Norwegian Bliss-Mexican Riviera Halloween

Norwegian Bliss Cruise Review

Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 48

Overall rating:

4.4 out of 5
Norwegian Bliss

7 Night Mexican Riviera (Los Angeles Roundtrip)

Sail date: October 27, 2019

Ship: Norwegian Bliss

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

We really enjoyed the Bliss. This was my 3rd cruise, my husband’s first. We were traveling with family and friends. I have traveled NCL and Carnival. I really like NCL, it’s fun but not super wild party mode the entire time. I get the spa package and I love it, although it was way more crowded this time and louder and less relaxing than on the Escape. I also got the Vibe Beach Club this time. I really liked that a lot. I enjoyed knowing I had a reserved place to go each day. The cabana was pretty sweet. The food was pretty good. I wrote separate reviews for each place I ate. Overall The experience was fantastic. Based on reviews I had read I was worried about the ship being overcrowded. Other than the spa, it really wasn’t bad. Expect the buffet to be busy; especially during peak hours. The main pools are pretty busy too. But if you want quiet, you can usually find a spot to relax.

Embarkation

3 out of 5
There was a coast guard inspection during our embarkation. We were left waiting outside for over an hour in like standing still. Once we got moving the process was smooth and everything was great.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Q Texas Smokehouse

2 out of 5

I didn’t care for the Q. My salmon was very dry. I will admit that it may have been partly my fault. I have never had anyone ask me how I want my salmon prepared. So when they said rare, medium, etc. I was a little surprised. I said medium. I guess I should have said rare? My husband had the brisket and it was tasty, but it was a tiny portion. The sides were served in little condiment sized dishes. The coleslaw was pretty good. The night we were there the entertainment (band) seemed exhausted. The main singer was on a stool, yawning and rarely smiled. Very low energy. It was pretty dull. I heard they were more up other nights. Also, while there another couple said they had a sampler platter and it was delicious. So I would try that.

The Observation Lounge

5 out of 5

The Observation Lounge was right by my room, so I came out to get coffee and just chill out. It’s a really nice place to relax and look at the ocean. The bar is good too. In the morning the have a small continental breakfast up there.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

Cagney’s was fantastic. I had the lobster and steak. It was so good! You could cut the steak with a butter knife. We were so full when we left.

Los Lobos

4 out of 5

Los Lobos was good, I had the shrimp skewer. It was delicious. My daughter had a seafood enchilada and she thought it was fantastic. I also had the guacamole, it was also very good.

Vibe Beach Club

5 out of 5

I absolutely loved the Vibe Beach Club. I had a cabana. It was nice knowing I didn’t have to rush up and save a seat. The hot tub was great and the bar was awesome. The service was fantastic.

Garden Café

4 out of 5

There are many options at the garden cafe and the food is pretty good. The service is friendly and they are quick. I specifically enjoyed the omelette bar in the morning. It can get pretty crowded at prime times, but you can always find a spot.

Atrium Bar

3 out of 5

The drinks are great, but some of the servers were a little cranky at the Atrium. Maybe because they have high volume? I’m not sure, especially Day 1. 😬

The Local Bar & Grill

2 out of 5

I had the fish and chips for lunch. The fish was okay, but the fries were served limp and cold and the server was pretty inattentive. I went back another night just for drinks and was ignored by the servers for 40 minutes.

Teppanyaki

5 out of 5

Loved, loved, loved!! The food was great and the entertainment was fun! We had a really good time! I had steak and shrimp, it was so good!

Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville at Sea

5 out of 5

I really liked Margaritaville. I had to have the Cheeseburger in Paradise and it was excellent. A neighboring table ordered a side of nachos and it was HUGE!! My friend loved her meal as well, she had the turkey burger.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
We did the spa package and thoroughly enjoyed it. This is the second time I have used the spa package on NCL and I love it! We also tried out the race track. I didn’t expect to have fun, I thought it would be lame, but it was fun.

Bliss Casino

4 out of 5

I had a lot of fun in the casino, played roulette. Won some cash. My friends hung out in the smoking side quite a bit and won more than I did. It’s fun.

Entertainment

4 out of 5
We saw Prohibition on the Bliss. It was a good show. We also saw Jersey Boys. It was pretty good, but a little too long.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Overall the staff were very friendly and nice. We had a very good experience with NCL.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
The cabin was good. I liked the shower in the mini suite because it is quite a bit bigger. The beds are still way too hard. I wish NCL would do something about that. The staff kept the room very clean. The temp was hard to keep steady tho, it fluctuate d a lot during the night .

Ports of call

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

5 out of 5
We took a catamaran to Las Caletas Island. It was beautiful. We saw parrots on the island and had a nice lunch. Our friends took a pirate ship . They also had a blast.

Mazatlan, Mexico

5 out of 5
We went sport fishing. We had 5 on our boat with two guides. We caught 3 Mahi-mahi and 5 smaller fish.

San Pedro (Los Angeles), California

3 out of 5
We actually stayed in Long Beach at The Hyatt Regency. It was really nice. We walked around on the boardwalk. There were a lot of activities going on in the harbor.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

4 out of 5
We went to the Breathless Resort. It was a relaxing day.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Everything went well. We were off the ship very quickly.

Traveler Photos

Breathless Flamingos Beach Las Caletas Fishing Day of The Dead Las Caletas Island Hammocks Fish
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6 Comments

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise.

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing

PlummRose69    5 years ago

The price for the Vibe Beach varies, depending if you get a cabana or not. It was around $200 extra for the Vibe package.

SharonCruiser    5 years ago

Not really a comment more a question. If you don't mind me asking what was the charge for the Vibe Club?

hannausmc    5 years ago

Be on the Bliss next August for Alaska

cruisereckoning    5 years ago

Glad you had a great cruise

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