New to Norwegian…Booking Monday…

[tcmagnum]

Hello!! 
We are booking Monday (with our travel agent who will be paying our pre-paid tips)!!

We will be booking on ENCORE for next February 2025…

Two AFT balconies side-by-side and an inside cabin across the hallway.

** Can the balcony dividers be opened between the two?

 

We are regular Celebrity cruisers so any tips/advice would be great.  
We will have the ‘free at sea’ that gives us ‘open bar’ and 2 free specialty dining.

** What specialty dining do you guys like?

 

Very excited!!!
 

[UKstages]

2 minutes ago, tcmagnum said:

Can the balcony dividers be opened between the two?

 

no.

 

well, they technically can, but it's against the rules to open them, for fire prevention reasons.

[hallux]

5 minutes ago, tcmagnum said:

What specialty dining do you guys like?

My favorite is becoming Le Bistro.  I have a pretty set order when I go there.  Cagney's is good, but many think it's becoming overrated.  I'm trying Los Lobos for the first time in a week (actually, next Sunday!!), we'll see how it is.  I wouldn't spend a dining credit on Q, the food was good but there just isn't the value in using the credit there that you have at other restaurants (meals aren't AS expensive).  I might visit Q on my cruise the solo meal there doesn't conflict with another scheduled item and just pay out of pocket.

[poohdreaming]

For your first question - technically no for fire safely and they have rules put in place.

 

As for your second question - it really depends on your taste and what you wanted for dinner for that specific night. Sure, you can ask others for opinion. You should look into seeing the restaurant menus as well as pictures to see what you might like. Cagney's should have been good. Onda and Le Bistro is also good.

[MarkMark]

Best advice I can offer....take everything you read here with a grain of salt.  Been cruising on NCL for 15 years and still look forward to each and every cruise.  I've had ports cancelled, ships with engine issues, delayed departures.....and have had some of the best vacations of my life on NCL.  It is what you make it.

[Sailing12Away]

No on the dividers, like everyone else has said.

 

For the restaurants, you'll get 15 different opinions. Go peek at the menus now once you get your reservation. They're all on the NCL website as samples, or if you search through these forums you'll find maybe the most recent versions that are hot off the press.

 

Look at what is offered and see what calls out to you the most. Encore is a great ship and the views you'll have from the aft will be amazing.

[tcmagnum]

6 hours ago, MarkMark said:

Best advice I can offer....take everything you read here with a grain of salt.  Been cruising on NCL for 15 years and still look forward to each and every cruise.  I've had ports cancelled, ships with engine issues, delayed departures.....and have had some of the best vacations of my life on NCL.  It is what you make it.

We are also like that.  Some of our best cruises were everything got changed around.  We look at cruising as: If it's meant to happen, it will.

[Two Wheels Only]

7 hours ago, tcmagnum said:

We will be booking on ENCORE for next February 2025…

Two AFT balconies side-by-side and an inside cabin across the hallway.

 

Is it aft or aft-facing?

 

 

 

[tcmagnum]

56 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Is it aft or aft-facing?

 

 

 

AFT in the very back of ship.  We love those balconies. 

Edited January 22 by tcmagnum

[Two Wheels Only]

9 minutes ago, tcmagnum said:

AFT in the very back of ship.  We love those balconies. 

 

The entrance to the inside stateroom will be around the corner instead of directly outside of the balcony stateroom door. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

I tell DW and DD that I want to eat at Teppanyaki.  It's pretty consistent and I always enjoy the show.  Beyond that, I let them decide.  The others are so hit or miss that it then becomes their fault. 🤣

 

I guess I should add that my one trip to Q was so bad that we'll likely never swing that way again.  La Cucina has also consistently disappointed us.

[gknep]

I've been on the Encore a few times. Had great meals at Ocean Blue, Onda, and Le Bistro. I was less impressed by Los Lobos just because I get great Mexican food where I live. Cagney's has been fine but not outstanding. Aside from the specialty dining the Indian food at the buffet is not to be missed. 

[ellenw]

Food Republic! It is so good. Use one dining credit, and share. Then you can go another day and use the other credit. 

[ellenw]

My other big advice to new NCL cruisers is that there will be a dining room open on embarkation day. So much better than going to the buffet. Go there for lunch. 

[schmoopie17]

23 hours ago, tcmagnum said:

 

** What specialty dining do you guys like?
 

We pretty much like every specialty restaurant...except for Q. I'm pretty sure Q stands for Quite Bad.

 

I'm sure you can find much better BBQ in Kentucky without having to waste a specialty dining credit on Q. I'm sure many, including @ChiefMateJRKwill agree.

 

Edited January 22 by schmoopie17

[complawyer]

cagney's and le bistro! hand's down. they win by a mile. but if you get any free dinners, try as many as you can. "Q" however  is not offered on most of the ncl ships

[schmoopie17]

8 minutes ago, complawyer said:

 "Q" however  is not offered on most of the ncl ships

I thought of that, too. But they're booking the Encore. It has a Q.

[tcmagnum]

Thank you all your advice on the dining issue - we are going to be looking at menus before we board ship.

 

Next question:  Has anyone stayed in an AFT Balcony (the ones that look off the back of the ship)?  Good/Bad? Favorites?

[Sailing12Away]

10 minutes ago, tcmagnum said:

Thank you all your advice on the dining issue - we are going to be looking at menus before we board ship.

 

Next question:  Has anyone stayed in an AFT Balcony (the ones that look off the back of the ship)?  Good/Bad? Favorites?

Again, you'll get 15 different opinions. We had an aft Haven cabin on Encore and didn't like it. Balcony was huge and views were great, room itself was nice. But it was far too far away from the rest of the Haven amenities for our liking. Also lots of vibrations that woke us up at 2am the first few nights.

[tcmagnum]

2 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

Again, you'll get 15 different opinions. We had an aft Haven cabin on Encore and didn't like it. Balcony was huge and views were great, room itself was nice. But it was far too far away from the rest of the Haven amenities for our liking. Also lots of vibrations that woke us up at 2am the first few nights.

This cruise we are doing plain AFT balconies and not Haven.

But next year when we splurge on Haven we agree, we will be staying at the other end of the ship, so we are much closer to Haven amenities.

[Two Wheels Only]

27 minutes ago, tcmagnum said:

Next question:  Has anyone stayed in an AFT Balcony (the ones that look off the back of the ship)?  Good/Bad? Favorites?

 

With aft-facing, balcony depth varies by deck. There are also differences in balcony width and bed location (near balcony vs. near closet). Depending on what is important to you will give different suggestions. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

29 minutes ago, tcmagnum said:

Has anyone stayed in an AFT Balcony (the ones that look off the back of the ship)?  Good/Bad? Favorites?

I've only sprung for an aft balcony once, and it was on the Joy so pretty much the same as the Encore.  I really liked it, especially having actual lounge chairs instead of those things on most regular balconies.  I'll do it again if the price is right, which it generally isn't.

[tcmagnum]

6 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

With aft-facing, balcony depth varies by deck. There are also differences in balcony width and bed location (near balcony vs. near closet). Depending on what is important to you will give different suggestions. 

Very good points.

I've read some of your past posts (you are kind of famous on cruise critic for the go to for all information on cabins).

 

Deeper and possible wider AFT balconies are important.

Bed by balcony so there is more room to get to the closet is also important.

Not too close to all the noise toward the higher decks...

[G-DawgMN]

10 minutes ago, tcmagnum said:

 

 

Deeper and possible wider AFT balconies are important.

Bed by balcony so there is more room to get to the closet is also important.

Not too close to all the noise toward the higher decks...

 

 The bed will alternate in location in the rooms next to each other, so if you want both rooms to have the beds by the balcony then you'd want a room in between you.

 

[tcmagnum]

1 minute ago, KSSS2013 said:

 

 The bed will alternate in location in the rooms next to each other, so if you want both rooms to have the beds by the balcony then you'd want a room in between you.

 

Lol.  I'm getting the bed next to balcony.  My payment for doing all the research.