Wife and I “avoided” sailing Celebration as so many people have left negative reviews. Stepping onboard we expected little. Boy we were pleased by the condition of the ship. Not long out of dry dock and a upscale upgrade she’s looking great. A new mega ship she’s not, but for the payed for price a bargain. A production show each night plus a late night 18plus show $6.50 draft beer what a bargain. Dinner and a buffet worth the fare and and extra charge steakhouse with mouth tender steaks to please anybody. Freeport? The only real bummer of the cruise maybe just stay onboard or walk to Carlos and Charlie’s next door. Did you pay to be onboard? You get your monies worth. Did you do the free cruise for a high pressure Timeshare sale? Probably still worth it just more painful. Need fireworks on your cruise please avoid this Ship! Like a good time on a budget? This is your ship Read Less

This trip was booked in November as a quick girl's trip. We had never tried MSC before and they were offering great prices as they were new to the US market. With COVID 19 just starting to hit headlines we weren't sure what to expect since other cruises were started to show cases and quarantines, but we decided to make a go of it anyway! We flew in the morning of the cruise and arrived in Miami without any issues.We got to the port around 9:30. Check-in was a breeze, even with all the extra precautionary steps - such as them checking every single page in our passports to make sure we hadn't traveled to a banned country, and doing thermal scans of every passenger. I'd say check-in maybe took 30 minutes total. They never gave us a total headcount for passengers but I would say it only appeared to be about 50% capacity. We boarded the ship around 11:30 and went straight to the buffet lunch. We had no issue finding seating and had plenty of decent options to choose from. We had mandatory safety/mustering drill around 3:30 and were late setting sail - I think we were supposed to leave at 6pm and it was more like 8pm. We didn't have to wait at all to get our first drink at the pool bar, but I will say that we had the basic drink package and it is very limited on what you can get for $6 USD. Mostly mixed drinks (like screwdrivers or Rum & Coke) and Moscow Mules. Nothing fun like pina coladas or margaritas are included in basic package. We decided to skip the main dining room the first two nights of our three night cruise and opted instead for buffet. Again, seating was plentiful and it was easy to find food we liked. We went to the show the first night "Autumn in Paris." It was just okay. We've been on 8 other cruises (Royal, Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian) and it just wasn't up to the same level of entertainment. This line is all about the cruise experience and less about the endless things to do on theirs ships. No trivia, no art auctions, no surfing, no rock walls - but we were 100% fine with that because we didn't want to feel like we had to be somewhere doing something at all times. We also did not use the Casino, though in passing through it, it was very small. I would say the shopping is about average for what you normally find on cruise ships. I picked up a few things for my kids, but I wouldn't say there was anything amazing. There were plenty of pools and hot tubs and it was easy to find empty hot tubs because of how few people were on the cruise. Our first stop was MSC's private island Ocean Cay. It was a beautiful island. It had everything you could want - plenty of beaches (8 to choose from) a handful of no pressure shops and bars and food trucks. We were hoping we could stay here the whole time and be stranded there! Our second stop was Nassau. We opted to go on a local bus (jitney) to a beach and spend the day relaxing and doing nothing on our own time. We did local shopping near the port on our way back to the ship. We ate in the Main Dining Room for our last night. The food was good - not great, and we had one other couple at our table. We ate all of our breakfasts in the buffet, and they were fine. Our room was upgraded from interior to balcony and it was just the right amount of space for two people. There was plenty of closet and drawer space. The bathroom was average size and had shampoo/body wash dispenser. We did have to ask our steward for hand soap, as it was empty when we arrived and we were missing our pool towels. You have to use the same pool towels the whole time (even at the beach) and it was hard to track our steward down to swap them out for clean/dry ones. Overall, I would say these were unusual circumstances so hard to judge a trip - but I would like to try MSC again! Read Less

Negatives: Spring break cruise, my MISTAKE. Screaming, drinking, banging on doors in the middle of the night, singing " coronavirus in the hallways" at 3am. Watched a couple of spring breakers who coughed without covering mouth and/or putting head into sleeve or anything more than one time, tried to avoid them as much as possible. Lesson learned! The balcony staterooms have been changed to have 1 glass door and a port hole design which was unexpected as we have always experienced 2 glass doors which helps you not feel confined in such a small area. Do NOT like the new design. Will never book SKY again. 1)Cruise rep: Purchased cruise credits from previous cruise, after booking new cruise called back to inquire if they could be used as discount, NO. I had to mention it at time of booking, she suggested to save for next cruise. It's on our account why didn't our cruise rep inquire if any certificates /discounts to be used when booking? Had questions from other persons traveling with us to be clear on what the "free amenities" were was asked not to send emails but to call her. She was a little condescending at times. 2)Itinerary @sea, Day 1: Was advised our trip had to be changed due to weather so we went opposite direction only to find that weather prevented us from our PRIMARY excursion and port. We did not even stop (all day at sea) but found out later that another cruise line simply waited an hour and was given permission to dock. This was first time was feeling the movement of ship as many people were crying and complained of nausea. It was horrible. Since we lost our excursion villa ($350) we tried in vain to get another one at next port, service desk rep says he could try, we began that request at 9:10 am, checked back in 4 times at the desk to hear that NCL had not received a response from folks @ Pearl Island. No courtesy feedback from NCL service desk to say, cannot confirm suggest you try something else. Day 2: docked then ran to service desk to pay $99 each ($600 for our party) to board a 15 minute boat ride (raining & overcast) to a new area "Pearl Island" that it was first come first serve to get a cabana but no one knew the "additional" cost. Literally people jumped off the boat and hurried to get that premiere spot. Society shows itself in times such as this. Talked to Pearl Island Manager to find the cost of the cabana for 6 was a mere $500 additional which included pillows, no food, drinks or private access to beach. There were other cabanas for rent maximum party of 2 adults , 1 child for $450 each no guarantee of getting 2 together so ended up on beach loungers for free. FYI: ALL of the cabanas were EMPTY the whole time, we offered half the price for the big one but were turned down. Be AWARE, NO easy access to the beach on certain areas where there are chairs, a stone wall 3-4', no steps, had to step down a good 12-15 inches into the sand with sharp shells this is OK if you are young and strong legs , horrible if older in age. On the return boat ride in the HOT sun we were given an informative lesson on who the rich and famous are in the area and a look at their homes only to see on the opposite side of the area appeared to be the working mans area which was totally depressing.. I filled out the excursion card with positive reviews for the crew but that's all. Day 3: docked @ last port, burnt from sun so stayed onboard only to find due to port laws all fun things to do are closed as not to take business away from port. Bummer. It may appear that if we kept original routing everything would have worked out as weather was better on return. My opinions are strong because my expectations were high as we never experienced disappointment with NCL and to top it off we were dealing with the corona virus pandemic...We could NOT cancel because NCL would not give refunds/credits until March 10th which was a day after we embarked. What a joke! Positives: Mar 09:Embarkation was wonderful, thank you. The Palace for lunch, server "Remian" PERFECT. Cagneys for dinner as expected- 10/10 food & service. Mar 10: Food gallery very impressive as so many choices and delicious. Lunch @ Palace recommended. Dinner @ Crossings which was a pleasant surprise. Mar 11: At port all day. Dinner @Le Bistro is undeniably our favorite worth the money. Food outstanding, server Leila was top notch. To our surprise after having the best experience ever..while walking out of LeBistro was the TOP CHEF herself as seen on NCL TV as part of the crew. She was as nice in person as she appeared on TV so we thanked her for a delicious dinner, a wonderful memory and complimented her on her dance routine on TV. Mar 12: Our favorite bar tender worked primarily in The Local bar located AFT on the ship from 6pm- closing, gave us his name as Tom Cruise... OK. Dinner @the Local was very good, pub/ bar food but a great way to end the cruise. Most often during this cruise, spring breakers were polite, but there are always a few that break the mold. It was obvious this was a success to them so good for them! Favorites: Leila. Le Bistro Tom cruise The Local Andresthia. Cabin attendant. (Adorable woman). Ramein. Crossings& The Palace Disembarking was much easier than expected, breezed through it once we were "released" by Miami. Glad to be home. Found an Uber and to the airport which is another story to be told. 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 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 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

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’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

First of all this is an OLD boat that sounded like it was losing parts along the way. We paid for a window room. The window had barnacles, paint spots and dirt, therefore we could hardly see thru it. The food was disgusting and tasted old. With the coronavirus going around they did take precautions by not allowing anyone to serve themself at the buffet which was a good thing. The excursion we pre paid for was a complete misleading false ad. We were stranded on a little beach and we had to plead with the staff to plse take us back to the boat. I would never travel carnival again. I would definitely travel to orlando an cruise with norweign or royal carribean. Carnival has turned into the dollar general of cruise ships. Seemed like all they cared about was selling you something on this old boat. The staff were nice, but didnt understand much english Read Less

First if your parking at the port,you will need to have your credit card ready to pay for parking,the embarkation was swift and easy,we walked on with two bottles of wine one with a screw off top so we could have a glass on the lido with lunch.Buffet food was a B +,Guy Fieri Burger Joint was excellent,The Havanna Bar right next to the lido marketplace had your omelet station which was excellent,The Food in the restaurants were excellent.Activities were typical Bingo and Trivia,,Cruise Director Paulie A+,Very little live music The Jenkins Twins a Country duo were excellent,shows in the liquid lounge were dissapointing.Being a musician and to see well dressed dancers and singers singing live to a recorded track to me was poor .their epic rock show on the last night was borderline embarrassing to watch.there was a guitarist who played rock staples was just shredding for almost 15 min gave me a headache,Half Moon cay A+Freeport a industrial port we get off walked around the dockside shops (be careful,our excursion was cancelled,we asked at the excursion desk if there was anything to do in Freeport,the associate said no.that was a lie)if you just want to get off the ship and walk around ,listen to a live reggae band,which the ship should have ,and have a pina colada,with a 151 run floater.you are good.ship was dated,pick your balcony in the middle of the ship.had room 7331. which was in the back of the ship was rocking to the point it was getting sickning.we have been on many cruises.never felt sick.the cabin was acceptable,no ventilation in the bathroom.bring deodorizers. The attraction for us was being in Myrtle Beach and being able to drive to the port.in closing if you are a new cruiser it is a good ship to start.for gods sale dont start on the Allure then go on the sunshine Read Less

We had not been on a Carnival cruise for almost 50 years! We were VERY pleased with our 5 day cruise and as far as VALUE for your money it really was pretty awesome. My husband and I are "Seniors" and do a lot of traveling. We have been on numerous other Cruises on different cruise lines and we just did not have very high expectations for this trip. However... it met some of our "needs" - a trip to Charleston, getting to see family, as well as celebrating my husbands 78th birthday. The food was way better than we ever expected. Especially lunch. LOTS of choices and I never (my husband did ) even get to try the pizza. Breakfast and dinners were fine but nothing to rave about. We found the dining service in the main dining room to be "hit or miss" - sometimes almost perfect and other times (a lost order), not so. We also ate (for my husband's birthday) at Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse. The food was definitely worth the extra charge. Our cabin was better than what we expected and especially the shower area. Shows and entertainment were just fair. Something to do. The staff on board was excellent and everyone was very up beat . We would definitely consider another Carnival Cruise in the future and recommend anyone to give it a try. Read Less

I have sailed with many other cruise lines and even NCL prior to this multiple times. The experience back then was a great experience. It appears to me that NCL has made some changes not for the good over time. The service was horrible, people unfriendly, no servers on the pool deck, hour waits to get a drink, embarkation was more than painful, etc. This was a complete waste of hard earned money for our honeymoon and I truly wish I would have spent my money elsewhere. I never write reviews and have never in my 42 years written a review about a cruise experience until this moment. The poor review is warranted. I would not recommend this ship to anybody. I will say one exception to the horrible service was the Assistant Cruise Director and an amazing life guard who was quite friendly. As for the server staff, the breakfast crew was a bit more helpful but as the day went on, good luck! Read Less

We chose a cruise to Cozumel/Key West and shortly after booking the itinerary was changed. We ended up going to Key west/Nassau/Coco Cay. We did not want to go to Nassau as we had been there so many times before. The change was made months ago, and had nothing to do with recent virus concerns. We tried to get them to let us change to another cruise or to give us an onboard credit but our requests were refused. If we wanted to change the cruise we would lose our deposits. So we went on with the trip and enjoyed it anyway. The food was pretty good. Our dining room server was a highlight. He was fantastic. Our cabin steward was ok. He got a little irritated that my friend and I asked him to split our beds apart. Never had that happen before. We weren't as pleased with the entertainment as we have been on past cruises. The comedian was pretty funny and the impersonator was good. The trivia is something we always enjoy but didn't so much this time. We did a Highlights of Nassau tour and it wasn't worth the money or time. We should have just stayed on the ship. We enjoyed our day in Key West but it was crowded. We got a South Beach cabana at Coco Cay and we had a good time there. Our attendant was very good. I got sick with a stomach virus toward the end and had to spend the last day of the cruise in my room. They gave me free room service and called often to check on me. I went to the infirmary and they treated me well. Read Less

I "won" a pair of tickets at a charity auction for any 3 or 4 night Bahamas/Caribbean cruise, and wasn't disappointed in my choice. This was my third and my partners first cruise. The oceanview stateroom was good. A bit plain and some of the seating was stained for having just come out a a $120 million renovation. Nothing felt overly crowded given that this was early college spring break and two large groups were on board as well. We enjoyed the food in the main dining room. We only ate in the windjammer for lunch a couple of times. I would recommend my time reservations for dinner in the evening. We never had to wait for a table, but noticed a few people waiting without reservations. Our waiter Mac was fabulous and we made sure to be at one of his tables every evening. One tip in avoiding crowds is book things like the spa during non-peak times such as port days, they generally offer a discount during those times as well. One glitch we suffered was with the refreshment package cups. They have a chip in the cup that is read by the drink machines. I and several other passengers had to have the cups replaced becuase the chips stopped functioning. Otrherwise we didn't experience any major issues. Read Less

Ship needs refurbishment badly. Rips, tears and holes in furniture throughout. Stained, dirty upholstery. Ripped, stained, faded flooring throughout. Chipped and peeling paint throughout. Broken window in the Silver dining room. Decor is very old, odd colors, strange designs. Water shut off during lunch hours two days into the trip for floors 8&9. 9 is Lido, the buffet. Sewer problem 1st floor. Oceanview rooms are on floors 1 & 2. Staff party hard with loud, thumping music, yelling and cheering until the wee hours 1am, 2:30 am. Their game room is mid ship, floor zero. So if you have a midship Oceanview room, good luck getting any sleep. Had to complain several times. Customer service is poor and many of them are seen walking around doing nothing or cutting up. A select few staff tried really hard to correct what the others lacked. Breakfast service and evening dining service in the Silver dining room was enjoyable. Staff were efficient. They could do without showtime because it just interrupts the dinner experience. They could really do away with elegant night. Not many people dress up anymore because most people vacation to relax. Pool areas were relatively clean. Photographers are pushy especially in the walkway on the 5th floor next to the casino. I felt like we were in Nassau being harassed to take photos. We didn’t care to have a photographer walking around the dining room trying to take pictures while we were attempting to eat. Lido buffet was always organized and clean. Food was good. Except for the barbecue upstairs. It was terrible-dry, greasy, overcooked. Overall the ship is ok. The staff needs to be trained in customer service. She ship needs the 2.0 upgrade and dry dock overhall. Read Less

The cruise overall was amazing. The best part of the itinerary was Coco Cay. What a long way Coco Cay has come. Service was I really great and for the most part friendly. The ship was clean, modern, comfortable, and efficient. You can definitely get lost in the ship, but the app really helps you figure out where you are. Captain Ban and his crew also successfully navigated the rough seas for our cruise due to a low pressure system off the east coast. It might have been a rough ride back from Nassau, but it was overall an enjoyable one. The only thing I would complain about is the noise in stateroom 13646. It is right below the Coastal Kitchen and can get quite loud at night when you’re trying to sleep. The vistas, room attendant, and spacious balcony were the highlights. Anytime I left the room, the room was magically cleaned and new towels were stashed in the room. I can’t wait to sail on the Anthem again! Read Less

Just returned from a week-long cruise from Newark. We had some rough seas on the first and last days but overall it was a great time. Our junior suite was beautiful. We ate at a table of 8 and it was by far the best group I have ever sat with. The food was outstanding, although the Tilapia one night was a bit overcooked. Our wait staff Eliza and Reagan and our porter Milton were helpful and professional. The comedian Mike Pace's shows were absolutely hilarious. The other shows -- the Gift and We Will Rock You -- were OK. There was no shortage of things to do. This was my third RC cruise. I've also been on Freedom and Harmony. As far as the Anthem goes, it's in the middle -- a little nicer than Freedom, not quite as nice as Harmony. It helped that my wonderful cruise companion was a lifelong friend on her first cruise -- it wouldn't have been half the cruise without her -- and I actually left the cruise up money in the casino. We met family at Port Canaveral for lunch and an afternoon at Cocoa Beach, so that livened up what might have otherwise been a lame port of call. The weather at CocoCay was perfect. We did the Deluxe Sailing excusion in Bahamas, and it was worth every penny and then some. Highly recommend. Overall, it was one of the best weeks of my life. 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

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

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

We were a group of couples. The ship is very nice with lots for young people to do. We are experienced cruisers and our favorite is Princess as Royal Caribbean has too many children on board. But let me give you the good and bad, in my opinion. We needed wheelchairs since having recent surgery. The wheelchair service was excellent but be sure to sign up. Don't worry about the time frame as they don't even check. It is a long walk from the terminal to the ship so don't be shy about asking for this service. Check in was quick as we had done the phone app. We were questioned and checked for fever. The virus was just beginning but they did encourage clean hands. We had a promenade room which was roomy with a window seat and sofa. If you want perfect quiet, this might not be good for you. It usually was quiet after midnite but it was fun to watch the goings on from our window. Our room steward was excellent. I tipped him when we first arrived, requested the duvet be removed and ice every day. No problem. I have come to love the "closets" on Princess as it's actually one big dressing room/closet combined with plenty of room for luggage, etc. That's why I wasn't fond of the closet but it was enough for 4 days. Our bed wasn't comfortable and I didn't bother asking for an eggcrate but wish I had. We had 2 very small nightstands with 1 drawer. Our room was always cold and it didn't seem to matter how far I moved the thermostat. I didn't bother to complain. For some reasons, the compass had an extra page which was mostly annoying and unnecessary. If you've cruised RCCL before, you know they don't include body lotion or hair conditioner. Probably the thing that annoyed me the most was, if you ordered 2 appetizers, they both came at the same time. Service was like, let's get this done. And sometimes we didn't receive something and I don't know if that was because they didn't understand or couldn't be bothered. Service all around left alot to be desired. Incidentally, cranberry juice is an extra charge, pancakes are more like hockey pucks, no lobster on the shorter cruises. Other than that, the food was pretty good. Steak was excellent. We ate most of our meals in the dining room and they also had a buffet (which was faster sometimes). One day for lunch they had an incredible spread with a shrimp "fountain", an ice cream bar, a salad bar mixed by the help and tons of wonderful choices. Not to be missed. It was on our next to last day for lunch. Formal night has been cancelled (their words). It is now, wear your best clothes. The shows were what you expect on a cruise. This theatre is the first I've ever seen that always has seats. Maybe not together tho. I just want to add, our ship went to CocoCay. It was phenomenal! Tons of seats available everywhere. Shuttles to go everywhere but distance between stops could be too much for some to walk. Pool was freezing. Families will love this but be prepared to pay. Read Less

My best girlfriend and I went on the cruise to celebrate the end of breast cancer treatment and the joy of our friendship. We have been on Grandeur in the past as it is a breeze leaving from Baltimore & we both appreciate not having to fly the friendly skies. My friend really wanted to see Perfect Day in Coco Cay. Embarkation was so simple. There was a person outside terminal asking health questions but he did it to a group of people, so it took very little time. We were on the ship within 25 minutes of parking at the port terminal. The ship is old but she was sparkling. IT was obvious that there was extra sanitation happening each and every day. The most wonderful part of Grandeur is her crew and staff. They are the best in the fleet if not in the entire cruise industry. Our cabin was small but had plenty of storage space. Space under beds was adequate to put our big suitcases. Stateroom attendant Randy was thorough, attentive and truly a master at towel animals. Only thing we disliked (mild word) was that now in the shower is dispenser of 2in1 body wash-shampoo. Just the idea is yucky...never have I washed my hair with body wash or vice versa. The Main dining room was excellent at dinner...food was very good, service was excellent. Waiter, Sherwin, Assistant John and Head Waiter Rana were some of the best we have had on our 40+ cruises. The only downside was a the table next to us where a man wore an obscene tee shirt to dinner with his little children. Between his tee shirt and foul mouth dinner was uncomfortable at times. Wish that Royal Caribbean would strictly adhere to their dining room dress code. Main dining room for breakfast was very good...excellent French toast. On sea days the dining room was open...best bet there was the salad and pasta station. Windjammer buffet was usually crowded. Saw too many passengers touching food and returning it. We only ate there 2X. The Park Café in the Solarium had good selection at breakfast and lunch. The roast beef on Kimmelwick roll is delicious. The service there was excellent especially ALLAN. Could always find cookies at the Park Café too. We dined both at Giovanni's and Chops Grill and both meals were worth the extra cost. Service again excellent. We would suggest that at Giovanni's you ask that all the courses come separately...if not pasta and entrée served together. The Headliners this cruise were all very good. The comedians so funny and an impressionist that had one heck of a good show. Another evening the headliners was the piano player from the Schooner Bar Henry Rios..another good show. The production shows left a lot to be desired this cruise. The dancers were very good but the singers did not seem to gel together. However I have seen these shows often so I may just be jaded. The Cruise director and staff were present but there was not a lot of energy. However this may have been partly due to the concerns over crowds and coronavirus. We loved that most afternoons there was a movie in the theater. We got to catch up and see some great movies. Ports were all good. Loved Charleston, SC...we just got off, got cab and went to Mass (it was Sunday). Lovely place to walk around CocoCay is beautiful. We did not do any of the $excursions. Just lounged on a chair under an umbrella and read. It was a perfect beach day. The food at CocoCay is delicious and plentiful. Loved the new choices (tacos, sandwiches) We had chilly weather on the way down and back to Baltimore but rest of time weather was great as were the seas. We spent lots of time in Solarium...pool was so warm! Do wish that again rules were followed pertaining to children. It was perfectly understandable that the kids had swim hours when outside was closed But there were often times when kids were in pool when outside was open. If you have rules, please enforce them. I want to compliment the crew for keeping the ship sanitized. There was always someone wiping down the railings, tables in Solarium were wiped down continually. I was impressed. I love Grandeur and will be so sad when she goes away (March 2021). She is beautiful because of her extraordinary staff and crew. Read Less

Wife and I booked this for our first. Probably our last, just not for us. The ship was nice, the food and service ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! I became seasick w/ somewhat rougher seas and weather the last 2 days. I am still having some land sickness, yes there is such a thing, but hopefully will get over that. We swam with dolphins at Blue Lagoon, another experience checked off our bucket list. Def. Recommend. Our cabin steward, Edison, couldn't have been more attentive, we ended up tipping him extra. Shows were ok, would've like to have seen more comedians and maybe some earlier in the evening. For us, esp. motion sickness prone me, I think we will stick to land and air. Oh, watch out if you check towels off the ship for a shore excursion. When we came back onboard they collected them but didn't scan our seapass. On the final bill there was a charge for $50, $25 a towel. As soon as we walked up to guest services she smiled and said "pool towels?" Had we not questioned, we would have been charged. She did remove it Read Less

We signed up to join my daughter and her family. Noise factor in our room adversely effected our experience. Food in the dining room was tasty, but we rejected some of the cooked dishes because they were served cold. The server took far too long for the courses and was a 1 1/2 hour experience. After we complained they got it down to 1 hour. The trivia sessions were conducted by some individuals who could not pronounce English words and it was nerve racking dealing with them. The song and dance entertainment was average, the band was above average. The drink servers (with the exception of Deborah in the Schooner Lounge seemed to take far too long to get the drinks, but were friendly and helpful. Our cabin steward was exceptional and was always present to help us by opening our door or assisting us with other tasks. I would rate the food and the service in the buffet as above average. The excursion to Pearl Island in Nassau was a waste of time and money. We left the island early. High drink costs and run down equipment. The included lunch of fish, rice and chicken was very tasty. Read Less

Several times a year, we plan dive cruises - that is, we cruise, and wherever we go, we scuba dive! You can read more about that on my blog at DeepWaterHappy.com - just search for "cruise" and you will find several articles about turning a cruise ship into a mobile dive site! We knew the ship was one of the largest we had been on recently, but were pleasantly surprised that although large, there were small private areas scattered all over the ship. In the Solarium, there were lounging beds for two. On each deck, there were small areas tucked away here and there for a luxury yacht-like feel. I loved that the Windjammer buffet seating is spread out far more than other ships, and several repeating stations so you don't have to walk all over to see the selections. The Windjammer also wraps around the stern, so there are great views in all directions, and nearly all the seats are "waterfront seating." Our cabin had a wonderful surprise for us - we had booked a balcony, the furthest forward on the starboard side on deck 10. It turned out the end balcones have an additional couple feet of space! There was an area simply perfect for hanging our dive gear out to dry, and storing dive gear without taking up a single square foot of the normal balcony space. We were amazed and thrilled. This trip, we splurged on spa treatments for both of us, the massage combined with facials. It was the best facial of my life, and one of the best massages ever. When we booked them, we had booked mine at 5:00 p.m. and his at 8:00 p.m. We really wanted to enjoy cocktail hour in the Diamond Lounge. We swung by the spa, and before we could even ask, they asked us if we wanted to both have our treatments at 4:00 p.m. Fantastic - now we could start the relaxation earlier, and not interfere with our sundowners time or our dining schedule. In all, we can't wait to get back on the Mariner of the Seas. I already booked a second trip on her - we didn't even have time to explore the entire ship! Head over to my blog to read more about our cruising experiences with RCCL on several different ships. Cheers! Kim Read Less