Page 119 - Holidays with Kids - Volume 62 (January 2020)

Ahead on an icecap stands a man in goggles
and padded snow suit. He shouts to me above
the whipping snow, “There are men down in
the mine shaft. Whatever attacked them is
there too. If you’re not back in eight minutes, 02
we’ll SHUT THE ENTIRE SHAFT DOWN.” The
metal cage shudders down an icy crevasse,
like being swallowed by a glistening, glacier-
hued oesophagus. Almost immediately the
cage is attacked by terrifying demi-animal
spectres. Unable to keep them at bay, I squeal,
whipping off the virtual reality headset.
Thankfully I’m not in an Arctic mine, rather
I’m on board Norwegian Encore during her
maiden three-day voyage from Bremerhaven
to Southampton. While friends enjoy
pre-dinner drinks, I sneak away for my
first-ever virtual reality experience in the
Galaxy Pavilion. In 10 short minutes it’s
possible to ride a rollercoaster, experience
a Jurassic Park-style safari and be utterly
terrified on the snow-themed Descent.
Something for everyone
As a novice cruiser, it’s difficult to know what
to expect on an ocean cruise. I was all at sea,
but ready to pull anchor on any preconceived
notions until I ran completely out of seafaring
clichés. Ship ahoy! 03
The first challenge, finding time to explore
the 20 decks sporting 29 eateries, nine
Jacuzzis, three pools and five water slides. 04
While the hull is a high-vis primary colour
explosion, inside is Scandi-style with a
coastal-chic palette of sands and aquamarines.
Unexpected details pop, from fish-patterned
carpet (always swimming forward) to a
colour-changing four-storey chandelier poised
dramatically above a glass stairway.
It’s clear the mind-boggling diversity will lure
families faster than you can say “Where’s the
augmented reality integration laser tag?” Teens
will gravitate to the Galaxy Pavilion, while
red-hot racers will roar into the Norwegian
Encore Speedway with a hairpin extending
four metres over the ocean. The Ocean Loops,
a clear tubular water slide, swings out from the
ship 16 storeys high, and even toddlers have
their own splish-splash park.