Norwegian Encore – The Great Cruise Comeback Live

[Baxter68]

I am absolutely loving reading this thread! So informative and adds to my excitement of our October sailing! Very grateful for all that you are doing and everyone’s humor and input!! 

Edited August 11, 2021 by Baxter68

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, JCDCA said:

On the ship next months and a couple quick questions:

 

1 - any issue with buying a specialty dining package once onboard?  I’ve already booked specialty dinners but have several hundred in onboard credit.  So figured a good use would be dining package.  No way to pay with OBC already showing up in my account in advance is there?

 

2 - is only way to buy a spa pass in advance to call?  I’m not seeing it as an option for purchase ahead of time.  It also looks to be for sale once onboard.

 

3 - I’m assuming the WiFi is pretty decent this trip allowing you to upload the various pictures?  Has to be better than AOS.  
 

Thanks!

1. Nope. You can buy it onboard. And use your OBC to cover the costs. 
 

2. For this cruise, you had to call to add it. You can definitely buy it onboard and make a spa technician very happy. And use your OBC to cover the cost. 
 

3. Wi-Fi is ok. Much much better than Royal’s Voom. Voom was not Vroom on the Adventure. And the Adventure had several multi-hour outages. 

[tutuwahineLV]

2 hours ago, lks93 said:

We are booked on the Sept 4th Encore cruise to Alaska.  We are hoping to be able to see the Northern Lights.  We realize it is early... but fingers crossed.  Has anyone been on an Alaska Cruise in early September and seen the Northern Lights?

my cousin was on one in late Aug a few years ago, and caught them.  very late , in the darkest part of the night...there is always the possibility.   There is an Aurora forecast app that you can download that will let you know what the possibility is. 

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, BT97000 said:

FYI Taking your hat off will help not getting a false temp.  My grandson going into school would have an elevated temp with his hat on, so he would take off the hat and wait a few minutes and his temp was normal.  

You must remove hats and glasses at the gangway for facial recognition. 

Edited August 11, 2021 by BirdTravels

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, Shellbelle28 said:

Very cool, but I think I'll miss that lovely walk from the old pier to the tourist area. And OMG, had the best halibut and chips ever at the fish shack on the boardwalk there at Icy Strait Point! I hope that's still there! 

You still can walk down the boardwalk to get back to the gondolas. You’ll walk by the new Orca monument by Wyland and a gift from NCL and Frank Del Rio. 
 

Seasonal staffing at the last minute was impossible to come by, so some stores and restaurants did not open this season. 

Edited August 11, 2021 by BirdTravels

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, NW Pacific said:

So envious!!!  At what point did you show your Vaccination Card

At check in for testing. 

[RumRunner2021]

12 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

You must remove hats and glasses at the gangway for facial recognition. 

I think the suggestion was to remove the hat well in advance of reaching the gangway.

1 minute ago, BirdTravels said:

At check in for testing. 

Did they "study" it?  Look at it?  Glance at it?  Just curious.  Ours are pretty official looking, but some have talked about cards that were completely hand written, mostly by the recipient.

[BirdTravels]

9 hours ago, Shellbelle28 said:

I don't know about that, I've seen NCL staff load passengers onto a tender bouncing on heavy swells with great speed! 😊

The gondolas are slowed for those who need more time. And stop to load wheelchairs. Happened multiple times per ride. 

[BirdTravels]

On 8/9/2021 at 8:58 PM, EllieinNJ said:

What a shame Le Bistro replaced their delicious rack of lamb with a measly lamb shank.  Well at least they still have escargot and mushroom soup.

Well,,, we tried the new lamb dish (chops and shank) tonight and it was pretty good. We’ll give them a thumbs up. The shank melts in your mouth tender  

[BirdTravels]

Escape to virtual reality in the Galaxy Pavillon. 

[BirdTravels]

Today, we are back on track with a “normal cruise”. And the freestyle dailies from this point forward should reflect what will be done next week. 
 

The Bird had the opportunity to speak with the General Manager tonight. If we had called at Skagway as planned today, there was a high probability that we would not have been able to dock due to the high wind. 
 

[BirdTravels]

Day 4 Main Dining Room

[BirdTravels]

Good Night

 

Edited August 11, 2021 by BirdTravels

[maggieq]

I can’t say thank you enough 1. For giving us cruisers a great live review and Alaska no less that I am hoping we can do for first time next year and 2. Posting pictures of the Encore - we cruised for our first time on NCL on Encores TA.  We didn’t no what to expect - we had a fabulous time. 

[kfnesq]

10 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Yes, first week in September in 2018 on Bliss. I caught some but many on our cruise got amazing photos at about 2 in the morning.

We were on that same cruise - my husband stayed up and took amazing northern lights photos from our balcony, about 2-3am!

[BirdTravels]

Good Morning Juneau!

 

Currently 52 degrees and cloudy at 6 am ADT. 
 

The Captain has already been on the PA reminding people the all aboard is 1 pm sharp for departure to the Dawes Glacier. Yesterday, even though we were on port from 7 am to 8 pm, there were still a bunch of pier runners. 
 

We are docked at the AJ dock. Like most other NCL Alaskan ports, it is not the main cruise terminal in town and you need to catch a complimentary shuttle to the main cruise port or walk about a mile each way. 
 

[kitty-sail]

Thank you so very much for this wonderful informative post. Terrific job - pixs . Glad to see NCL upgraded their menus. Looks like they upgraded the wine list too.  Appreciate pre-boarding info and changes from covid.

Will be on the Haven Encore end of next yr and can't wait.

[BirdTravels]

Don’t feel like going ashore? Time to get pampered at the Spa!  

[NJGeorge]

Looks like the Alaska ports are as industrial as the Hawaiian ones.

If I never hear another back-up alarm it will be too soon!

[zerooveride]

5 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Don’t feel like going ashore? Time to get pampered at the Spa!  

What is the cost for a Thermal Suite day pass? Sea Day vs. Port Day?

[kitty-sail]

How did NCL handle shore excursion tickets?  Since Dailies have gone paperless are shore excursions paperless too?

Edited August 11, 2021 by kitty-sail

[BirdTravels]

4 minutes ago, zerooveride said:

What is the cost for a Thermal Suite day pass? Sea Day vs. Port Day?

I think that it was $269 for the week. Day passes are sold at the discretion of the Spa and I have never seen them sold on a sea day. 

[zerooveride]

25 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

I think that it was $269 for the week. Day passes are sold at the discretion of the Spa and I have never seen them sold on a sea day. 

Did they offer it in the port yesterday or today? Do you know the cost for the port day? 

[snorklinbarb]

The Bird must have roller skates to provide us with all these marvelous photos!

 

Lamb chop/shank dish looked really good to me!  I happen to love shank especially when as tender as you described plus there are still 2 rack of lamb chops.  Does not look like the "downgrade" some here feared and the Bird gave a thumbs up! Before there were 3 chops and usually by the 3rd I was pretty well done.  So I'm actually looking forward to trying it.

 

If you have time to pop into the buffet, do tell what the "Alaskan Buffet" is.  Looks like NCL has upgraded the buffet....saw the photo of the suckling pig on embarkation day among so much else.  We always prefer sit down MDR but good to know about the Garden Cafe.  Love those theme nights especially the Indian food.

 

If you exceeded your Platinum Plus voucher amount (I guess in Cagney's for you), did they charge the difference?  Where did you use the 2nd?

 

Too bad about the suspension of the Officers' Dinner.  We always sign up and have enjoyed many lovely evenings that way.

 

Continue to have fun!  Thanks again for your supreme efforts to show us all around the ship and share menus and programs.  

 

 

[Dejlig Ko]

Hello Bird and another big thank you for your insights and photos. We board Sep 11th. I have quite a few speciality restaurant bookings, but now have friends joining so will need to change the bookings to a party of 4 and maybe adjust the times by 15mins or so. questions for you.

-Can you change reservations onboard on you phone, TV Screen or the touch screens near the elevators. Or can you only make new reservations via those options.

- Do you think going to the dining desk on day one is a better option? 

- Should I call and cancell what I already have and start over onboard?

Appreciate your thoughts in advance. 😍