@@wbrown2481 Really happy you had a great experience! It was too crowded for us but I know on a different sailing we may have a totally different experience!
@@TWSmith42 Our favorite suite experience is the Yacht Club on the newer MSC ships, but our favorite full cruise ship experience is Celebrity. Great food, great shows, the ships never feel too full, and there aren't many kids. We head out on the Celebrity Apex in a few weeks and are super excited!
July 2024, which is peak Alaska season. Based on what others have said, it seems like shoulder season isn't as crowded (May and late September/early October) so that seems like a better option for the Encore. Others I've talked to who cruised June-August have had a similar experience it seems. Thank you for the feedback!
Cruising the Caribbean on Encore this year (2024)! This is our second NCL cruise and we are super excited! You dropped the link to your review in our cruise group so I decided to give it a view. Thanks for sharing your views concerning your sailing!
@@nrs525 I think you'll have a much better experience being in the Caribbean since the full ship will be useable, making it less crowded. Enjoy your cruise and thank you for watching!
We’re booked for Jul 20-27, 2025 out of Seattle, and I’ve been doing research. Now I’m starting to get concerned we may not have as great an experience as we’re hoping for. 😢 Taking our 6 (by that time 7) year old along and the crowds are a concern now that you’ve mentioned it.
@@ileanacardona2248 You're likely to face some pretty big crowds as that's the same week we sailed, but go into it with the right mindset and you'll still have a great time!
Thank you for the honest review. We were booked on the Encore for Alaska but we changed our itinerary and ship based on so many similar reviews, specifically the short port days and the location of where NCL docks in the Alaska ports which seem further away from town.
@@sharonh2172 I know some people have had better experiences on the ship than us, but the ports are what they are. I think you'll have a better experience without having such short port calls so far from Juneau and Ketchikan... Good call!
I used to be smitten with NCL back in 2019. After covid, I have been on 4 cruises, the Escape, Joy, Gem and this summer the Breakaway. None of those have compared to what it was in the past. The lack of food after 9:30pm; the 1 turn down; long lines for everything and the cleanliness going downhill has put a damper on my experiences.
@@tayanyc2 I know NCL is facing difficult times financially, but hopefully they don't strip away their entire identity trying to pinch pennies. Have you found a new favorite cruise line?
The algorithm is kind of scary; my parents just booked a Caribbean cruise on the Encore for their anniversary, and this video showed up on my recommended list. Then again, I watch a lot of cruise content anyway. Thank you for the honest insights into cruising Alaska on NCL. I'm subscribing to see future content, and will go into your backlog as I'm able. It's a little sad that your overall negative experience has become the case - my first ever cruise was on the Norwegian Sky for an Alaskan cruise. I liked it as a teenager, and NCL clearly made a positive impression on my parents, as they're still sailing on NCL over two decades later. Hopefully, my parents' anniversary cruise goes better. I'm sure they'll appreciate the expansion of the adult-oriented areas, and, as you said, the on-deck space availability will probably go a long way for their enjoyment. As a side note, NCL isn't usually categorized with lines like Carnival or Royal Caribbean. They're usually classified in the Premium category, so they're trying to compete with the likes of Celebrity as far as cost per person per night. I still would agree with you regarding the value proposition being well below average (you can get a 7-night balcony for a family of 4 on a Disney cruise for the same $9K price if you're savvy about keeping an eye out for deals, by comparison), but I would actually grade it lower based on what that price gets you on the Premium line competition.
@@TheNickVillarreal The TH-cam algorithm is all knowing! 😄 The Encore was a disappointing experience for sure but with your parents sailing on it in the Caribbean, I think that will make a big (positive) difference. Cruises in general are simply more crowded these days unfortunately. We just completed side-by-side sailings on the Utopia of the Seas and the Disney Wish, and despite the Utopia having 60% more passengers onboard, the ship felt much less crowded than the Disney Wish did (though there were moments you definitely felt the crowds on the Utopia as well)... But that tells me a lot of is about ship design and how they're setup to distribute people across the ship, which is where I think the Encore falls short when people can't make use of the outdoor spaces. Celebrity seems to do the best of any of the cruise lines as far as things never feeling too crowded. I've never seen Norwegian referred to as a premium line before and I don't think I'd agree with that, but I can understand the point you're making. The image linked below does a good job of breaking the cruise lines into various categories: 2012cruises.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/cruise-line-categories.jpg Honestly, I think I'd probably add an additional category between Contemporary and Premium called Contemporary Plus, and I'd put Norwegian and Royal in that category, with Carnival and MSC being in the category a step down (though we've yet to find a better suite experience than MSC's Yacht Club, but the rest of the ship definitely falls into that lower category). It sounds like you're a pretty savvy cruiser and analytical person... Hopefully the TH-cam algorithm finds more like you as I enjoy conversations with people like you that can be detailed without it falling into the category of name calling, etc. Happy sails whenever you cruise next and thank you for watching!
Just got off the Encore yesterday after 21 days cruise I think spot on on They need to work on there entertainment big time The choir of men was fantastic
@ 3800 I am I think only 15 kids being a 21 day cruise it really was a senior cruise And a lot of them are NOT enjoying life . at least two times a day was alpha, alpha, alpha
Another educational video watched while working ;) Have you considered adding chapter marks on the YT side of things? I only mention it because on rare occasions, I do like to skip ahead if a section isn't relevant to me (like in tutorial videos for other things). Not a big deal, but I at least wanted to mention it ;) I'm looking forward to the next one!
I used to always do chapters but then I read that doing them can hurt things with the TH-cam algorithm since people end up skipping around to the parts they want and watch less as a result. I'll try to find a sweet spot on that which helps viewers but also doesn't hurt the algorithm (all hail the TH-cam algorithm 😜). I know our vlogs are probably more interesting for you so I appreciate you even watching some of this stuff with a more specific audience... You are one of the good ones man!
@@FamilyAtSea No problem at all, don't change too much because of one person (me) 😅 But I think you know by now that I'll always try to comment something on any video of yours that pops up ^_^
thank you so much for telling us about the restaurants that are going away during dry dock - it's a bummer because I was looking forward to Los Lobos, even planned what I was going to eat there! We are going next year in the shoulder season.
@@TheOriginalMarimoChan That was one of our favorite restaurants so it's a bummer it is being removed, but hopefully increasing the size of Cagney's Steakhouse will allow them to improve the service. As I told somebody else - although it wasn't our favorite cruise experience, we still enjoyed ourselves and I'm sure you will as well!
Agree with so much of this. Just got back a month ago from Alaska. The food was mediocre at best, so disappointing. Kids were bored. The itineraries could have been so much better. I would recommend another line for Alaska.
@@mcc7292 The dock locations and short port calls at several locations were definitely disappointing, you're right. We made the most of it but it was not ideal. Happy sails whenever you cruise next!
Uh oh. I'm a little worried. May 11th 2025 on Encore. Seattle /Alaska ( but you already knew that, lol) I wonder if i should cancel our sailing and dive a bit deeper into other options? I got so excited about going that i kinda just jumped in on the first one that looked good. Then again , there's going to be pros and cons to each option. Now that i say it outloud, I'm sticking with the plan. Thank you for this video. Its almost like it was made specifically for me and hubby. 😂 Hope y'all are doing great! 😊 Edit: oh no. Our room is on deck 8. Now worried we're going to hear the casino's bells and whistles while trying to rest.
@@jolo3118 I'm sure you'll be fine! Some cruises are better than others, but we've never been on a cruise we didn't enjoy! Especially if this is your first cruise, you won't have anything to compare it to. I would just mentally prepare yourself that there are going to be crowds so you know what to expect, but I'd recommend the same for any cruise. Also - you're going in May which is shoulder season, which means most kids will still be in school so the ship will be a lot less crowded than it was for us in July during peak season!
As a personal friend of the performers of The Beatles Invasion and a massive Beatles Fan, I see you went to the Through The Years Show in the Theatre, which is the show I always suggest to folks who are in for a good hour long show, taking you through their career with songs that pretty much everyone knows. However, folks like me love to see and hear from the different eras that they do. So… you did it right. But they are absolutely great musicians and love what they do!
@@UnderwaterCanuck They were truly talented. It wasn't my personal favorite era of the Beatles (personally I love Eleanor Rigby and Revolver was my favorite album), but they did a very good tribute of the earlier era (and I'm sure the later as well). We don't love the Beatles enough to want to see them multiple nights but that's not at all a fault of the band... They truly were talented. I also recognize as Millennial parents, we're not really the target audience. Choir of Man was much more music for our generation and we loved it.
@@FamilyAtSea oh I agree! Beatles are not every one’s cuppa tea. They do the opening show of ‘Shea Stadium’ to do a more mid Beatles era. And since Revolver is ‘66, some songs like Taxman are done in their Sgt Pepper show. They actually do Early Years, Shea Stadium, Sgt Pepper and Later Years, as well at their Through the Years which consists of Ed Sullivan, Sgt Pepper and Later Years all in one show with costume changes. That tends to be the one people resonate with as they have the more ‘popular songs’ Each set they do has all different songs. They only repeat one (technically two) songs throughout the week. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and With A Little Help From My Friends. Gives everyone a chance to see what era may interest them, or in my case all of them 😂
@@UnderwaterCanuck That's a show I would love to see...I know they have to perform pretty much daily on the ship so it makes sense to break things up into eras by night, but I would have loved to have seen them perform a larger variety. If they're playing in Shea Stadium they are much bigger than I even realized...I knew they were good, but didn't realize they had such a big following. Good for them. It always makes me happy to see people chase their dreams (and succeed).
@@FamilyAtSea I believe they are contracted to do 7 or 8 shows for 7/night cruises. They get 2 days off. But yes, different shows to break it all up. I’m sure it would get quite boring playing the same show that many nights so you’re exactly right in the reasoning for the different eras 😉
We were on the Encore in Dec. 2022 for a Carribean cruise. I agree with the ratings completely. It’s our least favorite of the NCL ships. We cruise HAL for Alaska. Highly recommend!
@@cindifosler1913 We are headed back to Alaska next summer on the HAL Koningsdam so it's great to hear you say that! We are also booked on the NCL Aqua in the spring so I'm hopeful that will be a better impression of what things are like with NCL than the Encore was. I appreciate the feedback and for you taking the time to watch... Thank you!
@@FamilyAtSeaI’m not sure how well kids will like HAL, but the 2 ships we have been on have domes that close over the pool and the pool areas were not crowded. The port times are better, they don’t dock way out of town in Ketchikan like NCL does either. The food is much better than NCL. We do have more NCL trips coming up. Both are on the Getaway (Western Caribbean and Bermuda). We haven’t been on that ship. We also haven’t been on the Prima Class ships yet. Will look forward to your thoughts on the Aqua! Happy Cruising! 🎉
@@cindifosler1913 We chose HAL for all the reasons you listed. I know they're not typically a go to option for family-friendly cruises but we're fortunate that ours are easy to please and I've read good things about their kids clubs. Enjoy the Getaway and thank you for watching... You are appreciated!
We loved Q on the Joy. We like Le Bistro also. La Cucina is surprisingly good. And, we like the Moderno Brasilian restaurant that I assume the Encore doesn't have. I agree that NCL has savagely dismantled it's shows. :(
@@TWSmith42 I think maybe we just got a bad batch of barbeque as I've heard others really like it, but ours was super dry. Le Bistro was great and we liked Los Lobos but they are getting rid of that as we speak sadly. I think we would like Norwegian more on a Caribbean sailing, that just wasn't the right ship for Alaska. We are going out on the Aqua the spring, so we're giving them another chance!
Was lucky enough to do Alaska on the Encore just after the COVID lockdown ended and it was awesome.... The ship was at 40% capacity, and we got upgraded to the Haven. It was one of my favorite cruises ever... That being said NCL quality has gone downhill the past three years. We are going on a Transatlantic cruise in two weeks on the Encore so we are hoping we have a better experience than you did (it is also at around 50% capacity, which should help).
@@JosephDickersonUX The ship was beautiful and had it not been sailing well over double capacity I'm sure it would have been a much better experience! Sailing with 40-50% capacity sounds amazing... Enjoy it!
For the money you paid- should be alright! If you’re not satisfied- go Haven -as me and 4 of my grandkids did in 2 bedroom Vila at 17 deck and you going to have paradise vacation with amazing view to Alaska !
In 12 days, I'll be on the Encore for 14 days transatlantic in the Haven forward penthouse. Luckily we will likely be with a bunch of older people with no wait for go carts and hopefully the gym won't be too crowded 😂 Celebrity is just much better than NCL in my opinion but I'm looking forward to 14 nights of unlimited filet and lobster that you can't get in Luminae. For Encore, I do like country music in Q and also the Beatles in the Cavern Club. Next month, we are also doing 14 days on the NCL Escape and love Howl at the Moon and Sid Norman. That's a lot of unlimited filet and lobster for 28 days 😮
@@portableassets2054 We weren't in the Haven on this one, but I'm sure that will help. It will also help that you'll be in warmer weather so the outside areas of the ship will be useable... It was super crowded with those spaces not being available. Hope you have good weather man, happy sails!
I'll be there as well, then the Pearl for a 9 day and then the 14 day transatlantic on the Pearl. Solo balcony. I'm so excited. I love NCL for Transatlantic trips.
I'd say that the Encore is my least favorite ship, but I still love every NCL cruise I've been on (I'm Platinum Latitudes status). I try to cruise while school is in session - fewer kids, less crowded. I'm a boomer (1955) so the Beatles shows were awesome for me!
@@danacasey8543 They said there were over a thousand kids on our sailing, so even though we have kids of our own, it was still overwhelming at times! We made the most of things and although it was our least favorite cruise, we still made some great memories and had a good time overall. Hopefully NCL can right the ship with their finances. The big Broadway shows were what we loved about NCL, so it's been disappointing to see them get rid of them!
@@FamilyAtSea Agree about the shows. Chior of Man and Six were great! Leaving in 2 days on the Bliss (my favorite ship) and looking forward to Jersey Boys!
@@danacasey8543 I haven't seen Jersey Boys on the Bliss, but loved it in Vegas... Here's to a great show and an even better cruise! Our next NCL cruise isn't until the Aqua in the spring but we're in the Haven for that one so very excited. (and plenty of cruises on other lines in the meantime) Thank you for watching... Hope to hear how the Bliss was when you're back on land!
Those watching this video, take the complaints with a grain of salt and know that others have their own particular brand on wants. Your cruise experience is 90% attitude. Dont let this affect your sailing. Small issues that shouldnt be an issue like no creme brulee are good problems to have in comparison to other people's lives.
@@Star-Boarder Creme Brulee is a matter of taste, but the crowds we experienced were not. I did my best to provide very objective feedback on every part of the ship and our experience. With that said, I definitely agree about having the right attitude going into things. I talk about mindset a lot in my tips videos. I think the most important takeaway in this is to avoid the Encore in Alaska. The ship is simply not designed for cold weather cruises and as a result, the indoor spaces are overcrowded since they lack things many other ships have like an indoor solarium pool that would help. You can read other comments to see we're not the only ones who had this experience, and you can watch other videos we've made to realize it's rare we have a bad experience.
I just went to Alaska on the Encore. Overall it was a good cruise but I won’t recommend the seafood restaurant. It’s over priced and I felt the plate I ordered was not worth $40. You’ll probably have a better experience at the Manhattan or at the buffet. Just keep in mind people love to eat and it gets crazy packed at the buffet during breakfast and lunch. If you get up to get seconds, say goodbye to you table as it will be occupied when you come back. Even If you still have a plate at the table. The beer bar and mojito bar are probably the best bars in my opinion. The entertainment was very meh other than the Beatles tribute or Choir of Men. But even that, they only played a 45 minute sets. . By the 2nd or 3rd day I it felt all the entertainment was very repetitive to the point the cruise had to hire a last minute magician that had to be picked up in Juneau. He even joked about that. Lol! Comedians I just not funny! They have several shows during the 7 days and literally say the same jokes every show. I had to even leave one show because it was just so repetitive. If your intentions is just to visit Alaska, then it’s a good option but don’t expect a crazy good entertainment or crazy good specialty dinning. Just my opinion.
I appreciate the thorough feedback, thank you! They got rid of the seafood restaurant in favor of a Mediterranean restaurant during its recent drydock, so I'd say you weren't the only one to have that experience. Happy sails whenever you cruise next!
as far as "turn down service" my understanding NCL did away with that during covid and stated that it would NOT be coming back. they also are doing even MORE cut backs on crew staffing where they can. I don't know why people point to stockholders. Unless you are selling your NCL stock, you are receiving NO benefit from these cuts, as they have not paid a dividend in such a long time I cannot find any information on it. So far the only people benefiting from these cuts are the people in the C-Suite, CEO, CFO, VPs, etc... THEY are making out like bandits.
I know all cruise lines are cutting benefits in an effort to ramp up profits, but it seems like NCL is leading the way. Many of the things that made NCL distinct in the marketplace (Broadway shows, Free-at-Sea, etc) are no longer a thing and I think over time NCL is going to see they no longer have an identity in the market (or at least one they want to be associated with). I understand why they're doing these things as their financials are in dire shape (less than 2% net profit BEFORE servicing debt) but they're making short-term cuts that are going to have long-term negative effects in my opinion. Thank you for watching and offering your thoughts!
The Choir of Man is incredible! The audience participation and the talented cast are great. I suppose paying to go on the Encore is cheaper than going to London. 2 hours wait to pay to ride go carts? No thanks. Is it difficult at some ports finding vegan meals for your wife? I have a vegan friend joining me on a cruise and i am 100% carnivore
@@Dave17101 Fortunately my wife is vegetarian as that's at least a bit easier to find things than vegan! There are definitely times when she has better options than others, but she always manages to find something (though there have been times that meant a tomato sandwich or something similar). Ketchikan and Victoria were such short port calls that we didn't have time to eat, but her options were limited in Skagway (though Juneau had a wider variety). The go-karts were definitely not worth such a long wait. My kids really wanted to do them, otherwise there's zero chance I would have waited in that line. I definitely want to see Choir of Man again... We're on the Aqua in the spring and I was bummed to see they won't have it! Happy sails wherever you're off to next!
@@FamilyAtSea Victoria is always a quick port stop. It is only there to prevent a Passenger Vessel Services Act violation. Unfortunate to have a short stop at Ketchikan, so much to do there. Poor Jackson, lugging that huge napsack until the rooms were opened. Good to see his black eye is gone now. Him and Kate seem to be so well behaved too, good job Evan and Mackenzie Symphony of the Seas haloween cruise!
@@Dave17101 I had forgotten about the black eye! He's such a good kid, we're truly blessed. I'm one of the coaches on his football team and tonight he had his first touchdown and when we got back in my car, he looked at me in the mirror and said, "I love football." As hectic as these days are running our kids to sports nearly every day of the week, I know there will be a time when we miss these days, so we're doing our best to live in the moment and cherish every moment. When we return to Alaska next summer we are cruising out of Vancouver so we don't have to worry about the outdated maritime law and the rest of the ports are much fuller... Really looking forward to that (we'll be on the HAL Koningsdam for that one). Thank you for watching and for being a part of our community... People like you make it worth all the hard work (and having the opportunity to capture these memories while the kids are still young)!
@@Dave17101 P.S. I see your profile picture is a plane... Not sure if you happen to be a pilot, but Jackson is absolutely obsessed with being a pilot someday (so much so that he's dressing up as a pilot for Halloween). Touring the Boeing factory in Seattle was one of the absolute highlights of his young life so far!
@@FamilyAtSea Not a pilot but I served for 10 years in the Marine Corps working on jets. It was an amazing experience. Chase that dream Jackson, I am positive you'll succeed. Congratulations on the touchdown Jackson, now that you got the taste you will score even more of them. P.S. you may have to change your intro soon. 4.7 K subscribes so less people who watch that don't know you. It is great now that you can capture all the memories with Kate and Jackson on video and treasure them when you and Mackenzie are in your recliners much later in life.
I think amusement rides on a ship, are a bad idea. Not enough room to create an entire amusement park. I hear NCL has been doing deep cuts and spiking prices. I hear the go karts are slow and under powered. I have driven 350 hp race cars and you realize you could get hurt if you're not careful.
@@johndefalque5061 I would say these are all accurate assessments. I never felt there was a safety concern since the cars are pretty slow, but based on a nearly two hour line and many people not getting to ride before they closed, I would say it's probably not a good use of space on the ship.
Norwegian lost it for me when they changed cooking their chicken wings from fried to boil they taste terrible this way and obviously they're trying to save money by not using oil and they use lower quality wings they're like Frankenstein wings and they no longer give out wet wipes they are cheap cheap cheap cheap cheap. See ya NCL
@@keeperzero Their financials are in dire condition but I think they're making short-term changes that will have negative long-term impacts that will cost them loyal cruisers!
The food is supposed to be excellent from most reviews. I don't gamble so putting smokers there or at the ass end of a ship is where they should be or better yet, have exclusively smoking cruise ships-call it Tropic of Cancer-I would never go on Costa where they have 18 places to smoke, plus all balconies and still all smokers smoke wherever they want. Gross!
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I had a fabulous time this past July on this ship. No regrets. Great staff and good food
@@wbrown2481 Really happy you had a great experience!
It was too crowded for us but I know on a different sailing we may have a totally different experience!
Seems like a fair assessment of NCL. Which is your favorite line (and ship) for adults?
@@TWSmith42 Our favorite suite experience is the Yacht Club on the newer MSC ships, but our favorite full cruise ship experience is Celebrity.
Great food, great shows, the ships never feel too full, and there aren't many kids.
We head out on the Celebrity Apex in a few weeks and are super excited!
Great video! When was your cruise? Month, year?
July 2024, which is peak Alaska season.
Based on what others have said, it seems like shoulder season isn't as crowded (May and late September/early October) so that seems like a better option for the Encore.
Others I've talked to who cruised June-August have had a similar experience it seems.
Thank you for the feedback!
Cruising the Caribbean on Encore this year (2024)! This is our second NCL cruise and we are super excited! You dropped the link to your review in our cruise group so I decided to give it a view. Thanks for sharing your views concerning your sailing!
@@nrs525 I think you'll have a much better experience being in the Caribbean since the full ship will be useable, making it less crowded.
Enjoy your cruise and thank you for watching!
We’re booked for Jul 20-27, 2025 out of Seattle, and I’ve been doing research. Now I’m starting to get concerned we may not have as great an experience as we’re hoping for. 😢 Taking our 6 (by that time 7) year old along and the crowds are a concern now that you’ve mentioned it.
@@ileanacardona2248 You're likely to face some pretty big crowds as that's the same week we sailed, but go into it with the right mindset and you'll still have a great time!
Great video. Very detailed info. Thank you for creating nice content for cruise lovers, especially for us, traveling with children.
@@criscrikaofficial Thank you, I appreciate the friendly feedback!
Thank you for the honest review. We were booked on the Encore for Alaska but we changed our itinerary and ship based on so many similar reviews, specifically the short port days and the location of where NCL docks in the Alaska ports which seem further away from town.
@@sharonh2172 I know some people have had better experiences on the ship than us, but the ports are what they are.
I think you'll have a better experience without having such short port calls so far from Juneau and Ketchikan... Good call!
I used to be smitten with NCL back in 2019. After covid, I have been on 4 cruises, the Escape, Joy, Gem and this summer the Breakaway. None of those have compared to what it was in the past. The lack of food after 9:30pm; the 1 turn down; long lines for everything and the cleanliness going downhill has put a damper on my experiences.
@@tayanyc2 I know NCL is facing difficult times financially, but hopefully they don't strip away their entire identity trying to pinch pennies.
Have you found a new favorite cruise line?
The algorithm is kind of scary; my parents just booked a Caribbean cruise on the Encore for their anniversary, and this video showed up on my recommended list. Then again, I watch a lot of cruise content anyway.
Thank you for the honest insights into cruising Alaska on NCL. I'm subscribing to see future content, and will go into your backlog as I'm able. It's a little sad that your overall negative experience has become the case - my first ever cruise was on the Norwegian Sky for an Alaskan cruise. I liked it as a teenager, and NCL clearly made a positive impression on my parents, as they're still sailing on NCL over two decades later. Hopefully, my parents' anniversary cruise goes better. I'm sure they'll appreciate the expansion of the adult-oriented areas, and, as you said, the on-deck space availability will probably go a long way for their enjoyment.
As a side note, NCL isn't usually categorized with lines like Carnival or Royal Caribbean. They're usually classified in the Premium category, so they're trying to compete with the likes of Celebrity as far as cost per person per night. I still would agree with you regarding the value proposition being well below average (you can get a 7-night balcony for a family of 4 on a Disney cruise for the same $9K price if you're savvy about keeping an eye out for deals, by comparison), but I would actually grade it lower based on what that price gets you on the Premium line competition.
@@TheNickVillarreal The TH-cam algorithm is all knowing! 😄
The Encore was a disappointing experience for sure but with your parents sailing on it in the Caribbean, I think that will make a big (positive) difference.
Cruises in general are simply more crowded these days unfortunately. We just completed side-by-side sailings on the Utopia of the Seas and the Disney Wish, and despite the Utopia having 60% more passengers onboard, the ship felt much less crowded than the Disney Wish did (though there were moments you definitely felt the crowds on the Utopia as well)... But that tells me a lot of is about ship design and how they're setup to distribute people across the ship, which is where I think the Encore falls short when people can't make use of the outdoor spaces.
Celebrity seems to do the best of any of the cruise lines as far as things never feeling too crowded.
I've never seen Norwegian referred to as a premium line before and I don't think I'd agree with that, but I can understand the point you're making.
The image linked below does a good job of breaking the cruise lines into various categories:
2012cruises.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/cruise-line-categories.jpg
Honestly, I think I'd probably add an additional category between Contemporary and Premium called Contemporary Plus, and I'd put Norwegian and Royal in that category, with Carnival and MSC being in the category a step down (though we've yet to find a better suite experience than MSC's Yacht Club, but the rest of the ship definitely falls into that lower category).
It sounds like you're a pretty savvy cruiser and analytical person... Hopefully the TH-cam algorithm finds more like you as I enjoy conversations with people like you that can be detailed without it falling into the category of name calling, etc.
Happy sails whenever you cruise next and thank you for watching!
Just got off the Encore yesterday after 21 days cruise I think spot on on
They need to work on there entertainment big time
The choir of men was fantastic
@@eztocme54 Was the repositioning cruise full?
We really want to do one of those but it's tough with kids!
@ 3800 I am I think only 15 kids being a 21 day cruise it really was a senior cruise
And a lot of them are NOT enjoying life . at least two times a day was alpha, alpha, alpha
@eztocme54 Hopefully you were able to find some things to enjoy...I hope they had more shows than they had on our 7-day sailing!
Yes we had a good time. Shows where repetitive
Another educational video watched while working ;)
Have you considered adding chapter marks on the YT side of things?
I only mention it because on rare occasions, I do like to skip ahead if a section isn't relevant to me (like in tutorial videos for other things).
Not a big deal, but I at least wanted to mention it ;)
I'm looking forward to the next one!
I used to always do chapters but then I read that doing them can hurt things with the TH-cam algorithm since people end up skipping around to the parts they want and watch less as a result.
I'll try to find a sweet spot on that which helps viewers but also doesn't hurt the algorithm (all hail the TH-cam algorithm 😜).
I know our vlogs are probably more interesting for you so I appreciate you even watching some of this stuff with a more specific audience... You are one of the good ones man!
@@FamilyAtSea Thank you! I can understand the algorithm aspect ;)
@@guiltysparkmusicofficialI'll see what I can figure out as a sweet spot to please the algorithm and the viewers!
@@FamilyAtSea No problem at all, don't change too much because of one person (me) 😅
But I think you know by now that I'll always try to comment something on any video of yours that pops up ^_^
thank you so much for telling us about the restaurants that are going away during dry dock - it's a bummer because I was looking forward to Los Lobos, even planned what I was going to eat there! We are going next year in the shoulder season.
@@TheOriginalMarimoChan That was one of our favorite restaurants so it's a bummer it is being removed, but hopefully increasing the size of Cagney's Steakhouse will allow them to improve the service.
As I told somebody else - although it wasn't our favorite cruise experience, we still enjoyed ourselves and I'm sure you will as well!
Great informational video! 👍🏼
@@maricelruiz2860 I appreciate that, thank you!!
I went on encores 3rd sailing at the end of 2019. I'm sure so much has changed since then
Even more will be changing next month as they remove and restructure various areas!
Agree with so much of this. Just got back a month ago from Alaska. The food was mediocre at best, so disappointing. Kids were bored. The itineraries could have been so much better. I would recommend another line for Alaska.
@@mcc7292 The dock locations and short port calls at several locations were definitely disappointing, you're right.
We made the most of it but it was not ideal.
Happy sails whenever you cruise next!
Go Bills!!!
@@ottowalter6102 Just watched us beat the Chiefs fun the Celebrity Apex... Hope we can repeat in the playoffs!!
Uh oh. I'm a little worried. May 11th 2025 on Encore. Seattle /Alaska ( but you already knew that, lol) I wonder if i should cancel our sailing and dive a bit deeper into other options? I got so excited about going that i kinda just jumped in on the first one that looked good. Then again , there's going to be pros and cons to each option. Now that i say it outloud, I'm sticking with the plan. Thank you for this video. Its almost like it was made specifically for me and hubby. 😂 Hope y'all are doing great! 😊 Edit: oh no. Our room is on deck 8. Now worried we're going to hear the casino's bells and whistles while trying to rest.
@@jolo3118 I'm sure you'll be fine!
Some cruises are better than others, but we've never been on a cruise we didn't enjoy!
Especially if this is your first cruise, you won't have anything to compare it to.
I would just mentally prepare yourself that there are going to be crowds so you know what to expect, but I'd recommend the same for any cruise.
Also - you're going in May which is shoulder season, which means most kids will still be in school so the ship will be a lot less crowded than it was for us in July during peak season!
As a personal friend of the performers of The Beatles Invasion and a massive Beatles Fan, I see you went to the Through The Years Show in the Theatre, which is the show I always suggest to folks who are in for a good hour long show, taking you through their career with songs that pretty much everyone knows. However, folks like me love to see and hear from the different eras that they do. So… you did it right. But they are absolutely great musicians and love what they do!
@@UnderwaterCanuck They were truly talented. It wasn't my personal favorite era of the Beatles (personally I love Eleanor Rigby and Revolver was my favorite album), but they did a very good tribute of the earlier era (and I'm sure the later as well).
We don't love the Beatles enough to want to see them multiple nights but that's not at all a fault of the band... They truly were talented.
I also recognize as Millennial parents, we're not really the target audience. Choir of Man was much more music for our generation and we loved it.
@@FamilyAtSea oh I agree! Beatles are not every one’s cuppa tea. They do the opening show of ‘Shea Stadium’ to do a more mid Beatles era. And since Revolver is ‘66, some songs like Taxman are done in their Sgt Pepper show.
They actually do Early Years, Shea Stadium, Sgt Pepper and Later Years, as well at their Through the Years which consists of Ed Sullivan, Sgt Pepper and Later Years all in one show with costume changes. That tends to be the one people resonate with as they have the more ‘popular songs’
Each set they do has all different songs. They only repeat one (technically two) songs throughout the week. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and With A Little Help From My Friends. Gives everyone a chance to see what era may interest them, or in my case all of them 😂
@@UnderwaterCanuck That's a show I would love to see...I know they have to perform pretty much daily on the ship so it makes sense to break things up into eras by night, but I would have loved to have seen them perform a larger variety.
If they're playing in Shea Stadium they are much bigger than I even realized...I knew they were good, but didn't realize they had such a big following.
Good for them. It always makes me happy to see people chase their dreams (and succeed).
@@FamilyAtSea I believe they are contracted to do 7 or 8 shows for 7/night cruises. They get 2 days off.
But yes, different shows to break it all up. I’m sure it would get quite boring playing the same show that many nights so you’re exactly right in the reasoning for the different eras 😉
We were on the Encore in Dec. 2022 for a Carribean cruise. I agree with the ratings completely. It’s our least favorite of the NCL ships. We cruise HAL for Alaska. Highly recommend!
@@cindifosler1913 We are headed back to Alaska next summer on the HAL Koningsdam so it's great to hear you say that!
We are also booked on the NCL Aqua in the spring so I'm hopeful that will be a better impression of what things are like with NCL than the Encore was.
I appreciate the feedback and for you taking the time to watch... Thank you!
@@FamilyAtSeaI’m not sure how well kids will like HAL, but the 2 ships we have been on have domes that close over the pool and the pool areas were not crowded. The port times are better, they don’t dock way out of town in Ketchikan like NCL does either. The food is much better than NCL. We do have more NCL trips coming up. Both are on the Getaway (Western Caribbean and Bermuda). We haven’t been on that ship. We also haven’t been on the Prima Class ships yet. Will look forward to your thoughts on the Aqua! Happy Cruising! 🎉
@@cindifosler1913 We chose HAL for all the reasons you listed.
I know they're not typically a go to option for family-friendly cruises but we're fortunate that ours are easy to please and I've read good things about their kids clubs.
Enjoy the Getaway and thank you for watching... You are appreciated!
We loved Q on the Joy. We like Le Bistro also. La Cucina is surprisingly good. And, we like the Moderno Brasilian restaurant that I assume the Encore doesn't have. I agree that NCL has savagely dismantled it's shows. :(
@@TWSmith42 I think maybe we just got a bad batch of barbeque as I've heard others really like it, but ours was super dry.
Le Bistro was great and we liked Los Lobos but they are getting rid of that as we speak sadly.
I think we would like Norwegian more on a Caribbean sailing, that just wasn't the right ship for Alaska.
We are going out on the Aqua the spring, so we're giving them another chance!
Was lucky enough to do Alaska on the Encore just after the COVID lockdown ended and it was awesome.... The ship was at 40% capacity, and we got upgraded to the Haven. It was one of my favorite cruises ever... That being said NCL quality has gone downhill the past three years. We are going on a Transatlantic cruise in two weeks on the Encore so we are hoping we have a better experience than you did (it is also at around 50% capacity, which should help).
@@JosephDickersonUX The ship was beautiful and had it not been sailing well over double capacity I'm sure it would have been a much better experience!
Sailing with 40-50% capacity sounds amazing... Enjoy it!
For the money you paid- should be alright! If you’re not satisfied- go Haven -as me and 4 of my grandkids did in 2 bedroom Vila at 17 deck and you going to have paradise vacation with amazing view to Alaska !
We are giving NCL another chance in the spring and doing the Haven on the new Aqua... Hoping that will be a better experience!
In 12 days, I'll be on the Encore for 14 days transatlantic in the Haven forward penthouse. Luckily we will likely be with a bunch of older people with no wait for go carts and hopefully the gym won't be too crowded 😂
Celebrity is just much better than NCL in my opinion but I'm looking forward to 14 nights of unlimited filet and lobster that you can't get in Luminae. For Encore, I do like country music in Q and also the Beatles in the Cavern Club.
Next month, we are also doing 14 days on the NCL Escape and love Howl at the Moon and Sid Norman. That's a lot of unlimited filet and lobster for 28 days 😮
@@portableassets2054 We weren't in the Haven on this one, but I'm sure that will help.
It will also help that you'll be in warmer weather so the outside areas of the ship will be useable... It was super crowded with those spaces not being available.
Hope you have good weather man, happy sails!
I'll be there as well, then the Pearl for a 9 day and then the 14 day transatlantic on the Pearl. Solo balcony. I'm so excited. I love NCL for Transatlantic trips.
@@barbarahallowell2613 That's amazing... Goals for us for sure.
Enjoy your cruises... Happy sails!
Unlimited lobster??? This must be a special upgrade
@@jimbo23mattingly He's sailing in the Haven, which is the suite expertise on NCL!
I'd say that the Encore is my least favorite ship, but I still love every NCL cruise I've been on (I'm Platinum Latitudes status). I try to cruise while school is in session - fewer kids, less crowded. I'm a boomer (1955) so the Beatles shows were awesome for me!
@@danacasey8543 They said there were over a thousand kids on our sailing, so even though we have kids of our own, it was still overwhelming at times!
We made the most of things and although it was our least favorite cruise, we still made some great memories and had a good time overall.
Hopefully NCL can right the ship with their finances. The big Broadway shows were what we loved about NCL, so it's been disappointing to see them get rid of them!
@@FamilyAtSea Agree about the shows. Chior of Man and Six were great! Leaving in 2 days on the Bliss (my favorite ship) and looking forward to Jersey Boys!
@@danacasey8543 I haven't seen Jersey Boys on the Bliss, but loved it in Vegas... Here's to a great show and an even better cruise!
Our next NCL cruise isn't until the Aqua in the spring but we're in the Haven for that one so very excited. (and plenty of cruises on other lines in the meantime)
Thank you for watching... Hope to hear how the Bliss was when you're back on land!
Those watching this video, take the complaints with a grain of salt and know that others have their own particular brand on wants. Your cruise experience is 90% attitude. Dont let this affect your sailing. Small issues that shouldnt be an issue like no creme brulee are good problems to have in comparison to other people's lives.
@@Star-Boarder Creme Brulee is a matter of taste, but the crowds we experienced were not.
I did my best to provide very objective feedback on every part of the ship and our experience.
With that said, I definitely agree about having the right attitude going into things. I talk about mindset a lot in my tips videos.
I think the most important takeaway in this is to avoid the Encore in Alaska. The ship is simply not designed for cold weather cruises and as a result, the indoor spaces are overcrowded since they lack things many other ships have like an indoor solarium pool that would help.
You can read other comments to see we're not the only ones who had this experience, and you can watch other videos we've made to realize it's rare we have a bad experience.
I just went to Alaska on the Encore. Overall it was a good cruise but I won’t recommend the seafood restaurant. It’s over priced and I felt the plate I ordered was not worth $40. You’ll probably have a better experience at the Manhattan or at the buffet. Just keep in mind people love to eat and it gets crazy packed at the buffet during breakfast and lunch. If you get up to get seconds, say goodbye to you table as it will be occupied when you come back. Even If you still have a plate at the table. The beer bar and mojito bar are probably the best bars in my opinion. The entertainment was very meh other than the Beatles tribute or Choir of Men. But even that, they only played a 45 minute sets. . By the 2nd or 3rd day I it felt all the entertainment was very repetitive to the point the cruise had to hire a last minute magician that had to be picked up in Juneau. He even joked about that. Lol! Comedians I just not funny! They have several shows during the 7 days and literally say the same jokes every show. I had to even leave one show because it was just so repetitive. If your intentions is just to visit Alaska, then it’s a good option but don’t expect a crazy good entertainment or crazy good specialty dinning. Just my opinion.
I appreciate the thorough feedback, thank you!
They got rid of the seafood restaurant in favor of a Mediterranean restaurant during its recent drydock, so I'd say you weren't the only one to have that experience.
Happy sails whenever you cruise next!
as far as "turn down service" my understanding NCL did away with that during covid and stated that it would NOT be coming back. they also are doing even MORE cut backs on crew staffing where they can. I don't know why people point to stockholders. Unless you are selling your NCL stock, you are receiving NO benefit from these cuts, as they have not paid a dividend in such a long time I cannot find any information on it. So far the only people benefiting from these cuts are the people in the C-Suite, CEO, CFO, VPs, etc... THEY are making out like bandits.
I know all cruise lines are cutting benefits in an effort to ramp up profits, but it seems like NCL is leading the way.
Many of the things that made NCL distinct in the marketplace (Broadway shows, Free-at-Sea, etc) are no longer a thing and I think over time NCL is going to see they no longer have an identity in the market (or at least one they want to be associated with).
I understand why they're doing these things as their financials are in dire shape (less than 2% net profit BEFORE servicing debt) but they're making short-term cuts that are going to have long-term negative effects in my opinion.
Thank you for watching and offering your thoughts!
The Choir of Man is incredible! The audience participation and the talented cast are great. I suppose paying to go on the Encore is cheaper than going to London. 2 hours wait to pay to ride go carts? No thanks.
Is it difficult at some ports finding vegan meals for your wife? I have a vegan friend joining me on a cruise and i am 100% carnivore
@@Dave17101 Fortunately my wife is vegetarian as that's at least a bit easier to find things than vegan!
There are definitely times when she has better options than others, but she always manages to find something (though there have been times that meant a tomato sandwich or something similar).
Ketchikan and Victoria were such short port calls that we didn't have time to eat, but her options were limited in Skagway (though Juneau had a wider variety).
The go-karts were definitely not worth such a long wait. My kids really wanted to do them, otherwise there's zero chance I would have waited in that line.
I definitely want to see Choir of Man again... We're on the Aqua in the spring and I was bummed to see they won't have it!
Happy sails wherever you're off to next!
@@FamilyAtSea Victoria is always a quick port stop. It is only there to prevent a Passenger Vessel Services Act violation. Unfortunate to have a short stop at Ketchikan, so much to do there.
Poor Jackson, lugging that huge napsack until the rooms were opened. Good to see his black eye is gone now. Him and Kate seem to be so well behaved too, good job Evan and Mackenzie
Symphony of the Seas haloween cruise!
@@Dave17101 I had forgotten about the black eye!
He's such a good kid, we're truly blessed. I'm one of the coaches on his football team and tonight he had his first touchdown and when we got back in my car, he looked at me in the mirror and said, "I love football."
As hectic as these days are running our kids to sports nearly every day of the week, I know there will be a time when we miss these days, so we're doing our best to live in the moment and cherish every moment.
When we return to Alaska next summer we are cruising out of Vancouver so we don't have to worry about the outdated maritime law and the rest of the ports are much fuller... Really looking forward to that (we'll be on the HAL Koningsdam for that one).
Thank you for watching and for being a part of our community... People like you make it worth all the hard work (and having the opportunity to capture these memories while the kids are still young)!
@@Dave17101 P.S. I see your profile picture is a plane... Not sure if you happen to be a pilot, but Jackson is absolutely obsessed with being a pilot someday (so much so that he's dressing up as a pilot for Halloween).
Touring the Boeing factory in Seattle was one of the absolute highlights of his young life so far!
@@FamilyAtSea Not a pilot but I served for 10 years in the Marine Corps working on jets. It was an amazing experience. Chase that dream Jackson, I am positive you'll succeed.
Congratulations on the touchdown Jackson, now that you got the taste you will score even more of them.
P.S. you may have to change your intro soon. 4.7 K subscribes so less people who watch that don't know you.
It is great now that you can capture all the memories with Kate and Jackson on video and treasure them when you and Mackenzie are in your recliners much later in life.
I think amusement rides on a ship, are a bad idea. Not enough room to create an entire amusement park. I hear NCL has been doing deep cuts and spiking prices. I hear the go karts are slow and under powered. I have driven 350 hp race cars and you realize you could get hurt if you're not careful.
@@johndefalque5061 I would say these are all accurate assessments.
I never felt there was a safety concern since the cars are pretty slow, but based on a nearly two hour line and many people not getting to ride before they closed, I would say it's probably not a good use of space on the ship.
@@FamilyAtSea Exaclty-they should have put in another pool!
@@johndefalque5061 Couldn't agree more!
Norwegian lost it for me when they changed cooking their chicken wings from fried to boil they taste terrible this way and obviously they're trying to save money by not using oil and they use lower quality wings they're like Frankenstein wings and they no longer give out wet wipes they are cheap cheap cheap cheap cheap. See ya NCL
@@keeperzero Their financials are in dire condition but I think they're making short-term changes that will have negative long-term impacts that will cost them loyal cruisers!
The food is supposed to be excellent from most reviews. I don't gamble so putting smokers there or at the ass end of a ship is where they should be or better yet, have exclusively smoking cruise ships-call it Tropic of Cancer-I would never go on Costa where they have 18 places to smoke, plus all balconies and still all smokers smoke wherever they want. Gross!
@@johndefalque5061 We cruise often and the food on the Encore didn't rank very highly for us, but we definitely did not starve!