Norwegian Encore Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Booked this cruise for our honeymoon and the most important thing we learned was that an Alaskan cruise is enjoyed better if you go at the beginning of spring or summer. Don’t wait until fall then it’s too late! Our cruise was the last one of the season and we could tell when we reached ports. Ketchikan and Victoria were basically closed and our itinerary changed last minute so Skagway was eliminated and replaced with Icy Straight (the most boring stop ever).
The ship itself was nice. Musical acts around the ship were pleasant to listen to. Personally, we did not watch Kinky Boots but we did hear a couple good words about the performance. The best entertainment was the game shows the cruise staff hosted. The Newlywed game and the Perfect Couple were hilarious but I guess that all depends on your fellow passengers. Themed dance parties and karaoke were also a fun way to take up time; but they only happened at night and the activities usually had the same start times. So you can’t do both, you had to choose each night.
The food was nothing to write home about. Garden Cafe, the buffet, served the exact same food for lunch and dinner everyday. The Local has never heard of Salt or any seasoning for that matter. And the Manhattan Room had slow service; our neighbor table waited 45 minutes just for their order to be taken! Ridiculous. The best meals came from Taste and Savor but don’t be fooled - Taste, Savor, and Manhattan Room all serve the same exact menu at dinner.
Cabin Review
We had a stateroom with no window towards the bow. If you get motion sick, try to get a room towards the middle of the ship. The room itself was small and the tv signal was incredibly slow when turning on. The cleanliness was the best part of the cruise for us. The cleaning staff on our level took the time to give us advice about the boat and ask us questions about our days. Our final day, they even left us a good bye note.
Port Reviews
Icy Strait
I would give this no stars if I could. Literally nothing to do and we were docked there for wayyyyy too long (10 hours to be exact). The port itself had a souvenir shop and 2 trams. One tram cost $50 per person to go up a mountain and back down. The other tram was free and took you into “town.” The town consisted of an old cannery and a single restaurant. We were told that there was a shuttle to take you further on the island but we gave up the search quickly and returned to the ship dissatisfied, and wet from rain. The port had no cell service as well. Literally the most boring place ever.