Norwegian Encore vs Norwegian Escape

The Norwegian Encore was built in 2019. It was renovated in 2024. It's 4 years newer than the Escape, which was built in 2015 and renovated in 2019.

Comparison Overview

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 Escape 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 Escape based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Encore has more space per person compared to the Escape. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.

Norwegian
Encore
Norwegian
Escape
ClassBreakaway PlusBreakaway Plus
Gross Tonnage167,800165,157
Length1,0941,069
Beam/Width136179
Passenger Decks1515
Passengers (double occupancy)3,9984,266
Crew1,7351,733
Passenger to Crew Ratio2.32.5
Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger)4239


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 23 different dining options like Q Texas Smokehouse, Garden Cafe, and Main Dining Room. Of those options, 10 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 13 options have an additional fee.

The Escape has 3 more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Main Dining Room, Le Bistro French, and Garden Cafe. 10 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 16 have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Escape might be a better choice. It has 13% more dining options than the Encore.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Encore might be a better choice then the Escape. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

Restaurants on Norwegian Encore & Escape

Norwegian
Encore
Norwegian
Escape
American DinerLearn More
Atrium Cafe
Bayamo
Cagney's SteakhouseLearn More
District Brew HouseLearn More
Dolce Gelato
Food RepublicLearn More
Garden CafeLearn More
La Cucina ItalianLearn More
Le Bistro FrenchLearn More
Main Dining RoomLearn More
Moderno ChurrascariaLearn More
O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & GrillLearn More
Onda by ScarpettaLearn More
PalomarLearn More
Pincho Tapas Bar
Q Texas SmokehouseLearn More
Starbucks
Studio Lounge
TeppanyakiLearn More
The Bake Shop
The HavenLearn More
The LocalLearn More
The Supper Club

Bars and Drinks

Norwegian's Skyline Bar
Norwegian's Skyline Bar
Norwegian's Cellars Wine Bar
Norwegian's Cellars Wine Bar

The Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Escape both have 16 bars to choose from during your sailing.

Norwegian
Encore
Norwegian
Escape
A-List Bar
Atrium Bar
Cellars Wine Bar
District Brew House
Headliners Comedy Club
Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar
Mixx Bar
O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill
Observation Lounge Bar
Pincho Tapas Bar
Pour House
Prime Meridian Bar
Skyline Bar
Social Comedy & Night Club
Spice H2O
Starbucks
Sugarcane Mojito Bar
The Cavern Club
The Haven Bar*
The Local Bar
Tobacco Road
Vibe Beach Club Bar*
Waves Pool Bar
* = this bar is exclusive and not open to everyone.

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 Escape below.



Pools and Hot Tubs

Main pool on the Norwegian Encore
Main pool on the Norwegian Encore
The main pool on the Norwegian Escape
The main pool on the Norwegian Escape

Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.

The Norwegian Encore has a total of 3 pools and 9 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools are adults only. 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 Escape has more pools than the Encore and more hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Escape. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.

Norwegian
Encore
Norwegian
Escape
Total Pools34
Pools - General Access12
Pools - Adults Only11
Pools - Exclusive11
Total Hot Tubs910
Hot Tubs - General Access44
Hot Tubs - Adults Only02
Hot Tubs - Exclusive54



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 Escape, 60% of the activities are included at no additional cost.

Norwegian
Encore
Norwegian
Escape
Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee)
Adult Only Relaxation Area (free)
Arcade
Casino
Comedy Club
Escape Room
Fitness Center
Mini golf
Observation Lounge
Race Track
Ropes course
Shows - Broadway play
Shows - musical review
Spa
Splash park
Sports Square
Thermal Suites
Virtual Arcade
Water slides
Learn moreLearn 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. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Norwegian Encore will likely be more expensive than on Norwegian Escape.

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 & services20%
Soda Price$3.50
Domestic Beer Price$7.00
See drink menus
Drink Package Price106
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.

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