Encore-Alaska-Oct 2nd to Oct 9th, 2021

[graphicguy]

SUMMATION.....

 

This was an iconic cruise for us for a variety of reasons.

 

1.  It was the first time my GF and I could cruise together in over 2 years.  

2.  Neither of us had ever been to Alaska, and we had some trepidation booking it so late in the season.

3.  The Encore is one of NCL's newest/biggest ships. But, sailing ½ capacity enabled us to not have to encounter any waits, for anything.  The elevators were quick and never crowded.  No areas on the ship were even crowded.  

 

There was little smoking that I noticed.  I did notice a little bit at Maltings, the whiskey bar right next to the Cigar Lounge.  But, I didn't frequent there, so no biggie.  I saw NO SMOKERS in the enclosed smoking areas in the Casino, which I was surprised about.

4.  I had vowed never to cruise NCL again after they had screwed both of us over upon the start up of their cruises, again.  This was her choice, though.  Am I glad I went?  Absolutely!!!!! Am I still untrusting regarding NCL?  Absolutely!!!!!

 

SHIP......

 

There were 2069 guests on board.  There were also 1,700 crew on board.  While the ship didn't feel empty, there were no waits for elevators, restaurants (including specialty restaurants) any entertainment/shows...no waits even for popular attractions like the VR Galaxy Pavilion and the Go Carts.

 

As expected, the ship being relatively new, and just recently sailing again, it was impeccable as far as cleanliness and furnishings.

 

Our Club Balcony Suite (actually, a Balcony cabin with a larger bathroom, with a double sink and large shower with multiple shower head functionality) was clean, showed no sign of wear and comfortable!  

 

There was plenty to do on the ship, even though the cold/cool weather kept everyone out of the pools.  With games in the atrium, liquor tastings, activities, Alaska lectures, etc, we always found something we found interesting, day or night.  I know it's gimmicky, but I really enjoyed the go carts and the VR Galaxy Pavilion.

 

While I'm not a Spa person, per se, the GF is.  If she's happy, I'm happy.  I only spent a couple of cruise days in the spa, especially the wave pool and the hot tub.  I also enjoyed the thermal sauna and salt room.  The GF used the SPA EVERY DAY.  She'd take a book, get a heated tile lounger and spend hours there.  All in all, it was a nice place to be, especially with the view afforded to us when we used the loungers.

 

The ship is huge.  But, walking it, it didn't feel as big as it was.  Generally speaking, it was easy to get around.  We were on deck 15, near the Observation Lounge, which proved to be ideal for us, as we spent a lot of time there.

 

Bars....

 

Plenty of them...you almost trip over them.  They all had themes, but at the end of the day, you could get a beer just about anywhere.  Martini?  Got a bar for that.  Wine?  Got another bar for that.  Mojitos?  Yep!  Whiskey?  Of course!  They brew their own beer, and have a tavern just for their local beers (District).  We only had a couple of days with weather that didn't allow us to have a cocktail at the outside bars (we preferred the Cavern outside bar).  50º-60º F temps afforded us the ability to hang along the Waterfront for a bit.  It took me a bit, but I finally realized they did away with the ICE BAR.  No great loss.  We did it once.  No need to do it again.

 

Restaurants....

 

We mostly ate in the Specialty Restaurants for dinner because they were either part of our package and/or because of our Latitude status (Platinum).  We ate in Cagney's (2x).  What a big step up from the pre-coved shutdown.  Food, across the board was higher quality and better prepared.  Food Republic was great.  Really fresh and a wide variety of "fusion" food, very tasty.  Los Lobos...mentioned earlier in the thread, the Tex-Mex food was as good as I've had anywhere, including TX,m which is the mecca of Tex-Mex food.  We ate in the Manhattan room once, just to try it.  Quite good and a beautiful space, actually overlooking the Aft of the ship.  Most mornings were spent in the Observation Lounges for coffee and pastries (along with quiche, sometimes).  And, most afternoons, if we weren't dining near our excursion areas, we'd catch pub food at the Local.

 

We skipped LeBistro because we wanted to do Cagney's twice.  Glad we went that route.  Not that LeBistro is bad.  They just have a limited menu and neither of us were bowled over by their menu choices.

 

All food was fresh, served quickly and politely with great service, regardless of what venue we dined.

 

We never made reservations, and we never had to wait.  We decided what we wanted to eat, where we wanted to eat, and would just show up.  If they were open, we were seated immediately.

 

Food and service exceeded our expectations (and we're dined with MSC, RCCL, Carnival, HAL...I've dined with Celebrity).

 

 SERVICE.....

 

Our Steward was not intrusive and always had our cabin spic and span, usually baffling us on how he could do it when we'd only been gone for breakfast, dinner, lunch or just a quick run to another Deck.

 

Internet was actually pretty good.  We got 30 minutes for Platinum and another 250 minutes for "Choose 5 Free" promo.  We cashed those in to upgrade to their no limit streaming package.  Our speeds went up upon upgrade.  You aren't going to get 100Mbps, but we got 5Mbps (except when we were in some areas surrounded by mountains).  Not great.  But, not bad, either.

 

Everyone, everywhere, were so happy to see us.  After the first day, most addressed us by name.  The places we frequented, had our preferred drinks ready and waiting for us as we approached.  I'm a creature of habit.  My GF, on the other hand, sometimes gets indecisive about her drink choices.  Especially in the Observation Lounge, the "mix masters" would come up with a concoction they thought she might like.  I can only think of one drink she said she wasn't sure about (but she drank it anyway....couldn't have been that bad).

 

Everyone, from the servers in the Garden Cafe to the Cagney's chef, from the staff in Mandalay Spa to the Customer Service representatives, etc couldn't have been more accommodating or any nicer and seemingly happy to see us.

 

Upon embarkation and disembarkation we encountered no lines getting on or off, ever.  We just walked on and walked off whenever we wanted when docked.

 

EXCURSIONS....

 

We used the Excursions from NCL.  We did not know Alaska all that well (vs the Caribbean where we do have our own excursion sources).  So, we relied on NCL.  Glad we did.  From the Whale Watching excursion to the hike around Mendenhal Glacier, they were exactly what we were looking for.  With the $50 per excursion credit, I thought there was actually decent value with the excursions.  At this time, I would not recommend any excursion booked outside of NCL in Alaska.  Shouldn't be too difficult, given there's this week's cruise and one after that before the Alaska season is over.

 

ENTERTAINMENT.....

 

This is what NCL does well.  Every evening, there was a supremely gifted vocalist/pianist in the Observation Lounge.  She could go from Bach to the Beatles. Just a pleasure to listen to and watch perform.  There was a 4 piece house band in the Atrium who would have a theme every evening.  One night Adele, maybe the next night Motown.  Also quite good.  GF and I were reminiscing and realized we didn't see the comedian on board.  Don't know why. Just never got around to it.

 

But, we caught both sets of the Beatles cover band (very, very good at it).  One night they did their early '60s music.  On another night, they did their later music (say from Rubber Soul onward). They performed, where else, but the Cavern Club.  Both nights, wonderful.

 

The headlining show, they only did once.  But, boy was it really, really good.....Choir Of Man. If they had a 2nd show, we would have been there...maybe for a 3rd show, too.  NCL does Vegas/Broadway shows better than anyone.

 

Again, we found entertainment every night.  And again, no waits (although if you don't arrive to the Cavern Club about 20 minutes in advance, you'll be standing along the sides the entire show).  We got seats where we wanted whenever we showed up.  We were usually about 20 minutes early for showtime, though.

 

NITS....I just returned from a Celebrity EDGE cruise in the Caribbean in August.  When they say, all included, they mean it.  There were no add-ons for tips, or anything else in their All Included package.  NCL?  Not so much.  We were still charged $18/day even though we had the "Choose 5 free" package.  Just left a bad taste with me after experiencing Celebrity's implementation.

 

Hard to find Casino Cash Hold'em Games.  They preferred the tournaments (where they make more money).  That was a first.  Usually on an NCL ship, I could find a cash Hold'em game relatively easily.  To my knowledge, no one won in the casino.  I know cruise ship casinos are tight.  But, NO ONE WON?

 

As such, we did not spend a lot of time in the Casino, which is unusual for both of us.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed this cruise.  There are many reasons, but mainly we got to visit a mystical land on a new ship, being pampered by the best service personnel in the cruise industry.  Will we be back?  Dunno.  I'm trying to get her to go on Celebrity with me.

 

We'll see.

 

Thanks for following along.  Hope you got some useful info, and if not that, maybe a little entertainment out of the posts.  

 

Happy sailing!!!!!!

[telecheck]

34 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

SUMMATION.....

 

This was an iconic cruise for us for a variety of reasons.

 

1.  It was the first time my GF and I could cruise together in over 2 years.  

2.  Neither of us had ever been to Alaska, and we had some trepidation booking it so late in the season.

3.  The Encore is one of NCL's newest/biggest ships. But, sailing ½ capacity enabled us to not have to encounter any waits, for anything.  The elevators were quick and never crowded.  No areas on the ship were even crowded.  

 

There was little smoking that I noticed.  I did notice a little bit at Maltings, the whiskey bar right next to the Cigar Lounge.  But, I didn't frequent there, so no biggie.  I saw NO SMOKERS in the enclosed smoking areas in the Casino, which I was surprised about.

4.  I had vowed never to cruise NCL again after they had screwed both of us over upon the start up of their cruises, again.  This was her choice, though.  Am I glad I went?  Absolutely!!!!! Am I still untrusting regarding NCL?  Absolutely!!!!!

 

 

What an amazing trip report. The incredibly nice weather deserved so much credits also. You pretty much won the weather lottery. So nice that you could even see the northern lights. The princess cruise sailed about a week before yours had to cancel two ports of call due to two consecutive storms. A lot of people got sick and had to stay in their cabins for the entire trip due to extremely rough seas. The NCL Encore cruise that sailed right after yours (Which is the one currently sailing to Alaska) is having a pretty stormy week that they will have to shorten their time at port.

[Baxter68]

4 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Thanks for following along.  Hope you got some useful info, and if not that, maybe a little entertainment out of the posts.  

Thoroughly enjoyed following along with you from your first posting on this cruise. We are on the last Alaska Encore sailing of the season, so all the updates and  reviews have answered so many questions and kept us very excited! 
Appreciate all your time and  your diplomatic/candid approach.
This is  my first cruise ever and it’s been awhile for the hubby. Sailing celebrity in May (hopefully) in the Mediterranean so interested in doing a very general comparison.

 

Thank you again!

[Old & Retired]

Choir of Man had two shows.  Both Friday.  7:30 and 10 pm.

[david_sobe]

Just found your review.  I guess I should say, welcome back to NCL LOL

Glad you had a great time. I was on Encore 2 weeks before the shutdown in Feb 2020.  Like you, I thought the food was amazing.  However IMHO you missed the best one...ONDA.   Encore seems built for Alaska even though I sailed her in the Caribbean.  Did you do any of the Galaxy Pavilion?  I loved that place and felt like a kid again.  Sailing Encore at half capacity in Alaska would be a dream come true in my book.

[bkrickles1]

9 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

However IMHO you missed the best one...ONDA. 

I sailed Encore at the end of January 2020 and for the first time ever I allowed my daughter to pick our 3 specialty restaurants.

She chose Teppenyaki, Los Lobos and Q.

Teppenyaki was regular good hibachi. Los Lobos was great!! And Q was average, at best. The band at Q made it a fun experience and we went back a couple of times just to listen to them.

Everyone we met and everyone on here raved about Onda and we missed it.

Fast forward to January, 2022 and we're sailing on Joy and, what do you know, there's no Onda.

Oh well, maybe next time. Lmao.

[fethiyeden]

Thanks for taking time to do this review. I looked forward to catching up with it each day.

 

[graphicguy]

15 hours ago, telecheck said:

 

What an amazing trip report. The incredibly nice weather deserved so much credits also. You pretty much won the weather lottery. So nice that you could even see the northern lights. The princess cruise sailed about a week before yours had to cancel two ports of call due to two consecutive storms. A lot of people got sick and had to stay in their cabins for the entire trip due to extremely rough seas. The NCL Encore cruise that sailed right after yours (Which is the one currently sailing to Alaska) is having a pretty stormy week that they will have to shorten their time at port.

Thank you.  

 

We really lucked out on weather.  It was really quite nice for the most part….especially on port days.  I think the only really poor weather day we had was when we docked in Ketchikan.  That said, if there was ever one port we didn’t care about weather, it was that one.

 

I know we were able to sit outside by the Carvern Bar and Maltings 4 of the sea days for drinks.  Crew said the same….best weather they’d seen since on boarding.  So, cruise gods were with us.

 

We did have one rough patch the first sea day.  And, leaving Ketchikan was a little rocky.  But, overall it was quite nice.

 

So glad you enjoyed the posts.

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, david_sobe said:

Just found your review.  I guess I should say, welcome back to NCL LOL

Glad you had a great time. I was on Encore 2 weeks before the shutdown in Feb 2020.  Like you, I thought the food was amazing.  However IMHO you missed the best one...ONDA.   Encore seems built for Alaska even though I sailed her in the Caribbean.  Did you do any of the Galaxy Pavilion?  I loved that place and felt like a kid again.  Sailing Encore at half capacity in Alaska would be a dream come true in my book.

Galaxy Pavilion was fun.  I went…GF punted as she would rather Spa instead.  Did the Hang Glider VR, the Jurassic Park “like” VR and the race car sim.  All were fun.  Enjoyed the Jurassic Park VR more than I thought I would and thought it was best.  Hang Glider VR as just a tad disorienting, but that was part of the fun of it.

 

I had heard ONDA was a must do.  We just never got around to it.  The one night we were going to do it (after Choir of Man show) we ended up meeting up with new cruise friends and went bar hopping.  That ended up with a “let’s just grab a bite in the Local”.  Our loss.

 

@david_sobe…..have mentioned before, your reviews here (lo those many years ago) are what got us interested in NCL to begin with (after being avid Royal cruisers).

 

[david_sobe]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Galaxy Pavilion was fun.  I went…GF punted as she would rather Spa instead.  Did the Hang Glider VR, the Jurassic Park “like” VR and the race car sim.  All were fun.  Enjoyed the Jurassic Park VR more than I thought I would and thought it was best.  Hang Glider VR as just a tad disorienting, but that was part of the fun of it.

 

I had heard ONDA was a must do.  We just never got around to it.  The one night we were going to do it (after Choir of Man show) we ended up meeting up with new cruise friends and went bar hopping.  That ended up with a “let’s just grab a bite in the Local”.  Our loss.

 

@david_sobe…..have mentioned before, your reviews here (lo those many years ago) are what got us interested in NCL to begin with (after being avid Royal cruisers).

 

Funny because I thought the SAME thing about the Jurassic Park ride.  We did it twice and screamed and laughed so hard.  My inlaws are 70 and got on it. The backroom shoot rides with the moving seats are just as fun.   Just silly fun. I hope someday you can experience the Haven on Encore.  Its 3 decks of bliss.  Onda is supposed to go fleetwide and its the best thing that ever happened to NCL.  It was so good we went there twice.  The bread alone is enough reason to go 😉

[tripleboom]

5 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Galaxy Pavilion was fun.  I went…GF punted as she would rather Spa instead.  Did the Hang Glider VR, the Jurassic Park “like” VR and the race car sim.  All were fun.  Enjoyed the Jurassic Park VR more than I thought I would and thought it was best.  Hang Glider VR as just a tad disorienting, but that was part of the fun of it.

 

Curious if you saw any information on the Escape Room that is apparently located in the Galaxy Pavilion as well? I've seen limited information on it elsewhere on CC and on YouTube, but nothing since the restart.  So I guess my questions are:

1. Does it still exist and operate?
2. If so, did you happen to see/hear how much it costs?
3. Did you or any acquaintances on board make mention of it or have any experiences with it?

Thanks!

[david_sobe]

1 hour ago, tripleboom said:

 

Curious if you saw any information on the Escape Room that is apparently located in the Galaxy Pavilion as well? I've seen limited information on it elsewhere on CC and on YouTube, but nothing since the restart.  So I guess my questions are:

1. Does it still exist and operate?
2. If so, did you happen to see/hear how much it costs?
3. Did you or any acquaintances on board make mention of it or have any experiences with it?

Thanks!

I did the escape room on Encore back in Feb 2020.  I had never done an escape room before and had to rely on others in the group to help me help them.  I don't remember the cost but it was not that much money maybe $15?  If no one in your group is familiar with escape rooms, you will fail miserably.  We had veterans and almost got to the end but stalled.  The whole experience made me feel like an idiot. I do remember there is limited availability and it sells out fast so book as soon as you board. I think there was 8 in our group.  Its not running all days at all times which makes it even harder to get reservations.

[rsato]

My wife and I enjoyed the Escape Room on the Encore last week. It is $15 total for your group of people, we just walked up to the Galaxy desk and made a reservation for an hour later. They have two escape rooms, I think they are the same. You start off with a virtual reality introduction then get locked in the room. It is kind of dark and some of the mechanical locks are really hard to see (at least for 50 something eyes) - I got scolded for pulling out a phone and trying to use a light/magnification. 

 

The attendant took pity on two escape room newbies and helped us get to the final step, we ran out of time but wouldn't have figured it out the final puzzles anyway (they told us the solution). It was a fun way to spend 45 minutes.

[david_sobe]

7 hours ago, rsato said:

My wife and I enjoyed the Escape Room on the Encore last week. It is $15 total for your group of people, we just walked up to the Galaxy desk and made a reservation for an hour later. They have two escape rooms, I think they are the same. You start off with a virtual reality introduction then get locked in the room. It is kind of dark and some of the mechanical locks are really hard to see (at least for 50 something eyes) - I got scolded for pulling out a phone and trying to use a light/magnification. 

 

The attendant took pity on two escape room newbies and helped us get to the final step, we ran out of time but wouldn't have figured it out the final puzzles anyway (they told us the solution). It was a fun way to spend 45 minutes.

We also came so close but also failed.  The workers also showed us the ending we should have had.  The workers get a kick out of the crazy things people try to get more clues. I wont say anything to ruin it for anyone but we had some funny attempts when we ran out of ideas near the end. I just remember feeling stupid because clearly I felt like dead weight to the group 😉

Edited October 13, 2021 by david_sobe

[tripleboom]

Thanks @david_sobe and @rsato! My wife and I are traveling with her aunt and uncle, and when we get together we love doing escape rooms.  We actually have one planned for our pre-cruise time in Miami next month, so hopefully that'll serve as a warm up for the one on board!  Thanks for the info!

 

 

[graphicguy]

Escape Room was there.  We didn’t try it.

 

When I went to the Galaxy Pavilion, there were only 3 other people there.  So, I’ll assume it was never crowded.

 

Speaking of which, @david_sobe, I was in the Haven on the Escape well before the shutdown (quite nice).  I’ll assume the Haven on the Encore was similar.  The main advantage to me of the Haven is not having to plan anything and having the Concierge do it for me.  Another “nicety” was having the Haven Bar.  Both of those were not an advantage on the Encore with reduced capacity.

 

I’ve mentioned throughout this thread that there was not waiting nor reservations needed…well….for anything.  Getting on and off the ship was not an issue, either.  So, the Haven, at reduced capacity offered little, if any, advantages to us…especially being 3x-4x our Balcony Cabin price.  Not to mention, we did not have to tip a Butler nor a Concierge.  Truth is, we needed neither.

 

Add to that, the Observation Lounge was such a nice and premium space for drinks and snacks, with plenty of room to really enjoy viewing our itinerary and meeting up with friends, we did not require a “Haven Bar” space.  Again, never crowded, either.

 

Given we ate most dinners in specialty restaurants, the Haven Restaurant would have been more of a 2nd choice for us.  And, given the weather, and access to the Spa (extra cost), really did away with the need for a Haven Pool area.

 

In short, on this cruise, the Haven would have been a waste of money for us.

 

But, once ships start sailing at full capacity again (assuming sometime next year) it might make more sense.  

 

That said, I sailed in the Retreat on the Celebrity EDGE this past summer.  For under $4K for an S2 Sky Suite, with Concierge, Butler, Retreat exclusive area, in the Caribbean, it was a no brained.  Plus, Celebrity covered tips, premium internet, premium alcohol, and gave $600 in OBC to boot, it was a screaming bargain compared to the Haven.  The Retreat also seemed to be better staffed over the Haven, too.

 

Not to say I haven’t had wonderful Haven experiences.  I have.  Celebrity is just as good, in some ways better.  And, a much better value.

[graphicguy]

A couple we met in Juneau who happened to provide transport to the Trails around Mendenhall Glacier relayed how they ended up there.

 

They were originally from AZ.  I know the wife was a school teacher.  I believe the husband was involved in education, too.  Just not sure in what capacity.

 

Anyway, they both retired.  Both loved the outdoors.  Both were probably early-mid 50s?  On a whim, they had heard of “guide” positions available from the tour companies in Alaska.  On a whim, they applied.  They were interviewed and hired 6 years ago.

 

Side story, they said the tour company usually hires college kids but are leaning more and more towards retirees given their work histories over long periods of time.

 

So, for the last 6 years, they’ve been wintering in AZ and summering (now, including October) in Alaska.  The tour company subsidizes housing for them (either apartments or long term hotel places) and offers meals (while on the job) and transportation to and from home. At the beginning of the season.  The tour company also offered education to allow the guides to provide pertinent and worthwhile geographic, historic, naturalist info on the tours (which in turn, boosts their tips).

 

The COVID break was unexpected, but they were glad to be back.  Although, they were looking for new areas of the world to be tour guides other than Alaska.  They were both headed back to AZ for the winter season the day after they were with us.  They weren’t sure where they were headed next.

 

Interesting to talk to them.  They’re my age and had an interesting take on retirement….one that interests me quite a bit.

[abugarcia1]

On 9/3/2021 at 6:14 AM, Crazy planning mom said:

I hear Choir of Man is an awesome show.  Hope you have and gf have a great time and come back and report.

Yes this show was excellent. Funny with great music. Oh, and if you're luck, free beer.

[abugarcia1]

On 9/5/2021 at 4:49 PM, graphicguy said:

OK....now I feel like a total newbie.  Out of all my cruises, I've never sailed to Alaska.  October weather looks like 50º-60º?  Is that a fair assumption?  Is it rainy?  What to pack?  Assuming jeans and hoodies would be fine?  Maybe a rain jacket?

 

Appreciate the help and any insight provided.

Definitely recommend a rain coat. We just returned and temps were similar however it did rain a few times which made it feel even more majestic. Enjoy your cruise!

[n4w]

On 9/13/2021 at 11:06 AM, graphicguy said:

Things are moving pretty quickly now.  19 days out and luggage tags arrived….

 

 

 

Are luggage tags requested, if so, how and when? I've sailed NCL many times over many years, and have only come across the opportunity to print my own and have never received any in the mail.

[BirdTravels]

6 minutes ago, n4w said:

Are luggage tags requested, if so, how and when? I've sailed NCL many times over many years, and have only come across the opportunity to print my own and have never received any in the mail.

NCL has been sending luggage tags for many voyages for all cabin classes since the restart. 

 

NCL usually sends luggage tags for all cabin classes for the Alaskan cruise. This is driven by the union porters in Seattle. 

[n4w]

1 minute ago, BirdTravels said:

NCL has been sending luggage tags for many voyages for all cabin classes since the restart. 

 

NCL usually sends luggage tags for all cabin classes for the Alaskan cruise. This is driven by the union porters in Seattle. 

Really strange then, my last cruise pre-Covid was Alaskan out of Seattle - nothing.  My Mexican Riv sailing this past March out of LA also had nothing.  We'll see if I'm lucky enough in October out of Port Canaveral.

[abugarcia1]

Thanks for sharing the great pictures

[graphicguy]

9 hours ago, n4w said:

Are luggage tags requested, if so, how and when? I've sailed NCL many times over many years, and have only come across the opportunity to print my own and have never received any in the mail.

 I did not request mine, but they had mailed them to me.

 

Kind of a moot point as you can print out the same luggage tags on your own.

Edited June 19, 2022 by graphicguy

[BirdTravels]

10 hours ago, n4w said:

Really strange then, my last cruise pre-Covid was Alaskan out of Seattle - nothing.  My Mexican Riv sailing this past March out of LA also had nothing.  We'll see if I'm lucky enough in October out of Port Canaveral.

O.K. We sail to Alaska on NCL almost every year on NCL and have sailed on 4 post-restart cruises. 

 

Even if sent, we never use those sticky tags. We print our own and put them into luggage tag holders (especially when the Encore was printing tags with black ink over dark blue background).