Nice, new ship w/a few issues, beautiful beaches and water

Norwegian Bliss Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 83

Overall rating:

4.1 out of 5
Norwegian Bliss

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 08, 2018

Ship: Norwegian Bliss

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 10310

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

Overall a good trip and nice ship, with just a few issues. We love cruising, and understand that nothing is perfect. We like NCL and will likely book with them again.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
We were met by a luggage attendant as soon as our van pulled in. They took "checked" luggage from there. Walked in directly to check-in desk and were on the ship within minutes of arriving. NO WAITING!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
Food was above average and just as you would find anywhere on land. Some very good and some just average. We did not attend any specialty restaurants, but were satisfied with the buffet and complimentary dining rooms. If desired you can dress in a sport coat and dress pants, or a polo shirt and shorts. We like Norwegians relaxed, informal any time dining in the main dining rooms.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5
The race track was better than anticipated. The electric cars were quicker than we thought. They provide a hood/mask to wear under the helmets which is a good concept to keep the helmets clean and sanitary inside. I recommend riding after dark when the lights are on if possible. Pretty cool. I also recommend booking ride times on embarkation day. In our opinion the pools were inadequate. One small pool for adults and an even smaller one for kids. The Aqua Racer tube slide was good, but the Ocean Loops slide was shut down the entire trip. Apparently, people are not making it over an incline in the tube. Poor design!

Entertainment

3 out of 5
We saw Havana and Jersey Boys in the theater. Havana was okay. Jersey Boys was excellent! Comedians were just okay, not great. Bands were average-good.

Children's Programs

4 out of 5
The "Guppies" area for 6 Months to 3 years was a nice release for toddlers. Deck 5.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Ship Quality

3 out of 5
Very nice, clean, modern new ship! After a previous trip on the Breakaway and experiencing the Atrium as an overcrowded, inadequate venue for game shows and activities. We hoped that Norwegian would learn from this mistake and find/create a more accommodating venue for the popular games and activities. But, unfortunately the issue was not addressed! Disappointing.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
Our cabin was very nice and accommodated 3 adults well with a pull down bed from the ceiling. We had doors adjoining the next cabin, which was very convenient and handy for our family of six including a 9 month old baby. Since our balconies were adjacent, we asked if we could open the divider to provide us a larger balcony area. Unfortunately, they will not allow this due to a flimsy excuse that the "extra wind" fueled an interior fire on another ship somewhere in the past. Does not make sense! Also, very disappointed in the bathroom design! On a brand new ship launched in 2018, I would expect to be able to see myself(face) in the bathroom mirror. At 6'3" I was not able to see myself from the neck up in the bathroom mirror without crouching!! Poor design!

Ship tip

Use the stairs after the safety(muster) drill. If you MUST use the elevator, BE PATIENT! Reserve entertainment before boarding if possible.

Ports of call

Miami, Florida

5 out of 5

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

5 out of 5

Tortola, British Virgin Islands

5 out of 5

Nassau, Bahamas

3 out of 5

Disembarkation

4 out of 5
Self assist at 7:45-8:00 the line moved well. We were off the ship within 30-40 minutes of leaving the cabin.

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