First off, a confession. I don’t like big ships and I cannot lie. Actually that’s a lie, at least a partial one. Let me try that again without the overused 90’s rap reference. I love all cruise ships, but I prefer the smaller, understated ones to the big, flashy ones. So why did I book the Norwegian Encore for a second time, you ask? Because I could walk to it from my apartment in downtown Seattle for one. And I paid a $50 out-of-pocket cruise fare for two. And my kid was out of town for the week on a school trip, for three. And I was eager to sail as a newly minted Sapphire Latitudes member on NCL for four.
But does one ever need a reason to book a cruise? Any cruise? On any ship, big or small?
If there’s one thing you should learn from reading this, even if you have no interest in the Encore, it’s that it’s always a good time to book a cruise, any cruise on any line on any ship going to any port. Go ahead, tell your husband or wife or partner that Prof. Cruise made you do it. And if they push back, put your hand out and do a dramatic 180 degree turn as you threaten to take me with you instead of them. And then take me with you!
Now that we have that settled, read on if you actually came here with the intention of learning more about the Encore and didn’t accidentally land here after googling “horrible 90’s rap references you should never use in blog posts.”
This section is the equivalent of the CDC version: the facts as they exist today. Then we’ll move on to my opinion which is the equivalent of your cousin Chet swearing that 30 consecutive hours on the leg press machine sprint pumping the maximum weight, followed by a Clorox enema and a dinner of grass-fed beef and organic broccoli cured him of Covid.
Speaking of Covid, the Encore, the fourth and last breakaway-plus class ship in Norwegian’s fleet, debuted in November 2019 just a few months before Covid hit and shut down the cruising industry for over a year (my first cruise on her was right after the cruising re-start and even though she was over a year old by then, she looked practically brand new).
She has 20 floors with a guest capacity of 3,998 and a crew of 1,735. She is 1,094 feet long and weighs in at 196,116 gross tons (with all that dessert onboard, it’s no surprise). She currently sails from Miami to the Caribbean in the fall, winter, and spring and to Alaska from Seattle in the summer, with a few 21 night repositioning cruises in between.
Before we get to all the things I loved about the Encore, a few things I didn’t love, and my day-by-day trip report which includes approximately 4 million food photos (WARNING: STOP READING NOW IF YOU’RE HUNGRY!), you can see all the Encore dining menus I collected, the Freestyle Daily schedule for each day, and my complete deck-by-deck narrated ship tour by clicking below:
I spent more time in the Observation Lounge reading, working, snoring loudly in a lounger (sorry about that), and eating than in any other location on the ship. This beautiful and comfortable space offers everything you’ll need for a relaxing morning, afternoon, or evening at sea. There is a bar, a buffet that serves a small selection of items for breakfast and afternon tea (from 3-5pm), comfortable seating, and amazing views from huge windows at the front and sides of the ship.
Pro-tip #1: This is a perfect spot to watch sail-away or for scenic sailing days if it’s too hot or cold to sit outside or if you have an inside cabin like I did. Get there early though – prime seats fill up fast!
Pro-tip #2: The desserts on the small buffet in the observation lounge are sometimes better than those in the regular buffet and often have an international twist.
Pro-Tip #3: If the Observation Lounge is too crowded, try the District Brew House. It’s rarely crowded and also offers some great views and comfortable seating.
The Encore offers a large selection of both hot and cold and vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian selections on the buffet. It’s authentic and flavorful and is my go-to second lunch on every NCL cruise (I usually enjoy a first lunch in the dining room). You’ll be hard pressed to find better Indian food in major cities on land – that’s how good it is!
While the Indian selections were by far my favorite, a quick word about the food in the main dining rooms: It was typical cruise food – good, but not outstanding (which is fine by me, I’m not picky). I also ate in two specialty restaurants, Onda and Ocean Blue, which I’ll discuss in more detail in my daily trip report to come.
The gym was a bit small for the size of the ship, but was well-equipped with posted hours from 6am-11pm (but every day people snuck in earlier than 6).
The service on the Encore was the best I’ve experienced in quite some time. Every crew member was friendly and professional and went out of their way to accommodate guests. On the last day, I passed out these cards* with an extra cash tip inside to crew members who had made my cruise extra special:
The Waterfront is always one of my favorite spots on NCL’s Breakaway and Breakaway Plus class ships and I enjoyed it on this sailing aboard the Encore as well. I love all the comfortable seating and outdoor bars and dining areas. If you’re worried about not having a balcony booked on the Encore, don’t – the Waterfront served as a wonderful alternative for me. Many times I had it almost completely to myself.
This ship looks nearly brand new and the furnishings reflect that. But that chandelier is more controversial than human cloning.
The buffet includes hard ice cream you can have served in a cup or a cone. Standard flavors are available daily along with a number of rotating flavors like green tea, pistachio, rocky road, coconut, and butter pecan.
I’ve provided more detail about The Choir of Man in my daily trip report below, but this was one of my favorite features on the Encore.
There was a wide variety of live music available at different venues every afternoon and evening. Performers were talented and entertaining. My favorite was the Beatles cover band, Beatles Invasion, and their performances in the intimate Cavern Club (they also performed several shows in the main theater which were also very good).
The ship was spotlessly clean, with crew constantly clearing dishes, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, disinfecting, and singing the “washy washy” song to remind guests to clean their hands.
I love walking the Promenade deck on a cruise ship – listening to a book or podcast while I breath in the clean ocean air and watch for wildlife. My favorite ships have Promenade decks that wrap all the way around the ship. The Encore does not have such a deck. However, I mostly made do with a few alternatives:
I walked around on The Waterfront on deck 8 when the weather was good (passing through a brief inside area at the front of the ship to make the full loop) and I used deck 7 (where the life boats are located) when it was raining (as it’s fully covered). The public area of deck 7 does not wrap around either the front or back of the ship, so you’ll have to go out and back on either the port or starboard side.
The stateroom hallways on the Encore are extremely narrow. When cleaning carts are lined up along them and room stewards are working around them, passing can be tricky, especially for anyone with mobility issues.
Pro Tip: If you use a walker or scooter, have mobility issues, or have an infant or toddler in a stroller, book a cabin as close to elevators as possible.
I guess this was both a plus and a minus. Unfortunately, the walk from the elevator to my cabin was approximately 6 miles. On the plus side, I felt justified ordering that second dessert in the MDR each evening.
Cruise lines (and especially NCL) have a reputation for nickel and diming passengers once onboard. And the Encore is no exception. Those that point to this class of ship as great for families may forget to mention that much of the fun stuff your kids will love costs extra. Leave room in the budget for the Norwegian Speedway, the Galaxy Pavilion, and the arcade. If you have multiple children or a bored husband, these activities can get quite pricey.
As a veteran cruiser to Alaska, I was really disappointed that there wasn’t a naturalist onboard, offering lectures about Alaska and other programming. We did have park rangers board the ship for our scenic cruising day through Glacier Bay National Park, but they were only onboard for that one day. And we did have some presentations about Alaska given by the CruiseNext department, but again, it didn’t compare with having a naturalist with years of professional training and experience.
And really, there was an overall lack of programming for us nerd types (except for trivia which I’m not really a fan of). No book club. No lectures by experts in various fields.
NCL has spent millions building new piers for their ships in Alaska. And let me tell you, from a passenger perspective, they suck. No way around it. They are further away from the action and require a bus or gondola ride, wasting valuable time you could be spending in port. Honestly, I would no longer choose NCL for Alaska for this reason alone (unless the price and timing were too tempting – which they still often are). If this is your one shot at Alaska and you don’t need all the bells and whistles of a mega ship, pick a different line. Holland America, Princess, and Celebrity all do Alaska so very well and you’ll avoid the hassle of these new NCL piers. It pains me to say this, I’m Sapphire on NCL and generally love the line, but alas…I want to always be candid and honest with you.
Cabins on the Encore run small and offer very limited storage. You can see a tour of my inside cabin here:
Here are some of the questions I was asked most frequently while onboard the Encore:
Despite the things I didn’t love, I still had a wonderful cruise onboard the Encore. Now keep reading for my detailed daily trip report (diary)!
Hello from the Encore en route to Alaska! Those of you who followed along on my Bliss cruise a few weeks back are probably thinking, “wait, wasn’t she just on an NCL cruise to Alaska?” Yes, yes I was. And what’s your point? Can one ever really get enough of cruising? And Alaska? Plus on debarkation day on the Bliss I was flooded with messages demanding an “ENCORE, ENCORE!” from those I can only assume were upset at being cut off from the prolific daily food porn I provided. Well I took that encore thing literally and will be eating 12 meals per day for the next 7 days which I will post here for your viewing pleasure. You’re welcome. In the meantime, here are some embarkation day scenes from around the Encore. This is my second time onboard, but first time sailing her solo (last time I had my mom with me). As usual, feel free to post questions to the comments or chime in with your Encore tips and experiences. Now excuse me, lunch is calling (more like SHOUTING)!
Lunch in the MDR
After a delicious first lunch at Taste, one of the three MDR’s on the Encore (the other two being Savor, also open for lunch, and the Manhattan Room which is only open for dinner), I’ll be eating gravy for the remainder of this cruise. Let me explain. An equivalent four course lunch at almost any sit-down restaurant in my home city of Seattle would have run me at least $50. At. Least. And since my fare for this cruise only cost me $50, I figure from here on out everything is…gravy. (You can read about how I scored such an unbelievable deal here).
Anyway, here are photos of what I ordered. If you followed along with me on my Bliss cruise a few weeks ago, many of my meals are going to make you feel like you’re trapped in a time loop ala Groundhog Day (or Russian Doll if you’re under the age of 40 and require a more contemporary reference). Hey, I like what I like and being trapped on a repeating cruise for 33 years is hardly the worst thing that could happen. Shrug.
Photo 1: Risotto primavera with pesto
Photo 2: Orange chocolate mousse
Photo 3: Sweet corn hush puppies
Photo 4: Five spice mango tapioca pudding
Photo 5: Roasted tomato soup
Sail Away
Bye suckers!
Dinner at Onda
You know how parents of newborn identical twins usually dress them in matching outfits to maximize the adorable factor so they get more gifts and offers of help, but put them in different colored socks so they can tell them apart? Well that’s pretty much how it is with the Encore and the Bliss, but they have different Italian specialty restaurants instead of the socks. The Bliss has La Cucina and the Encore has Onda. Otherwise, they are nearly identical.
Onda by Scarpetta is the newest Italian specialty restaurant on NCL. It was created in partnership with LDV Hospitality and was inspired by their acclaimed Scarpetta restaurants located in the Hamptons, Las Vegas, London, Miami, New York City, Newport, and Philadelphia. It’s a step up in my opinion from La Cucina. (Any parent who’s being honest will tell you which child they really like best – mine’s Henry because he has a tail that wags when he sees me instead of pretending like I’m a creepy stranger he’s never met before at school pickup. And I slightly prefer the Encore to the Bliss.) Onda is also available on the Spirit, Prima, Viva and Aqua.
I’ve dined at Onda twice before, both times on the Spirit. My meals, including tonight’s, have always been excellent, although, like all specialty dining, I don’t think I’d pay retail for it. I used a Sapphire voucher, so it didn’t cost me anything. Without the voucher I would have paid 71. Here’s what I ordered:
Photo 1: Interior of Onda
Photo 2: Mezzelune pasta
Photo 3: Bread basket
Photo 4: Creamy polenta (highlight of the meal)
Photo 5: Fingerling potatoes (underwhelming)
Photo 6: Butterscotch budino (fabulous)
Photo 7: Rosemary lentils
More Food
More food (excellent buffet Indian and some emergency desserts I procured from the Observation Lounge on deck 15 forward). And yes, I still had room for dinner. It seems that instead of a single hollow leg, I was born with a complete set of hollow extremities (and some would argue a hollow head, but I dispute that).
Beatles Invasion
Tonight I saw Beatles Invasion, not to be confused with The Beatles Experience which I saw a few weeks ago on the Bliss, in the main theater. They were like a cover band of a cover band, but still very entertaining. The best part though was the two little girls in the front row dancing their hearts out. To them I say, whatever this crazy world throws at you, never NEVER stop dancing. And cruising! And for everyone else, if somewhere along the way someone made you feel insignificant or silly or insecure, make full use of your drink package and get back out there. Hands in the air, busting a move, not a care in the world. Because life is short. Dance! And keep cruising! Goodnight from the Encore!
Breakfast at The Local
I love so much about NCL, but why do they use raisin bread for all of their French toast? Honestly, there are a lot of things I’d rather find in my French toast than raisins. A hair, too short and coarse to have come from a head, for one. Arsenic residue for two. And a thumb tack for three. But for some reason, even knowing it comes with raisins, I still occasionally order French toast at The Local (complimentary pub restaurant open from 6am-3:30am) and contemplate going back to school to become a real doctor after precisely removing every trace of raisin prior to consuming.
Anyway, everything else was delicious and this remains one of my regular and favorite breakfast spots. Here’s what I ordered and the menu:
Photo 1: French toast
Photo 2: Post surgical French toast
Photo 3: Breakfast sandwich (hold the ham)
Photo 4: Seasonal fruit salad
photo 5: Menu
Sapphire
This is my first cruise since turning Sapphire on NCL (meaning I’ve spent roughly 150 days onboard) and I was eager to inquire about my new perks, including a special “dinner with officers.” So I stopped by the CruiseNext desk and asked my only burning question: “will the Captain be at the dinner?” to which I was told, “probably not, it could be anyone in a management position” to which I replied, “well in that case, I’ll pass. I don’t want to spend my dinner making small talk with the manager of the internet cafe while he complains about the 400 old ladies who are MY AGE who approached him at the desk that day inquiring as to why they need to turn on something called airplane mode on a cruise ship and doesn’t this place have a rotary phone they can use to call home to speak to their dog who suffers from anxiety. All while I’m wondering if I’ll ever have an opportunity to invite the Captain back to my swanky inside cabin to drink boxed water and snack on some buffet pizza from my mini-fridge.” To which the guy at the CruiseNext desk responded, “it seems like maybe you could benefit from the wine tasting event instead.” He also handed me this pin and tried to sell me some CruiseNext deposits which of course I purchased because, knowing me, I’ll probably be back on an NCL ship in like two weeks. Anyway, here’s some information about the Latitude events.
Pool Day Vibes + Hot Tip
Pool deck vibes on a sea day en route to Alaska. Hot tip: On a ship that sails to Alaska you want to be a hot tub. Why? Because you’re getting ALL the action. There’s probably also a lot of pee involved though, so I dunno. Maybe the thermal spa instead. For those wondering, even though it’s very cold outside, the pools and slides are open and they are running all the outdoor activities (Speedway, etc). They WILL close them for wind and rain though.
Behind the Scenes Tour
This afternoon I attended a complimentary Behind the Scenes ship tour offered as a loyalty perk to those Platinum and above. It was especially enjoyable for me, as we visited the largest galley onboard where a team of dedicated chefs work practically 24/7 preparing enough carbs and dessert to keep me satiated (there are several smaller galleys for the other 4,000 guests). Pictured here are my afternoon snacks and a Prof. Cruise-sized portion of pasta.
We also visited the laundry facility where I snapped some photos for those of you stuck at home, low key pissed at me for posting all of these cruise photos. To you I say, it could be worse, your laundry pile could look like this:
In all seriousness though, images of my fellow humans working 10-12 hour shifts below sea level at miserable, repetitive tasks like loading laundry machines gives me pause. I don’t have anything very profound or helpful to say about it other than simple luck of birth has allowed me this life where I get to travel the world, doing what I love and I will never take that for granted. And I hope I can pass along some of my good fortune where I can.
Dinner at Ocean Blue
While change is rarely good when it comes to cruising (because it usually involves cost saving measures), I was thrilled with the fairly recent change to one of the loyalty perks on NCL. Latitudes members Platinum and above receive two free meals at specialty restaurants, one of which includes a bottle of wine. However, it used to be limited to the steakhouse and usually (depending on the ship) a choice between the Italian restaurant or the French restaurant. However, now you can use the vouchers at almost any restaurant, so tonight I opted for a new one to me: Ocean Blue.
Ocean Blue is primarily a seafood restaurant. However, there are also a few land-sourced entrees and my meat eating friends will be shocked and elated to learn that tonight I ordered a steak. Wait for it…
…a cauliflower steak.
While as a vegetarian I’ve always found specialty dining on NCL especially frustrating (as quite a few of the restaurants don’t offer a single vegetarian entree on the menu), I was excited to see that Ocean Blue did. And it was delicious! Butchered and cooked to perfection (is it weird that I asked for a crucifer “good and bloody?”).
However, as someone who equates blue cheese with toe jam-filled moldy gym socks, I was disappointed to see that the only vegetarian starter course came with a blue cheese. You win some, you lose some. But Ocean Blue fought her way back into my heart with her chocolate on chocolate (with a few pieces of caramel corn to make it Instagram worthy) Valrhona dark chocolate mousse cake. Here’s everything I ordered:
Photo 1: Roasted cauliflower steak
Photo 2: Steamed asparagus with hollandaise sauce
Photo 3: Valrhona dark chocolate mousse cake
Photo 4: Bread service
Photo 5: Roasted beets (hold the blue “cheese”)
Photo 6: Potatoes au gratin
Production Show: The Choir of Man
Tonight I saw the Encore’s production of “Choir of Man.” This British musical created by Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay is set in a pub called “The Jungle” and features a cast of nine supremely talented musicians and vocalists. While short on plot, it couldn’t be more entertaining. From fresh arraignments of popular pop and rock songs to monologues written by performance poet Ben Norris to the working on-stage bar used before the show to serve up beers to those of us in the audience too cheap to purchase a beverage package, I’d have stayed for the second show at 10pm if I didn’t have to pee (note to self: go lighter on the free beer next time) and it wasn’t already an hour past my bedtime (#oldandlame).
In addition to being licensed by NCL to be performed on the Escape and Encore, it’s been seen at well-known venues around the world including the Sydney Opera House, the Arts Theater on the West End, and at the Moore Theater in my home city of Seattle. Speaking of which, I would have paid more to see this one show in Seattle than I paid for my entire cruise fare! And I hardly would have enjoyed it as my stomach slowly ate itself because I couldn’t afford dinner. I love cruising! And I LOVED this show. If you’re booked on the Encore, don’t miss it! You can make reservations in advance via the app, book once onboard, or join the standby line 15 minutes before show time (it wasn’t a full house tonight).
Buffet Breakfast
I decided to practice portion control at breakfast this morning, so I hit the buffet. And by portion control, I mean none of those “reasonable” portion sizes served in the main dining rooms. I subscribe to the Texas philosophy when it comes to breakfast: bigger = better.
A few words about the breakfast offerings at the buffet. You’ll find all the standard American favorites: breakfast meats, eggs (scrambled, cooked to order, and custom omelettes), breakfast potatoes, pancakes, French toast, waffles, toast, bagels, English muffins, fruit, packaged yogurt, individual-sized boxes of cereal, hot cereal (oatmeal, cream of wheat), and pastries. But here are the items I especially love:
1. Asian offerings
Before I “retired,” approximately 30 years before a respectable retirement age, to cruise with abandon, I worked as a college professor and used to take my students to China each summer where I grew accustomed to our daily breakfast feasts including garlic rice with egg. So I was thrilled to see garlic rice this morning on the Encore’s buffet (it was a glaring omission on my Bliss cruise a few weeks back). Not only is it delicious (mix it with a bit of scrambled egg and some extra scallions and fried onions), but it will guarantee you have your own row on your tour bus later in the afternoon (or in my case, my own tram car to scale Mt Roberts in Juneau: “Okay dragon breath, this one’s all yours – enjoy the views and hit the pharmacy for some Listerine later or risk being declared a biohazard and required to roll around in some sawdust before re-boarding your ship).
There are also several delicious Indian breakfast options (although the selection is more limited than what it was on the Bliss).
2. Hot iced cinnamon rolls
These are only available in one spot on the buffet (in the middle area), so be sure to look for them! Think of it as a delicious scavenger hunt!
3. Yogurt bar
Top some plain yogurt with granola (praise be, there were NO RAISINS I had to sift through like I was panning for gold), walnuts, frozen berries, and honey (available near the coffee stations). Way better than those yogurt parfaits you spend $45 for at the airport.
Lunch at Savor (complimentary MDR)
Today I enjoyed the 3rd of 3 rotating lunch menus on NCL. Somehow I missed it on the Bliss a few weeks ago, which I used to justify asking “how many portions of corn chowder do you have back there because that’s how many I plan to order.” Be sure to arrive to lunch early enough to be first in line if you end up on a ship with me or risk hearing, “I’m so sorry, but we’ve run out of the chowder” at 12:01pm.
Also, I know I promised I wouldn’t order any coffee-infused desserts so as to spare you my late-night caffeinated musings, but I accidentally asked for the mocha pot de creme because I just saw the pot part and figured it would *mellow* me. Oops, we’ll see what happens.
Here’s what I ordered:
Photo 1: Raspberry panna cotta
Photo 2: Mocha pot de crème
Photo 3: Spanish frittata
Photo 4: Corn chowder
The Bliss Joins us in Juneau
OMG, this is SO awkward. I was all torn up parting from the Bliss a few weeks ago and now she catches me onboard her SISTER like what we had meant nothing. In my defense, I caught her in an intimate moment with Holland America’s ms Noordam (I enter photo #2 into evidence).
Anyway, we’ve arrived at our first Alaska port, Juneau, and despite the cold temp and drizzly rain (last week’s cruise had blue skies and sun – be prepared for ANY conditions cruising to Alaska), the excitement is palpable. I love, love, love watching people experience this magical place for the first time. It’s one of the many, many things that keep me coming back over and over (and over) again.
I have tickets for the Goldbelt Tram (free with my $50 shore excursion credit) and I’m still trying to decide if I want to hike up the mountain and ride down or ride up and hike down. How many more desserts do I get at dinner tonight if I hike up?
Port Day in Juneau
Some scenes from my port day in Juneau. I hiked the Mt Roberts trail and used my Goldbelt excursion voucher (free with my $50 excursion credit) to ride the tram back down.
Photo 1: Me walking past the Goldbelt tram in order to hike up the mountain because I ate a lightly caffeinated dessert at lunch and now I’m ready to gooooooooo!
Photo 2: No line at Tracy’s King Crab Shack. Get there NOW.
Photo 3: 25 of the 25 times I’ve hiked this trail, I’ve said the exact same thing at this exact spot, “I can already hear my ass cussing me out tomorrow.”
Photo 4: Skunk cabbage. Eaten by bears emerging from hibernation to aid in digestion, so figured that since I ate a large lunch and just woke from a two hour nap it might do me some good. Hello from the medical center!
Photo 5: Without my 11-year-old here to pelt me with snowballs, I had to throw some at myself.
Photos 6: It’s good I wore appropriate shoes for a river crossing!
Photo 7: I see the stairs, but where’s the escalator?
Photo 8: Fun-guy, not to be confused with me: humdrum-gal.
Photo 9: Trail conditions at the top were not ideal. But I just pretended I was on one of those super pricey glacier walking excursions.
Photo 10: Ship peeping. Illegal in 49 states, but thankfully they don’t believe in government overreach here.
Fruit and Vegetable Carving
Fruit and vegetable carving, because sculptures are the only thing fruit and vegetables should be used for on a cruise ship.
Day 3 MDR Dinner
Tonight I dined in the MDR for the first time on this sailing, opting for Savor because it opened the earliest (5:30pm – we were at port late into the evening so the dinner hours for the main dining rooms were different from usual). While some fight against Father Time by acting younger than their biological age, I can’t wait to be of an appropriate age to dine at 4:30 without drawing any eyebrow raises or sarcastic comments like, “I think you left your walker back at your cabin.” Which I actually don’t take offense to, because I’ve been eyeing one of those walkers with a built-in seat for years – in fact waiting in line to disembark in Juneau yesterday I added it to my packing list for my next cruise in June (my kid will probably try to steal it though, so I’m hoping they sell them in a two pack).
Anyway, tonight I ordered a Waldorf salad which, while delicious, always reminds me of a dish you’d throw together with the remaining few items in your fridge just prior to a move – hmmmm, I’ve got lettuce, an apple, a celery stalk, some walnuts, and a nearly empty jar of mayo.
Here’s everything I ordered:
Photo 1: Rigatoni primavera with pesto
Photo 2: Waldorf salad
Photo 3: Brownie s’more
Photo 4: Bananas foster
Photo 5: Where is everyone? Oh right, the garlic breakfast rice.
Buffet Snack
Look at how the character in the Netflix show I’m binging is side-eyeing my buffet snack from tonight like, “haven’t you heard of the food pyramid and also the color wheel?”
Stabbing and Skagway Part I: “Summit Scenic Drive” Excursion
First, regarding the stabbing that occurred onboard the Encore on Monday and the arrest of a crew member in Juneau yesterday, I know nothing beyond the news articles I’ve received. As isn’t uncommon in my regular life, you all know much more than I do! I haven’t seen anything unusual and, so far, there has been no talk of it onboard. I deeply appreciate so many of you reaching out to make sure I’m okay though – thank you for that. And my heart goes out to the woman who was injured and her travel-mates and family and friends back home.
Hmmm, not sure how to transition from “woman stabbed” to “here’s what I did in Skagway today.” It’s probably best to just cut and paste a description of the excursion I did from the app, so I won’t accidentally say anything insensitive like “the wind was cutting” (it was though). So, here’s the description of the “Summit Scenic Drive:” Travel a picturesque highway that follows a trail created during the Gold Rush of 1898. Snap pictures while pausing at scenic lookouts with views of glaciers and waterfalls. Stop at the summit of White Pass, which marks the U.S. and Canadian border. Hear enlightening commentary that describes the area’s history and attractions.
While I almost never book cruise ship excursions anymore (they’re overpriced and often not that great), this one was 100% worth the price I paid for it: $0! I had a $50 per port shore excursion credit and this excursion was priced at $49. And it actually turned out to be a fairly enjoyable tour, one I would recommend as an inexpensive (or FREE) alternative to the White Pass Scenic Railway. It was a small bus (instead of a giant coach that takes half the allotted tour time to load and unload), our guide was informative and friendly, the scenery was beautiful (especially once we reached the tundra where it was snowing), and I enjoyed the company of my seat-mate who turned out to live near Seattle and recognized me from the blog. Best of all, it ran on-time and was over in 1.5 hours so I had plenty of morning left to explore a new trail system. Stay tuned!
Skagway Part II: Hiking Skagway
I spent the rest of my port day in Skagway exploring a new (to me) trail system within walking distance of the cruise ship piers. On my many prior visits here, I’ve covered the Dewey Lake trail system extensively and have hiked both upper and lower Reid Falls. Today I headed in the opposite direction toward Yakutana Point/Smugglers Cove/A.B. Mountain/Pet Cemetery.
Photo 1: Pedestrian Bridge. I was so thankful for my “cruise 15” because it saved me from blowing off the pedestrian bridge (one must cross in order to access this trail system) and into the Skagway River. I’m not sure the temp of that thing, but it’s glacial fed, so I’m assuming it’s not my preferred 101 degrees.
Photo 2-4: Views from Smugglers Cove.
Photo 5: A sketchy cave I ventured into in search of a bear to spoon (what, it was cold).
Photo 6: The outhouse I found five minutes after squatting down to pee behind a boulder before realizing I was in full display of two cruise ships on the other side of me. If you caught the show, I blame my attentive waiter at breakfast who kept offering me more juice.
Photo 7-8: The Pet Cemetery where I paid my respects to Patches, Muluk, Boomer, Chelsea, Jenny, and Hobbes.
Hot tip:
If you accidentally find yourself at the ice cream station in the Encore buffet after a chilly port day in Skagway, warm up with some hot made-to-order noodle soup.
Night 4 MDR Dinner
I’m neither an NCL loyalist/cheerleader nor am I a complainer – I’ll give it to you straight, but I’m nearly always happy just to be at sea with unlimited carbs and dessert. So, while I noticed some pretty significant cuts to the MDR dinner menu last night, new since my cruise on the Bliss just a few weeks ago, I didn’t bother mentioning them because I still enjoyed a great meal. But tonight? Some plan their specialty restaurant nights around prime rib or lobster, well I plan mine around skillet cornbread. And tonight was supposed to be skillet cornbread night! My waitress expressed concern that perhaps I’d lost a contact when she noticed me rooting around under my table to which I responded, “I see just fine, but for some reason I can’t find the skillet cornbread anywhere!”
I’ll continue to sail on NCL like 8 million times a year, but they WILL be hearing from me in ALL CAPS on my post-cruise survey and I’m thinking about calling in a tip to CBS. Yes, there’s that “other story” that all the networks are covering, but the real scoop? Cornbread!
Photo 1: Not skillet cornbread
Photo 3: Not skillet cornbread
Photo 4: Not skillet cornbread
Photo 5: Not skillet cornbread
Photo 5: An empty Manhattan Room. Because…no skillet cornbread!
Guess what today is? No, it’s not my birthday, but I accept gifts of chocolate and cruise credit 365. It’s Glacier Bay Day! And I’m giddier than a kid on Christmas morning waiting for the adults to finish their cigarettes and vodka/O.J.s out in the garage so she can open her presents (hopefully chocolate and cruise credit…I’m just going to keep dropping those hints). But seriously, speaking of gifts, I do accept chocolate and cruise credit. And also, I’m going to gift myself a day of quiet reflection to soak up the ethereal beauty of this spectacular place and won’t be posting again until this evening. In the meantime, for those lucky enough to be booked on an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay, here are my 17 tips for maximizing your day there.
Glacier Bay
From the glacial-carved mountains formed over hundreds of years to the glaciers themselves, continuing to change the landscape little by little in front of our very eyes. From the mother otters riding babies on their bellies to the mountain goats using cloven hooves to scale cliff sides, causing observers to speculate that they must be attached to invisible safety ropes descending from rafters in the sky. From graceful sea birds to thundering humpback whales. From quiet moments of solitude and reflection to the collective gasps of ship-mates gathered together from all over the world, briefly putting aside their differences to share with each other a place so few will ever be lucky enough to experience. From the smell of winter to the bite of cold on cheeks to the snowflakes landing on outstretched tongues. From the hot chocolate warming hands to the enriching commentary challenging minds. Today, despite my having been here over a dozen times before, was nothing short of…magic. John Muir, in “Travels in Alaska,” perfectly captures how I feel about Glacier Bay and why I’ll continue coming here again and again: “So abundant and novel are the objects of interest in a pure wilderness that unless you are pursuing special studies it matters little where you go, or how often to the same place. Wherever you chance to be always seems at the moment of all places the best; and you feel that there can be no happiness in this world or in any other for those who may not be happy here.”
Photos 1: Park ranger morning introduction (7:30am in the Observation Lounge)
Photo 2-3: Margarie Glacier (arrival time approximately 9am)
Photo 4: Park rangers transferring to their smaller vessel to head home
Photo 5: Park ranger presentation (1:30pm in the main theater)
Photo 6: Lamplugh Glacier (covered in freshly fallen snow)
Photo 7: Sailing through the Tarr Inlet
Lunch at The Local
While my goal is always to spend 25/24 hours outside on Glacier Bay day, I did venture inside to marathon eat lunch at The Local and to thaw my fingers and knock the icicles off my nose.
Because my brain was also half way toward a full cryogenic freeze and not capable of its usual introverted restraint, I went bold and ordered a “veggie burger” off-menu which they happily accommodated. So I decided to accept a challenge from my friend David, who’d heard there might be an off-menu hot fudge sundae available at The Local. My waitress responded to this second request by saying, “now you’re pushing your luck. What can I bring you next, some king crab and caviar?” to which I responded, “no thanks, I’m a vegetarian, just the sundae please.” Suffice it to say, I didn’t receive the sundae (I went with the best carrot cake at sea, or on land for that matter, instead) and will undoubtedly be a topic of conversation (consternation?) at the crew bar tonight.
The Best Dessert on the Encore
The best dessert on the Encore (so far – there’s still time for others to step up): Room service chocolate cake. There’s a $9.95 fee for room service delivery ($4.95 at breakfast) or you can mooch off your neighbor like I did (when I asked what they were doing for lunch upon seeing them in the hall, they said they were ordering room service and I was like, sooooooo…).
Night 5 dinner in the MDR
I’ve ordered so much carrot cake on this cruise, I keep checking my rear for a cottontail. At least no one can accuse me of not eating any vegetables. Also, the MDR was deserted again. I’m either being shunned or there’s some awful new virus no one is telling me about so I’ll continue to supply you with food porn during quarantine.
Photo 1: Fig and apple cobbler
Photo 2: Carrot cake (sugar free)
Photo 3: Potato gnocchi
Photo 4: Mozzarella and plum tomatoes
Photo 5: Hello? Anyone? I’m not much of a conversationalist, but at least I remembered to pack deodorant for once.
Woke up to this on my door. A) It’s not my birthday and B) I haven’t been 18 since the Clinton administration.
Port Day in Ketchikan (Ward Cove)
This morning I celebrated my 18th birthday out on the trails near the Ward Cove cruise ship pier wondering why I have the endurance and wrinkles of a 40-something-year-old. I also signed up for a wine tasting later, but now I’m wondering if they’ll turn me away for not being of drinking age. Anyway, it was a gorgeous day, overcast and cool in the morning (perfect for hiking), with blue skies and sun arriving just in time for a spectacular sail away. Here are some photos and highlights of my last port day in Alaska:
Photo 1: The Spirit docked next to us at Ward Cove. I love her both because I enjoyed an epic voyage on her through Hawaii AND Alaska a few years ago and also because I understand what it’s like to be towered over by much taller relatives.
Photo 2: While it’s a long-ish walk from the cruise pier to the trail system I hiked today, you could always just photograph the lovely views from the road and *pretend* you hiked.
Photo 3: Me to this slug: “You’re the whitest slug I’ve even seen.” Slug back to me: “I could say the same thing about you, lady.”
Photo 4: If a tree falls on Prof. Cruise in the forest, will her fellow passengers be thrilled with the sudden abundance of fried rice and desserts?
Photo 5: Perseverance Lake. There wasn’t any sun, but I donned the rainbow mirrored sunglasses for this photo because all the cool and successful cruise content creators wear them. I’m anticipating an increase in followers of at least 5, probably because they can’t see my face and think I’m someone else.
Photos 6: Nature’s stair stepper. I may actually have the ass of an 18-year-old after that!
Photo 7-9: Some additional scenery from the Frog Pond Trail —-> Perseverance Trail —-> Minerva Mountain Trail.
Photo 10: Sail away from Ward Cove.
Wines Around the World
I know less about wine than nuclear physics; I care less about wine than NFL football (even though I live within walking distance of the Seahawks stadium, I can’t name a single player); and I’d rather drink the juices of a wrung out mop after a weekend shift at Waffle House. Even so (and please forgive me for everything I just said, having managed to once again offend 100% of my readers), I always really enjoy Wines Around the World, which is a complimentary wine tasting for Latitudes members (that’s NCL’s loyalty program) who are Platinum and above.
There were four different stations set up at Cellars/Onda, representing four different countries: Italy, France, Argentina, and the United States. We tasted two wines, a red and white, from each country, for a total of eight wines. For each wine we learned about where the grapes were grown and how the location affected the characteristics of the wine. Information about acidity, tannins, sweetness and alcohol content was also provided. We were able to rinse our wine glasses out after each pour and crunchy breadsticks were provided as a palate cleansers. Pours were generous, so while I’m normally a cheap drunk, today I was a free drunk!
While Wines Around the World is complimentary for those Platinum and above, it’s required that you register in advance. Stop by the CruiseNext desk on embarkation day to find out when and where it will take place and to sign up (today it was at 1pm).
Night 6 Dinner in the MDR
Dinner, normally my most anticipated and pleasurable time of day (because it’s the largest meal), began tonight with an ugly episode of hives, triggered by my fear of seeded bread (which I love, but which also usually brings the “scrapper of shame”) and olives (which belong on the fingers of 4-year-olds, not anywhere near a tastebud).
When the section supervisor noticed my distress, she validated my concerns and agreed to personally inspect my puttanesca for olives and hold my hand and play some serene music through headphones for me during the crumb removal procedure.
While that last paragraph was a poor attempt at fiction writing, the service I’ve received in the MDR so far this sailing has been almost that outstanding. Tonight the section supervisor stopped by my table no fewer than 3 times (maybe because I was pretty much the only person in The Manhattan Room again, so making her rounds basically involved a continual loop around my table) and my waitress never let my water glass get below 90% full.
Turns out there was only 1/4 an olive in my entire entree and the crumbs were removed from my tablecloth before I even had time to caste my eyes down in shame. All’s well that ends well and tonight ended with Snickers pound cake and eclairs.
I’m off to bed early because the forecast looks promising for aurora viewing tonight (all that water at dinner should have me up every two hours anyway).
Photo 1: Snickers pound cake
Photo 2: Eclairs
Photo 3: Bread of shame
Photo 4: Baked Brie salad
Photo 5: Spaghetti puttanesca
Photo 6: 1/4th an olive too many
Photo 7: Zombie apocalypse?
Aurora Borealis
Only two things will get me up in the middle of the night on a cruise. A midnight buffet (RIP) and this…
Sunrise
As we enter Mother’s Day weekend, a shoutout to Mother Nature for putting on quite the show for us over the past 24 hours. I think she was overcompensating for a bit of mom guilt for leaving her kid for 7 days. Oh wait, that’s ME. But I do think she was feeling bad for all the dreary, wet weather we had for our first 5 days. A good lesson for cruising and life: Better days are coming, but in the meantime, eat.
Beatles Invasion: The Later Years
On this final sea day, I attended an afternoon performance of The Beatles Invasion and when I saw “Paul” step out from behind the speaker barefoot, I wondered if I could pull that off at dinner in the MDR tonight (for science, to test just how casual NCL really is). But then I worried it might cause rumors of my demise (did she finally pop?) similar to those prompted by the famous Abbey Road cover photo featuring Paul McCartney walking along sans shoes as the only ghostly member of a funeral procession. Plus I’m already taking home 10 pounds worth of cellulite as an unwanted souvenir and really don’t want to hop up on the scale at my Weight Watchers meeting sporting an embarrassing toe fungus.
Ice Cream
I think the crew member serving the (complimentary and excellent, with a bunch of rotating flavors) ice cream at the buffet heard me in line saying, “I’m going home tomorrow – I’m about to SMASH all this ice cream” and then proceeded to serve me up two scoops sized for a dieting ant.
Mystery Solved!
I’ve finally solved the mystery of the abandoned MDR, and sadly MANY of you are out whatever money you placed on my ability to drive away the masses with the combination of my smell, personality, and inappropriate attire (yes, there’s chocolate sauce down the front of my sweatshirt, but at least I decided against going shoeless!). Based on a poll I took in the bacon line this morning (I don’t even eat bacon, but that’s where I found the largest and most representative group of cruisers from which to sample), it turns out that no one under the age of 115 dines at 4:45 (service starts at 5pm in the Manhattan Room, but they will seat guests starting at 4:45) with further explanation as follows: “Are they missing you at the nursing home? Or are you just exceptionally dull – we’re still getting around from the night before at 4:45!” So, that’s that. Am I dull? Proudly so! And currently enjoying the best aft-view table in the MDR in total silence, allowing me to ponder important questions such as, “I wonder if cruise ships think of me as often as I think of them.”
Final dinner, WAY too salty through no fault of the chef, but rather due to a shower of tears lasting all three courses.
Photo 1: Roasted vegetable salad with (no) goat cheese
Photo 2: Spinach and ricotta stuffed pepper
Photo 3: Nutella crème brûlée
Photo 4: Warm chocolate lava cake
Photo 5: Bread service
Victoria, B.C.
Yes, cruise ships on closed-loop Alaska sailings from US ports (mostly Seattle and San Francisco) are required to stop in Victoria, BC in order to comply with the Passenger Vessel Services Act. And yes, most 7-night itineraries don’t arrive in Victoria until later in the evening (most around 8pm). But you should NOT consider this a wasted port stop or elect to stay on your ship. I WILL travel from my home in Seattle to drag you off. But I shouldn’t have to, because you should be lining up hours early in the stairwell (prompting multiple announcements to “please make yourself comfortable in one of our public spaces until the ship is cleared”) to feast your eyes on these views (all these photos were taken on a short walk from my ship, but downtown Victoria is also gorgeous at night and easy to get to via shuttle bus or a long walk)…
Sad Sight
There are worse things in life – the loss of a loved one, being buried alive, and a hot poker to the eye. I mean, there might be others, but that’s all I’ve got at the moment. The point is, this really stinks.
Farewell
Earlier this afternoon, we had the opportunity to acknowledge and thank officers and crew from each department as part of NCL’s traditional farewell event. While my eye was on the Captain and his humble, shy manner (or maybe he was just trying to avoid eye contact with me so I wouldn’t pass out, causing a “code alpha”), it was the “washy washy” guys who stole the show.
While I’m not sure how much crew members actually enjoy this event, I always find it quite moving, especially this time. There was a deluge of media attention around the stabbing that took place on our sailing, but the real story of every cruise is how crew members from dozens of different countries (65 on the Encore) leave their homes, families, and communities to work long hours for months at a time in order to make a better life for themselves and their loved ones. And they bring the richness of their stories, experiences, and traditions to those of us lucky enough to be onboard as passengers. I’m thankful to every one of them and hope the cruise industry is a net positive in their lives (it certainly isn’t perfect).
I also want to acknowledge all the wonderful fellow passengers and locals I met on this sailing. From the pair of first-time cruising sisters I sat next to at embarkation day lunch to the woman celebrating her 90th birthday to those who recognized me from my blog or social media sites and took the time to introduce themselves and offer some (far too) kind words about my content, to those “online friends” I finally met in person. I know we don’t all see eye to eye on everything in our “real lives,” but out at sea all that falls away. With the vast ocean below us and the vast sky above us, we bond over a shared passion, a good meal, a whale spout, a glacier calving, and ribbons of light dancing around us in the quiet dark of night.
And finally, for those of you who followed along with me at home, thank you for making me laugh and laughing at my dumb jokes, sharing your amazing experiences and photos, calling me out when I got something wrong, and teaching me far more than I could ever teach you.
So with that, cruise on and…
Class Dismissed.
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