bship810 Cruise Review on Norwegian Bliss on Jun 02, 2018

Norwegian Bliss Cruise Review

bship810

Contributor Level: Purser

212 Days Till Next Cruise

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 8

Overall rating:

3 out of 5

Sail date: June 02, 2018

Ship: Norwegian Bliss

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

This was my first time sailing with NCL as well as my first time to Alaska, so some of their standards and experiences were new to me. Overall I had a great experience on the Bliss. The bedroom and food and beverage staff were very courteous and entertaining. Near the end, most knew our names. Our group had the drink and meal plan included through promotions going on during the time of booking; they were well worth the value. Our favorite spot was the sugarcane mojito bar. The included on board activities were also very fun. The weather was brisk when we went to Alaska, but all of the pools were heated, and we never had an issue finding room in one of the 10 available hot tubs. The water slides were fun and exhilarating. Our group did do the go karts as well as the laser tag, the primary experience with those were a lot of fun, but I'll talk more about that below. Now, on to the negatives. There were a few pretty major issues that hopefully are things that will be ironed out once the ship gets its sea legs. Finding seating at the garden cafe was impossible sometimes and people were forced to go to the observation level, only to find out there was no seating there as well. More than once, our group ended up taking a seat on the floor on the observation deck to eat. The bliss has an abundance of touch screen panels that help you see what's going on around the Ship as well as make reservations to shows, restaurants, and the go karts and laser tag. There was always a sense of requirement for a reservation on the ship, which wasn't good as it was unclear as to which actually required one, and which didn't. For example, we learned shows rarely needed reservations as there was ample stand by seating. Specialty restaurants, go karts, and laser tag most definitely required a reservation. You would be turned around without one. Which isn't an issue, until you realize that restaurant reservations were completely booked on day one. Luckily our group pre-booked our dinner reservations prior to cruise day, but we were unable to make any changes at all. Finally the go karts and laser tag. Reservations are required, as well as an additional charge. $5 for laser tag, $9.95 for go karts, and increase from $7. Reservations for these would spontaneously appear on the display boards, and we were fortunate to be able to book them for the last day of the cruise. Although the actual experience was great and we had a lot of fun, the staff was very inexperienced with the system and organization. Guns were not configured correctly and we had to wait about 40 minutes before we could even be set up to play. Go karts was even worse having to wait 1 hour and 30 minutes before we even sat down in the karts. Remember, we had a reservation, as well as paid extra. This left a very sour taste as it was the last day of the cruise. Overall, I would say the ship is great and has a lot to offer. The observation deck was nice and relaxing and provided a great view of the scenery and wildlife. With that being said, I'm not eager to rebook with NCL. I will definitely be looking at other options as the value doesn't appear to be as good compared to other cruise lines. There always seemed a sense of penny pinching with this line and I would be OK with it if they were one of the cheaper cruise lines in their class, but they weren't, so the additional costs and charges were not welcome.

7 Comments

Gwbigdog 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise.

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bship810 6 years ago

We went to the visitor center in town and did the walking tour. Lots to see and experience.

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mdenker 6 years ago

Great review! Thanks. What did you do in Victoria? Did you take any tour? Thanks

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1957cruiser 6 years ago

Great review! We’re doing our first cruise (ever) on NCL Bliss & not quite sure if cruising will be our thing but we want to see Alaska. One of my biggest concerns is the “loitering/sleeping” on the Observation deck I keep reading about. If folks are staking out and hogging all loungers and seating where passengers are having to resort to sitting on the floor, then NCL needs to put a time limit on them so ALL guests can enjoy what they’re paying for, a ship that was designed and built for viewing Alaska!

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jltanner56 6 years ago

Please stay in the Haven. Nothing better

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bship810 6 years ago

I forgot to mention, the show and performance qualities were much better than other cruises I have been on. Jersey Boys was great and I highly recommend. We frequently visited the comedy club as well.

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nanou 6 years ago

Thank you for the detailled review. Alas most cruiselines are now "nickel and diming" their passengers. My 1st cruise was really a great value and so many things included which is no longer the case. Sad but is now a reality of the cruising world. 😢

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