NCL Delivers Another Fabulous Vacation!
Norwegian Encore Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern
Contributor Level:
Second Mate
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 4
Helpful Votes: 133
7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: January 29, 2023
Ship: Norwegian Encore
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: 12100
Traveled as: Singles/Friends
Reviewed: 1 year ago
Review summary
All in all, I had a fantastic experience on the NCL Encore. It was my first time on the ship and I loved it. There are so many amenities and things to do. If you are bored on a cruise, there is something wrong. From many game shows (The Not-So Newlywed Game, Deal or No Deal, etc.), to shows (Choir of Man, comedy [all guests and 18+], magician, Beatles tribute), to lot of events and parties (sail away party, 80's party, 90's party, silent disco, glow party, farewell party, Paint 'n Sip type event, contests), casino if you like to partake, or just hanging around the ship at the Waterfront or Observation Lounge. There is even a library where you can borrow a book or play a board game with friends. There was a Starbucks on board where you can use the app to pay (load up your Starbucks card or get some gift cards to pay). Thank you for another amazing vacation. I'm ready for Dec. 2023 ... if not before.Embarkation
My check in time was at 10 - 10:30. Because a marathon that was happening that morning in Miami, I scheduled my Uber at 9:10 to allow for traffic and road closures. He came at 8:50 and we arrived at the Port of Miami at 9:10. I got at the back of the line (which was about at least 500 people). At 9:30, they opened to doors to allow people to start the check-in process, and I was through security and the check-in process by 10 AM. I was sitting in waiting area for Group 1 to be called to board the ship. BRAVO NCL!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
The food was very good to excellent. My favorites were Cagney's (deck 8) and Teppanyaki (deck 6), which are both Specialty Dining restaurants. With Cagney's you get 1 appetizer, 1 soup or salad, 1 entree (the menu notes if there is an upcharge for an item), 2 sides, and a dessert. If you think that sounds like a lot of food ... it is! But it was delicious. The filet was tender and melted in your both. I got a dressed baked potato and broccoli. I do not like mushy veggies and the broccoli was cooked to perfection. And dessert ... OH.MY.GOD! 7 layer chocolate cake. Teppanyaki ... what can I say about that. It's a hibachi dining experience and if you walk out of that restaurant hungry, there's a problem. It is yummy and the chefs are all so much fun and make the experience special.
The MDRs (Taste, Savor, and Manhattan Room) are also very good. They all have the same menus every night. The menus are posted by the elevators outside of Taste and Savor (deck 6). The Manhattan Room is located on deck 7 aft (past the casino). I ate at each of the restaurants in the evening for dinner and had breakfast and lunch at Taste or Savor.
I also ate at The Local which is above the Atrium (mid-ship deck 7). They are the 24 hour restaurant where you can get breakfast, lunch, dinner and a late night snack if you desire. It also has a great bar with a couple TVs to watch whatever sporting event they are showing. I had the chicken salad sandwich one day for lunch and it was delicious!
Onboard Activities
I did not visit the pools. I am trying to to be the sun worshiper I was years ago. I did take advantage of the Thermal Suite and it was fabulous! There's a heated therapy pool with jets and a jaccuzi. If you want to relax, there are nice cushioned lounge chairs to stretch out and relax. There are also heated loungers, but those are not cushioned, but are relaxing if you put a rolled towel under your neck/head.
If you like to use the different rooms, there is a snow room, salt room, different saunas (dry, wet heat) and a steam room. All very relaxing ... even the snow room (just remember to wear shoes).
Entertainment
I saw Choir of Man while on board. It was fantastic! Get there early because they invite the audience to come up to get a complimentary beer before the show starts. They also chose audience members throughout the show to come on stage and take part in the show. It was hilarious and the audience members added a fun aspect to the show.
Service and Staff
The service I received from everyone was definitely 5-star quality! The ship was at almost full capacity, but that didn't mean the service was compromised. The waiters in all restaurants (specialty dining and the main dining rooms) were very attentive, friendly and with some I even felt I received a mini-floor show. :-)
The spa personal were very nice. I went on embarkation day to get a tour and they, of course, were all highlighting their areas of expertise and how they could help make my cruise experience even better. Though, I only accessed the Thermal Suite which I purchased pre-boarding.
My room steward, Joseph, was absolutely wonderful! NCL has changed cabin visits to once/day (this started January 2023), but I did not see any difference in the service I received. There is no turn down service for lower cabins. I think they still have turn down service for suites and above. Joseph made sure I had everything I needed ... though the only extra I asked for was a mattress topper on embarkation day.
He asked if I had a time preference for him to clean my cabin daily. I told him whatever worked with his schedule. I don't stay in my cabin much during the day and I could always work around his cleaning. One morning he was cleaning the cabin when I came back from breakfast so I just went to the Waterfront and hung out in the sunshine for a bit. Then went up to get my stuff for the port and was on my way.
The port shopping experts on the Encore, Linda and Albert, were very knowledgeable and helpful navigating the different ports and what is special for each one. Certain stores were only in one or two ports. Knowing that helps plan your shopping so you do not miss out on something special. Infinity Jewelers has the two sided (14K/Sterling Silver) omega necklaces with a 6 ct. Topaz pendant. It is only in Tortola. Knowing where to find things is important! Linda and Albert even took a group of us (anyone who was interested) to Diamonds International at St. Thomas and stayed at the store to help us with our shopping and negotiating.
Ship Quality
The layout was well thought out. Decks 6-8 have common areas and you can walk from forward to aft easily. It is easy to get where you need to go even with an almost full ship like we had. There were very few times where you had to wait for the elevators. It was typically when they first let people leave for the ports, or after Choir of Man let out and when disembarking. On disembarkation day, I noticed the forward elevators were very busy with everyone taking their luggage to the common areas to wait for their luggage tag color to be called. I walked down to the aft ones on deck 12 and used those. There was no wait.
You will not see trashcans around the ship. It keeps it clean and looking nice. There are (hidden) trash receptacles at the end of each deck's elevator bay. Look for a silver square on the wall on each side. It is a trashcan.
Cabin / Stateroom
I was a solo cruiser so there was more than enough space for me. The bed was very comfortable (even with out the mattress topper I requested). There is a lot of storage.
This cabin was under the bridge with a large porthole. Under the porthole there was a long area where you could sit if you wanted (no cushions though) and underneath, lots of storage cubbies. There was lots of room under the bed to store your luggage.
Under the TV there was a cabinet with two shelves for storage, two side tables next to the bed. There was a desk with additional storage and a mini fridge. There was also a rolling seat that had a topper on it so it doubled as a small table if needed.
The closet was very roomy with lots of hangers (though I always bring my own which I've done for years). The closet had a shelf above the clothes rack that ran the length of the closet and 5 shelves (with a safe on one of the shelves).
The bathroom had two shelves next to the mirror for items and two shelves integrated into the vanity next to the sink. The cabinet underneath the sink had more storage and a small trash bin on the inside of the door.
On the bathroom door there was two hooks for hanging towels, robes, hanging travel accessories and the like. The shower was bigger than I expected, but smaller than the one I have at home.
Ship tip
The Observation Lounge is a great place on the ship to relax and hang out. There is a bar, some really comfortable lounging chairs, couches and chairs. Each day from 3 -5 they have tea time, where they put out light snacks, desserts, fruit and bread and cheese.
Thumbs up
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Ports of call
I arrived a day ahead of the cruise and spent the night near the port. I stayed closer to the port than I normally do (I usually stay in South Beach), but there was a marathon on embarkation day so I wanted to be as close as I could due to road closures.
Great Stirrup Cay (Cruise Line Private Island), Bahamas Did not visit port
The ship stopped at this tender port, but I chose to stay on board and go to the Thermal Suite instead. I am trying not to be a sun worshiper any longer. Also the Prima was also at GSC the same day so I assumed with two large ships (close to 6,000 to 8,000 people), there would be a lot people and possibly longer wait times for food, drinks and chairs at the beach. It was a very relaxing spa day instead.
This is always a great shopping port. The taxi/transporter ride is $6 each way. I always enjoy going to St. Thomas for different finds. Mr. Tablecloth has great linens and the Jeanne jacket. Go to the port talk to see it in person. $29.99! A great jacket to bring on future cruises to dress up even the simplest of outfits.
I canceled the excursion I was scheduled to go on because I wanted to do some shopping this time. I needed to replace my tanzanite earrings because I lost one and St. Thomas has the best selection. Next cruise (in Dec. 2023, I will go on the St. John's tour).
Tortola, British Virgin Islands
This was another good shopping port. The shopping is an easy walk near the port. I got an 18" omega necklace (14K gold on one side and Sterling Silver on the other) with a 6 ct. Topaz for $109. I also purchased one for a friend for her birthday.
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
I took the History and Culture 3 1/2 hour excursion through NCL. We visited different areas on the island: a rum factory where we tried 7 different rums, amber museum, larimar factory/store, Pink Street, Umbrella Street, a town hall area with church and the fort. It was an ok tour. I don't think I would do it again or really recommend it.
There was only one big shopping store (Diamonds International) and lots of little smaller trinket places.
If you like sun and pool, there is a free pool area with beach chairs at the end of the pier where the shopping is. I heard from people that went there that it was really fun.
Disembarkation
I had heard some horror stories about people waiting in lines forever to disembark. I had a transfer to the airport set up through NCL. My luggage tags were purple which meant our disembarkation scheduled time was 8:15. It was shortly after that when my tag color (purple) was called. I asked a porter to help me with my luggage and he collected the luggage and took it to the bus for me and made sure it got loaded on the bus. It was pouring rain outside so I was happy to let him handle it. I tipped him $12 and was on the bus by 9 AM. We got to the airport by 9:30 after everyone was loaded on the bus and we left. Easy peasy!
Traveler Photos
