The ship
Newest Breakaway Plus with the longest kart track
Norwegian Encore is the newest Breakaway Plus sister after Bliss and Joy (2019): longest kart track in the class, Waterfront dining and Freestyle megaship energy on roughly 169,000 GT. About 4,000 guests at double occupancy. Freestyle thrills on a newer Plus ship than Escape.
Dining runs through Cagney’s, Le Bistro and Moderno. Main dining and the Garden Café / buffet sit in the cruise; specialty is extra. Reserve the nights you care about early; sea-day tables go first.
Evenings lean on Waterfront dining and Freestyle nightlife, with theatre shows between. Daytime is the race track, Aqua Park and a busy pool deck; kids’ clubs fill in holiday weeks. She is Breakaway-Plus Norwegian — go-karts on top, specialty restaurants you book early, and a week that stays casual.
Encore is Breakaway Plus at full stretch: kart track, Waterfront, and Freestyle restaurants that need a plan.
On board
Track, Waterfront, shows
- 01
Freestyle dining
Among the restaurants worth booking: Cagney’s, Le Bistro and Moderno. Main dining and the Garden Café / buffet sit in the cruise; specialty is extra. Reserve popular rooms on embarkation or before you sail — sea days still fill. Pick deliberately rather than treating the deck plan as a checklist.
- 02
Theatre and nights
The main theatre is the centre of Norwegian Encore’s show nights. Recent seasons have featured. The Choir of Man. Check your sailing — titles change by season. — the programme changes by season, so check your sailing before you plan the week around one title. Beyond the main house, notable entertainment rooms — among them Headliners Comedy Club, The Cavern Club and Bliss Ultra Lounge — are the spaces guests actually plan around, not every bar on the deck plan. Headliners Comedy Club draws Levity’s touring comics; treat named acts as sailing colour. Book a centre seat on night one if the headline matters; wandering in rarely beats a reservation on sea days.
- 03
The Waterfront
Oceanfront promenade for dining, bars and evening air. Meet point and casual plate zone. Peak crush is real — walk further for quieter tables. Wet-weather plan sits indoors midship when showers push everyone off the rail.
- 04
Thrill decks
Longest kart track in Breakaway Plus plus Aqua Park slides. Vibe adults extra. Book karts early; expect queues on sea days. Loungers still need an early claim away from the track noise if you came for sun more than laps.
- 05
Haven and kids
Splash Academy, Entourage, Haven courtyard. Fits Freestyle guests wanting Plus thrills on a newer ship than Escape; not for quiet mid-size ships. Kids hours shorten on port days — check the daily planner.
Cagney's Steakhouse
Steakhouse specialty with a cover — Freestyle splurge night. Book early on sea days; Breakaway Plus fills fast. Go here when you want a splurge dinner, not a cheap filler night.
Le Bistro
French specialty with a cover — dressier paid evening. Among the higher covers. Splurge territory. Check opening hours on your sailing — they shift by sea day and port day. Book early on sea days.
La Cucina
Italian specialty with a cover — pasta-led occasion dining, often a touch under Cagney’s spend. Solid second specialty. A solid occasion night when you want pasta without full steakhouse spend. Book early on sea days.
Moderno Churrascaria
Brazilian grill specialty with a cover — share-and-carve energy. Mid-to-upper specialty spend. Book if churrasco theatre is your night. Check opening hours on your sailing — they shift by sea day and port day.
Teppanyaki
Japanese grill specialty with a cover — teppanyaki show cooking. Reserve early; seats are limited by the grill line. Reserve early on sea days if that cuisine is your treat night. Book early on sea days.
Main restaurants
Freestyle main restaurants in the cruise — open seating without assigned sittings. Best for most evenings. Best for guests who want a classic plated evening without budgeting extras every night.
Garden Cafe
Included buffet for breakfast and casual plates. Fast before kart and Aqua Park hours. Everyday fuel. Ideal when you want speed over a long dining-room sitting.
Waterfront bars
Oceanfront drinks along The Waterfront. Pours extra or on package — price what you drink. Meet-point air between specialty nights. Drinks and fancy coffees usually sit outside the simple cruise — price what you will actually order. Book early on sea days.
Theatre
Production shows — recent seasons have featured The Choir of Man among headline titles; programmes change by season, so check your sailing. Centre seats on night one if that title matters.
Vibe Beach Club
Adults-only sundeck with an extra charge. Quieter than the Aqua Park. Pay for calm if that is your daytime priority. Peak sea days mean queues and early lounger hunts — plan around that. Book early on sea days.
Fit
Who she is for
- Freestyle guests wanting Plus-class thrills on a newer ship than Escape — longest kart track, Aqua Park, Waterfront dining — without stepping up to Prima Boulevard.
- Families using Aqua Park and karts with a specialty-dining budget who will add drinks and Vibe to the total rather than trust the headline cruise price.
- Not ideal for quiet mid-size ships or travellers who dislike megaship crowds — Jewel class or Holland America will feel kinder on the legs and the ears.
Where
Where Encore tends to go
Caribbean and US East Coast warm-water runs have featured heavily, with other deployments as NCL rotates Plus ships. Fly-cruise is the usual UK path.
Treat this as the ship's range, not a fixed timetable. When this guide is public, sailings with two or more UK agent prices will sit at the bottom.
Before you book
What the brochure skips
- Freestyle does not mean everything is in the cruise. Specialty dining, Vibe, thermal suite and most drink packages are extras — price the holiday as the cruise plus what you will actually buy.
- Compare UK agents on the same sailing — same ship, same date, cruise-only, two sharing. The hero price should be the lowest bookable one, not the first logo you recognise.
Next step
Find a sailing
Compare cruise prices for Norwegian Encore, or open the live map and see where she is now.