Through the Panama Canal Again

Norwegian Encore Cruise Review

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 4
Helpful Votes: 108

Overall rating:

4.2 out of 5
Norwegian Encore

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

Sail date: April 16, 2023

Ship: Norwegian Encore

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 10700

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Overall a nice cruise. After 80 cruises I try to keep my opinions as my humble opinions. Cannot go wrong going through the Canal but for me I will stick with Princess and Celebrity as my go too cruise lines

Embarkation

4 out of 5
Not too bad. Was suppose to arrive earlier; we stayed a a nearby hotel but traffic to the pier was crowded. Once there the bag drop off was a little more chaotic than at port Canaveral or port Everglades. I had not been to the port of Miami for decades so I was not as assured where to go and directions from port crew was not exactly existent. But all in all check in was not bad and was able to board right after checking in

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
The MDR’s I went to all three. The menus are the same but I preferred Taste for the smaller dining area. I give 5 stars to their creamed soups. Everyone was fantastic. The trout was fantastic! However the steaks in the mdr restaurants leave a lot to be desired. Either they did not know how to cook them or the meat was tough as nails. One I choked down; the other not edible. I ate in the buffet every breakfast and lunch. I enjoyed the food and the variety of stations

Sugarcane Mojito Bar

5 out of 5

The music duo was fantastic and the Mojitos were good My favorite was the WikiBut as usual if you do not get there early. There can be an issue finding a seat. Its a nice venue, small and people love to stay put.

The Local

5 out of 5

Loved the food in the Local but from the moment we stepped on board it was jam packed. It is situated around the upper atrium area where the activities take place. A big shout out to the Reuben it’s massive and tasty. Also the BBQ wings are great

Garden Cafe

5 out of 5

I enjoyed the Garden Cafe. However get there early trying to find seating inside can be a major issue during peak times

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

We enjoyed a wonderful meal and good service. We sat out side in the waterfront area if Cagney’s

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Main Pool

5 out of 5

I cannot speak to the pool area. I did not go there. Crowded all the time when I passed by. I was glad I had the Vibe Pass and the Thermal Suite. The 5 stars are for themI guess I have to add the Vibe Beach Club here because CC has not provided a space for itIt was fantastic. I highly recommend it. The only draw back was if it was windy the umbrellas had to come down. Out of 15 days that happened 3 times. The lounger beds were so comfy especially for my bad back. A shout out to Roger who kept me happy with Pina Coladas and all the staff there were so kind and accommodating. It was my own little Oasis away from the crowded pool area. I did not mind no pool I do not use it and the whirlpool was greatAlso I had a Thermal Suite pass. This is best Thermal Suite I have ever gone to. Very large 2 saunas 1 steam room 1 cold room and 1 salt roomA whirlpool and a hydrotherapy pool… excellent Loungers were plush looking out in to the water

The Marketplace

2 out of 5

Not a very big selection

Encore Casino

3 out of 5

I was not there but twice, mainly looked around Small but the nice thing there is the ATM which is a bill charging machine. I found this to be excellent way to get those small bills for tips when going on excursions and traveling back home did porters etc

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Encore Theater

5 out of 5

I must say the entertainment in the theater was very good from The Choir of Man, to the singer and magician. I usually am not big on entertainment when I cruise but I was with friends who like it very much so I went on the first occasions but they enjoyed so much they went back again

Service and Staff

4 out of 5
Our cabin attendant Julianna was wonderful. It was three of us and they had only once a day service. So she kept our towels a flowing. Everything we asked was provided with a smile and a quick response The waiters and restaurant managers were cordial and did their best I like that the officers would gather daily to receive questions. I like their visibility to passengers

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
Ship was maintained. She is a beautiful ship. On the design. I loved the waterfront aspect plenty comfy chairs, good views and if your at at the specialty restaurants the have an outside place in the waterfront to eat What I did not particularly care for were the occupancy size of the venues for the amount of people onboard

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
If you are more than 2. I highly suggest this room It is large with plenty of storage space. We were 3 adult women and were quite comfortable I wish I could place photos but no luck

Ship tip

If you want to go to the smaller venues book early. If you like peace and calm when cruising think about the Thermal suites and Vibe beach club if in your budget. Get a porter quickly when disembarking

Ports of call

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

3 out of 5
Really wanted to visit this UBESCO site but it was 1 hour 45 min there and 1 hour 45 minutes back We did Antigua Guatemala on your own. We received a map that was absolutely no good. Even the locals found not figure it out. So a lot of time was wasted. We had difficulty find our way back to the bus corral. We saw that a lot of the excursion guest hired a local guide from our first stop at the jade factory

Panama Canal Transit

5 out of 5
Can’t beat it. Second time around, this time through the new locks. Great experience onboard historian. Very knowledgeable

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

3 out of 5
We went in an excursion that turned out to be 4 glorified sales pitch. But when we did get out of the city. The surrounding area was nice and the food for lunch was good

Cartagena, Colombia

5 out of 5
Lovely port, went in excursion to the walled city. Guide informative The port area is beautiful with gardens and birds

San Pedro (Los Angeles), California

3 out of 5
Stayed close to the airport at a La Quinta. Nice hotel Nothing much to do in that neighborhood plus developed a bad cold. My friends did go to China town and did shopping. They enjoyed it

Miami, Florida

4 out of 5
Did not spend but overnight Get a early start traffic is WOW

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

5 out of 5
I did not get off the ship only because I was there 3 times before and it was great but I wanted a day to relax on board

Disembarkation

4 out of 5
It was good for us we had a porter. I recommend getting a porter as that line is expedited. Otherwise you are in a long winding lane. Think of Disney during prime season 😊
Was this review helpful? 26

5 Comments

AuntPinkie    1 year ago

Appreciate your detailed feedback. Good attitude. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

Gwbigdog    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing

javawoody    1 year ago

Thanks for the detailed review

cruising2004    1 year ago

Thank you for sharing your cruising experience. Great review!

byhisgrace    1 year ago

Appreciate your feedback. Glad that you enjoyed your cruise

Other reviews of this sailing