cccruise Cruise Review on Norwegian Bliss on Jan 12, 2019

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 8

Review summary

Sailed the Bliss Jan 12-19th . First time on NCL , but have cruised several times before . Group of 8 age 14-55 . After reading so many reviews I was skeptical but We were pleasantly surprised . For so many passengers they handle crowds very well there are many small venues (entertainment and dining ) so people spread out pretty nicely no issues with waits or lines . The entertainment rotates so even though the venues are small there are multiple opportunities to see the same show or music . Main pool deck gets very crowded but if you like quieter areas to sit you can find them . People do hog chairs early and we did not see 30 min rule enforced. Service was good not great - nothing bad its just the waitstaff in both specialty and main dining are very busy . Not the traditional cruise get to know you and make you feel special kind of attention . The ship is beautiful clean very well kept . Entertainment was great my kids Loved the Beatles saw them 3 times , Cavern club is small so go early ! Jersey boys was awesome . Havana was good dancing and singing just didnt enjoy as much as the others . Getting on and off ship very easy . The port Of Miami is very busy so make sure to factor 30-45 min extra for traffic around port for both arrival and departure . Ports were so easy on and off gangway . Specialty dining was just good again not great - more like having restaurant options but I would not call them specialty like we have experienced on other lines and I think expensive for not getting the extra special feeling with great food . Now not usually a buffet fan but the Garden cafe was really good , clean and many options ( healthy and not so healthy ) The staff and service there were great ! There are alot of up-charges . This was the most I paid upfront for a cruise and the largest onboard expenses we have had . Laser tag and go karts were really fun but costs adds up for a family with 4 kids . We did plan ahead for dining / entertainment and once on board the attractions etc but We felt that having so many reservations isnt really “freestyle” . We enjoyed the Thermal spa very nice - only con was that its a very big open space and its supposed to be a quiet area but people talked like they were around the pool deck so it got loud when you wanted to relax . Lastly , which i know its hard to control but more as an fyi Kids got GI bug probably norovirus a few hours after we got off-ship and have read since multiple passengers were sick as well ! It all worked out and i was glad we had done our research! We had a wonderful vacation and nothing to complain about .Enjoy !!