Excellent start to New Year cruising the Mexican Riviera & Panama Canal! Awesome 1st time on NCL Bliss.
Norwegian Bliss Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America
Contributor Level:
Cruise Director
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Reviews: 4
Helpful Votes: 122
14 Night Panama Canal - Eastbound (Los Angeles To Miami)
Sail date: January 21, 2022
Ship: Norwegian Bliss
Cabin type: Suite
Cabin number: 13198
Traveled as: Singles/Friends
Reviewed: 2 years ago
Review summary
This is LOOONG review with over 300 pictures, so skip it if you don't like reading. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to sail on this vessel when I did. I knew I would never be able to cruise on a ship this big at full capacity, willingly. So I jumped on the chance to sail on the Bliss on a 14 day cruise from Los Angeles to Miami. Despite some party poops saying the ship would be at 60% capacity, this cruise sailed with only 1313 passengers aboard (34% capacity), and it was AMAZING!! In fact the Primary reason I was willing to sail during the pandemic was that Norwegian Holdings (which owns NCL and Regent Seven Seas) was, at the time, the ONLY cruise line allowing only fully vaccinated passengers with a negative COVID test to board their vessels. That boosted my confidence, so I wasn't worried. This cruise was intended to give me a great start to 2022 doing two things I've always wanted: The Mexican Riviera & the Panama Canal. I had heard fairly bad things about NCL in the past, as such my 1st cruises were on Celebrity for their premium status. However, when looking for a Panama Canal, this was a perfect cruise. It was 14 days, and on a ship that had a lot to offer. Since Bliss is one of NCL's newer ship (ships less than 5 years old are still considered 'new'), there were no verifiable bad reviews, except NCL's fleet wide practice of charging for extras, and the 'so called' "Service Fees". This would be my first time on a mega-ship, however my main motivation for doing this on Bliss was the reduced capacity. This was so I could enjoy all the amenities without crowds and long lines. The longest line I stood in was about 6 people, excluding exiting the ship on port days. Embarkation was smooth and I was onboard within an hour, as expected. This cruise had seven ports: Mexico - Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Nicaragua - San Juan del Sur, Guatemala - Puerto Quetzal, Costa Rica - Puerto Caldera (Puntarenas), Panama - The Canal (New 2016 Locks), and Columbia - Cartagena. When I looked at the itinerary I suspected that Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Columbia might close their ports, and prepared for that. In December we were informed that the Nicaraguan government closed it's ports ahead of the cruise. On the first sea day I got a notice and voicemail that my zip-line excursion in Costa Rica was canceled and the money refunded to my onboard account. I was able to book a replacement zip-line & aerotram excursion. The evening before we were to arrive in Guatemala we were informed by the Port Authority we could not dock, so we passed the port for an extra sea day. It wasn't until we docked at Costa Rica, that after 3 hours we were told the Pier Manger would not allow passengers to debark and we left port an hour later. I was getting frequent alerts for Columbia well ahead of the cruise, so I was very surprised that we were able to dock and debark. The Panama Canal, the reason I took this 14 day cruise, was awesome! It took 11 hours to get through the new 2016 locks, and it was actually cool. Now I want to cruise on a much smaller ship and go through the original Locks! The food was amazing! I had no issues whatsoever, and I am a bit finicky. My reservation had a 4 meal dining package so I used it at Cagney's, Le Bistro, La Cucina, and Teppanyaki. I wished I skipped Teppanyaki for my dining package; it was over-hyped, and not as flashy as Benny Hanna's. I should've used Ocean Blue for my dining package, as that was the most expensive restaurant. American Diner was the only specialty restaurant I went to twice, because it was the only one that had fried chicken (though it was too salty, even for my Black ass). Savor was great (Taste was closed, except for the crew) and ate here most days for breakfast and lunch; The Manhattan Room was awesome; I ate here more than once. Food Republic was great and had really strong drinks! Q Steakhouse was fine and the dessert was awesome! By this time in the cruise (day 12) I was so stuffed from food that I never finished all of my meals. I tried to finish my dessert (a bread pudding that was frikken awesomeness) at Q's, but couldn't and only ate half - I was so mad at my fat self!! I put off doing most amenities in the first week because of the ports; so during the second week I went to the Bliss Speedway (I was hoping to have the track to myself, like one person shared in another review), mini golf (meh, way too mini, and no castles or traps!), and laser tag. I did water flume (loop tubes) 4 times (the 1 st time I didn't make through the first loop), and I did the tube racer 4 times; that was fun!! Laser tag was fun, except the guns didn't have straps and the field was more cramped than I expected. The Atrium is amazing and so big and spacious. This is where they did demonstrations, game shows, and showed movies (I caught the end of a Boss Baby movie), most movies I watched in my room. Speaking of, I discovered that there were some form of ambient noise was on every part of the ship. There were no actual quiet spaces, not even the library. Noise from the Atrium poured into the library, so reading in silence was impossible. So unless you were on this one sundeck outside Vibe Beach Club (on this cruise anyway, can't speak for a full capacity cruise) or the Thermal Spa, the only truly quiet place to be was your cabin. I only used the Pulse fitness center twice, because it attracted those people who like to show off how great they are at working out. I did manage to get through an entire early morning stretch routine on the 3rd day of the cruise, but never went back. I paid for the Thermal Spa pass, so that got waaay more use, though there a couple of days I never made it to the Spa. PREPARE FOR AN EXTRA SEA DAY. NO cruise itinerary is guaranteed and all the cruise documents state VERY CLEARLY THEY CAN CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITH SHORT NOTICE. So don't go off whining and blaming the cruise line or Travel Agent like a little baby! IGNORE those who say “Don't waste money on the souvenir mugs”. Bunk those people! Get the mugs. However, get them from the bars and restaurants, NOT the Duty Free shops: those are outrageously expensive. My NCL branded thermal coffee cup cost 24$ from Tradewinds. I paid 10$ for my Los Lobos Mexicanidad Skull Mug (plus the cost of the drink), and my Pineapple mug cost 6.57$ (plus drink tax, as we were still in US waters). It's worth the cost, if you don't have such a mug. Everyone kept asking about my Skull and Pineapple mug, even NCL crew from other restauraunts. This cruise was just phenomenal (despite the extra seas days), and when I got back to Tampa, it felt like I never should have left. Now, I know I'm ready for that Transatlantic on Regent 7Seas Splendor in 2023. I am even ready for a world cruise or a grand cruise. I am glad I sailed the Bliss at 34% capacity, but will I cruise him at full capacity? Probably not; I have learned that when it comes to cruising I like space to move about, both on the ship and in my suite or cabin. I liked the Celebrity Infinity because it was a small ship, and it only felt crowded in the clubs and lounges. All in all, I will sail on the Bliss again - IF it is ever less than 40% capacity again! Ahoy!Embarkation
My Lyft driver dropped me off at Pier 91 at 940am PST. When I got out, I saw a Bliss sign and walked over with my bags. The guy next to the sign said to drop my bags off at Pier 93 (a 5-7 minute walk) & to come back there (with a smirk on his face 😕😒). Not sure why he told me that, since when I got to Pier 93 the staff was pretty clear about going through the door next to them for testing. No mention of walking back to Pier 91. I've read stuffy folk complain like babies about how long the pre-embarkation testing took, but it went smoothly. I got tested at 9:54am, and my COVID-19 clearance email at 10:20am. We DID have to wait for our boarding group number to be called, mine was 7; I was onboard by 10:45am. So it was just what I expected: about an hour. Since this was a 14 day cruise and not 5 or 7 days, I imagine that's why others had the daunting, dragged out affair I've read about on previous cruises. Maybe they were sailing at 50%-60%; on this cruise only 1300 people were boarding (34%).
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Overall the dining was so much better than expected, which makes me wonder about all these negative reviews. I was very amazed at the quality and portion sizes. My reservation had a 4 Meal Dining Package. NCL is very cautious about allergies, and I filled out this form letting them know mine. They would ask in every restaurant to the point it got annoying, but I got it. There were, however, moments where they would not serve a certain dish I was not allergic to out of caution, and would have up to 3 different people confirm my dining selections. Annoying overkill, but I get it.
[Eateries]
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The Manhattan Room – This was a great experience. I dined here 3 times and enjoyed it every time. The dining hall was always somewhat empty, as most people ate in the Cafe. But at nights most people sat by the window, so when you first go in it looked empty. I didn't care, and was glad, the menu didn't change. This way I didn't miss trying something.
Garden Cafe – This was nice, considering the passenger count was 1313. The fresh fruit was on my plate everyday :D! I was NOT expecting NCL to have different food EVERY day, like most people on past cruises whined about. However, what I did wish was that the selections were different on both sides of the cafe. I didn't know both sides were identical. I realized later the redundancy was to accommodate many people wanting to eat the same thing from the same station. So having the same stations at opposite ends of the Cafe made since. It took me a couple of days to realize that. Over all, the selections were great. I wish I had dinner here more often, they had pulled pork, glazed chicken, steak - a lot of things I wished I had tried, but didn't want to ruin my appetite for my dinner plans elsewhere. There were times I arrived right after they closed down to prepare for the next meal service. Breakfast was picked up in the Observation Lounge whenever the Cafe or Savor (which had awesome breakfast) were closed for lunch prep. I had no complaints about the food, it was always great. Well, the gelato was not always stellar, at least not all the flavors. The mint tasted like medicine and the lemon way too tart. I did like the strawberry though. The Garden Cafe experience makes me wish I took more advantage of Celebrity's Oceanview Cafe.
The Local Bar & Grill – I kept forgetting this was Bliss' only 24 hour food and drink place. It was great, but it was the only place I did wish had a rotating menu. The wings are goo-goo-good though!! Don't just ask for water at 2am, they will make you wait for it. *rolls eyes*
Savor / Taste – Always enjoyed eating here,as the selections never disappointed. Breakfast was always really good. Dinner was always exceptional, as well as lunch. Taste was not open due to low passenger count, but when it was open it was for the crew only.
Teppanyaki – Overyhyped. While it was pretty cool, it was not the hibachi experience I was expecting. I found out that all the chefs do the same routine, which was very disappointing to learn. Also, our chef didn't really sing that much as the ones at the other tables. But the songs they would sing would be American songs. I expected Japanese songs. In most Japanese restaurants I went to in Downtown Los Angles they brought the full Japanese experience. Not here. I could not eat anything on the grill because it was prepared with shrimp and crab (two of my no-nos). So they prepared my Vegetable Yaki Udon in the kitchen instead. I did have the two cocktails: Wasabi and Shaku Shaku. Don't use the Dining Package on Teppanyaki, just pay the cover; it's the only Specialty Restaurant that has no a la carte menu.
Q Texas Smokehouse - By the time I got to eat here, my 500$ onboard credit was gone and my 4 meal Dining Package was exhausted. But I'm of those cruisers who doesn't mind paying for extras if it's something I want to experience. I am saddened I never got to see any of the movies or shows that were playing here. :( (big sad face). There was this one movie I curious to see (I did end up seeing a few in my stateroom late at night, tho'). The food was amazing; though the baked potato was not so great, it needed to be baked more. I like my baked potatoes soft; mine was still firm. But the Broiled Honey Citrus Salmon and Caramel Bread Pudding was divine. I just wished I could stuff it all down my throat. I was the one only in the restaurant at the time. Later on, two couples came in about an hour before they were closing.
Ocean Blue – One of the most expensive restaurants on the ship, my bill was 80$. I chose the Iceberg Wedge, Hong Style Snapper, Jasmine Rice and Mushroom Risotto. It was all very good. The service in all the dining room was stellar. Ocean Blue has elegant décor. Like most diners I ate my meal by the window. Sadly, no souvenir mug was offered.
Los Lobos – This was a cute Mexican restaurant on the Waterfront, I ate outside on the ...Waterfront. I ordered a Tropical Paloma drink with the Mexicanidad Skull Mug for an extra 10$, which was FREAKIN AWESOME!! It blew me the hell away when I saw it. The Empanadas De Carne were the bomb! I don't recall the dish (maybe the Carne Asada?) or the dessert I ordered (I can't recall looking my pictures), but I did have the Elotes. I wish they this joint in my town.
Food Republic – This joint was hidden on the side of the ship. I don't know how often people ate here. I ate here towards the end of my cruise, and enjoyed it. I had a familiar Japanese dish: Tonkatsu, my dessert was the 'Dark and Stormy' Baba Ah Rhum. The drinks were great, but too much for me. I couldn't drink them all as they were really tall glasses. Now that I think about it I could've taken those drinks with me and got drunk elsewhere.
Cagney's Steakhouse – Once again a dining experience that was great. The dining staff was stellar, as always. They knew me as I walked up, which was cool. For my entree I had the Beefsteak Tomatoe and my main course was Cedar Plank Steelhead Trout (w/Applewood Bacon) with Potatoes au Gratin and Barley Risotto and for dessert the “OMG” Caramel Butterscotch Cheesecake.
Le Bistro – The restaurant was nice, but I wanted to try French cuisine. The waiter refused to let me have the Escargot because it was a shelled snail. Even though they were NOT sea snails (which I am not allergic to); he was concerned about my allergies. I told him I can eat many shellfish, just not crab and shrimp. That's it. But he still wouldn't get it for me. Poop! So I had Soupe a l'Ognon Gratinee, Cromesquis de Chevre, with Cote de Veau Roti. I can't recall the dessert, but it was chocolate crème log. That was the only dining room where my waiter was less than stellar, only because I didn't get what I wanted.
La Cucina – Not comparable to the experience I had in Tuscan Grill on CxC Equinox. But it was nice none the less. I had the Gnocchi Di Patate Al Pesto, Filetto Di Manzo Al Pepe Verde, and for dessert the Torta di Ricotta con Crema al Limone. The ambiance was nice and the staff awesome. But it didn't feel very Italian. It was funny having a Filipino dining staff greet me in Italian, though.
American Diner – This was the first a la carte diner I went to, and the only one I went to twice during the cruise. It has nice look and the food was great. They even spelled my name is my Mudslide drink. The fried chicken was too salty for me, but the chicken sandwich was great!
Coco's Chocolate Shop – I wanted to try more things from this place (like the shakes and crepes), but I had already gained 10 pounds by this time. So I went for the Double Chocolate Fudge Swirl Gelato in a cup. I don't know what kind of “gelato” it was, but it seemed very creamy and rich for gelato.
Dolce Gelato/The Bake Shop – Hmpf, the bake shop was cute. The prices were outrageous, but I told myself to try every amenity onboard. So I got a cupcake and gelato cup. The vanilla bean gelato was good; while the Pistacio Chocolate cupcake was good, the frosting was not pistachio flavor and tasted nasty!
The Waterfront – This place was always somewhat crowded. I was able to find a place to sit and relax during the early days of the cruise. It became the go to spot for everyone later in the cruise. The other side was seating for the eateries and a bar. This is great chill spot, and it has this really cool area in the aft (on the aft?) with a window to look down at the ship's wake. In fact, it has the best view of the ships wake, and the go to spot during the Panama Canal Transit.
[Bars and Lounges]
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I didn't upgrade my Premium Booze Package, as every drink I guzzled was included. However, I do wish I tried the drink of the day in every bar. I drank the Mudslide (with extra dark rum added) more often than others. Aside from that I really couldn't see the difference in all the bars, except The Brew District and Malties. OK, Sugarcanes, but the rest were all the same with a different name.
The District Brew House – This was the first place I wandered into when I got onboard. Mainly a beer joint, and it also had entertainment. I only went here that one time. I wanted to go there on the last sea day, but it was crowded that night.
Spice H20 – A sweet “adults only” area hidden at the back of ship, this was a little water park (sort of), had two hot tubs, plenty of seating, tables, and a bar. If it served food, I wasn't aware, I don't think it did. Likewise, it was relatively quiet spot with a nice view of the ships wake, as well. I spent some days back here.
Waves Pool Bar /Surf Pool Bar – The bars both serve opposite sides of the pool deck, but are essentially the same, except Waves served cocktails, beer and booze; and Surf was mainly beer and booze.
Atrium Bar – A nice sized bar I used just as I was walking by from time to time. Seriously, there are a lot of bars on this ship. They served largely the same drinks as other bars, more or less.
Skyline Bar/Maltings Whiskey Bar – These bars I never visited, although I should have tried the whiskey out.
Sugarcane Mojito Bar - I only went here once, and ordered something. I learned later that this place also served martinis. I was bummed I found out too late.
The A-List Bar/Mixx Bar/The Cellars Wine Bar – These bars I never went to get drinks. Mixx served as the bar location for Taste and Savor. So if you ordered a drink in either it came from Mixx. The Wine Cellar I never used, I did walk in one time, but by this time I was fed up with wine. It is used for wine tastings and such.
Starbucks® – Coffee. When I got my drink the barista accidentally touched my hand, and made a disgusted look then washed his hands off in the sink. WOW! Rude! But, I get it. With COVID, I actually didn't blame him. I also washed my hands when I left, as well, at the nearest sink.
Cagney's Steakhouse
While I did not have any steak, it was a nice place to eat. Once again a dining experience that was great. The dining staff was stellar, as always. They knew me as I walked up, which was cool. For my entrée I had the Beefsteak Tomatoe and my main course was Cedar Plank Steelhead Trout (w/Applewood Bacon) with Potatoes au Gratin and Barley Risotto and for dessert the “OMG” Caramel Butterscotch Cheesecake.
Garden Café
This was an amazing place to eat and hangout. The fresh fruit was on my plate everyday :D! I didn't know both sides of the Cafe were identical. Over all, the selections were great. I wish I had dinner here more often, they had pulled pork, glazed chicken, steak - a lot of things. They even had staff singing at the door and inside. And they always encouraging you to wash your hands before entering. Washy washy!
The Manhattan Room - Main Dining Room
I loved this place, and it was placed right near the windows. I never knew the menus were the same for Savor - I didn't even notice that. The food was always great, and the service prime.
Food Republic
was the only one eating here, and the food was great. This joint was hidden on the side of the ship. I don't know how often people ate here. I ate here towards the end of my cruise, and enjoyed it. I had a familiar Japanese dish: Tonkatsu, my dessert was the 'Dark and Stormy' Baba Ah Rhum. The drinks were great, but too much for me. However, as this was 2 week cruise, by the time I got here I was full getting tired of alcohol; still I had 2 drinks and they were both huge. I couldn't finish the 2nd and the first I actually didn't like and sent it back. Now that I think about it I could've taken those drinks with me and got drunk elsewhere.
The Observation Lounge
A wonderful place to chill during the day or night. On my cruise it was great to be able to find someplace to sit and relax. This is where late breakfast was served as well. They have a stage for small performances, too. I saw a pianist there on embarkation day.
Teppanyaki
Overhyped. The Bliss' hibachi experience was not the one I was used to in Los Angeles. It didn't feel authentic at all. Especially, since the chefs do the same act at each table (of which there are two chefs serving two sets of guests). It was very underwhelming, to me. I would have preferred a more traditional hibachi experience.
Q Texas Smokehouse
I like that it has a stage and shows. But the only shows they had were movies, and it was used as a space for other events as well. The food was very good.
Maltings Whiskey Bar
I drank here once and it was very nice place to actually just sit and chill
Savor Restaurant - Main Dining Room
Excellent place to eat. The menu was basically the same, but it gave the opportunity to try different things each night I ate there.
The Local Bar & Grill
I loved that this was open 24 hours. While the food was good (especially the hot wings), this is the one joint I wish the menu was rotated.
Sugarcane Mojito Bar
I drank here during embarkation, don't recall the drink. I don't why I never went back more often. I think I didn't like the staff as much...hmm?
Le Bistro
The restaurant was nice, not the true French experience I was expecting. I had Soupe a l'Ognon Gratinee, Cromesquis de Chevre, with Cote de Veau Roti. I can't recall the dessert, but it was chocolate crème log.
Coco's
This was cute chocolate shop, a bit overpriced though. I wish that I wasn't so concerned about my weight gain that I tried some of the fancy malts and crepes. I had a gelato that was very creamy.
Atrium Bar
Seriously, Bliss has a lot of booze joints. The only thing I saw in the Atrium Bar was it's convenience, I don't recall it had a special drink menu.
The Cellars - A Michael Mondavi Family Wine Bar
I walked in here once, and I've seen people from time to time. I found out that you pay for the wine class and tasting. I had enough of wine by the time I walked in here.
Starbucks
Starbucks. Coffee.
Ocean Blue
A really good sea food place, with a nice atmosphere.
Los Lobos
This was nice restaurant and I liked it. I do wish it had more selections. The Mexicanidad Skull Mug is a MUST get for only 10$ (plus the cost of the drink).
La Cucina
The ambiance was nice and the staff awesome. But it didn't feel very Italian. It was nice none the less. I had the Gnocchi Di Patate Al Pesto, Filetto Di Manzo Al Pepe Verde, and for dessert the Torta di Ricotta con Crema al Limone.
Onboard Activities
Aqua Park – The Water Loops and AquaRacer were AWESOME!! I was apprehensive of the Water Loop when I got inside the droptube. You stand on the small platform, and the floor gives way beneath you. That is such a rush when it happens, b'cuz of the 'falling syndrome'. I wanted to look around as I slid down; so the first time I dropped I was looking around and my body shifted, legs came apart, and all of that movement caused the momentum to stop, so I couldn't go over the first loop. But I went back, stayed still, closed my eyes and made it. The final splash was a HUGE SHOCK, b'cuz I was not expecting to slide into a small pool! I learned you have to stay still, and let gravity and momentum do all the work. I did it two more times during the cruise. The Tube Racer was my favorite though, and I did that 4 times as well. I just wish I was able to get someone to record me using both. Oh, well it'll be recorded in my brain, until it's gone.
Kids' Aqua Park – Was not used, not even by the 4 or 5 kids I saw. Adults used it to rinse off from the main pool, and the Pool Crew used it to chill inside the water tower.
Bliss Casino – Never used this, as I didn't want lose my money. Okay I played the “Grab the Hanging Money” or “Keyhole game”, whatever it's called; and wasted 4$. Because the game cheats: it pulls the claw (key) back just as the money gets close to the (key)hole. Cheats!! Because I avoided the casino the whole cruise, I found out at the end of the cruise they also had adult arcade games and rides. Boo!
Bliss Speedway – I wanted to do this with the track all to myself. But I waited until the 11th or 12th day to go and had to share the track with 7 other drivers. As I was turning the curve someone behind me crashed into me, and I swerved and hit the bend. I tried going slow around the bends, but the brake would act funny. It was clear the crew could manipulate the power on the track to effect the karts, so I think anyway. Oh, well, I had some fun.
Vibe Beach Club – That I know of: no one paid for and used this. I did see the door open when I was playing mini golf, so who knows. But it was VERY POINTLESS for this cruise as the pool decks were wide open. Only The Waterfront had the most people.
Mini Golf – Boring. I was expecting castles, animals, and ball traps; all the things I've seen in the Mini Golf courts of my youth. This was really just a Mini Green, with rocks to serve as obstacles. BOO!! But, it was a cute way to pass the time away. I can see how this game is attractive.
Laser Tag – Fun Fun FUN, though the playing field was smaller than I imagined. The “fighting” felt very cramped, but it had a lot of hiding places, though. Also, the blue lighting made it somewhat difficult to see people clearly. We were told in the Safety Video our guns would have straps, nope. Also, the game had 4 different player roles. But our game only used 1: Commando. I was on Titan by mistake and had issues reloading and healing. At one point the enemy team had problems regenerating at their own base, so they had to use our Base to regenerate. All in all it was fun, and worth the measly 15$ people are whining about. However, on our game time was extended twice because of the Regeneration issues and just b'cuz.
Observation Lounge – This was nice space to hang out, especially during the Panama Canal transit at one point. It was the most crowded during the Panama Canal transit. I was only in here for about 15-20 minutes to watch the ship pass under the Pacific Bridge (as I call it). This is the first Bridge you pass under as you enter the Pacific side of the Canal. The lounge also has a raised stage for performers. You're actually not supposed to walk onto the stage, it seems. I wanted to ask a crewmen a question and didn't actually see him step up on the stage. So I followed him, and tripped and fell onto the stage, and scraped my knee. Oops! Later, I ordered a nice drink that was supposed to come in a Tiki Tiki souvenir mug (12$ I think), but they were out, and gave me a Pineapple one instead, which was less (6.57$) than the Tiki Tiki one I actually wanted. I loved the various spaces throughout the lounge; on every lazy day I used as many as I could find.
Humidor Cigar Lounge – I sat in here just so I could, though I had no cigar or whiskey in hand at the time. It was one of the few (relatively) quiet spaces that I mentioned earlier. It was just off The Waterfront, kind of hidden and a bit private. I think I only saw one person ever smoking in here during the whole cruise.
678 Ocean Place – This is where that pretty color changing chandelier is, and also where a couple clubs and stores are. It spans three decks with a lighted half spiral staircase. It is the second largest open deck space on the ship, next to the Atrium.
Perspectives Studio/Professional Portraits – This is where you get fancy photos of yourself taken. I passed on this, since I had a photo package.
The Photo Gallery – If I had known I could pick up my photo lanyards (that came with my photo package) at anytime I would have used them for my Freestyle card. Poop! At any rate, the photographers on the floor offer photo options different from any package you may have. When a photo was taken of me in La Cucina, she was clearly disappointed to learn I had a photo package. I now know why the guy in Teppanyaki ignored me completely. The word must have gone out, as I never saw another photographer taking an interest in me in most restaurants again. Poop! Didn't matter, a couple of those photos that were taken of me I didn't actually like.
The Jewel Box /The Beauty Shop/The Tides /The Time Zone – While nice and trendy, I did not shop here, as many of the items were expensive, even for me. I did wish I could have gotten a watch from TAG Heuer, though. I need one.
Tradewinds / Sandbar - I b'ot all of my ship swag from here. The NCL branded coffee mug cost 24$ and is why I say buy the souvenir mugs from the venues, they cost way less. BUT, at the time I wanted a coffee mug to carry around, as I didn't bring my own. Sandbar is the sundry shop, that has many things you may need (like toothpaste), but not everything a sundry shop should have. They had no deodorant or allergy pills, for example.
The Marketplace – This was where you bot the cheap clearance items, around 10$ or so. In the entire 14 days on the ship I only saw it open once during the first couple of days, and never again. Maybe it was open at the end of the cruise?
Pulse Fitness Center – I went here twice, once to check out the scene and again to do an early morning stretches. It seemed to attract the same kind of gym rats that keep me away from gyms. I wish I did spend time on the treads though, and I really should have found a good time to be here, when the gym rats were gone.
Moderna Thermal Spa – I paid for the Thermal Spa Pass, and was glad I did. I spent most days here, though admittedly I did miss a couple of days, the pass was by no means wasted. It was great place to unwind and be removed from all the noise (though there was non distracting music playing). Tha spa was never crowded. The most people I ever saw was about, maybe 20 or so, with 12 in the therapy people. They had a oil diffuser but it was located in a awkward place by the hydration station. The cord was not long enough to drag it over to a lounge, so you had to stand by the station to use it.
Spa Salt Room – This was cute. When I first went in I thought I had to push a button to make it work. I found out you just sit in here and let the salt vapors do what they do. I always tried to use all the rooms when possible. I think this was just an fad thing. I sat in here most days. One day I could hear the vapor thing, and I tho't I smelled the salt.
Spa Snow Room – Way over-hyped, and the pictures I saw online were exaggerated. This is not that big (on Bliss anyway), and you do NOT need to wear bundled up blankets. It's literally a small walk-in freezer, with ice on the floor. It was very awesome to jump into after being in the steam room or dry sauna.
Spa Thermal Suite – I was on this ship for 9 days before I remember they had dry heat saunas. They did give me a tour the first day, but because the saunas are located at the back of the Spa around the corner from the showers, I forgot they were there. I was chatting with a fellow in the steam room and he enlightened me as to where to find them. They had two dry heat rooms: one dry-mild heat, and the other dry-hotter heat. The latter was a much better experience.
Spa Treatment Room – Never used these, as I didn't feel like spending hundreds of dollars for a massage.
Barber Shop – I got my haircut for an outrageous 58$, but I needed it and she did did an amazing job. I walked out clean.
Hair Salon - Nope.
Library – I wanted to like this space, because the CxC Infinity library was my favorite spot. This space is NOT quiet AT ALL. I was so shocked at how much noise from the Atrium just pours into this room, that also serves as a card room. One evening I went in as two guys were playing cards, I drank my drink and tried reading my comic ebook. It has various games a small collection of books and magazine. It looks like it's design was an after thought. Too bad this Library is never actually quiet, as there are very few truly quiet spaces on Bliss.
Atrium – This is largest open space within the ship and very impressive. It has a large screen for movies and game shows, and a stage for performances. It also has it's own bar, that I used occasionaly. This same deck also has the photo studios and such. It has lots of places to sit and chill. It opens up to deck 7, where bars and lounges are located. The Internet lounge is here, as well.
Park West Art Gallery – I was very surprised to see them onboard this ship, I thought they exclusive to Celebrity. Now I know they mass produce the same artwork, which is why I avoided and scoffed them the whole trip. Until, I chose to guess the weight of a sculpture. So I went to the event and lost the weight guess and should have left. But I stayed and ended up buying a 471$ painting by Godard with olives on it. After tax, shipping and a useless 35$ appraisal fee I could have done without, it cost me 717$. Dazzit! However, since I had 365$ left on my onboard account, the painting actually only cost me 352$.
Mandara Spa
This was my "go to" spot for nearly everyday of the 2 week cruise. I loved the steam room and therapy pool and hot tub. The ice room was very nice, though overhyped.
Bliss Speedway
I wish I had the track to myself, or at least 2 other people. When I went it was the last day (big mistake) as the track had 6 or 7 drivers on it. So for me, it wasn't as fun. But I enjoyed myself even if I wasn't trying to speed.
Tradewinds Tax-and-Duty-Free Shops
I b'ot all of my ship swag from here. The NCL branded coffee mug cost 24$ and is why I say buy the souvenir mugs from the venues, they cost way less. BUT, at the time I wanted a coffee mug to carry around, as I didn't bring my own. Sandbar is the sundry shop, that has many things you may need (like toothpaste), but not everything a sundry shop should have. They had no deodorant or allergy pills, for example.
Laser Tag
The fighting area was very cramped, but it had a lot of hiding places, though. Also, the blue lighting made it challenging to see people clearly. All in all it was fun, and worth the measly 15$ people are whining about.
Bliss Casino
Meh! Cheats! I played a game in here it cheated. Also, I didn't know I could drive the racing game here. It was hidden against some wall, that I only noticed it as i was leaving this ship.
Fitness Center
It was OK. Although it did seem fairly cramped. Which was odd considering the size of the ship. It was just a long narrow hallway, to be frank. But I did some time in here, tho.
Entertainment
Bliss Theater – This left much to be desired, and those chairs are just awful and uncomfortable to sit in for long periods. The theater itself was surprisingly small. The stage was big enough, and the shows I saw did well to utilize much of it. But the production designs were lacking. I suspect the cast limitations, due the pandemic, played a role in that. Other than that it was nice place. I do prefer the little tables that connected to the seats, though. Ordering drinks was convenient, but there was little space for the drink staff to move around seated guests. The sound system was not bad, especially during Jersey Boys and Flamenco Express.
Social Comedy & Night Club / The Cavern Club – Both of these are nice spots to have a drink and listen to music. They are also multipurpose spaces. The Social is a comedy club on some nights, a dance club on others, and the space for Art shows as well. Every night I went to the dance club, it was dead. Likely because I showed up too early. I never stayed long enough for it to pick up. It's also the only time I saw millennials at night.
Jersey Boys – I was happy with this, and was glad it was not just a bunch continuous singing of pop music covers, like on Celebrity's ships. The “so called bad language” wasn't offensive - grow up, it's about a real music group from Jersey, of course there will be foul language, duh! HOWEVER, the production quality, tho' quite clever, was really lacking. The stage was practically bare with minimal dressing, using only a large screen projection to at add ambiance. It was sad. On the Equinox and Infinity (I know I should not compare NCL to Celebrity), their stage shows were very elaborate, but here – with all the money spent on making the ship look beautiful, and the decor of bars and lounges, I guess they ran out of money for stage productions. Jersey Boys did not allow pics and films.
SIX – This was canceled on a past cruise, so they did not perform on our cruise.
Happy Hour Prohibition – Sigh, this I wanted to see, but found out too late they ONLY performed twice, late into the 2nd week (I think days 10 and 12, or 11 and 13) – point is: I missed it both times because of prior scheduling conflicts.
Flamenco Express – This show I just caught by mistake because I wanted to see Happy Hour later (which I discovered later wasn't playing that night anyway), so I thought I was catching Jersey Boys on an early show, I was wrong. BUT my inner voice said stay in my seat. And I ended up enjoying this show very much. I usually take pictures of the shows, but NCL had some restrictions about that, and wasn't sure if this was one of them. So no pictures of the show.
Duo Rika – This was an awesome duo that always had very good vocals. Unlike other groups, I noticed they didn't play too many repeats sets, which was good.
Familiar Strangers – Another group, that had some good songs, but it seemed whenever they were on the pool deck, they sang a bunch of honky tonk songs. Bleh! I learned later reading the Daily that it tells you what genres each group will sing at what venue. It just happens that I always caught them whenever I was on deck singing songs I didn't like. They repeated their sets more often.
Siglo – I actually liked this group better than the rest, because they sang songs from my teenage and
“college” years. I caught them for the first time (and many times) in the Atrium.
DJ Taz – (he was REALLY good) His Hype Man was the best! Plus I really loved his trtack selections. He always had the party going on deck or wherever he was.
Celebrity DJ Bandeaux (meh, good music, but - to me - not as enthusiastic as Taz) I only caught him in The Social and Sugarcanes, but never really paid him to much attention. His music is nice, but he just wasn't as enthusiastic. Maybe he should get a Hype Man?
Tetiana – (great pianist, but a 'meh' singer) She was the first performer I encountered in the Observation Lounge. She plays very good piano, but her singing, not so much.
Walisson Melo – Only heard him once in Atrium, and he was pretty good and soothing. I did hear him in the Brew District, but it was very crowded in there, a rarity on this cruise.
They had a comedian whose show I only went to because it was billed as 18+. So I assumed I would hear some adult jokes. He told PG-13 stories about his family and other stuff. Meh. I wanted adult jokes, but he mentioned many times he didn't want some guest complaining to Norwegian that his jokes “crossed the line”. Bleh! There was also a hypnotist; I caught at the end of her show. But from I saw it didn't actually appear the folk were actually hypnotized, though.
They did have many trivia contests in the Atrium with fruit carvings, and many activities like and bean bag toss on the pool deck. I didn't attend the wine tastings because I had my fill of wine at that point. Bliss had many things to keep you busy. Me: I spent a lot of time in the Thermal Spa or on deck relaxing and reading.
Bliss Theater
This was pretty good. Except the seats are very uncomfortable. While the stage seems big enough, the production designs were minimal. I assume it was because of COVID. But that didn't prevent the shows themselves from being stellar. That only proved the performers can bring it, not matter the set dressing.
Children's Programs
I travelled as a singe adult.
Service and Staff
The crew was awesome. But, they seemed bored at times. Yes, they cleaned at all times and reminded us to wash our hands before going into the Cafe. BUT, there were times I spotted crew members cleaning – just to clean. Dining room waiters would engage you for conversation, or check on you frequently. The Garden cafe staff were the most lively, with singing and what not. The bartenders were friendly, but it felt like the charm was forced. At times the snarkiness was an attempt to be polite and upbeat. The Bliss Speedway guys were just frustrating, like they didn't want to be there. My room Steward was accommodating, and never had a problem. But he didn't go the extra mile, or at least he would try to. The service was not ever bad, I even got my Internet minutes restored when they drained overnight because I logged out incorrectly: remember login/logout not logon/logoff. But, the Internet dude gave me this look like I was trying to con him for free minutes. The Guest Service desk was the most accommodating, but I didn't get why dude giggled at me when I questioned why NCL charged my card an additional 300$ for the Free@Sea (it was reversed, as it was only a payment check), when I paid it as part of my full fare. That bothered me. Or when that Waves bartender got indignant just because he thought I got the name of my drink wrong! In Los Lobos it's called “Tropical Paloma”. He said “It's not tropical! It's only Tequila!” I was like WTF was that attitude for?! Anyway, overall, the service was excellent, but the some of the crew did seem like they would rather be somewhere else. I get it: their job is my vacation.
Ship Quality
The Bliss is only 4 years old, and felt like it. This ship looked like it was just off the shelf. So shiny and clean! This was my first time on a mega-ship, and being that this was post-pandemic IT WAS AWESOME!! It was pretty big and well laid out, for the most part. There were decks blocked off halfway down the corridors, as I couldn't get to my room by traversing the halls of deck 14 and taking the aft stairs up to 15. I reaized later, they had to block off the area of the ships that are not being used by guests. HOWEVER, getting to Deck 19 was a nightmare of navigating elevators and stairs.
Also, the touch screen map was useless at times, as it's directions were often cryptic, especially when trying to find the mini golf course. Also, I discovered that Spice H2O is NOT on any of the Deck maps. None of the information screens, deck maps, or the app had the same information. I craved for ONE place with all the of the same information. UUGHH!! Overall, the ship was beautiful, and very well decorated. This ship has a LOT of bars, and not a clock to be seen inside. The only clock I ever saw was on the pool deck. It's like they don't want you to know what time it is. I'll sail on this ship again, but only if it's at 30-40% capacity.
Cabin / Stateroom
It was more comfortable than I thought it would be; space wise it was not a cramped as I feared it would be. Certainly bigger than the AquaClass/Cocierge rooms on Celebrity's Solstice class ships. Although the TV was rather small, but whatev. I actually watched a couple of movies in my room. The bathroom was way bigger, and I was grateful for that. The shower was amazing, it was a walk-in with European control knobs. It had 6 little jets that sprayed all your parts. The shower had two heads, one rainfall, and one handheld. Even the layout was nice; the toilet was opposite the shower, and the sink was very wide, and had more space than I needed. Glad I had a balcony and a bed all to myself! So why 4 stars?
1. The mattresses, however, were too firm for me, but I got used to it. I absolutely LOVED all four of my fluffy pillows! I was on the ship for 9 full days before I knew there was space under my couch. I only looked when I was noticing how big the couch was, and felt underneath for a roll-out bed. I never felt cramped in this "Club Suite". They even gave me free, one time, laundry bag.
2. I did NOT like was the power switch. You had to place a small card (that was provided) down in a slot to turn on the electrical power (power to the TV stayed on, however). This was silly, to me. With the billions they have, why cheap out on electricity. It sucks if you are charging devices, then cut the power out of habit when you leave; only to come back and find your devices aren't charged. Also, if you have something in the fridge (as I did) & you cut the power & come back later, well... I had to throw some chocolate covered strawberries out. I did keep the card in at times, and while NCL say the Stewards will unplug your devices & turn off the power, mine didn't. In fact, most nights I came "home" with my bed headboard lights on.
3. The bathroom floor was elevated from the cabin floor, so I tripped over it twice. I do wish the room was wider, so I could have an actual chair instead of that stool/mini table thing.
4. The A/C & heater was wonkey. It has an auto off and on feature that was annoying. When it got cold inside the cabin, I would turn the heat on at night. There were too many mornings I woke up to cold air, because the heater turned off overnight.
5. Lastly, there were no towel animals, like I saw on other Bliss cruise reviews! Did I have to ask for them??
Ship tip
1) PREPARE FOR AN EXTRA SEA DAY. NO cruise itinerary is guaranteed, all the cruise documents state VERY CLEARLY THEY CAN CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITH SHORT NOTICE. 2) Get the souvenir mugs, they are waaay cheaper than you think (7-10$). 3) Don't use the Dining Package on Teppanyaki, pay the cover; it's the only Specialty Restaurant that has no a la carte menu. 4) Explore, explore, explore! Learn the deck plan early on; getting to Deck 19 is tricky with a mess of stairs and elevators. But it has a nice (semi) quiet public sun deck outside of Vibe Beach Club. It even has it's own bar, assuming it's for the public. I never saw it open on this cruise.
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Ports of call
San Pedro (Los Angeles), California
Being form LA, this was 'home' for me. So I knew the area well and was not put off by it like some outsiders. The port had a cool battleship museum. The port itself was so easy to get into, I was amazed it was not as fancy as the Fort Lauderdale port, being that this was L.A. The signage was not confusing at all. I did realize that was not NCL's home port, like the fancy port Celebrity has in Fort Lauderdale.
I loved this port, as it was pure Mexico, that I love. I even saw many sea lions, one up real close begging for fish, with some pelicans chilling by. I needed some deodorant and allergy pills (which Bliss did not have), and was glad I found a small shop that had what I needed. El Arco was cool and we even saw whales jumping out the water. I just wished we could under the arc, but I understand why we couldn't. I did wish I had chosen a longer excursion that allowed us to get off the boat and get closer to the sea lions and beaches though. But, oh well – next time.
I had a good time here. It did rain the first hour into the tour while we were still on the bus, though. Though some complained, I didn't mind. It reminded me of living in the valley of North Hollywood. The rain turned the streets into rivers as we drove through. I was surprised to learned that PV was such a small city. The streets were so narrow, and PV is a nice and quaint place. When the rain stopped we got out, and I visited an VR emerald show. Outside the shop they even had a show where performers did a dance telling the story of the emeralds. We stopped off at a nice restaurant where we got lunch. Then saw a show where 5 guys twirled down a pole.
(We did not visit this port, and the check box to specify so is broke.) I was supposed to do a jeep safari excursion. But on the evening before we were to arrive the Captain announced that the Guatemalan Government had closed the port siting COVID-19 related causes. I was refunded the excursion money. But I knew this port would likely be skipped when I booked the cruise. I used this day to go on all of Bliss' water rides, twice.
When I saw that we were pulling into Costa Rica I was excited about my 4 hour zipline and aero-tram excursion for this port. After we docked, we sat in the theater waiting for the ship to be cleared. Michael the ShortEx Team Leader is a funny guy, I love his 'accent'. He always says “Crikey!” He kept us entertained during the whole ordeal. I was supposed to meet my excursion at 830am. At around 10:30am we were cleared by the Port Authority and the Local Health Official. However, the Pier Manager and owner of the pier wouldn't allow the ship to disembark passengers. So after being docked in Costa Rica for 3 ½ hours, the Bliss sailed away to Panama at 11:30 am local time.
Ahhh, the reason I took this cruise. I was a little miffed we were going through the new locks and not the old. In fact, I didn't even know there were two sets of locks. The old locks were for the smaller ships of the time. But as ships got bigger, they needed wider and longer locks. They also needed a more efficient way filling up each lock. So these were built in 2016, and have “lakes” on both sides of the locks to drain and re-fill each lock. One day I'll go on a smaller ship through the old locks. The new locks have gate that open sideways. The old lock gates open outwards, like doors.
We arrived at the Pacific bridge (The Bridge of the Americas) at 705am PST and began entering the first set of locks at 7:54am PST. The first lock was Balboa. We exited the last lock at 10:01am PST. Looking at the Pacific Bridge in the distance it's hard to believe it took 3 hours. By 10:55am PST we crossed under the Centennial Bridge (Puente Centenario) and entered Gatun Lake to begin the 4 hour trip across Gatun Lake. At 2:55pm PST we entered the first of the second set of locks; and exited the locks, crossing under the Atlantic Bridge at 5:10pm PST. I was running around trying to find a good spot to shoot Bliss passing under the Atlantic Bridge, but I should have planted myself on the mini golf court, or the deck above the pool movie screen, so my shots of us passing underneath the Atlantic bridge were limited. By the time I got to the back of this massive ship we had already passed under it.
This was a beautiful city and the city buildings, as we sailed in, were so white, it was amazing to look at. My pirate excursion was pretty stupid. The pirate tried twice to get me to join in the play, but I didn't want to. I thought that they were going to sail the pirate ship out to sea and attack another ship. But no. It stayed docked. Then we went for a very nice walk. I'm from Los Angeles, so I'm not actually bothered by all the locals trying to get you buy stuff. But I can see how white folk from the mid-west or south could find this annoying. I got some advice: get out of the tourist area and go into the actual city and country. If you're in the tourist areas, you'll be hounded by vendors and locals. Get over it. Santa Monica, Venice, Downtown L.A. are all the same way. I had a great time, and enjoyed myself. Bought some coffee and mug.
This was our disembarkation port, so I didn't spend any time here. I was reminded why I hate their airport, it so horribly laid out. But transit from the pier to the airport was issue free. And the city does look nice. One day I'll spend more time here.
Disembarkation
I got my luggage tags the night before; you could get more, if needed. Most of the public spaces were open to chill in. Savor was open for breakfast, as was The Local. I didn't feel rushed off the ship at all. You went down when they called your color. I waited in the Internet Cafe. It was very smooth. I had the NCL shuttle transfer that was hassle-free. While not a luxury shuttle, it was comfortable. Post cruise excursion shuttles were bigger & fancier than ours. I got to the airport without issue; not horrible experience I've read about in other reviews.
Traveler Photos
20 Comments
Bonny99 2 years ago
AuntPinkie 2 years ago
Wow! Glad you were able to do so many things during your cruise. We set sail on April 17th to traverse the canal from Miami to Seattle. We will be going thru the old locks. We will be stopping at some of the same ports, so appreciate your feedback on them. Happy to hear your cruise was all you hoped it would be.