Library on Encore?

This is more important to us than the laundry! The libraries on the triplets were small but very satisfactory. We will be on our first O-class ship in March. What availability and selection can we anticipate? I can load up my tablet, but I prefer an old-fashioned book and the surprises that lurk on IRL shelves.

On the O class ships there are bookshelves lining some of the walls in Seabourn Square filled with books you can read while onboard. Can't say what they offer on the Encore.

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This is more important to us than the laundry! The libraries on the triplets were small but very satisfactory. We will be on our first O-class ship in March. What availability and selection can we anticipate? I can load up my tablet, but I prefer an old-fashioned book and the surprises that lurk on IRL shelves.

From the title you are asking about the Encore (which I cannot comment on) but the post itself references O-Class ships - if you are referring to Quest/Odyssey/Sojourn - the Libraries are very well stocked - I have always found excellent selections

I am assuming the Encore will follow this model, but I thought I better check my assumption...

There was a good selection of books throughout the square on Encore. I can't say I studied them in depth but from a cursory glance they seemed to cover a diverse range of genres.

It's also worth mentioning that the iPads in the square carry an extensive range of newspapers from around the world on them and are free to view. You don't need to use your internet allowance.

Henry :)

The "library" of Encore consists of 9 shelves of hardback books, each shelp about a yard wide. Then there is a much smaller area of travel books such as country guides, plus some coffee table books scattered under them such as atlases, art, sports and design books.

The number of books is roughly the same as on the Odyssey class ships while this ship holds 150 more passengers. And there is no paperback swap area allocated as on the Ody ships. So it's form over function and does not stand up to scrutiny.

If you want a real library then I propose the QM2. I always travel with paperbacks.

Happy and healthy sailing!

Actually, there are cabinets underneath the shelves that are also filled with books. All are hardbacks and seem to be brand new. And you can load up a kindle. I don't think you will be disappointed

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The library is managed by Elliott Bay Bookstore in Seattle, one of our favorites! It was a fine selection--because we were on for two segments (Sydney - Bali - Singapore) we got two cracks at the inventory. A good mix of contemporary and classic fiction, and some timely non-fiction as well.

There is space for guest "take one/leave one" but it is awkward to access, on a couple of the lower shelves. You have to be desperate and undignified and haul up a chair or squat on the floor. That stock is variable, as you might expect, but we found some good traders.

Kindle loading pre-cruise is always an option, of course, but we really appreciated the good selection of real books.

we found the "library" on Encore extremely small to cater for 600 people! IMO, much smaller than the O Class ships. I wouldn't travel without an e reader of some sort.:(

I thought that there was a good variety of novels on board the Encore. There are plenty of books in the cabinets below the shelves, which were replenished often. It was lovely to have access to so many new books. There are also a variety of special interests books in the low curved bookshelves which surround the central desk area, including a range by the 'Wellness Guru', Andrew Weil.