Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Norwegian Encore vs Norwegian Bliss
The Norwegian Encore was built in 2019. It was renovated in 2024. It's 1 year newer than the Bliss, which was built in 2018 and renovated in 2024.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Encore is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,094 feet long and 136 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 2.6 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. The Encore and the Bliss are in the same class, which means they're sister ships. For the most part, they're similar in terms of size and layout; although they may have different features and attractions on board.
Number of Passengers
Norwegian Encore holds about the same number of passengers as the Bliss based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Encore has the same amount of space per person as the Bliss.
| Norwegian Encore | Norwegian Bliss | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Breakaway Plus | Breakaway Plus |
| Gross Tonnage | 167,800 | 168,028 |
| Length | 1,094 | 1,094 |
| Beam/Width | 136 | 136 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,998 | 4,004 |
| Crew | 1,735 | 1,716 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 42 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Encore has fifteen different dining options like Cagney's Steakhouse, Onda by Scarpetta, and Le Bistro French. Of those options, ten are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other thirteen options have an additional fee.
The Bliss has three more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Garden Cafe, The Local, and La Cucina Italian. eleven of these restaurants are complementary and the other fifteen have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Bliss might be a better choice. It has 20% more dining options than the Encore.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Bliss might be a better choice then the Encore. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Norwegian Encore & Bliss
| Restaurant | Norwegian Encore |
Norwegian Bliss |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| American Diner | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Garden Cafe | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Observation Lounge | ✗ | ✓ | |
| The Local | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| A la carte | |||
| Dolce Gelato | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Starbucks | ✓ | ✓ | |
| The Bake Shop | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Flat fee | |||
| Cagney's Steakhouse | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Food Republic | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| La Cucina Italian | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Le Bistro French | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Onda by Scarpetta | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Palomar | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Q Texas Smokehouse | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Teppanyaki | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Exclusive (open to select guests only) | |||
| Horizon Lounge | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Studio Lounge | ✗ | ✓ | |
| The Haven | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Norwegian Encore has 1 fewer bar than the Norwegian Bliss.
| Norwegian Encore | Norwegian Bliss | |
|---|---|---|
| A-List Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Atrium Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cellars Wine Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| District Brew House | ✓ | ✓ |
| Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mixx Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Observation Lounge Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skyline Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Social Comedy & Night Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spice H2O | ✗ | ✓ |
| Starbucks | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sugarcane Mojito Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Cavern Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Haven Bar* | ✓ | ✓ |
| The Local Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vibe Beach Club Bar* | ✓ | ✓ |
| Waves Pool Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Encore and the Bliss below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Norwegian Encore has a total of 3 pools and 9 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 5 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
Norwegian Bliss has more pools than the Encore and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Bliss. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools are adults only on Encore.| Norwegian Encore | Norwegian Bliss | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 1 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 9 | 11 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 0 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 5 | 4 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the Encore. Only 57% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Bliss, 65% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Norwegian Encore | Norwegian Bliss | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Horizon Park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Observation Lounge | ✓ | ✓ |
| Race Track | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Virtual Arcade | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Norwegian is a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you understand what you might spend onboard a Norwegian ship.
| Norwegian | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | |
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a More at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at specialty restaurants. If you book using this promotion, you'll be responsible for the gratuities on the dining and drink package. If you won't be using these options, booking a "sail away" rate that doesn't include the More at Sea benefits is considerably cheaper. Also, most of these benefits are the base packages; you can spend more to upgrade to better alcoholic drinks or faster/more wifi.
Want to Stay Up-To-Date on All Things Cruising?
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Articles Related the These Ships
About Cruise Spotlight
Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
Learn more about Cruise Spotlight.