I was there to dance every night and eat healthy food. I give it 5 stars for that. I will say that the NCL Escape, its' sister ship, was a little better in that regard. It's H2O Spice was larger and it was great for dancing. Also, their Skyline Bar had a dance floor and it was less claustrophobic than the Social was on the Bliss. On the Bliss, half of the Skyline was taken up with casino machines. We weren't able to go to their private island, due to weather conditions, which has happened before to us, but it wasn't a big problem for me. The seas were too rough for the tenders to go out, so they gave us a each an automatic $32 credit for that. Due to the coronavirus situation, (and norovirus, of course), they took extra cleanliness precautions. We were not allowed to serve ourselves at the Garden buffet, although we were usually allowed to get our own beverages, which is odd. There was an error made on our dinner tab at Q, the Texas rib place, but the correction showed up within minutes after we tracked down the right person to talk to, the next day. We also dined at Le Bistro, the French restaurant, for my birthday. Their food still held up to their previous standards. This was the very last NCL cruise before all cruises ground to a halt. Sigh...I'm really happy we went, because it may be quite a while before we'll have the opportunity again to hit the seas. Read Less

I want to start off by saying that I recognize that this is a stressful time for everyone including and especially for the travel industry. We cruised from March 8 to March 15. On March 8 when we left, COVID19 was a concern but not to the same extent it was by the end of our cruise. That being said, the service on this ship is terrible from day one.This as my first time with NCL, but I have cruised with Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity. ALL of them completely blow NCL out of the water.It seemed like they were really short staffed. At night in The Local (the only place to get food after 11:30 unless you want to pay $9.95 for room service) tables sat uncleared and totally filthy, the hot tubs in the evening constantly had empty plastic cups flying around them and squashed out cigarette butts in the filters. During the morning hours there was garbage floating around in the pool. There were never enough bar tenders, finding a server around the pool or in the theater, or really at any restaurant was a hard task. We waited about an average of half an hour for a drink. I asked Customer Service about this assuming COVID19 had them short staffed but I was told that they were full staffed and "its normal to wait a long time for things on big ships." I noticed that there were no drink servers in the main buffet area and asked about that and was told "It is self serve and we don't have servers but there is a walk up bar in the buffet if you want a drink." There are 4000 people on this ship, most of which have the "free drink package" (except for the  additional 20% added for gratuities and additional taxes you pay per drink  when docked in at certain ports) and one bar in the buffet,with one, maybe two bartenders. You do the math on this one. You get to choose between waiting in line for forty minutes for a drink or eating with your family. The staff on this ship didn't seem motivated at all and they were just down right miserable in some instances.At the bar by the kids pool my son was sitting on a stool at the bar while I was waiting for a drink and the bartender snapped "get down, no kids". the towel guys were very rude and abrupt as well. It definitely did not have the friendly feel you get used to on other cruise lines or even all inclusive land vacations  There are some things mentioned in a lot of other reviews that are definitely true. One being the crowding and the other being the nickle and diming.  This is a huge ship that has all the pool space of a small ship. The amount of people on a sea day is unbearable. We had the pleasure of being on this cruise with a bunch of 20 somethings during their march break. the "adult pool" was overtaken by drunk college students doing cannonballs and belly flops into the pool surrounded by about 2000 other annoyed and disgruntled guests while security chased them around the pool. This was a daily thing. This ship is so overcrowded. Other people have said it again and again. Its true. As for the nickle and diming, there is a program at kids club where you can leave your children later at night for a fee. If you have two children (siblings) in the club you get a discount. NCL tried to charge us separately for our boys and not give us the discount because they are step brother and not actual brothers. We were in the same room and they are on a family vacation. I thought that was shady. When the COVID19 situation got more serious on Thursday they closed down ping pong and mini golf to stop spread of germs. Those are both free things. They did however leave open the arcade, laser tag, and go carts. All payed things. I think if there is risk of someone getting the virus from the handle of a golf club, there is most certainly a risk of getting it an an arcade,or even a casino! This ship is beautiful and has some really cool restaurants and bars and some of the best food I've had on a cruise. Jersey Boys and Six were also really great shows.  It's just run by a company who seems to have no idea or doesn't care who their competition is in terms of customer service. When it comes to large ships, The Oasis class blows NCL away in every category. If I had never been a cruise before I might think this was good, but comparatively it's not. We sailed with Celebrity last spring during a promotion they had similar to NCL's where the drinks and wifi were included. We did not pay a dime more for anything that claimed to be free, we had unlimited wifi for both devices (I don't even want to say what we ultimately ended up paying for our "free" wifi) on Celebrity we didn't pay an extra 20% on our drink package, no additional extra taxes at certain ports either. Everything was just as it claimed. WIth NCL I felt like I was always looking for the fine print or the "catch" There are a few other small things that seemed off too. Bliss didn't  leave New York until about 2.5 hours after it was supposed to and no one addressed this at all. Standing outside at the "sail away party" was really cold lol, It would have been nice to know we were going to be waiting until after the sail away party ended! I still don't know why we were so late leaving. We missed the day at their private island because of high winds, which seems to be fairly common. Although whatever ship it was may have been smaller than ours, it was disheartening to see Royal Caribbean docked at their island so close to the one we should have been at.  We were at customer service so many times on account of key cards not working which was frustrating. All in all, I'm not sure this cruise was worth the 14 day quarantine my family and I are enduring from having been on it   (being Canadian citizens returning from a different country, just policy now) Read Less

I’m going to start by saying the staff and crew were very friendly and accommodating and personable and very professional. We saw none of the rude unfriendly staff some of the lower star ratings stated. Yes the bliss wasn’t perfect. They do nickle and dime you but if you know that going in you can prepare for it. The food was good. The buffet was repetitive and very very crowded a lot of the time but the food tasted good. The specialty restaurants we visited cagneys. Le bistro And ocean blue were excellent food an service.al a carte prices were high. We had the dining package. Lots of drinking as people(most) had the drink package but only a few visible enebriated. The pool areas were full and noisy. The observation areas were great. EmbArkation and debarkation was smooth.if finances allow highly recommend staying in the haven. Quieter. More personalized service and personal butler as well and has its own private restaurant which was excellent. Cruise director and captain both excellent. Entertainment was good. Jersey boys excellent. Six was ok music was good but hard to understand the words. BeAtles tribute band was good and the extra charge prohibition the musical was very good. All in all an excellent enjoyable cruise. Read Less

Got off the Bliss in NYC on Sunday the 15th had CDC Waiting for us to take our Temps as we walked off. NCL was told day 2 that a 2 year old on the 03/01 sailing tested positive, And then EVERYTHING Changed. They did not tell Any One on the ship until the 15th a day After we got off. Their was a family quarantine in their room on our floor (10) until they got off in Nassau. No one could touch any utensils any where on the ship. They made the staff put ketchup on your food for you. YES I said if you wanted Ketchup they put it on for you. This ship is a Clone of the Breakaway, just bigger there is Nothing about this ship that would make us get back on. Other than the go cart track, the Q ( BBQ ) and los lobo ( Mexican ) Absolutely Nothing worth doing this monstrous ship.They took out Mordurno's and NO One was in the New Los Lobo's their new Mexican restaurant It was a ghost town in their every night.They took out Margaritaville in the middle of the Cruise and put up all the American Diner stuff but Never Opened while we were on. The Service is Far from What NCL is known for. I believe it's because of the size of the ship After 10 NCL cruises this by far was the worst service we received. The difference between Taste and Savor was Night and Day, We went to breakfast at Taste on day 2 and it took them 3 times to get 4 guest order correct, Went to Savor for dinner on Tues, Wed, Thurs, And the Service was in our Top 5 ever. No consistency anywhere on the ship they were just going though the motions. They RUINED H2O made it Half the size of any of the Breakaway ships and Took Out the Grato and replace it with some fountain wall. Also the entire under cover Bar is Now All Smoking Area. And I smoke and I had to leave. Missed the Island because of Wind, AGAIN! Last time this will happen for US, The worst part We are so close to Co Co CAY and saw RC ship docked and people on the beach. Floated around the ocean for 24 hours, Pulled into Nassau at mid-night for a medical reason, Overall Unless they gave us the price we paid for this cruise we will not be on any large NCL ship in the future, Would rather be on the Gem. Also the seams like it needed the bolts to be tightened, 3 night while it was windy the room banged and creek ed loud enough to wake people up. Read Less

I went on the cruise with my best friend for spring break. We are both 21 years old. I had the time of my life on this cruise, and I’m looking forward to cruising with Norwegian in the future, but there were a few things that surprised me. We were not permitted on the tender boats to go to great stirrup day due to wind. It was really a bummer to get 1 day in the Bahamas on a 7 day cruise. We were also charged an addition tax on any drinks we bought while in port even though we had the drinks package. A $300 deposit came out of both our accounts on the first day that we were not aware of but we got it back. Some employees where rude to us. Especially at The Local. I would avoid that bar and restaurant as much as possible but they are the only place open 24 hours besides room service which is additional fee. Nestor at Sugarcane Mojito Bar make my vacation! He was absolutely wonderful. Everything was extremely clean and sanitary. I thought the food was good at the complimentary places. We didn’t participate in an special entertainment but they have live music all over the boat. I enjoyed getting in the hot tubs but they are limited and crowded most of the time. I enjoyed my 1st cruise and would do it again. Read Less

We just got off ship on 3/8/2020.We had terrific food all week, some terrific servers including Mariano. The show Jersey boys and Beatles show were both amazing. We Plenty to do if you want and plenty of places to escape or to have a drink. 10 minutes to get off the ship at the end of the cruise in NY Really love this ship! This is my first time, in a very long time and not sailing In The Haven or the Yacht Club (MSC).I was very worried about taking a cruise without the special perks that I've grown used to. There was nothing to worry about it was terrific cruise. Everybody made you feel like you were special. There was hardly any waiting to get on the ship or off the ship. There was plenty of places to go and hang out plenty of seats outside and the food was fabulous! Read Less

- Summary: we have cruised a number of lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity, Holland America, Oceania.) This was our first cruise on NCL and was the best experience we have had on a mass-market line. Excluding Oceania which is our favorite but in a different price bracket. We would definitely use NCL again if they have itineraries/prices that suit us. - This cruise was chosen for price (free at sea items), departure port rather than destinations. - Embarkation smooth and fast, disembarkation not so good (lack of info) - Ship was in excellent condition, décor understated but pleasing. - Even although the ship is large (4000 passengers) it never felt crowded and the layout meant you never really see huge masses of people in one place. - Observation lounge is amazing and a great place to pass time, get light food and drinks. It was never crowded even on a sea day when the pool deck was closed due to weather. - Speciality restaurants most nights had spare tables. We did 4 of them. All of them (Teppanyaki, Cagneys, Ocean Blue, La Cucina) had good menus and the food was great. Teppanyaki was the best, La Cucina the worst (not that it was bad but the menu was pretty bland standard americanized italian) - Main dining rooms - Food was better than we expected based on CC forums. Savour - had to send a beef tenderloin back because it was over-cooked. The dish was replaced very quickly and courteously with apologies. - Restaurant staff were prompt and very friendly although it was obvious they were not familiar with the rules re the wine packages. - Bar staff were friendly but rushed. I like a scotch sour (whisky sour using Scotch) - only Maltings made a decent one. Some that I ordered were not even worth drinking. Manager of wine cellar was excellent! - Entertainment (atrium shows, Jersey Boys, Six) was excellent. We did not use the go karts or water slides (being seniors...) Read Less

I really love the luxury of not having to fly to go on a cruise, New York is an hour and a half away and I am grateful that NCL has ships sailing from NYC port. The Bliss is a beautiful ship, very very up-to-date in every respect. I feel there is something for everyone onboard, from dining, entertainment, activities etc. Embarkation was crowded BUT organized considering there were 4900 people onboard this week. There was a huge Canadian presence because it was spring break and the announcements were made in English and French which was very thoughtful, it did however, make the Muster Drill longer, but hey I get it, fair is fair. We had some things included with our fare - the drink package, 3 specialty dining, 250 minutes of internet. We went to Cagney's, La Cucina and Le Bistro all excellent restaurants. My sister and her family went to Q The Texas Smokehouse and they were wowed with the portion sizes and said everything was delicious. The buffet dining was good too with plenty of choices and lots of stations, so when you go in don't go to the first station you see, walk forward a bit and you will find the same foods being prepared and it's less congested. The main dining rooms were good as well, plenty of choices there. The Local is open 24 hours and serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night bites, pretty good service and the food was yummy. Try the pretzel bites, great little snack. Service was the same as all other NCL cruises I have been on. These people work really hard 10 to 12 hours a day and they deserve a huge round of applause. A special shoutout to Burton and Jocelyn bartenders in the Skyline Bar in the casino and Mickey our room steward. Speaking of casino, guess what, SMOKE-FREE, they do have a separate casino for the smokers that is completely glass enclosed. Our cabin was an aft balcony that had a little larger balcony. The bathroom and storage was perfect for us. We had 3 ports - Port Canaveral, we stayed on the ship, Great Stirrup Cay which is beautifully done from that last time I was there 10 years ago and it looks like they are doing a lot more there and last stop Nassau we only got off the ship to "stretch our legs" and get a t-shirt for my nephew then we returned to the ship which was fairly empty, so we had lots of seat choices at the pool that day. We saw Jersey Boys twice and the performers were exceptional and did a fabulous job. DON'T MISS SEEING IT!! I saw half of Six which I really didn't care for, but again the performers voices were awesome, it's just the storyline that wasn't that great. Disembarkation was good too. My brother-in-law needed a wheelchair and it was well organized getting him off the ship. They do face recognition now because the scan your passport photo when you embark so when you leave you look at a minipad type screen and thats that you're done, easy peasy. This was my 17th cruise (my 8th with NCL) and I can't wait to go again on any ship. NCL does it right by having freestyle everything, you do what you want when you want. Read Less

Embarking was a breeze they had it all together but disembarking was a HOT MESS one of the links wasnt working so everyone had to pour out of 1 door. The boat is new and clean - the observation room is AWESOME and I liked H20 the adults only area - except no one enforced "adults only" and even with a sign people brought their kids to the adults only area until someone would complain and they would be asked to leave. Food - is standard for Norwegian - they have a TON of specialty restaurants and 3 dining rooms included - they all have the same menu each night (except for the buffet - and 24 hour local) -- We found that the menu they posted on the board where you could make a reservation was not always updated & were disappointed a few times when we got the actual menu but overall the food is good and anyone can find something they enjoy - We were a little disappointed that there is no longer a dinner show, for a lack of a better word, in the Manhattan Room - their main dining room - and servie there was a little slow - we preferred Savor & Taste rooms over the Manhattan room especially without the entertainment Shows - We saw Jersey Boys and it was GREAT - We always enjoy the shows on NCL -- the comedians were funny - and the bands in all the venues were top notch Read Less

We were on the Bliss last week 3-24/3-1 to the Bahamas from NYC. This is our 9th cruise with ncl. Also cruised with Royal and Carnival. We live up in the Hudson Valley NY and had a kid drive us to the terminal from Astoria about a half hour away from the terminal. I gave the longshoreman a nice tip up front and he took our luggage out of the trunk for us and that was that. There was a half hour or so line to get checked in--a breeze of a boarding process. We got to the terminal at 11 and were on board by 1130 or so. We immediately took care of all reservations--dinners, shows and tenders to the beach. The ship can not dock at the Cay so you need to get on a tender boat. We ate mainly in Bliss/Savor. We ate lunch once in the cafeteria but it was very noisy,crowded and chaotic and we only went back for a late snack after a show when it was empty and quiet. A large variety of foods are available in he cafeteria but we prefer a waiter serving us. Our room was a small balcony in the back of the ship and was really nice. Kinda small but ok. The ship holds 4000 people and can be crowded sometimes especially after the shows but you need to just be patient and deal with it. They have all you can drink alcohol packages available. We dont drink or gamble and the loud and slobbering drunks were a bit annoying as they tried to get their money's worth. The first stop was on Tueday at Cape Canaveral. Here you can get on a bus to go to Disney World about an hour or so away but we were there too many times with the kids so no way. We went on a Pontoon Cruise on the Banana River. Really nice and informative guide. On Wednesday we went to the Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas which is a private island owned by NCL. You have to take a tender boat and we almost didnt make it as the seas were quite rough for the tenders. Even though it was a bit cool we did have a great time swimming in the beautiful water there. A little bit of heaven. Lunch is included in your visit and overall it was an enjoyable experience. Thursday saw us at Atlantis. Google it. You take a van taxi from the end of the pier to Atlantis for $4 each, about a 15 minute ride away. It was a bit cool with dark clouds threatening rain so we never got to do some things we had planned but we did enjoy the aquarium and the grounds. Very enjoyable. Friday and Saturday we were at sea. A must see is the Beatles show at one of the venues called The Cavern, a re-creation of a club where the Beatles and other acts got their start over in Liverpoolin the early 60s. A heads up--the Cavern is very small and fills up quickly so if you want a seat I would suggest getting on the line there very early at least an hour or maybe and hour and fifteen minutes before showtime which I think is 730 but check your schedule to make sure. We saw them 3x at the Cavern each performance a different set--Sgt. Peppers, Abbey Road and the White Album. The group also performed in the theatre on Saturday night. Same--get on the line early to get a good seat. The theatre is large but the best seats fill up quickly. Another good show is the Jersey Boys show. You need a reservation for this so make it as soon as you board the ship at the Guest Relations area. Again--get to the theatre early to get good seats. There is also a magician act to be seen in the theatre. Very good with audience participation and lots of laughs. Dont miss the comedian Scott Henry at the Comedy Club. Excellent, very funny guy. Lots of stuff to do so have a great time! Read Less

I've been on a ton of cruises in my life, but this was my first NCL experience (Feb. 23 out of NYC.) Due to the hype of the Bliss, I had high expectations - perhaps that was my problem, but honestly, shouldn't they be high? Clearly, I was highly disappointed with this cruise experience as a whole, but I want to preface my review by saying, I'm not a complainer, I'm not a "negative Nancy." I've literally never written a review like this in my life, but I felt like I HAD to after this experience. Both my husband and I came to the conclusion about mid-way through this cruise that we would not be cruising again anytime soon, and certainly not with Norwegian. Here are just some of the issues we had: WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE, and not nearly enough things for them to do. Yes, we sailed from NYC in February, we knew it would be cold. Everyone who signed up for this cruise knew it would be cold, as did the company and the staff. We all knew what we were in for, but what I did not expect is that every single outdoor activity would be shut down due to "cold weather" until we made it down to Florida. I walked up to the water slides every single day and they were never open - until, of course, we were in port and we had excursions so we couldn't use them. I bought VIBE beach passes (more on that later) and thank god, the hot tub up there was open, but it wasn't even close to warm enough. I have a hot tub, and I would guess the temperature was about 10 degrees below what a hot tub should be set at. Also, the hot tub in the Vibe was about half the size of other hot tubs on the ship. There were a lot of days at sea on this ship and with the outdoor activities pretty much useless, the interior ship areas were incredibly packed at all times. I've been on a lot of "big ships" but never felt so claustrophobic as I did on this ship. NCL really need to revaluate indoor activities to keep people occupied on these cold season cruises. • Total and utter lack of service! First off... Where were my towel animals?! Why is that not a thing on Bliss?? There was a serious, serious service issue on this ship. This was my first cruise where I was offended at the level of service. I mean, if anything you can expect when cruising, it's usually being treated really well by the staff. Not on this cruise. Every staff member seemed overworked and just wanted to get the job done, with no interest in pleasing guests. I HATE buffet food, so I usually try to eat my meals in restaurants, but NCL clearly knows those require more staff. They do a real slick job at setting weird dining times in an attempt to funnel people to the buffet. (Also, there were huge advertisements everywhere about the buffet. It's a buffet. Give it a rest.) Towards the end of the cruise, there was so many drinks/food on menus that said "Out of Stock." Really? How do you not plan for these things? At dinnertime, in the main (not paid) dining rooms, service was absolutely abysmal. Here's how a meal would typically go: - We'd sit down and wait at least 10 minutes until anyone even acknowledged us. - By then, we already knew what we wanted to drink and eat, but the wait staff would refuse to take drink and food orders at the same time. So we'd put in our drink order and then wait another 10 minutes or more until they came back for our food order. - At least 15-20 minutes would go by until our drinks and appetizers would arrive. - One of two situations would occur: Mid-appetizer our main meal would show up, so our table would be completely jam packed with plates because there was a clear timing issue on food prep OR we would eat our appetizers and then wait another hour for our entrees to show up. - Want refills? Good luck. If the wait staff weren't actively delivering something to our table, it was like they disappeared. We never saw them, much less them stop by to ask how things were. We were constantly just flagging random people down to tell them we needed something. As an experienced cruiser, this was completely unacceptable. Also, can I mention that NCL doesn't do lobster nights in the main dining rooms?! I asked a waiter one night when lobster night would be and he said, "We don't do that, you have to go to the paid seafood restaurant if you want that." So much for fine dining! As far as the specialty restaurants go, I'll say this - the ONLY restaurant worth paying for is Food Republic. The food was amazing albeit overpriced. The smokehouse and the Mexican place were mediocre at best. Definitely NOT worth any additional dollar NCL tries to squeeze out of you. • Speaking of $$$, I've never felt more nickel and dimed in my life. Yeah, I get it, cruise lines want to make money, but this cruise wasn't cheap, and yet, I feel like everything we wanted to do was more and more money. I've never felt truly ripped off for money on a cruise like this, EVERYTHING had an up-charge. I paid $200 for an internet package and then I get onboard and I still get a $10 charge for signing up for the app's messenger service. I'm diabetic and one night at 4 am I woke up with low blood sugar. In a panic, I opened the mini bar and drank a soda to raise my levels. Guess how much that cost? $7! For a can of soda! One morning I went to Coco's to have a crepe. A CREPE! Basically a pancake with some fruit. It cost $6. I asked them for a coffee and they told me they didn't have coffee but I could pay for a Starbucks latte - boom, another $7. HOW DO YOU NOT HAVE FREE COFFEE? Did I mention I also had the beverage package? Of course, Starbucks isn't included in that. (Eye roll) • Entertainment, or lack thereof. So, I paid extra money to go to the Prohibition show and look, it was a fun and entertaining show, I'll give them that. We got 5 drinks which was, apparently, the reason there was a charge to go to the show. But again, I had the drink package! If the cost was to cover drinks, then beverage package holders shouldn't be paying to go to this show. The show was good, but it's not worth paying MORE money to see. My husband loves the Beatles, but did we get to see a Beatles show? NOPE! Arguably the most popular show on the ship doesn't take reservations and people literally started lining up outside the Cavern 2 hours before showtime. Sorry, but I am not standing in line for TWO HOURS to see some guys dress up like the Beatles. Freaking craziness. Also, please please stop scheduling main shows at 10:30 at night. I go to bed by 10:30. Another thing I was shocked by? No prizes for the cruise trivia. Every other cruise trivia I had played the winners got something small and kitschy for their win. On NCL? Don't even expect a round of applause. Now, let's talk about the spa... It's okay. RCCL still wins on spas from any cruise I've been on, but Bliss did have some nice options so I bought a day pass on the last sea day. I cannot express my HORROR of sitting in the aqua therapy pool and watching people walk around taking photos of strangers trying to enjoy a spa. YOU DO NOT TAKE PICTURES IN A SPA - EVER! Why were NCL staff not stopping this?? Also, there's only so many lounger chairs in the spa, especially the heated ones. When I arrived, all I saw was empty chairs with people's crap thrown on them to "save" seats. There are lockers in the spa, sooo, shouldn't your stuff be in a locker and not taking up space someone else could be using? Seriously, I felt like I was on the pool deck, fighting for lounge chairs, but, I paid for this?! The Go-Karts were cool, I'll give them that, but did I realize I was on a cruise ship while on them? No. A cool feature, but definitely not necessary, just something for NCL to brag about having. And honestly, the space it takes up could be used for something better. My last entertainment complaint was about an activity I very much looked forward to, "Scategories." First off, I was by myself and of course, couldn't find an empty seat anywhere. (Refer back to bullet point #1.) I ended up standing against a column only to hear the rule "Minimum 2 people to play." WHAT?! Since when was Scategories a team event? I couldn't believe I couldn't play because I came by myself. I mean, even if I did bring my husband, we couldn't have sat down, so what's the point? • "Great" Stirrup Cay? Hmmm... I'd rethink that name, NCL. All I kept hearing about was all the cool things coming in the future. Probably not a good thing to tell someone who is there NOW and basically has an island with nothing to do on it. So my family and I booked a "large" cabana that fits 8 people; we had 7. About a week before the cruise I got an email saying we were upgraded to a Lagoon Villa on Silver Cove - cool, an upgrade! Not so fast... The villa we were "upgraded" to was the smallest one they offer, for 6 people. Listen NCL, if you're going to upgrade people, at least make sure the upgrade is at least the same size as the original purchase. If we had paid for this outright, it would have been well over $800 for the day. I'm telling you right now, if I paid $800 for this, I would have been super pissed. We were told we would be "right next to a bar", awesome. But of course, the bar we were next to wasn't a normal bar. It was a Moet champagne bar and none of the drinks were within the $15 beverage package limit. There was ONE server who walked around to every single villa to take drink orders and it was at least 45 minutes-1 hour in between visits. They promised "snacks" in the villa and we were given a small bowl of Tostito chips and some generic canned salsa, everything else was (of course) an up-charge. Now, I do have to say, the lagoon itself is absolutely utterly beautiful and we were lucky to be able to float around in the calm waters - I will give you that. When we were leaving we were lucky we had "priority tendering." The line to get on the tenders was more than a mile long. I talked to a few people who said the regular tendering process was the most unorganized and frustrating thing of the entire cruise. • Bliss ain't no "Flagship." Like I said, my husband and I have cruised a lot, on many different cruise ships. It's 2020 and when you look at competitor's newest and biggest ships it's seriously impressive. Bliss is not. At all. Honestly, this was probably the least impressive ship I've ever been on. This was my first and definitely my last Norwegian experience. If this is the best they've got, then it's clear why NCL is not the leading cruise company out there. I would not recommend this ship to anyone. • The Good. This is going to be a short list, but I still need to mention some positives and why I gave this cruise 2 stars instead of one. Mojito bar? Awesome drinks and awesome bartender. Nestor Ramirez, you sir are a star. Vibe Beach Club - Ridiculously expensive, but honestly, having a hot tub and a bar that was "exclusive" to a small group with no children was 100% worth it. I wish I remembered his name correctly but the bartender, pronounced "One-gee" from China was amazing. We paid $170 per stateroom for Priority Access for embarking and disembarking (yup, another up- charge) but it was 100% worth it. So, that's what I got. I had a few of my fellow cruisers read this review before I posted it to make sure I wasn't being too judgey; they all agreed with my assessment. All I can say is, there are better options out there, don't waste your money here. Read Less

I was extremely disappointed with my cruise. It was my first with my seven year old niece and my 20th overall. Your preferences may be different than mine and that's ok. I will talk about both the good and the bad to help others make an informed decision. Our fun begins on Embarkation Day! We had to wait in line for 2 and a half hours. Everything went well on the governmental side of the process, but we got hung up on the Norwegian side. I understand and appreciate the fact that they're screening and taking preventative measures against the Coronavirus, and that's why it took so much time for them to screen for everyone. But really, on other lines, I would have been onboard in about an hour at worst on other lines, why did it take so long? Our steward was great, he made towel animals (per our request) for my niece everyday of the cruise. Her face would light up every time she spotted a "stowaway" in our room! The fun continued when we had to look for a seat for over an hour at the Embarkation Buffet! Eventually, one of us (there were 4 altogether) found out that you can take your food to the Observation Lounge and eat it there or choose from the buffet there. That wasn't communicated to us at all. Reservations are needed for dinner, I get that and I respect it. What I don't get is why it takes over two hours, without dessert, to eat dinner on average? We had an excursion for NASA that got out at 6:30 PM (our All Aboard was at 8PM), so not knowing when we would get back, we made a reservation for dinner at 8:30. We got back to the cabin and called the Reservations desk to ask if we could have our reservation moved up. We were told no because the restaurants had already opened, but that we were welcome to walk to the other restaurants and they would seat us if we had room. If we had called the restaurant on land and asked the same thing, more than likely, they would have been able to move it up, why not here? Next came "Jersey Boys" and "Six". Both were great, but the sound was off because the theater wasn't properly insulated for sound. Sure, the sound wasn't booming, but the dialogue from the actors was often being dropped, and it wasn't because the actors missed cues...they were saying their lines and the sound literally dropped out. On other ships, this wouldn't have been a problem, why is it on this ship? Ports were great, would do them again, but why did it take 5 hours to tender into the private island? We arrived at 10, our tender didn't get called until 3, and we had to leave at 5. We decided to stay on the ship, as it was stupid to only have us there for 2 hours. From the feedback I heard about the beach, people were bored. You can literally see RC's "Perfect Day At Cocoa Cay" from Great Stirrup Cay, and from what I heard, people wished that Great Stirrup Cay was more like "Perfect Day At Cocoa Cay". Also, on 3 separate occasions, we had to wait over 20 min. for an elevator, despite having a cabin right next to them. They really could have used an extra elevator shaft or two to help with congestion. We did eat at Margaritaville, it's on Deck 17. However, nobody knows it's there, so we never had issues getting a table. If you want to eat there and you don't have a dining plan, you need to pay a $15 cover charge. In every other Margaritaville I've been to, they always have Jimmy Buffet music playing, I don't understand why they didn't here, but I still enjoyed it. The kicker was on the last night of the cruise. My niece (who's 7) wanted to go to the PJ party on the final night. She got to the kid's club at 7 and the party started at 7:30. After waiting for over an hour, they shut the door when she's FIVE KIDS AWAY from the front of the line and was told that there wasn't a spot for her. She sat there and cried with the other kids for another hour. Two of us went to Guest Services after talking to the Youth Staff about what happened and how there were 8-10 other families that cut the line and their kids got in. We asked why there wasn't any crowd control for the line and were told that WE were the ones responsible for policing the line. Finally, we took my niece to the Garden Café where a bus boy noticed her crying. He came over for 5-10 min. and consoled her. Eventually, he told her he had to go back to work and came back to her 5-10 min. later with a dish of her favorite ice cream and let her vent after that. However, my niece did enjoy the programs she participated in, including the Circus as a Feather Balancer. Activities left something to be desired, and this is coming from an Recreation professional. I understand that the programs are advertised in the daily schedule, and I do read it, but I often forget when my favorite ones are offered, so I really depend on the announcements to remind me. I couldn't even hear them, so I missed a lot of my favorites. As for the amusements, why is there a charge when I'm already paying for the cruise? And there wasn't a lot of variety: there was "Deal Or No Deal" (which you needed to buy cards for), "BINGO" (which you also needed to buy cards for), music, ONE trivia game (which I loved and want to try with my seniors back home), and ONE dance class. The others were too late at night for me to attend. I understand not everyone likes everything, but when I cruise, I like to wander and if I have a half hour to kill, I might pop into a trivia game or something, how can I do that if they're not offered? As for the shops, there wasn't a lot of variety. It's geared more towards adults, which I understand, but there's very little variety, especially for souvenirs for kids. My niece was with me and it was hard for her to find something to take home, let alone when I tried to find something for her brother back home! Debarkation Day was fun too! We had gone to Guest Services the night before to ask where to wait. We read the materials given to us on Embarkation Day three times to see where to wait for our tag color to be called. They tried to tell us we didn't read the material. Then they told us we could wait in our cabin, or any public lounge except Deck 7 (including the theater). That's great, but how are we supposed to hear the announcements if they're not broadcast in the cabins? We were told to tune into Channel 2. We did Self-Assist so we carried our luggage off, and were told to proceed to Deck 7. 45 min. later, our tag color gets called, and we proceed to Deck 7 only to find out that the line is backed up to Deck 9! Because of that debacle and the fact that two of us (me being injured and another with arthritis in both knees) would be in no shape to stand that long, we marched ourselves down to Guest Services and complained. The lady there was able to pave a path for us, as she was given special permission to take us through the employee entrances to the gangway. But wait, there's more! Because of the debacle with debarkation, we missed our charter back to our hotel to pick up the car and had to wait 45 min. in the freezing cold in NYC for the next charter! My niece did well, I would take her again on a cruise, but not on Norwegian! This was our first on this line, and more than likely, the last. We will stick with Celebrity, Princess, and RC! Read Less

I have never complained about NCL before as it has always been my favorite cruise line. After this cruise forget it. There were many people with the same complaints too. The svc was absolutely the worst that I have ever experienced on any of my cruises. A bartender wasn't acknowledging people in one of the bars and when my adult son said he was waiting 15 min her response "so has everyone else and I am doing you a favor". What kind of remark is that?! Then in the Local the staff wouldn't come over to see how anything was or if you needed anything and if you ordered dessert forget about getting it. We walked out a couple of times because we never got ours. In La Cucina, 2 of my 3 son's noodles in their pasta alfredo were hard, 1 waiter asked if something was wrong so he told him and the waiter didn't even ask if he wanted anything else. Then our waitress asked my other son if something was wrong and I said both had hard noodles and my shrimp ravioli was cold, she offered to get us something else but we were done with La Cucina at this time. Plus the menu is terrible. They need the old menu back. As far as the cabin goes, I don't know how they call that cabin a mini suite with a balcony, the only difference from the mini suite to a regular balcony cabin is you have 2 sinks in the bathroom. Really?! Then my son's would have Do not disturb lit on their cabin because we checked several times to make sure the light was on because our steward still went in their cabin several times. Why have that if you're not paying attention to the light. The go carts were fun, but $15.00 is too high as is $10 or whatever it was for laser tag. Remember when the specialty restaurants you pd a certain price? Well Cagney's is al a carte. Plus you can only order one thing from each section on the menu and 4 items have upcharges on top of it. The way they handled the luggage is terrible. I heard a liud crash and down the hall they were diverting luggage and knocked it on the floor. My luggage got pretty beat up. Then one of my son's luggage didn't get delivered and while going quite a ways down the hall we found out. NCL come on now!! My next cruise won't be NCL!! Read Less

One of the best NCL ships we’ve been on. There is so much to do you will not be able to do it all. Both our daughters (13 and16) loved the water slides, entertainment and food. Saw both musicals (Six and Jersey Boys) twice, they were that good. “The Beatles Experience” Beatles tribute band was fantastic as was Siglo the rock band playing on board. All the food was great, Q was a favorite. Great selections at the complimentary restaurants, Taste & Savor we our favorites. Manhattan is a beautiful dining room, but the food service is much slower there, in our experience. Overall ship was clean and the service was excellent. Only snafu we encountered was go karts. Had a reservation for 5pm for our family of 4 and waited in chairs 50 minutes after check in. A family of 7 who had just walked up and said they didn’t want to be separated got sent right in with another single rider who had also just turned up. When we couldn’t get a definitive answer about how much longer we would have to wait we decided to bail and go do something else. We were not charged for canceling. Read Less

Loved the fact it was two weeks and at the time of year when we needed a break. Beautiful new ship. Observation Lounge was very spacious, maybe too spacious as itwas half empty a lot of the time. Food was okay but not great. Better on the Escape. Layout was good but prefer the Escape here as well. The entertainment/shows were inadequate for the number of days we were on the cruise ship, but perhaps it cateredto the average age of the cruisers which was "senior" - never seen so many walkers and scooters! Staff was fantastic as usual and the musical entertainment was good. One thing I can't figure out is why the seating on most of the ship is so uncomfortable? The Atrium, bar stools, and the chairs in the Observation Lounge were all terrible. Maybe that's the plan so you'll go to the Casino instead! Anyway, overall we love Norwegian and wouldgo on the ship again. Read Less

I love to cruise during presidents week because I am a teacher. Being in the ship with kids does not bother me much. After my 5th attempt I finally made it to the private island but just say it does not compare to RCCL Cocokay at all! Only thing served was some burgers and tiny tacos with soda. Royals private island gives you a FULL lunch and readily accessible drinks. Not one time did I see a cocktail sever come by at all! To be a brand new ship I don’t understand why the pool area is so small with chairs crammed together. The service was not what I expected as I would give it a 4 out of 10. There were some great staff members onboard that did stand out however. My gf and I had a 2 hour dinner in dining room that should have taken no more than one hour. I do not like how they nickel and dime you at all. If you do a “sail away” cabin it is the cheapest way to go however, if you want the “free at sea” promo the same room is now 300 bucks more and then they hit you with the service charges. Oh want “ free internet”? Yea it’s free with an activation fee of course. Want your shore excursion credit of 50 bucks?! Ha! NCL charges way more so you aren’t saving there either. Bottom line is NCL finds ways to nickel and dime you pay attention! Sticking with Royal for now on. Read Less

We chose the bliss out of New York City as a vacation from winter in New England. Excellent activities staff. Daily Zumba type class each morning with different staff members. Nights of dancing at sugar cane mojitos bar to excellent band duo nice crowd of Latin dancing and lessons from the fellow passengers a party atmosphere. Ginger mojitos great. Excellent comedy with 4 different comics. Favorite was Kenny Garcia The New York. Activities staff of JC, Alexander, Tiago Alves, Quena, Liz, Shakera, Johnny, and others providing excellent fun activities daily. MDR was decent. Italian and Cagney was outstanding. 16 ounce rib eye steak excellent. The social club was final dance venue every night. Beatles band was amazing. Play six was excellent and the lovely Brianna dancing nightly with all of us. Jersey Boys was excellent. Ship is beautiful and lovely. Over a thousand Canadians onboard. Ports are excellent. Race track and water slide fun. Bands were great. Reggae music and rock music and country in Q. Non stop fun. Observation lounge great place for the old folks. Only drawback was the many sleeping issues. Socks off and feet up on pillows. Buffet was avoided as it was a crowded mess. All the deck parties are excellent. 50’s 70’s and other night time theme parties were great. Some pool side others at h2o outside back of ship. Even though it was a 14 night trip many young people enjoyed our company and dancing opportunities. Cabin inside was nice but not huge and bathrooms are very nice. Shower was great. Nice place to see the Beatles in cavern club. Deck 6 7 and 8 for nights activities. Excellent hot tubs and pool. Can’t wait to return to the Bliss. Pre cruise park car at Hilton garden inn Ridgefield Park New Jersey for $330.00 USA dollars parking and shuttle and breakfast. Nice indoor pool and hot tub. AMC theatre nearby. Excellent staff and service. Excellent experience. Smiles from many staff onboard and great service. Local bar for chicken wings and salad excellent. If you’re healthy and active this is the ship to enjoy. Enjoy! A very Blissful experience. Read Less

We cruised on the Norwegian Bliss February 2-16, 2020. It is a beautiful ship, very ornate and modern. Our cabin had plenty of room for the both of us and the balcony was wonderful. The food in the buffet was delicious and plentiful. There is definitely something for everyone The specialty dining was wonderful. We are at Los Kobos, La Cucina, Teppynaki (twice), and Cagney's. It was a great experience at all of them . That being said, I did find it intrusive to my dinner, to have the photographer taking photos at the dinner table. We started each day with a coffee and juice from the observation lounge which is on deck 15, as was our cabin . Then back to the cabin to get ready for a new wonderful day. Breakfast at the Garden Cafe is phenomenal. So many options to choose from. They make your omelette to order and your eggs. There's French toast, pancakes sausage, bacon biscuits and gravy, cold and hot cereals, lots of fruits, etc. Lunch has a burger bar, Asian food, Indian Food, deli good, pasta, pizza, hot entrees. Dinner was a lot of the same as lunch but each night a new special, lamb, prime rib, roast beef, suckling pig, etc. All of this is part of the buffet. No one is going hungry. There was Savor and Taste has complimentary restaurants. We ate here a couple of times too. They both are pretty much the same thing. The bars and Lounge's were great. We had the beverage package and definitely took advantage of it. From Bloody Mary, to frozen drinks to beer to shots to mixed drinks, the staff serve you with a smile and a heavy pour hand. The bartenders in Spice H2O had the fastest bartenders. However, Spice H2O is also where the smoking room is, so if you don't like smoke, I don't recommend this bar. We enjoyed shopping on the ship and collecting our charms. The $10 mega sale seemed to be a huge hit with everyone. The jewelry shop has some very beautiful items and lots of giveaways. The artwork up for auction and for sale was interesting. A little something for everyone.. The auctions are quite fun. The entertainment was so much fun. We saw The Jersey Boys, a fantastic show. We also saw the Beatles Experience and all I can say is WOW! WHAT A GREAT PERFORMANCE!! We went to a couple of the comedy shows and they were very fun. I laughed so hard my sides hurt. The best show of all was the crew talent show. What a very talented crew indeed. The excursions were so much better than I could have imagined. The tendering was quick and easy and very organized. Getting back on the ship was quick and easy as well. We did a lot of shopping at the various ports as well. The snorkeling was out of this world. I've never seen such beautiful waters before. The onboard entertainment was fun as well we didn't participate in Bingo, but it sure was popular. Deal or No Deal was a bit expensive but fun. The Dance competition was hilarious. We did a few of the trivia games and had fun. The parties at the pool we're fun as well. If you want a seat at the pool on sea days, you need to be there early. The movies at night on the pool deck are best enjoyed in a hot tub. JC was our cruise director and he is fantastic. He is the perfect man for the job. He's funny and energetic. You can catch him on the morning show with Alex every day giving you Information about the days activities. The Captain was very nice. Each time we saw him, he was cordial and friendly. As a matter of fact, the entire staff was super friendly and helpful. Our steward was just amazing every day. He started all our days with a smile and conversation and ended each day the same. He did a great job . Thank you I Ketut. The go-carts and slides wete a blast This was my first time cruising and I can't wait to cruise with Norwegian again. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we have cruised the eastern Caribbean many times with P & O, flying directly to Barbados. Cruising from NYC to the Western Caribbean offered something different, with a different cruise line and a very different demographic on board. The Bliss is a lovely ship but, as others have noted, there are simply too many people for the on-board facilities. Rather than attempt a complete review of all the facilities, I would like to focus on certain features of the current offering from NCL, both good and bad. Firstly, the Free at Sea promotion, where customers get the choice of two out of five packages. The Premium Beverage package is a must have, and it works well. The limit per drink is about $15, compared with the rather more stingy $9.99 on the Celebrity Classic Drinks package. In fact, so many people were on the Premium Beverage package that the barmen were run off their feet, and there were nowhere near enough drinks waiters. Also, in the last couple of cruise days the ship had actually run out of most varietals of white wine - tough luck if you don't like Chardonnay. The second choice from the 2 out of 5 was a difficult one. We had chosen five meals at speciality dining venues, because this seemed the best value. However, in the final weeks before the cruise I realised this was a mistake. Why? Because it became apparent that so many other people had chosen this package that it was impossible to get a booking at the restaurant of your choice and the time of your choice. I changed our second package to the excursions credit ($50 credit per stateroom per daily excursion). Once on the ship I did not regret this change, as it was very difficult to get speciality restaurant bookings at convenient times. This was another problem arising from the popularity of the Free at Sea promotion. Entertainment: again, too many people on board. Seating at the entertainment offerings had to be pre-booked. As soon as we got on board we attempted to do this. Guess what? No seats at Jersey Boys throughout the whole cruise, apart from one 10.30 slot on one day. Message to NCL: This is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. Guests should NOT have to compete or queue for seats at the entertainment offerings. Embarking at Manhattan: a total nightmare! Thousands of people being herded like cattle. After checking in and receiving our cruise cards, mine was rejected twice at the final gate, I suspect because the agent checking us in was new to the job. Result: hours of queueing, re-queueing and re-re-queueing. Checking in at Southampton cruise port is a complete breeze by comparison. Never again! Getting on and off board ship during the cruise: at ports where we had docked, this was borderline acceptable. After all, on a ship this size you do expect a bit of queueing. At the 3 ports where we had to tender, getting on and off the ship was very very tedious: hours of queueing in the bowels of the ship. We have cruised on big ships before (eg Anthem of the Seas) but have never experienced scenes like this. Service in the main dining rooms: very patchy, but this is not the fault of the staff, who do their best despite being run off their feet. Internet: acceptably fast, but the usual rip-off. Unbelievably, the NCL app only worked when you were connected to the internet, which means it was totally unusable unless you had paid up for full internet access. We reserved our precious minutes for sending and receiving emails. This system is so inferior to the set up on Anthem of the Seas, where the Royal Caribbean app is available at all times, whether or not you are connected to the internet. The Latitudes loyalty scheme: there was no mention of this when buying excursions with the stateroom TV. I assumed that our 10% discount off shore excursions would be applied at the end of the cruise. When I noticed that it was NOT applied, I was told at the desk that I should have asked for it!!! Admittedly, an adjustment was made at that point - I have no idea whether it was correct or not, but..... Message to NCL: Loyalty schemes which are not automatically applied at the point of purchase are COMPLETELY USELESS!!! I could go on about the ludicrous nature of the service charges at speciality restaurants, self service wine dispensers in the Garden Restaurant, the fact that water is not included in the Premium Beverage package, but perhaps I am being unreasonable. I think I am being generous in giving this cruise an overall rating of 2 out of 5. Read Less

The overall experience on the Norwegian Bliss was just alright. One of the things you need to be prepared for is the constant service fees, 20% gratuity charges (which is already paid for ahead of time, so you shouldn't have to pay again) and other fees for relatively stupid things. Half of the ports we went to, we needed to be tendered in, which was a real pain. It would delay the whole day by at least an hour or two and there were so many people it was hard to get around ANYWHERE. Not to mention if you're disabled and need a scooter, forget about getting on the island from a tender. Have fun trying to find a show, there were only two offered for the entire 14 day cruise, as well as only two showtimes a night to choose from. The food wasn't the best, really could have made something better at home most of the time. The dining service absolutely sucked, barely asked you what you wanted to eat, let alone make conversation with you. Overall, not very impressed with the ship, just enjoyed the ports themselves. I do not recommend this boat, perhaps the other boats would be nice, but 4,000 people are just too many, and it takes a lot away from the experience both on shore and off. Read Less

We sailed on NCL Bliss on 14-day Western Caribbean cruises out of NYC so on Feb 2, 2020s. The ship visited Cape Canaveral. Great Stirrup Bay in Bahamas, Ochorios in Jamaica, George Town in Grand Cayman, Roatan, Belize, Maya coast and Cozumel Mexico. Great cruise and good staff. We had a standard balcony cabin 12722 on deck 12 with plenty of room for the two of us. Nice ship with lots specialty restaurants good. Buffet was great - better quality food than the general dining (hotter, more variety, very nicely prepared and presented. The only 'complaint' is that there is too much salt added to food throughout. We don't use salt at home, so really notice it We didn't participate in any of the 'activities' like bingo or quiz shows but they had some good entertainment. the 'Beatles' group was standing room only at every show - they needed a bigger venue! They had a rock/pop band who did a good job, and the 'Jersey Boys' was a great performance. Six Boleyn was also good musical described life of King Henry VIII through his 6 wives. There was live music in moist lounges (District Brew House, Mojito bar, atrium and observation lounge). The observation lounge was a great place to get a comfy chair and snack, I spent my days there reading the book, “SEA OF POPPIES” by Amitav Ghosh describing the story of Opium production and trade by the British India company. ON 2nd day Sea day we had cruise critic meet and Greet met the GM of the ship. Sharon complained about lack of body lotion in the bathroom. He took our cabin number and instructed our room attended to supply steady supply of Bulgari body lotion. Afterwards I mentioned him today is Sharon’s birthday. After we came back from lunch our cabin was decorated with Happy birthday sign, Streamers and balloons. He also sent some specialty Chocolate, a bottle of wine. Sharon, her cousin and Aunt enjoyed the wine. I was not happy with luncheon menu at the main dining room. I complained to the Maître Dee. He said I should eat at taste of India. I looked up the Executive Chef Sreekanth Sundram and spoke to him. He informed me Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available for vegetarians at the” Taste of India”. Next morning to my surprise I had an excellent breakfast with Vada, Uthappam, Sambar, Chutney, poori, Potato, with Masala Chai. I also met Rohith Gokulakrishnan Executive Sous Chef from Chennai, Chef Balappan. Everyday I had a feast for breakfast, lunch and dinner We went on Shore excursion on Airboat and crocodile farm in Florida, tour of countryside of Jamaica, Roatan tour to see mangrove reserve, shipwreck and to a beach to watch a local show. Next day we visited the Maya ruins and spice farm in Belize. 9th we visited Mayan coast to see Mayan temple. At Cozumel we visited Mayan Chocolate Farms to learn about history of Chocolates use by Mayans and how Spaniards modified to fit the western taste. Then we visited Mayan Honeybee farm amid the forest. I learned there is no pure Mayan blood descendant, most of them descent of Mayan and Spanish descendants, the last Mayan died in 1850 Overall this cruise is excellent on a new ship with 4,000 capacity. May be less than 10% were people under 40 years old. Most of the guests were seniors, some on walking with Canes, others cruising around on their scooters which took most of the space on the elevators. We were on Deck 12. Most of the entertainments and dining rooms are on Deck 6-8. The Garden Café is deck 16 and lounge is on Deck 15. It is really a struggle to get into the elevators during breakfast, lunch and dinner time. There are 16 elevators for 4,000 peoples which is a handicap. Sometimes I used stairs with huffing and puffing. WE returned on Sunday the 16th after dropping Sharon’s aunt and cousin at the airport for their onward journey to the frozen tundra of Saskatchewan Read Less

We chose the Bliss because of an excellent experience on the Gem October 2019 for Halloween. We’ve been away from NCL for a while enjoyed RCL but there activities have been lacking lately. So loving the Ncl dancing opportunities. Every night we enjoyed the sugarcane mojitos bar with excellent music from Gold river duo. Excellent ginger mojitos. Great drink called Saturn landing. But the dancing was amazing. Every night the Latinos would help us to dance. Met wonderful people from Spain and all over the USA. Excellent party. Later in the evening we would finish up dancing in the Social club. Excellent comedy in social club. Our favorite was Kenny Garcia from Brooklyn nyc. Funny guy and very friendly and sarcastic. Loved Kenny. Beatles in the Carvern club and theatre were amazing. We did the racetrack and it’s a blast. Same for water slide. Almost every night time was a theme party by pool or h2o club. Excellent activities staff. Tiago Alves, Queena, Thomas, Shakara, asst. cruise director Alexander was amazing. Our favorite was Liz from South Africa a wonderful young lady. Jersey Boys were amazing. Play 6 excellent and the wonderful Breanna in pink hair was amazing. Breanna was dancing with us every night. If you’re healthy and active this ship is excellent. You’re going to love it. We can’t wait to return. My wife and I are 65 and have 40 plus cruises. This was one of the best. We might be loyal to Ncl now as RCL is a little boring. Read Less

We've sailed with NCL many times (platinum latitude status) and this is the first time we've felt the need to complain. This ship is not equipped to handle the number of passengers they accommodate. Getting on and off the ship was a nightmare, tenders were poorly organized (we actually didn't get off at one of our ports of call because we stood in the line for over an hour and didn't move, so we just went back to our room). The buffet was like a horror show - breakfast, especially. There were never enough places to sit if and when you were able to fight your way through the crowds and somehow manage to salvage a plate of cold food. The 2 small main dining rooms were an option but only until 9 or 9:30 and the largest of the main dining rooms did not open for breakfast. Trying to get into any of the shows, even the ones we had to have a reservation for, was like trying to fight your way through a black Friday shopping crowd. The smaller venues offered shows but were full to capacity at least 45 minutes prior to the show even though they advertised they would open the door 30 minutes prior. The pool area was just shoulder to shoulder people and the music was so loud you couldn't have any type of conversation. The seats were setup like a theatre throughout the middle of the pool area with loungers around the outside - probably to accommodate more people. I witnessed a bartender refilling a customer's used glass - touching it with the ice scoop as well as the sangria spout. I let him know he should not be doing that and I was completely ignored. I reported it to the supervisor but never got a response. If this was the first cruise we had taken we would never take another one. The smaller ships have, in our experience, been much more enjoyable - we wish we had our money back for this one! You need to pay attention, NCL - there's lots of competition out there! Read Less

I was so looking forward to this 14 day Southern Caribbean cruise out of New York. First the good. The ship is beautiful. Our cabin steward Guilson was amazing. That’s about where it ends. I was one of those fools who bid on and paid for an upgrade to a spa mini suite. Having experienced the thermal spa before, I knew we would spend time there. So even though my bid was on the higher end, I was still excited when it was accepted. So we were moved from cabin 15760 a mini suite to 15780 a mini spa suite. Don’t get me wrong, I love the shower and access to the thermal spa. What I don’t love is the incessant thumping and pounding from the pool deck above where they seem to have most of their nightly entertainment. When I was on the breakaway last year, the entertainment was held in spice h20, which I believe was above the garden cafe...not staterooms that cost over 3500 per person. Evening entertainment in the atrium is lacking as well with one band playing there most nights. Where are the game shows? The fun audience participation games? We’ve had 2 of those so far and we’re already on day 10. And I’ve spoken with other people on the ship who feel the same way. Thank goodness for the specialty meal package because otherwise the food is repetitive. The staff on the ship is lovely. As I said the ship is beautiful, but this vacation has been less than blissful. Maybe I need to experience another breakaway class or even a jewel class cruise to make me love cruising again. Read Less

I had to use a scooter on this trip Cabin 8116 mini suite was behind a heavy fire door and I had to wait until someone came to open door so I could get to my cabin, The winds across balcony made it usable two nights I could not sleep because the chairs keep banging into each other. I was waiting for one to go over the side. Service at the buffet was non existed for a handicap person. The staff was too busy wiping down tables then to offer you a glass of water. The music on the ship was the worst I have ever encountered. Most of the singers could not hold a note. Jersey Boys was great. So if you have any kind of handicap and want to be treated as a second class citizen this is the cruise for you. You need better customer service training for staff Read Less