21-DAY ON NORWEGIAN ENCORE Panama Canal: Mexico, Colombia & Guatemala from Miami, Florida 2025

[taylortime05]

2 hours ago, RB9643 said:

 

Can't speak about the Haven because we haven't tried it yet. We like the oversized Club Balcony cabins. Great bathroom, and slightly larger than a balcony with more storage space.

 

For 2024, we've got a deck 10 Club Balcony for $8000 fare plus the port charges, taxes, fees, gratuities, etc. for a total of $11,000.

 

 

Thank you!  I’ll check these cabins out.  I love having recliners on the balconies if possible.  

[swmichigan cruiser]

1 hour ago, RB9643 said:

 

Agree that Encore is our favorite ship (so far). We'll be with you on that cruise with sister and BIL. 

 

Seriously considering Vibe for the wives, but do you think it's worth $300 pp if the cruise isn't full? I've heard the Vibe loungers on Encore are not the upgraded padded loungers. Any experience with Encore's Vibe?

 

 

Sorry can't tell you about the Vibe as we have never used it. At our age we gave up sitting out in the sun much. The observation lounge is a better fit for us.

[swmichigan cruiser]

8 minutes ago, taylortime05 said:

Thank you!  What type of cabin do you recommend for this cruise?   

At least a balcony. On the Panama Canal cruise we had done before we ended up with a Club Balcony  after booking a regular balcony because the ship had big price drop after final payment. The biggest benefit for us was a bigger bathroom. Other then that nothing to special to us. Funny thing for our upcoming Encore in 2024is because of our status with NCL we got a one time one cabin upgrade so we booked an ocean view and got an upgrade to a balcony. The first time on the Encore on a 7 day cruise we had a balcony and that was fine. But any type cabin we have I look for cabins that have cabins above and below them. They should hopefully be quieter. If the Choir of Man is still on the ship when you go try to see it. It is  my favorite show. Hope this helps. Bob

[taylortime05]

11 minutes ago, swmichigan cruiser said:

At least a balcony. On the Panama Canal cruise we had done before we ended up with a Club Balcony  after booking a regular balcony because the ship had big price drop after final payment. The biggest benefit for us was a bigger bathroom. Other then that nothing to special to us. Funny thing for our upcoming Encore in 2024is because of our status with NCL we got a one time one cabin upgrade so we booked an ocean view and got an upgrade to a balcony. The first time on the Encore on a 7 day cruise we had a balcony and that was fine. But any type cabin we have I look for cabins that have cabins above and below them. They should hopefully be quieter. If the Choir of Man is still on the ship when you go try to see it. It is  my favorite show. Hope this helps. Bob

Thank you so much Bob for all the info.  Was the evening entertainment good?  I know the main shows can be hit or miss but did they have good entertainers in the smaller venues?  

[swmichigan cruiser]

1 hour ago, taylortime05 said:

Thank you so much Bob for all the info.  Was the evening entertainment good?  I know the main shows can be hit or miss but did they have good entertainers in the smaller venues?  

You are right main  shows and the other entertainment can be hit and miss. Because the performers change pretty quickly especially on the nonmain shows it is pretty much the luck of the draw. But we have had great luck on the Encore. And also I have to take into account that just because I like or dislike someone else may have a different opinion. Like I already mentioned The Choir of Man is my favorite show I have seen on a cruise ship. 

[KP@Sea]

I’m really looking forward to The Choir of Man. Also, is there a Syd Norman’s on the Encore?

[swmichigan cruiser]

1 hour ago, Winky7650 said:

I’m really looking forward to The Choir of Man. Also, is there a Syd Norman’s on the Encore?

No Syd Norman's but there is the Cavern Club which has entertainment every night. Many nights with a Beatles tribute band. As for The Choir of Man I didn't even know what it was before I watched it for the first time. Now I have seen it 10 times on the Encore. Guess you could say I am a fan.

[amygutman]

11 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

Hi Amy,  

 

We’ve taken so many Caribbean cruises and loved them all.  But we’re trying to start focusing on some bucket list cruises and this one sounded wonderful.    This would be the longest cruise we’ve been on.  

 

Thank you

 

Sue

OK...just promise that you will share your adventure please? 

I just added a full transit and travelling from Florida all the way to the West Coast as a new bucket list so I am going to live vicariously through you and others on the same itinerary!

Warmest, Amy

[Turtles06]

5 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

Hi Turtles06,

 

Below is the Itinerary for the 21 day sailing in March 2025.  How was your itinerary different?

 

11 PORTS OF CALL

• MiamiFlorida
• CartagenaColombia
• Panama City (Fuerte Amador)Panama
• Puerto QuetzalGuatemala
• AcapulcoMexico
• Puerto VallartaMexico
• Cabo San LucasMexico
• Los AngelesCalifornia
• San FranciscoCalifornia
• VictoriaBritish Columbia
• SeattleWashington

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

Our 20-day cruise was NY to San Fran, and our 16-day cruise was Miami to LA.  We also did B2B full transits of the Canal this winter on the Gem, NY to Fuerte Amador and Fuerte Amador back to NY.   So we've been to a number of the ports on your itinerary.  It would be helpful for you to research them in the Ports of Call forums here on CC, but I will offer the following thoughts as well:

 

Cartagena: get a small group from your Roll Call and book a private tour with Dora De Zubiria.  She's fabulous; there's a good reason she's highly recommended here on CC.  (Her web site is linked below.)  When you get back to the cruise terminal, take some time before you head back to the ship to go through the really neat free aviary.  Awesome.

 

http://www.cartagenatour.com/

 

Fuerte Amador/Panama City: you'll have transited the new locks, and you may want to take advantage of the opportunity to see the historic locks up close and personal at the Miraflores Visitors Center.  And of course there are opportunities for touring Panama City.  There's also the Biomuseo.

 

Puerto Quetzal: I highly recommend visiting Antigua, but doing so only with NCL transportation (they usually have an "Antigua on your Own" tour, as well as some guided tours) because of the distance.  You'll have several hours in Antigua, plenty of time to walk around and see this historic city and have lunch.  We've been there twice.  No need for a guide, it's a small historic area, you'll have a map, you won't get lost.  🙂 

 

Puerto Vallarta: a DIY port if you want it to be, but do the research and decide what would interest you the most.

 

Cabo: April is the end of the humpback whale migration season that starts in mid-December.  Do some research to see if you will be there well enough before the end of the season to make a whale watching tour (on a small boat) worthwhile.  It's an amazing experience.

 

LA and San Fran -- big cities of course, lots to see! 

 

I hope this was helpful. 

[taylortime05]

12 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Our 20-day cruise was NY to San Fran, and our 16-day cruise was Miami to LA.  We also did B2B full transits of the Canal this winter on the Gem, NY to Fuerte Amador and Fuerte Amador back to NY.   So we've been to a number of the ports on your itinerary.  It would be helpful for you to research them in the Ports of Call forums here on CC, but I will offer the following thoughts as well:

 

Cartagena: get a small group from your Roll Call and book a private tour with Dora De Zubiria.  She's fabulous; there's a good reason she's highly recommended here on CC.  (Her web site is linked below.)  When you get back to the cruise terminal, take some time before you head back to the ship to go through the really neat free aviary.  Awesome.

 

http://www.cartagenatour.com/

 

Fuerte Amador/Panama City: you'll have transited the new locks, and you may want to take advantage of the opportunity to see the historic locks up close and personal at the Miraflores Visitors Center.  And of course there are opportunities for touring Panama City.  There's also the Biomuseo.

 

Puerto Quetzal: I highly recommend visiting Antigua, but doing so only with NCL transportation (they usually have an "Antigua on your Own" tour, as well as some guided tours) because of the distance.  You'll have several hours in Antigua, plenty of time to walk around and see this historic city and have lunch.  We've been there twice.  No need for a guide, it's a small historic area, you'll have a map, you won't get lost.  🙂 

 

Puerto Vallarta: a DIY port if you want it to be, but do the research and decide what would interest you the most.

 

Cabo: April is the end of the humpback whale migration season that starts in mid-December.  Do some research to see if you will be there well enough before the end of the season to make a whale watching tour (on a small boat) worthwhile.  It's an amazing experience.

 

LA and San Fran -- big cities of course, lots to see! 

 

I hope this was helpful. 

Thank you so much!  This is very helpful.  I have so much research to do but that’s always fun and I have a lot of time.  In your comment above you said "I wish NCL were doing more Canal cruises like those two we did, rather than the one-ways from NY to Panama City and back, which are mostly Caribbean cruises.”    What are we missing from this 21 night itinerary that you did in the two Canal cruises you did?   I was just curious.  Thank you again for all your feedback.  It is very helpful. 

[Turtles06]

9 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

 In your comment above you said "I wish NCL were doing more Canal cruises like those two we did, rather than the one-ways from NY to Panama City and back, which are mostly Caribbean cruises.”    What are we missing from this 21 night itinerary that you did in the two Canal cruises you did?   I was just curious.

 

What I mostly meant was that I wish NCL were doing more of the long winter Canal cruises (in Jan. and Feb.) from USA coast to coast, not what they've started doing now with Panama City as an arrival and disembarkation port, 11 or 12 day cruises to or from NY. 

 

In terms of what you might be missing  -- there's no single itinerary, but one port we very much enjoyed was Puntarenas, Costa Rica.  We also enjoyed the Mexican ports of Huatulco and Mazatlan.   

[taylortime05]

On 6/12/2023 at 1:41 AM, YVRteacher said:

 

When people ask me which cruises are my favourite I always include this one.

Hi YVRteacher, 

 

I was going back and reading all the great feedback I got.  I was curious because you said this cruise/itinerary was one of your favorites.  How many cruises have you taken?  Why was this one of your favorites?  What were some of your other favorites?    

 

Thank you so much!

 

Sue

 

 

 

 

[YVRteacher]

Hi @taylortime05

by the end of this summer I will have done 38 cruises, all on NCL.

 

I cruise to Alaska fairly often because I live in Vancouver and no flights are involved. Alaska will always be a favourite and going to Alaska feels like home away from home now, especially on the Jewel.

 

Favourite cruises include the Baltic (including 2 days in St. Petersburg) on the Sun; Iceland, Norway and Scotland out of Hamburg on the Jade; and the 21 day Panama Canal cruise on the Gem.

 

Why did I love the Panama Canal cruise so much?  So many reasons.  We were on the Gem which is not one of NCL’s mega ships.  The crew and management were outstanding, the food was wonderful, the passengers were absolutely wonderful and so pleasant and kind and the feeling on board was one I’ll never forget.  We chose shore excursions that suited us and had excellent tour guides in every port.  We had perfect weather rich in sunshine, there was enough space for everyone despite the ship being near capacity, there were no glitches or challenges (ok, Covid emerged while we were on board and the buffet went in to crew serving mode which I loved but nobody on board knew anything about Covid until the news broke about the Princess ship.) Overall it was smooth sailing.  Everything came together to contribute to both an excellent experience on board and a fabulous experience as a tourist in each port.  Unlike in Europe where the port days are long and you get back on board, shower, eat and try to stay awake for the show, the ports on the Panama Canal cruise were long enough so we didn’t feel rushed but not so long that we couldn’t enjoy the ship.

 

We also went through the old locks since the Gem is a smaller class of ship and I do love  the canal crossing day.  I’ve done a few other partial transits all through the old locks and would never do an excursion where people get off the ship on canal day and take the train.  No one comes back happy from that excursion.

 

As far as physical ships go, the Encore and the Bliss are top of my list. They are gorgeous and so well planned for my style of cruising.  The Encore has one of the best General Managers in the fleet (Deepak) so if he is on board you’re in good hands. 
 

 

 

 

[The Original Bequia]

We just booked the 22 day sailing departing on 10/29/2023 from Seattle on the Encore. NCL had a great Memorial Day sale and we nabbed a balcony stateroom with the angular balcony at a great price. 

 

Sun	Seattle, Washington	---	5:00 PM
Mon	At Sea	---	---
Tue	San Francisco, California	12:00 PM	10:00 PM
Wed	At Sea	---	---
Thu	Los Angeles, California	7:00 AM	4:00 PM
Fri	At Sea	---	---
Sat	Cabo San Lucas, Mexico	11:00 AM	7:00 PM
Sun	Mazatlán, Mexico	9:00 AM	6:00 PM
Mon	Puerto Vallarta, Mexico	8:00 AM	8:00 PM
Tue	At Sea	---	---
Wed	Acapulco, Mexico	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Thu	At Sea	---	---
Fri	Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala	7:00 AM	5:00 PM
Sat	At Sea	---	---
Sun	Panama City (Pacific Cruise Terminal), Panama	6:00 PM	Overnight
Mon	Panama City (Pacific Cruise Terminal), Panama	---	10:00 PM
Tue	Daylight Transit Panama Canal	---	Overnight
Wed	Cartagena, Colombia	10:00 AM	6:00 PM
Thu	At Sea	---	---
Fri	George Town, Grand Cayman	7:00 AM	6:00 PM
Sat	At Sea	---	---
Sun	Miami, Florida (Flight Departure)	7:00 AM	-

 

Deal included beverage package, 3 specialty dining package, 300 minutes wifi pp, and $50 excursion credit per port. Room gratuities were included as well.

[Panhandle Couple]

We are booked on the Bliss in Dec 23 for a 15 day Miami to LA PC cruise.  The ports seem the same except we get off in LA.  There is a reverse of this the next two weeks, then back again.  The Bliss mainly stays on the west coast for Mexican Rivera and AK cruises. 

 

I plan on having a follow along thread here, and will invite others to join in when we get a few weeks from leaving.  

 

The new Panama City cruise terminal is supposed to be finished before the start of December.  That will be a report in itself.   

[KP@Sea]

2 hours ago, The Original Bequia said:

We just booked the 22 day sailing departing on 10/29/2023 from Seattle on the Encore. NCL had a great Memorial Day sale and we nabbed a balcony stateroom with the angular balcony at a great price. 

 

Sun	Seattle, Washington	---	5:00 PM
Mon	At Sea	---	---
Tue	San Francisco, California	12:00 PM	10:00 PM
Wed	At Sea	---	---
Thu	Los Angeles, California	7:00 AM	4:00 PM
Fri	At Sea	---	---
Sat	Cabo San Lucas, Mexico	11:00 AM	7:00 PM
Sun	Mazatlán, Mexico	9:00 AM	6:00 PM
Mon	Puerto Vallarta, Mexico	8:00 AM	8:00 PM
Tue	At Sea	---	---
Wed	Acapulco, Mexico	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Thu	At Sea	---	---
Fri	Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala	7:00 AM	5:00 PM
Sat	At Sea	---	---
Sun	Panama City (Pacific Cruise Terminal), Panama	6:00 PM	Overnight
Mon	Panama City (Pacific Cruise Terminal), Panama	---	10:00 PM
Tue	Daylight Transit Panama Canal	---	Overnight
Wed	Cartagena, Colombia	10:00 AM	6:00 PM
Thu	At Sea	---	---
Fri	George Town, Grand Cayman	7:00 AM	6:00 PM
Sat	At Sea	---	---
Sun	Miami, Florida (Flight Departure)	7:00 AM	-

 

Deal included beverage package, 3 specialty dining package, 300 minutes wifi pp, and $50 excursion credit per port. Room gratuities were included as well.

This is almost the exact reverse of the one we have booked. You will have to post after, and let us know how it went. Especially if there are things you recommend. 

[KP@Sea]

24 minutes ago, Panhandle Couple said:

We are booked on the Bliss in Dec 23 for a 15 day Miami to LA PC cruise.  The ports seem the same except we get off in LA.  There is a reverse of this the next two weeks, then back again.  The Bliss mainly stays on the west coast for Mexican Rivera and AK cruises. 

 

I plan on having a follow along thread here, and will invite others to join in when we get a few weeks from leaving.  

 

The new Panama City cruise terminal is supposed to be finished before the start of December.  That will be a report in itself.   

We looked at that one as well, but DH wanted to go to Seattle. So we are doing the 21 day on the Encore

[taylortime05]

14 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Hi @taylortime05

by the end of this summer I will have done 38 cruises, all on NCL.

 

I cruise to Alaska fairly often because I live in Vancouver and no flights are involved. Alaska will always be a favourite and going to Alaska feels like home away from home now, especially on the Jewel.

 

Favourite cruises include the Baltic (including 2 days in St. Petersburg) on the Sun; Iceland, Norway and Scotland out of Hamburg on the Jade; and the 21 day Panama Canal cruise on the Gem.

 

Why did I love the Panama Canal cruise so much?  So many reasons.  We were on the Gem which is not one of NCL’s mega ships.  The crew and management were outstanding, the food was wonderful, the passengers were absolutely wonderful and so pleasant and kind and the feeling on board was one I’ll never forget.  We chose shore excursions that suited us and had excellent tour guides in every port.  We had perfect weather rich in sunshine, there was enough space for everyone despite the ship being near capacity, there were no glitches or challenges (ok, Covid emerged while we were on board and the buffet went in to crew serving mode which I loved but nobody on board knew anything about Covid until the news broke about the Princess ship.) Overall it was smooth sailing.  Everything came together to contribute to both an excellent experience on board and a fabulous experience as a tourist in each port.  Unlike in Europe where the port days are long and you get back on board, shower, eat and try to stay awake for the show, the ports on the Panama Canal cruise were long enough so we didn’t feel rushed but not so long that we couldn’t enjoy the ship.

 

We also went through the old locks since the Gem is a smaller class of ship and I do love  the canal crossing day.  I’ve done a few other partial transits all through the old locks and would never do an excursion where people get off the ship on canal day and take the train.  No one comes back happy from that excursion.

 

As far as physical ships go, the Encore and the Bliss are top of my list. They are gorgeous and so well planned for my style of cruising.  The Encore has one of the best General Managers in the fleet (Deepak) so if he is on board you’re in good hands. 
 

 

 

 

Thank you so much.  We’ve sailed on Royal, Celebrity and NCL and we’ve loved every cruise.  We’ve done way too many Caribbean so I’m trying to be more selective and hit some of our bucket list locations.  We’ll still sail at least once a year in the Caribbean. We live in Michigan and have long cold winters.

 

I have another question that is completely off topic.  I just booked the cruise below on MSC in their yacht club (similar to Haven) on a whim because it was such a great deal.  Is this a nice itinerary?  I need to do more research because I’d love to fly into a near by city in Germany to explore different areas before the cruise.  

 

 

[YVRteacher]

The only port I’ve been to on that itinerary is Copenhagen. I’m currently researching my upcoming 23 days B2B on the Star for Iceland and Norway and will be writing a live trip report.

[Bequia]

We were going to book the 17 night Los Angeles - Miami cruise departing on 11/2/2023 out of Long Beach but discovered the cost difference was negligible to leave 3 days earlier from Seattle on 10/29/2023. It's going to be fun to have the ship to ourselves for those 3 days for the bulk of the cruisers for this voyage will be cruising out of Los Angeles (according to our travel agent). Our last cruise on NCL was to the Mexican Riviera on the Joy in March 2020, it was the last voyage before NCL shut down for the Pandemic. We were impressed with the Joy and didn't hesitate to book the Encore.

[taylortime05]

On 6/12/2023 at 5:25 PM, swmichigan cruiser said:

At least a balcony. On the Panama Canal cruise we had done before we ended up with a Club Balcony  after booking a regular balcony because the ship had big price drop after final payment. The biggest benefit for us was a bigger bathroom. Other then that nothing to special to us. Funny thing for our upcoming Encore in 2024is because of our status with NCL we got a one time one cabin upgrade so we booked an ocean view and got an upgrade to a balcony. The first time on the Encore on a 7 day cruise we had a balcony and that was fine. But any type cabin we have I look for cabins that have cabins above and below them. They should hopefully be quieter. If the Choir of Man is still on the ship when you go try to see it. It is  my favorite show. Hope this helps. Bob

We live in Sterling Heights, MI.  Do you live on the west side of the state?  

 

I originally thought that a 21 day cruise would not be at full capacity but I read a couple of posts that they are usually at full capacity.  Is it difficult to get a chair by the pool for a 21 day sailing similar to the 7 night Caribbean cruises?   We’ve only sailed once with NCL on the Escape and we were in the Haven through a bid.  When we walked past the pool area on the Escape it was crazy busy.  We will not be able to afford the Haven for a 21 day cruise but I’m still hoping to have some time by the pool.  I really appreciate your insight.  

 

Thanks

 

Sue

[swmichigan cruiser]

8 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

We live in Sterling Heights, MI.  Do you live on the west side of the state?  

 

I originally thought that a 21 day cruise would not be at full capacity but I read a couple of posts that they are usually at full capacity.  Is it difficult to get a chair by the pool for a 21 day sailing similar to the 7 night Caribbean cruises?   We’ve only sailed once with NCL on the Escape and we were in the Haven through a bid.  When we walked past the pool area on the Escape it was crazy busy.  We will not be able to afford the Haven for a 21 day cruise but I’m still hoping to have some time by the pool.  I really appreciate your insight.  

 

Thanks

 

Sue

Sue

We live in Portage. I would think it won't be at full capacity just because of the length of the cruise and not everyone would be able get that much time off work if they are still working. The one we did last year was nowhere near full also because might have something to do with some people not ready to start cruising again. I am not really a pool person but I would think also that with so many days on this cruise and so many ports you should also find a lot of time to be at the pool. The Encore is my favorite ship. Hope this helps if you have any other questions let me know. Bob

[taylortime05]

On 6/14/2023 at 1:59 PM, The Original Bequia said:

We just booked the 22 day sailing departing on 10/29/2023 from Seattle on the Encore. NCL had a great Memorial Day sale and we nabbed a balcony stateroom with the angular balcony at a great price. 

 

Sun	Seattle, Washington	---	5:00 PM
Mon	At Sea	---	---
Tue	San Francisco, California	12:00 PM	10:00 PMDid D
Wed	At Sea	---	---
Thu	Los Angeles, California	7:00 AM	4:00 PM
Fri	At Sea	---	---
Sat	Cabo San Lucas, Mexico	11:00 AM	7:00 PM
Sun	Mazatlán, Mexico	9:00 AM	6:00 PM
Mon	Puerto Vallarta, Mexico	8:00 AM	8:00 PM
Tue	At Sea	---	---
Wed	Acapulco, Mexico	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Thu	At Sea	---	---
Fri	Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala	7:00 AM	5:00 PM
Sat	At Sea	---	---
Sun	Panama City (Pacific Cruise Terminal), Panama	6:00 PM	Overnight
Mon	Panama City (Pacific Cruise Terminal), Panama	---	10:00 PM
Tue	Daylight Transit Panama Canal	---	Overnight
Wed	Cartagena, Colombia	10:00 AM	6:00 PM
Thu	At Sea	---	---
Fri	George Town, Grand Cayman	7:00 AM	6:00 PM
Sat	At Sea	---	---
Sun	Miami, Florida (Flight Departure)	7:00 AM	-

 

Deal included beverage package, 3 specialty dining package, 300 minutes wifi pp, and $50 excursion credit per port. Room gratuities were included as well.

 

Did you book with a TA or directly with NCL?   What was your total price?  I’ll have to keep a look at pricing for the March 2025 sailing. 

[Panhandle Couple]

On 6/21/2023 at 12:21 AM, taylortime05 said:

We live in Sterling Heights, MI.  Do you live on the west side of the state?  

 

I originally thought that a 21 day cruise would not be at full capacity but I read a couple of posts that they are usually at full capacity.  Is it difficult to get a chair by the pool for a 21 day sailing similar to the 7 night Caribbean cruises?   We’ve only sailed once with NCL on the Escape and we were in the Haven through a bid.  When we walked past the pool area on the Escape it was crazy busy.  We will not be able to afford the Haven for a 21 day cruise but I’m still hoping to have some time by the pool.  I really appreciate your insight.  

 

Thanks

 

Sue

Try the Vibe Beach Club.  Extra $$, but not as much as getting into the Haven.  And for 21 days, plenty of time to use it.

 

[taylortime05]

29 minutes ago, Panhandle Couple said:

Try the Vibe Beach Club.  Extra $$, but not as much as getting into the Haven.  And for 21 days, plenty of time to use it.

 

I’m definitely going to try to purchase the Vibe Beach Club.   The Haven is just too pricey for this cruise.