NCL Encore vs. DCL Alaska Cruise Pros and Cons

[BWV Dreamin]

While in Glacier Bay, go to the Deck 8 Helipad for great views. I think they were bringing out hot soup as I was leaving.

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I always go to Mendenhall Glacier when in Juneau. It’s not the most spectacular, but it usually combined with a whale watch excursion. The walk to Nugget Falls is fairly easy (and paved). The glacier is receding every year. (This photo is more about the Falls than the glacier! You get a much better view from the Welcome Center.)

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It took me ten years to finally get to Tracy’s Crab Shack in Juneau. The King Crab legs are expensive, but worth it. (Snow crab legs, first round, shown in photo). Share a table with other cruisers.
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NCL Encore in Ward Cove - and the area surrounding.View attachment 712125
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Our Juneau stop is 2:30p-11:00p. Will there be more light later in the evening? We are sailing in May. Photos are awesome! Thank you!

 

[jimmymc]

Our Juneau stop is 2:30p-11:00p. Will there be more light later in the evening? We are sailing in May. Photos are awesome! Thank you!

It will be light out until around 10. Most of the shops and restaurants close at 7 or 8, so don't wait too long.

 

[auntlynne]

Thank you for all of your photos and advice! Do you have to pay in full first before booking your dining? Onda is definitely one we are choosing Ocean Blue ( I think that’s the name) for our specialty dining. Good to hear about Coke!! Now if they would only carry decaf Coke! Soda is included in the promo drink package.

I think I booked within a month of my sail date, so would have been PIF immediately. And I can’t remember how I did the reservations.

From the NCL website:

”When can I pre-book Dining and Entertainment?

Reserving dining and entertainment before your cruise can help you plan ahead and make sure that you do not miss out on our most popular shows and restaurants. You can pre-book these onboard activities myncl.com following the schedule below
Suites and Haven
130 days prior to sailing
Club Balcony Staterooms
125 days prior to sailing
All other staterooms
• For sailings that are 6 days or less and are not a holiday sailing, 90 days prior to sailing
• For sailings that are 6 days or less and are a holiday sailing, 120 days prior to sailing
• For sailings that are 7 days or more, 120 days prior to sailing“

If you are in a Club Balcony - 125 days out. Payment is probably due about that time?

I picked first night for one of my dinners. So empty. Since this is not Disney’s unique Rotational Dining, you aren’t necessarily missing something special.

Coke - the switchover from Pepsi started with the Maiden. Osage if the Primathis summer. It is supposed to be fleet-wide by the end of this year. As for caffeine-free, we can barely find it in our grocery stores in AL. Diet CF is a little more available. The reason stated was a lack of aluminum cans due to the increase in craft beers. It was ore available as a 2-liter.

Since it was Pepsi, I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to soda, but I think I got some ginger ale.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

 

[auntlynne]

Our Juneau stop is 2:30p-11:00p. Will there be more light later in the evening? We are sailing in May. Photos are awesome! Thank you!

Those photos are to whet your appetite - or just keep the fire going. (Yep, mixed metaphors.)

Sunset in early May is 9 pm. And jimmymc is right - the light will linger til at least 10 pm.

I don’t think I have gotten there that late; I love a whale watch. Will be curious to hear if they are running for you. I think it’s only about one hour or two on the water, so it seems plausible they will be offered.

If eating crabs at Tracy’s, they were open til 9 pm at the beginning of the season this year (opened April 27).

I’m guessing all-aboard is 10-10:30. And we have always been docked at the AJ pier, so it’s a short shuttle ride from the center of town.

It might be a good cruise for a visit to Mendenhall if there aren’t a lot of big options for excursions; it’s always a nice visit.

 

[jimmymc]

Those photos are to whet your appetite - or just keep the fire going. (Yep, mixed metaphors.)

Sunset in early May is 9 pm. And jimmymc is right - the light will linger til at least 10 pm.

I don’t think I have gotten there that late; I love a whale watch. Will be curious to hear if they are running for you. I think it’s only about one hour or two on the water, so it seems plausible they will be offered.

If eating crabs at Tracy’s, they were open til 9 pm at the beginning of the season this year (opened April 27).

I’m guessing all-aboard is 10-10:30. And we have always been docked at the AJ pier, so it’s a short shuttle ride from the center of town.

It might be a good cruise for a visit to Mendenhall if there aren’t a lot of big options for excursions; it’s always a nice visit.

Mendenhall is a great, easy excursion. Just find a booth at the port with bus tickets, usually $40pp round trip. At the Glacier there are trails ranging from 0.3 to 6 miles.

 

[auntlynne]

Mendenhall is a great, easy excursion. Just find a booth at the port with bus tickets, usually $40pp round trip. At the Glacier there are trails ranging from 0.3 to 6 miles.

I have ridden the Blue Bus, myself. I have heard of families renting a car for less money than that $40 pm adds up to. It’s a research project - but they have time. I think they have added some new trails to the left as you enter. One was an elevated boardwalk. I usually just do the Nugget Falls Trail. Love the stream that flows down and under the little bridge.

We did a photography whale watch + Mendenhall trip - got some great trail photos.

On the first AK cruise, sometimes the challenge is paring down the wish list of excursions.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I have ridden the Blue Bus, myself. I have heard of families renting a car for less money than that $40 pm adds up to. It’s a research project - but they have time. I think they have added some new trails to the left as you enter. One was an elevated boardwalk. I usually just do the Nugget Falls Trail. Love the stream that flows down and under the little bridge.

We did a photography whale watch + Mendenhall trip - got some great trail photos.

On the first AK cruise, sometimes the challenge is paring down the wish list of excursions.

I know just no time to do it all!!

 

[jimmymc]

I have ridden the Blue Bus, myself. I have heard of families renting a car for less money than that $40 pm adds up to. It’s a research project - but they have time. I think they have added some new trails to the left as you enter. One was an elevated boardwalk. I usually just do the Nugget Falls Trail. Love the stream that flows down and under the little bridge.

We did a photography whale watch + Mendenhall trip - got some great trail photos.

On the first AK cruise, sometimes the challenge is paring down the wish list of excursions.

Yes, they now have a little boardwalk area over some of the streams and marshes near the visitor center. These are great because they are handicap-accessible and you can see salmon swimming upstream. It's like an easy to reach, convenient taste of being in Alaskan nature.

 

[lklgoodman]

I just did a post on the main page, but thought I'd post here in case anyone doesn't see it. NCL has great discount offer right now on cruises. We booked our 2023 Alaskan cruise earlier this year. I just had them do a price adjustment and saved $1300 on our cruise. This is the second time I've done an adjustment, saved $400 on the first one!! You can get an adjustment if you aren't past your PIF date. Also check to see that you don't lose any perks, we didn't. Just wanted to share so those that have NCL cruises booked can save some $$$

 

[dcassetta]

Yes, they now have a little boardwalk area over some of the streams and marshes near the visitor center. These are great because they are handicap-accessible and you can see salmon swimming upstream. It's like an easy to reach, convenient taste of being in Alaskan nature.

Those boardwalks are really nice. Last June we turned the corner on one and saw a bear. He took one look at the group and ran quickly in the other direction!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I just did a post on the main page, but thought I'd post here in case anyone doesn't see it. NCL has great discount offer right now on cruises. We booked our 2023 Alaskan cruise earlier this year. I just had them do a price adjustment and saved $1300 on our cruise. This is the second time I've done an adjustment, saved $400 on the first one!! You can get an adjustment if you aren't past your PIF date. Also check to see that you don't lose any perks, we didn't. Just wanted to share so those that have NCL cruises booked can save some $$$

How did you notice the savings? Did your TA reprice it for you?

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I just did a post on the main page, but thought I'd post here in case anyone doesn't see it. NCL has great discount offer right now on cruises. We booked our 2023 Alaskan cruise earlier this year. I just had them do a price adjustment and saved $1300 on our cruise. This is the second time I've done an adjustment, saved $400 on the first one!! You can get an adjustment if you aren't past your PIF date. Also check to see that you don't lose any perks, we didn't. Just wanted to share so those that have NCL cruises booked can save some $$$

Thank you! Having my TA check for me.

 

[Pens Fan]

In regards to the new 50% off sale on NCL right now - I was skeptical as most of their "sales" are just a sales gimmick. However, I had my TA reprice our cruise next year on the Pride of America in Hawaii and we saved right at $1000! We'd just sailed the Joy last month and had purchased two new Cruise Next certificates, so decided to go ahead and use those to lock in the price on a 2024 cruise (Escape in Europe). So at least for once, this appears to be an actual sale - at least on the cruises I've been looking at. Shocker!

And BTW - the Joy (sister ship of the Encore) was gorgeous. We loved sailing on her. That observation lounge is a game changer. It will be especially nice on an Alaskan cruise. It does get crowded though. So be prepared to stake out a spot on days when the scenery is going to be a priority.

 

[revdon64]

We were booked on an NCL Encore Alaskan 7-day for our 30th anniversary in 2001. Covid assured that that didn't happen. But, for us the real selling points for NCL were the Glacier Bay day, and that forward viewing lounge on the Encore. WOW! Look up EECC Travels on Youtube and find their video series from the same cruise to see what I mean.

 

[lklgoodman]

Thank you! Having my TA check for me.

I saw it posted on a fb page, the page isn't run by NCL. It's for people who cruise on NCL. I wouldn't have known if someone hadn't posted. I hope you can save some money.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

In regards to the new 50% off sale on NCL right now - I was skeptical as most of their "sales" are just a sales gimmick. However, I had my TA reprice our cruise next year on the Pride of America in Hawaii and we saved right at $1000! We'd just sailed the Joy last month and had purchased two new Cruise Next certificates, so decided to go ahead and use those to lock in the price on a 2024 cruise (Escape in Europe). So at least for once, this appears to be an actual sale - at least on the cruises I've been looking at. Shocker!

And BTW - the Joy (sister ship of the Encore) was gorgeous. We loved sailing on her. That observation lounge is a game changer. It will be especially nice on an Alaskan cruise. It does get crowded though. So be prepared to stake out a spot on days when the scenery is going to be a priority.

Great to hear you got that sale! We only saved a little over $300 when I had my TA check, but I will take that! Pays for our hotel pre cruise!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

We were booked on an NCL Encore Alaskan 7-day for our 30th anniversary in 2001. Covid assured that that didn't happen. But, for us the real selling points for NCL were the Glacier Bay day, and that forward viewing lounge on the Encore. WOW! Look up EECC Travels on Youtube and find their video series from the same cruise to see what I mean.

I have watched all of their NCL and Alaska videos! They were really fun to watch.