Ncl encore news upgrade#

Pub tunes packed the house in The District Brewhouse most evenings.

Trivia sessions and movies in the Deck 6 atrium landing grew more popular as the voyage went on. I spent early-mornings writing and reading in the stunning Observation Lounge forward on Deck 15, the largest and most elaborate such venue I've ever seen aboard a ship.

Personally, I gravitated to the Thermal Suite in the Mandara Spa for on sea days and evenings. The hydrotherapy pool aboard Norwegian Encore. Plus, Norwegian offers dining packages that make these eateries more inclusive by charging upfront for them. We recommend indulging in at least one of the line's extra-charge specialty restaurants like Le Bistro, Los Lobos and Ocean Blue. Other surprise winners: the American Diner up on Deck 17 aft that served up reasonably priced classic American fare (including some delicious fried chicken), and Q Texas Smokehouse, a Western-inspired celebration of delectable meats tucked away on Deck 6 forward. We had one of the best bowls of Italian Wedding Soup we've ever tasted in the intimate dining venue Savor on Deck 6, while the casual fare (and the small personal carafes of coffee) in The Local on Deck 7 was consistently good. And while that might be expected in the line's classy Le Bistro French restaurant or in the delectable Onda by Scarpetta, that high quality extended to the ship's complimentary dining venues as well. He wasn't kidding.įood - historically a bit of a shaky point in Norwegian Cruise Line's history - was absolutely delicious aboard Norwegian Encore.

Ncl encore news upgrade#

Sommer told assembled media at several press events that they had used the downtime during the pandemic to upgrade the line's food and beverage offerings. The FoodĬulinary offerings aboard Norwegian Encore were superb. Our mid-morning arrival at Sea-Tac Airport was shocking for its gate-to-gate crowds, its lack of distancing, and its complete lack of vaccination mandates or testing for most air travellers. I don't want to be in a situation - I won't be in a situation - where as a company we have the potential to expose 300 people to COVID.'Īnd if you're an international passengers - as I am, being Canadian - Norwegian covers the cost of onboard antigen or PCR testing for those who need it prior to disembarking and returning to their home countries.Īfter being in such a protective bubble for seven days, being thrust out into the real world - where the Delta variant has a growing hold - was striking. So that means on a ship this size, you can have under the CDC guidance 300 unvaccinated people. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Norwegian Cruise Line president and CEO Harry Sommer said during a press conference onboard Norwegian Encore: 'On a ship this size, five percent represents 200 passengers and 100 crew. Referring to other cruise lines allowing up to five percent of passengers to be unvaccinated in accordance with U.S. While masks were still required on land in Alaska in many situations, including when indoors and on motorcoach tours, locals we spoke with were keen on Norwegian's fully vaccinated policies and the extra protections it brought them. But it's more than just masks: dancing, production shows and live music were all back.

Every single passenger, without exception, had to be fully immunized against COVID-19, and undergo pierside antigen testing before being allowed to embark Norwegian Encore.īecause of that, the ship formed a bubble of just over 2,000 fully immunized cruisers, all of whom could walk around maskless. The hands-down winner of our sailing to Alaska was Norwegian Cruise Line's one hundred percent vaccination and pierside antigen testing requirements. (Photo: Aaron Saunders) One Hundred Percent Vaccination and Testing