My husband and I picked Encore for our 15 year wedding anniversary getaway. The first one without kids. We were so looking forward to poolside relaxation and sunshine. The promise and allure of a shiny new ship seemed wonderful. After we started reading reviews after its initial voyages, we could tell there were going to be problems.

I contacted customer support in advance of my cruise to see if there was something we could do- anticipating this ship would not be conducive to the romantic getaway I planned (go on another ship, get access to the Haven or Vibe). No one ever responded . I called, and he assured me someone would be calling me back. No one ever did.

We went on the trip, crossing our fingers to have a different experience- but the problems reported online were more severe than we had even read about because it was school vacation week. Read more