Norwegian Encore Best Cabins & Suites: What Is Worth the Upgrade?

Norwegian Encore offers straightforward balconies, angled-balcony gems, family choices, spa access, and Haven suites with a completely different onboard rhythm.

Choose the room and location first, then treat The Haven as a separate experience that must earn its premium every day.

Short version

Hidden gems: Norwegian Encore cabin numbers to check first

Encore has a few cabins where the balcony is dramatically better than the standard version. These are the numbers to check before letting the booking engine choose for you.

• 8116: this Deck 8 M6 Club Balcony Suite with Larger Balcony is worth comparing if early sleep is not the priority. The M6 category runs roughly 329 to 439 square feet including the balcony, with balconies around 102 to 140 square feet rather than the tiny balcony on a standard Club Balcony Suite.
• Other Deck 8 M6 rooms: the forward large-balcony cluster is worth scanning because you can gain a substantially better balcony without entering The Haven.
• 9920: this Deck 9 B1 Aft-Facing Balcony gets the wake view and belongs to a category spanning roughly 216 to 425 square feet total, with balconies from about 40 to 149 square feet. That wide range is your cue to compare exact decks.
• Deck 9, 12, and 15 Haven aft penthouses: the HB category has balconies around 199 to 248 square feet, much larger than the standard HC aft penthouses on other decks. If the suite itself is the destination, these are the Haven rooms to compare first.

For balcony-focused travelers comfortable with the theater location, the first M6 candidate is 8116. The best luxury play is an HB aft penthouse only if you care more about private balcony space than being steps from the Haven restaurant and courtyard.

My default for two adults is a standard balcony on Decks 10 through 12

Encore is another Breakaway Plus ship where a standard balcony does the job perfectly well for two adults. Decks 10 through 12 give you a quieter residential location while keeping the Observation Lounge, Waterfront, restaurants, and upper decks within a sensible elevator ride.

Stay close enough to an elevator bank to avoid endless hallway walking without taking the first room beside it. Encore is long enough that location becomes part of the daily routine very quickly.

A standard balcony is modest but functional. Only pay more if the upgrade gives you a genuinely bigger outdoor area, a better family layout, or access to The Haven.

Cabin 8116 is the Encore balcony room to hunt for

Cabin 8116 is an M6 Club Balcony Suite with Larger Balcony on Deck 8. The M6 balcony range is roughly 102 to 140 square feet outside, a category range rather than an exact measurement of 8116.

That makes a real difference on Alaska sailings. You can move around, photograph scenery, and share the balcony without everyone rotating around two chairs and a table like a very polite puzzle.

The larger bathroom is useful too, so this category improves both the indoor and outdoor experience. M6 is my preferred Club Balcony upgrade when the fare difference is manageable.

The forward Deck 8 location means more walking to the stern and more pitch than midship in rough water. The extended outdoor portion can also trade privacy and weather cover for usable space, so compare room-specific balcony photos before paying for it.

The more important sleep compromise is the theater on Decks 6 and 7 beneath the forward cabin area. Show sound can reach nearby Deck 8 rooms, so favor Deck 10 through 12 for light sleepers or children with an early bedtime rather than assume 8116 is quiet.

Aft-facing balcony 9920 is the lower-deck wake-view choice

Cabin 9920 sits aft on Deck 9 and faces the wake. Encore’s B1 category varies dramatically in both total cabin and balcony dimensions, so never assume the same category on Deck 15 is basically identical.

I would consider the lower Deck 9 placement for travelers who want the stern view and tolerate movement. If motion sensitivity drives the decision, choose lower midship instead; an aft room can still have vibration and movement, including on Alaska routes with open-water stretches.

The drawback is geography. Encore’s Observation Lounge and Haven complex are forward, so the stern gives you fantastic private scenery and a long walk to some of the ship’s best indoor scenic spaces.

The Observation Lounge is your permission not to overpay for Alaska

Encore’s Observation Lounge provides a broad forward indoor space with floor-to-ceiling views. It is the strongest shared-view alternative when a balcony fare does not fit the budget.

If balcony pricing is reasonable, private outdoor access is my pick. If the premium becomes ridiculous, book an oceanview or inside and use the Observation Lounge without feeling that you made some catastrophic Alaska mistake.

The public lounge can be better when the weather is cold or wet, although a window seat is not guaranteed. Your private balcony wins when wildlife appears suddenly and you want to step outside in ten seconds instead of finding a seat near the glass.

Standard Club Balcony Suite is mainly a bathroom upgrade

A normal Club Balcony Suite is not a separate-bedroom suite. It gives you a little more room and a noticeably larger bathroom, which can be very useful for three adults or a family.

Price one when the bathroom matters. Do not automatically pay hundreds or thousands more if two adults mostly want a balcony and somewhere to sleep.

M6 is the exception because the balcony also improves dramatically. When both the bathroom and balcony get better, the upgrade is much easier to defend.

Family Club Balcony Suite makes sense for convenience, not privacy

Family Club Balcony Suites sleep up to four and sit on decks convenient to family activities. The room is still one main sleeping area, so this is not the category to choose if adults and children need separate bedrooms.

Choose one for parents who care about location, the larger bathroom, and having everyone in one room. Price connecting cabins for older kids because two bathrooms and a door between rooms can beat one slightly larger cabin quickly.

On a seven-night cruise, bathroom count is not a boring detail. It is sometimes the only thing standing between your family and an argument at 5:40 p.m.

Solo travelers should compare the purpose-built categories carefully

Encore’s purpose-built solo choices go beyond an interior Studio. A solo oceanview or balcony can be a better fit for someone who values natural light or private outdoor access.

Compare the total fare against a regular double-occupancy cabin with the single-occupancy supplement shown in the quote. A dedicated solo category is not automatically the least expensive option.

For Alaska, assign more value to a solo balcony than on a Caribbean sailing. The ability to step outside immediately when whales or glaciers appear is genuinely useful.

The Haven 2-Bedroom Family Villa is the family suite to check first

If you want The Haven with children, start with the 2-Bedroom Family Villa on Deck 18. It sleeps up to six, gives you real bedroom separation, and places you inside the Haven complex.

That means the private restaurant, lounge, courtyard, and sun deck are all part of your immediate living area instead of destinations across the ship. For a family paying Haven prices, that convenience matters.

The Deck 18 H6 is about 538 square feet including its balcony, so buy it for bedroom separation and immediate enclave access. Also compare the H5 Family Villa with Large Balcony on Deck 17 if outdoor space matters; the two villa categories are not interchangeable.

Haven aft penthouses have the balconies, but not the location

Encore’s HB Aft-Facing Penthouses with Large Balconies sit on Decks 9, 12, and 15. They total roughly 619 to 668 square feet including balconies around 199 to 248 square feet.

The HC aft penthouses on Decks 10, 11, 13, and 14 are slightly smaller, with balconies around 151 to 175 square feet. Both give you the wake, separate bedroom, butler, concierge, and Haven access.

The compromise is simple: The Haven complex is forward. Book an HB for a cabin-focused trip where breakfast on a huge aft balcony sounds amazing, and book inside the Haven complex if you expect to use the private restaurant and courtyard constantly.

Best cabins for different Encore travelers

• Couple: standard balcony on Deck 10 through 12.
• Balcony hunter: M6 8116 or another large-balcony Deck 8 room.
• Wake-view fan: lower-deck B1 such as 9920.
• Budget Alaska traveler: inside or oceanview plus Observation Lounge time.
• Family wanting a better bathroom: Family Club Balcony Suite.
• Family wanting true separation and Haven access: Haven 2-Bedroom Family Villa.
• Luxury balcony traveler: HB Haven Aft-Facing Penthouse with Large Balcony.
• Luxury convenience traveler: Courtyard or family suite inside the Haven complex.

Encore-specific mistakes to avoid

Do not assume Club Balcony Suite means a separate-bedroom suite. Most are one room with a better bathroom and a little more floor space.

Do not assume all M6 or B1 rooms are identical. Balcony dimensions vary enough that an exact cabin comparison matters.

Do not book an aft Haven suite if the whole reason you are paying for The Haven is immediate access to the private restaurant, lounge, and courtyard. You will be walking the length of the ship to reach them.

And do not force a balcony into the Alaska budget if it means compromising the rest of the trip. Encore’s Observation Lounge is a very good fallback.

The best overall choice

Search 8116 and the other M6 rooms first on an Alaska itinerary if you expect to stay out through evening shows. A genuinely large private balcony is more useful to you than paying a similar premium for a standard Club Balcony Suite.

If M6 pricing were too high, book a normal balcony around Deck 10 or 11. If balcony prices were absurd across the ship, go oceanview and use the Observation Lounge.

For The Haven, stay inside the complex unless you know the aft balcony itself is a major part of the vacation. It is better to use the private restaurant and courtyard constantly than walk forward every time you want the perks you paid for.

Beds, bathrooms, and the family upgrade to actually use

A Family Club Balcony remains one room with one bathroom, and the third and fourth berths use additional bedding rather than two extra bedrooms. Confirm which sofa or upper berth the children will use, how it affects the route to the bathroom, and whether the main beds can be separated.

For five guests, compare a Family Oceanview with two confirmed connecting cabins before moving to Haven prices. Adjacent room numbers are not proof of a connecting door, and two cabins can buy two bathrooms and privacy even when neither is individually large.

The Haven Family Villa has two bathrooms as well as two bedrooms, but the smaller bedroom uses a double sofa bed rather than matching the primary bedroom. That is a useful arrangement for parents and children; two adult couples should compare the sleeping spaces before splitting the cost equally.

Accessibility and when to stop spending

For an adapted bathroom or wheelchair clearance, book a designated accessible cabin rather than assume a bigger suite solves the problem. An accessible cabin may add wider doorways, a roll-in shower, a bench, a raised toilet, and handrails.

Have the Access Desk confirm Encore’s specific transfer clearances, shower layout, balcony threshold, and equipment storage against your needs. Prioritize a useful elevator route over a far-forward balcony if walking distance is the daily difficulty.

Compare dining, drinks, Wi-Fi, and thermal-suite admission using the actual fare terms, since they are separate from cabin hardware. Haven priority arrangements help with reservations but do not guarantee every request, and a Club Balcony does not include access to the Haven enclave.

Pressure-test the Encore cabin pick with cabins to avoid, deck guide, dining guide, activity guide, and pros and cons. The result should show whether private outdoor space, Observation Lounge access, or The Haven best serves the trip.

Continue planning with the cruise tips.

Quick answers

What is the best Norwegian Encore cabin for Alaska?

Compare M6 Club Balcony Suites with Larger Balconies, including 8116, if you accept the theater-noise tradeoff. A standard balcony on Deck 10 through 12 is the safer value choice if the large-balcony premium is high.

What is the best Encore cabin for families?

Family Club Balcony Suite is a practical midrange choice, but choose the Haven 2-Bedroom Family Villa when real bedroom separation and private Haven access justify the splurge.

Is The Haven worth it on Norwegian Encore?

It can be if you want a quieter private restaurant, lounge, courtyard, sun deck, concierge, and butler service. Do not pay the premium solely for more cabin square footage.