Carnival Encounter Balcony Cabin 12707

Sailed in Aug/Sept 2025 - Deck 12, fully covered.

When we arrived at the cabin it was set up for 4 people. I think it would be very cramped for 4 adults, but doable.

We travel as a triple, so the cabin steward simply dropped the top bunk down onto the bottom bunk. Looked messy and was a little lumpy at the foot of the bed but still comfy.

It did mean that all 3 beds were a different level, and that there is no room under the bed for cases - plenty of room in the wardrobe for cases.

Muster Station D is located on deck 7 in Black Circus at the back of the ship.

Cabin was close to the aft lifts and stairs, and only one flight up to the buffet (Lido Marketplace). These lifts take you directly down to the Dragon Lady Restaurant on deck 6, and directly up to the Altitude Nightclub on deck 18. There is also a door at the end of the hall that will take you to adults only pool.

The cabin was quiet - no lift noise or any noise from the above buffet. We have had cabins on this floor before and have no problem booking them again, and it was so nice to have a balcony.

I Booked a Cruise - Again!

We are always on the lookout for discounted cruises and will often research cruises we want to go on but can't afford. We then check the prices every now and then and when a deal is offered, and we can do it, we book it.

But there are things that one needs to know when booking a last minute cruise, especially if the country visiting is a country not visited in a while. The latest we have ever booked a last minute cruise was the day before, and the destination was one we had been to many times, so that was easy - pack and go.

Our first trans-Pacific cruise was two weeks before departure and we did need to use a travel agent for that one as there were too many 'extra' things we had to book.

Our last one - before this one - was to New Zealand,  a place we love and have been to many times. We had been looking at that cruise since it first came out and it was way out of our budget. I kept looking and booked three days out from departure. Luckily our bags were almost packed from the last cruise and visas were easily done online.

But this recent one, booked 5 weeks before departure, was hectic indeed. We booked a 12 night cruise from Singapore to Brisbane.

Not only did we need to book flights, we needed accommodation, visas, transfers, currency etc etc.

Flights - we searched all flights direct and with one stopover. Many flights had long stopovers in either Sydney or Melbourne, Darwin or Bali - not ideal. Pricing was a big factor. We chose Jetstar (yes Jetstar) as it was a third of the price of the other airlines. It wasn't that bad, but the food was awful. Would we book Jetstar again..... maybe, depends on the price.

Accommodation was the easiest. There are many many hotels in Singapore and the prices range greatly. We wanted a good location, near shops and transport, included breakfast if possible, pool would be great. We chose Travelodge Harbourfront and would definitely stay then again.

Visas - what a nightmare. We needed visas for Singapore, easy to do online, although one of the passports scanned incorrectly and had to be redone at Changi Airport. Indonesian visas for Bali a different story. I used the official site, and over two days tried to get the three visas. I got numerous scam emails, many error pages when trying to pay. Will think twice before I book a cruise that goes to Bali again.

Currency - easy to get the currency for both Bali and Singapore at the local currency exchange, but working out how much we needed for each place was a little more difficult. For Bali, we knew that we were going to stay close to the port, and that there were markets and beer stalls. Bali was also the flight stopover. Peter used a credit card at Bali airport, and didn't spend anything when we were in port. Didn't need any Indonesian currency. 

We spent 5 nights in Singapore and planned to visit hawker centers that take mostly cash, so we needed cash. Well, most places used credit cards so very little cash was spent. The odd coffee or ice lolly, that's it.

Next time we will take very little currency.

Transfers - we needed to get from the airport to the hotel, and the hotel to the cruise port 5 days later. In researching for what to do, where to go, and how to get there, we decided on a 5 day Tourist MRT card @ $45Singapore each. We took the train from Changi Airport to Harbourfront and the hotel. We took a taxi from the hotel to the cruise port $16Singapore. 

Sightseeing - we watched a lot of YouTube videos and researched a lot of webpages and reviews of what to do and where to go. We used the Tourist cards to come and go via train and bus. Jon lost his card on day 3 so we used a credit card. When we got the bill for the last two days it was less than $9 Aust. Next time we will use a credit card instead of a Tourist Card.

We had a wonderful time in Singapore, and on the cruise and would do it all again. 

Travelodge Harbourfront - Singapore

On our recent trip to Singapore we chose to stay at the Travelodge Harbourfront Singapore. It is across the road from a large shopping Mall, Vivo City, and the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit). We stayed five nights at the end of November.

Singapore is mostly expensive, and this hotel was not the cheapest we could find, but it was a good balance of value for money and convenience. We booked a Triple Deluxe Room. The room was small compared to other hotel rooms, but it was clean and everything worked. The room is serviced every few days. We stayed 5 nights and had the room serviced twice. 

Two strange things, which weren't really a problem, was one, the lack of space to store suitcases. We had 2 large and 2 smaller cases and 2 backpacks and a carry on bag - we were going on a 12 night cruise afterwards. The 'wardrobe was a hanging rack and there was no under the bed storage, so the cases stayed on the floor under the tv, and we would live out of our suitcases. We shopped at Vivocity for breakfast and dinners, and stored the food on the hanging rack shelf. The room has a mini fridge to store drinks and milk.

The second strange thing was the toilet / shower arrangement, although it worked well in the small space. The toilet was to the left of the front door.

Next to it was the shower. Both with a shared door. The shower was great, a rain shower, and a hand held - which I used as I didn't want my hair wet each night.

The room came with a kettle and supplies, as well as bamboo toothbrush and paste packs and disposable slippers. 

The hotel had a lot of amenities. 

The reception area is also where breakfast is served for a fee, and there is a small selection of food items and souvenirs. The food items were the same price or cheaper than the grocery store across the road.

The reception area has tables and chairs (used for the buffet breakfast in the mornings) and self contained pods for undisturbed work or phone calls. Outside is a courtyard with plenty of seating, vending machines, and even a TV.

We did like the fresh orange juice vending machine, and used it often for breakfast and for when we came back after our daily adventures - lovely cold fresh orange juice - $2Singapore ($2.30Aust.).

There is free laundry on floor 3, which we didn't use, and an outdoor pool on floor 6. 

The pool was lovely and refreshing after walking in the Singapore humidity. 

There is a shower room for before and after swimming and pool towels to use while there.

Floor 7 has the Station, a kitchen facility to be used by hotel guests. There is a fridge, microwave and plates for halal use, and a fridge, microwave, and plates to everyone else. The microwave was good for reheating meals purchased across the road. There was also an ice machine, chilled water tap for filling water bottles, a coffee machine, and plenty of tea. coffee and sugar for taking back to the room.

At the back of the Station is an alcove with ironing board, irons, and sewing needs.

The top floor or roof, is a bar. We only went there once as there were private functions on. Seemed very nice and a place to enjoy the cooler evenings.

We enjoyed our stay. We liked the closeness of the rail and bus stops. We liked the fact that a large shopping mall was across the road and had everything we would need. Definitely a place we will stay at again.