Fair but not great

Norwegian Encore Cruise Review

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 24

Overall rating:

3.3 out of 5
Norwegian Encore

15 Night Panama Canal - Westbound (Miami To Los Angeles)

Sail date: April 16, 2023

Ship: Norwegian Encore

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 15812

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

We really tried hard to enjoy this cruise. It was hard because we got COVID and food poisoning both. I really think they should go back to testing people before they go on the ship. They were clearly people that came on sick and spread it. There were many things to enjoy, but too many ports were not worth the visit. And we missed a couple due to being sick. I think there are better routes and likely better ships.

Embarkation

4 out of 5
The line to check in was fairly short. From the time we arrived via our Uber, to the time we were waiting to get on was less than 30 minutes. We waited another 45 minutes to get on the ship. It all went very smoothly.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
Food was hit and miss. We enjoyed guacamole at Los Lobos, scallops at Ocean, Blue, and steak at Cagney's. But some of the side dishes were poorly prepared. My asparagus was woody on the outside and so overcooked as to be almost liquid on the inside. The Cioppino was tasteless. Room service food was generally poor. If it wasn't cold or soggy, something was made wrong. I ordered mac and cheese from the kids menu and received macaroni with nacho cheese sauce that tasted like it came from 7-Eleven. One morning they completely forgot silverware and one of our breakfast. The only meal that was entirely good was from Le bistro.

Savor Restaurant - Main Dining Room

4 out of 5

Food and service were both fairly good. None of our meals were excellent but nothing was horrible either. We preferred this to the main dining room as it didn't feel as crowded and loud. The tables are close together, so even if you're seated with just your party, it's easy to lean over and talk to someone else. We met lots of other couples there.

The Manhattan Room - Main Dining Room

3 out of 5

I really wanted to like this place. I really did. We came in as a party of two, agreed to be seated with another table, and still waited 20 minutes. We were there for 2 hours, start to finish and waited forever between courses. My salad was delivered with no dressing and was the most bitter greens I'd ever encountered. The food was just mediocre. And most of it was delivered cold because of the distance between the kitchen and the table. Our waiter was clearly overworked at distracted. I took a long time to get refills on water and I was only able to get one drink refill the whole time we were there. We only want one night because the experience was underwhelming.

Coco’s

3 out of 5

Overpriced for what you get. My crepes were hard to cut. You should be able to cut them with the fork but I couldn't get through it. I needed a knife and didn't have one. Flavor was okay but nothing fantastic for the price.

Los Lobos

2 out of 5

The table side guacamole was excellent and the food was fairly good. However, the service was terrible. Our waiter looked like he wanted to be anywhere but at our table. None of the staff communicated. They acted as though they were all at odds with one another. No one would fill anybody else's water or chips. It took forever to get refills. We asked for more chips and the person we asked told somebody else who we then saw go tell our waiter. By the time he got to us we were ready to leave. Management really needs to see what's going on in that place. Something is not right.

Le Bistro French Restaurant

5 out of 5

The food here was incredible as was the service. Our hostess took time to take a dozen photos of us. We had just asked for one but she went out of her way to take photos from many angles. The scallops were incredible. As was the steak. The only downside to the experience was the family of Russian mob members who were incredibly loud and obnoxious and ruined the quiet atmosphere. My husband wanted to say something but I wanted him to stay alive.

Onda by Scarpetta

1 out of 5

I suppose my one star review isn't really fair here since we didn't actually eat. We went in and sat down and looked at the menu. Neither of us could find anything that looked good. On top of that, the wood floors made the noise echo which ruined the atmosphere. It felt like a cheap burger joint. The menu was very limited and I didn't want to waste my time there so we ended up leaving and using our dining credits elsewhere. Note that I paid for extra dining credits so we had five specialty meals.

Garden Cafe

3 out of 5

The food felt like it was the same all the time. Nothing was truly fantastic. I suppose I'm being too harsh for a buffet, but when you spend 15 days on the ship you expect the buffet to have a little more variety. Seating was always crowded and there was no organization. People were incredibly rude, cutting in front of you to get what they wanted rather than waiting in line with everyone else. I dreaded coming up here.

Ocean Blue

3 out of 5

The food was overall very good. Chowder was excellent as were the scallops. However, my husband's Cioppino. Even after adding salt and pepper it just had no flavor. He couldn't bring himself to finish it. My apple tart dessert was rather burnt on the edges and tough to cut through. And the apples had no flavor. The asparagus was both tough and overcooked. Likely because it was large and woody. The wine they were pushing on everyone was poor. My husband's pretty easy going with wine and even he didn't finish his glass. The biggest problem is the atmosphere. The restaurant is in the middle of the ship and the noise from the band in the atrium just ruined it. They really should switch the locations for Los Lobos and ocean blue. You don't go to an expensive seafood restaurant to listen to loud activities just outside the door.

Q Texas Smokehouse

1 out of 5

This has to be the worst place on the ship. Literally the worst food we have the whole time we were there. A bunch of people from the Philippines dressed up in cowboy gear felt ridiculous. It was like going to some strange theme park overseas. Their idea of potato salad was chunks of potatoes with seasoning tossed on them. The beans were horrible, soggy and spicy without any other flavor. The brisket tasted like it was infused with propane. The cornbread had something in it that just ruined the flavor but I can't put my finger on it. Onion rings were soggy and flavorless. I ate about half the meat and both my husband and I walked out leaving more than 3/4 of our food on the plate. The restaurant actually called us later to ask what was wrong. Everything was wrong. Do not waste your time or money in this place. It needs to be completely redone using an expert who actually knows what barbecue is supposed to taste like

The Local

3 out of 5

We were here for lunch. When we first got on the ship which was good. The fish and chips was hot and fresh. Though it did take a while. The venue is limited though and so you don't want to eat here too often. It also is very similar to room service so between the two of them your choices are very limited. Other times we went it took a long time to get service.

Starbucks

3 out of 5

Just your basic Starbucks. Prices are comparable to onland. Nothing great.

Cagney's Steakhouse

4 out of 5

The filet was fantastic. The Caesar was okay but not particularly flavorful. Heavy on the anchovies and light on other flavors. The lighting is strange. Where we were sitting there were no overhead lights and no light on the table and we could barely read the menu. Other areas were fairly bright. The place really lacks any good ambience.

Teppanyaki

3 out of 5

If you go here, be sure to go earlier in the evening. We were the last seating of the night and our chef had clearly lost his enthusiasm. The food was decent. But I've certainly had better. Teppanyaki. We really went there for the show which was lacking. No one could get into the process and after getting there early and watching other chefs, we could tell that ours cut out about half of his process. It was just boring and slow.

Sugarcane Mojito Bar

5 out of 5

This was our favorite bar on the ship. And I don't even like mojitos. The staff here were excellent. Friendly and attentive. It has a great vibe. It's close to everything since it's in the middle of the ship.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5
There were some things that were fun to do, but they didn't seem to know their audience. And frankly, the entertainment staff is not that great. The bingo collars drove me crazy with all their stupid jokes and taking forever to do anything. The people running the games in the atrium did not know how to give good instructions and people were confused. They advertised how to fold a dollar every single day. I kind of thought the games were stupid. No cultural presentations about ports.

Encore Casino

1 out of 5

I have never spent so much money and one so little. I tried more than half the machines. I never won more than a few hundred dollars on any of them, despite trying every bet from 88 cents to over $10. I made sapphire level in one cruise yet never left an evening with any kind of winnings. Every machine just takes and takes and there is incredibly little playback. I don't mind losing but I'd like to have some time to play with my investment. I have played and casinos all over Nevada and it dozens of smaller Native American casinos. I have truly never seen such tight machines. Given how empty the place was I wasn't the only one who had this problem.

Main Pool

3 out of 5

The pool was okay but crowded as everyone says. We didn't have trouble finding a seat but I didn't feel particularly relaxed hair. The band, royal flush. Was excellent. They played every afternoon. I think. The bartenders were rushed and not particularly friendly. Even after I tipped them well. They just didn't seem to be happy. The people were a mix of those trying to show off all their assets, and those that were showing off things. Nobody else wanted to see. Not my favorite place.

The Marketplace

2 out of 5

Most stuff is pretty overpriced and the selection is mediocre. Even with the sale, I can get better prices on everything online. The only reason to shop here is if you have a credit you're trying to burn up. They have watches 75% off of 100% overpriced to begin with. The jewelry selection is common and ridiculously overpriced. They wanted $500 for tanzanite at sterling silver tennis bracelet. I had one at home that I bought for 175 and it was nicer. The sales people put a lot of pressure on you, even after you tell them you're just looking.

Observation Lounge

5 out of 5

Probably my and my husband's favorite place on the ship. We had a club balcony suite on deck 15 so the observation deck was really just down the hall. We often used it for a late breakfast or late lunch. The food offerings there were excellent. My husband called it his hobbit place because there was always extra food. Other than some loud women who couldn't seem to understand, it was supposed to be a quiet place, it was wonderful for relaxing. The bartenders there were some of the nicest on the ship.

Mandara Spa & Salon

4 out of 5

I absolutely loved the thermal spa. My favorite places were the steam room, salt room, snow paradise, and the pool. Pool. It was never crowded and I always left feeling so relaxed. My shoulders haven't felt so loose it over 20 years. The only downside is that some people were really loud which ruin the atmosphere. And the staff is pretty aggressive about trying to upsell you on other products. It took them about a week to quit asking us if we wanted to buy the sample products or sign up for a massage. Between my husband and I. We spend almost $800 on the spa and I wasn't about to give them any more money.

Entertainment

4 out of 5
Entertainment isn't bad. Choir of man was excellent. The Beatles show was okay but despite a full theater the crowd just didn't really get into it. No energy. The bands across the ship were hit and miss. They had four different comedians and each comedian had multiple shows.

Social Comedy and Night Club

3 out of 5

We saw three comedians while we were there and they were all pretty good. The layout is a little strange, with somewhat uncomfortable folding chairs in the middle and then padded chairs off to the sides. The biggest problem with this place is that you only have about 15 minutes to get drinks before they shut down the bar. I learned to order two drinks at a time pretty quickly. And then stupidly. After they tell you the bar is closed and you can't get more drinks, they announced the comics and tell you to get a drink and sit down and relax. One of the comics even made a joke about it.

Encore Theater

3 out of 5

The theater itself looks great, but the seats are atrocious. After about 30 minutes, all you want to do is stand up. The cushions feel like they're from a 10-year-old theater and you feel like you're sliding forward the whole time. incredibly uncomfortable. We saw choir of man there which was excellent, and a Beatles show. Which was pretty good but the audience just wasn't into it and it lost energy.

Service and Staff

3 out of 5
Service and staff were really all or nothing. Our room steward was excellent. For those who think they clean the rooms by themselves, you are incorrect. The steward is in charge of a group of rooms but they have people that come and help with the cleaning. They're not as overworked as you think. Not that they don't work hard, but I suspect some people weren't in the rooms often enough to see how it really worked. Some of the staff went out of their way, but others were clearly unhappy and didn't want to be there. Especially in the busier venues. I don't know if this crew is just been on board a long time. It needs a break, but you just never knew what you were going to get. Our waiter at Los Lobos was terrible.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
The ship was fairly clean for the most part. I noticed that the air vent in our room was pretty filthy, but the rest of it was great. The cleaning crew works overnight on the common areas and they do a good job. Their process for getting on and off the ship isn't great. Everybody's funneled into a couple of small openings which creates long lines. Some of the venues aren't in the best places. Los Lobos is near Cagney's which makes it a little more quiet and intimate. But ocean blue is in the middle of the ship and it's way too loud. They should switch those two places. There's a lot of walking but we didn't mind.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
We really liked our cabin. It was perfect for two people. It was a club balcony suite so it had the double sinks and slightly larger bathroom. The bathroom was exceptionally clean. The room would be a little small for more than two people, but it was great for us. After adding an over the door shoe hanger with lots of pockets and nearly 20 magnetic hooks on the walls, we had room for everything. Lots of storage under the bed and two big drawers under the couch also helped. The balcony was comfortable, though a little tight. Out there. We were rearranging the chairs to get them out of the way and then move them back so we could sit down. The bed was okay but not great. Even with a topper, my hips were sore. My biggest concern was the air. The air conditioning portion turns off constantly. I got up two or three times a night to turn it back on. The fan stays running, but not the AC. We brought our own fan and hungover the bed and I was still overheated half the time. We didn't have any noise coming from the cabins next to us except when one couple apparently had a fight and kept slamming their door. The location is perfect as it's right down the hall from the observation deck. If you go one way you can go to the observation deck or go straight up to the buffet. If you go the other way you can go straight up to the pool deck or the spa. We found it very convenient. Our room was about halfway between the forward and aft elevators.

Ship tip

Don't take a long cruise on this ship. There's not enough variety of shows, activities, or food to keep it interesting. This would be better for a shorter cruise.

Ports of call

San Pedro (Los Angeles), California

1 out of 5
Avoid this port at all costs. Disembarkation there was a nightmare. They kicked 4300 people off of ship in about an hour and a half. Then shoved us all into a space. The size of an aircraft hangar with no bathrooms and poor ventilation. Then everyone had to get in a line that no one could tell where beginning and endings were. Luggage was thrown in the middle so people were going in and out of the line trying to get their things. It was truly the most disorganized mess I have ever seen. I have gotten out of a stadium full of 30,000 crazy fans faster than I did this room. On top of that they only had five customs agents for all of those people. Some people waited up to 4 hours to get out. If you needed a bathroom a custom agent had to escort you in and out of the building. The only reason we weren't there over 2 hours was that someone told us to use the porter line. Once we finally figured out where it was, we only waited another 45 minutes. Then we paid a porter $25 to walk next to us with our luggage until we got through customs into the curb. This port was seriously a nightmare. I will truly never never take a cruise in and out of this one again.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

4 out of 5
We enjoyed walking around the city. I found a fantastic little vendor, Roberto's silver. Silver. You can find them on Yelp. Roberto was phenomenal and took a ton of time to help us find what we wanted. He's got a little booth just across from an outdoor square. Prices were great. Our cab drivers to and from were very nice.

Acapulco, Mexico

2 out of 5
The port was very dirty. And we got food poisoning at a local restaurant. It just felt grimy and unwelcoming.

Miami, Florida

3 out of 5
We had a lovely meal at an Argentinian restaurant next to our hotel. Traveling around the city was a little difficult and our Uber was slow to the traffic problems, but it was otherwise good

Cartagena, Colombia

3 out of 5
Heat humidity make this a difficult place to enjoy. We took a tour to the old fort. The vendors do harass you quite a bit. I said no, gracias more times in this port than I've said in my entire life combined.

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

5 out of 5

Panama Canal Transit

4 out of 5

Disembarkation

1 out of 5
This was the worst part of the entire cruise. They put everyone in groups and call them off by colors. However, they're in such a hurry to get everyone off the ship that they call groups way too fast. This created a giant backup. By 8:30 the lines started at the elevator wrapped up and down the hallway and through makeshift rows they created in the local restaurant. Then you still had to wrap around the side of the ship, through the theater, back towards the elevators, and eventually out the door. We stood in line on the ship for almost an hour, then spent almost 2 hours in the customs area. I realize that customs is not Norwegians responsibility, but when you are throwing people off the ship as fast as you can, you can't expect customs to keep up. It was absolutely miserable. There were no bathrooms when she got off the ship. So when you're standing in line for hours. People were getting desperate. I saw Port staff with medical bags rushing around to help people and at least one ambulance was called. All this could be avoided if they did a better job pacing people getting off the ship.
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8 Comments

byhisgrace    1 year ago

Appreciate your feedback

Stephc47    1 year ago

I know another couple on the same cruise sick from the same port and I believe Covid as well. So sorry, that’s not a way to have a holiday.

tnsdean    1 year ago

I was sick with COVID watching the canal from my bed through the window. It wasn't the experience I was hoping for.

Gwbigdog    1 year ago

Oops sorry 😞 thanks

natelorip    1 year ago

Thanks for the detailed review.

AuntPinkie    1 year ago

Appreciate your very detailed and informative review. Sorry this cruise wasn’t better than okay.

javawoody    1 year ago

Not even a mention of the canal?

cruising2004    1 year ago

Thank you for your detailed review. Sorry it wasn’t the best experience. Hope you’re feeling better.

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