Reports from August 28 Encore Sailing

[The Traveling Man]

We just docked at Ward Cove, seven miles outside of Ketchikan.  We’re waiting for the initial rush of passengers to flood the shuttle bus line, then we’ll head down to the gangway after the surge.  We have been to Ketchikan several times before, so we didn’t book a shorex.  We’ll just stroll the town on our own, find a great place for a seafood lunch, do some shopping, then hop a shuttle back.  Our Alaskan adventure is starting to come to a close!

[KAYKAY121]

1 hour ago, The Traveling Man said:

We sailed by the glacier yesterday.  We have done it several times before on previous NCL cruises.  This time was a bit different.  On the Sun, Spirit, and even the Joy we were able to get very close to the glacier.  Yesterday the Encore was at least a quarter mile, and maybe a half mile, farther away than previous cruises.  In the past, the captain would enter the fjord, then slowly spin the ship a full 360 so everyone could get a great view from their balcony.  The Encore just did a 180, so only the port side had a view.  We were waiting on our starboard balcony for the glacier to come into view.  When we realized the ship wasn’t going to continue turning, we headed down to Deck 8, port side. We still were disappointed in how far away we were, but there is an alternative, although it comes at a price of $249 per person.  You can board a tender at the dock inJuneau and sail ahead of the ship to view the glacier up close and personal.  The catamaran they use gets within about 100 feet of the glacier.  It also slows down for views of any bears, seals, or other animals in the area.  The tender then pulls alongside the ship so passengers can re-board before the ship departs the fjord.  A bit pricey, but given the fact that the ship no longer comes close to the glacier, it may be worth it.  As I said, we’ve been there, done that, so it didn’t really disappoint to be so far away, but for first time travelers to Alaska, it surely is something to consider.

Thanks for the advice. 🙂

[wacruiselover]

It might have gotten lost earlier in this thread but I am curious about what productions are being done each evening in the theater. Specifically what nights for each of the following: Choir of Man, The Beatles show (main theater show), Company Men, any other productions.Leaving on the Encore on September 4 and just trying to make plans. Thank you in advance.

[The Traveling Man]

21 hours ago, wacruiselover said:

It might have gotten lost earlier in this thread but I am curious about what productions are being done each evening in the theater. Specifically what nights for each of the following: Choir of Man, The Beatles show (main theater show), Company Men, any other productions.Leaving on the Encore on September 4 and just trying to make plans. Thank you in advance.

Kinky Boots were on Monday and Tuesday.  The Beatles tribute band had the main stage on Sunday.  Choir of Man was Thursday and Friday.  The early shows were all at 7:30.  The late show for Kinky Boots started at 10:30 while the others began at 10:00.  Kinky Boots runs close to two hours, so their late show ends after midnight.

[The Traveling Man]

21 hours ago, wacruiselover said:

It might have gotten lost earlier in this thread but I am curious about what productions are being done each evening in the theater. Specifically what nights for each of the following: Choir of Man, The Beatles show (main theater show), Company Men, any other productions.Leaving on the Encore on September 4 and just trying to make plans. Thank you in advance.

Company Men was a fill in while Kinky Boots was getting ready.  It was on several of the previous cruises, but not on ours.

[wacruiselover]

23 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

Kinky Boots were on Monday and Tuesday.  The Beatles tribute band had the main stage on Sunday.  Choir of Man was Thursday and Friday.  The early shows were all at 7:30.  The late show for Kinky Boots started at 10:30 while the others began at 10:00.  Kinky Boots runs close to two hours, so their late show ends after midnight.

Thank you so much! We were hoping to see Company Men too but I understand NCL's choice. Looks like my dinner reservations will work.

Edited September 3, 2021 by wacruiselover

[Missholls9]

On 9/2/2021 at 12:53 PM, The Traveling Man said:

We sailed by the glacier yesterday.  We have done it several times before on previous NCL cruises.  This time was a bit different.  On the Sun, Spirit, and even the Joy we were able to get very close to the glacier.  Yesterday the Encore was at least a quarter mile, and maybe a half mile, farther away than previous cruises.  In the past, the captain would enter the fjord, then slowly spin the ship a full 360 so everyone could get a great view from their balcony.  The Encore just did a 180, so only the port side had a view.  We were waiting on our starboard balcony for the glacier to come into view.  When we realized the ship wasn’t going to continue turning, we headed down to Deck 8, port side. We still were disappointed in how far away we were, but there is an alternative, although it comes at a price of $249 per person.  You can board a tender at the dock inJuneau and sail ahead of the ship to view the glacier up close and personal.  The catamaran they use gets within about 100 feet of the glacier.  It also slows down for views of any bears, seals, or other animals in the area.  The tender then pulls alongside the ship so passengers can re-board before the ship departs the fjord.  A bit pricey, but given the fact that the ship no longer comes close to the glacier, it may be worth it.  As I said, we’ve been there, done that, so it didn’t really disappoint to be so far away, but for first time travelers to Alaska, it surely is something to consider.

I know I’ve seen mention that while cruising glacier bay there’s been narration on the ship. And they serve hot cocoa on deck. With this new format did they still have that someplace? Or was that all part of the experience you have to pay for? 

[AtlantaCruiser72]

1 hour ago, The Traveling Man said:

Kinky Boots were on Monday and Tuesday.  The Beatles tribute band had the main stage on Sunday.  Choir of Man was Thursday and Friday.  The early shows were all at 7:30.  The late show for Kinky Boots started at 10:30 while the others began at 10:00.  Kinky Boots runs close to two hours, so their late show ends after midnight.

 

How long were Choir of Man and the Beatles tribute? 45min, and hour, 90 min?  Trying to develop a dining strategy

[rj59]

When I was on the Joy, they also opened the front bow area of the ship for the glacier viewing, which was freezing but had great views, especially since when the ship does its spin, you're quite close to the fjord cliffs. For those who enjoy glaciers, Hubbard is the most amazing, since it's the only glacier actually growing and is the most immense, so you get some amazing calving. 

[The Traveling Man]

4 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

 

How long were Choir of Man and the Beatles tribute? 45min, and hour, 90 min?  Trying to develop a dining strategy

Beatles - about 45 or 50 minutes

Choir of Man - started about 15 minutes early, ran about 90 minutes

Kinky Boots - about an hour and 45

[AtlantaCruiser72]

2 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

Beatles - about 45 or 50 minutes

Choir of Man - started about 15 minutes early, ran about 90 minutes

Kinky Boots - about an hour and 45

Thank you - that is VERY helpful!

[LoveByrds]

I'm onboard the Encore right now, and Alaska has been wonderful! 

 

I went on the glacier excursion that brings you up Endicott arm. We got within a quarter mile of the glacier. Every person I spoke to on the excursion said it was worth it, and I agree!!! Especially since the ship didn't do a 360, and many missed seeing it altogether.

 

Choir of Man was cancelled tonight (Friday) due to technical difficulties.

[home-mom]

On 9/2/2021 at 11:53 AM, The Traveling Man said:

We sailed by the glacier yesterday.  We have done it several times before on previous NCL cruises.  This time was a bit different.  On the Sun, Spirit, and even the Joy we were able to get very close to the glacier.  Yesterday the Encore was at least a quarter mile, and maybe a half mile, farther away than previous cruises.  In the past, the captain would enter the fjord, then slowly spin the ship a full 360 so everyone could get a great view from their balcony.  The Encore just did a 180, so only the port side had a view.  We were waiting on our starboard balcony for the glacier to come into view.  When we realized the ship wasn’t going to continue turning, we headed down to Deck 8, port side. We still were disappointed in how far away we were, but there is an alternative, although it comes at a price of $249 per person.  You can board a tender at the dock inJuneau and sail ahead of the ship to view the glacier up close and personal.  The catamaran they use gets within about 100 feet of the glacier.  It also slows down for views of any bears, seals, or other animals in the area.  The tender then pulls alongside the ship so passengers can re-board before the ship departs the fjord.  A bit pricey, but given the fact that the ship no longer comes close to the glacier, it may be worth it.  As I said, we’ve been there, done that, so it didn’t really disappoint to be so far away, but for first time travelers to Alaska, it surely is something to consider.

We were on the glacier excursion and it was wonderful. I highly recommend it. However we only paid $174 per adult before the $50 shore excursion discount and $110 for our daughter. I’m glad now as we were starboard. I had no idea the ship didn’t do a 360. 

[nitesiren]

13 hours ago, LoveByrds said:

I'm onboard the Encore right now, and Alaska has been wonderful! 

 

I went on the glacier excursion that brings you up Endicott arm. We got within a quarter mile of the glacier. Every person I spoke to on the excursion said it was worth it, and I agree!!! Especially since the ship didn't do a 360, and many missed seeing it altogether.

 

Choir of Man was cancelled tonight (Friday) due to technical difficulties.

We saw the Choir Men I believe Thursday night and they were fantastic! Catch their show if you are on the boat. Not sure if their contract has ended or is ending with Norwegian as they mentioned they will start touring in the US in January 2022. We saw them back in 2019 on the Escape and they were a smaller group then. Kinky Boots is definitely back. Also check out the 2 comedians Spencer James and Lenny Schmidt. We saw the PG and the 18+ shows and both were funny.

Edited September 4, 2021 by nitesiren

[Wink87]

5 hours ago, home-mom said:

We were on the glacier excursion and it was wonderful. I highly recommend it. However we only paid $174 per adult before the $50 shore excursion discount and $110 for our daughter. I’m glad now as we were starboard. I had no idea the ship didn’t do a 360. 

My cruise departing on Sept 25 has Juneau then glacier bay. I don't see an excursion out of Juneau for an excursion like this, nor an excursion right off the ship in glacier bay to do this. I had this planned right off our celebrity cruise within the glacier but that cruise got cancelled. Any help would be appreciated. I guess I could check on board but I know this one fills up fast. 

[OrcaGirl]

8 minutes ago, Wink87 said:

My cruise departing on Sept 25 has Juneau then glacier bay. I don't see an excursion out of Juneau for an excursion like this, nor an excursion right off the ship in glacier bay to do this. I had this planned right off our celebrity cruise within the glacier but that cruise got cancelled. Any help would be appreciated. I guess I could check on board but I know this one fills up fast. 

 

If you read the fine print on the excursion offering, it says "Due to diminishing daylight and ice condition this tour is not available in early May or mid to late August." I would assume that also applies to this year's late September and early October sailings.

[The Traveling Man]

6 hours ago, home-mom said:

We were on the glacier excursion and it was wonderful. I highly recommend it. However we only paid $174 per adult before the $50 shore excursion discount and $110 for our daughter. I’m glad now as we were starboard. I had no idea the ship didn’t do a 360. 

The Endicott Arm excursion still is listed on the NCL website as $249 for adults.  I didn’t check with shorex on board to see if they were offering a different price, but it sounds like you got a bargain.  When I spoke with GM Deepak yesterday he said that the itinerary would soon be changed to skip Skagway and rearrange the glacier day so the ship could spend more time in ISP and Juneau.  I don’t know when that change is scheduled to take effect, but it definitely could impact the glacier explorer tour.

[eileeshb]

3 hours ago, nitesiren said:

We saw the Choir Men I believe Thursday night and they were fantastic! Catch their show if you are on the boat. Not sure if their contract has ended or is ending with Norwegian as they mentioned they will start touring in the US in January 2022. We saw them back in 2019 on the Escape and they were a smaller group then. Kinky Boots is definitely back. Also check out the 2 comedians Spencer James and Lenny Schmidt. We saw the PG and the 18+ shows and both were funny.

NCL doesn’t change out their main shows very often, but they do swap out entire casts every 6 months or so. On 2 of my 3 cruises one of the shows had a brand new cast which meant that particular show was only on in the second half of the week as they got used to the theatre space. 2 of the girls had falls in one of the shows 1st night, one tripped going up the steps to the stage and another fell off a platform setup within the theatre seating. They both continued like champs, but I could see the collection of bruises they had on their legs when they passed by me. 

[Baxter68]

So not that it matters to ones who have already had their trip, but here is the itinerary for the October 16th sailing, for anyone who’s curious. Skagway is off and a whole day for Glacier bay cruising, now just hoping for unseasonably calm/clear weather.

[disneylover89]

13 hours ago, Baxter68 said:

So not that it matters to ones who have already had their trip, but here is the itinerary for the October 16th sailing, for anyone who’s curious. Skagway is off and a whole day for Glacier bay cruising, now just hoping for unseasonably calm/clear weather.

What excursion did you book for Glacier Bay cruising day?

[Sailing12Away]

On 8/30/2021 at 12:32 PM, wacruiselover said:

Like many of the folks reading this forum, I am booked on the September 4 sailing of the Encore. I eagerly read every post from the excellent reports from @BirdTravels  on the 8/7 cruise and @drumexpert510on the 8/21 cruise as they were posted. These live reviews have given me great comfort regarding our upcoming cruise and increased my excitement to be cruising again. Thank you both for all the hours you spent to give us so much information and insight.

 

That said, I have not seen any reviews from the current cruise that left on 8/28! With just 5 days left before embarkation it would really be nice to see what is happening now. Specifically, could someone detail their current testing and boarding experience? What about the muster assembly, booking for entertainment and specialty dining, etc. Since my bride hates viewing things on a phone, are you able to get the Freestyle Daily in print form? Thank you in advance and to all my fellow September 4 cruisers, see you onboard!

I was on that sailing, we just got home last night. I'll take the time to read through all the questions in here soon, but there's a lot of answers in our roll call thread. That's where most of us were posting and keeping each other updated on things we learned and experienced and saw.

 

Short answer to most questions: testing was at pier 66 conference center, there's an upstairs one for most guests and a separate one for disabled guests who can't climb the stairs. In the morning they were strict about not letting you in for your testing unless you were within 15 mins of your time on the eDocs, less strict later on or based on how crowded it was.

 

Kinky Boots & Choir of Man are both on board, although the 2nd day of CoM was cancelled due to 'technical difficulties' - so those of who waited for the last sea day to see them missed out. Beatles also performed in the main theater one night, and Cavern Club a few other nights. The crowd was dead unfortunately, so we felt bad for the performers. When I as a 40 yr old person am the only one who knows the words and singing along, that is bad... We wanted to catch them in the smaller Cavern Club to see if it was a better crowd, but never found the time.

 

We saw the Northern Lights from our aft balcony one night, so that was a nice bonus. Saw tons of whales in Icy Straight Point and Juneau, saw a mama bear and her cub in Ketchikan, lots of seals and bald eagles. We had perfect weather on all days except Ketchikan, and even then it was just rainy. Warm though - so I didn't mind the rain. 

[Baxter68]

3 hours ago, disneylover89 said:

What excursion did you book for Glacier Bay cruising day?

Oh sorry, that’s just a dinner reservation 

[The Traveling Man]

2 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

I was on that sailing, we just got home last night. I'll take the time to read through all the questions in here soon, but there's a lot of answers in our roll call thread. That's where most of us were posting and keeping each other updated on things we learned and experienced and saw.

 

Short answer to most questions: testing was at pier 66 conference center, there's an upstairs one for most guests and a separate one for disabled guests who can't climb the stairs. In the morning they were strict about not letting you in for your testing unless you were within 15 mins of your time on the eDocs, less strict later on or based on how crowded it was.

 

Kinky Boots & Choir of Man are both on board, although the 2nd day of CoM was cancelled due to 'technical difficulties' - so those of who waited for the last sea day to see them missed out. Beatles also performed in the main theater one night, and Cavern Club a few other nights. The crowd was dead unfortunately, so we felt bad for the performers. When I as a 40 yr old person am the only one who knows the words and singing along, that is bad... We wanted to catch them in the smaller Cavern Club to see if it was a better crowd, but never found the time.

 

We saw the Northern Lights from our aft balcony one night, so that was a nice bonus. Saw tons of whales in Icy Straight Point and Juneau, saw a mama bear and her cub in Ketchikan, lots of seals and bald eagles. We had perfect weather on all days except Ketchikan, and even then it was just rainy. Warm though - so I didn't mind the rain. 

They also had COVID testing at the International Trade Mart, across Alaskan Way from the pier and next door to the Marriott.  They did not seem to be checking arrival times, so we went in just after they opened at 9:30, even though our cruise check in time was listed as 11:00 - 11:30.  After COVID testing we went back to our room in the Marriott to finish packing, then walked to the pier at 11:00.  We also noticed a line for COVID testing at the Trade Mart yesterday when we got off the ship.

[Sailing12Away]

On 8/30/2021 at 7:39 PM, Korlad said:

Has there been any talk about people in these last 3 Encore cruises that tested positive before boarding and being denied? It's not even the Covid being the issue for this topic- it's the luggage. Everyone talks about dropping off luggage with porter BEFORE going for the test. If you tested positive, your luggage is gone for a week. Are people allowed to bring their luggage in to the testing area? October 9 can't come fast enough.

I didn't hear anything about passengers testing positive, but there were a few people being called by name (rather than bingo number) while in the waiting room. Not sure if they needed retesting, or if they missed their bingo number and had been sitting longer than 'normal' and Eurofins was trying to clear the room out. While on board we did get a letter indicating that a few crew members had tested positive and contact tracing was underway to test passengers that may have interacted with them.

 

On 9/2/2021 at 2:53 PM, The Traveling Man said:

We still were disappointed in how far away we were, but there is an alternative, although it comes at a price of $249 per person.  You can board a tender at the dock inJuneau and sail ahead of the ship to view the glacier up close and personal.  The catamaran they use gets within about 100 feet of the glacier.  It also slows down for views of any bears, seals, or other animals in the area.  The tender then pulls alongside the ship so passengers can re-board before the ship departs the fjord.  

We booked it at $174/pp before the lattitudes and shore excursion discounts, worth every penny. Saw a juvenile humpback that was doing the backstroke and waving to us, got to sit there watching him for a good 5-10 mins. Got up close to watch seals as well, saw a bunch chilling on icebergs that were floating by. The crew also snagged an iceberg from the boat and made margaritas with the fresh glacier ice. Some of us were fancy in the Haven bar and had Talisker on the rocks glacier style when we returned to the Encore.

00023.MTS

On 9/4/2021 at 1:39 PM, Wink87 said:

My cruise departing on Sept 25 has Juneau then glacier bay. I don't see an excursion out of Juneau for an excursion like this, nor an excursion right off the ship in glacier bay to do this. I had this planned right off our celebrity cruise within the glacier but that cruise got cancelled. Any help would be appreciated. I guess I could check on board but I know this one fills up fast. 

This is the one we were on - looks like the price went up, but it's still worth every penny. https://www.ncl.com/shore-excursions/JNU_15/Tracy-Arm-Fjord-Glacier-Explorer ?destination=Alaska+Cruises&port=JNU&sort=searchWeight&sortOrder=asc&perPage=12&startingRecord=24

 

[Sailing12Away]

The attachment above is a video of the backstroking humpback. I'm too lazy to remember my youtube password to post it there for easier viewing.