We chose this cruise for the seadays. We did the same cruise in reverse in November 2015 on the Sojourn. We wanted to try out the larger ship, we also had sailed on the Odyssey last November.
First impressions? it is a bigger ship. The ceilings seem a little lower, particularly in the Restaurant, the cabins a little narrower and the Club on Level 5 a little smaller with the casino now being exposed. Mind you we never saw the Casino being used. In fact the Restaurant seems much quieter so the lower ceiling may be there for a purpose. There is no laundry. However we were told due to demand one will be fitted. I hope given the size of the ship one means two.
Within a few days we were won over. The ship has a classier feel. It never felt over crowded although the Colonnade and pool deck could get a bit busy. It was the atmosphere on the Encore and the magnificent staff that did it. Every single one of them was enthusiastic and helpful. We have never encountered such a team. Their enthusiasm rubbed off on the passengers. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and interacted well.
Ours was a standard cabin. A little narrower than on the Sojourn and sister boats. However overall an even better cabin with an extremely comfortable bed, the usual walk in robe and well fitted bathroom.