In January 2025, my family and I traded a cold winter week for a 7-day NCL Encore Caribbean Cruise. It was just what the doctor ordered! My mom, dad, brother, and I packed up and flew from Buffalo down to Miami for some fun in the sun. We spent 7 days cruising around the Caribbean, including 2 days at sea for extra relaxing. Each port stop was so different, but great in its own way. This was my fourth cruise but my first one to the Caribbean, so I was looking forward to the “classic” cruise experience. He is my full review on our 7-day NCL Encore Caribbean Cruise!
Day 1: Embarkation in Miami, FL
Day 1 of our NCL Encore Caribbean Cruise started in none other than Miami, FL! We arrived at the Port of Miami around 10:30 am, which I though was perfect. Arriving this early in the morning allowed for a smooth and steady check-in process with about 20 minutes to hang out in the terminal prior to them starting boarding.
Once we were on board, we beelined to our muster station in the Encore Theatre and then went straight up to the pool deck. The Buffalo Bills playoff game was starting at 1:00 pm, so we secured seats in front of the big screen, grabbed strawberry daiquiris and Vizzys from the pool bar and settled in for the next few hours. The In-Sync band was playing and was the perfect soundtrack to kickoff the cruise! After the game, we made our way down to our staterooms to settle in and get ready for dinner at Savor, one of the three main dining rooms.
After dinner, we made out way out to The Waterfront on deck 8 to walk outside, take in the ocean breeze, and get some steps in. My favorite part was at the direct aft of the ship where they had glass floors to stand on! We then called it a night so went back to our rooms, turned off all of our workday alarms, and fell asleep after an exciting day!
Day 2: Day at Sea
Day 2 was a day at sea, which was the perfect opportunity to explore the Encore in depth! Mornings started the way they usually did with coffee from the onboard Starbucks, a stop at the Observation Lounge to watch the sunrise, and breakfast at the Garden Cafe. I really liked the setup of the buffet on the Encore. There were many stations around the entire buffet so you were never waiting in long lines, and also plenty of seating around the perimeter (and also a section in the center) and you can always find a table. Definitely one of my favorite buffet setups!
We then made our way to the atrium on deck 6 for their daily morning trivia- and we won! The rest of the morning was spent wandering around the ship and trying to get our bearings. We walked each deck end-to-end, explored Spice H2O (the new adults-only area of the ship), and watched kids zoom by on the speedway. For lunch, American Diner was the perfect casual stop. It is located on deck 17 and is open air, so you can still be outside. The rest of the afternoon was spent – you guessed it – lounging by the pool and sipping on mudslides.
Dinner tonight was one we’ve been looking forward to since booking the cruise – Cagney’s! Cagney’s is a steakhouse that is the real deal. Their cuts of Premium Black Angus Beef are cooked and seasoned to perfection. I started with an appetizer of thick grilled bacon, followed by a filet mignon, and (of course) the 7 layer chocolate cake for dessert. Hands down the best meal I had on the whole cruise. It is so worth using one of your specialty dining credits for!
Day 3: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
On day 3 of our NCL Encore Caribbean Cruise, we finally docked in the Caribbean! We docked in Puerto Plata here, at Taino Bay. There is another cruise port in Puerto Plata a few miles down the road at Amber Cove (here), but Taino Bay was definitely the better port to be at! Right at the end of the pier is an entire area that is open only to cruise ship passengers. There is so much to see and do in this area: pools, shops, restaurants, monkeys, parrots, sandy beaches with chairs, day beds, hammocks, a surf simulator, and even a lazy river! And the best part? It’s all free!
While my dad and brother went off on an excursion riding buggies and hiking to the Damajagua waterfalls, my mom and I explored the port area. We spent the morning floating in the pools, listening to the DJ spin some music, and walking around the area enjoying the sunshine and the views of the ship docked across the bay.
We also made out way out of the secured area just a few blocks into the city of Puerto Plata. About a 5-minute walk away are the famous Umbrella Street and Paseo de Doña Blanca. Both are a quick and easy walk away, and worth seeing during your time in port. Be aware that once you leave the gated Taino Bay, vendors will be surrounding the area and will aggressively try to sell you their tours or to be your “security” through town. Just ignore them and keep walking.
Read More: A Perfect Port Day in Puerto Plata, DR
Day 4: St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
On day 4, we returned to US soil and docked in St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands! I had been to St. Croix before (the largest of the USVI), but was excited to explore St. Thomas and visit one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean: Magen’s Bay! St. Thomas was our only port without a “plan” in place, so we were going to DIY an excursion. Turns out, it is an incredibly easy port to navigate on your own, and there really is no need for an expensive tour!
Our ship docked at the Havensight Cruise Pier, just outside of the city of Charlotte Amalie. Once you get off the ship, there are many public taxis lined up to take you to the major destinations across the island. The prices are fixed per person, so there is no haggling necessary! The cabs are open air safari busses, so expect to be sharing a ride with about a dozen other people. We paid $12 per person for a ride to Magen’s Bay and $7 per person to enter the beach park.
Magen’s Beach is a pristine stretch of beach with soft, golden sand and crystal clear water. We spent several hours here flipping between laying on the sand in the sun and jumping in the water to cool down. The beach park also has a restaurant, bar, bathrooms, and showers- so it really is a perfect place to spend a day in port! At the end of the day, getting a ride back to port was easy, with taxis lined up to bring you back for the same $12 fare per person. While that may seem steep, it’s much cheaper than the cruise ship excursions- and easy to do on your own!
Day 5: Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Day 5 was an absolute dream, and a major bucket list scratch for me! In fact, I chose this entire cruise for my family based on the fact that it docked in Tortola (as not many cruises do)! Tortola is the largest island in the British Virgin Islands, and a short boat ride away is the island of Virgin Gorda, which is home to The Baths National Park. This beach is home to large granite boulders that form caves, coves, and pools and is so dreamy and picturesque!
My brother and I had booked the Virgin Gorda Baths & Snorkel excursion through NCL, which unfortunately ended up getting cancelled right before we were about to leave! The beaches at The Baths were red flagged, meaning it was unsafe to swim and we would not be able to snorkel to the beach. In a panic, we ran to the end of the dock where other excursions were going out and were able to wait on standby in case there were no-shows for other tours. Luckilly, we were able to get the last two seats on the exact same tour my parents were on: Virgin Gorda & The Baths! We took the 30-minute boat ride to Virgin Gorda, and boarded open-air safari busses over to the park.
The Baths (Virgin Gorda)
Once we arrived, we were guided as a group down the path to the first beach: Devil’s Beach. We had some free time here to climb on the boulders and dip our toes into the water before heading over to the real highlight: The Caves! Here, you follow a path through huge boulders and into tight coves of crystal clear ocean water. Absolutely stunning, and such a “pinch me” moment! My favorite part was known as “The Cathedral” where two enormous boulders pinch together (as seen in the last photo above!). Once through the caves, the path ends at The Baths Beach, which is yet another picture-perfect Caribbean beach where we had a little time to sit and enjoy. There was a small restaurant where you can order drinks and quick bites, bathrooms, outdoor showers, and a few vendors selling homemade goods.
We then made our way back up to the entrance, boarded our busses, then our boat, and returned to the Encore for a shower and more relaxing on the pool deck!
Read More: Tips for Visiting The Baths, BVI
Day 6: Day at Sea
After three jam-packed port days, a day at sea was welcome! Our day started slowly and just like the others did: coffee from the onboard Starbucks and breakfast in the buffet. The only difference is we were now sailing West, therefore sunrises in the Observation Lounge weren’t doable. (Spoiler alert- we’d catch the sunset there later in the day!)
The majority of the day was spent on the pool deck, listening to the In-Sync band perform for hours, sipping on strawberry daiquaris, and eating my weight in ice cream cones. We stayed outside until the sun started to dip closer to the horizon, caught the tail end of it setting in the Observation Lounge, and then sat for dinner in The Manhattan Room (another one of the three complimentary main dining rooms). We then made our way to the Encore Theatre for the 7:30 pm showing of Choir of Man. The show featured a live band, fun characters, and songs you know all the words to. We really enjoyed the show! Pro tip: try to arrive about 20 minutes early as they will guests up on stage to get a glass of draft beer!
To round out the night, we stopped by The Local for some hot fudge sundaes before making our way to The Cavern Club to watch the Beatles tribute band! The show featured songs from their later work including Back in the USSR, Here Comes the Sun, and of course, a Hey Jude finale. On our way up to bed, we quickly stopped by The District Brewhouse to catch the end of a Billy Joel tribute set. It was an entertainment-heavy evening, but they were all fantastic and it was a perfect way to spend an evening onboard!
Day 7: Great Stirrup Cay
The last full day on our NCL Encore Caribbean Cruise was a grand finale! We anchored off shore and tendered over to Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian’s private island! While my parents decided to stay on the ship and enjoy a crowd-free day, my brother and I spent a few hours in this tropical paradise! The tendering process, while tedious and long, was pretty straight forward. It was about a 5-minute ride from the ship to the island, and the dock was right at the fun. We claimed a beach chair and immediately ran into the water. The water here was so clear and perfect for shooting underwater photos!
We had packed small inflatable loungers, which we blew up at the beach and enjoyed in the water. While we didn’t have any snorkel gear (it is available to rent on the island, if you’d like), there were many people around us who saw colorful fish, and even a 8′ stingray! We then made our way over to the buffet for a quick lunch of island fare. Hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled corn, potato salad, and fresh fruits were some of the offerings. We grabbed a few drinks from a nearby bar and enjoyed them in the sun. All of the food on the island is complimentary, and if you have the drink package, those are included too! It made for a really easy island day.
After another dip in the water and a quick lay on the beach, we caught a tender back to the Encore to freshen up. Dinner tonight was at Taste, which is the third of the main dining rooms on board. We then unfortunately spent some time packing up our cabins and enjoyed some last bit of outdoor time out on the pool deck under the stars.
Read More: Tips for Visiting Great Stirrup Cay
Day 8: Disembarkation in Miami
After an amazing 7-day NCL Encore Caribbean Cruise, it was sadly time to leave! The disembarkation process started early, at around 7:45 am. We always choose to carry our own luggage off the ship, which provides flexibility in exactly what time you leave. We grabbed another breakfast in the Garden Cafe before doing the final room pack up. Around 8:30 am, we made our way down to deck 7 to get in line to disembark. The line moved very quickly and we were off the ship in about fifteen minutes. In the port, immigration was a breeze. There was no need to take out our passports, and all verification was done via a biometric face scanner. Less than 5 minutes later, we were in an Uber on our way to the airport.
At the airport, we picked up a rental car to bop around for the day, since our flight wasn’t until later in the evening. This was a perfect way to not only squeeze in a few extra hours of “bonus vacation”, but was a handy place to store our luggage during the day. For my first Caribbean cruise, this itinerary was absolutely perfect and I already cannot wait to do it again next year!
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