PackThePJs were lucky to be one of the first passengers on board the brand new Norwegian Cruise Line ship, Norwegian Encore. This 3,998 passenger (1,735 crew), 167,800 ton cruise ship is the last new vessel in the Breakaway Plus Class, and the sister ship to Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Joy.
Over the coming days and weeks, we will post more in-depth articles about the restaurant options, kids clubs, entertainment and activities on board. But first, this post will show you every venue on every deck … so join us on a pictorial walk through, starting from the lowest deck.
Deck 5
It is unusual to find the Kids Clubs on the lower decks of a cruise ship as they are usually nearer the top, with outside access. However, Deck 5 on Norwegian Encore contains cabins, and …
Guppies Nursery (under 3s)
Splash Academy (3 to 12 years)
Entourage (teenagers)
Video Arcade
Deck 6
Deck 6 is loaded with venues from the very front of the ship to the rear set of elevators/stairs. Forward of the front elevators you’ll find the Q Texas Smokehouse.
Q Texas Smokehouse (speciality dining)
Between the front and rear sets of elevators you will encounter:
The Atrium and Atrium Bar
NCL stock photo
Starbucks
Social Comedy & Nightclub
Coco’s
Teppanyaki (speciality dining)
Art Gallery
Mixx Bar
Savor Main Dining Room
Taste Main Dining Room
Deck 7
Deck 7 is the first of two decks with venues from the very front of the ship (forward) to the back (aft). Forward of the front elevators you’ll find the Encore Theater where we saw two amazing shows (Tony Award winning Kinky Boots, and The Choir of Man):
Encore Theater
Between the front and rear elevators you’ll find …
The Local Bar & Grill
Encore Casino
Skyline Bar
At the aft of the ship you’ll find The Manhattan Room: Main Dining Room
Deck 8
This full-length deck is packed with venues. Forward of the front elevators you’ll find Food Republic …
Food Republic (speciality dining)
The District Brew House (speciality dining)
Between the elevators you’ll find the new Italian restaurant concept, Onda by Scarpetta.
Onda by Scarpetta (speciality dining)
As well as …
The Cellars Wine Bar
The Cavern Club
Maltings Whiskey Bar
The Humidor Cigar Lounge
Sugarcane Mojito Bar
Ocean Blue (speciality dining)
Photo Gallery
Tradewinds Tax & Duty Free Shopping Area
This is also an opportunity to show the 3-deck high, colour changing art installation/chandelier that is a key focal point in this area.
Dolce Gelato (speciality dining) – unfortunately closed
The Bake Shop (speciality dining)
NCL stock photo
Los Lobos (speciality dining)
The A-List Bar
NCL stock photo
Cagney’s Steakhouse (speciality dining)
Deck 8 also has the brilliant ‘The Waterfront’ – outdoor seating areas for the bar and dining venues located there.
The Waterfront
Deck 14
Decks 9-14/15 are predominantly cabins. We were located in Balcony Stateroom 14770:
Our Balcony Stateroom 14770
Deck 15
Most of Deck 15 is taken up by cabins, but at the front there’s the Observation Lounge – many people’s favourite spot on the ship.
Observation Lounge
Deck 16
Deck 16 has the Garden Café at the front of the ship. This is the buffet dining area.
Garden Café
Between the forward/aft elevators you’ll find an outdoor area with two bars:
Surf Bar (on Sun Deck, underneath huge screen)
Waves Bar
And a pool surrounded by deckchairs.
Sun Deck
You just know that the Kids Aqua Park will be popular in the hot weather!
Kids Aqua Park
Aft of the rear elevators is the Mandara Spa.
Mandara Spa
There is also a Beauty Salon
Beauty Salon
Barber Shop
Fitness Center
Deck 17
The front of Deck 17 is dominated by areas exclusive to The Haven guests. This includes:
Horizon Lounge
The Haven Lounge (exclusive to The Haven)
NCL stock photo
The Haven Courtyard (exclusive to The Haven)
Away from the Haven complex there are some Hot Tubs that seem to hang over the side of the ship!
A very popular dining spot (especially lunch time) was the American Diner.
American Diner (speciality dining)
We dined one evening in Le Bistro and the atmosphere and food were just perfect.
Le Bistro (speciality dining)
There’s a track loop for those wanting some exercise, and here you’ll find Ocean Loops and Aqua Racer, the water shutes.
Ocean Loops and Jogging Track
Aqua Racer
Finally, but by no means least, the Galaxy Pavilion VR venue is located towards the aft of the ship … this was our favourite space, where lots (and lots) of laughing took place!
Galaxy Pavilion
Deck 18
The front of the ship again is dominated by areas for the exclusive use of The Haven guests. Here you will find the upper floors of the Haven Courtyard and Horizon Lounge.
To the rear of the ship you’ll find the lower level of the Speedway.
Speedway
… and the Laser Tag
Laser Tag
Decks 19 and 20
Here you’ll find the Vibe Beach Club, which unfortunately wasn’t operational during our cruise. This area is strictly adults only, and for a charge it gives a limited number of guests access to a private bar and sun deck area with Jacuzzis.
The Speedway is also on Deck 19, at the aft of the ship.
Speedway
The launch area for the Aqua Rider is here too.
Final Thoughts
Norwegian Encore is an incredible ‘destination’ in its own right. With all the entertainment, activities and dining options on board, you need never leave the ship. It’s multigenerational – it caters for all ages. If you enjoy peace and tranquillity, there are many areas where you can chill out and relax. If you want to party, party, party … well, there are lots of options for this too!
Oh and one final quirky thing … the carpet in the cabin aisles is covered in little fishes …. they are all swimming towards the front of the ship, so you always know which way to turn!
What else can we say – she’s a beautiful cruise ship, and we wish we were still on board 😊
Disclaimer
We were invited by Norwegian Cruise Line to join the Inaugural Cruise of Norwegian Encore, along with many journalists and agents. This post was not obligatory, and we were not influenced at all.
This looks like such a great cruise liner! So much going on – the water slides look awesome and love the sound of the Vibe Beach Club.
Wow this looks great. Cruises have never appealed to me but this has literally everything!!
I can’t get over how much is inside one Cruise liner. I love the slides! The food and different types of places to et and drink look amazing. I bet you had a great time.
I’ve never been on a cruise ship before. They look really exciting!!
I honestly cannot believe how big this cruise ship is. It looks like here is something for everyone and I particularly like the teenage zone.
I have never fancied a cruise but oh my god! This looks amazing!
I can just see the kids hanging out at the kids club while I explore with the Man. I look forward to reading more about this cruise x
This cruise ship is amazing! Thank you so much for the tour loved seeing the ship and so impressed with the facilities.
It never ceases to amaze me how HUGE cruise ships are and how many amenities are on them. It looks absolutely amazing!
Wow what an amazing destination indeed. I have never been on a ship this huge before.
It looks like you had a fab time onboard the ship. fun stuff for sure x
It looks incredible. We saw it come into dock in Southampton. We are hoping to book a cruise in 2020 and are looking at NCL