First but not last Norwegian cruise!

Norwegian Encore Cruise Review

Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 49

Overall rating:

4.5 out of 5
Norwegian Encore

Great Stirrup Cay Round Trip

Sail date: November 17, 2019

Ship: Norwegian Encore

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

Beautiful ship! We had a wonderful time. The food exceeded expectations. My first cruise on Norwegian but certainly not my last!

Embarkation

4 out of 5
Embarkation was quick, though I was surprised that when we actually boarded the ship, it wasnt to the mmmn main lobby and there was not many crew members to give directions.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
We went to Taste, one of the main dining rooms, two of the first three nights. The room felt intimate, warm and the service each night was outstanding. Menu choices were well thought out. One night was Beef Wellington, which I like to order, as a test. It can be an easy entree to do poorly, but mine was perfect - well done Norwegian! We at at Cagney's one night, and it was just like a high-end NYC steak house. Beautiful veil chop. We ate several times in the Garden Cafe. It is a huge space, but it was well thought out, many stations so that you never hsd to wait. And the wine dispensers are cool. My only complaint was that during three breakfasts, in both the Cafe and the main dining room, we could never get a decent pancake. They always looked beautiful but always hard as a rock! I can be picky- I consider myself a foodie and happily the Encore's dining choices were beyond my expectations.

Starbucks

5 out of 5

Well, I am addicted to Starbucks. So to be able to go there at all times of the day and night, made us feel right at home.

Sugarcane Mojito Bar

5 out of 5

Mmmm delicious! I love mojitos and this was a treat, all the choices! Great idea!

The Cellars Wine Bar

5 out of 5

Mmmmm. I could spend alot of time here. A fantastic wine selection. I was truly impressed, I loved the electronic wine list. The Sommelier was very knowledgeable.

American Diner

2 out of 5

We never ate here, just walked through. Honestly, I wasn't impressed. Seemed like NCL was just trying to match Royan and Johnny Rockets.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
Please see the individual activities but I had a great time! Go carts on top a cruise ship! What fun!!

Pulse Fitness Center

4 out of 5

The center appeared to be a bit small for the size of the ship. But hood equipment and I was impressed by the biki and rowing machines that they have for classes.

The Marketplace

2 out of 5

Honestly, the store that sold souvenirs and liquor seemed small. Huge space for very high end jewelry and watches nut honestly , is there really that much of those very high end items sold? Wish there had been more realistic offerings.

Observation Lounge

5 out of 5

Beautiful space. Large,but quiet, peaceful, relaxing. A great way to sip a cocktail or a glass of champagne, amazing views. I loved the divams that the were available to lounge and rest and read a book.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5
I thought that generally, the staff was very friendly, and I understand that many of the staff had not been off the ships in 3 weeks. But the staff in the Marriott we stayed in the night before was generally much friendlier. I was surprised thst our room steward never introduced himself.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
The ship was beautiful. Modern and clean, well layed out. I loved the schools of fish in the carpet, always pointing to the bow. I did feel that the walls of the cabin hallways, they were so white, they seemed antiseptic, almost not finished, but overall, I loved the look and feel of the Rncore.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
Mid ship balcony on the 11th floor. I can't imagine not having a balcony. Well appointed, aesthetically pleasing. The bsthroom well thought out. Great sheets and towels. This would be 5 stars except,.. I hated the mattress! Omg it was so hard! I am a side sleeper and my hip ached every night.

Ship tip

Eat dinner at Taste instead of the main dining room. Same food, but a beautiful intimate space.

Ports of call

Great Stirrup Cay (Cruise Line Private Island), Bahamas

5 out of 5
We just stopped at Great stirrup Cay. Wow! It was huge! I was really surprised how big it was! I didnt get to do the zipline, but I wish I had! The zipline looked so big, if someone can afford to rent one of the 1 or 2 bed room air-conditioned villas, I highly recommend one for families.

Disembarkation

2 out of 5
Worst part of the cruise. We went to the 5th floor as per instructions. The line to disemsbsk stretches it seemed like stern to bow. Waited on line for approximately 45 minutes , just slowly shuffling, just to get off the ship. Then another hour of lines to get through customs. There must be a better way.
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2 Comments

daddydoug11    4 years ago

Taste is one of the main dining rooms.

SharonCruiser    4 years ago

Thank you for this review. We'll be on the Encore in January and we're mid ship balcony deck 11.

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