We love cruising and have been on 22 cruises using 7 different cruise lines. All have been very good - except this one. It was way too crowded, too many passengers. Even a ship this large could not accommodate full capacity well.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
Delayed, may not have been NCL's fault, but all were crowded in the waiting area for hours.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Buffet was excellent but always so crowded, Cagney's food was good, Ocean Blue fried seafood wasn't lightly breaded but each piece in heavy batter.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The microphones in the activity areas were turned up full blast and deafening plus distorting the speaker or the band.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The Beatles tribute was very well done, one of the comedians was only mildly amusing, not funny. The La Fortaleza duo provided excellent Latin music and involved the passengers with singing & dancing, great fun - but crammed into a small area at the Sugarcane Mojito Bar with too much crammed furniture and dancers bumping into each other.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Stateroom attendant was excellent, and all staff with whom we came in contact were pleasant, professional, and very helpful.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
This ship is huge and must have been at full capacity, so crowded, so noisy, and of course the staff tried to keep up with the messes made by some rude folks. The elevators were slow, always jammed packed with people and were referred to as germ incubators. Not enough elevators to accommodate the crowd.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
This bathroom actually seemed a little larger. Hot water in the shower was almost instant, the bed was comfy, the balcony traditionally small, plenty of hangers, the usual small drawer space.
Ship tip
Unless you love being in thick crowds which require more waiting in line and all the extra noise, don't sail on the Encore.
The massive incoming and outgoing folks is SO congested and confusing.
Miami traffic is always a challenge. Taxi fares are up, $40.70 for two people with two checked bags and two carry-ons from cruise port to airport.
Our St. John beach day was cancelled that morning due to the weather. The only option left that we could consider was Magen's Bay. So crowded, most folks lying on their ship towels in the sand. Rentals were taken back when they closed even though our excursion would be there another hour. Our driver was scary speeding through the curvy mountain roads, was very late picking us up.
Our driver, Keith, was excellent! Great narration, safe driving, very clear in instructions about the beach day and pick up time/location to return. Lovely beach, some souvenir shops. Good chairs/umbrellas.
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