This was my first cruise experience and I was initially a little skeptical. However, once on board, the entire experience was absolutely incredible. The entire staff on the ship were courteous, attentive and caring. I was amazed at how clean the ship was and how orderly the staff were in making sure the guests got on the ship safely. Our steward, Martin was amazing in providing me and my family of 8 with everything we needed to be comfortable in the cabins. The staff at the restaurants attended our tables with exceptional service! All of the eating establishments made sure sanitation was a priority providing hand sanitizers and wash areas.The crew provided so much entertainment and things to do on the ship keeping us all entertained from start to finish. My family and I are already planning our next cruise. The overall experience was one my entire family will never forget! ! Read Less

We are a family with young children (ages 6 and 12). My son (age 12) is special needs and we were booked in a HA stateroom (5136). This is our 15th cruise, our first time with NCL! We have mainly sailed with Disney and have done a few cruises with RCCL and Carnival. Embarkation/Disembarkation - We arrived at the port around 1 pm and because our son is special needs and is in a wheelchair, we were attended to and take care of quite well. Both embarkation and disembarkation was a breeze for us. Cabin - for an HA room that fits 4, you only have ONE cabin choice onboard the Bliss - a family oceanview stateroom. The room was very spacious and had lots of storage space. Beds were comfortable and our stateroom host was very attentive and friendly. This room is by the service/crew elevator and there are a lot of noise coming from that area. In general, noises here and there do NOT bother us but I can see how it can be an issue to others who are more sensitive to sound. Entertainment - Only saw Jersey Boys and it was PHENOMENAL!!! Do not take young children to this show as it is not exactly kid friendly (due to language). The cast was outstanding and amazingly talented. It's a must see in my opinion. Live bands onboard were also very very good. We enjoyed hanging out at the atrium or at The Local listening to them perform. Kids Club - my daughter (age 6) loved and enjoyed her time at the Splash Academy. She went almost every day - an hour or two during the day/night. Counselors were very friendly and the activities were fun and enticing. Specialty Dining - we had a 3 meal package and dined at Cagney's, Teppanyaki, and Los Lobos - all were EXCELLENT!!! Food was great, service was great, everything was well prepared and everyone went above and beyond. Definitely one of the highlights of our cruise! Cruise Staff - 90% were friendly, helpful, and had smiles on their faces willing to help and assist you. Out of the 15 cruises we've done, I would rank this as the 2nd most friendly staffed ship. We had a person or two here and there that never said hi but then again, you will always have that on ANY cruise you go on. For the most part, the staff was fabulous. Laser Tag/Go Kart - AWESOME!!! If you really stop to think that you are doing these activities ON A SHIP, in the MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN - that in itself is AMAZING! While $9.95 isn't necessarily a lot of money to charge to experience it, I'm a bit disappointed that NCL decided to even charge at all. We don't pay to go ice skating, rock climbing, zip lining on any of RCCLs ships nor does Carnival charge to go on their Sky Ride. I just feel that these should have been complimentary. Arcade - we purchased the unlimited arcade pass for 1 person. I believe it was $56 total for 7 days if purchased prior to the cruise and it was WELL WORTH IT!!! Although only valid to use on games with a GREEN slot, my daughter took advantage and played Mario Kart (by The Local) at least 25 times every day. Racing games, basketball, air hockey, and shooting games in the Arcade are also eligible under the unlimited pass (all are coded GREEN). Now let's get on the CONS.... 1. FAMILY pool (right next to the kids splash area) is 5 feet 7 inches deep! You will rarely see anyone in that pool for the simple reason that NOBODY wants to RELAX in the pool by TREADING WATER! Why NCL did not put a shallow area in that pools is crazy to me. Most people would like to take a dip in the pool and be able to stand up in it while enjoying a drink and soaking in the sun. No one wants to be treading water while trying to sip a cocktail. 2. Big screen TV by the pool - plays NCL commercials 90% of the time. On the last night of the cruise, they did play ONE movie. Why not play a movie on the screen multiple times a day?! Having NCL commercials on that big screen majority of the time is such a waste in my opinion. 3. This is our biggest complaint of all - the ELEVATORS!!! Our room was on deck 5, the buffet and pool deck (which we often go to) are both on deck 16. The climb up or down from 5 to 16 and vice versa would often take FOREVER. The elevator would practically stop at every floor!!! The elevators are always crowded and full of people!!!! There is NO A/C in the elevators so you are there cramped and sweating. This was the top complaint among majority of cruisers in our sailing. Everyone was talking about the elevators! OVERALL... Yes, we would sail on NCL again. Yes, we would sail on the Bliss again. The ship is beautiful and though I am not so much into art, I was really intrigued and quite fascinated by the art displayed onboard - cool and very unique!!! Feel free to ask any questions, I'd be happy to answer them for you =) Read Less

Loved my Norwegian Bliss Cruise. Best: Food was really good. Ate at the Garden Cafe, The Observation Deck 15, The Local, and the 3 dining rooms. Overall I thought these were above average. Staff throughout the ship were the nicest, most helpful, and fun people I've every encountered on a cruise! Bravo Norwegian - I hope you treat them well. The bartenders were outstanding. My room steward was charming, unobtrusive, and kept my room immaculate. Anytime you asked staff a question they would bend over backwards to help. The BEST. I totally enjoyed the entertainment. The band called Familiar Strangers was fabulous. They played Calypso pool side then throughout the cruise played Motown and Bob Marley and other sets mainly on the 6th Floor Atrium which was a really comfortable venue for entertainment. You guys are talented. I loved the comedy show - Thanks for not swearing the whole time while STILL being very funny. The Cavern Club Beatles were WONDERFUL. Go down and get in line 45 minutes before the scheduled performance. They will let you in about 1/2 before the show and you can drink. The cruise director was very good and the guy from Hong Kong that hosts many of the games was sooooooo funny. As big as this ship is, I never felt overcrowded which was amazing. Don't miss the peaceful Observation Deck on 15. The room configuration is a bit weird and small. Read Less

Was a beautiful ship ! Great Halloween fun. Entertainment was excellent. The only downside was no Straws to drink my foo foo drink. In fact no straws any where NOTE TO SLELF! Bring Straws with ! MENUS AT CAGNEYS,LA BISTRO WERE CHANGED NO RIBEYES AND NO MUSHROOM SOUP:( The Elevators are very small and slow. Embarkation with wheelchair service was terrible and the woman trying to help. Were not very helpful. The ports were good. Entertainment were very good. Great dancing and music. Missed the Beatlemaina didn't make reservations. Also plan dinner and theater reservation way in advance.prior sailing. Sea days there was plenty of things to do. Some new restaurants los lobos was very good. Warning alot of food! Q was also very good . Go for banana pudding and peach cobbler first. Guest services needs a little help with disability needs. They need help with getting the scooters back to the rooms in the am.without having to call. Other then the Straw issue. The ship was beautiful. Don't plan on bringing any big money back from the casino. Love the new set up with smoking area of the casino is enclosed .I wish the other ships will make this same enclosed smoking area.. Cant wait to sail again. Read Less

We booked this cruise as a local, easy vacation. We didn't want to fly so we looked for a cruise from LA. I saw the Bliss and was really interested in trying one of NCLs newer ships because our last NCL cruise on the Start was terrible. The food, Entertainment and staff were fantastic. Much better than we were expecting. The Bands and DJs were very good and there was always plenty to do in the evening. Some nights it was hard to choose which event to go to. The Halloween party was really fun with hundreds of people in costume. The ship is beautiful and well layed out. We ate dinner primarily at specialties (5 times) and the MDR. For lunch we also did the MDR or the Local. We loved the Local, great burgers, wings and fish and chips. I think we got wings every day and usually again before heading to bed. Le Bistro was our favorite specialty, followed by Ocean blue, Cagneys, La Cuchina then Los Lobos. Los Lobos was nothing special but being from SoCal we have so much good Mexican food that it would be hard to impress us. So skip it if you know good Mexican because it's no better than El Torito. Now the negatives, We did find some of the venues were too small. The comedians in the Social or Q packed those places and unless you came very early there were no seats. The Cavern was even worse especially when the beatles cover band played. You really needed to get there almost an hour early to get a seat. The other negatives were the wine selection on the beverage package was pathetic, charging for water...really?? and they can't seem to make a decent cup of coffee on that ship. Monor nits in an otherwise great cruise. Read Less

We chose this ship because it was new and leaving from Vancouver Canada, where we live. It is a beautiful ship brand new, this was great. We had a balcony which we enjoyed very much, we were on the same deck as the observation lounge also very handy. Everything was going okay for us except for one thing. I had some ship board credit to spend, I saw nothing to buy in the shops so I thought why not inquire if I could use in the Casino. I love trying my luck. I went to the cashier cage and asked it that was possible, she asked to see my card her boss was standing right behind her, she checked and put my card into her computer, her reply to me was yes you can. I therefore played on the slots. When we left the boat in the morning my husband got a copy of our ship board account. Everything was correct "then", but when we got home we noticed another charge was put on our Master Card account an extra $100.00, when we inquired with guest services corporate office, we were told that because that "$100.00" was a non refundable ship board credit it could not be used in the casino., Wow! The cashier never informed us that there is a difference in what sbc you can use in the casino. In fact if you check their web site they even advertise sbc can be used for casino play, again no mention it can't be as they describe it " non refundable sbc". What really hurts is on my statement from the cruise line, it now shows I left behind unused $100.00 sbc, again Wow!! The entertainment was good, the Beattle show as fantastic. The buffet was not good , the meat they carved was fatty and cold. Breakfast in the dinning rooms were good, but get there early to avoid line ups. Breakfast room service has a service charge. The boat is bright and very cheery and brand new which was great! Read Less

I cruised over Halloween week with a large hosted singles group. While I pretty quickly figured out that the hosted-singles thing wasn't my cup of tea, I was entirely pleased with the Bliss, and with NCL in general. The ship itself is absolutely beautiful. It rarely felt crowded, except for a few times when trying to get an elevator right after a show let out, but that's just the nature of a megaship. Otherwise, I could always find a lounger or a seat at the bar. The cabins are well-laid out, with three (!) outlets at the vanity of our balcony cabin, instead of one as on the older Jewel-class ships. The closet had a hanging rod & some open shelving. Could have used a little more drawer storage space (there's only the two drawers under the sofa,) but we made it work. Everyone we encountered was great, from our room steward to the bartenders to the Guest Services folks that we had to speak with a couple times. Service in the MDRs was sometimes a little leisurely; but I was generally seated with a large group, so blamed the slowness on that. I really liked the shows, which is an area where NCL really shines. Jersey Boys was outstanding, and ¡Havana! was quite well-done & beautifully staged, if a little short on plot. Some in my group thought it was going to be another Broadway-style show & complained that it was boring, but, hey, I liked it for the song-and-dance revue that it was. Wasn't too impressed by the comedy shows, they seemed a little flat. The unexpectedly-wow show was Happy Hour Prohibition. Don't miss it, it's a great up-close cabaret style revue that's a little goofy & a little naughty & all good fun! I spent every spare moment in the Thermal Suite. It has a good-sized pool and lots of seating in the saunas & steam room. Plenty of tile loungers facing aft were a good way to enjoy a leisurely sea day, watching the water. Loved, loved, loved Bliss; and can't wait to sail her again. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it was a chance to cruise on a brand new ship and a new cruise itinerary for us. We also had a balcony room for the first time ever. This ship was truly spectacular...nothing like we've ever seen on other cruise ships. They didn't miss a thing....from the amazing art work all around the ship, the beautiful flooring....including fish that swim to the front of the ship so you always know which direction your going! The cabin and bathroom were huge, the bed and pillows were luxurious, lots of storage and closet space and the balcony was amazing. We've read other reviews about the staff being unhappy but we didn't see it....we were always greeted with smiles and quick service. The entertainment was top notch....we live in Vegas so we see a lot of shows here and Jersey Boy's and Beatle Mania could step right in here with no problems. The food was excellent and plentiful, the buffet was so spread out and had so many stations that we never waiting for anything. We ate in three speciality resturants (LaCucina, Cagneys, and the Q)….they all were excellent (food and service). Silas, the cruise director, really kept everything going and made sure everyone had a great time. We were there over Halloween and what an experience it was to see all the costumes, the ship even had a haunted house that was really, really scary!! We can't say enough good things about our experience...so much that we're talking about our next cruise on the Bliss!! The only thing we could even see a slight improvement on would be embarkation - need a few more signs, there were several lines and we weren't sure which one to be in, turned out we waited in one for about 20 minutes before realizing we were in the wrong line and moved to another one to wait another 20-30 minutes. Not a big problem though, we were just so happy to be there! Read Less

My singles group was on this cruise ship. NOT good for large groups because dining is all over the ship in smaller venues, so it could not meet our group needs, we were 450 people. Pricing was inconsistent, I bought about a year before the cruise with way over inflated pricing and was never told that others (found out later) paid about 45% less!! Internet service was poor according to many including myself. The food: Buffet was usually decent, sometimes excellent. The main dining rooms offer the same meals every night to entice you to purchase dining from a specialty restaurant.....which was pretty good, ended up dining at the French restaurant and Cagneys, very good. Drinks were usually watered down I hear unless you cash tip the same bartender over and over. Some NICE features though, overall. If you SMOKE, you will not be happy, very few places to smoke plus ( I loved this) if you go to the casino, they have a CLOSED OFF ROOM to gamble separated from the rest of the casino, in effect, smoke free gambling! Vegas should learn a few things from them. We all know that smoking kills and nobody should be subjected to 2nd hand smoke, ever. So for this, I give NCL kudos! Yes, heard some complaining from people who smoked. Too bad, sorry, I hate smoking. The Go Karts looked like fun but I could not get to it. Dining in the main room could be better. Cabins are VERY small unless you get a suite, so beware! The mini suite bathroom was built for handicap people so the bathroom was LARGE but not enough places to put things. So I rated a 3. Jersy Boys show was great and the Beatles cover band, well, I liked it but i've seen MUCH better Beatle cover bands. Read Less

We chose this cruise due to port proximity to our home state of Arizona. This is an incredibly large ship with a lot to do. Overall, or experience was very good. We had two big "singles" groups on board & struggled in getting reservations for dinner. Only availability was either at 5pm or 9pm. This made it difficult for my elderly parents. The staff was not as friendly as I have experienced on previous cruises. Felt like I was bothering them at times when ordering drinks or asking questions. The individual that checked us in at port made some mistakes & did not load our credit card information for both cabins we were occupying. This made us have to go to Customer Relations in the main lobby. The individual that assisted us barely even looked up at us as he completed the necessary changes. Was a bit uncomfortable with it all being my elderly father was the one having to go through having his picture retaken at that time. Luckily my father has a good sense of humor stating "I think he has had a bad day." The ship bars, for the most part, were incredibly busy. The bar tenders manning the bars by the pool area rarely smiled. It was definitely not a pleasant experience getting your drinks from them as has been on other cruises. While I would recommend NCL for cruises, overall, this cruise was not as great an experience as previous cruises I have taken with NCL. Read Less