Encore to Alaska 6/19-6/26

[Jason82]

We’ve been waiting for this cruise for 2 1/2 years after previous bookings were cancelled. 

 

My favorite part of an Alaskan cruise is simply soaking in the scenes of the coastal mountains  through these inlets, spotting whales, all while sipping drinks. 

 

Embarking was incredibly smooth. We arrived at 11:30 and we’re in the buffet eating just after 12. It was one continuous line always moving to get on going through customs, show health docs, and get the key card. As soon as we had the key cards we were able to walk straight on board. Only item to note is that the line to check your baggage is behind the line to go through checking, so it’s easy to miss. 

 

We stayed in a balcony on deck 10. Our room steward was warm and genuine and always happy to see us. 

 

We heard the ship was at 60% capacity. It rarely felt crowded. 

 

We frequented the Whiskey Bar, Cavern Club, Sugar Cane Mojito Bar, and District Brewhouse  the most. The waterfront is a nice set up, especially when it’s two floors down from you.

 

The Observation Lounge is also great. From the incredible panoramic views to the cozy furniture and light snacks. We stopped in daily. 

 

We ate in MDR’s three times. Frequented The Local a lot, I liked their burgers. Otherwise it was the buffet where there was always something. I generally enjoyed the food. 

 

For entertainment we caught the Beatles cover band at the cavern which was fun. Also caught  a stand-up comedy session. In the main theater we caught a Best of Broadway where the cast did numbers from Hamilton, West Side Story, Greatest Showman, and others. We were unable to get tickets for Choir of Man. 

 

Several nights the District  Brewhouse had someone at the piano playing all the hits you’d expect from a piano bar, so that was fun. 

 

Getting into Juneau was a bit of a cluster. We weren’t cleared by the port to get off until around 3:15, 45 minutes late. By then the line stretched half the ship to get off. We had limited time before our excursion, so briskly walked into town and poked around for an hour before catching a shuttle back. We had the evening whale watching which was lovely seeing humpbacks with the backdrop of the mountains.

 

Skagway was lovely. We checked out some of the museums and historical sites. We ended up buying train tickets directly from the station rather than the ship. The weather and views were incredible.

 

Glacier Bay was gorgeous. Saw whales, mountain goats, and bears, albeit from a distance. Binoculars are highly recommended. It was beautiful, seriously.

 

Ketchikan went better than expected for Ward Cove docking. We were off the ship before 7 and shuttles both ways were abundant. Someday I would like more time in Ketchikan to catch a wildlife excursion. Having to dock

In ward five cuts that short even more, but it went better than I expected. 

 

We did not get off in Victoria.

 

Overall we loved the Encore. The ship is gorgeous and huge. It’s easy to get lost, which is great if you don’t like feeling stuck. We loved the staff and experience. It was an incredible trip. 

[cruiseplease]

Thank you for sharing your experience. We are on the Encore departing July 10, and can’t wait! Alaska is beautiful!

[spotfish]

Thanks for the write up we're sailing on July 24th

[YVRteacher]

Thank you for this information! We are thinking about booking July 24.

Is Kinky Boots back on board?

[islesdave]

Can you post copies of your Freestyle Dailies?  I'm on the 7/10 sailing.

[Jason82]

10 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Thank you for this information! We are thinking about booking July 24.

Is Kinky Boots back on board?

Yes it is. They had shows both for reservation and open seating.

[PATRLR]

18 hours ago, Jason82 said:

We were unable to get tickets for Choir of Man. 

 

This is interesting considering the ship was at 60% capacity.  

[Jason82]

1 hour ago, PATRLR said:

This is interesting considering the ship was at 60% capacity.  

Entertainment venues were generally packed to capacity. It seemed anything that required reservations were booked quickly once people got on board. 

[Jason82]

Day 1

[Jason82]

Day 2

[Jason82]

Day 3

 

 

[Jason82]

Day 4

 

 

[Jason82]

Day 5 

[Jason82]

Day 6

[Jason82]

Day 7

[Jason82]

5 hours ago, islesdave said:

Can you post copies of your Freestyle Dailies?  I'm on the 7/10 sailing.

They’ve been added to this thread. 

[gvgseg]

9 minutes ago, Jason82 said:

They’ve been added to this thread. 

Thanks so much for these. I'll be on the 7/31 Encore sailing and will definitely help with trying to planning out our days and evenings.

[mrfeeto]

Thanks for the great write up! I'm looking at the whale watching options for Juneau and it looks like there's a 2:45pm Mendenhall/Whale combo and the 4:45pm "Evening" version that's 30 minutes shorter and $30 cheaper p/p. Did you have any issue with the Mendenhall visitor center hours or lighting on the evening tour or know if it's a different boat/etc? Leaning toward the evening one to leave plenty of time before. 

[amygutman]

@Jason82 Thank you so much for the lovely review. 

We are on the Encore on Sept 24th and cannot wait. We have also waited 2 years so we are just busting with excitement!

Warmest Amy

[rhinoman]

@amygutmanWe're in - and on - the same boat (and at same time). 2020 Alaska cruise was canceled and we're finally getting around to making it up. Now we're counting down the days.

 

See ya onboard!

Bryan 

[amygutman]

48 minutes ago, rhinoman said:

@amygutmanWe're in - and on - the same boat (and at same time). 2020 Alaska cruise was canceled and we're finally getting around to making it up. Now we're counting down the days.

 

See ya onboard!

Bryan 

@rhinoman That's awesome!!! I am so happy for all of us. 

We're travelling with two friends who are flying in from Bermuda and London and making it a bucket list adventure for us all. Crossing fingers for whales and northern lights. 

See you on board - we are in the Haven DOS so equally excited to see what looks to be the most amazing balcony!

Warmest Amy