Review: NCL Encore 3/13/22-3/20/22

[zackarykeef]

Hey, y'all!

 

I just returned about a month ago from this sailing, so I wanted to give a quick review. Hopefully, this will help those trying to decide whether or not to sail this ship or with NCL, as reviews are always helpful for me!

 

I took this cruise with my cruise bestie…we actually met on the Getaway seven years ago,and have been going on cruises ever since as our schedules allow. This one worked out best, and although she was on the Encore’s inaugural sailing, I had been wanting to try the ship out. I LOVED the Escape, so this was the next step, and I was really looking forward to the Observation Lounge. I know it was spring break season, but with COVID-19 protocols changing and cruising just ramping back up, I didn’t think it would be as bad as our “1000 kids too many” cruise in March several years ago.

 

We departed from the new NCL terminal in Miami for a 7-day cruise to Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Great Stirrup Cay, as well as two sea days.

 

I've done several reviews before, which are linked in my signature, so I will do this one in a similar manner. Feel free to ask any questions...I'm happy to help!

 

Happy cruising!

[zackarykeef]

Booking: My friend booked for us, as she is a TA and scored us a pretty good deal. We booked a standard balcony room with perks included. We submitted a minimum offer ($15 per person) to upgrade to a club balcony suite (formerly mini-suite), which we were awarded. A bigger bathroom for just $30? I’ll take it! I’ve stayed in a mini-suite before, and the extra bathroom space is always welcome. We had submitted some other minimum bids for spa and Haven rooms just for the heck of it, knowing we likely wouldn’t get accepted.

 

Embarkation: Mostly a breeze. Everything is mainly done ahead of time online, including uploading a photo, so that took away a lot of time. We arrived at our check-in time around 9:30am. COVID-19 documents were checked quickly upon entering the terminal (vaccine cards and a COVID-19 test that had to be completed within 48 hours of departure), and that was the end of that. As my friend is platinum, there was no line for the desks, and we were quickly given our cards and boarding group. I was surprised we were already in group 3, but not a big deal. The new terminal is very nice, but the bathroom situation was a disaster. There is a SINGLE men’s and SINGLE women’s restroom, which caused very long lines. There are apparently regular restrooms much further down and around the corner, but we were prohibited from using them, as they are pre-check-in and “outside” the waiting area.

 

Boarding was crazy…I will truly never understand people when it comes to this. Planes, trains, cruises…whatever. They made an announcement stating boarding would commence shortly, asking everyone to stay seated until their group is called and leave the boarding door areas clear. So what does everyone do? Literally stand up and block the doors. They repeat an announcement asking everyone to take a seat…no one moves. Thrilled to be boarding with a bunch of deaf idiots. It just irks me to no end. When they finally called Platinum (which was done clearly via an overhead announcement), my friend and I made are way to the front, weaving through all the people blocking the doors who should not have been there. One Karen began yelling at us that it wasn’t our turn, after which we explained that it was. She screamed that she was platinum as well, and they weren’t letting her board. I kindly explained…you’re correct, because you were one of the people up here blocking the entrance BEFORE platinum was called, and had you been seated where you could actually hear the announcements instead of in the crowd of crazies, you would know that they are now boarding platinum. Regardless, we were let through and made it easily and quickly on the ship (with Karen being let through behind us and then stomping her way in front of us on the gangway, almost deliberately). 

 

We went straight to the Social for Vibe passes. There was a small line which moved quickly, and we scored our passes. You are able to buy passes for people in other rooms, so long as you are putting them all on the same card and you’re the one paying. No mad dash this time…I think Vibe on Encore holds around 200 guests, and definitely less than 100 passes sold.

 

Room: Club balcony suite 9204, mid port side. Great, clean room. I love the look of NCL’s newer ship’s rooms. They are just clean and crisp. The view was unobstructed, and the large bathroom with full shower/tub as mentioned before was nice. I enjoyed being closer to the water, as I have previously sailed on higher decks. It was also nice being close to the stairs/elevators and only one floor down to all the action. We also had easy access to the single elevator to deck 19, which made getting to Vibe extremely easy.

 

Cruisers: We sailed around 66% capacity (2700 passengers)...it didn’t feel crowded at all. I thought this was nice. Our MSC sailing in August (review in my signature) was the first back after COVID, and with only 800 guests, it was eerily empty. Full capacity isn’t great either, so this felt just right. There was a mix of everyone, as usual on NCL. There were definitely a lot of teen flocks, but it wasn’t horribly overbearing as in the past. It was a pretty good crowd honestly, and we met some great people!

[zackarykeef]

Entertainment: NCL always kills it with the shows. Choir of Man was incredible…I have seen in on tour on land, and I can confidently say I thought NCL’s was better. These guys SMASHED IT. Kinky Boots was amazing as well. I’ve seen it on Broadway, and save for a few minor tweaks, it’s basically the same. The talent is incredible.

 

We attempted the Beatles tribute show, but left shortly into it. Not because they weren’t good…it just wasn’t for me. The guys who impersonate the Beatles on this ship are INCREDIBLE. I mainly found this out through nightly karaoke, as some of them would participate. They all have amazing voices, and very much look the part.

 

We didn’t attend any comedy shows this cruise, but I heard mixed reviews from fellow cruisers.

 

Activities: What I did attend was great. Good turn-outs for all the nightly themed parties, and the entertainment staff were great and high-energy. I did miss having the parties on the aft in Spice H2O as on other ships…it doesn’t have the same effect when it’s on the closed-in pool deck. Game shows, trivia, etc were always entertaining to pass by or watch while having a drink at the atrium bar.

 

The go-karts are impressive, and although we meant to do them, time escaped us. The laser tag area is impressive as well, but seems a little too open for a proper match. I think indoor maze-like arenas are much better fitted for laser tag. I somehow missed the Galaxy Pavilion altogether, likely because I had no interest.

 

Casino: I think this casino is well laid out, and I appreciated the enclosed smoking area, which is an upgrade over prior ships. No smell of smoke lingering everywhere. Dealers were personable, and bonus…we actually won this trip!

 

Spa: The spa is beautiful, and my massage was WONDERFUL. I do think there was a little too much hard sell of products at the end, but I was so relaxed I didn’t care. I just simply said “I’ll think about it,” and that was that. I did not use the thermal suites (no spa balcony upgrade, darn it–it was either thermal pass or Vibe, and I chose the latter). I did hear only positive things from fellow cruisers.

 

Bars/Alcohol/Drink Package: Always a stand-out for NCL. I don’t want to cruise without drinks included, and right now, they have the best value (even with tips included). RCCL NEVER includes drinks with their promotions, and it’s about $1000pp to add them. I do have a Celebrity sailing coming up, which I’m looking forward to, as they also include drinks.

 

The Vibe staff always kills it with the drinks. Drinks overall are good-quality on NCL…just specify which liquors you want, and they’ll use it. Bartenders were all very friendly and prompt. An extra tip goes a long way, and they will remember you.

 

Staff: I have no complaints, and never do on NCL. Every single person I interacted with was extremely pleasant, remembers your name (which will always impress me), and delivers great service.

[zackarykeef]

Food: The food was a stand-out, as I’ve come to expect with NCL.

• We ate in the Manhattan room night one, which was great.
• This Cagney’s trip was the best yet…maybe the Encore staff is superior, but it was just fantastic.
• The scallops at Ocean Blue were amazing, but I didn’t feel it was their strongest specialty restaurant.
• Food Republic is always great, and this was no exception.
• Teppanyaki was…Teppanyaki. It’s a good amount of food, but pretty standard across NCL, other lines, and on land.
• I was seriously surprised with Los Lobos…elevated Mexican (my snapper was awesome), but much better than expected.
• The buffet on NCL is always great…highly recommend the Indian station. I don’t know why NCL does this so well, but it’s always so. damn. good. Appreciated the evening snacks as well.
• The Local (aka O’Sheehan’s on other ships) we use as are late-night food. It serves its purpose. The caesar salad was hands down the WORST I’ve ever had, and honestly the only bad thing I’ve had on NCL. It was inedible.

Special shout-out to the Observation Lounge. The snacks here was DELICIOUS (although carb-focused) and highly underrated/unnoticed IMHO. We came here daily for afternoon snacks/lunch, mainly because it was quicker than heading to the buffet from Vibe. DO NOT MISS IT!

 

Ports: Overall, this was a great itinerary, and we made every port (kind-of).

• Puerto Plata: Although we were to port in the new Taino Bay, we were on the week the Escape got stuck on the sandbar. As they were in port the day before us, they were still stuck on our port day. Because of that, we ported in Carnival’s Amber Cove next to on of their ships. The port area was very nice, but I don’t want to comment too much–we had to get special permission from Carnival to port, as they own Amber Cove. Those of you sailing in the future will be porting at Taino Bay, which I cannot comment on. It was slightly annoying, as we were further away from all of the excursions. We had booked the “Party at the Sea” excursion last minute the night before, as some fellow cruisers we met were going and convinced us. I can’t recommend it, because it didn’t happen. What did happen was an hour bus ride there with a wonderful guide. She mentioned that the sea was a little too rough to dock the catamaran at the beach, so when we got there, we would be taking a smaller boat out to where the catamaran was anchored. When we got to the beach, the seas were WAY too rough to take the small boat. This was obvious, but they attempted to load some guests into the boat anyway. One of the passerbys on the beach told us they boat had flipped the week before…not sure if that was true or not, but I can 100% see it happening. The sight was comical…this small boat loaded with 12 people in life vests, waiting on the beach and staring out into HUGE waves. We all knew this wasn’t happening, so I don’t know why they bothered. After about 10 minutes, the let us know it wouldn’t be possible. There was a lot of back and forth with the tour guide and NCL regarding how to proceed, and we eventually all agreed to just go back to the ship. So…another hour-long bus ride back for an excursion that didn’t happen. Regardless, even had it happened, it didn’t seem like there would have been much time on the catamaran either way, so…I would probably skip this excursions if you are considering it (although the bus ride would be shorter from Taino Bay, but…it seems very dependent on the sea conditions, which are often rough at that beach we were told). NCL did immediately credit the full amount back to our account without us having to request it, so that was a blessing. Those that did the waterfalls raved about it, so I would look into that excursion.
• St. Thomas: We took at cab for $12pp to Magen’s Bay. We have done this several times before, and it’s so easy and much cheaper than the NCL excursion. Don’t bother with that one. Magen’s Bay was beautiful as always, and if you’re in need of an easy beach day, this is always a win.
• Tortola: We had been several times before and have always gone to Virgin Gorda. This is one I wouldn’t risk on your own, as you have to coordinate ferry times, and you can’t miss them coming back (unless you want to miss the ship). The NCL excursion to Virgin Gorda was sold out, as was the one to JVD. This, combined with the horribly awful port time of 6:00am-1:00pm, prompted us to do a whole lot of nothing. We did get off and wander, finding a nice little open-air bar where we had some good painkillers. It was a good day to hang by the less crowded pool and nap in Vibe.
• GSC: We made it! Although many have not made it due to seas/wind, I have been fortunate enough to always make this stop. The tenders were easy (and I hear a dock is coming!), and the island really is beautiful. Pro-tip–head as far back as possible to the less crowded bar, bar cart, and food truck. Better, stronger drinks and good ceviche!

[zackarykeef]

Ship: The ship really is gorgeous, with the Observation Lounge being the stand-out. Do not skip it. We came multiple times per day for snacks, drinks, and views. Always a good meeting spot before dinner. Extremely peaceful for relaxing, reading, or doing some work. I can definitely see why this ship sails Alaska in the summers.

 

The layout is otherwise similar to the Breakaway class and above ships, which I’ve found I really do like the layout (as opposed to the “mall” feel of some of the larger RCCL or MSC ships). The waterfront is really a blessing, and we try to spend a lot of time out there.

 

The main pool area is odd. Too small, as is the case with many NCL ships (which is why we always get Vibe). I do like this pool’s shape with the shallow edges to sit around in. I hate the amount of pool chairs as opposed to loungers. The main pool is almost exclusively surrounded by chairs. I understand it allows them to add more chairs overall, but I want to be able to lie flat. I have a feeling this is the direction they are going in, which is a shame.

 

I enjoyed the size of the Vibe on this ship, especially the addition of a second hot tub. Vibe is always a win, and this was no exception. Definitely looking forward to Prima having a pool in the Vibe. The staff was amazing as usual, but unfortunately, some of our fellow Vibe guests were EXTREMELY drunk and rowdy, which did spoil it on a few occasions.

 

Debarkation: Quickest ever. I did self walk-off, which was on-time and took an entire 5 minutes. There were two customs officers on the ship randomly checking some passenger’s passports, but that was it. No customs/immigration or anything else once we got off. I was shocked, but it was extremely easy.

 

A Note on COVID: We were fortunate to sail just after NCL lifted the mask mandate. It honestly felt like a normal vacation…no masks, self-serve buffet, no social distancing seating. I enjoyed it, and it was much needed. I am an ER physician who is triple vaxxed and have been masking more than I would like, but…COVID is here to stay, and we need to move on. You did need a mask while in Port of Miami and in some of the port areas in the Caribbean, but the Caribbean ones definitely were not enforced. No COVID cases on our sailing that I was aware of. I do wish they would lift the mask mandates for crew, but I understand they are on much longer than a week like we are, so ensuring they are not sick makes sense.

[zackarykeef]

Final Thoughts: We had a blast! I loved the Encore, and definitely would take her (or Bliss) to Alaska over the smaller ships (like the Pearl when I went). I really have no complaints, and this was just another reminder of why I love NCL. NCL seems to be doing it right with their larger ships…I for some reason have no desire to sail on the RCCL Oasis-class ships. They seem out of control. I am looking forward to trying X for a little elevated experience and less kids, but I am definitely continuing on the NCL train.

 

Again, any other questions, feel free to ask! Welcome back to the seas, y'all! Happy cruising! 😎

 

~Zack

[A1SusieQ]

This was a great review.

 

Thank you for sharing!

 

 

[YVRteacher]

Love this positive review!  

[david_sobe]

Thanks for the review.  I could only dream about sailing the Encore with only 66% capacity. I had to laugh about your boarding description.   Until airlines or cruise ships tell people to sit down or no one boards, I am afraid it will never change.  Its the ME ME ME era and no matter what their boarding group number, they are priority in their mind.  I have traveled around the world and most countries do this but Americans are the worst.  I do tip my hat to the Brits though.  They are the best with manners.  I once read that there was a huge disproportionate amount of British first class passengers who died on the Titanic even though first class passengers were given priority to the life boats.  They refused to partake in the pushing and shoving in the madness even though all classes were trying to force their way to the boats.  Makes you wonder if people act like this during boarding, just imagine how they would react in an emergency.

[maggieq]

14 hours ago, zackarykeef said:

Final Thoughts: We had a blast! I loved the Encore, and definitely would take her (or Bliss) to Alaska over the smaller ships (like the Pearl when I went). I really have no complaints, and this was just another reminder of why I love NCL. NCL seems to be doing it right with their larger ships…I for some reason have no desire to sail on the RCCL Oasis-class ships. They seem out of control. I am looking forward to trying X for a little elevated experience and less kids, but I am definitely continuing on the NCL train.

 

Again, any other questions, feel free to ask! Welcome back to the seas, y'all! Happy cruising! 😎

 

~Zack

Thanks so much for your review.  We cruised on the encore for its TA 11/2019. First NCL.   Would love that type of ship for an Alaskan cruise   
 

We are big oasis class ship fans and I have heard that oasis ships have a better layout for outside - pool deck space vs ncl which people have noted seem more cramped?  Not having cruised a ncl ship for a warm climate cruise would like to be sure if that is correct. 
 

 

[disneylover89]

Thank you for the review, very thorough.  We will be sailing on her in July and am looking forward to it

[CaptainBazz]

Thanks for the review...very comprehensive. We sailed on the Encore back in February and there was less than 2000 passengers. A lot of restaurants were empty...I much prefer it a bit more busy. Sorry you did not like the Beatles show...we saw them all...brought back the good old days 🙂

Everything else I would agree with...can't wait to sail on the Encore again.

[JCDCA]

Great review.  But I would note that the Oasis class is amazing.  And better than Encore IMO.  I would give it a shot.  Also not sure where you are coming up with Royal drinks costing $1000pp.  The drink package is usually somewhere between $50-70 per day, no? 

[zackarykeef]

1 hour ago, JCDCA said:

Great review.  But I would note that the Oasis class is amazing.  And better than Encore IMO.  I would give it a shot.  Also not sure where you are coming up with Royal drinks costing $1000pp.  The drink package is usually somewhere between $50-70 per day, no? 

You’re right. I meant $1000 total. So you have to add $1000 on top of the cruise price.

[deliver42]

I don't know what you mean that  Royal is out of contro; If you mean the ships are too big and crowded, you're wrong. The Oasis Class ships rarely feel crowded since there are so many things to do, and they are in different areas, so the crowds are spread out, and with 4 pools, you can always find a lounge.

[abugarcia1]

Thank you for the detailed information! Sounds like a great time.

[caneable]

Outstanding review! I enjoyed your description of embarkation, but have to confess that we Brits aren’t so great either. Heathrow can be a bit of a zoo sometimes. We will be cruising from Seattle up to Alaska then staying on to do Panama Canal plus an extra week to the Caribbean. You’ve set our appetite high with your clear commentary.

[Curlyredhead]

Thank you for the very detailed review!  I appreciate all your efforts.😀