Encore / Live / Solo(*)- Dec 1-8-2019...

[cruise4family]

Thank you for taking us along.  I always enjoy your reviews and your photos and commentary are great.

[BigNance]

HMMM How was that mango margarita?  DH just bought some mango nectar/juice to try and I might try it in that form!!

[sid_9169]

I was up at Vibe, and Rommel started making up a row of shots, and said that he had a special toast for us all... He handed out the shot glasses, and people were gathered around. All the sudden, a guy gets down on one knee and whips out a ring...

 

Now, this couple (who I've been in Vibe with before on the Escape, Bliss, and now the Encore. And, I always thought they were married) are engaged, and they couldn't think of any better setting than their happy place, with Rommel and the guys up in Vibe...

 

I asked Rommel if he wanted me to do the next toast, and he just laughed... He still remembers the time on the Escape when we were going around making toasts... When they got to me, I let loose and extremely graphic toast, to say the least... He still talks about it even to this day...

[sid_9169]

11 minutes ago, cruise4family said:

Thank you for taking us along.  I always enjoy your reviews and your photos and commentary are great.

They have a drink called the mango meltdown, which has rum, amaretto, mango, and strawberry syrup... I've been getting just the mango and tequila for years... It's great when it's hot outside...

[Beachiekeen]

So far nothing about the ship is appealing.  I just don't understand camping out all day at the OL and sleeping.  Visiting with friends or your SO, having some snacks, admiring the view, reading, yes.  But to think of that beautiful lounge being overrun with people sleeping is just distasteful to me.  And that pool deck.  Yikes.  I would have to stay in the Haven to enjoy this ship and that is never happening.  And the whole concept of having to pay $400 for my husband and I to enjoy time alone away from kids IF we could even manage to do so is also equally distasteful.  Sorry NCL, it's your smaller ships or nothing for me I think.

 

But Sid I'm still enjoying your review and hope you have a wonderful time!  What are your thoughts on the ship so far?

Edited December 3, 2019 by Beachiekeen

[BigNance]

Awww! I love the proposal~~

[sid_9169]

I haven't checked out the Social since boarding day... They just finished the art auction, so it's a bit of a mess... I did snap a few pictures...

 

[sid_9169]

This one looks like Jeffrey Epstein... I don't think he was a comedian, though...

 

[sid_9169]

[sid_9169]

 

Some more of the cool artwork at the guest services desk...

 

[sid_9169]

 

[luvcruzing]

I guess the proposal couple didn’t want you to share a photo?

[yankfan]

Hi - Thanks for the review. We will be on next week! Looking forward to it!

Just have a few Vibe Beach questions - how much was it for the week? I read "somewhere" that it is much larger than Escape and Bliss - do you have a sense of how many passes there are for sale?

 

Thanks so much!! Enjoy the rest of your trip....will be following along!

[sid_9169]

Just now, yankfan said:

Hi - Thanks for the review. We will be on next week! Looking forward to it!

Just have a few Vibe Beach questions - how much was it for the week? I read "somewhere" that it is much larger than Escape and Bliss - do you have a sense of how many passes there are for sale?

 

Thanks so much!! Enjoy the rest of your trip....will be following along!

Yes, Vibe is twice as big as Escape or Bliss... I believe they sold around two hundred or so passes, and they're $209 person for a seven day cruise...

[yankfan]

3 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

Yes, Vibe is twice as big as Escape or Bliss... I believe they sold around two hundred or so passes, and they're $209 person for a seven day cruise...

Thanks so much!!

 

[david_sobe]

Oh wow, all those feet on the furniture and disgusting people doing stuff in the pool.  The ship is brand new and the pool has to be closed and drained for cleaning?  I think the human race is failing.   "My kid pooped in the pool and all I got was this lousy T shirt"  😖

Edited December 3, 2019 by david_sobe

[PortFees45]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Re:  Coughing dude.....never have I encountered more rude and narcissistic people as I have on a cruise....ON ANY CRUISE LINE!

 

Re:  “C”.....I’ve made the I feel badly for the “ex”.  Let me try an be nice/do something together to make her feel good, again.  After 24 hours...”oh yeah, now I remember”!  God Bless you for including her.  You’ll get points for that, I’m sure!

 

Carry on.  Loving it!

Cruising is all about the juxtaposition of the best of mother nature and the worst of humanity. 

[coastcat]

1 hour ago, smplybcause said:

So I've been thinking about the foot problem and I think it mostly comes down to unrealistic expectations given the circumstances. Encore is a ship that's currently sailing around the Caribbean, where even though it's winter days are usually in the 80s (mayyyybe high 70s) and everyone is escaping the cold. The vast majority of the passengers are walking around in flip flops or sandals - ie shoes that you do not wear socks with - yet the expectation is that they wear socks on the furniture. So you're expecting them to have socks even though the majority aren't wearing footwear that requires socks. Expectations =/= reality. And expecting people to carry around socks with them is also unrealistic. 

 

If they actually want people to wear something covering their feet then it would be much more likely to happen if there were foot coverings to be had in the location - removing the need for passengers to not only carry around something that's only needed in one specific area but also removing the need to remember that.

 

I was on Bliss in Alaska, in late September, and spent many hours in the OL.

 

Bare feet everywhere.

 

Edited December 3, 2019 by coastcat

[Greenpea2]

2 hours ago, smplybcause said:

So I've been thinking about the foot problem and I think it mostly comes down to unrealistic expectations given the circumstances. Encore is a ship that's currently sailing around the Caribbean, where even though it's winter days are usually in the 80s (mayyyybe high 70s) and everyone is escaping the cold. The vast majority of the passengers are walking around in flip flops or sandals - ie shoes that you do not wear socks with - yet the expectation is that they wear socks on the furniture. So you're expecting them to have socks even though the majority aren't wearing footwear that requires socks. Expectations =/= reality. And expecting people to carry around socks with them is also unrealistic. 

 

If they actually want people to wear something covering their feet then it would be much more likely to happen if there were foot coverings to be had in the location - removing the need for passengers to not only carry around something that's only needed in one specific area but also removing the need to remember that.

 

To be honest it doesn't bother me that much -- do you think people are wearing socks when they're on the furniture in the rooms? Probably bare feet are all over that couch/chair in your cabin. And I would think the bottoms of shoes would be much grosser. 

I will not be sleeping well tonight.

[Greenpea2]

1 hour ago, sid_9169 said:

 

LOVING these shots.

[Steff79]

have you a reservation for go karts and Lasertag? Wonder if it is a normal laser tag or a virtual laser tag? do people play laser tag the wohle day or only in the evenings?

 

will you go to see choir of man and kinky boots?

 

great pics, thanks,

Edited December 3, 2019 by Steff79

[ceilidh1]

At the start of this review I was thinking that the ship looked pretty empty in sid’s pictures. Then we started to get the pool deck shots. No thanks. Not appealing at all to me! I would have to do Haven if I sailed this one....

[BohJang]

On 11/29/2019 at 1:32 PM, Greenpea2 said:

Thus is great! I was thinking the last time, that maybe we could help him out with this. Of course, he may trot out a tiny bit of OCD and not trust us to get every name. Lol. So nice that you did this.

Darn - I'm so late checking in.  Between a wedding in Colorado, Thanksgiving festivities,and jury duty this is the first chance I've had to catch up on the review.  Enjoying Sid's adventures as always.

[smplybcause]

48 minutes ago, Steff79 said:

have you a reservation for go karts and Lasertag? Wonder if it is a normal laser tag or a virtual laser tag? do people play laser tag the wohle day or only in the evenings?

 

will you go to see choir of man and kinky boots?

 

great pics, thanks,

 

Not sure what virtual laser tag is. I'm assuming it's the same setup as Bliss where the targets are on the gun that you're shooting - so no cumbersome vest to put on and no one can hide but stick their gun out to shoot. If you die you have to go to a respawn site for your team and refresh your gun before heading back out. 

[Steff79]

2 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

Not sure what virtual laser tag is. I'm assuming it's the same setup as Bliss where the targets are on the gun that you're shooting - so no cumbersome vest to put on and no one can hide but stick their gun out to shoot. If you die you have to go to a respawn site for your team and refresh your gun before heading back out. 

at the preview for encore laser tag they told that you see virtual things at the laser tag, i think you play it with glasses. But now i never read or heard soething about.