First time and most likely the last to the Caribbean at New Years. It was a fun New Years but they could have passed out NYE party favours and had party snacks and comfort food throughout evening.
THERE WERE TOO MANY PEOPLE and KIDS on this cruise. I heard there were more than there should have been onboard.
Travel on the ship, in my first time cruiser opinion, was ROUGH WATERS. Our group's more sensitive cruisers were feeling sick many times. Not sure what can be done about this one.
We couldn't book the activities we were attracted to initially because they booked up within the first day. That is unfortunate but maybe check who booked and how many multiple bookings occurred.
Public Bathrooms receive a 4/10 from me. Do better NCL.
Elevators were not efficient.
Spa is another push to get more money. After a 100 minute massage I got a sales pitch to purchase more items. Just no. Don't do this. We choose this service to experience relaxation or release. We don't need your cheesy sales pitch at the end and dismiss the girls trying to entice you into the spa.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
This was actually a very smooth operation. We were signed in easily and the wait period was minimal. The only hiccup was the man who transferred our tagged luggage for the ship to deliver. Apparently we did not tip enough and he was obviously upset with us. We hope his next customers saw his reaction and tipped accordingly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Honestly, to start, we thought the Buffet was great. Lots of selection. The prime rib was excellent. As the cruise progressed, however, food didn't appear as fresh or plentiful. Disappointed there wasn't pineapple readily available. Pizza was popular and always one of the firsts to run out. The Local was a great spot, but usually crowded and impossible to order on New Years. Savour was good, coffee was horrible. Manhattan Room was elegant and an enjoyable dining experience on New Years Day. Teppanyaki restaurant was 7/10. They screwed up my husbands order, my mom received a dirty glass for her beer and it was LOUD. They were apologetic about order and glass and we received a free drink. Food Republic was very good. Lot of selection and service was excellent. By far the best dining experience on the Bliss is at Cagney's Steakhouse. Everyone had an excellent meal and the service was outstanding.
For future New Years Eve cruises - there needs to be some kind of food available at Midnight! Perhaps open the buffet for pizza, chicken fingers, burgers, hotdogs, etc.SOMETHING! Or put munchies out. After a night of partying, people were looking for snack, food. The Local was swamped and room service was a joke that night. I waited on the phone for 30 minutes, decided to continue to hold while I had a shower, came back to phone and was on hold for another solid 20 minutes. Finally got an order in and waited 45 mins. Too tired to eat when it arrived.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Activities were slim pickings in the minds of my adult kids and ourselves. We did hand out at the pool and hot tubs. My mom walked the running track. We attended karaoke and the shows at the Bliss theatre. The casino was a hit, but got old. Adult kid tried to do go karts and laser tag but because there were SO many kids on board, these were off the table on the first day. BOOKED SOLID! Bummer as these two perks were very attractive for our group. Maybe put a limit on amount of times people can reserve??? I feel some people were very selfish and took advantage of this.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We really enjoyed Jersey Boys and Six. The comedy show on the 6th was MEH. Could have ended the cruise with something spectacular if they chose to do so. THAT would have left an impact on cruisers and maybe would have inticed them to cruise again.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
No complaints here. Very pleasant people onboard. Always greeting and saying good morning. We love our steward, Pearly. She addressed us by name every time we saw her. When dealing with onboard credit, guest services and the Internet, they were patient and thorough and solved my issues.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
I do like the Bliss. It was easy to get around and figure out where everything was. The real issue I had with cleanliness was with the public bathrooms. Very disappointing! Sometimes I entered a stall that was fine but didn't flush afterward. (Even after waiting ) Then a stall would be completely Gross. No flushing. Some were locked, out of order in a very populated area like the BLISS THEATRE. I heard many complaints about the bathrooms. Maybe you need to up your game in this area, NCL!
Also - I don't know if it was just my sensitive nose, but I could have swore I smelled pee in the hallway to our cabin.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Comfort was wonderful. Size was perfect for us. It was kept very clean and the only complaint I have is that is smelled a little musty.
Ship tip
Dont forget to check out the observation deck and play scrabble. Loved the piano playing there, as well.
TOO MANY PEOPLE. We knew we were in trouble when we discovered there were three other cruise ships joining us at this port. Do the math - if every ship has 4200, like the Bliss, that is close to 20000 people crammed into a small space. In the heat. NOT FUN.
NCL BLISS! You can do better! I had to ask my steward on Jan 7 what we should do to get off the ship. Please include a cabin flyer explaining disembarkment! That can't be too hard.
There's always a hard sale pitch after a spa service. Anyone who has ever had a facial or massage on any cruise knows that. I don't think they're going to change that.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
