Sun, sea and so much fun
Kids and adults alike will love the new mega cruise ship, Norwegian Encore, where you can escape dinosaurs, race for the checkered flag, or stop for dinner, a drink and a show, writes Kendall Hutt.
Ipull the virtual reality headset down over my eyes, and am instantly transported about 200 million years into the past to the Jurassic period. Through the 4WD’s windscreen I see a field full of plant-eating dinosaurs straight out of the Jurassic Park franchise. I’m filled with a sense of wonderment as I drive between the legs of a diplodocus or a brontosaurus.
As the 4WD rolls along, a group of stegosaurus cross my path, and a finned elasmosaurus leaps over me as we bump along a rickety bridge.
But I’m soon gripping the sides of the seat with an ‘‘oh, God’’ followed by a squeal as a pterodactyl slams into the windscreen. Flying off after leaving it shattered on the bonnet, I barely have enough time to recover as a tyrannosaurus rex suddenly appears from nowhere.
A Jurassic Escape is on as I madly reverse to stay out of the t-rex’s snapping jaws.
It’s hard to fathom I’m experiencing this on Deck 17 of a 20-storey cruise ship after stepping through the blue-lit, starry-ceilinged entrance into the green-tinged world of the Galaxy Pavilion.
Only a matter of minutes have gone but I’m soon trading my VR headset for a set of 7D glasses.
Killing werewolves and then zombies is on my mind as I settle into the yellow chair and unholster my similarly coloured blaster.
It’s great fun getting thrown about and jostled, but watch out for an unexpected narrative arc eliminating werewolves, and be prepared to walk away with a blistered index finger. Some advice for those wanting to hang glide, make sure you have a strong stomach. I couldn’t last 30 seconds.
I’m onboard Norwegian Encore for a preview before it makes its way to Miami to sail to the Eastern Caribbean. Over the next couple of years, it is scheduled to sail to Bermuda, Canada and New England from New York, with the Western Caribbean from Miami, before making its way to Alaska from Seattle. Here’s what I did in about 48 hours onboard, sailing from Bremerhaven, Germany, to Southampton, United Kingdom.
Activities
If you find the Galaxy Pavilion is not for you, there’s plenty more to do on a ship where one of the the taglines is ‘‘thrill, chill, encore’’.
Boasting the largest race track at sea at more than 300 metres long, you can race across two levels of the ship on electric gokarts, zoom around 10 corners and not realise you’ve driven almost four metres over the sides of the ship, four times. It’s thrilling.
Just a stone’s throw away is the lost city of Atlantis, where the whole family can hide behind ruins and run past the giant tentacles of a monstrous sea creature, all while completing a mission in an open-air laser tag experience with augmented reality.
Like plenty of other ships in Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet, you will find an Aqua Park, which is home to two multistorey water slides.
There is the tandem Aqua Racer, and Ocean Loops, which features a double loop where you whoosh over the side of the ship (the slide hangs about three metres over the side and is 17 decks above the ocean).
Kids can have a blast in their own Aqua Park. Inside the ship, kids can play and take part in sports inside Splash Academy, while babies and toddlers can play with parents in Guppies.
For teens, there is arts, dance parties, movies, music, and games inside their own lounge, Entourage.
If you prefer to relax, you can unwind in Mandara Spa, where about 50 specialty treatments are on offer.
These range from hot-stone massages to oxygen facials, acupuncture and age-defying treatments. There’s also a salon, a barbershop and a thermal
suite. Or try salt therapy in a dimly lit grotto dubbed the Salt Room or chill out in the Snow Room.
Food
With 13 dining options (complimentary and specialty), and 15 lounges and bars, it is very easy to overeat. I know I did, dining at specialty restaurants Onda by Scarpetta and Cagney’s Steakhouse.
At all-new modern Italian restaurant Onda, which means wave, I enjoyed a main of mezzelune, one of the pastas made in-house daily. Filled with ricotta, spinach, preserved truffle, butter, and sage, its authenticity took me right back in Italy. Paired with a side of crispy, but not too salty, roasted potatoes, it was heavenly.
Cagney’s, an American-style steakhouse, is a red meat and seafood lover’s dream.
But don’t go overboard ordering sides such as macaroni cheese and truffle fries, as you may not have room for your main which, for me, was lamb chops with parsnips.
If you have a sweet tooth, try an apple crumble, chocolate brownie, creme brulee, mousse cheesecake or seven-layer chocolate cake.
Entertainment
Seated inside the ship’s Encore Theatre, over two nights I enjoyed a taster of the entertainment onboard.
The options are endless, with Tony awardwinning broadway musical Kinky Boots having its debut at sea, concert The Choir of Man returning, along with Happy Hour Prohibition: The Musical and The Cavern Club.
Happy Hour Prohibition is an interactive cocktails and theatre show, which had its debut on Norwegian Bliss, and The Cavern Club transports audiences back to the legendary Liverpool club with live musical performances from a Beatles cover band.
Set inside a British pub called The Jungle, award-winning The Choir of Man wowed, with classic rock to sing-along anthems in an ode to pub culture.
The cast of nine were far from ‘‘ordinary guys’’, tap-dancing and playing instruments such as the fiddle, guitar and piano, all the while belting out songs such as Adele’s Hello, John Farnham’s
You’re the Voice and Paul Simon’s 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.
The cast’s interaction with the audience was just one of many highlights. High-energy and full of laughs, it’s not one to miss.
Staterooms
At the end of a fun-filled day, you can rest easy knowing there’s a space to lay your head. I’m in a mid-ship mini suite with a balcony, which has a king bed, a couch that can become a queen, and all the amenities you’d expect.
The couch is in a sun-filled spot, perfect to take a breather on between activities, to read, and to give your jet-lagged body a well-earned rest.
There are 2040 staterooms on Norwegian Encore, ranging from penthouses, suites and villas in The Haven – described as a ship-within-a-ship – to inside staterooms, ones with ocean views, and studios. The rooms cater to a range of budgets and requirements.
Routes
Norwegian Encore has a seven-day Eastern Caribbean from Miami itinerary and a seven-day Bermuda from New York itinerary.
The writer was a guest of Norwegian Cruise Line.