Quietest cabins on Norwegian Encore
Norwegian Encore is a Breakaway Plus ship with 20 decks, 11 of them with cabins. The quietest rooms are the midship cabins on Decks 10 to 14, sandwiched between cabin decks. The noisiest are on Deck 15, directly below the pool deck and buffet, and on Deck 8, directly above the theater.
Rate a cabin on this ship
The short answer
- Quietest: midship cabins on Decks 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. Cabins above and below, no public venue on either neighbouring deck.
- Also quiet: the forward half of Deck 9, above the Deck 8 cabin block, and the Haven suites on Deck 18.
- Check before booking: Deck 15 below the pool deck and buffet, Deck 8 above the theater, and the Deck 5 cabins beside the kids clubs.
- No cabin on Encore scores below C. The ship has no cabins beside the engine room or above a late-night club, so the bottom of the scale stays empty here.
Deck by deck grades
Every grade below comes from the published deck plan: what sits directly above, below and beside each zone. Read the full method on the how it works page.
| Deck | Zone | Cabins | Grade | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Forward, outer and inside | 5100-5120, 5700-5720 | C | Lowest cabin deck, below Deck 6 public areas, closest to the bow. Anchor and bow thruster noise on port mornings. |
| 5 | Forward, rest | 5121-5138, 5401-5455, 5721-5739 | B | Lowest cabin deck, below Deck 6 public areas. Clear of the anchor zone and the kids clubs. |
| 5 | Beside kids clubs | 5140-5174, 5740-5784 | C | Beside Guppies nursery and Splash Academy. Daytime kids program noise and family corridor traffic. |
| 8 | All cabins (forward block) | 8110-8162, 8401-8419, 8710-8762 | C | Directly above the Encore Theater, with the District Brew House and Food Republic immediately aft of the block. |
| 9 | Forward | 9100-9186, 9401-9449, 9700-9786 | A | Cabins above on Deck 10, cabins below on Deck 8. The quietest stretch of Deck 9. |
| 9 | Midship and aft | 9188-9324, 9601-9603, 9788-9924 | B | Cabins above on Deck 10, but bars, restaurants and shops on Deck 8 below. |
| 10 | All cabins | 10100-10918 | A | Cabins above and below. No public venue on either neighbouring deck. |
| 11 | All cabins | 11100-11918 | A | Cabins above and below. The Studio Lounge sits on this deck, for Studio guests. |
| 12 | All cabins | 12100-12912 | A | Cabins above and below. No public venue on either neighbouring deck. |
| 13 | All cabins | 13100-13912 | A | Cabins above and below. The Medical Center sits on this deck but it is not a noise venue. |
| 14 | All cabins | 14100-14886 | A | Cabins above and below. The bridge sits forward of the cabins and is silent. |
| 15 | Beside Observation Lounge | 15108-15154 | C | Beside the Observation Lounge and below the Garden Cafe buffet. |
| 15 | Forward to midship | 15156-15198, 15760-15798 | C | Below the open-air Garden Cafe, Surf Bar and main pool on Deck 16. |
| 15 | Midship | 15200-15240, 15800-15840 | C | Below the main pool, Kids Aqua Park and Waves Bar on Deck 16. |
| 15 | Midship to aft | 15242-15258, 15601-15615, 15842-15858 | B | Below the spa and fitness block on Deck 16. Low-key daytime spaces. |
| 15 | Aft | 15260-15284, 15860-15880 | B | Below the Mandara Spa. The quietest stretch of Deck 15. |
| 17 | Haven suites (forward) | 17100-17726 | B | Above the Garden Cafe buffet. Haven areas on this deck and above are quiet, guests-only spaces. |
| 18 | Haven suites (forward) | 18100-18714 | A | Haven areas above and below. The Speedway and Spice H2O sit at the opposite end of the ship. |
The noise vectors on this ship
Every rating on Encore comes from one or more of these. They are the same vectors we grade on every ship, so grades stay comparable.
Pool deck above (Deck 15)
Deck 16 holds the Garden Cafe buffet forward, the main pool and sun decks midship, the Kids Aqua Park, and the Mandara Spa aft. Every cabin on Deck 15 sits below some part of it. The buffet stretch is the worst for early risers, because kitchen setup starts before breakfast. The pool stretch brings morning chair setup and daytime pool activity. The spa stretch, aft, is the gentlest, because spa spaces are quiet by design.
Theater below (Deck 8)
The Encore Theater spans Decks 6 and 7 at the forward end, directly below the Deck 8 cabin block. Amplified shows run most evenings, and bass carries through the deck. The District Brew House and Food Republic sit immediately aft of the cabin block, adding bar noise to the same stretch.
Kids clubs beside (Deck 5)
Guppies nursery and Splash Academy sit midship on Deck 5, sharing a corridor with the 5140-5174 and 5740-5784 oceanview cabins. The noise is daytime: kids programs, drop-off and pick-up traffic. The clubs close in the evening, so nights are usually quiet, and families using the clubs may count the location as a plus.
Anchor and thrusters (Deck 5 forward)
The forward-most cabins on Deck 5 sit closest to the bow, where the anchor windlass and bow thrusters live. Expect anchor chain noise and a low thruster rumble on port mornings, when the ship docks. It is brief and tied to port days, not a nightly problem.
Public venues below (Deck 9 midship and aft)
Deck 8 is a public deck for most of its length: the Waterfront promenade, bars, restaurants and shops. The Deck 9 cabins above those venues can hear evening music and furniture movement carrying upward. The forward Deck 9 cabins escape this, because Deck 8 is cabins, not venues, at the forward end.
Lowest cabin deck (Deck 5)
Deck 5 is the lowest deck with cabins, below the Deck 6 public areas and closer to the ship's machinery spaces than any higher deck. The effect is a low background hum rather than a specific noise event, and it is mildest midship.
Best and worst zones
Best for sleep: a midship balcony or inside cabin on Deck 12 or 13. Cabins above and below, no venue on either neighbouring deck, and midship means the least motion in rough seas.
Best for families with small children: the Deck 5 cabins beside Splash Academy, 5140-5174 or 5740-5784. The daytime noise is the trade for being steps from drop-off, and the clubs close in the evening.
Worst for light sleepers: the Deck 15 forward cabins beside the Observation Lounge, 15108-15154. They carry two adjacencies at once: the lounge beside them and the buffet above them.
Worst for late risers: the Deck 15 midship cabins below the pool deck, 15200-15240 and 15800-15840. Morning chair setup on the pool deck starts early.
Measured on board
Decibel readings are being collected now
We are collecting decibel readings on the current Norwegian Encore sailing in November 2026, taken with a phone sound meter in the cabin, on the balcony, and at public areas around the ship. No readings are published yet, because none have been taken and checked. When they are, they will appear here with the time, the location, and the conditions, and they will sit beside the deck plan grades, not replace them.
Until then, every grade on this page is a deck plan risk rating only. We do not publish numbers we have not measured.
Sources
- Norwegian Cruise Line official Norwegian Encore deck plans, via CruiseMapper deck plan images extracted from the NCL deck plan PDF.
- NCL Norwegian Encore ship map guide, June 2025.
- CruiseMapper Norwegian Encore deck plan review and per-deck venue lists.
- Frommer's bow-to-stern tour of Norwegian Encore, confirming the Garden Cafe sits forward and the Mandara Spa aft on Deck 16.
- Cruise Critic community reports on Deck 15 cabins, used as background only. No forum report is used as a rating.
Deck plan data checked November 14, 2026. Cabin categories and venue labels can change during a ship's life. Confirm the current deck plan on ncl.com before booking.