This was one of our very favorite cruises! The ship design allowed for many options for both large and small gatherings, inside and out. We really like the outside spaces on 8 in the evening. Quiet, but with a bar that is never crowded we could just relax.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Easy. We stayed at the Marriott and walked across the street and checked in. Traffic is a bit hectic. Glad to not be part of the exchange.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We had excellent experience everywhere. Ocean Blue was not to my liking, service was Great! Q, too much food. I would order exactly what I wanted and ask for other items to be left off. I didn't like wasting all the "included sides, baked beans, corn bread and coleslaw" none of which we wanted. Cagneys, as always superb. Onda pizza was GREAT. I ordered as appetizer, was enough for the whole table.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Choir of man was phenomenal as always!
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We also had 15762. These are the two cabins closest to the Observation deck on the Port side of the ship. 15760 was slightly tighter than 15762. I was just one person, so not a problem. More people might have been a bit difficult. We were told they would be connecting cabins. They were not! Neither room had a connecting door, so not sure what happened. We thought we might have had a bad map but 15762 did not connect to 15764 either. Rooms lacked that "cruise ship clean smell." We were the last rooms to be cleaned every day. So it was after 2:30 -3 pm before our rooms were cleaned. If we had plans and wanted to be in the room, we just exchanged towels for that day. This is an exception for us, not the rule. This was the first time we were not completely satisfied with our room attendant.
Ship tip
1. If you are looking for connecting rooms, I would call NCL. 2. Once you enter the sound on the return trip, all shops and casino are closed, and you start paying taxes on beverages and meals purchased after entering the sound. If you want to shop, do it before then. 3. Book your train tip early for Skagway. They sell out early.
Took the train roundtrip. We had spectacular clear weather, and the views were Great! You could stay inside and hear narrated information, or step out onto the platform in the front and back of each car and get an enhanced experience. One of the VERY BEST excursions we have been on anywhere.
Oh MY! Our previous Alaskan cruise was in early August and we were not allowed into Glacier bay as they do not open until Sept. due to the Johns Hopkins harbor seal nursery. It was what I was hoping to see. We were disappointed last time, but this was really something to see, and worth the wait. You can hear the narrated information throughout the ship inside and out. We did not go to the observation lounge as we didn't relish the crowds and do not fear the cold. It was mid 40's, but heaters were on outside deck 8. No crowding at all down there.
We went on the pub crawl, and were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed the small town bars and their history. Full disclosure, we grew up in a small town.
Sorry about the bad info you got on the cabins. We are very particular about the cabin we choose so we wouldn’t have been so understanding. Glad you didn’t let this spoil your cruise. Just an FTI but I checked the NCL deck plan for Encore and there are no connecting cabins on Deck 15.
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