Excellent cruise with a Less than Ideal Itinerary

Norwegian Bliss Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 11

Overall rating:

4.4 out of 5
Verified Review
Norwegian Bliss

15 Night Panama Canal: Mexico & Costa Rica (Miami To Los Angeles)

Sail date: February 25, 2023

Ship: Norwegian Bliss

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 18122

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

An excellent cruise that would benefit from more interesting ports.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
There was no line or wait to embark via the Haven

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
The Haven dining room was the best restaurant on the ship.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
The fitness center was well equipped. We enjoyed bingo, as well as some of the arts and crafts.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
The 2 big shows (Jersey Boys and Six) were Broadway quality. The musical entertainment was great, particularly "The Beatles" band. Magicians and hypnotists were just ok.

Children's Programs

No children

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
The service in The Haven was impeccable and indulgent.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
The ship was very clean, and showed minimal wear and tear.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
The room was slightly larger than the typical balcony. The bathroom was lovely with a nice tub. Twice daily cleaning was a nice benefit. The L'Occitane beauty products (shampoo, body wash, etc.) were lovely.

Ship tip

Don't try to embark first thing. Boarding at 1 or 2 pm had shorter lines.

Ports of call

George Town, Grand Cayman

4 out of 5
The snorkeling excursion was very good.

Cartagena, Colombia

2 out of 5
The mangrove eco canoe tour was awful. Lots of animals and bird sightings were advertised, but all we saw were spider webs. Our canoe was old, and took on water. The only good part of the excursion was the bus tour of Cartagena.

Panama Canal Transit

5 out of 5
The best and most interesting part of the cruise!

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala Did not visit port

The 2 hour bus ride to and from Antigua was not worth our time.

Acapulco, Mexico

4 out of 5
We enjoyed the cliff divers but wish we saw more of them.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

3 out of 5
Le Dulce Vista resort was nice, but the warm volcanic springs were just a glorified hot tub. The tequila tasting was good and informative.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

5 out of 5
Loved the whale watching cruise.

San Pedro (Los Angeles), California

4 out of 5
Enjoyed the bus tour, with visits to Olvera Street and Farmer's Market on the way to the airport.

Disembarkation

3 out of 5
There were long lines through immigration, but this was not controlled by the cruise ship.
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