never been there. 

1 minute ago, bkrickles1 said:

We got off Encore yesterday and it was fantastic.

We ate at Teppenyaki, Q and Los Lobos.

Los Lobos was the best of the 3. My group of 5 ordered almost everything on the menu and it was all good. And the desserts were equally good. Just a great meal.

Teppenyaki was also great. Fun with fresh and tasty food.

Q was very good. The apps were great, main course good and desserts good.

We did speak with a lot of people who went to Onda. Some loved it, some didn't. I was told it was pretty noisy and the service was hit or miss. Some, like myself, who are from NY said it was different and didn't love it.

And again, some just simply loved it.

Thanks for your input! I totally forgot about Los Lobos...thanks for making my decision even harder especially since you said it was the best of the 3! lol! I'm with you and others about Onda. Growing up in NY and visiting family there (Brooklyn, SI and LI), we are spoiled by so many great Italian restaurants! I think I will also pass on Onda. 

Thanks again!

We will be sailing on the Encore on Sunday and we are looking for recommendations for specialty restaurants. We have been to Le Bistro, Cagneys before and we are definitely booking Teppanyaki as 1 of our 3 choices. I am wondering if we should consider booking Ocean Blue, Onda, Q, or go to the Food Republic and use our reservations at those venues. 

If anyone has any input on these new restaurants, please share your experience. Cagneys has been hit or miss lately and Le Bistro although good, I feel I have always left hungry an hour after. lol! 

Any recommendations is appreciated!

Thanks everyone for the responses. Will bring the birth certificate just in case!

We will be sailing on the Encore on February 2nd to the Caribbean. Now my passport expires in June. Will I be able to use my passport for the cruise? I know for international travel for some countries they want you to have a passport that is good for 6 months from the end of the travel date. Is this true for cruises as well?