A few months ago I received an invitation to the maiden voyage of a new ship called ENCORE by Norwegian Cruise Line. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. I had never been on a cruise before, and everything I knew about cruises ranged between the movie ‘Titanic' and the image that popped into my head from the series “Love Boat” {not that I ever watched it, but as you can imagine it was a rather dated, old-fashioned image}. So when I got the invitation email I had a few reservations, but all the information and the renderings of the ship attached to that email totally made me want to go for it and find out for myself whether the image I associated with cruises was actually a reflection of reality or just a stigma.

{To watch the stories I posted during the cruise click here}

If you followed the stories I posted on Instagram during the sailing, you already know this was a unique and especially short mini-cruise {only 2 nights}, to which media people and key figures from the tourism industry were invited. So while I have not yet had the full cruise experience, which also includes stops at all kinds of amazing destinations around the world, during this very short sailing we did manage to experience most of the special attractions the ship has to offer, and of course we also enjoyed the dizzying number of restaurants and bars on board.

The number of questions I received during the cruise following my stories was truly insane, so even though it was not really the plan, I decided to write a blog post where I go into a bit more detail about my experience on the ship and answer the most frequently asked questions.

Our short sailing departed from the city of Bremerhaven in Germany and docked in Southampton, England. This very short route is not one of the cruise's traditional itineraries, but a one-time route for the launch. From what I read on the company's website, the destinations the Norwegian ENCORE sails to are from New York to Bermuda and between Miami and the eastern or western Caribbean islands. So I can only imagine the incredible views you wake up to there 🙂

One of the questions that came up the most was how much you feel the ship's movement, and whether being on board comes with seasickness. The truth is that I am generally not really affected by the sea, but because this is a truly enormous ship, it is relatively stable, so you do not feel huge swings. And still, it is a ship in the middle of the sea, which means that from time to time, depending on the state of the sea, you do feel a bit of movement. I will not lie, I did get a little dizzy now and then, but there is a chance the amount of alcohol I drank is to blame.

In any case, Daniel and I got a mini-suite type room, which was very spacious with an indulgent bed, a sofa, a makeup corner, a relatively large closet and a bathroom with a well-equipped shower. And the cherry on top: this type of room also has a balcony, which was admittedly a bit less useful given that we sailed in winter, but I can picture myself sitting there enjoying the amazing view with my morning coffee. The ship also has simpler rooms, like an inside cabin or a room with a window, as well as much more luxurious and lavish rooms located in a separate complex called The Haven. And the price, just like at a hotel, depends of course on the type and location of the room.

After getting excited about our first-ever cruise room, Daniel and I went out to explore the ship!

We had read about all the things to do on board before the trip, but only when we actually got on the ship did we understand just how enormous and insane it is. You could say it is literally a city on the water, with an unfathomable number of things to do, so it is inevitable to get a sense of FOMO {that is, Fear Of Missing Out} from the moment you step on board.

If I could compare this ship to one place in the world, it would definitely be Las Vegas. The atmosphere, the never-ending activity, the crazy quantities of food and drink, and the style, which is, of course, as American as it gets!

First of all, let's start with the food and drink, because there is no ignoring it. With almost 30 {!!} restaurants and bars, I think there is nothing you cannot find on the ship… Italian, French, Asian, American, ice cream, sweets and even a Starbucks! And alongside all the food from this global kitchen there are bars of every kind: a mojito bar, a whiskey bar, a brewery, a wine bar and more… So obviously we did not manage to try everything the ship has to offer {although we certainly tried}, but it is safe to say that every palate can find its place on this ship. I, for example, am less of a buffet person {and the buffet was huge and unfathomable in its own right}, but I had plenty of other À la carte restaurant options {including ones that are free with no extra charge} so I enjoyed every moment.

One of the questions I got is how exactly the food and drink work on the ship. So here it goes… There are restaurants {among them the giant buffet} where you can eat freely with no limit, and there are others, the more ‘fancy' ones, where you can eat for an additional, relatively reasonable fee. As for drinks and alcohol, you can purchase different drink and alcohol packages as part of the cruise, whose cost varies according to the type of drinks {just like drink wristbands at bars}.

Beyond the ship's main attraction, which is, of course, nonstop indulgence 24/7, the Norwegian ENCORE offers some amazing attractions you simply cannot ignore {some free and some for a fee}. The craziest one in my eyes is the giant go-kart racetrack on the ship's top deck, but if racing does not do it for you there is also a super cool laser tag, a virtual reality games complex, Broadway shows, nightclubs with parties and live performances, kids' clubs, a water park, pools, a spa, a gym, duty free {!!} and of course a casino, because there is no such thing as a cruise without a casino 🙂

FOMO, did I mention that already?..

In short, whether you are crazy about attractions and cannot sit still for a minute without an activity, or you feel like sunbathing on the deck or relaxing at the spa, you will probably find your place on this ship. After all, it really is a city on the water 🙂

Bottom line: I discovered that a cruise {or even a mini-cruise, in my case} is an amazing experience worth having at least once in a lifetime. The blue water surrounding you on every side {especially if you choose to stay in a room with a balcony or window and wake up to that unfathomable view!}, the wide range of attractions on the ship, whether you are into action or more in a resting state of mind, and the visits to amazing destinations along the way… There is no doubt this is a different kind of vacation.

What do you think about cruises? Have you ever been on a cruise? And if so, what was your experience? Tell me in the comments!

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