April 2019 - 16 Night Transatlantic Eastbound (Ft. Lauderdale To Copenhagen) Cruise on Serenade of the Seas
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Joined 12/2016
3
Cruises2
Reviews54
Helpful VotesPast cruises
February 2019 - 10 Night Western Caribbean (New Orleans Roundtrip) Cruise on Norwegian Breakaway
March 2018 - 11 Night Cuba & Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip) Cruise on Veendam
Norwegian Pearl
Sail date: November 28, 2016
Norwegian Encore
Sail date: April 16, 2023
Panama Canal Cruise - Encore - to big to be enjoyable
The experience of going through the Panama Canal is awe inspiring. The Encore was a disappointment as it is too big and the staff hasn't figured out how to manage the number of passengers in a good way. Lots of sickness onboard during the last five days and patients were taken off the ship at every port. Make sure you buy supplemental insurance as the med center considers itself an emergency room and charges accordingly.
Cruise tips
San Pedro (Los Angeles), California
Very expensive to get anywhere from here.
Norwegian Encore
It is too big to be relaxing. The Manhattan Room didn't have a dance floor which was very disappointing.
Easy public transportation, especially downtown. Don't miss the Perez Museum of art along the water front downtown, easy access on the people mover. Lincoln Road on Miami Beach is fun for people watching as well as shopping, also close to the beach.
Take a cab to a snorkeling beach!
Take an excursion, the city is colorful but dirty, congested and there really are no attractions, historical sites or quality shopping - mostly low quality tourist junk.
Hot, humid but lots of historic buildings in the old walled city. Take a cab from the docks or one of the tours.
Take an excursion! The city is all torn up as they replace infrastructure and the port shops are not worth the walk off the ship.
Norwegian Pearl
Main restaurants had food quality as good as speciality restaurants, however, atmosphere was great in LeBistro and Cagny's. I'd suggest the Ultimate Beverage package if offered as a free incentive, the gratuity charge seems high but is nothing compared to what you would pay if you pay as you go.
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Of course, food is always the highlight of activities on the ship and the Pearl's culinary staff doesn't disappoint! The Pearl itself is a bit tired and needs some TLC which she will get in Feburary 2017. The ports and excursions are great as they give a good overview of the diverse Eco systems and cultures of Bonaire and the Central American countries of Columbia, Panama and Costa Rica. Be prepared to put up with the silly art (questionable term) auctions and "time for BINGO" announcements but the staff does a great job providing lots of on board activities for those who want them. Because fire is the greatest danger on a ship, we couldn't believe that they still allow smoking in the casino or on the ship at all, but they do so we avoided the casino as it really stunk.
Overall, a very pleasant experience which I would recommend if you want to have the experience of the Panama Canal without the cost or time commitment of a full transit. If you do have the time and money, I would highly recommend an LA or SanDiego to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale full transit.