Thank you Zach for another honest review. Some of the other youtubers sugarcoat everything and act as if everything is so over the top good all the time. It's so good to hear the truth on what to really expect on these ships. Thank you and keep up the good videos.
I strive for completely transparency. I don’t owe any cruise line anything. I’m simply vacationing like everyone else and want you to know exactly what to expect.
I have sailed 14 times in the last 8 years with NCL. There are always a few hickupps, but overall, 100% pleased with them. I am now at a sapphire level and enjoy all sorts of perks.. If you can afford the Haven, go for it.. Next level food and service
@@kimp8869 Make sure to list all the food items and general snacks you want in the room. They will replenish daily. You also get reserved seating in all the shows and restaurants. The Haven bar is the bomb.
Completely agree, Ken. I'm a Sapphire too with NCL and love NCL. The Encore solo areas are not like a lot of the other older ships from what I've heard of the Encore. My favorite ship is NCL Epic, which is coming back to Port Canaveral in December, I'm already booked for Christmas week. It has a fantastic giant solo lounge and the bartender comes in every night for Happy Hour. I went on the Pearl to Alaska, a medium-sized ship, and had a great time.
Princess and Holland America are the choices for Alaska. They have both been doing it for 60-75 years. They dock in Ketchikan, not Ward Cove. They get priority in a lot of circumstances.
I didn’t read all of the comments so not sure if anyone already mentioned this, but NEVER TOUCH THE SNOWFLAKE!!! That’s why your cabin was too warm. The snowflake is a timer that runs the AC for a short period of time and then shuts off. You just want to keep the AC at the lowest setting and don’t touch anything else 😊 frequent NCL cruiser here sharing a tip. I did the Encore last year around this time to Alaska and had one of the best cruises ever (out of 17). But the ship was not at full capacity. We did have similar issues with people hogging chairs and short times in port but I had an incredible time regardless… I do recommend a balcony cabin for Alaska as well for those times where seats are hard to find!
Holland America Line (HAL) has been sailing to Alaska for 75 years. Its mid-sized ships are more port-friendly than mega ships. HAL is very destination-focused, offering wonderful education opportunities regarding Alaska history and glaciers. Port excursions are well-scheduled. The vibe onboard is all about glacier, whale, bear and eagle sightings. HAL shines with its food quality and presentation. All of this is done without vast theme parks on the top decks. Like all cruise lines, kids are onboard during school breaks. I'm happy to travel when kids are IN school. My favorite cruise was aboard the HAL Westerdam on a sailing to Alaska. Alaska cruises are premium-priced. If your goal is to experience Alaska and glaciers up close, choose a cruise line that specializes on that experience. If your goal is to spend seven days on a theme park on the roof of your cruise ship -- don't sail on HAL! Just understand that those unenclosed theme parks are going to be closed on cold and rainy days. Maybe a cruise to the Bahamas would give you a better "bang for your buck".
I could not agree more with you. I saw this video and the different star ratings. My last HAL cruise was amazing. The staff could not have been more courteous and friendly. The food excellent and the entertainment on board was top notch without long waits. Glacier Bay it seemed like we were there a good or seven hours. I do not think I could ever do a mega cruise to Alaska. A mid-sized ship without having to deal with long lines and kids running around is ideal.
Just completed my last cruise on NCL….Alaska ending on October 13th. If I had known there were going to be several hundred children on board (why weren’t they in school?!) and a couple of thousand alcoholics, I would never have booked this cruise!
Public service announcement: guys, if you’re thinking of sailing Alaska, get a balcony cabin. We sat on ours and view the glaciers from there, I would have hated going to the observation deck just for the view. I’m short. We sailed last August and the weather was beautiful
Going in October is an exception. Just off the Encore on October 13th. Cold and rainy during most of the cruise, including in Glacier Bay. Those in the observation lounge were warm but looking thru rain spotted windows. A much better option was on deck 17 where there are covered areas and unobstructed views. Also, the short days translated to less viewing opportunities from a balcony room. I was perfectly happy having an interior stateroom.
I would always recommend that first time Alaskan cruisers sail round trip from Vancouver--that will allow for a longer day in Ketchikan, and it will also sail the inside passage between Vancouver Island and the mainland which Seattle origin cruises cannot do. Princess and HAL are great options out of Vancouver as they have a huge volume of the Glacier Bay traffic.
We also went to Glacier Bay on NCL Jewel out of Vancouver. Considering when most ships arrive in Victoria, it seems like a waste of time to stop there. That mandatory stop on Seattle departures makes leaving from Vancouver a much better idea.
We've done both, but from Reno, Seattle is nonstop and cheap; Vancouver requires a plane change and costs double, and most NCL cruises from Vancouver are one-way to Seward so we have to do back-to-back cruises or fly back from Anchorage. (Much more expensive either way.)@@sharonla8071
This makes me really glad that we chose HAL for our first cruise ever. We were on the Koningsdam this May. Glacier Bay was a highlight for us. Plenty of public places for us to sit,thankfully, since we were in an interior cabin. Service was fantastic. Food was good, though we have no other cruises to compare it to. Loads of music to choose from. Good shows on the main stage but not big glitzy productions. Embarkation in Vancouver was a 3 hour ordeal but that is an issue with the port, not the cruise line. We chose a late disembarkation time since we did not have to catch a flight. We were able to basically stroll off the ship after having a leisurely breakfast, found our bags immediately, zipped through customs and were on our way in maybe 15 minutes max. We were in very close walking distance to town in every port (Juneau, Skagway & Ketchikan). I would certainly recommend HAL for an Alaskan cruise!
Service, value, and food has gone down since 2019. They're working them more with less, and raising prices. I hope they stop the decline. I have done 10 NDL cruises and have seen the changes.
Wife and I made our first cruise ever in September of 23 on the NCL Encore it was WONDERFULL, we were so impressed with the trip that we booked another cruise for September of 25 on the same ship while on our cruise. We only ate at the buffet. All meals were great, service was outstanding, our cabin steward was extra attentive to our needs. My wife has trouble walking and was able to get wheelchair assistance to and from the dining area with no problem. Our stateroom was a balcony mini suite., looking forward to our next trip.
Hey there, I was also leaning towards Norwegian Enforce to Alaska and was wondering if you have any tips/hidden caveats/general exp? For now, looking into definitely the train exp in Skagway. Hiking/sight-seeing in the others, but I'm honestly quite confused on the time management right now. I see that we have to take off at least 4 hours (2hr off-board and 2hr on-board) from the Arrive and Depart time, which basically gives us max 1 activity to do. Did you book your land tours outside of Norwegian by chance? How did you sort your transportation from airport to ship, vice versa?
I suggest trying an Alaska cruise on Holland America or Princess and making it a cruise tour. Get on the cruise in Vancouver, sail to the Inside Passage ports, get off in Whittier, and take a dedicated train for a 2-3 day visit to Denali National Park and Anchorage. Going from Vancouver (vs. Seattle) allows for the cruise-tour option and avoids the Jones Act need to stop in Canada on the way.
I'm cruising on the Encore in two weeks as my first-ever cruise, so great timing on the video. We picked NCL because my partner and I are both 30 and we were concerned that lines like Celebrity and HAL would be more catered towards older (50+) cruisers, but we also didn't want a party-heavy cruise like Carnival, so NCL seemed like it would be a good middle ground. The video does have me slightly worried, but I also feel better prepared to handle the negative parts of the trip. So thanks for the review!
I’ve been on Encore and Bliss in Alaska. The problem is not the ship - these sister ships are beautifully designed for Alaska. The problem is NCL, and I say that as a frequent NCL solo cruiser.
Enjoyed your very honest review! This past March we went on the Prima and had no problem with WiFi or our pre-cruise reservations. Also getting off the ship was easy, we only stood waiting for five minutes. We were in a later group so that may have been part of the reason why. The comedy and music venues were extremely small however and we never saw any of those shows, so that was disappointing. Hoping the Encore to Alaska in October will not be as crowded-currently it is only 60% booked. I just booked our specialty dining reservations for that trip. We also booked the Thermal Spa, something to really look forward to on an Alaska cruise! Thanks for your video!
Sailed NCL for the first time on the Bliss to Alaska last year, and came to the conclusion that all the things I didn't enjoy were a result of me not understanding what to expect. I'm sailing Encore to Alaska in a few weeks, and I have all my dining and entertainment booked ahead of time, I have all my excursions booked and understand the limited timeframes I have to work with, I'm logged into the app already, I know what to expect with my room location, I plan to sleep in late on disembarkation day, etc. I'm approaching the trip not with "this is going to be the most amazing vacation ever", but with "this is going to be a relaxing time and I'm not going to do anything that adds any stress to the trip". I'm looking forward to it.
Love this philosophy, I was torn between NCL Encore and Royal Princess but we are steering more towards the Encore and know we are going along for the journey and whatever hiccups it may bring.
As a veteran cruise, rule number one is that buying excursions from the ship are overpriced. Get off and book your own tour/activity at half the price. Mendenhall tours are available for $40 a person....
Mine was even cheaper because the cruise line gave me a $50 credit at each stop as part of a promotion when I booked my cruise. I typically book independent unless I have credits.
Yes, BUT ---- NCL has done their very best to limit the choices of their passengers. In all the Alaska ports -- especially Ketchikan -- the ship is docked very far from the central areas. Just to get to the pick up location, an NCL passenger first has to use the NCL shuttle. This involves waiting in a long line, plus the travel time, plus an exorbitant fee, JUST to get into port. It's worse than trying to get on a tender.
I have to agree. We took Encore to Alaska two years ago, and the shuttle situation was bad in all ports. It was especially terrible at Ketchikan; this is because NCL has a dock not anywhere near downtown. And we sailed when they were at 50% capacity. It must have been especially terrible if they're at over 100%.
We sailed the same cruise the week before you! The elevator situation was unpleasant for the most part, the food was great, the observation lounge was fantastic (once people discovered it, it became more busy but we never had trouble finding seats) and the disembarkation was THE SAME for us--packed and slow moving. Alaska itself was amazing, but the port distances and times weren't ideal. Overall it was great, but we will try out another cruise line next time we visit Alaska.
Similar negative experiences for me. I did Prima as my first NCL. I have never felt so crowded on a ship. It was quite clear to me roughly 1/3 to 1/2 of the ship was either Suite guests only or premium venue. That meant the free dining and spaces were ridiculously overcrowded. I asked one of the hostesses how to get a table in one of the free dining, she said the only way is come and sit about an hour before we open. When talking with other guests I said it feels like they don't have enough seating on purpose to force you into doing specialty. The others told me the specialty dining is often just as bad or, worse if the screw up your reservation. I really do not get it. The food was good. Sea side walk being lower to the water was great. But that's it. Everything else about the cruise was worse than any other line I've been on. It feels like the company designs are at fault.
Enjoyed you video. I've only been on the Encore once, but over the last 14 years, I've been on 37 NCL cruises, 14 to Alaska, and wanted to share some thoughts with you. 1. When coming or going from Seattle, use the valet luggage service. 2. Last year, we did the Bliss and the Spriit to Alaska. The spirit is their oldest and smallest, did one-ways between Vancouver and Seward, and is a great way to see Alaska. The Bliss is a sister ship to the Encore, and great for families with lots of onboard activities. However, you have to put up with a lot of people. That's why we prefer the Haven (originally promoted as a ship within a ship.) 3. I was impressed from our first cruise with the way the cabin steward knew everyone's name. I certainly don't expect it in the dining room. It sounds like you're accustomed to the assigned seating where you get the same seat, the same time, and the same server every day. (Yes, they will give you personal treatment in the Haven restaurant.) 4. Overall, I've been pleased with NCL entertainment. However, most people go to Alaska to see the sights, not the evening entertainment. 5. Please try NCL again, as they have a lot of ships, and everyone has it's own personalities. 6. I'll be doing the Jewel (Seward to Vancouver) in April, and the Bliss and Encore (Haven) in June. Hope to see you there!
Zach, my wife and I were on the same cruise as you, and I couldn't agree with you more. The service was not what we had in the past on NCL. We had ordered an anniversary cake and never received it, some of the food was cold, I even had a piece of plastic in my eggs benedict. The lack of entertainment I felt caused every place to be crowded with people. Employees didn't seem happy. This was my 4th cruise with NCL and will be our last with them.
That ship was my first Norwegian cruise prepandemic. I was with 17 friends so we planned everything prior to sailing. One of our dinners was cancelled but they worked with us and got us into another diningroom. We reserved one lounge every evening at 6pm so we could all meet up before dinner and what shows we had reservations for that night. The only staff problem I saw was when I was heading to my room and a girl was being chastised by another crew member who had the poor girl in tears. Once they saw me they both put on big smiles and waited until I was out of ear shot before they continued with whatever was going on. It's a beautiful ship and there wasn't a show we wanted to see that wasn't available and the crew was so helpful if anything did come up. I didn't use wifi on that ship but didn't hear anyone from our group that complained. We did notice they were watering down the drinks and that was the biggest complaint.
NDL has been reducing service and increasing price thinking they are in invincible. People aren't dumb, everyone can see how they have changed since 2019. We shouldn't have to pay for their mistakes of shutting down and discrimination against people who didn't fall for the narrative.
I was on the encore in Alaska July 2023, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The entertainment was great kinky boots was also showing, and it was very good and the choir of man. I never had trouble getting n and I did not have reservations. We went to several comedy shows and never had any trouble getting in. They said there’s always plenty of room for whoever wants to come in after who has reservations and we also had a seat to sit in was very good.
We went on ncl in the Haven, to Alaska in 2019. It was one of the best vacations we ever took. We did get food and drink packages and scheduled the excursions before hand
I’ve sailed 11 times to Alaska on various lines but not yet with NCL there. However I have sailed 8 times on other itineraries with them -always on their smaller ships. Have always been extremely happy with my NCL experiences. I think your best takeaway point was about going to Alaska on a 2500 or less size ship. Size really does matter!
Loved the review as was almost on that same cruise. Instead went on NCL Sun for their 10 day Alaskan cruise and will agree with you regarding going smaller was better. The Sun carried 2200 passengers and the itinerary included longer times at each port (10-12 hour) except for Juneau (6 hour) and went to Hubbard vs Glacier bay. Older ship so no frilly extras but the views are what we planned for. Plenty of activities, including shows just on smaller scale and the crew was polite friendly and knew passenger names quickly. Going to look forward to see more reviews. Thanks!
My wife and I did a 14 day Alaska cruise back in 2010 on the Celebrity Millennium! We had the time of our lives! The ship was just the right size. We got to see Alaska the way it was meant to be seen. Visiting Alaska on a mega ship which looks like a theme park is not the way to go!
I really hope NCL is watching videos like yours and taking them to heart. I will be on this cruise on Aug. 20 and based on this, I will be doing what I call "defensive planning" for this cruise which means trying to get around the bottlenecks on disembarkation, crossing a number of things off the excursion list and basically expecting crappy impersonal service. Looking more and more like a drinking cruise with some nice scenery - which is OK. I'd rather not be disappointed and concentrate on the things I know I'll have fun doing.
We just got back from our first cruise ever and we were on the Encore in Alaska. What a difference a year makes in terms of the entertainment and shipboard service. In addition to Choir of Man, there was the Beatles Invasion, which had different versions of their show. We saw them three times. The comedians were good, too. Our servers in the specialty dining rooms were friendly and spoke with us. Managers in specialty dining checked on us, too. Gotta agree with the time in port comments / shuttles. I collect harley shirts and could not fit in the harley store in Juneau. We got the last shuttle to Ketchikan and I had to walk fast to get my shirt and make it back to the shuttle. Of course, part of it is on us as we took long excursions in each port. Overall, an amazing first cruise. During Glacier Bay, we were lucky enough to stand with a grandmother in the bow. She was on a cruise in GB thirty years ago and had awesome stories to share. We are going to sail Norwegian again.
Thank you, Zach. We appreciate your views. Freestyle Cruising sounds great in theory. We’re both retired and had to dress up for work for 40+ years. Casual attire (golf shorts/shirts) for all meals and events is ideal for us. For us, vacation is not a fashion show. Question, Zach: I have dairy allergy, so it’s easier for me to eat vegan to avoid consuming dairy. Do you think NCL will be good at accommodating my needs? Thanks again, Zach.
I took this cruise May 21-28 on the same ship. I agree with most of your review. The food was not the same quality as our previous cruise with NCL. It was still was pretty good. The embarkation was long and horrible. We disembarked without much problem. The wait for the elevators was long. The service was not the same as previous. The entertainment was lacking. Choir of man was great though. I definitely will go back and probably stick with NCL but I won’t take one on any of the larger mega ships again. Way too many people. Alaska was truly beautiful and we loved it. One thing I did notice was no one was washing their hands! I ended up with the flu and was sick for two days that I didn’t feel like doing much at all. But overall the experience was good.
My cruise on the smaller Jewel seems to have been a better choice. No lines for the shuttle to Ketchikan, quick disembarking and no reservations needed for shows. I had terrific service everywhere on the ship except in the Bliss lounge where I was completely ignored by the wait staff on 2 nights during karaoke. Everyone else was terrific.
Sailed last month to Alaska on Norwegian Sun, one of their smallest ships. It was great. With less than 2,000 guests, was always able to get seats for dining and entertainment with no reservations needed. (By the way, you didn’t miss anything in Ketchikan. The downtown is basically a tourist trap.)
I have been on 13 cruises all with NCL..I love the smaller ships. I just left the Pearl going to Bermuda and Bar Harbor Maine. I enjoyed it so much I booked it again next year on NCL Gem.. You have more of an intimate setting with with fewer people. The last 3 NCL cruises I was on I walked off the ship first thing and I was out the door in thirty minutes.
We had a real problem getting off the ship in Victoria. People disembarking were herded into the atrium where we were kept shoulder to shoulder for 1/2 hour. I loved all the staff we came in contact with, boat was great, food was great & port valet. We never disembarked at stated time & usually then waited for excursion.
I sailed to Alaska in April on Norwegian Bliss and had a great time. Itinerary was pretty much the same as your cruise. The crew were amazingly friendly and helpful. Food was good without being great. Very much agree about sailing to Alaska on a smaller ship as the wait times for buses was a real PAIN! and the only major negative, a smaller one is the ship was very crowded in all common areas and I am glad I had a balcony cabin. Cheers
Fantastic cruise review. Thank you so much. Yours is the first one I’ve seen that said the ship does a 360 turn at the glacier. I’m doing my first Alaskan cruise soon and on the Jewel. I sprung for a balcony and was worried I wouldn’t be on the right side of the ship to see it.
Sailed on the Encore last October to Alaska. I didn't run into many of the problems except the touch screens on embarkation day didn't work so I worried I wouldn't get reservations. However, I never had an issue seeing what we wanted to see. Food was good, room was fantastic, loved the ship, and never had an issue finding a seat in the Observation Lounge. Worst part was how long it took to get off the boat at the end.
I went this ship to Alaska last year, and it was a much different experience. First big change was the entertainment. We had Kinky Boots as the main stage show two nights, and it was touring cast quality. Choir of Man was also on two other nights, and the Beatles cover band played the main theater several times in addition to their cavern club shows. I went to almost all of these and really enjoyed them. If musicals aren't your thing, the comedy club was also full most nights. It's a shame they essentially cut the theater shows in half. We were also at a reduced capacity, about 2700 people, so embarkation and debarkation were both pretty short amd easy. Even still, specialty dining times and the Cavern Club filled up quickly, so I can only imagine how bad it would be with 4500. I had the same issue with short times in Ketchikan and Juneau, where we didn't have enough time to see the town after excursions, and I hope they extend the time in the future. This is probably the main reason I wouldn't do the Encore again; I really want more time on land. The shuttle busses in Juneau weren't nearly as bad, and my excursion started right after we docked, so I didn't need to deal with that initial crowd. I agree that the food was excellent and am happy it still is. Best cruise buffet I've personally experienced, and I enjoyed every meal in both the included and specialty restaurants. If you ever go to Le Bistro, get the sole. Finally with service, it was hot or miss the whole cruise, but the hits were big and the misses were small. I had an amazing cabin attendant, and aside from one time in the main dining room the wait staff were also great. Overall I would do the ship again during winter in the Caribbean, but not for Alaska. I would go with a much smaller ship and better port times. I do think everyone should see Glacier Bay at least once, because it is a much better experience than your standard glacier viewing day.
Laughed when you showed all the (saved) chairs and benches. Had same issue on our cruise. We just moved the chairs back from windows to film the mountains. The so called owners never showed up till later and oh well we just step aside so they could see but still had good shot of scenery
Finished our 7 night Alaska cruise a few days ago, the last one this year for the Encore. The crew was awesome, the buffet was surprisingly one of the best ever had, the specialty dining experience was 10/10, fellow passengers very respectful/professional, scenery was amazing, and of course the all you can drink cocktails/beer was the star of the show because I'm an alcohol lover of course. This was our families first cruise and we all had such a great time, now are looking into our next cruise already.
The video footage of of that family that turned part of the observation lounge into their personal living-room was shocking. They had games, chargers, drinks, blankets, and towels messing the entire area up. They managed to turn that area of a Billion dollar ship into trash. A simple rule would be not to let passengers place or leave person items in these areas. We stopped going on RC due to the chair hogs on the pool deck and solarium. All personal items and towels should be removed after 30 minutes and stored in a lost and found. The rules should be made clear with signage. We live in Florida and cruises twice a year with Celebrity which seemed to solve the chair hogs problem. The thermal spa has a 30 minute limit if it is busy. Also, I have seen crew members on Celebrity removing towels from the pool deck several times during our last cruise. Not sure if they are timing how long the towels have been left or another method. Glad you had a good time with the number of problems and would use the line again.The food looked great which is number one for use.Thanks for posting a showing the footage of this problem. Hopefully it gets back to the cruise line.
I agree, these chair hog issues actually turn me off cruises. Would much prefer to go to a good hotel somewhere with pool service than not being able to sit at the pool or in a major lounge because all the chairs are taken by chair hogs' towels.
Glad to report that RC, at least on our cruise to Canada six weeks ago, had cracked down on the chair hogs. None of that was tolerated and signs were everywhere.
On the encore right now but in the haven, unbeatable in every aspect and the best cruise I’ve been on to date. Crew is super friendly and everyone has made an effort to know your name (and drink!). Definitely the way to go if you can afford it
I would highly recommend doing a one way north or south bound cruise. I think some lines still offer them. Your port times were super short. Other cruise lines also have better docking locations than you appeared to. Also I found that entertainment is different on the Alaskan cruises bc they tend to skew older. The ship I did a few years back things closed earlier and they only did one show a night as opposed to 2. NCL would probably be better as a Caribbean cruise than Alaska.
Love the 5 STEPS model. Nice way to organize your thoughts. Great examples to support your review. For a ship this large, it seems like managing the flow of passengers should be #1 - reservations, waiting times, disembarkation, internet, shore excursions, etc. I will be on this ship in October. I very much appreciate your review.
I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise. My last couple of NCL cruises were very disappointing -to the point where I don't plan to sail them anymore. Poor food and extremely bad service just kill a vacation.
We had a similar experience. We started with NCL and kept going on them to build points. The last one with them was not good so we have since ventured out and tried other lines such as Royal, MSC and Princess in a couple weeks to Alaska. The service on NCL isn’t that great and the nickel and diming gets old. Also, NCL’s internet is awful. Believe it or not MSC internet was amazing. Disembarkation on NCL takes forever as well. Not sure why this is. We walked right on and off when we took Royal and it was amazing
@@brantthompson199 Royal and Celebrity are just better all the way around. Nothing is perfect, but they come dang close to it. I only sail with Royal and Celebrity and I've never had a bad cruise.
My wife and I did a 14 day pre-covid cruise on NCL's Bliss. It was over crowded; lines everywhere with lots of pushing. The food was just so-so for the most part with the exception of the pan Asia and Jimmy Buffet's. After that experience we probably won't be cruising on any mega ships. We have been on other smaller NCL ships like the Dawn and loved them.
I think on NCL when you press that snowflake it puts it on power saver so it shuts off when it reaches the temperature! Found out not to press that snowflake
Last summer we went on the Norwegian Sun to Alaska. The Sun is a much smaller and older ship than the Encore is. We had an absolutely wonderful time on the cruise and had no problems on the ship. Sometimes the bigger the ship doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to have a better time. I found on the 43 cruises that I’ve been on that the crew is much friendlier on the smaller ships . I’m so glad that I watched your video now I know to book my next trip to Alaska on a smaller ship again. Ed
Recently returned from Alaska on the Celebrity Solstice (we watched your ship review prior to going). I can't comment on NCL but I can point out a couple of differences. 1) It was rainy and cold most of the trip but it never felt crowded (we were at capacity). Able to get chairs most of the time. 2) We were able to dock right by Ketchikan. From the ship to Creek Street was an easy walk. 3) We saw Dawes Glacier rather than Glacier Bay. Sailing up a fjord with chunks of ice floating by was beautiful. We are planning Glacier Bay some time. 4) Based on what you said I think we stayed a lot longer in the ports. We found that Celebrity Edge will be sailing Alaska next season. Also very tempted by some of the HAL itineraries. I'm glad you had fun in Alaska. Also thank you very much for your review of the Solstice. It was super helpful.
I have an Alaska trip booked for next year on the Norwegian Jewel, a much smaller ship with way less people. It's a 9 day cruise with added stops in Sitka and Icy Straight Point. I'm really looking forward to it and got a great deal on it, under $1k for an inside. Definitely going to try and upgrade to a balcony though when those open up
We just did the same cruise this past week! Your review is so on point! The food was great! The observation lounge was Heaven except for the really rude seat hoarders. One day we watched a family allowing their children to jump from sofa to sofa and scream at the top of their lungs!!!😮 Our disembarkation day was a nightmare. It took us over 90 minutes to get off the ship. My biggest complaint was the amount of time in Ketchikan and Victoria. By the time you get off the ship and into the town it’s time to catch the shuttle back! The line for the shuttles took over 40 minutes! Lines and lines and more lines. However, the crew was amazing and my grandson was so happy in the Splash Academy. Alaska was beautiful and I would definitely go again. We all agree that we would take a smaller ship. Too many people which translates to more lines.
We did 7 days round trip from Seattle from May 27- June 3 on Royal Princess! We had the best time. The ship is Gorgeous . The foods was good. We booked mini suite with balcony. The stateroom was spacious. The service was exceptional. I’ll go with Princess again. I couldn’t get over on how gorgeous the ship is!
We took our very first cruise this last May to Alaska on the Royal Princess. We got the best week for weather ever, and maybe because it was May, it didn't feel super crowded on that pretty big ship. I thought it was pretty amazing. We had a slow disembarkation experience in Juneau, but after that it was quite speedy. Back in Seattle were out of our room and back in our car in less than 30 minutes (which was a little too efficient.) We didn't buy any excursions, except the tram in Juneau, through the cruise line, didn't do any other tours or excursions either. Rented a motorcycle in Skagway, which was awesome because despite 4 cruise ships in that port, there was almost no one on the road. Just walked in Ketchikan and Victoria, felt like we saw plenty. Saw a NCL ship periodically, definitely huge. Ultimately feel glad we did it the way we did.
Just sailed on Bliss to Alaska for my first ever cruise. Your experience with the ship itself and service was DRASTICALLY different from mine. Service was exceptional everywhere except for the Atrium bar and the American Diner. The observation lounge and garden cafe were always busy, but we had a group of 4 and maybe had to make a couple laps to find desired seating but it wasn't much of an issue for us. The bar staff at the observation lounge were absolute rock stars and gave the best, most personal, and fun service I've ever witnessed from a setting like that (comparing it to pool bars at resorts and such). Sucks that your overall experience isn't what you wanted but we wanted pure leisure and relaxation so everything being so laid back was terrific.
I sailed the Encore over the 2nd week of May. This was my second Norwegian cruise. I did this one because of it's itinerary. This was my first cruise to Alaska. The food was good not excellent, but there was nowhere to grab a quick snack. There were too many people for QUICK snacks. We had an aft room and so glad we did. We did not have to fight crowds for a spot to view the glaciers. Some bar tenders were very rude and not allowing us to take more than 2 drinks back to our room(where we were enjoying the view without the crowds). This ship/crew was not equipped to handle the amount of people they had. I've been on multiple cruise lines and this one was my least favorite. I would definitely go back to Alaska but not through Norwegian lines.
I'll be on this cruise next month. Staying in a studio cabin as well. Mentally prepared for the crowds, and I got a pass for the thermal spa hoping it will be a less crowded place to watch the scenery. Thanks for the info and the honesty!
We took the same cruise and ship but we stayed in the aft facing penthouse that’s included in the Haven. We’ve taken many cruises but this was by far our favorite. The Haven observation room was amazing. We spent a lot of time there. We never had any internet problems other than it was slow. Also staying in a Haven room, we could get seats at any show we wanted.
We've often said there's too many people on the new mega shipe -- unless you have a Haven room. Then it'd be a great cruise even if they just went out and did figure 8"s all day.
Thanks for the video - perceptive and honest. I was on the Norwegian Bliss 6 months ago and had many of the same impressions as you did. As usual I am amazed at the different things we all notice because they are important to us. Your summary of entertainment was quite different from the things I would have looked at. The theatre and similar "sit down and watch" entertainment on cruise ships is low on my priority list. That includes go-karts - I'd rather spend hours in a golf cage smacking a wiffle ball. I like stuff I can participate in, like bars and lounges with music and dance floors, lessons, activities, even dumb touristy ones. OK, maybe even especially the dumb touristy activities. But your comments on the stuff that interests you were so well done that now I'm going to have to go through your other videos to see if you cover my kind of stuff somewhere else. Thanks again.
I cruised June 2023 with celebrity was fantastic. As we were approaching Juneau and Ketchikan we noticed now far away NCL was docked. And after watching this video. So happy we didn’t cruise NCL. We cruised out of Vancouver on the eclipse.I recommend.
I love Norwegian and have never had any bad experiences on any of my cruises. The Bliss is my favorite, but all the ships are great. I stayed in studio rooms, regular interiors, and balconies. I found the crew to be wonderful, the food overall good, and the entertainment to be the best. I have cruised from NYC and Barcelona and found both embarkation and disembarkation to be manageable. Sad to see your experience was so bad. I think all the cruise lines are pushing through cut backs just as the ships are becoming much more crowded.
Regina, I completely agree with you. I love NCL! I'm Sapphire. When I went on a Mediterranean cruise and boarded in Barcelona, my friend who went with me and I thought it was the best embarkation we'd ever had on any ship. Everyone was on the ship within 30 minutes. So, yes. cutbacks and everything I'm sure are affecting things. I haven't been on the Bliss, but if you haven't been on the Epic, you should try that one. It's my favorite NCL ship and I've been on it twice. They're repositioning it from Europe in December to Port Canaveral and the pricing is greatly reduced while they're trying to fill the ship. Anyone can get an even better deal on the 16-day repositioning Cruise for it... getting on in Rome and ending in Port Canaveral, with some fantastic ports. I'm already booked for Christmas week, which was so much fun on that ship. Cheers!😎⛴️🍹
Good balanced review. Every Cruise Line is now packed since COVID. People are spending like drunken sailors cramming in vacations- in particular cruises- most ships are over 100% occupied! I came back from a Holland America tour to Alaska last month and agree with your observations- smaller ships are probably best for Alaska- our ship was half the size so the crowds were not bad when we pulled into a port. These are small towns. Also, the smaller ships sometimes can pull direct into the ports with no shuttle required. In Juneau the downtown area was a few hundred feet away from our ship. On the few cruises I have been on, this was the first time when I regarded the a balcony as necessary. A balcony ensured no issues with crowded decks and chair hogs- our highlight was sitting on our balcony drinking champagne for most of the day while the ship was in Glacier Bay. Agree that Alaska was more beautiful than I expected- but that is a crap shoot if it is raining. We had 7 days without a cloud in the sky so Glacier bay was stunning. With the packed vessels we found you have to sign up as soon as possible (several weeks in advance) for specialty restaurants- otherwise you will be eating at 8pm or 4pm if at all. The Holland ship was very pleasant but old- definitely NOT as modern as the Encore. Wifi seemed to work OK. Holland eliminated Lincoln Center so that was a negative if you want live Classical music. Not many stage shows on Holland either- but every night they had several live music venues so you could always go to a live show. Other than the specialty restaurants, we had no problems with lines or getting in to see what we wanted to see- but the full ship did sometimes seem to overwhelm the crews in the buffet and main restaurants. Being a small ship we had nothing equivalent to bumper cars or large water slides. I would think families with young children might be bored on Holland. I enjoyed the library :)
We took the Alaska trip on the Encore in 2023 with a group of 16 and had a wonderful time. Service was great we were able to see shows. Only challenges were in getting into seeing Beatles invasion in the comedy club. Only other negative would be not having enough time before or after a couple of events to explore the towns
We really liked Holland America to Alaska twice (one incl. Glacier Bay, both had good/close berths in the towns incl. Ketchikan & both had better times to be in town or at glaciers. We saw Celebrity leaving Hubbard Glacier as we were entering at noon-ish.)
Freestyle dining is a concept that Norwegian started when everyone else was pretty rigid about time, location and table sharing. It means that you can have dinner when it is convenient for you. It does not mean redneck dress code.
Yes NCL is like everything you describe, I love the Food, Waterfront Area, and Observation area, thermal Suite Area, (sauna, steam room etc.). Worst making reservations for everything, and getting off the ship, You would think they would have this perfected by now. Also, Personal Customer Service is usually lacking. I am booked on NCL BLiss, (miami to LA, I got a great deal, I have a balcony for once, I was always in the Studio Lounge.
I love norwegian. However, I felt the exact same way you did when I was on the Bliss this year to Alaska. I want to go back on the smaller ships that made me fall in love with the line.
I have cruised to Alaska 5 times and all of them were on the NCL Pearl. That is a perfect ship for Alaska. We docked right downtown at Ketchican and walked to the Lumberjack Show, which I recommend highly, I also did the Ducks, which toured Ketchican and then went into the water and toured the port.
I went on the Pearl to Alaska once too. I loved it! The Lumberjack Show was great and I did three excursions with whales... Orcas and Humpbacks. Mendenhall Glacier is a must too. The Gold Rush Museum in Skagway was incredible with the real film footage that they had from the gold rush days. So much fun!!!
I have been on the Encore twice, May 2022 and 2024. I love that ship and personally never had a bad experience. I had things on the menu i didn't like and things i loved. You are correct about the technology though
Just did an Ireland cruise on the NCL Star, I think its about 2200 or 2500 at full capacity, definitely a different situation when getting off for the ports and overall capacity. I would definitely recommend a smaller cruise ship for port heavy itineraries. The service was amazing as well. My second NCL cruise and I absolutely love their staff!
We were on Epic a few years ago. We were unable to get our dinner on time and missed a few shows. We felt we didn't enjoy the boat because of its size. It takes forever to get from point A and point B. Since then we've been cruising on smaller and medium size boats.
Interesting review. We went on the Encore summer 2022 same itinerary as yours and Loved the ship and all of the food as well as Glacier Bay. We knew the ship was large and did that intentionally…did not want a small ship tossed around potentially rough Alaskan waters but if that is not a concern, I agree about the smaller ship. So sorry your service was poor on this cruise. We had excellent crew and service in 2022. However, we just got back from Alaska on Princess Ruby two weeks ago (June 2023)and we experienced what you describe for poor service. Some folks stood out, but not a single waiter, bar staff, or even our Cabin steward. Pretty surprised since we chose Princess based on so many cruisers gushing about their top service. 😂 nevertheless, we are going on another NCL cruise in November to Mexico- trying The Haven which we are excited to do! Still love cruising and will try Princess again. Thanks for your thorough review.
Great review and as usual I pretty much fully agree with you. When you’re used to sailing on Celebrity & Virgin Voyages you get spoiled! They offer such a different and superior product. But sometimes NCL offers a really attractive price point, and I’d say their program for solo cruisers is the best of any line. Also, NCL breakfasts & lunches in the MDR are usually excellent, but MDR dinners leave a lot to be desired.
Hello Zach, glad you enjoyed Alaska, it is on my bucket list for cruising. I have sailed with NCL many times and honestly I haven't been disappointed with any of them. I just did a cruise on the Joy. If you decide to do another NCL cruise, this ship is smaller and they have to 2 shows in the theater, also the entertainment was really good. Better luck on your next one.
We love NCL!! We did RCCL in December and omg did it crash hard. We are not platinum and will be sapphire soon with NCL and they seem to give way more than other cruise lines. We use cruise next all the time as well. I would say it's a half step below RCCL but after the last cruise with them I have no intention of going back on Royal anytime soon. They took a massive nose dive since 2020!!
I've been on 4 NCL cruises in the last couple years, inc the Encore. Never waited more than 15min to disembark. And never had any of those issues with the app/internet. Nor had anything other than great service.
@@ZachtheTravelingMan The disembarkation process is heavily dependent on the port and customs staff/process. I have been on 8 NCL cruises and only once did we experience a delay getting off the ship as you saw. I won't say it never happens as it clearly does, but it is rare, and from what I saw not really NCLs fault.
Thank you for your honest review. We are sailing on the Encore to Alaska later this summer. Was Skagway a tendered port for the Encore? We sailed on the Royal Princess in May, and Skagway was a tendered port for that ship/cruise.
Thanks for the great review. Having embarked on numerous sea journeys over the years, I can confidently declare that my voyage on the NCL Pearl in 2019 to Alaska stands out as one of the most memorable. One of the main differentiators is the passenger capacity of the ship. Hosting around 2000 guests, the NCL Pearl strikes the perfect balance between being bustling with activity while retaining an intimate ambiance. The larger cruise liners, especially those accommodating 4000 or more passengers, often end up feeling too crowded. Hustling through corridors, waiting in extensive lines, and navigating through a sea of faces to find a cozy spot on the deck, can diminish the essence of what a cruise should ideally represent: relaxation, indulgence, and a feeling of exclusivity.
Sorry to hear about NCL. I wanted to do Alaska again and wanted check them out for my 2nd ever cruise. I did my first cruise with Carnival, everything went smoothly. It was a smaller ship, though. However, the food was okay. The desserts were great! The stateroom staff & dining room staff called us by first name.
Enjoyed the video. Glad you had a great trip. I’ve had the same experience on my last NCL cruise in 2016, staff was just not with it, except for a few. Have been thinking about trying them again.
In Ketchikan the only excursion you should do is the lumberjack show which is in the middle of town. Then you can see town, and no time to do anything else. Seeing Creek Street is a must.
I traveled on the sister ship, NCL Bliss. The 1st day reservation line up is a cluster ***. In fact embarkation, disembarkation and some port stops were a hot mess. That said, my solos facilitator acted like a concierge and had spots for every show and could get us into just about anything that required a reservation. My cruise was more southerly, so the crowds used the pool deck. I spent a good portion of my free time on in the thermal spa. It was glorious.
I just did a cruise to Alaska out of Vancouver with Celebrity Eclipse. It was wonderful. No need to book entertainment. Food wonderful. Great itinerary. Service was so wonderful. Ketchikan we docked right beside the town. Think next time you need to book on a smaller ship.
Thanks for reminding me why I'll never go on another cruise. Been to Alaska. Excursions are a RIP except for the train ride in skagway. People management is an issue. Pool chairs are hogged the whole day by entire clans, children running unsupervised, being constantly stalked and hounded by a guy wanting us to buy jewelry. Waiting for a spa appointment because some teens had questions, cold massage room and all she wanted to do was sell me products, tried to enter a bar in Juneau and town drunks were making a scene in the doorway. I can pay for a lot of spa appointments and restaurants for the almost 5k we spent.
Yes, and be prepared to have your cruise amended, each month we received emails notifying of port time changes, always reducing time on shore. All were after final payment, no surprise there. About to take this cruise in Sept 2024. I am new to cruising, this being only my second, the first being with Celebrity Edge earlier this year from Sydney to Tasmania return and the same happened with them, heaps of amendments and actually reduced port time by a full day with notification received 3 days after final payment three months out from sailing. lost 4hrs of shore time in Ketchikan. So since we had already booked this upcoming Alaska cruise with Norwegian Encore (prior to our first cruise) we would not have booked another cruise. I feel they rip you off as soon as you make final payment with changes and reduced itinerary. So not expecting any greatness. Lets just wait and see. thanks for your honest review, about what I am expecting being such a huge ship.
Thanks. Watching your Alaska videos in preparation for my upcoming trip. Watched and responded earlier today to yours on the ports. I am travelling solo b2b on Princess roundtrip from Vancouver to Anchorage and back. Hit each port twice. This will be my second cruise. First was to New England and Canada last month, also solo. Watching this is affirming my choice to do 14 days b2b interior cabin and to stay with Princess. I will book the railway but probably do other stuff on my own. If I'm out walking someplace beautiful, I'm happy. Looking forward to one if not two trips to the M glacier in Juneau, and one if not two trips to the rain forrest in K.
I would be interested in your review of a cruise to Alaska on Holland America. We did our only cruise on Holland to AK several years ago. It was a land/sea cruise and loved it. We were actually on the ship for 4 days only--the other 9 days were land tours. Thanks for the info regarding NCL.
Dang! I booked NCL Encore for Alaska two weeks ago for an Aug sailing. Wished I would have waited to book my Alaskan cruise after more research...oh well, hopefully its still a great time. Thanks for your review, its really helpful!
We are booked for a July sailing. Our first cruise. I guess we’ll see. Hopefully NCL gets reviews and tries to implement improvements…before our cruise. Or maybe I’m a dreamer.
You’ll still have a great time! As I said, I had a great experience overall. Just wanted to share my thoughts on some of the bad things to look out for.
@@ZachtheTravelingMan I really appreciate your thorough review! My hubby and I discovered your videos individually, and when on a walk (to build our endurance for all of the walking and hopefully good hiking), I started talking about your videos and that’s when we realized it. Lots of great tips! I will probably watch again closer to our sailing! Oh, and I booked the Choir of Men as soon as I could! Next up, deciding on our special dining.
Omggg we have a trip booked for this cruise for this October! My husband sent me your video and at about 10 mins in I started to have regrets. Now I’m reading some of the comments and we are definitely canceling this cruise!!!! I still want to go to Alaska, but will choose a better time of year/ cruise line! Thank you for your honest review and to all the comments for good tips! Can you suggest a good time of year and a better cruise line?
Thank you Zach for another honest review. Some of the other youtubers sugarcoat everything and act as if everything is so over the top good all the time. It's so good to hear the truth on what to really expect on these ships. Thank you and keep up the good videos.
I strive for completely transparency. I don’t owe any cruise line anything. I’m simply vacationing like everyone else and want you to know exactly what to expect.
That picture of the lounge, with the family sprawled everywhere, made me not want to cruise! Notice how none of them are even looking outside.
I have sailed 14 times in the last 8 years with NCL. There are always a few hickupps, but overall, 100% pleased with them. I am now at a sapphire level and enjoy all sorts of perks.. If you can afford the Haven, go for it.. Next level food and service
We just booked our first Haven stay on the Breakaway and Penthouse balcony so excited
@@kimp8869 Make sure to list all the food items and general snacks you want in the room. They will replenish daily. You also get reserved seating in all the shows and restaurants. The Haven bar is the bomb.
@@Ken-lp5zv thanks will do
I really want to try the Haven someday!
Completely agree, Ken. I'm a Sapphire too with NCL and love NCL. The Encore solo areas are not like a lot of the other older ships from what I've heard of the Encore. My favorite ship is NCL Epic, which is coming back to Port Canaveral in December, I'm already booked for Christmas week. It has a fantastic giant solo lounge and the bartender comes in every night for Happy Hour. I went on the Pearl to Alaska, a medium-sized ship, and had a great time.
My understanding of freestyle cruising is not only being able to choose time for dining but also is dress how you want where ever you dine.
Princess and Holland America are the choices for Alaska. They have both been doing it for 60-75 years. They dock in Ketchikan, not Ward Cove. They get priority in a lot of circumstances.
I went to Alaska on the Celebrity Solstice and it was a fantastic cruise! I would highly recommend Celebrity for Alaska as well.
Great if you’re over 80 years old!!
I didn’t read all of the comments so not sure if anyone already mentioned this, but NEVER TOUCH THE SNOWFLAKE!!! That’s why your cabin was too warm. The snowflake is a timer that runs the AC for a short period of time and then shuts off. You just want to keep the AC at the lowest setting and don’t touch anything else 😊 frequent NCL cruiser here sharing a tip. I did the Encore last year around this time to Alaska and had one of the best cruises ever (out of 17). But the ship was not at full capacity. We did have similar issues with people hogging chairs and short times in port but I had an incredible time regardless… I do recommend a balcony cabin for Alaska as well for those times where seats are hard to find!
Holland America Line (HAL) has been sailing to Alaska for 75 years. Its mid-sized ships are more port-friendly than mega ships. HAL is very destination-focused, offering wonderful education opportunities regarding Alaska history and glaciers. Port excursions are well-scheduled. The vibe onboard is all about glacier, whale, bear and eagle sightings. HAL shines with its food quality and presentation. All of this is done without vast theme parks on the top decks. Like all cruise lines, kids are onboard during school breaks. I'm happy to travel when kids are IN school. My favorite cruise was aboard the HAL Westerdam on a sailing to Alaska.
Alaska cruises are premium-priced. If your goal is to experience Alaska and glaciers up close, choose a cruise line that specializes on that experience. If your goal is to spend seven days on a theme park on the roof of your cruise ship -- don't sail on HAL! Just understand that those unenclosed theme parks are going to be closed on cold and rainy days. Maybe a cruise to the Bahamas would give you a better "bang for your buck".
Only sail with HAL now. Great cabins, ports, few kids, and drunk twenty something’s. Love them.
I could not agree more with you. I saw this video and the different star ratings. My last HAL cruise was amazing. The staff could not have been more courteous and friendly. The food excellent and the entertainment on board was top notch without long waits. Glacier Bay it seemed like we were there a good or seven hours.
I do not think I could ever do a mega cruise to Alaska. A mid-sized ship without having to deal with long lines and kids running around is ideal.
Just completed my last cruise on NCL….Alaska ending on October 13th. If I had known there were going to be several hundred children on board (why weren’t they in school?!) and a couple of thousand alcoholics, I would never have booked this cruise!
Public service announcement: guys, if you’re thinking of sailing Alaska, get a balcony cabin. We sat on ours and view the glaciers from there, I would have hated going to the observation deck just for the view. I’m short. We sailed last August and the weather was beautiful
Couldn’t agree more. We’re booked on this same ship and itinerary this coming August. Booked an aft facing balcony.
Going in October is an exception. Just off the Encore on October 13th. Cold and rainy during most of the cruise, including in Glacier Bay. Those in the observation lounge were warm but looking thru rain spotted windows. A much better option was on deck 17 where there are covered areas and unobstructed views. Also, the short days translated to less viewing opportunities from a balcony room. I was perfectly happy having an interior stateroom.
What was the average temps for August. I just booked yesterday
Did you see any whales?
I would always recommend that first time Alaskan cruisers sail round trip from Vancouver--that will allow for a longer day in Ketchikan, and it will also sail the inside passage between Vancouver Island and the mainland which Seattle origin cruises cannot do. Princess and HAL are great options out of Vancouver as they have a huge volume of the Glacier Bay traffic.
Absolutely agree with you! Vancouver is the best departure point.
We also went to Glacier Bay on NCL Jewel out of Vancouver. Considering when most ships arrive in Victoria, it seems like a waste of time to stop there. That mandatory stop on Seattle departures makes leaving from Vancouver a much better idea.
We've done both, but from Reno, Seattle is nonstop and cheap; Vancouver requires a plane change and costs double, and most NCL cruises from Vancouver are one-way to Seward so we have to do back-to-back cruises or fly back from Anchorage. (Much more expensive either way.)@@sharonla8071
This makes me really glad that we chose HAL for our first cruise ever. We were on the Koningsdam this May. Glacier Bay was a highlight for us. Plenty of public places for us to sit,thankfully, since we were in an interior cabin. Service was fantastic. Food was good, though we have no other cruises to compare it to. Loads of music to choose from. Good shows on the main stage but not big glitzy productions. Embarkation in Vancouver was a 3 hour ordeal but that is an issue with the port, not the cruise line. We chose a late disembarkation time since we did not have to catch a flight. We were able to basically stroll off the ship after having a leisurely breakfast, found our bags immediately, zipped through customs and were on our way in maybe 15 minutes max. We were in very close walking distance to town in every port (Juneau, Skagway & Ketchikan).
I would certainly recommend HAL for an Alaskan cruise!
Agree with you. The Konigsdam is a really nice ship with excellent service.
Thanks Zach! We really like your honest and relatable reviews.
I appreciate that!
@@ZachtheTravelingMan just subscribed because it’s hard to find honest travel vloggers. 😊
100% agree with your review. This was our 3rd cruise with NCL, unfortunately we had a simluar experience on Encore. Thank you for an honest review.
Service, value, and food has gone down since 2019. They're working them more with less, and raising prices. I hope they stop the decline. I have done 10 NDL cruises and have seen the changes.
Wife and I made our first cruise ever in September of 23 on the NCL Encore it was WONDERFULL, we were so impressed with the trip that we booked another cruise for September of 25 on the same ship while on our cruise. We only ate at the buffet. All meals were great, service was outstanding, our cabin steward was extra attentive to our needs. My wife has trouble walking and was able to get wheelchair assistance to and from the dining area with no problem. Our stateroom was a balcony mini suite., looking forward to our next trip.
Hey there, I was also leaning towards Norwegian Enforce to Alaska and was wondering if you have any tips/hidden caveats/general exp?
For now, looking into definitely the train exp in Skagway. Hiking/sight-seeing in the others, but I'm honestly quite confused on the time management right now. I see that we have to take off at least 4 hours (2hr off-board and 2hr on-board) from the Arrive and Depart time, which basically gives us max 1 activity to do.
Did you book your land tours outside of Norwegian by chance?
How did you sort your transportation from airport to ship, vice versa?
I suggest trying an Alaska cruise on Holland America or Princess and making it a cruise tour. Get on the cruise in Vancouver, sail to the Inside Passage ports, get off in Whittier, and take a dedicated train for a 2-3 day visit to Denali National Park and Anchorage. Going from Vancouver (vs. Seattle) allows for the cruise-tour option and avoids the Jones Act need to stop in Canada on the way.
I'm cruising on the Encore in two weeks as my first-ever cruise, so great timing on the video. We picked NCL because my partner and I are both 30 and we were concerned that lines like Celebrity and HAL would be more catered towards older (50+) cruisers, but we also didn't want a party-heavy cruise like Carnival, so NCL seemed like it would be a good middle ground. The video does have me slightly worried, but I also feel better prepared to handle the negative parts of the trip. So thanks for the review!
Thanks for watching. Have a great time!
Sailing in 2 weeks on the encore as well. Look for the Bills Fan. Lol. I'm always wearing my hat. 😂😂
Hi! We sailed on the Encore in February to the Carribean for our first cruise and we loved it! Have a great time and hugs from Idaho 😊
I’ve been on Encore and Bliss in Alaska. The problem is not the ship - these sister ships are beautifully designed for Alaska. The problem is NCL, and I say that as a frequent NCL solo cruiser.
I just came back from a NCL Greece cruise and had none of these issues. I was able to use the app and had no issues with reservations
What ship did you go on?
Enjoyed your very honest review! This past March we went on the Prima and had no problem with WiFi or our pre-cruise reservations. Also getting off the ship was easy, we only stood waiting for five minutes. We were in a later group so that may have been part of the reason why. The comedy and music venues were extremely small however and we never saw any of those shows, so that was disappointing. Hoping the Encore to Alaska in October will not be as crowded-currently it is only 60% booked. I just booked our specialty dining reservations for that trip. We also booked the Thermal Spa, something to really look forward to on an Alaska cruise! Thanks for your video!
Sailed NCL for the first time on the Bliss to Alaska last year, and came to the conclusion that all the things I didn't enjoy were a result of me not understanding what to expect. I'm sailing Encore to Alaska in a few weeks, and I have all my dining and entertainment booked ahead of time, I have all my excursions booked and understand the limited timeframes I have to work with, I'm logged into the app already, I know what to expect with my room location, I plan to sleep in late on disembarkation day, etc. I'm approaching the trip not with "this is going to be the most amazing vacation ever", but with "this is going to be a relaxing time and I'm not going to do anything that adds any stress to the trip". I'm looking forward to it.
Encore sailing into Glacier Bay is fantastic! I'll be on again the week of Memorial Day and can't wait.
Great way to approach it! I always take my time and not add stress. 👍
Love this philosophy, I was torn between NCL Encore and Royal Princess but we are steering more towards the Encore and know we are going along for the journey and whatever hiccups it may bring.
As a veteran cruise, rule number one is that buying excursions from the ship are overpriced. Get off and book your own tour/activity at half the price. Mendenhall tours are available for $40 a person....
Mine was even cheaper because the cruise line gave me a $50 credit at each stop as part of a promotion when I booked my cruise. I typically book independent unless I have credits.
Yes, BUT ---- NCL has done their very best to limit the choices of their passengers. In all the Alaska ports -- especially Ketchikan -- the ship is docked very far from the central areas. Just to get to the pick up location, an NCL passenger first has to use the NCL shuttle. This involves waiting in a long line, plus the travel time, plus an exorbitant fee, JUST to get into port. It's worse than trying to get on a tender.
My trip to Alaska was rain and cold every single day!! No one hour of sun. I didn’t get off the ship. I didn’t have waterproof clothes.
@@janiekcarney5482you went to Alaska without a jacket? You didn’t know you were visiting a rainforest?
@@janiekcarney5482when did you go?
I have to agree. We took Encore to Alaska two years ago, and the shuttle situation was bad in all ports. It was especially terrible at Ketchikan; this is because NCL has a dock not anywhere near downtown.
And we sailed when they were at 50% capacity. It must have been especially terrible if they're at over 100%.
We sailed the same cruise the week before you!
The elevator situation was unpleasant for the most part, the food was great, the observation lounge was fantastic (once people discovered it, it became more busy but we never had trouble finding seats) and the disembarkation was THE SAME for us--packed and slow moving.
Alaska itself was amazing, but the port distances and times weren't ideal.
Overall it was great, but we will try out another cruise line next time we visit Alaska.
Glad you had a good cruise!
Similar negative experiences for me. I did Prima as my first NCL. I have never felt so crowded on a ship. It was quite clear to me roughly 1/3 to 1/2 of the ship was either Suite guests only or premium venue. That meant the free dining and spaces were ridiculously overcrowded. I asked one of the hostesses how to get a table in one of the free dining, she said the only way is come and sit about an hour before we open. When talking with other guests I said it feels like they don't have enough seating on purpose to force you into doing specialty. The others told me the specialty dining is often just as bad or, worse if the screw up your reservation.
I really do not get it. The food was good. Sea side walk being lower to the water was great. But that's it. Everything else about the cruise was worse than any other line I've been on. It feels like the company designs are at fault.
Enjoyed you video. I've only been on the Encore once, but over the last 14 years, I've been on 37 NCL cruises, 14 to Alaska, and wanted to share some thoughts with you. 1. When coming or going from Seattle, use the valet luggage service.
2. Last year, we did the Bliss and the Spriit to Alaska. The spirit is their oldest and smallest, did one-ways between Vancouver and Seward, and is a great way to see Alaska. The Bliss is a sister ship to the Encore, and great for families with lots of onboard activities. However, you have to put up with a lot of people. That's why we prefer the Haven (originally promoted as a ship within a ship.)
3. I was impressed from our first cruise with the way the cabin steward knew everyone's name. I certainly don't expect it in the dining room. It sounds like you're accustomed to the assigned seating where you get the same seat, the same time, and the same server every day. (Yes, they will give you personal treatment in the Haven restaurant.)
4. Overall, I've been pleased with NCL entertainment. However, most people go to Alaska to see the sights, not the evening entertainment.
5. Please try NCL again, as they have a lot of ships, and everyone has it's own personalities.
6. I'll be doing the Jewel (Seward to Vancouver) in April, and the Bliss and Encore (Haven) in June. Hope to see you there!
Zach, my wife and I were on the same cruise as you, and I couldn't agree with you more. The service was not what we had in the past on NCL. We had ordered an anniversary cake and never received it, some of the food was cold, I even had a piece of plastic in my eggs benedict. The lack of entertainment I felt caused every place to be crowded with people. Employees didn't seem happy. This was my 4th cruise with NCL and will be our last with them.
That ship was my first Norwegian cruise prepandemic. I was with 17 friends so we planned everything prior to sailing. One of our dinners was cancelled but they worked with us and got us into another diningroom. We reserved one lounge every evening at 6pm so we could all meet up before dinner and what shows we had reservations for that night.
The only staff problem I saw was when I was heading to my room and a girl was being chastised by another crew member who had the poor girl in tears. Once they saw me they both put on big smiles and waited until I was out of ear shot before they continued with whatever was going on.
It's a beautiful ship and there wasn't a show we wanted to see that wasn't available and the crew was so helpful if anything did come up. I didn't use wifi on that ship but didn't hear anyone from our group that complained. We did notice they were watering down the drinks and that was the biggest complaint.
NCL cancelled my excursion and offered no help, just told me to deal with it.
Ditto.. NCL Bliss to Alaska last month. Never doing NCL again. Just.. not a good experience, at all.
NDL has been reducing service and increasing price thinking they are in invincible. People aren't dumb, everyone can see how they have changed since 2019. We shouldn't have to pay for their mistakes of shutting down and discrimination against people who didn't fall for the narrative.
Ncl is usually amazing for me and my family! Glad you enjoyed your trip! Great video!
Thanks! 👊🏻
I was on the encore in Alaska July 2023, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The entertainment was great kinky boots was also showing, and it was very good and the choir of man. I never had trouble getting n and I did not have reservations. We went to several comedy shows and never had any trouble getting in. They said there’s always plenty of room for whoever wants to come in after who has reservations and we also had a seat to sit in was very good.
We went on ncl in the Haven, to Alaska in 2019. It was one of the best vacations we ever took. We did get food and drink packages and scheduled the excursions before hand
I’ve sailed 11 times to Alaska on various lines but not yet with NCL there. However I have sailed 8 times on other itineraries with them -always on their smaller ships. Have always been extremely happy with my NCL experiences. I think your best takeaway point was about going to Alaska on a 2500 or less size ship. Size really does matter!
Loved the review as was almost on that same cruise. Instead went on NCL Sun for their 10 day Alaskan cruise and will agree with you regarding going smaller was better. The Sun carried 2200 passengers and the itinerary included longer times at each port (10-12 hour) except for Juneau (6 hour) and went to Hubbard vs Glacier bay. Older ship so no frilly extras but the views are what we planned for. Plenty of activities, including shows just on smaller scale and the crew was polite friendly and knew passenger names quickly. Going to look forward to see more reviews. Thanks!
My wife and I did a 14 day Alaska cruise back in 2010 on the Celebrity Millennium! We had the time of our lives! The ship was just the right size. We got to see Alaska the way it was meant to be seen. Visiting Alaska on a mega ship which looks like a theme park is not the way to go!
I really hope NCL is watching videos like yours and taking them to heart. I will be on this cruise on Aug. 20 and based on this, I will be doing what I call "defensive planning" for this cruise which means trying to get around the bottlenecks on disembarkation, crossing a number of things off the excursion list and basically expecting crappy impersonal service. Looking more and more like a drinking cruise with some nice scenery - which is OK. I'd rather not be disappointed and concentrate on the things I know I'll have fun doing.
We just got back from our first cruise ever and we were on the Encore in Alaska. What a difference a year makes in terms of the entertainment and shipboard service. In addition to Choir of Man, there was the Beatles Invasion, which had different versions of their show. We saw them three times. The comedians were good, too. Our servers in the specialty dining rooms were friendly and spoke with us. Managers in specialty dining checked on us, too. Gotta agree with the time in port comments / shuttles. I collect harley shirts and could not fit in the harley store in Juneau. We got the last shuttle to Ketchikan and I had to walk fast to get my shirt and make it back to the shuttle. Of course, part of it is on us as we took long excursions in each port. Overall, an amazing first cruise. During Glacier Bay, we were lucky enough to stand with a grandmother in the bow. She was on a cruise in GB thirty years ago and had awesome stories to share. We are going to sail Norwegian again.
Thank you, Zach. We appreciate your views.
Freestyle Cruising sounds great in theory. We’re both retired and had to dress up for work for 40+ years. Casual attire (golf shorts/shirts) for all meals and events is ideal for us. For us, vacation is not a fashion show.
Question, Zach: I have dairy allergy, so it’s easier for me to eat vegan to avoid consuming dairy. Do you think NCL will be good at accommodating my needs?
Thanks again, Zach.
I believe they will. They always ask about dietary restrictions before each meal.
REALLY enjoying your travels. Cruising is on my bucket lists but I’m too sick but, watching your adventures is just as good. Thanks.
I took this cruise May 21-28 on the same ship. I agree with most of your review. The food was not the same quality as our previous cruise with NCL. It was still was pretty good. The embarkation was long and horrible. We disembarked without much problem. The wait for the elevators was long. The service was not the same as previous. The entertainment was lacking. Choir of man was great though. I definitely will go back and probably stick with NCL but I won’t take one on any of the larger mega ships again. Way too many people. Alaska was truly beautiful and we loved it. One thing I did notice was no one was washing their hands! I ended up with the flu and was sick for two days that I didn’t feel like doing much at all. But overall the experience was good.
My cruise on the smaller Jewel seems to have been a better choice. No lines for the shuttle to Ketchikan, quick disembarking and no reservations needed for shows. I had terrific service everywhere on the ship except in the Bliss lounge where I was completely ignored by the wait staff on 2 nights during karaoke. Everyone else was terrific.
I am so thankful for your honesty when you cruise on these ships. Thank you so much. Amen
Thank you! 😊
Agreed. So many of the other cruise review channels are so disingenuous. One even flat out says he refuses to mention anything negative!
@@Patrick_Ross You are so right. That is why I only listen to the one that I feel is truthful. Have an awesome week. Amen
Sailed last month to Alaska on Norwegian Sun, one of their smallest ships. It was great. With less than 2,000 guests, was always able to get seats for dining and entertainment with no reservations needed. (By the way, you didn’t miss anything in Ketchikan. The downtown is basically a tourist trap.)
I have been on 13 cruises all with NCL..I love the smaller ships. I just left the Pearl going to Bermuda and Bar Harbor Maine. I enjoyed it so much I booked it again next year on NCL Gem.. You have more of an intimate setting with with fewer people. The last 3 NCL cruises I was on I walked off the ship first thing and I was out the door in thirty minutes.
Thanks for sharing!
We had a real problem getting off the ship in Victoria. People disembarking were herded into the atrium where we were kept shoulder to shoulder for 1/2 hour. I loved all the staff we came in contact with, boat was great, food was great & port valet. We never disembarked at stated time & usually then waited for excursion.
I sailed to Alaska in April on Norwegian Bliss and had a great time. Itinerary was pretty much the same as your cruise. The crew were amazingly friendly and helpful. Food was good without being great. Very much agree about sailing to Alaska on a smaller ship as the wait times for buses was a real PAIN! and the only major negative, a smaller one is the ship was very crowded in all common areas and I am glad I had a balcony cabin. Cheers
Thanks for sharing!
Fantastic cruise review. Thank you so much. Yours is the first one I’ve seen that said the ship does a 360 turn at the glacier. I’m doing my first Alaskan cruise soon and on the Jewel. I sprung for a balcony and was worried I wouldn’t be on the right side of the ship to see it.
Sailed on the Encore last October to Alaska. I didn't run into many of the problems except the touch screens on embarkation day didn't work so I worried I wouldn't get reservations. However, I never had an issue seeing what we wanted to see. Food was good, room was fantastic, loved the ship, and never had an issue finding a seat in the Observation Lounge. Worst part was how long it took to get off the boat at the end.
I went this ship to Alaska last year, and it was a much different experience. First big change was the entertainment. We had Kinky Boots as the main stage show two nights, and it was touring cast quality. Choir of Man was also on two other nights, and the Beatles cover band played the main theater several times in addition to their cavern club shows. I went to almost all of these and really enjoyed them. If musicals aren't your thing, the comedy club was also full most nights. It's a shame they essentially cut the theater shows in half.
We were also at a reduced capacity, about 2700 people, so embarkation and debarkation were both pretty short amd easy. Even still, specialty dining times and the Cavern Club filled up quickly, so I can only imagine how bad it would be with 4500.
I had the same issue with short times in Ketchikan and Juneau, where we didn't have enough time to see the town after excursions, and I hope they extend the time in the future. This is probably the main reason I wouldn't do the Encore again; I really want more time on land. The shuttle busses in Juneau weren't nearly as bad, and my excursion started right after we docked, so I didn't need to deal with that initial crowd.
I agree that the food was excellent and am happy it still is. Best cruise buffet I've personally experienced, and I enjoyed every meal in both the included and specialty restaurants. If you ever go to Le Bistro, get the sole.
Finally with service, it was hot or miss the whole cruise, but the hits were big and the misses were small. I had an amazing cabin attendant, and aside from one time in the main dining room the wait staff were also great. Overall I would do the ship again during winter in the Caribbean, but not for Alaska. I would go with a much smaller ship and better port times. I do think everyone should see Glacier Bay at least once, because it is a much better experience than your standard glacier viewing day.
Laughed when you showed all the (saved) chairs and benches. Had same issue on our cruise. We just moved the chairs back from windows to film the mountains. The so called owners never showed up till later and oh well we just step aside so they could see but still had good shot of scenery
Finished our 7 night Alaska cruise a few days ago, the last one this year for the Encore. The crew was awesome, the buffet was surprisingly one of the best ever had, the specialty dining experience was 10/10, fellow passengers very respectful/professional, scenery was amazing, and of course the all you can drink cocktails/beer was the star of the show because I'm an alcohol lover of course.
This was our families first cruise and we all had such a great time, now are looking into our next cruise already.
The video footage of of that family that turned part of the observation lounge into their personal living-room was shocking. They had games, chargers, drinks, blankets, and towels messing the entire area up. They managed to turn that area of a Billion dollar ship into trash. A simple rule would be not to let passengers place or leave person items in these areas. We stopped going on RC due to the chair hogs on the pool deck and solarium. All personal items and towels should be removed after 30 minutes and stored in a lost and found. The rules should be made clear with signage. We live in Florida and cruises twice a year with Celebrity which seemed to solve the chair hogs problem. The thermal spa has a 30 minute limit if it is busy. Also, I have seen crew members on Celebrity removing towels from the pool deck several times during our last cruise. Not sure if they are timing how long the towels have been left or another method. Glad you had a good time with the number of problems and would use the line again.The food looked great which is number one for use.Thanks for posting a showing the footage of this problem. Hopefully it gets back to the cruise line.
I agree, these chair hog issues actually turn me off cruises. Would much prefer to go to a good hotel somewhere with pool service than not being able to sit at the pool or in a major lounge because all the chairs are taken by chair hogs' towels.
Glad to report that RC, at least on our cruise to Canada six weeks ago, had cracked down on the chair hogs. None of that was tolerated and signs were everywhere.
If I see that bs I'm dumping people's personal belongings on the ground.
On the encore right now but in the haven, unbeatable in every aspect and the best cruise I’ve been on to date. Crew is super friendly and everyone has made an effort to know your name (and drink!). Definitely the way to go if you can afford it
I would highly recommend doing a one way north or south bound cruise. I think some lines still offer them. Your port times were super short. Other cruise lines also have better docking locations than you appeared to. Also I found that entertainment is different on the Alaskan cruises bc they tend to skew older. The ship I did a few years back things closed earlier and they only did one show a night as opposed to 2.
NCL would probably be better as a Caribbean cruise than Alaska.
Love the 5 STEPS model. Nice way to organize your thoughts. Great examples to support your review. For a ship this large, it seems like managing the flow of passengers should be #1 - reservations, waiting times, disembarkation, internet, shore excursions, etc. I will be on this ship in October. I very much appreciate your review.
I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise. My last couple of NCL cruises were very disappointing -to the point where I don't plan to sail them anymore. Poor food and extremely bad service just kill a vacation.
We had a similar experience. We started with NCL and kept going on them to build points. The last one with them was not good so we have since ventured out and tried other lines such as Royal, MSC and Princess in a couple weeks to Alaska. The service on NCL isn’t that great and the nickel and diming gets old. Also, NCL’s internet is awful. Believe it or not MSC internet was amazing. Disembarkation on NCL takes forever as well. Not sure why this is. We walked right on and off when we took Royal and it was amazing
@@brantthompson199 Royal and Celebrity are just better all the way around. Nothing is perfect, but they come dang close to it. I only sail with Royal and Celebrity and I've never had a bad cruise.
My wife and I did a 14 day pre-covid cruise on NCL's Bliss. It was over crowded; lines everywhere with lots of pushing. The food was just so-so for the most part with the exception of the pan Asia and Jimmy Buffet's. After that experience we probably won't be cruising on any mega ships. We have been on other smaller NCL ships like the Dawn and loved them.
I think on NCL when you press that snowflake it puts it on power saver so it shuts off when it reaches the temperature! Found out not to press that snowflake
Last summer we went on the Norwegian Sun to Alaska. The Sun is a much smaller and older ship than the Encore is. We had an absolutely wonderful time on the cruise and had no problems on the ship. Sometimes the bigger the ship doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to have a better time. I found on the 43 cruises that I’ve been on that the crew is much friendlier on the smaller ships . I’m so glad that I watched your video now I know to book my next trip to Alaska on a smaller ship again. Ed
Recently returned from Alaska on the Celebrity Solstice (we watched your ship review prior to going). I can't comment on NCL but I can point out a couple of differences. 1) It was rainy and cold most of the trip but it never felt crowded (we were at capacity). Able to get chairs most of the time. 2) We were able to dock right by Ketchikan. From the ship to Creek Street was an easy walk. 3) We saw Dawes Glacier rather than Glacier Bay. Sailing up a fjord with chunks of ice floating by was beautiful. We are planning Glacier Bay some time. 4) Based on what you said I think we stayed a lot longer in the ports.
We found that Celebrity Edge will be sailing Alaska next season. Also very tempted by some of the HAL itineraries. I'm glad you had fun in Alaska. Also thank you very much for your review of the Solstice. It was super helpful.
I sailed on Solstice 26 May- 2 Jun. I had a great time.
@@melanieparker-campbell9345 I enjoyed the Solstice in Alaska as well. Great ships with fantastic views. Never had any problems on the ship at all.
See the Choir of Men show as many times as possible Monday and Friday.
I have an Alaska trip booked for next year on the Norwegian Jewel, a much smaller ship with way less people. It's a 9 day cruise with added stops in Sitka and Icy Straight Point. I'm really looking forward to it and got a great deal on it, under $1k for an inside. Definitely going to try and upgrade to a balcony though when those open up
We went on this cruise in May and it was nothing like your video. We had a fantastic time.
Glad you enjoyed it!
thanks!! we are going in May too, and I was worried.
We just did the same cruise this past week! Your review is so on point! The food was great! The observation lounge was Heaven except for the really rude seat hoarders. One day we watched a family allowing their children to jump from sofa to sofa and scream at the top of their lungs!!!😮
Our disembarkation day was a nightmare. It took us over 90 minutes to get off the ship.
My biggest complaint was the amount of time in Ketchikan and Victoria. By the time you get off the ship and into the town it’s time to catch the shuttle back! The line for the shuttles took over 40 minutes! Lines and lines and more lines. However, the crew was amazing and my grandson was so happy in the Splash Academy. Alaska was beautiful and I would definitely go again. We all agree that we would take a smaller ship. Too many people which translates to more lines.
Toke us 2 hours to get off in LA
We did 7 days round trip from Seattle from May 27- June 3 on Royal Princess! We had the best time. The ship is Gorgeous . The foods was good. We booked mini suite with balcony. The stateroom was spacious. The service was exceptional. I’ll go with Princess again. I couldn’t get over on how gorgeous the ship is!
I will be on my first NCL and Alaska cruise in Oct. 2023 in a solo cabin. I can hardly wait.
We took our very first cruise this last May to Alaska on the Royal Princess. We got the best week for weather ever, and maybe because it was May, it didn't feel super crowded on that pretty big ship. I thought it was pretty amazing. We had a slow disembarkation experience in Juneau, but after that it was quite speedy. Back in Seattle were out of our room and back in our car in less than 30 minutes (which was a little too efficient.) We didn't buy any excursions, except the tram in Juneau, through the cruise line, didn't do any other tours or excursions either. Rented a motorcycle in Skagway, which was awesome because despite 4 cruise ships in that port, there was almost no one on the road. Just walked in Ketchikan and Victoria, felt like we saw plenty. Saw a NCL ship periodically, definitely huge. Ultimately feel glad we did it the way we did.
Just sailed on Bliss to Alaska for my first ever cruise. Your experience with the ship itself and service was DRASTICALLY different from mine. Service was exceptional everywhere except for the Atrium bar and the American Diner. The observation lounge and garden cafe were always busy, but we had a group of 4 and maybe had to make a couple laps to find desired seating but it wasn't much of an issue for us. The bar staff at the observation lounge were absolute rock stars and gave the best, most personal, and fun service I've ever witnessed from a setting like that (comparing it to pool bars at resorts and such). Sucks that your overall experience isn't what you wanted but we wanted pure leisure and relaxation so everything being so laid back was terrific.
I sailed the Encore over the 2nd week of May. This was my second Norwegian cruise. I did this one because of it's itinerary. This was my first cruise to Alaska. The food was good not excellent, but there was nowhere to grab a quick snack. There were too many people for QUICK snacks. We had an aft room and so glad we did. We did not have to fight crowds for a spot to view the glaciers. Some bar tenders were very rude and not allowing us to take more than 2 drinks back to our room(where we were enjoying the view without the crowds). This ship/crew was not equipped to handle the amount of people they had. I've been on multiple cruise lines and this one was my least favorite. I would definitely go back to Alaska but not through Norwegian lines.
I'll be on this cruise next month. Staying in a studio cabin as well. Mentally prepared for the crowds, and I got a pass for the thermal spa hoping it will be a less crowded place to watch the scenery. Thanks for the info and the honesty!
We took the same cruise and ship but we stayed in the aft facing penthouse that’s included in the Haven. We’ve taken many cruises but this was by far our favorite. The Haven observation room was amazing. We spent a lot of time there.
We never had any internet problems other than it was slow. Also staying in a Haven room, we could get seats at any show we wanted.
We've often said there's too many people on the new mega shipe -- unless you have a Haven room. Then it'd be a great cruise even if they just went out and did figure 8"s all day.
Thanks for the video - perceptive and honest. I was on the Norwegian Bliss 6 months ago and had many of the same impressions as you did. As usual I am amazed at the different things we all notice because they are important to us. Your summary of entertainment was quite different from the things I would have looked at. The theatre and similar "sit down and watch" entertainment on cruise ships is low on my priority list. That includes go-karts - I'd rather spend hours in a golf cage smacking a wiffle ball.
I like stuff I can participate in, like bars and lounges with music and dance floors, lessons, activities, even dumb touristy ones. OK, maybe even especially the dumb touristy activities.
But your comments on the stuff that interests you were so well done that now I'm going to have to go through your other videos to see if you cover my kind of stuff somewhere else.
Thanks again.
I cruised June 2023 with celebrity was fantastic. As we were approaching Juneau and Ketchikan we noticed now far away NCL was docked. And after watching this video. So happy we didn’t cruise NCL. We cruised out of Vancouver on the eclipse.I recommend.
I love Norwegian and have never had any bad experiences on any of my cruises. The Bliss is my favorite, but all the ships are great. I stayed in studio rooms, regular interiors, and balconies. I found the crew to be wonderful, the food overall good, and the entertainment to be the best. I have cruised from NYC and Barcelona and found both embarkation and disembarkation to be manageable. Sad to see your experience was so bad. I think all the cruise lines are pushing through cut backs just as the ships are becoming much more crowded.
Regina, I completely agree with you. I love NCL! I'm Sapphire. When I went on a Mediterranean cruise and boarded in Barcelona, my friend who went with me and I thought it was the best embarkation we'd ever had on any ship. Everyone was on the ship within 30 minutes. So, yes. cutbacks and everything I'm sure are affecting things. I haven't been on the Bliss, but if you haven't been on the Epic, you should try that one. It's my favorite NCL ship and I've been on it twice. They're repositioning it from Europe in December to Port Canaveral and the pricing is greatly reduced while they're trying to fill the ship. Anyone can get an even better deal on the 16-day repositioning Cruise for it... getting on in Rome and ending in Port Canaveral, with some fantastic ports. I'm already booked for Christmas week, which was so much fun on that ship. Cheers!😎⛴️🍹
Good balanced review. Every Cruise Line is now packed since COVID. People are spending like drunken sailors cramming in vacations- in particular cruises- most ships are over 100% occupied! I came back from a Holland America tour to Alaska last month and agree with your observations- smaller ships are probably best for Alaska- our ship was half the size so the crowds were not bad when we pulled into a port. These are small towns. Also, the smaller ships sometimes can pull direct into the ports with no shuttle required. In Juneau the downtown area was a few hundred feet away from our ship. On the few cruises I have been on, this was the first time when I regarded the a balcony as necessary. A balcony ensured no issues with crowded decks and chair hogs- our highlight was sitting on our balcony drinking champagne for most of the day while the ship was in Glacier Bay. Agree that Alaska was more beautiful than I expected- but that is a crap shoot if it is raining. We had 7 days without a cloud in the sky so Glacier bay was stunning. With the packed vessels we found you have to sign up as soon as possible (several weeks in advance) for specialty restaurants- otherwise you will be eating at 8pm or 4pm if at all. The Holland ship was very pleasant but old- definitely NOT as modern as the Encore. Wifi seemed to work OK. Holland eliminated Lincoln Center so that was a negative if you want live Classical music. Not many stage shows on Holland either- but every night they had several live music venues so you could always go to a live show. Other than the specialty restaurants, we had no problems with lines or getting in to see what we wanted to see- but the full ship did sometimes seem to overwhelm the crews in the buffet and main restaurants. Being a small ship we had nothing equivalent to bumper cars or large water slides. I would think families with young children might be bored on Holland. I enjoyed the library :)
We took the Alaska trip on the Encore in 2023 with a group of 16 and had a wonderful time. Service was great we were able to see shows. Only challenges were in getting into seeing Beatles invasion in the comedy club. Only other negative would be not having enough time before or after a couple of events to explore the towns
We really liked Holland America to Alaska twice (one incl. Glacier Bay, both had good/close berths in the towns incl. Ketchikan & both had better times to be in town or at glaciers. We saw Celebrity leaving Hubbard Glacier as we were entering at noon-ish.)
Freestyle dining is a concept that Norwegian started when everyone else was pretty rigid about time, location and table sharing. It means that you can have dinner when it is convenient for you. It does not mean redneck dress code.
Yes NCL is like everything you describe, I love the Food, Waterfront Area, and Observation area, thermal Suite Area, (sauna, steam room etc.). Worst making reservations for everything, and getting off the ship, You would think they would have this perfected by now. Also, Personal Customer Service is usually lacking. I am booked on NCL BLiss, (miami to LA, I got a great deal, I have a
balcony for once, I was always in the Studio Lounge.
I love norwegian. However, I felt the exact same way you did when I was on the Bliss this year to Alaska. I want to go back on the smaller ships that made me fall in love with the line.
I have cruised to Alaska 5 times and all of them were on the NCL Pearl. That is a perfect ship for Alaska. We docked right downtown at Ketchican and walked to the Lumberjack Show, which I recommend highly, I also did the Ducks, which toured Ketchican and then went into the water and toured the port.
I went on the Pearl to Alaska once too. I loved it! The Lumberjack Show was great and I did three excursions with whales... Orcas and Humpbacks. Mendenhall Glacier is a must too. The Gold Rush Museum in Skagway was incredible with the real film footage that they had from the gold rush days. So much fun!!!
I have been on the Encore twice, May 2022 and 2024. I love that ship and personally never had a bad experience. I had things on the menu i didn't like and things i loved.
You are correct about the technology though
Just did an Ireland cruise on the NCL Star, I think its about 2200 or 2500 at full capacity, definitely a different situation when getting off for the ports and overall capacity. I would definitely recommend a smaller cruise ship for port heavy itineraries. The service was amazing as well. My second NCL cruise and I absolutely love their staff!
I definitely want to try a smaller ship! Thanks for sharing.
We were on Epic a few years ago. We were unable to get our dinner on time and missed a few shows. We felt we didn't enjoy the boat because of its size. It takes forever to get from point A and point B. Since then we've been cruising on smaller and medium size boats.
Interesting review. We went on the Encore summer 2022 same itinerary as yours and Loved the ship and all of the food as well as Glacier Bay. We knew the ship was large and did that intentionally…did not want a small ship tossed around potentially rough Alaskan waters but if that is not a concern, I agree about the smaller ship. So sorry your service was poor on this cruise. We had excellent crew and service in 2022. However, we just got back from Alaska on Princess Ruby two weeks ago (June 2023)and we experienced what you describe for poor service. Some folks stood out, but not a single waiter, bar staff, or even our Cabin steward. Pretty surprised since we chose Princess based on so many cruisers gushing about their top service. 😂 nevertheless, we are going on another NCL cruise in November to Mexico- trying The Haven which we are excited to do! Still love cruising and will try Princess again. Thanks for your thorough review.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Great review and as usual I pretty much fully agree with you. When you’re used to sailing on Celebrity & Virgin Voyages you get spoiled! They offer such a different and superior product. But sometimes NCL offers a really attractive price point, and I’d say their program for solo cruisers is the best of any line. Also, NCL breakfasts & lunches in the MDR are usually excellent, but MDR dinners leave a lot to be desired.
Thank you so much for your honest input. I hope to make an Alaskan cruise one day and your video helped out so much. Keep up the great work!
Hello Zach, glad you enjoyed Alaska, it is on my bucket list for cruising. I have sailed with NCL many times and honestly I haven't been disappointed with any of them. I just did a cruise on the Joy. If you decide to do another NCL cruise, this ship is smaller and they have to 2 shows in the theater, also the entertainment was really good. Better luck on your next one.
I hope to try a smaller NCL ship soon! I hope you get to Alaska.
We love NCL!! We did RCCL in December and omg did it crash hard. We are not platinum and will be sapphire soon with NCL and they seem to give way more than other cruise lines. We use cruise next all the time as well. I would say it's a half step below RCCL but after the last cruise with them I have no intention of going back on Royal anytime soon. They took a massive nose dive since 2020!!
I've been on 4 NCL cruises in the last couple years, inc the Encore. Never waited more than 15min to disembark. And never had any of those issues with the app/internet. Nor had anything other than great service.
Glad that’s been your experience. Thanks for watching!
@@ZachtheTravelingMan The disembarkation process is heavily dependent on the port and customs staff/process. I have been on 8 NCL cruises and only once did we experience a delay getting off the ship as you saw. I won't say it never happens as it clearly does, but it is rare, and from what I saw not really NCLs fault.
Your rating is very generous. After hearing what you went through, and how you were treated, they deserved a much lower rating.
Thank you for your honest review. We are sailing on the Encore to Alaska later this summer. Was Skagway a tendered port for the Encore? We sailed on the Royal Princess in May, and Skagway was a tendered port for that ship/cruise.
No we were docked in Skagway.
Thanks for the great review. Having embarked on numerous sea journeys over the years, I can confidently declare that my voyage on the NCL Pearl in 2019 to Alaska stands out as one of the most memorable. One of the main differentiators is the passenger capacity of the ship. Hosting around 2000 guests, the NCL Pearl strikes the perfect balance between being bustling with activity while retaining an intimate ambiance. The larger cruise liners, especially those accommodating 4000 or more passengers, often end up feeling too crowded. Hustling through corridors, waiting in extensive lines, and navigating through a sea of faces to find a cozy spot on the deck, can diminish the essence of what a cruise should ideally represent: relaxation, indulgence, and a feeling of exclusivity.
Sorry to hear about NCL. I wanted to do Alaska again and wanted check them out for my 2nd ever cruise. I did my first cruise with Carnival, everything went smoothly. It was a smaller ship, though. However, the food was okay. The desserts were great! The stateroom staff & dining room staff called us by first name.
Enjoyed the video. Glad you had a great trip. I’ve had the same experience on my last NCL cruise in 2016, staff was just not with it, except for a few. Have been thinking about trying them again.
Thanks for sharing!
In Ketchikan the only excursion you should do is the lumberjack show which is in the middle of town. Then you can see town, and no time to do anything else. Seeing Creek Street is a must.
THere was a huge rock slide at the port in Ketchikan. It was repaired once and happened again....thus, the new port away from the town.
I traveled on the sister ship, NCL Bliss. The 1st day reservation line up is a cluster ***. In fact embarkation, disembarkation and some port stops were a hot mess. That said, my solos facilitator acted like a concierge and had spots for every show and could get us into just about anything that required a reservation. My cruise was more southerly, so the crowds used the pool deck. I spent a good portion of my free time on in the thermal spa. It was glorious.
I just did a cruise to Alaska out of Vancouver with Celebrity Eclipse. It was wonderful. No need to book entertainment. Food wonderful. Great itinerary. Service was so wonderful. Ketchikan we docked right beside the town. Think next time you need to book on a smaller ship.
Thanks for reminding me why I'll never go on another cruise. Been to Alaska. Excursions are a RIP except for the train ride in skagway. People management is an issue. Pool chairs are hogged the whole day by entire clans, children running unsupervised, being constantly stalked and hounded by a guy wanting us to buy jewelry. Waiting for a spa appointment because some teens had questions, cold massage room and all she wanted to do was sell me products, tried to enter a bar in Juneau and town drunks were making a scene in the doorway. I can pay for a lot of spa appointments and restaurants for the almost 5k we spent.
Yes, and be prepared to have your cruise amended, each month we received emails notifying of port time changes, always reducing time on shore. All were after final payment, no surprise there. About to take this cruise in Sept 2024. I am new to cruising, this being only my second, the first being with Celebrity Edge earlier this year from Sydney to Tasmania return and the same happened with them, heaps of amendments and actually reduced port time by a full day with notification received 3 days after final payment three months out from sailing. lost 4hrs of shore time in Ketchikan. So since we had already booked this upcoming Alaska cruise with Norwegian Encore (prior to our first cruise) we would not have booked another cruise. I feel they rip you off as soon as you make final payment with changes and reduced itinerary. So not expecting any greatness. Lets just wait and see. thanks for your honest review, about what I am expecting being such a huge ship.
What an amazing video and review you were made to do this
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks. Watching your Alaska videos in preparation for my upcoming trip. Watched and responded earlier today to yours on the ports. I am travelling solo b2b on Princess roundtrip from Vancouver to Anchorage and back. Hit each port twice. This will be my second cruise. First was to New England and Canada last month, also solo. Watching this is affirming my choice to do 14 days b2b interior cabin and to stay with Princess. I will book the railway but probably do other stuff on my own. If I'm out walking someplace beautiful, I'm happy. Looking forward to one if not two trips to the M glacier in Juneau, and one if not two trips to the rain forrest in K.
The theater is huge. Most of the standby people get in. I just came off a Bermuda cruise had so much fun.
I would be interested in your review of a cruise to Alaska on Holland America. We did our only cruise on Holland to AK several years ago. It was a land/sea cruise and loved it. We were actually on the ship for 4 days only--the other 9 days were land tours. Thanks for the info regarding NCL.
Dang! I booked NCL Encore for Alaska two weeks ago for an Aug sailing. Wished I would have waited to book my Alaskan cruise after more research...oh well, hopefully its still a great time. Thanks for your review, its really helpful!
We are booked for a July sailing. Our first cruise. I guess we’ll see. Hopefully NCL gets reviews and tries to implement improvements…before our cruise. Or maybe I’m a dreamer.
You’ll still have a great time! As I said, I had a great experience overall. Just wanted to share my thoughts on some of the bad things to look out for.
@@ZachtheTravelingMan I really appreciate your thorough review! My hubby and I discovered your videos individually, and when on a walk (to build our endurance for all of the walking and hopefully good hiking), I started talking about your videos and that’s when we realized it. Lots of great tips! I will probably watch again closer to our sailing! Oh, and I booked the Choir of Men as soon as I could! Next up, deciding on our special dining.
Omggg we have a trip booked for this cruise for this October! My husband sent me your video and at about 10 mins in I started to have regrets. Now I’m reading some of the comments and we are definitely canceling this cruise!!!! I still want to go to Alaska, but will choose a better time of year/ cruise line! Thank you for your honest review and to all the comments for good tips!
Can you suggest a good time of year and a better cruise line?