Amazing cruise!!! NCL Bliss and it’s staff are incredible and we will definitely be booking another one on the Bliss soon.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was relatively quick however, the berth changed at the last minute so everyone was scrambling to get to the correct area in port. All in all it only took about an hour after arriving to check in and board. Not bad at all.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We ate in every dining room and speciality restaurant and the food is AMAZING! Taste and Savor were always great but my favorite specialties was the Teppanyaki and Los Lobos. Mmmm…TBH, even the Garden Cafe (buffet) is delicious, especially for breakfast.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Since this was our first time on the Bliss, we made sure to do every activity available. My favorite was the Go Karts by far but also the Aqua Racer tube slide was a lot of fun! Fitness Center has new equipment and I even took time to jog on deck 17 a bit.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We had a show scheduled every single night so we were able to see everything on board. SIX and Jersey Boys were both amazing, high quality productions and must see. Beatles Live, Uptown Boys were also very good, as were the various comedy and other shows. I was surprised at how much there was to do!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Washy, Washy!! The staff were all incredible and a joy to be around. We had a Room Steward named Ren that was absolutely AMAZING! Best steward we have ever had. Period.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Lots of room and the layout is perfect for a large ship. Never felt too crowded ( besides in the buffet at breakfast) If I had one knock I wish they had more smoking areas on the ship besides just a few chairs on deck 17 and the smoking area of the casino. I don’t smoke but seeing 70 people crammed into a tiny little area everyday was kind of terrible.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Perfect sized room and always clean. Lots of smart storage and the shower was bigger than other showers I’ve had in other ships. Nice not cracking my elbows on the walls every time I showered lol Balcony has two chairs and a table with an excellent view. Saw many, many dolphins, sea turtles and whales along the Mexico waters. Heavenly.
Ship tip
It’s first come, first served with scheduling dining times and shows so plan out your entire cruise itinerary and book everything you want to do as soon as you get on the ship.
We did not like Puerto Vallarta. Dirty and unsafe city. Very aggressive vendors and the tour guides get kick backs so pressure you to buy random stuff. Will not visit again.
We loved our time in Acapulco! Again, don’t book your excursions through the Excursions Desk! We spent $20 a person for 6 people and had the most amazing 4 hour tour! Visited places no one else we talked to saw including the hotel Elvis always stayed at in the 60s/70s, cliff divers (as close as you can get without climbing up with them), the Acapulco “Beverly Hills” and so, so much more.
We absolutely LOVED Cartagena! Again, we booked an off ship, all day taxi and he took us across the entire city to see everything for $20 per person. The last stop was a local restaurant on the beach for the most amazing Colombian food! Coconut lemonade and crispy salted plantains with a crab dip! AMAZING!!
Our absolute FAVORITE port. Again, booked an off boat private taxi for $20 a person. 5 hours and saw the REAL Ocho Rios. Spent 2 hours on a private beach the locals go to. Ate Jerk Chicken and Goat Stew. Had a private tour of the “jungle” farms on Spice Mountain, showing us how Rastafarians live off the land. Absolutely incredible. We will be coming back to Ocho again to stay a week very soon. Already missing the Jamaican Apples and Custard Apples we picked…sooo good.
Ok, this was the absolute WORST disembark experience we have EVER had. Not NCL’s fault, imo, and 100% the fault of the Port of Miami terminal. Waited in line to get through customs for over 2 hours and not a single bathroom available! Crazy to me. We also had to find our own luggage, which was scattered all over this room with thousands of other bags. Again, crazy. We finally got through customs and our tour was delayed another hour so I ordered an Uber and we rented a car so we could actually do what we wanted. Wasted $120 bucks but totally worth it. Terrible experience all around.
Hello, how do you book your private taxi guides? Kinda scared lol we plan to not book any excursions but going to puerto Vallarta Cabo matzalan and Ensenada. Would love to be able to see things but want to be safe! Thank you!
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