Escape out of Port Canaveral or Encore out of Miami in March?

[TominNC]

We've gone out of PC before and we've cruised on Encore out of Miami.  Miami is easier and Encore is a very nice ship.  So much to do.  Then there's the observation lounge.  Also, being a bit further south Miami can be a better choice in March.  Get to the warmer weather sooner.

[ChiefMateJRK]

We haven't sailed out of Miami yet, but twice out of PC.  The 40 minute drive is nothing.  I've used both rental car and shared ride shuttle.  Next time I'll likely just use Uber/Lyft.  Both times we've stayed at the Hyatt inside the MCO airport terminal, which can't be beat for convenience if you plan to use a rental car or an NCL transfer or similar airport to port transfer.  I used to get great corporate rental car rates, so they would come out the winner from a price standpoint.  Now I focus on convenience/comfort and it is really hard to beat Uber/Lyft.

[blueslily]

My last NCL cruise was on the Encore. Sure it's newer with more bells and whistles, but it also has some limitations with open deck space which I value a lot for Caribbean cruises. (Minus, the Vibe being added into the calculation, but i dont pay for that option so it also takes away from free, outdoor, open deck space for everyone to enjoy.)  Yes, it has a large Observation Lounge that some people enjoy and value having available, but I want to be outside, not indoors, on a Caribbean cruise. To me, I would value that more on colder climate cruises, not the Caribbean. And, all those fancy indoor activities that might be attractive for teens and the outdoor stuff like that big race track, it all takes up prime outdoor deck space as well. I loved the entertainment and dining 

for sure, but I'm passing on heading back to Encore any time soon. I'm sailing on Escape in January/February. I've learned that newer isn't always better. 

 

Regarding the departure location, no problem with PC. 

 

This is  a great question. Thanks for posting it. 😁🙋‍♀️🛳

Edited October 29, 2022 by blueslily
Fixed my spelling error

[dbrown84]

34 minutes ago, blueslily said:

My last NCL cruise was on the Encore. Sure it's newer with more bells and whistles, but it also has some limitations with open deck space which I value a lot for Caribbean cruises. (Minus, the Vibe being added into the calculation, but i dont pay for that option so it also takes away from free, outdoor, open deck space for everyone to enjoy.)  Yes, it has a large Observation Lounge that some people enjoy and value having available, but I want to be outside, not indoors, on a Caribbean cruise. To me, I would value that more on colder climate cruises, not the Caribbean. And, all those fancy indoor activities that might be attractive for teens and the outdoor stuff like that big race track, it all takes up prime outdoor deck space as well. I loved the entertainment and dining 

for sure, but I'm passing on heading back to Encore any time soon. I'm sailing on Escape in January/February. I've learned that newer isn't always better. 

 

Regarding the departure location, no problem with PC. 

 

This is  a great question. Thanks for posting it. 😁🙋‍♀️🛳

yes, this is definitely a great post/question.  I was leaning towards the escape anyway, but I've decided the Escape is the choice for me.  I also enjoys the outdoor space, so spice H2O wins it for me over the observation lounge.  I've never had an issue with the travel to the PC port.  I use the shuttle from a very nice husband/wife couple without a problem at all.  The ride is about 45 minutes but it goes so fast, that it seams like 10 minutes.