Table Of Content

All in all, we found it to be excellent value for money, adding to the overall comfort of our vacation. Curious about when to book your own Alaska cruise for optimal weather? Don’t miss our in-depth article on the best time for an Alaska cruise, where we break down the pros and cons of each season and month. After this nature-filled morning, we explored downtown Ketchikan. The area is a historical goldmine, featuring landmarks like Creek Street and buildings dating back to the early 1900s.
Dinner and Some Laughs
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From exciting activities at sea to our complimentary youth programs, Splash Academy and Entourage, we have something to keep everyone happy. Plus, with a wide range of accommodations and enough dining choices to satisfy even the pickiest eaters, seeing Alaska with Norwegian means everyone gets a vacation-even mom and dad. But, the real draw for entertainment on the Norwegian Encore cruise ship is the signature production show, Choir of Man. From rock classics like Guns and Roses, to modern pop from Sia and Adelle, to a little Jimmy Buffett, the show is a nonstop, high-energy 75 minutes of fun. The Jungle, also known as the local pub, is the setting where these talented lads share their personal stories alongside song and dance. They even invite the audience to join in on a brew and toast to a memorable night.
Onboard Amenities & Dining
Topsiders Bar & Grill pretty much just had pool grub, like burgers and hot dogs. On a warm summer day, this might hit the spot, but we weren’t really impressed with the quality of food offered here. Staff will direct you through the remaining steps, from the security checkpoint and collecting your room key, etc. First, you can check any luggage you don’t want to drag around the ship before your rooms are ready. Norwegian Cruise Line staff will place a tag on your bag with the correct room number to deliver to later.
Balcony
We’re committed to sharing our hard-earned knowledge to help you embark on the adventure you’ve been dreaming of. This review focuses on the itinerary, not the cruise line we chose. Thanks to this, you can select an Alaska cruise with any cruise line but with a similar itinerary because different lines have identical travel routes.
Related Cruises
One benefit of a Norwegian cruise line is the wide variety of options for different restaurants and cuisines offered. So doing some light math, let’s say you start drinking in the early afternoon and have one drink per hour. Then you go to dinner and switch to wine, let’s say you have 2 glasses ($9 + $15).
Why Read This Alaska Cruise Review – Our Experiences
One of our best value land tours for time-conscious guests offering an up close Denali experience, tour of Alaska’s largest city and moderate hotel properties. A comprehensive Alaska Denali program in only six days, complete with riverboat and railroad experiences as well as a preview of Denali’s incredible wilderness. Learn why our ships are uniquely designed for the best glacier experiences. Learn about the latest ships and destinations by browsing hundreds of questions (and the answers to those questions) posted by real cruisers. If you happen not to find what you’re looking for, you can even post a question of your own.
Since today was a late port of call, the main dining room was open for lunch. Thus, we decided to grab a bigger lunch since we didn’t know how long we’d be out in Juneau or what our dinner plans would be. After the show, we felt it was only proper to round out our night at the District Brewhouse.

Many of the cell towers will work for main cell phone carriers without any additional charges. Jake and I opted for a budget room, so we got an inside stateroom. Honestly, the room was small, but it was clean and had enough space for the two of us. But, if we had to choose again, we probably would have paid the extra cost to get a balcony room. Both pools are heated making them a comfortable temperature even in cold weather.
Staterooms On The Norwegian Jewel
This isn’t a sponsored post; we paid for this cruise ourselves and are sharing both the pros and cons to give you an unbiased view. Alaska cruises are generally divided into two types, Inside Passage cruises and Gulf of Alaska cruises. Gulf of Alaska cruises cover more territory as they travel from Vancouver through the Inside Passage and up to Seward/Anchorage (or the reverse). Airfare for a Gulf of Alaska cruise is generally more expensive because Anchorage is so far north. While our Norwegian Encore cruise ship balcony was smaller than some other balconies in the industry, we highly recommend a balcony cabin especially in Alaska. When booking with the popular Free at Sea promotion, cruisers will receive the Norwegian Cruise Line Premium Beverage Package.
This building is quite large but is basically just a gift shop and tour meeting area. Sipping the signature smoked peach margarita, we stayed for a bit before calling it a night. For entrees, I decided to order the appetizer-portion of chicken quesadillas with the Mexican corn and Don ordered the cochinita pibil. The fried beignets were the weakest portion of this meal and did not compare to the similar option we had on Norwegian Prima last year.
Personally, we weren’t really that impressed with the Norwegian Cruise Line food. While there definitely was a nice variety of options, it just seemed like everything was mass-produced and lacked flavor. There is also the option to upgrade to the Premium Plus Drink Package which includes many higher-end liquors and wines for an additional $29 per day. Hopefully, you can estimate the total # of drinks you plan to have on the cruise to see if it fits into your budget.
This casual, urban beer hall is home to one of the most extensive beer lists found on any cruise ship. Our cruise featured several Alaskan brews on tap, boasting over 20 beers on tap and up to 50 ales, lagers, and stouts in total. In the evenings, Ryan offered a variety of pub-style tunes alternating between guitar and piano, making for some lively nights in this venue. The venue had me at fresh, warm baguettes, but it also features other decadent French food, like escargot and coq au vin. The bigger the table, the better, as cruisers are entitled to 4 selections each when redeeming a specialty dining credit. In the Observation Lounge, cruisers could also enjoy audio lectures on topics like the History of Alaska.
Likewise, we had reservations for the onboard attractions, and the process moved rather swiftly. As mentioned previously, we recommend securing reservations early, but you can go standby if need be. It featured a somewhat larger shower with a glass door and plenty of counter space and shelves for storage. According to NCL’s website, this stateroom was approximately 214 square feet with a 38 square foot balcony. This forward-located stateroom is considered a BA category cabin.
In order to not feel overwhelmed by the size of the Norwegian Encore, I highly recommend that you study the ship’s deck plans prior to departing on your Alaska cruise. Hidden at the top of the ship, The Haven suites also feature 24-hour butler service and a private sundeck. Different ports of call on a cruise to Alaska include Sitka, Icy Point Strait, Dawes Glacier, Valdez, Seward, Whittier, and more.
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