Great ship, food , entertainers and staff! choir of man is a bust but the solo and duo entertainers are a big hit. the observation lounge is awsome for Alaska. DO THE WATER SLIDES!
Embarkation
4 out of 5
the later you get to the port the happier you'll be... be patient with the testing.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Entertainment
4 out of 5
piano guy in the district brew house was the best, Alexa is incredible... the production show was not my thing , the show has very talented people but they're handicapped by having to use bad songs due to copyright issues (I mean "50 ways to leave your lover" .... really?! also I was disappointed there was no band playing in the Q during our trip.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
they were happy to see us and we certainly were happy to see them
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
the encore and her sisters Joy and bliss are hard to beat
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
stay on starboard side as the captain faces this side toward the glacier for about half an hour. port side didn't get any time
Ship tip
regardless of your age, treat yourself to the two watersides while surrounded by the cold majestic Alaskan mountains.... that is a real experience! (the water is heated)
I rented a car and went out to see the twin peeks filming sites. I rented car at the airport for $46 total from alamo, toured Seattle and Salish falls , then dropped my luggage at the ship, then turned car into the downtown alamo office and had easy downhill walk to the ship
this is important... this is the best port on the cruise but NCL has built thier own pier 8 miles out of town... at first I thought this might be a deal killer, the wait to get on a transfer bus is long for the first 90 minutes in port.....BUT the building they rehabilitated for the peir is pretty cool and they have a really fun lady playing sing along songs to make the wait go fast... relax, your in vacation.... I will say other ships that dock in town definitely have a selling point in this port but I think the encore is worth the small hassle of parking on the edge of town
walked off with out ever stopping. also we checked our bags thru to our final destination, so we put our bags out the last night and saw them next in the luggage carousel in our home town. special note on the ships transfer of handicap passangers.... they use a converted prison bus that has a hydroelectric lift... but once your scooter is on board the bus you have to sit in one of four very small seats with no leg room cramed with strangers some three to a tiny seat....tempers ran hot.
Sounds like you had an awesome trip! Thanks for the detailed review. We are heading to Alaska on the Encore in a year and really appreciate all the info!
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