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A Brutally Honest NORWEGIAN ENCORE Review (From An NCL First-Timer)

Zach the Traveling Man
Zach the Traveling Man
🥈Expert
👁️ 304K views📅 3 years ago⏱️ 31:22
What This Creator Said
Creator RecommendsFull Ship Review🥈Expert Creator
🧍 Best for SoloAlaska · SummerFrom SeattleFirst-Time Cruiser

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

Norwegian Encore is a beautiful ship when I first saw her when I got to the pier the morning of my cruise she's a huge ship

I was shocked at the entertainment on board Norwegian Encore there wasn't that much of it

I will say a warning to you here if you do want to go to Alaska do not go on a mega ship do not go on the Norwegian Encore

Creator's Tips & Advice

Book reservations for entertainment and dining as early as possible, preferably before the cruise.
Consider a smaller ship for Alaska itineraries to avoid overcrowding and long lines.
Use the ship's app for reservations, but be prepared for technical issues.

🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

Overcrowding on a large shipChoose a smaller ship for Alaska to avoid long lines and have more time for excursions.
Food quality on NCLBe pleasantly surprised; the food was excellent, especially at specialty restaurants like Los Lobos and Q Smokehouse.
Solo travel experienceStudio rooms are fantastic for solo cruisers, but they can get warm; recommend booking one.

Questions This Creator Answers

QIs Norwegian Encore a good ship for a first-time NCL cruiser?
QHow does the food on Norwegian Encore compare to other cruise lines?
QWhat are the crowd management issues on Norwegian Encore?
QIs the Alaska itinerary on Norwegian Encore worth it?

Topics Covered

Crowd Capacity4 Sad BaconWifi Connectivity3½ Sad BaconService Crew1½ Sad BaconDining Specialty3 Happy BaconShip Condition4 Happy BaconEntertainment Shows4½ Happy BaconPort Destination4½ Happy BaconItinerary Route2 Happy Bacon

Port Highlights

Juneau3½ Happy Bacon
Top: Gold Belt Tram
Ketchikan2½ Sad Bacon
Top: Totem Bight State Park
Skagway4½ Happy Bacon
Top: Skagway Streetcar
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon — creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon — creators took issue with this
Meh — no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology
YouTube Video Description

I provide my brutally honest review of Norwegian Encore and my first impression of Norwegian Cruise Line after sailing on my very first cruise with NCL. Norwegian Encore is a beautiful ship, but is Norwegian Encore the right ship to sail in Alaska? Norwegian Encore is the largest ship in the NCL fleet and often cannot port in the smaller cruise ports of Alaska while on these Alaska cruises. I give a detailed ship review, dining and food review, entertainment review, Alaska ports review, and service review from my trip on NCL Encore. Join my channel to get access to perks, including early video access, exclusive members-only videos, and more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCi--tbfkK4B4_ncTg4xe8Q/join For help booking your next trip with my official travel partner: http://travelwithzach.com/ I enjoyed sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line for the first time onboard the beautiful Norwegian Encore. The NCL Encore debuted in 2019 and is currently sailing Alaska Cruises from Seattle, Washington. Check out the luggage featured in this video: https://tinyurl.com/zachthetravelingman I will have many videos to come from Norwegian Cruise Line and Norwegian Encore, including a full dining and food review. This will include honest opinions on Q Smokehouse, Los Lobos, Cagney's Steakhouse, Ocean Blue, Le Bistro, Taste, Savor, The Local, and more! Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE for more Norwegian Cruise Line and solo cruise content. Also, make sure to FOLLOW me on Instagram. I extensively cover cruise ship travel - including Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Virgin Voyages, and Norwegian Cruise Line. From the latest cruise news to cruise ship reviews, dining guides and reviews, best excursions, and more! Make sure to visit my website for more cruise content, including my FREE Cruise Port Travel Guide, which is available as a FREE digital download: https://zachthetravelingman.com/ #norwegiancruise #nclencore #norwegianencore -------------------------- 00:00 Introduction 00:38 Why Norwegian? 03:26 Ship Review 15:14 Food Review 21:30 Entertainment Review 24:20 Alaska Ports Review 28:42 Service Review 30:18 Will I Do NCL Again?