Norwegian Encore Miami debut: ‘Kinky Boots,’ a new Italian eatery and sustainable tweaks
Each day the bartenders aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Norwegian Encore, are using leftover food that would have otherwise been thrown away to create an ingredient for a sustainable cocktail. During the ship’s inaugural cruise from Miami last week, guests sipped Mai-Tais made with sweetener created by blending leftover croissants from that morning’s breakfast buffet.
The new sustainable beverage program — a collaboration with Bar Lab, the beverage company behind Miami Beach’s Broken Shaker bar — embodies the new ship’s essence: a combination of the company’s most popular attractions with forward-thinking tweaks designed to push the brand into the next decade. The 3,998-passenger ship is the fourth and last in the Breakaway Plus Class.
The combo of theme-park-worthy attractions and ocean-side enclaves makes Encore a dependable option for families, said Monica Anderson, a travel consultant with Pleasure Travel in Fort Lauderdale.
“There are tons of places where you can take your time, read a book, or you can go to the pool and have a party,” she said. “The whole package of the ship is five stars.”
Norwegian Cruise Line’s recipe for cruise vacations is working, said Anderson, so why change the formula? The company, the third largest cruise line in the world, saw its profits climb 12 percent to $4.7 billion in 2018 compared to the previous year. The Encore is largely a copy of the Norwegian Bliss, which debuted in 2018.
On Deck 19, guests zip around the elongated go-kart race track — now the longest at sea at 1,100 feet — at 30 miles per hour. Below, on Deck 18, is an outdoor version of laser tag with an Atlantis theme. Around the corner, transparent water slides plunge riders out over the side of the ship, providing a show for onlookers below. The 10,000-square-foot Galaxy Pavilion is a virtual reality playground offering a Jeep drive through Jurassic Park, an escape room in an underwater shipwreck, and a hang gliding experience complete with wind blowing.
The thrills cost extra though: $15 per person for the speedway, $9.95 for the laser tag, $8 for each virtual reality experience, except for the race car, which is $20.
The entertainment and gaming options, although not new, are what interests cruisers most about Norwegian Encore, said Kari Halpern, owner of Sunny Destinations travel agency in Brooklyn, New York. Halpern’s business is 100% cruises, and she said the Encore marks the continuation of Norwegian as a dependable family brand.
“It has a lot of innovative gaming and entertainment venues to appeal to different age groups,” she said. “They cater toward families.”
Deck 17 is home to one of Norwegian Cruise Line’s most popular features: a ship-within-a-ship concept called the Haven, boasting 80 suites, private lounge, pool deck with a retractable roof and restaurant exclusive to Haven guests. The restaurant is a quiet, white, elegant enclave with a sophisticated new American menu.
Back in the main ship, the Observation Deck at the bow offers couch recliners in front of an unobstructed view of the ocean with two-story floor-to-ceiling-windows and a 360-degree bar. Following the industry trend toward more ocean-facing experiences, guests can dine and drink outdoors at restaurants and bars on Deck 8, like Norwegian Cruise Line staples Los Lobos Mexican restaurant, Cagney’s Steakhouse and Ocean Blue seafood.
The Encore’s debut in Miami marks the end of an era under its outgoing CEO Andy Stuart, who announced he will step down at the end of the year after 31 years with the company. Stuart is credited with creating “freestyle cruising,” which allows passengers to eat their meals when they want at an on-board restaurant of their choice, breaking with the industry tradition of set dining schedules.
Incoming CEO Harry Sommer, now the vice president of international business development, will be charged with carrying the brand into the next decade.
“We have a winner in Norwegian Bliss, and frankly, in the Breakaway Plus Class,” said Sommer. “These ships are game changers, featuring the best-of-the-best in our fleet. With Norwegian Encore, we took our most successful elements and made them even better.”
The indoor and outdoor Sugarcane Mojito Bar — yes, from the same people who created Sugarcane in Midtown — on Deck 8 features the daily sustainable drink reusing otherwise wasted food.
“We all know how much we waste on the cruise ship,” said Gianina Butiseaca, Norwegian’s manager of beverage operation and development. “There’s a lot of product left to use. We step in to create recipes that will help us save.”
In another bid for sustainability, each cabin is stocked with two carton water bottles from JUST Goods Inc., representing an achievement unique to Norwegian. By Jan. 1, 2020, the company said it will have replaced all plastic water bottles across its 17 ships with the paper carton alternative, first rolled out on Encore. Its competitors Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have not yet made the switch away from plastic water bottles.
Foodies will be pleased with a new Italian restaurant: Onda by Scarpetta. The well-known restaurant company Scarpetta has locations in Miami Beach, New York City, Las Vegas and London — and now at sea (Onda is “sea” in Italian) complete with its famous spaghetti tomato and basil.
For those who love a good show, it’s hard to beat “Kinky Boots,” the Tony award-winning Broadway musical about a drag queen named Lola with its signature pop lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, making its cruise industry debut on Encore. The other main stage show “Choir of Man” is a testosterone-powered sing-along set in an Irish pub called The Jungle. Thirteen men sing mostly cover songs and dance while dragging members of the audience on stage for several numbers.
All in all, the company’s leadership is confident in the Encore.
“We are really, really proud,” said Sommer of the ship’s launch. “This is what NCL stands for: spectacular vacations.”
Norwegian Encore will sail to the Caribbean from PortMiami until Spring 2020, when the ship will move to New York for cruises to Bermuda. Inside cabins start at $499 per person for January sailings.
NORWEGIAN ENCORE
Shipyard: MEYER WERFT
Launched: November 2019
Staterooms: 2,040
Capacity: 3,998 double occupancy
Tonnage: 167,800
Length: 1,094 feet
Beam: 136 feet
Decks: 20
Other Breakaway Plus-class ships: Norwegian Escape (2015), Norwegian Joy (2017), Norwegian Bliss (2018)
Itineraries: Norwegian Encore will sail on seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruises out of PortMiami from Nov. 17, 2019 through April 12, 2020 before repositioning to New York.
This story was originally published November 26, 2019 at 12:49 PM.
