Norwegian Encore

Life aboard Norwegian Encore

Norwegian Encore arrived in 2019 as one of the most venue-rich ships Norwegian Cruise Line has built, spread across 11 decks and organised around the line’s signature freestyle approach: no fixed dining times, no assigned tables, no dress code you have to plan around. The result is a ship that suits late risers, spontaneous diners and committed night owls in equal measure.

Dining on Norwegian Encore

Three main dining rooms are included in every fare. Savour and Taste sit on Deck 6 and serve varied daily menus in modern surroundings; The Manhattan Room on Deck 7 adds a social, evening-out feel with classic and contemporary cuisine. For something more casual, the Garden Café on Deck 16 runs a full buffet across all three meals, while the American Diner on Deck 17 recreates a 1950s diner with comfort-food classics — both included. The Local Bar & Grill on Deck 7 handles pub fare from Reuben sandwiches to fish and chips in a relaxed setting.

Beyond the included restaurants, Encore carries an impressive speciality line-up at an extra charge. Cagney’s Steakhouse on Deck 8 does premium Black Angus beef and fresh seafood; Onda by Scarpetta brings modern Italian pasta and seafood; Palomar celebrates Mediterranean seafood; Food Republic serves Asian-Latin fusion in tapas portions; Teppanyaki puts live cooking theatre at the communal table; Le Bistro on Deck 17 is the elegant French option; and Q Texas Smokehouse on Deck 6 smokes meats to order with a country band playing in the evenings. Room service runs 24 hours at à la carte pricing.

Bars, entertainment and things to do

The bar programme alone makes Norwegian Encore a destination. The District Brew House on Deck 8 pours more than 50 bottled beers and 22 draught options alongside hand-mixed cocktails, with live music and an ocean view. Next door, The Cavern Club recreates the Liverpool original with a Beatles tribute band most evenings — entry is free and the atmosphere reliably packed. Social Comedy and Night Club on Deck 6 runs back-to-back stand-up sets before the floor opens to a DJ, also free to enter. The Sugarcane Mojito Bar on Deck 8 lines The Waterfront promenade with hand-crafted mojitos and Tiki cocktails, and the A-List Bar keeps things sophisticated with signature cocktails. The Humidor Cigar Lounge pairs the ship’s humidor stock with whiskeys in a leather-chair setting, and Spice H2O on Deck 18 is the adults-only stern retreat with hot tubs, pools and lounge chairs — complimentary for all guests. Solo travellers staying in studio cabins have their own Studio Lounge on Deck 11 for meeting fellow solo cruisers.

The Haven — a ship within the ship

At the top of Norwegian Encore, hidden away from the main decks, sits The Haven by Norwegian — an exclusive enclave of suites with its own private restaurant, lounge, courtyard, sundeck, bar, and dedicated concierge and 24-hour butler service. Haven guests eat at The Haven Restaurant on Deck 18, a private fine dining room with signature dishes and an extensive wine list, included in their fare. The Haven is the clearest reason Norwegian Encore suits guests who want suite-level seclusion without leaving behind everything the broader ship offers — the entertainement, the speciality dining, the bar district — whenever they want it.

Cabins on Norwegian Encore

Encore carries 23 cabin grades across inside, outside and suite categories. The inside range runs to seven grades and the outside to four; the suite collection spans twelve grades, from Haven suites with butler service down to the studio cabins designed for solo travellers, complete with their own dedicated lounge. The Norwegian Encore cabins and deck plans page has every grade laid out with full detail — it is the right place to compare grades and choose.

How Norwegian Cruise Line fares work

Norwegian offers three structural fare tiers, and the difference between them is worth understanding before you book. Just Cruise is the entry-level rate, covering full board plus iced tea, juices from the breakfast buffet, and regular tea and coffee — straightforward and without extras bundled in. Free at Sea is the all-inclusive tier for the first two guests in a stateroom: it bundles a premium beverage package, a speciality dining package, an on-board Wi-Fi package and discounted shore excursions. Free at Sea Plus extends the dining and drinks allowance to every guest on the booking, scaling the number of speciality dining meals to the voyage length, and also includes Wi-Fi and discounted excursions. CruiseAway’s cruise experts can walk you through which tier fits what you have in mind.

Where Norwegian Encore sails

Encore runs most of her programme on the Pacific coast of North America, with Los Angeles as her main home port. Because all her sailings depart from ports in the United States and Canada, the cruise sits naturally in the middle of a longer trip — CruiseAway books the flights from Australia, the hotels either side and the transfers as one joined-up holiday.

Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles: The busiest programme on Encore is a series of seven-night round-trips out of Los Angeles, running in November and December and calling at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta. These are the most popular sailings she currently offers in this market — browse cruises from Los Angeles to Mexico to see what is on sale.

USA West Coast repositioning sailings: In April, Encore runs a six-night one-way passage from Los Angeles up the Pacific coast to Vancouver, typically calling at San Francisco, Astoria (Oregon) and Victoria on the way north. These run as repositioning departures in April 2027 and April 2028 — a good fit for travellers interested in repositioning cruises more broadly, or specifically repositioning sailings in 2027.

Beyond these two detailed programmes, Encore also sails Central America and Alaska & West Canada itineraries — including departures from Seattle and Miami. Those interested in Alaska sailings from Vancouver can explore cruises from Vancouver to Alaska, or look at Alaska cruises from Vancouver in 2027 and Alaska cruises in 2027 across the fleet.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet

Norwegian Encore belongs to the Breakaway Plus Class alongside Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Escape. The wider Norwegian Cruise Line fleet currently has 22 ships on sale through CruiseAway, grouped across several classes:

• Prima Class: Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Viva, Norwegian Luna, Norwegian Aqua, Norwegian Aura, Norwegian Bella
• Breakaway Plus Class (this ship’s class): Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Encore
• Jewel Class: Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Jewel
• Breakaway Class: Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Breakaway
• Dawn Class: Norwegian Star, Norwegian Dawn
• Epic Class: Norwegian Epic
• Pride Of America Class: Pride of America
• Spirit Class: Norwegian Spirit
• Sun Class: Norwegian Sun

Why book Norwegian Encore through CruiseAway

CruiseAway’s cruise experts know the Norwegian fare tiers, the Haven grades and the cabin layout well enough to match you to the right combination rather than leaving it to guesswork. The site’s Best Price Guarantee backs every booking. And because every Encore sailing departs from the United States or Canada, CruiseAway’s DreamAway Packages are built for exactly this trip — flights from Australia, the hotel before and after, transfers and the cruise itself, priced and booked together so nothing is left loose. Fares on current sailings start from A$222pp*.

Questions about Norwegian Encore

Is Norwegian Encore good for solo travellers?

Yes. Norwegian Encore has purpose-built studio cabins for solo guests, and those cabins come with access to the Studio Lounge on Deck 11 — a space reserved for studio guests to meet other solo travellers, with beverages and light snacks available. It is one of the more considered solo setups afloat.

What is included in the base cruise fare on Norwegian Encore?

The entry-level Just Cruise rate includes full board across the included restaurants — Savour, Taste, The Manhattan Room, the Garden Café, the American Diner and the Local Bar & Grill — along with iced tea, juices at the breakfast buffet, and regular tea and coffee. Speciality dining venues, alcoholic drinks, room service and shore excursions are all charged separately unless you book a Free at Sea or Free at Sea Plus fare, which bundles many of those in.

How do I get to the ship from Australia?

All of Norwegian Encore’s current sailings depart from ports in the United States or Canada — Los Angeles, Vancouver, Seattle and Miami. CruiseAway puts the flights from Australia, any hotel stays either side and the airport-to-port transfers on the same booking as the cruise, so the whole trip is arranged in one go. Talk to our cruise experts about how to structure it.

What is The Haven on Norwegian Encore?

The Haven is Norwegian’s private suite enclave, occupying the top of the ship. It includes a courtyard, sundeck, bar, lounge and a dedicated fine dining restaurant, all reserved for Haven guests. Every Haven suite comes with a 24-hour butler and a concierge for the full voyage. It functions as a quieter retreat within the broader ship, while Haven guests retain access to everything Encore offers more widely.

Can I see the full cabin grades and deck plans before I book?

Yes — the Norwegian Encore cabins and deck plans page has every one of the 23 grades laid out with full detail, including deck-by-deck plans. That is the right place to compare inside, outside and suite options before choosing.