Alaska Cruise - Bucket List Worthy
Norwegian Encore Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 20
7 Night Alaska: Glacier Bay Skagway & Juneau (Seattle Roundtrip)
Sail date: May 14, 2023
Ship: Norwegian Encore
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 14708
Traveled as: Family (older children)
Reviewed: 1 year ago
Review summary
Over all this is a great cruise and well worth the cost. I will recommend this cruise to other but warn them about the last two ports and help them plan better.Embarkation
The over all process for embarkation was simple and straight forward. There were a few security checks and then a long line to check in and get our cards. NCL does a good job of capturing your photo which is used for biometric recognition when you disembark at ports and board again making that process faster. As I mentioned, there was a long line to check in and I believe that process took an hour to complete.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
The food and drinks on the NCL Encore were excellent. I was amazed by the variety of foods available in the Garden Cafe during each meal. One of the best parts for my family and guests was the Taste of India buffet section. The chef and team that managed the Taste of India did a magnificent job feeding us tasty Indian dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Being an Indian myself, I can tell you that having this quality of food on a cruise was amazing. I give high praise to the entire team that support the Garden Cafe, not just the Taste of India Team. There was also a wonderful Asian Buffet section which was also producing quality dishes.
The only negative point I can make is that I wish NCL would cut the deserts into smaller pieces so that I could try more. I realize that much of the food goes to waste and if some of the pre-sliced items were cut in half, it may save some food from going to waste.
Onboard Activities
The Encore had many activities and we tried many of them. The Go-Cart track with electric carts was a unique experience - driving cars on top of a moving ship. Being electric, the cars move very fast and the race course is very challenging. The Escape Room was also challenging. We were not able to do the Laser Tag however it did look fun. This ship has many activities to keep the young and old occupied including many tastings like whiskey, wine & cheese, and others.
Entertainment
On our cruise, we were able to enjoy one comedy show, a magician/comic show, and the Choir of Man show. Each was entertaining and provided additional value to our cruise. The musicians that played at each of the bars, especially the Mojito Bar were great and the DJ's that entertained the crowed by the pool had a great play list.
Service and Staff
The staff on board the Encore was very attentive, friendly, and courteous. The words "Washie Washie" will forever live in my memory about this trip. Each time we would enter the Garden Cafe, the host at the entrance would remind each guest to wash their hands (external hand washing stations are provided at the entrance) by saying "washie washie". This even became part of one of the comedians show. Our room steward, Anna, was very friendly and treated us like family. She always had a smile on her face and would take time to wish a good day. It was amazing to learn that staff spend 8 months working without getting time off to go home and see family. We really appreciate the staff who sacrifice so much to work on the ship.
Ship Quality
The ship is beautiful and the staff is constantly cleaning. The interior design and décor was well thought, especially on the observation deck giving the ship a high class feel. There was ample space to spread out and gather in groups without feeling confined.
I was a little disappointed with the cleanliness if the glass/windows on Decks 15 and 16. This being an Alaska cruise, looking out the windows on the Observation Deck should not be hampered by dirty windows. Not once during the 7 day cruise did I see the glass being cleaned from the outside - glass was not clean prior to our departure.
Overall the staff kept the ship very clean and responded to spills in the dining areas right away.
Cabin / Stateroom
I believe the cabin we had was well designed with ample storage space for all of our cloths and gear. The bed was fairly comfortable although it may be time to rotate the mattress. I do wish there were additional outlets next to the bed although the USB connections next to the bed were certainly appreciated.
Ship tip
Pack a 6 port surge protector since the room has limited power outlets.
Thumbs up
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Ports of call
We did not do an excursion in Seattle however we did spend the day prior to our cruise and the day after returning in Seattle enjoying the sights around the pier.
Juneau being our first port, we did do an excursion. We went on a private 5 glacier plan tour. This was a truly unique experience for us. We were able to see the glaciers from above, Sockeye Falls, Whales, and all of the Alaskan beauty from above.
Juneau is a unique town with close proximity to the NCL dock making it walk friendly if you do not want to wait on a shuttle.
Skagway is a very picturesque little town with a lot of history. We learned a lot about the town's history by taking the White Pass Railway & Yukon Expedition which included a 65 mile bus ride into the Yukon Territory, which included stops to take pictures, lunch at the Caribou Crossing Trading Post, and then a train ride back to Skagway. This excursion was well worth it and highly recommend it for anyone wanting to see the beauty of Alaska.
Glacier Bay is slowly fading away so we are glad to have this stop along the way. The best part about visiting Glacier Bay is that you do not have to do anything. The ship enters Glacier Bay and spins around so that everyone can get the best view without having to go from one side to the other. The Park Rangers that come on board during this stop talk about the glaciers and wild life in that area. The Rangers also walk around giving us the opportunity to interact and ask additional questions. They are a very friendly bunch that love what they do.
The reason I gave this Port 3-stars is because NCL needs to do a better job of coordinating the disembarkation process and explaining to travelers how to budget their time. The ship reaches the port early and travelers are allowed to leave the ship by 7am and must be back by 1pm. The issue with this port is that the NCL Dock is in Ward Cove, which is 20-30 minutes outside of Ketchikan. In order to get to Ketchikan, if you do not have an excursion which picks you up at the dock, you have to wait in line to get on one of the shuttles that takes you to town. There are a limited number of busses available to take people to town and I believe the busses only run every 30 minutes. It took us close to 45 minutes to get on a shuttle for the 25 minute ride to town. To make matters worse, while we were getting ready to disembark, the NCL Sun docked next to us and their passengers also joined the line for the bus. The NCL Sun is there until 8pm so it would be good to let travelers on NCL Encore to get off the ship in time to avoid the additional rush or have the Sun not dock so early. This also causes problems getting back from town as there are limited number of busses taking Encore and Sun travelers back to the dock. Other cruise ships dock in Ketchikan and can walk right off the ship and into the heart of the city. We purchased a tour once we reached town simply because the tour would drive us back to the port and we would not have to wait for a bus. I head that some people did not make it back in time and missed the boat leaving Ketchikan.
Victoria is a beautiful city but you can't see much since the boat docks at 8pm and leaves at 11:59pm. Once again, you have to get off the ship and wait in line to take a bus into town or you pay for a taxi. There were two other boats that docked around the same time causing an influx of travelers visiting Victoria. Also, one of the best attractions in Victoria is Butchart Gardens which closes at 5pm so unless you have purchased an excursion to see Butchart Gardens at NIGHT, you will not be able to do much in Victoria other than walk around and see the city at night. Victoria is a city that I plan to visit again outside of a cruise and there is a lot to see and enjoy there because 4 hours is not long enough to do anything.
Disembarkation
I chose to be in the last group to disembark thinking it would be smoother since a majority of the travelers would have left the ship but I was wrong. There was a long line that wrapped around the 7th Deck to disembark and it was not coordinated well by NCL. The ship is not designed for final disembark from Deck 7. NCL does provide a great service which can take your bags directly to the airport and check them in. The best part of this process is that the airlines do not charge for extra weight if you use this service. I missed the opportunity to use this service as I did not submit my request in time and the Guest Services Agent was not able to accommodate my order. I was a little disappointed that although I was a few hours late that the agent was not able to submit my baggage request.