Another fun Norwegian Cruise!
Norwegian Encore Cruise Review
Great Stirrup Cay Round Trip
Sail date: November 17, 2019
Ship: Norwegian Encore
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 11154
Traveled as: Family (older children)
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
My second Norwegian Cruise was even better than the first. There is something for everyone! The thrills of race cars or virtual reality games or laser tag. Enjoy gambling in the casino or lounging by the pool or relaxing in the hot tub. From buffets, to casual restaurant to more upscale you can’t go wrong with your options. The private island had a lot to offer and Miami is always a fun time. All in all this was a great trip with beautiful weather!Embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Garden Cafe
All I can say is don’t miss the seafood buffet day. In addition, there is a side Starbucks area where you brew your own instead of waiting in line at Starbucks.The juice bar is great pick me up in the mornings.
The Local
Open 24 hours and the food Is good for light snack or more. I enjoyed the grilled chicken salad, the wings, taco salad and the pretzel bites. If you want to avoid the rush at the buffet in the morning, the local has a great selection for a sit down and be served. I enjoyed the breakfast platter which gave you a little of everything!
American Diner
Great comfort food. From the nachos to the lobster roll, just wha you would expect from a diner!!
The Local Bar
A good place to watch a game and grab a beer. Be warned around 2 am it gets very loud. I normally didn’t stay up that late ha-ha
Coco’s
You must try this place! To say it’s ice cream is an injustice. The desserts are a work of art and worth the cost!!
Starbucks
As always, Starbucks is what you expect. One day I purchased frozen white chocolate Frappuccino the next the pink drink.There is only one drink and food item per person. You can’t order drinks to bring to friends.
Sugarcane Mojito Bar
Wonderful mojitos. They have other drinks too but my favorite was the cocomojito!
Onboard Activities
Aqua Park
The Aqua Park looked like so much fun! Our friends on the group went down several times. I didn’t get a chance to try the slide but plan to next time!
Main Pool
The main pool seems very small for so many guests however they are a lot of lounge chairs and bars!
Entertainment
The Cavern Club
The Beatles (ok, 4 guys that kinda looked like the fab 4) were great!! Each night was a different era. We saw Abbey Road! We sang along & had a great time. It fills up fast & you can’t make reservations so plan to stand in line about an hour before. We grabbed a drink & chatted with Beatlemaniacs!
Social Comedy and Night Club
I didn’t get to go to the Comedy Club but heard it was a lot of fun.We did go to the silent dance party and had a blast! Put on your headsets and dance to your own beat. You can stand in the 80s or groove on over to the 90s.The Social Club is where we saw Happy Hour Prohibition: The Musical, which offered us a selection of Prohibition Era specialty cocktails during the show. Be prepared as there are about 5 cocktails.If you don’t want to get pulled on stage sit in the back. This is another one you want to arrive about 1/2 hour early to wait in line.
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
There is a free shuttle from the port to Bayside Marketplace. It picked us up at terminal A Port of Miami: take the free Coral Way trolley to the Biscayne Blvd. stop!
Ports of call
Great Stirrup Cay (Cruise Line Private Island), Bahamas
Disembarkation
Traveler Photos
