Norwegian Bliss Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Great cruise, checked off my bucket list. Couldn't of asked for a better service, impressed by all the cleaning going on. Only disappointment was not being able to get on the raceway - need a better system to sign up for that.

This is out second Alaska Cruise. The scenery is remarkable, and the staff even more remarkable. In fact we bought 4 more cruises with this cruise line! I wouldn't even think of going with another cruise line!

Just got home from 7 day Alaskan cruise. Ship is beautiful. Take elevators at the front or back of the ship during peak times. Otherwise you will wait forever. Very clean ship. Always sanitizing and cleaning. Crew was amazing. Cabin was a good size.

It was a great experience & I am glad we did it. I love the food & service on Norwegian Cruise Lines & the bliss is beautiful but I prefer Royal Caribbean ships.

Not enough time in port elevators are A mess very big ship lots of people was annoying having to book every thing in advance had ordered room decorations but was 2 days late had to call them and never got my strawberry’s

Wonderful time had by all. We spent a lot of money on the excursions. Staff was wonderful...Jersey Boys was great...Didn't care for Havana, maybe I was tired...we went with a large group of Line Dancers, we danced every night at the Q to the country band. Loved the show the staff put on.

As first time cruisers, and not the type of people that like to be around a lot of other people, we really enjoyed cruising the inside passage. We felt like we had enough options to get away from the thousands of people. What my husband was disappointed in was the smoking section, which was only one little area on the top deck.

Overall a great cruise with a few exceptions. The ship was too big and the elevators always packed

Overall we found the bliss to be a beautiful ship. The staff was very efficient. The food was average for the most part but the deserts they supplies were excellent. After the 3rd day the meals were repititous and the quality degraded drastically. The entertainment was poor except for the Philipino band which was fantastic. I would not use NCL again for a cruise but Alaska was fantastic.

I don’t usually write reviews; however, being this is a new ship information is hard to find without prior cruiser postings. Overall: the Bliss is a beautiful clean ship with lots of eateries and watering holes. Sea days are a little slow around the ship if you aren’t into games, tutorial workshops or shopping. Although traveling to Alaska is a cooler weather cruise, plenty of people headed to the pool and hot tubs on board during these days. I can only assume the pool was heated as it seemed to be pretty packed. Note I did just say pool, not plural. There seemed to be an ample amount of hot tubs spaced nicely apart and on different decks which is different than most cruise ships I’ve been on. The common areas are well thought out and the observation lounge is beautiful with quite a bit of eating along both sides and forward. *Tip- Be prepared to feel the boat moving. It’s a big ship which would make one think you can’t really feel it moving but OH YES YOU CAN. Cabin: Aft 13310- having sailed several times with other Lines I felt my cabin to be a generous size and well thought out. My hard shell luggage did fit under the bed with ease. There were about 12-15 clothes hangers in the closet with several shelves as well as a small safe. For cruise ship standards I felt it was large enough. There were also a couple of storage doors under the wall hung TV that came in handy. The bed was so-so but the pillows were quite comfy. There is a small sofa that provides a nice place to sit while not in bed. There are 2 small hooks on the wall as you enter the cabin which came in handy for coats or things you might want to grab daily as you leave. * I purchased a 4pk of magnetic hooks from Amazon and used them as well on the walls to hang additional items. The bathroom was actually larger than I expected having experienced some REALLY small ones on other ships. The sink is small as with most ships; however, there is quite a bit of storage shelving that is above and below the vanity top as well as a cabinet directly under the offset sink. The shower is a nice size with a handshower mounted on a bar. There are actually 2 hooks mounted to the back of the bathroom door that are handy. Air- you must have your keycard in the slot in order for your cabin to have power... this means air too. If you open your balcony door the air also turns off so you have to reset the “snowflake” button on the keypad. We also realized our air would turn off randomly thru the night so we found ourselves waking up and turning it back on. Balcony- generous size with 2 chairs and a little table. On the Aft, the balconies are partially covered so if it rains, you really don’t get the luxury of sitting on your balcony. On the positive side of only having a partial covering...the sun sure felt good! Aft is a wonderful place to be because you can truly see both sides of the beauty!! Splurge if your budget allows as you won’t regret it when traveling to Alaska. Don’t expect a lot of privacy on the aft balconies as you can pretty much see the entire aft guests when they are standing against the rail. *Biggest tip- don’t overpack for Alaska.... you might be surprised how little you need and how beautiful the weather can be. They called for rain nearly every day and if you look at my pictures you can see how lucky we were! Food- pretty standard cruise ship food; honestly. The specialty restaurants are well worth any expense you might incur, especially if you are not keen on large, crowded buffets. The main buffet on deck 16 is pretty much a staple for a lot of guests, probably because it is easy. Breakfast was probably my favorite to hit up the buffet; though we found ourselves going there for a late lunch too bc it was pretty much the only venue open. * Tip- If you don’t want the buffet for dinner, I HIGHLY recommend you book the specialty restaurants as soon as you can log in to NCL’s website and create an account. All the specialties are worth it! Drinks- we had the unlimited beverage package which we felt was a wise choice. Note, you do pay taxes on alcohol drinks while docked in port so plan for those charges. We found the drinks to be “heavy pours” and not watered down. Spa- beautiful, busy and a budget buster!! I booked 3 services though I wished I had only done 1- the Bamboo Massage. It was amazing and worth every penny. I spoke to our cabin neighbor and they received the seaweed massage and said it was also fantastic. * Tip- be prepared for pushy upgrades/products after your service. This was probably the worst part about using the spa services. I am in sales and understand their strategy; though when on vacation you don’t want to feel obligated or pressured to spend more than what you agreed to for the initial service. Elevators- usually not a problem but on port days a nightmare. *Tip- Use forward or aft elevators as they seemed to be not as hectic. We also got on the elevator if it was going down... just to go back up. It assured us a spot on the elevator to get back up to our floor. Casino- Seemed to be a well appointed for a cruise ship casino. Only 1 roulette wheel though. Water slide- I didn’t partake in the fun but the ones who did seemed to have had a fun time. I heard that you must follow some rules in order to make it thru the loops and not get stuck. I think it’s all about keeping your legs and arms together. Laser tag- We didn’t get to do this as it was completely booked the entire cruise. There is an additional fee for this. *Tip- book as soon as you get onboard. Racetrack- so fun! I was shocked at the track and speed being that it is on the very top of the ship. Great way to kill time on sea days. There is an additional fee for this. *Tip- book as soon as you get onboard as it was booked the entire week. Shows- part of our family went to see several of the shows and said they were all quite good. *Tip- if you want to see any shows book as soon as you can or be prepared to stand in the standby line- which usually gets you in. Shopping- yes, there are always shopping “deals” onboard. Things seem to be moderately priced but with no tax. I divulged a little on sea days bc there wasn’t a lot more to do unless you are interested in games, seminars or getting totally wasted. My negative comments would be.... The halls are really narrow. The food is just ok unless you book specialty restaurants. There isn’t a lot to do on sea days if you aren’t into games, etc. The air system in the cabin is not consistent during the night (at least ours wasn’t). Happy sailing!!

Okay, let me start off with this may be a little bias because I am a avid Norwegian Cruiser! Alright let me start off with the food, it was great and it was hot and delicious but places like the Garden Cafe it was impossible to find some where to sit and eat but Taste & Savor were great! Next room quality, I had room 5101 which we thought was going to suck because of location. But it wasn’t bad at all! Our room steward was awesome and kind! Size was okay but what can you expect for an inside room. The elevators were not fun what so ever, they were crowded and usually stopped at every single level. (This part may not apply to you)The ports were awesome and it was usually cheap to get to the main downtown city (except Victoria) In Ketchikan you didn’t need a bus but in Juneau you got a free bus but tips were much appreciated and in Skagway the bus was $2 a person or $5 for hop on hop off all day, but in Victoria it was $13CAD per person. The go karts were 100% worth the money in my opinion (we did it twice!) laser tag wasn’t that great but I would do it just for the experience (Make sure you do it at night and book the day you get on for Laser Tag and Go karts as they were all booked 2 days in). I didn’t know what type of onboard activities there would be, if it would be geared toured an older audience or if it was like the Caribbean cruise and I would say the entertainment was the same but some things for an older audience. (Make sure to arrive at game shows at least 30 mins early to get good seats) The observation lounge was wonderful but NCL needs to take care of the problem of people just sleeping there or reserving seats then leaving for long periods of time! But continuing it was a great place to see the mountains and land as we sailed up into Alaska! The glacier we saw was awesome and it was cool to see it but also sad because my parents had come to see the same glacier 13 years ago and said it was double the size of it now 😔 Havana was not great in my opinion but Jersey boys is a must and you also have to see the Beatles they are great!! Danny in the surf bar was so nice! And the crew members were awesome and seemed to be happy, though there were some who weren’t the nicest we didn’t let that effect our vacation! People say that it was too cold to swim but we were lucky that the day before we arrived in Victoria which was a sea day was bright with no clouds and a high of 68! People got into the hot tubs and were out on the sun deck and kids were in the deep and warm pool! (6ft 8in) also make sure your kids go to the water slides when they are open because they close often and don’t open up that much! They were open almost every day but for an hour or two. On our cruise a lady broke something and the officers seemed to handle the problem very well and I hope that lady is okay and at least we were in port that day (Victoria) The cruise director was great and the assistant cruise director was great but just not Tyler or Jackie. (Sorry that this isn’t in order 😂) the boarding process was easy but different. When you get there it’s not tons of porters standing right next to the curb taking your bags you have to go into an area near the building and give it to them (not complaining just FYI) Disembarkation was quick and easy they had the normal luggage tag system and the customs were easy and fast to get through but when you get to the street of pier 66 it was pure chaos it’s full of taxis honking at Uber’s and Lyfts and them pulling out in front of each other and suvs and vans pull into places they can’t fit so they cause more traffic. Just FYI they have a free shuttle for you to go pickup a rental car if you reserved one. Make sure you download the Ncl app ( the new one) because they put they freestyle daily in there and it’s super easy fast and nice! I had full bars of internet accept in my room which was the farthest away from anything which I had around 2 or 3 in there.

Awesome ship but to large. Alot of people n couldn't do alot without waiting In lines. Fantastic exscursions: Dog Sledding, helicopter ride to Mendenhall Glacier, train ride, gold panning, so much.

There is a lot of bugs that are needed to be worked out on this boat and maybe even some staff changes. Book everything as soon as you step on the boat!

Cruising to a frozen world should be desolate and chilling. I found it wonderous and sparkling like a new day,

This was my first time sailing with NCL as well as my first time to Alaska, so some of their standards and experiences were new to me. Overall I had a great experience on the Bliss. The bedroom and food and beverage staff were very courteous and entertaining. Near the end, most knew our names. Our group had the drink and meal plan included through promotions going on during the time of booking; they were well worth the value. Our favorite spot was the sugarcane mojito bar. The included on board activities were also very fun. The weather was brisk when we went to Alaska, but all of the pools were heated, and we never had an issue finding room in one of the 10 available hot tubs. The water slides were fun and exhilarating. Our group did do the go karts as well as the laser tag, the primary experience with those were a lot of fun, but I'll talk more about that below. Now, on to the negatives. There were a few pretty major issues that hopefully are things that will be ironed out once the ship gets its sea legs. Finding seating at the garden cafe was impossible sometimes and people were forced to go to the observation level, only to find out there was no seating there as well. More than once, our group ended up taking a seat on the floor on the observation deck to eat. The bliss has an abundance of touch screen panels that help you see what's going on around the Ship as well as make reservations to shows, restaurants, and the go karts and laser tag. There was always a sense of requirement for a reservation on the ship, which wasn't good as it was unclear as to which actually required one, and which didn't. For example, we learned shows rarely needed reservations as there was ample stand by seating. Specialty restaurants, go karts, and laser tag most definitely required a reservation. You would be turned around without one. Which isn't an issue, until you realize that restaurant reservations were completely booked on day one. Luckily our group pre-booked our dinner reservations prior to cruise day, but we were unable to make any changes at all. Finally the go karts and laser tag. Reservations are required, as well as an additional charge. $5 for laser tag, $9.95 for go karts, and increase from $7. Reservations for these would spontaneously appear on the display boards, and we were fortunate to be able to book them for the last day of the cruise. Although the actual experience was great and we had a lot of fun, the staff was very inexperienced with the system and organization. Guns were not configured correctly and we had to wait about 40 minutes before we could even be set up to play. Go karts was even worse having to wait 1 hour and 30 minutes before we even sat down in the karts. Remember, we had a reservation, as well as paid extra. This left a very sour taste as it was the last day of the cruise. Overall, I would say the ship is great and has a lot to offer. The observation deck was nice and relaxing and provided a great view of the scenery and wildlife. With that being said, I'm not eager to rebook with NCL. I will definitely be looking at other options as the value doesn't appear to be as good compared to other cruise lines. There always seemed a sense of penny pinching with this line and I would be OK with it if they were one of the cheaper cruise lines in their class, but they weren't, so the additional costs and charges were not welcome.

One of the best cruises I have taken. Fantastic Crew, great rooms (had a solo room) and even better perks. Only thing they need to work out is the Quiet Zone in the observation lounge.

I wouldn’t bother going to Margaritaville on Bliss, the staff are very nice but the food was disgusting. Skip and go to the other places on the ship.

Beautiful ship. Very friendly and hard working staff. They went out of their way to please. Food and beverages were great. Wish there were more seafood on the ship.

We loved our time on the Bliss. The ship was beautiful and staff were wonderful. Only two issues. Eating in the Garden Cafe was difficult. There were several tables clearly marked for those with disabilities but they were always full of able bodied passengers. This was obviously not the fault of cruise line but rather inconsiderate passengers. The other issue had more to do with passengers than the ship itself. The Obsevation lounge was gorgeous but it was difficult to joy because people just sort of staked a claim to the seating and camped out. On one attempt to enjoy the view from this vantage point we found the majority of the couches and loungers to be full of sleeping passengers/squaters. The free style concept worked well for our family. Would definitely sail NCL again.

We had a great time, very easy boarding in Seattle. The ship is beautiful, and the staff is so nice and take care of all your needs. The food was delicious and lots of it. The only bad thing about the ship was that you had inconsiderate people sleeping in the Observation lounge, taking up couches and loungers. If the want to sleep go to your cabin. NCL should take out everything to sit on except individual seats. The Saxman Village was not worth seeing, they didn't know how to run a tour, walked you back and forth on the same grass area in the rain trying to figure what to do with you. Victoria BC, didn't have a clue this size ship was coming to them, they had about 4 buses and about 8 taxis to taker people into town if you didn't do a tour, long lines and a long wait. We just got back on ship, rather than go into town,had a nice day. Overall, this was a fabulous trip.