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The crabcakes and lobster tail were phenomenal, and the intimate setting and elevated decor gave the space an upscale ambience. However, while Norwegian Encore is big enough to offer something for everyone, it clearly caters more to some people than others. Sun worshippers might be disappointed in the compressed pool and complimentary sun deck spaces, with outdoor thrill rides and extra-fee sun decks spanning a huge chunk of the ship's top decks. Families with young children are stuck with the Norwegian Encore Splash Academy, a windowless space in the bowels of the ship; a small water play area, and restaurants and shows that are very much geared toward adults. If it's swanky digs you're after (and you have the money to spend), you'll find plenty of options on these ships. Getaway scores huge points for entertainment options with 20 restaurants, more than a dozen bars, Broadway-caliber theater and a large sports complex that boasts a ropes course, climbing wall and zip line.
Never travel with you
Norwegian is known for offering a wide range of accommodations on its ships. You'll find everything from relatively low-cost, windowless inside cabins that measure as little as 135 square feet (perfect for the budget traveler) to massive, multi-room suites that are more than 50 times that size. While newer ships are being designed with tons of dining options onboard for guests, older cruise ships mainly feature a buffet and main dining room for complimentary options. As such, the buffet in usually a large venue to accommodate most passengers for multiple meals each day. Speaking of amenities, make sure you understand what you'll get as part of your fare and which extras will come with an additional cost. For example, most cruises offer drink packages for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, but a few have drink stations where you can get complimentary lemonade, coffee and tea.
Norwegian Encore bars
For this 12-night cruise, the Free at Sea package included three meals at specialty dining venues. Additional meals were available as an upgrade — $99 for two more, $139 for three more, and $30 more for each additional meal you wanted after that. The upgrades are per person, so you cannot buy a two-meal package and share it with another person, giving each of you one additional meal. Notably, the entire back of each of these ships is dedicated to an upscale luxury zone for the fancy set called The Haven. Norwegian Encore is also the setting for one of the biggest go-kart racing tracks at sea.
Included dining on the Dawn
On all ships, smoking (including e-cigarette smoking) is only allowed in designated outdoor areas, cigar lounges (for cigar smoking only) and casinos. Passengers caught smoking in their cabins will be fined $250 per occurrence. Port and all Panama Canal sailings (regardless of departure port). If you're a U.S. citizen, you don't need a passport for most sailings from U.S. ports (including sailings to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, the Mexican Riviera and Alaska). As is the case with the Galaxy Pavilion attractions mentioned above, the go-kart and laser tag experiences on Norwegian ships don't come cheap. You'll pay $15 per person for an eight-lap romp on the go-karts.
Norwegian is the world's fourth-largest cruise line by passenger capacity, with 19 ships that together offer 56,780 berths. Additionally, this two night sailing on Norwegian Sun didn’t totally provide a holistic view of the cruise line. Since we boarded at the tail-end of a long sailing, the vibes onboard were very subdued. This certainly wasn’t a traditional cruise and felt more like we came super late to the party, like when a party is almost over and everyone’s getting ready to go home. Hayley and I dined both nights in Norwegian Sun’s main dining room - and it honestly left me a little disappointed. As we made our way onboard, we were greeted by very friendly crew members who offered us cooling towels.
The living room offers a breathtaking view of the pool deck and is equipped with a grand piano, dining table, couches, chairs, and a bar/kitchen area with six complimentary bottles of alcohol, plus bottled water and soda. The Garden Villas also boast private outdoor deck areas with whirlpools, lounge chairs, top-of-the-ship sunbathing decks, and steam rooms. If a large group books both Garden Villas together, the walls in the living room and outer decks can be opened up to create an enormous social space. Norwegian Cruise Line is known for pioneering "anytime dining" on cruise ships — eating whenever you want, wherever you want, with whomever you want. Passengers are not assigned set dining times, and you can eat in any of Norwegian Encore's main dining rooms or extra-fee restaurants by making a reservation or showing up when you're hungry. Other meal options include a complimentary buffet and 24-hour room service that comes with a delivery fee.
Penthouse Suites
Norwegian also offers four solo cabins on its Hawaii-based Pride of America. Tucked away in the middle of the ship, this "studio" zone is essentially a private escape for solos, with more solo cabins — 128 — than you'll find on any other ship at sea. Here we list our top picks for the best Norwegian cruise ships for five different types of travelers. Over the years, I've sailed on all but three of Norwegian's 19 vessels, and my personal favorite is Norwegian Prima. I love its stylish design and upscale feel, as well as its wide mix of eateries, bars and entertainment. If you're looking for a romantic vacation, perhaps you'll want a smaller ship or a cabin in The Haven, which is a hotel-within-a-hotel concept with more personalized service.
The line just recommends a step up to "smart casual" outfits in its more formal dining rooms and upscale specialty restaurants. In keeping with Norwegian's laid-backness, this might still mean nothing more than a crisper pair of jeans, or maybe slacks with a collared shirt, for men. For women, slacks, jeans, dresses, skirts and tops will do fine. Instead, you can travel with a state-certified birth certificate or other proof of citizenship and a driver's license or other government-issued photo identification. That said, Norwegian strongly recommends that all travelers bring a passport. Norwegian also offers dedicated teen zones and programming on ships for children ages 13 to 17.
These 1 person accommodations are designed for the solo traveler — and priced accordingly. For the 3 packages above, you must be 21 years old or older to purchase. If 1 person purchases a package, everyone (over 21 years old) residing in the same stateroom or additional staterooms that were under the same form of payment is required to purchase it. Anyone under 21 years of age on the same reservation will be required to purchase the Soda Program. Note that some of these activities may come with additional fees, and not every activity is available on every ship.
Norwegian Encore review: A cruise ship guide - The Points Guy
Norwegian Encore review: A cruise ship guide.
Posted: Tue, 15 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Since NCL has cut back on entertainment fleet-wide, the lower caliber of entertainment is evident across almost all ships. However, with the Dawn not being equipped with large stages and Broadway-style production environments, the cutback on entertainment didn’t seem to negatively impact the Dawn. This is mostly due to the fact that the entertainment venue, “Stardust Theater”, is more traditional and hosts simpler types of old-school music, dance, and more simplified theatre-style performances. Expect performances like Michael Jackson’s tributes, the house band performing music through the decades, and well-known solo vocalists. If you’re planning to embark on an NCL Dawn cruise, there are a few things you should know to help you get the best possible experience.
Today, it has become one of the more popular mainstream cruise brands and is part of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which also includes the Regent Seven Seas and Oceania brands. Guests are encouraged to wear casual clothing such as jeans, shorts, and t-shirts in public spaces (not swimwear!). At night, guests are free to dress as they like in most areas of the ship. Unfortunately, unlike the ‘good ole’ days’ – you no longer get access to the thermal suite when purchasing a service from the spa. Very short-sighted in my opinion, but hey, it’s not my business – but it will contribute to not purchasing a massage or other treatment now. We strongly recommend any passenger looking to book a “Suite” class stateroom on the NCL Dawn to use a qualified travel agent!
The ship has some cool attractions aimed at all ages, but it is missing that killer USP that came with later Breakaway Plus ships in the form of the go-kart track. Norwegian Jewel is one of the older ships in the NCL fleet, and it’s a ship that aims to be more of a couples ship than a family one. As proof, just consider how, in the 2018 refurbishment, the ship’s waterslide was removed, while two new bars were added. To find out, I’ve ranked all of the NCL ships from best to worst, based on customer review data. So sit back and enjoy reading about the NCL cruise ships that people love and what makes them so special.
Check out of fact sheets of Carnival, and Princess Cruise Lines to see what other options are awaiting you. If you’d prefer to explore beyond Great Stirrup Cay, you can book the exclusive shore excursion at this port to visit the famous swimming pigs! Your excursion includes round-trip transportation to Treasure Island to interact with these playful piggies. The other times were based on flight time and whether people had a ship-sponsored tour of the city.
See the Teppanyaki Menu As for the sushi, it’s generally good, but being a sushi snob, it’s tough for me to pay real money for cruise ship sushi these days. Norwegian adds an automatic service charge of $20 to $25 per person, per day, to final bills, depending on your cabin category. Depending on the service you receive, you can adjust the amount up or down at the guest services desk before disembarking. In addition, a 20% gratuity is added to the bill at bars, extra-charge specialty restaurants and ship spas.
There's tons of great entertainment on Norwegian's vessels, plenty of venues for eating and drinking, and all sorts of deck-top diversions — at least on the line's newest ships. Throw in the brand's low starting prices, and it's an even more compelling package. All vessels operate on a cashless system with any onboard purchases you make posting automatically to your onboard account.
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