NCL Encore Daily Review "LIVE" With Freestyle Dailies

[tx121]

Today's spa special

[jfio1021]

what time did the hot tubs close

[CazV]

10 minutes ago, jfio1021 said:

what time did the hot tubs close

That information is in the Freestyle Dailies posted on previous pages. 

[worktocruise610]

such a great review!!!! loving the pics & all the info you've provided, getting me so excited for my cruise... hope you're having fun in between all this "work" you've been doing & I have to agree with the poster who said NCL should be paying you for this!

[Snorkelfoodie]

Such a great review! I was reading fine print on 1 of the dailies from a port day & it said no food allowed off the ship. Question: does this apply to pre-packaged sealed food? We have been on other cruise lines & have been allowed to bring commercial snacks such as chips, trail mix & protein/granola bars off ship for beach day. We are going to Bermuda in May & just need something light in afternoon  before returning to ship for supper. Planning on buying Soda & beverages at beach. Do you know if packaged snacks are allowed off ship? Thanks for taking time to respond to everyone’s questions! You rock!

[tx121]

6 hours ago, SunnyTahitianDaze said:

 

Tex (is that the TX?) sorry to bother you again, but if you can possibly find out how much the zip line is at GSC I would be SO obliged.  I am trying to decide if we should zipline in St Thomas or at GSC.

 

Thank you so much!!! 

 

The zipline is still in construction right now so there is no pricing available yet. Sorry! Here is a picture of the main point of the zipline. 

Also, I've been asking about the Bubly drink around different bars and some bartenders are saying no it is not included but....I can give it to you. So I guess you just have to get the right bartender who will do it for you. 😉

Edited February 8, 2020 by tx121

[SunnyTahitianDaze]

1 minute ago, tx121 said:

 

The zipline is still in construction right now so there is no pricing available yet. Sorry! Here is a picture of the main point of the zipline. 

Also, I've been asking about the Bubly drink around different bars and some bartenders are saying no it is not included but....I can give it to you. So I guess you just have to get the right bartender who will do it for you. 😉

 

 

WELL that explains why I can't find pricing for it!!  And thanks for your detective work!!!  I am a pretty charming person irl so I hope I can work my magic and score some fizzy water hahahaha!!!! And since you're asking so many people, you absolutely have to try the mango version, it is SO GOOD!!!!!!!

 

Thanks again!!!  🍻🍻🍻🍻

[tx121]

2 hours ago, Snorkelfoodie said:

Such a great review! I was reading fine print on 1 of the dailies from a port day & it said no food allowed off the ship. Question: does this apply to pre-packaged sealed food? We have been on other cruise lines & have been allowed to bring commercial snacks such as chips, trail mix & protein/granola bars off ship for beach day. We are going to Bermuda in May & just need something light in afternoon  before returning to ship for supper. Planning on buying Soda & beverages at beach. Do you know if packaged snacks are allowed off ship? Thanks for taking time to respond to everyone’s questions! You rock!

You're welcome! Glad you are enjoying! Yes anything sealed like cereal, chips, cookies can be taken off the ship. They just dont want you to bring anything like fruit, cooked items, etc off the ship.

[tx121]

3 hours ago, jfio1021 said:

what time did the hot tubs close

10pm but always check planner to make sure

Edited February 8, 2020 by tx121

[mdchachi]

Sad day for you.getting to last hours. Thanks again for all your posts. 
Dod you happen to know if they offer any WiFi packages onboard that’s different from what you can buy in advance?

 For example if I decide I want more than the 250 minutes I have, are there other options besides moving up to unlimited for $80? If not I may as well prepurchase now. 

[tx121]

8 minutes ago, mdchachi said:

Sad day for you.getting to last hours. Thanks again for all your posts. 
Dod you happen to know if they offer any WiFi packages onboard that’s different from what you can buy in advance?

 For example if I decide I want more than the 250 minutes I have, are there other options besides moving up to unlimited for $80? If not I may as well prepurchase now. 

Yes it feels weird that today is our last day since we are in port. I'm so used to having a sea day and then disembarking the next day. 

There were no specials onboard for wifi. I would upgrade to unlimited if it is only $80 more.

 

[McFins]

Thank you so very much for such a great review! 

 

[tx121]

Day 7- Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas

Part 1

 

I figured I write part 1 of my daily review while I am sitting on the pool deck. We all know how on the last day things get a little chaotic with packing, settling the bill, etc. So I figured I get a head start.

Today we are in Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas, NCLs private island. We actually "arrived" early around 8am. The captain made an announcement that because of the swells in the ocean, they would only be operating 2 tender boats today. The cruise director called groups 1 and 2 and those who are ready to get off the ship. We went to the Encore theater and then we were directed to get on the tenders on deck 4. It was a rough ride heading to the island but we made it. 

The weather in the morning was overcast with spots of sun at times. Since we were the first tender boat to arrive, we had a wide selection of seats to choose from. 

We went to the shore excursion booth to see how much snorkel equipment was to rent. We decided to go in the water and then decide if we needed to get the snorkel equipment.  Good thing we did because the water was sooo cold! The outdoor temperature was only 70-75 degrees.  The water was freezing! I attempted to go in waist deep, but my body rejected. We decided to lay out for an hour, get a burger and then head back to the ship. It was too cold and windy for a beach day. I rather layout by the pool and use the jacuzzi!

Before we went towards the tenders, I took a picture of the prices of rental equipment,  cabana rentals, watersports,etc. Look where I have the three red dots next to. Now what in the world??? Do people really have a interest in swimming with pigs on the beach for $100+?? 😆

The ride back to the ship was again very rocky, but we survived. Surprisingly it was 11:45am and there was still a large crowd trying to get to the island. Wouldn't want to fight those crowds trying to come back, so it was good we came back early!

I am enjoying the empty ship again by the pool deck and the WARM jacuzzis that are unoccupied! Life is good!

To be continued......

[sharktooth2005]

Thanks for all the great information.  Does the ship enforce the policy of being back on the ship 2 hours before sailing?

[ColeThornton]

21 minutes ago, sharktooth2005 said:

Thanks for all the great information.  Does the ship enforce the policy of being back on the ship 2 hours before sailing?

 

 

That only applies to embarkation day at the ships home port.

[stlcruise]

Excellent review!  Thank you so much for sharing the dailies, pics, tips and your experiences. We'll be sailing on the Encore March 15.  So excited!  Hoping they have a different Moscato (Menage a Trois) than what we had on the Getaway for New Years.  Enjoy your last day!  🙂

[tx121]

1 hour ago, sharktooth2005 said:

Thanks for all the great information.  Does the ship enforce the policy of being back on the ship 2 hours before sailing?

 

Besides embarkation port which is all guests to be on the ship 2 hours before departure, all other ports are half hour before departure. 

Edited February 8, 2020 by tx121

[tx121]

Day 7- Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas -Continued

Part 2

 

After our time at the pool, we went back to the room and took a bit of a rest before packing. Below is a flyer that explains the Debarkation process in Miami. Unlike other cruise lines, NCL let's you pick the color luggage tag you want. Each color coincides with the estimated time of departure. You can pick your color luggage tags at guest relations.

 

Packing is always a real downer because for obvious reasons that your vacation is coming to an end and the other reason is how the heck did I fit all this crap in my luggage in the first place?! Lol! 

We decided to do the self assist option where we will take our bags off the ship. We find it easier to do it this way, especially if things are getting backed up in the terminal / customs and you are just sitting around the ship waiting for your color to be called. 

After finally getting everything organized, we decided to use our last specialty dining credit at Q BBQ restaurant. Last night we used one credit for Food Republic and shared the 4 items. Tonight we used one credit for Q and again shared the meal. For food Republic and Q, we didnt have reservations and had no trouble getting seated. By using 1 credit, it allowed us to try 2 more specialty restaurants instead of one. 

You can definitely share the food at Q since the portions are big. We ordered the Deviled Eggs, Loaded Fries and the Pitmaster's feast which included 1/4 lb of brisket, chicken, 2 ribs and sausage along with corn bread, coleslaw, potato salad, pickles, and beans. Surely enough for 2! The food was good....It had that nice smokey flavor. The meat could have been seasoned more, but it was still good with the BBQ sauces provided. We finished it up with dessert- Banana Pudding which was delicious!

When we first walked in you see the place settings on the table with the Red Solo Cups. At first I was like wow that's kind of tacky serving us drinks in a plastic cup. But when you pick it up, it actually is a ceramic cup with the Q logo on it. Lol! Kind of clever!

We were stuffed after our meal. We decided to goto the atrium and watch the 55 second game show. It was ok, something to pass the time as we have no further plans for tonight.

Anyways, this concludes my experience on the NCL Encore. Thanks for coming along! I hope you guys enjoyed my review and that I answered your questions! We had a nice relaxing cruise vacation that let us escape the cold weather up north! Dreading going back home to cold dreary weather. 🤦‍♂️ 

Well if you have any other questions, feel free to ask. I will be posting my overall experience review in another thread with my pros and cons of the Encore and some tips. 

Hope you guys have a great vacation whenever that may be!

 

[david_sobe]

Thanks for taking us along.  A genius way to expand the specialty dining package especially since portions are so big.  Wonderful review.  Its always so sad the last night of a cruise.  But all good things must come to an end.  Thanks again for taking the time to post photos and your experiences!

[tx121]

3 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

Thanks for taking us along.  A genius way to expand the specialty dining package especially since portions are so big.  Wonderful review.  Its always so sad the last night of a cruise.  But all good things must come to an end.  Thanks again for taking the time to post photos and your experiences!

You're welcome! I think people should thank you too since I wouldn't of done the review if you didnt ask for it in the other thread. Lol!

[meatball_nyc]

Bravo.  Awesome review. Thanks for taking the time to share your trip with all of us. 

😎

Edited February 9, 2020 by meatball_nyc

[mdchachi]

Yes really appreciated as I'll be on the Encore in 8 days if all goes as planned.

 

I wonder if the 8% tax on the photos only applies on the last night or if you have to pay Florida tax no matter when you buy.

By the way, is it possible to pull the dining credit splitting trick in all the restaurants or only certain ones where it's easier to share the food?

[tx121]

32 minutes ago, mdchachi said:

Yes really appreciated as I'll be on the Encore in 8 days if all goes as planned.

 

I wonder if the 8% tax on the photos only applies on the last night or if you have to pay Florida tax no matter when you buy.

By the way, is it possible to pull the dining credit splitting trick in all the restaurants or only certain ones where it's easier to share the food?

I'm not too sure about the photos and the taxes on it. I havent bought photos on a cruise in awhile.

So I think splitting the dining credit can work at certain places more than others.

For instance, I think it would be harder to do it at Le Bistro since portions aren't that big. Also since it is a la carte pricing, if you want to order something extra, you can do so to add to your meal. 

 

 

Edited February 9, 2020 by tx121

[cruisinwmom]

Thank you again for taking the time to do this and all the info provided.  I’ll be boarding the ship tomorrow and your posts have helped so much.  This is definitely the most thorough information I’ve ever found on any cruise I’ve ever taken.  I hope you enjoyed your cruise and have a safe journey home.  

[tx121]

3 minutes ago, cruisinwmom said:

Thank you again for taking the time to do this and all the info provided.  I’ll be boarding the ship tomorrow and your posts have helped so much.  This is definitely the most thorough information I’ve ever found on any cruise I’ve ever taken.  I hope you enjoyed your cruise and have a safe journey home.  

Thanks! I'm glad I could help. I hope you guys have a wonderful cruise! So jealous that your vacation is just starting! Lol! Enjoy!