Just Off Encore

[RedwingHockeyFan]

On ‎1‎/‎26‎/‎2020 at 12:08 PM, bluenose1 said:

Anxiously waiting your review. And we are anxiously waiting for our cruise on the Encore coast to coast Miami to LA Apr 2021, Spa mini suite. Just debating a Vibe pass or not.   Yeah...

Mt Rainier?

[RedwingHockeyFan]

11 hours ago, mianmike said:

 

My purpose is to obtain factual firsthand information.  The OP stated the Vibe was expanded which subtracts square footage from the free areas, additionally the aft area is now laser tag and car racing which also subtracts from the free areas.  Cramming more seats into the pool area does not mitigate the loss of Spice.  It's not that difficult a concept to understand.  

When they made that upper deck space part of Vibe on the Getaway my first thought is that it would actually free up area around the pool.  My last cruise I walked around the top decks on sea days and that area was always empty, there wasn't anything up there.  The only thing anyone do up there is sunbathe.  I figured making it part of Vibe and selling more Vibe passes would pull people away from the pool area and into an area that was normally void of people.  However, on the Encore it won't have the same effect because now you have to find a place for the passengers that would have filled up Spice.

[bluenose1]

To: Red wing fan. Yes Mt Rainier. What boat? The Tridents all look alike. I was stationed on USS Florida and USS Henry M Jackson, along with USS Queenfish and USS Silversides.  

[BirdTravels]

On 1/29/2020 at 6:15 AM, RedwingHockeyFan said:

When they made that upper deck space part of Vibe on the Getaway my first thought is that it would actually free up area around the pool.  My last cruise I walked around the top decks on sea days and that area was always empty, there wasn't anything up there.  The only thing anyone do up there is sunbathe.  I figured making it part of Vibe and selling more Vibe passes would pull people away from the pool area and into an area that was normally void of people.  However, on the Encore it won't have the same effect because now you have to find a place for the passengers that would have filled up Spice.

Which they sort of did with a redesigned pool deck and redesigned seating. 

[graphicguy]

Boy.....every time I see a thread about the Encore, I go to my TA and see what the rates are like.  I really want to see/sail this ship.

[novanoto]

Considering I was on the same sailing as dshefter and bkrickles, what they're saying is 100% accurate; same with birdtravels. For those of you complaining incessantly about the Encore, here's a thought...trust those who have BEEN on it and make your own decision IF you decide to go on it. Total pool deck had more space and availability than I've seen on the Escape or Getaway (numerous sailings on both). Who cares if Vibe was expanded...either pay to go in or don't. If you don't, guess what...still plenty of room for you. It didn't take away from the overall capacity of both sun and shade. 

[bkrickles1]

37 minutes ago, novanoto said:

Considering I was on the same sailing as dshefter and bkrickles, what they're saying is 100% accurate; same with birdtravels. For those of you complaining incessantly about the Encore, here's a thought...trust those who have BEEN on it and make your own decision IF you decide to go on it. Total pool deck had more space and availability than I've seen on the Escape or Getaway (numerous sailings on both). Who cares if Vibe was expanded...either pay to go in or don't. If you don't, guess what...still plenty of room for you. It didn't take away from the overall capacity of both sun and shade. 

Completely agree.

If you were ok with being in the shade, you could get seating at any time.

If you were interested in the sun (like I was and without Vibe), it was a little difficult but not impossible.

Up until around 10:30am, there were seats available in the sun without trying too hard. From 11am until 2pm it was definitely the busiest and more difficult to find a spot. Between 2pm and 3pm, some people began to leave and go elsewhere and that trend continued the rest of the afternoon. We usually hung out on sea days up on deck until around 4pm and I was paying attention after reading so much on here.

I keep repeating myself but I truly felt it to be the same as every other ship I've been on as far as crowding, chair hogs and availability of loungers. There were definitely many nooks and crannies to be found on 16, 17 and 18 for people looking to lounge. If you had to sit right next to the pool, that's another story. We didn't get off in St. Thomas so we did sit by the pool that day until mid afternoon and it was very nice not having the crowds. We almost always pick one port to ignore on our sailings and we've been to St. Thomas so many times, we seized the opportunity.