All in all, the NCL Encore was a nice option for a first visit to Alaska. The ship is in great shape. The staff is friendly and attentative. The entertainment meets or exceeds what I have seen on other cruise ships. The food could use some improvement, but it wasn't horrible. The Prem Plus drink package had some nice options. Balcony cabin is essential for enjoying Glacier Bay. Not enough time in Ketchikan and Victoria to be able to enjoy the area. More shuttles are needed in Ketchikan and Victoria and much more time in port.
My chief complaints are with unruly and rude passengers and NCL not policing issues like camping out to reserve chairs.
Would I cruise on the Encore again, no.
Would I cruise with NCL again, maybe.
All in all, mega-ships simply aren't for me. TOO MANY PEOPLE.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation was quick and easy thanks to selecting a later time slot after the crowds dwindled down. The early time slot folks had to deal with very long queues. Staying at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel directly across the street from the pier also helped make for a smooth embarkation. We simply checked out of the hotel and wheeled our luggage across the street to the ship. One negative, we had to carry our bags on board with us. NCL did not offer any checked baggage option for us when we arrived. Cabins weren't ready, so we had to take the bags with us around the ship for about an hour.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Main Dining Room and Buffet seemed to be where NCL Encore shined the most. We experienced 4 specialty dining options and some of them were not as enjoyable as we hoped they would be.
LeBistro: no complaints. Service and Food were both excellent. They did overbook by a tad, and we had to wait despite having a reservation.
Los Lobos: good food and service.
Cagney's: good steak and wine and service, but the appetizers and desserts weren't on par with other dishes we had from Main Dining Rooms and Buffet. Onda: we didn't enjoy the entrees, service was slow and unattentive.
We dined at The Local once and it was average at best - simple "bar food"type fare. We dined at The Garden Cafe (buffet) twice and enjoyed the food both times. The Wok and Indian cuisine were both very good. Only problem with the buffet is the crowds. It was always packed and many of the patrons were eating in line with their hands then handling the serving spoons... nasty!
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We did not partake in go karts or laser tag or anything of that nature. It was too cold for pools. We did use the walking track and we also had the thermal suite spa passes which we enjoyed but it was very expensive for basically a few total hours use of the sauna, spa and steam rooms. The heated loungers weren't very comfortable and other guests had placed personal items on the chairs to reserve them and the staff did nothing to stop this rude activity.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Choir of Man was a very enjoyable show. Comedians were good. Beatles was sub-par and the country band in Q was not great... they played very well, but the vocals, not so much.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Room Steward was fantastic - no complaints. We had some bar-tenders and servers that went above and beyond, but also had some that seemed confused in their roles. Typical of cruising, nothing to be upset about.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The Encore still looks and feels new. Commissioned in 2019 and then put on hold during Covid. I didn't see any signs of wear and tear. Had one barstool at the mojito bar that was pretty loose and seemed to be on the verge on breaking. Noticed some discoloration on the leather chairs, I suspect from cleaning solutions, in the whisky bar. Other than those very minor things, no complaints on the maintenance of the ship. I think the layout is great and very easy to navigate.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Loved having the balcony in Alaska. The bathroom is very small. The cabin is very small. Making the pass between the bed and wall is extrememly tight and a bit risky in the dark of night and/or in rough seas.
Ship tip
If you select a cabin on deck 15 forward, you will be in very close proximity to the observation lounge, and just one flight of stairs from the buffet. If you select deck 15 aft, you will be just one flight of stairs from the spa. Other than popular excurstion times and embarkation and debarkation we never had an issuse getting an elevator. The primary social areas are on decks 6-7-8, so staying close to those decks would allow you to skip the need for an elevator for much of your stay.
We had rainy weather but were still able to enjoy the area. I wouldn't pay for the GoldBelt Tram but with our $50 excursion credit, it covered the cost, so we partook. Had lunch at The Hanger and both food and service were wonderful.
Balcony cabin was a must to enjoy Glacier Bay. The observation lounge was overun with guests who camped out the night before to claim a spot. They were sleeping on lounge chairs with shoes off. The entire smelled of B.O. and stinky feet by 10am. The staff needs to do something about guests camping out to reserve chairs, placing personal items on chairs to hold them for others and moving/rearranging furniture to accomadte thier needs.
NCL Encore really isn't set up for an enjoyable visit to this port of call. The ship docks at a location that is a very far distance from town. Lines for shuttles take over an hour - but you only have 4 hours in port. I will say that the shopping options at the Ward Cove port store were priced lower than what we saw in town and offered at a lower sales tax rate (2% vs 8%).
NCL Encore really isn't set up for an enjoyable visit to this port of call either. Arriving at 8pm (or later) and departing at midnight, simply is not enough time to leave the ship and explore the area.
Very disorganized. Paperwork delivered to room the night before wasn't clear. Instructions over the intercom were not clear. People were wandering around confused.
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