A First-Timer's Cruise Review: NCL Encore to Alaska

[JYDCruise]

I just completed my very first cruise, taking the 8/28 Encore sailing to Alaska, and wanted to give my impressions of the trip.

 

TL:DR It was a great trip, and NCL did a generally excellent job. The positives far, far outweigh the generally mediocre food and a couple of significant negatives.

 

Background: This was a last minute trip, booked less than 3 weeks prior to sailing. I was looking at Silversea and contacted a travel agent. When I told him that we didn’t want a “spring break in Ft. Lauderdale” cruise nor did we want a “shuffleboard in tuxedos” experience, he said that Silversea definitely leaned into the latter category and recommended NCL’s Haven as the best of all worlds, offering the amenities of a large ship but a more relaxed environment (when desired) with better food and more personalized service. After spending a week, I think the Haven meets that description well.

 

Pluses:

• The trip started very well with the NCL transit from the airport to the dock. This was fast and seamless, and well indicated in the airport. We had an appointment for COVID testing at 11:30. When we arrived at the dock just past 10, they ushered us right in for testing (no Haven line, everyone went in); the line was short, results came quickly, and we were in our cabin by 11:30, so not even 2.5 hours after landing at SEA. Well done!
• Service was uniformly outstanding. I don’t know if the crew really enjoy their jobs and are glad to be back at work, or if they’re simply great actors (maybe some of both?) but regardless the crew set a very positive tone for the trip from check-in to the final disembarkation. Great job across the board, with special kudos to the Haven concierge team of Adrian and David, who patiently helped us newbies with last-minute and frequently changing excursions.
• Another service example: the Encore’s restaurant head did a circuit of the Haven one evening, and when I mentioned that I wished the Haven offered biscuits and gravy for breakfast as does the MDR, guess what I received the next morning? A simple gesture, but something that just puts a shine on already excellent service.
• The expeditions we took were beyond awesome. It didn’t hurt that until the last port day, the weather was absolutely perfect! White Pass RR/Laughton Glacier hike and the Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier cruise (both through NCL) surpassed all expectations, as did the SeaWinds Aviation Traitor’s Cove flight/bear watching. The bear watching trip on Chichagof Island was very good as well, and if it cames up short, it is only when compared to the other three excursions.
• Good to excellent mainstage entertainment. Top marks to Choir of Man, which was fun and well-paced, the performers were excellent. JP the magician was very good. The Beatles show was pretty good, and a smart move on NCL’s part to stage as it hits the sweet spot for the average cruiser’s age.
• The Encore itself felt brand new with no visible wear and tear, which shouldn't be too surprising for a 2-year-old ship that sat out a year+. Even the "back of house" sections that I got a peek at looked fresh.
• A laundry bag’s worth of clothes cleaned mid-trip for $30?!? Sign me up!
• Port Valet worked perfectly, and combined with the NCL airport transfer made the return trip seamless and easy. There’s no question I’d do both again in the future.

 

Meh:

• Other than the speciality restaurants we tried - American Diner for lunch (offered as a no-cost option to the Haven when we embarked), Ocean Blue and Onda - the food was nothing special. We ate a couple of times at The Local, and once at the Garden Cafe’s buffet but most breakfasts and dinners at the Haven. I’d equate the Local to a Chili’s, and the Haven to a Red Lobster or Outback. Certainly nothing wrong with either, just not a highlight of the cruise. If you live in an area with a lot of restaurants, even the speciality places, while good, might not be repeats on your local go-out-to-dinner/Doordash circuit.

 

Negatives:

• We were told, by both NCL on the phone and by my TA (who also asked NCL), that the king bed could be divided into two singles/twins. However, it turns out that Haven beds cannot be split. There was a fold out bed - not a sofa-bed, more of a chair-bed as it isn’t very wide - but it’s as hard as a rock. Because of that, they put on a mattress topper . . . which made it feel like a rock with 1/4” of foam on top. I don’t know how my son was able to get any sleep.
• Ward Cove. C’mon, NCL - we were in port for around 6 hours, and spent (read: wasted) one-quarter of that time taking shuttles from the Encore to the main dock (where there was plenty of available space for the Encore) and back. If we hadn’t had priority disembarkation thanks to the Haven, it would have chewed up even more time. Is it going to be better in the future? Maybe, but all I know is that it wasn’t better on the trip I paid for.
• There is definitely some nickel-and-diming by NCL. A $99/day (lol) beverage package and it doesn’t include bottled water or specialty coffee? C’mon, you can include a $1 bottle of water or a $4 latte in a $99/day package. At least they didn’t MSRP the well cocktails above the $15 limit, so they were reasonable there.

 

As for the Haven, and the big question - given the significant upcharge, was it worth it? Overall,  the “ship within a ship” concept was just what I was looking for and I’m glad to have done it. I liked having a quiet lounge/bar and observation deck to relax in and the Haven bar was a great place to unwind; the bartenders were excellent, as were their cocktails 🙂. Having the Haven hot tub in an enclosed space was very nice on a trip to Alaska, though I was almost the only person using it. The priority disembarkation in the ports was very welcome as I hate waiting in line, especially in Ketchikan where you are already wasting time. Service was great - the concierges were simply outstanding. The Haven’s advantages will only get larger when the ship sails at 100% capacity rather than 60% (Haven was 100% on this cruise already).

 

On the flipside, I didn’t make use of the butler services and can’t imagine doing so in the future other than perhaps room service, so it has no value (for me, YMMV).  The Haven restaurant won’t be winning any Michelin stars though I gather it may be better than the MDR/buffet. With the savings of a regular cabin one could always just do more dinners in the specialty restaurants . . . and pay for all excursions, etc. . . . and maybe the next cruise as well. Hmmm . . .

Edited September 8, 2021 by JYDCruise

[graphicguy]

9 hours ago, JYDCruise said:

I just completed my very first cruise, taking the 8/28 Encore sailing to Alaska, and wanted to give my impressions of the trip.

 

TL:DR It was a great trip, and NCL did a generally excellent job. The positives far, far outweigh the generally mediocre food and a couple of significant negatives.

 

Background: This was a last minute trip, booked less than 3 weeks prior to sailing. I was looking at Silversea and contacted a travel agent. When I told him that we didn’t want a “spring break in Ft. Lauderdale” cruise nor did we want a “shuffleboard in tuxedos” experience, he said that Silversea definitely leaned into the latter category and recommended NCL’s Haven as the best of all worlds, offering the amenities of a large ship but a more relaxed environment (when desired) with better food and more personalized service. After spending a week, I think the Haven meets that description well.

 

Pluses:

• The trip started very well with the NCL transit from the airport to the dock. This was fast and seamless, and well indicated in the airport. We had an appointment for COVID testing at 11:30. When we arrived at the dock just past 10, they ushered us right in for testing (no Haven line, everyone went in); the line was short, results came quickly, and we were in our cabin by 11:30, so not even 2.5 hours after landing at SEA. Well done!
• Service was uniformly outstanding. I don’t know if the crew really enjoy their jobs and are glad to be back at work, or if they’re simply great actors (maybe some of both?) but regardless the crew set a very positive tone for the trip from check-in to the final disembarkation. Great job across the board, with special kudos to the Haven concierge team of Adrian and David, who patiently helped us newbies with last-minute and frequently changing excursions.
• Another service example: the Encore’s restaurant head did a circuit of the Haven one evening, and when I mentioned that I wished the Haven offered biscuits and gravy for breakfast as does the MDR, guess what I received the next morning? A simple gesture, but something that just puts a shine on already excellent service.
• The expeditions we took were beyond awesome. It didn’t hurt that until the last port day, the weather was absolutely perfect! White Pass RR/Laughton Glacier hike and the Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier cruise (both through NCL) surpassed all expectations, as did the SeaWinds Aviation Traitor’s Cove flight/bear watching. The bear watching trip on Chichagof Island was very good as well, and if it cames up short, it is only when compared to the other three excursions.
• Good to excellent mainstage entertainment. Top marks to Choir of Man, which was fun and well-paced, the performers were excellent. JP the magician was very good. The Beatles show was pretty good, and a smart move on NCL’s part to stage as it hits the sweet spot for the average cruiser’s age.
• The Encore itself felt brand new with no visible wear and tear, which shouldn't be too surprising for a 2-year-old ship that sat out a year+. Even the "back of house" sections that I got a peek at looked fresh.
• A laundry bag’s worth of clothes cleaned mid-trip for $30?!? Sign me up!
• Port Valet worked perfectly, and combined with the NCL airport transfer made the return trip seamless and easy. There’s no question I’d do both again in the future.

 

Meh:

• Other than the speciality restaurants we tried - American Diner for lunch (offered as a no-cost option to the Haven when we embarked), Ocean Blue and Onda - the food was nothing special. We ate a couple of times at The Local, and once at the Garden Cafe’s buffet but most breakfasts and dinners at the Haven. I’d equate the Local to a Chili’s, and the Haven to a Red Lobster or Outback. Certainly nothing wrong with either, just not a highlight of the cruise. If you live in an area with a lot of restaurants, even the speciality places, while good, might not be repeats on your local go-out-to-dinner/Doordash circuit.

 

Negatives:

• We were told, by both NCL on the phone and by my TA (who also asked NCL), that the king bed could be divided into two singles/twins. However, it turns out that Haven beds cannot be split. There was a fold out bed - not a sofa-bed, more of a chair-bed as it isn’t very wide - but it’s as hard as a rock. Because of that, they put on a mattress topper . . . which made it feel like a rock with 1/4” of foam on top. I don’t know how my son was able to get any sleep.
• Ward Cove. C’mon, NCL - we were in port for around 6 hours, and spent (read: wasted) one-quarter of that time taking shuttles from the Encore to the main dock (where there was plenty of available space for the Encore) and back. If we hadn’t had priority disembarkation thanks to the Haven, it would have chewed up even more time. Is it going to be better in the future? Maybe, but all I know is that it wasn’t better on the trip I paid for.
• There is definitely some nickel-and-diming by NCL. A $99/day (lol) beverage package and it doesn’t include bottled water or specialty coffee? C’mon, you can include a $1 bottle of water or a $4 latte in a $99/day package. At least they didn’t MSRP the well cocktails above the $15 limit, so they were reasonable there.

 

As for the Haven, and the big question - given the significant upcharge, was it worth it? Overall,  the “ship within a ship” concept was just what I was looking for and I’m glad to have done it. I liked having a quiet lounge/bar and observation deck to relax in and the Haven bar was a great place to unwind; the bartenders were excellent, as were their cocktails 🙂. Having the Haven hot tub in an enclosed space was very nice on a trip to Alaska, though I was almost the only person using it. The priority disembarkation in the ports was very welcome as I hate waiting in line, especially in Ketchikan where you are already wasting time. Service was great - the concierges were simply outstanding. The Haven’s advantages will only get larger when the ship sails at 100% capacity rather than 60% (Haven was 100% on this cruise already).

 

On the flipside, I didn’t make use of the butler services and can’t imagine doing so in the future other than perhaps room service, so it has no value (for me, YMMV).  The Haven restaurant won’t be winning any Michelin stars though I gather it may be better than the MDR/buffet. With the savings of a regular cabin one could always just do more dinners in the specialty restaurants . . . and pay for all excursions, etc. . . . and maybe the next cruise as well. Hmmm . . .

Thanks for this.  Just coming back to NCL, not by choice, but by my SO’s insistence.  Will be sailing the Encore in about 3 weeks.

 

So glad to hear Adrian is on this ship.  He is the creme de la creme of already outstanding Concierges NCL has on their ships with the Haven.

 

Haven restaurant food used to be quite good (if repetitive).  Sorry to hear it has not become better during the shutdown.

 

We’ve put in a bid for the Haven (which we’re sailed in both “-Away” ships.  It is an exemplary experience.

 

We’re getting 2 speciality dinners included with the “All free” continuous promotion.  I get 2 additional ones for being Platinum Latitudes.  So, that should work out fine.

 

Again, thanks!

[SliderNc]

We had Adrian on Escape and the few times that we needed the concierge, he was on top of things with a smile and always a pleasure to deal with, even if it was something that was not going well for us. 

 

While I always weigh out the costs of Haven vs. not having it, the extras and the "ship within the ship" concept is what I like the best.  The bartenders and mixologist at the Haven bar/lounge always had something new up his sleeves to try for a pre-dinner cocktail.  The service in the area while lounging around on sea days or even a port day on our last cruise was amazing.  Nothing is ever a problem.  We were able to order dinner one night from a Specialty place and it was great, but you need to notify them in advance.

 

Glad you had a great cruise as a first timer and got to experience the Haven.

[Two Wheels Only]

10 hours ago, JYDCruise said:

We were told, by both NCL on the phone and by my TA (who also asked NCL), that the king bed could be divided into two singles/twins. However, it turns out that Haven beds cannot be split

 

You'll get better info here on the CC forum. 

 

10 hours ago, JYDCruise said:

There was a fold out bed - not a sofa-bed, more of a chair-bed as it isn’t very wide - but it’s as hard as a rock.

 

This varies by stateroom category. The type of sofa-bed or chair-bed in the Haven is a mixed bag. 

 

10 hours ago, JYDCruise said:

Overall,  the “ship within a ship” concept was just what I was looking for and I’m glad to have done it.

 

If you plan on cruising in the Haven in the future, feel free to ask any questions here. You'll get more accurate answers as far as sleeping arrangements, balcony sizes, bathroom sizes, etc. 

[Old & Retired]

5 hours ago, SliderNc said:

We had Adrian on Escape and the few times that we needed the concierge, he was on top of things with a smile and always a pleasure to deal with, even if it was something that was not going well for us.  

Nothing is ever a problem.  We were able to order dinner one night from a Specialty place and it was great, but you need to notify them in advance.

 

 

With butler service you can always order from any specialty restaurant, except Teppanyaki.  And yes, it is a good idea to give your butler some notice.  Going off menu in the Haven restaurant is also a thing.  Easier if they are not swamped.

[NCLherewecome]

Our first NCL cruise was on the Encore August 7 to Alaska.  Loved every minute in The Haven.  But I did find something very humorous.   We had a 2 bedroom suite. The kids room was mine and my adult daughter’s.   The toilet in the bathroom never flushed when you pushed the button.  It was a daily and sometimes 3x a day visit from the plumber. Sometimes you would walk away and it would flush 15 min or so later.  I did not expect any special treatment for this annoyance but I must say, if I would have had the same experience in Disney Concierge I would have received many calls, notes and some delicious treats for the inconvenience we were having.   

[kruiserkatie]

8 hours ago, NCLherewecome said:

Our first NCL cruise was on the Encore August 7 to Alaska.  Loved every minute in The Haven.  But I did find something very humorous.   We had a 2 bedroom suite. The kids room was mine and my adult daughter’s.   The toilet in the bathroom never flushed when you pushed the button.  It was a daily and sometimes 3x a day visit from the plumber. Sometimes you would walk away and it would flush 15 min or so later.  I did not expect any special treatment for this annoyance but I must say, if I would have had the same experience in Disney Concierge I would have received many calls, notes and some delicious treats for the inconvenience we were having.   

Hi there, We sailed with you that week. The Haven was amazing. So sorry to hear that you had this issue! We just booked to go again on 10/9. Could you please share the cabin # that had this issue as I would prefer to avoid this issue if it is ongoing. Thank you!

[purpleally]

I would encourage you to try Seabourn. Excellent food and no nickel and diming 

[NCLherewecome]

Hi there. Cabin 18118.  We loved it.   Except bathroom. Except the door stop on our bedroom door. The magnet on the wall that should hold the door open, it pulled the stop out of the door and there was this gigantic screw stuck to magnet. I told our stateroom host it would have sliced a child’s leg right open. I noticed it because the door would NOT stay open. And lastly. The shower head in the gorgeous big master bath leaked and sprayed water all over.  But I’m sure it is all fixed now. 😉    Note:  if you go in Room 18118 second bath and you hear water running in the wall, it’s not gonna flush.  🤷🏻‍♀️

[JYDCruise]

On 9/9/2021 at 4:15 AM, purpleally said:

I would encourage you to try Seabourn. Excellent food and no nickel and diming 

I guess my concern there is the potential "shuffleboard in tuxedos" and passenger-stuffiness aspect that I've read about regarding at least some of the luxury lines, though Seabourn might be different. That's one of the reasons I'm looking at Azamara for our next trip - lots of time in ports, and a reasonably upscale (if not at the Seabourn/Regent/Crystal/etc. level) yet laid-back experience.