CincyJen

Loving this review! Thank you for taking the time. 

8 hours ago, JC5240 said:

Haha promise it's me! That was an awesome night - see below haha

 

 

OMG!!! I love it!!! 💖💖💖

On 12/11/2018 at 4:55 AM, carloscafe said:

Thank you for your review.  We did the Epic out of Barcelona in Sept 2018 and found that it was just too many ports and not enough time on the ship.  So we choose the Bliss out of Los Angeles in April 2019 with the idea of not getting off the ship since we have been to those ports many times.  Glad to see we are not the only ones that think this way.

Carloscafe, I'm with you!! When we sailed the Med on the Epic in 2016 we visited every single port, and it was wonderful! But that cruise was all about the ports.  This cruise was all about the Bliss.  You'll love staying aboard!!  Enjoy!

3 hours ago, shadowmeboy said:

2pm came around and it was time for the Cabin Crawl!

 

 

Trace explaining what was going to happen.

 

 

 

The handout Trace made for the Cabin Crawl. CincyJen was willing to show her Spa Mini Suite last minute after we lost the cabin that had signed up. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

Our Cabin was first, Aft Balcony 10916. I held the door as everyone worked their way through it. Our awesome cabin steward gave me a door stop to use on the other stops along the way. I didn't think I needed to retake pictures of our room!

 

 

Midship Balcony 8144 was next - Thank you Becky - Happy0064

 

 

 

Spa Mini Suite 15210 was next - Thank you Jen - CincyJen 

 

 

 

 

Main difference between this and a normal balcony is the bathroom

 

 

Happy to oblige!!  We loved the Cabin Crawl so much and it really informed our future NCL cruise decisions.  Plus Trace's snacks were awesome!!  This was a great event and another highlight of our cruise.  Thanks again so much for pulling it together and thanks to all who opened up their cabins for showcasing.  We loved seeing all the cabins but... that corner balcony Sweatpants showed off.... swoon.....

21 hours ago, shadowmeboy said:

 

 

Jovo said a few words and then handed it over to me.

 

 

We had Slot Pull sign ups, Cabin Crawl info, and continued mingling. Then a little before one we headed to the Casino to do the Slot Pull. 

 

 

 

40 people participated! $20 buy-in and $2 winners pot. We had a blast. Trace was easing into it the entire time! Steve had fun spinning here.

 

 

The top spinners!

The Cruise Critic Slot Pull was one of our favorite moments!  We got kinda wild.  Photos don't do it justice!! Thanks so much for "pulling" this together! 

On 12/16/2018 at 1:12 AM, shadowmeboy said:

Susan and I walked our invitations/reminders for the Meet & Greet around to the staterooms that requested one. This is what it looked like.

 

 

Flying a Red Eye took a lot out of Susan and I and we crashed that first night. 

 

End of Day 1!

 

----

 

I will do some more tomorrow. Goodnight all.

You guys walked those invites around yourselves??  We were so excited to get them.  Thank You!!!  Wowie!

I'm so happy I finally got to see how that Scavenger Hunt you told us about at the Meet & Greet worked out!!  AWESOME!!

1 hour ago, zencruisers said:

Great Review! Enjoying the pictures and commentary. Thanks!

So sweet of you to say!!  Means a lot and makes writing this up so worth it. Thank you!

On 12/13/2018 at 11:36 AM, JC5240 said:

 

Haha I'm in this picture! I'm wearing the BRIGHTEST orange shirt..you cannot miss me lol

 

 

Is that you for real???  Hahaha!  Wasn't that a fun night?  I loved Caliente!

Day 5 - Tortola, BVI - Wednesday, November 28, 2018, continued!

Well, was trying to edit my post but the editing window closed! So here's some foodie photos from our evening at Cagney's.  DH had the lamb chops, I had the strip steak, and I''ll never forget those au gratin potatoes...

A

After this scrumptious dinner, we wandered a bit, saw the terrific piano entertainer in the District Brew House, and ended up at Skyline Bar for our nightcap.  We miss you, Skyline Bar Crew!!! Our friends!!!!

It's funny, isn't it, how what you thought would be an uneventful day turns out to be so memorable. That's a wrap for Day 5 on the beautiful Norwegian Bliss!

Day 5 - Tortola, BVI - Wednesday, November 28, 2018, continued!

After a nice respite at the Mandara Spa Thermal Suite, we changed and went out for the early evening, as we continued to cruise past the BVI and as the sun began to set.  The Waterfront is so perfect for sunset strolling and we indulged.  The Cavern Club Bar on The Waterfront is so perfect for our mood. Have I told you guys yet how much I love this ship??

The only thing we have planned tonight is an evening at Cagney's, early dinner for 7:00 pm.  The place is already crowded.  It's just beginning to get a bit hectic and we're starting to think, maybe just bail and go to Los Lobos? 😉 Glad we waited it out. Cagney's didn't disappoint. 

Service was a bit slow, but the food was worth it.  As much as I enjoyed my steak  DH had the lamb chops), the sides were the most memorable to me.  Those Au Gratin potatoes?  I can still taste them...

Day 5 - Tortola, BVI - Wednesday, November 28, 2018, continued!

Our time in Tortola was relatively short, and we began sail-away around 3:00.  We headed to the Observation Lounge forward, and found a perfect spot and a really lovely family with which we shared the experience.  Yes, I know you will find OL Nappers if you go looking for them, but in our entire week-long experience, and we visited the OL a LOT considering our Deck 15 location, it was never a problem, and we always found a nice area to enjoy.  It's such a gorgeous space, and I'm not sure we'll even be able to book a ship that doesn't have the OL again.  Encore and Joy, we're looking in your direction...

Sigh....

Headed back to the cabin with our Cranberry Mimosas to enjoy our final glimpses of Tortola.  Does it get any better than this? No. No, it probably doesn't.  Just lovely.

Day 5 - Tortola, BVI - Wednesday, November 28, 2018, continued!

While wandering the deck, we ran into our new friend Bruce, who followed us to The Chill Bar, which had just opened, and which was sort of delightfully empty, where we ordered our first real margaritas of the trip. Contrary to a rumor we heard quite often onboard the Bliss, YAAAAAS people, Margaritaville drinks are indeed included in the UBP!  So, drink up!  Be sure to try lots of different bars onboard Bliss, as many bars have specialties that other bars don't serve. (That adorable blender cup isn't included in the UBP,  obvs;  it adds $6.00 to your account.  Who cares!! I just had to have the thing.)

WW

We also met our new friend, Josh, at the Chill Bar.  Chill Bar is a great place to meet Chill People, people.

We spent the rest of the afternoon just lounging about, flitting from here to there and enjoying all the public spaces while most of our fellow cruisers were on shore.  We spent an inordinate amount of time gazing at the Bliss Model in the Observation Lounge. So awesome!! 

SQUEEEEE!!!  Matthew and Susan!  I'm updating our review just as I'm reading your wonderful review!  So cool that we cruised with Cruise Critic Stars!  We loved meeting you both and are so thankful to you for setting up our really great Meet & Greet and SLOT PULL MANIA!  Ha!  It's going to be so fun to read along!

Day 5 - Tortola, BVI - Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Ohhhh my gawd, we're back again!! 

Sorry for the delay in updating my Cruise Report, for those following along.  WORK WORK WORK I need more PLAY PLAY PLAY but we all know how that goes...

So it's Wednesday and we're in Tortola, BVI!  So lovely to wake up to these views from our balcony...

Swooooon. So lovely to sip our coffee and enjoy these views, no plans, no phone calls, no emails to answer, no deadlines...

I didn't get a photo, but we did notice a little orange helicopter outside the ship all morning.  Looked to us as though they were maybe filming?  It just sort of hovered, and it wasn't terribly noisy, and we noticed it throughout the day.  Maybe all of us Bliss Cruisers that week will be featured in a future NCL commercial...?

For breakfast (second breakfast!!) today, we headed up to the buffet once more, and found the area pretty quiet. Had another omelette and those hash brown potato pancakes thingies I have unfortunately become addicted to.

It's going to be a chill day, so after breakfast, we decided to check out The Chill Bar to match our mood!  Oh, no, they don't open until noon!  So, let's snap some photos of our surroundings, shall we?

Here's the Disney Magic, our only other port-mate this day! She's lovely. 

On 12/13/2018 at 11:40 AM, JC5240 said:

We saw you playing - we got back on the ship just about halfway through this game. You guys were good!!!

 

Now I officially feel like a stalker LOL.

 

PS - I think I saw the group that you're referring to. People like that really irk me. 

 

 

 

 

UGH. Did you?  They were awful.  It's such a bummer when everyone is having such a wonderful time, and it seems like the staff is maybe even enjoying you, that some jerks come in and step on all the fun for everyone.  I bet you did see them.  They would have been hard to miss!!

On 12/13/2018 at 9:06 PM, shadowmeboy said:

 

Thank you for your kind words! Loving your review! I am just about ready to start mine!

 

We actually had 40 people at the slot pull, it was so much fun!

 

thank you for showing your room on short notice, it was very nice of you!

Hi, Matthew and Susan!!!  Thank YOU for making our cruise all the more special.  Thanks to your organizing and planning, we were able to engage in activities we never would have otherwise.  And thanks for showing your awesome aft balcony cabin as well!!  Can't wait to see your review and relive all our memories!

On 12/11/2018 at 2:18 PM, JJAuckland said:

Am loving your review.  Thanks for sharing your holiday with us. Am loving all the photos

You're so sweet to say so!! Thank you very much! More soon. Got busy at work. Ugh, if only we were all independently wealthy and could cruise year-round and just follow the sun, right? 🌴🌞⛴️

On 12/11/2018 at 10:48 AM, rd4sun said:

Were the Sunday NFL games shown in any of the public areas?  Pool big screen?

Hi, rd4sun!

The Sunday NFL games were shown at The Local and at the Skyline Bar in the Casino. Not sure if they were shown on deck. Also, we only received one game at 1:00, one game at 4:00, the Sunday night game, and the MNF game. Your Freestyle Daily will show you which game you'll receive.

Hope this helps! Happy Sailing! 

38 minutes ago, ev98 said:

 

I am very glad that staying shipbound worked out for you! This is actually my plan (although my wife's opinion may differ); I could definitely spend the port days on the Waterfront reading, making use of the beverage package and taking the occasional break for food. 

 

None of the excursions in the Virgin Islands or Nassau really appealed to us, especially for the NCL prices, and I'm not as confident in booking third-party options either at St. Thomas or Tortola. I might peruse the catalog again once onboard, but I think the ship itself is the experience I want this time.

 

Were the skewers at Savor decent enough? If so I think that might be my choice as well, although I'd probably leave the rabbit-food-ish arugula-looking side greenery alone. 🙂

I imagine staying on the ship is an unpopular choice.  But it worked out well for us and I'm happy we did it, if only for this particular itinerary. We are pretty well-traveled and have visited the Caribbean ports before. In retrospect maybe we should have disembarked and done some shopping close to the port, but hey, think of the money we saved!  (DH voice here)  We booked the Bliss because of the Bliss, and really wanted to enjoy every possible moment aboard her.  We've never had the joy of experiencing such a new ship before.

The Mediterranean skewers at Savor were pretty good, but our server was right, they were sort of dry. It was so great that he brought them out anyway, even after steering us away from them.  Just a super experience at Savor.

Day 4 - St. Thomas, USVI - Tuesday, November 27, 2018, continued

A truly idyllic Sail-Away from St. Thomas at sunset.  It was hard to pull ourselves away from that balcony, but it was time for dinner.  We were truly Free-Styling it like a Norwegian, not even sure of where we'd dine that evening, and presented ourselves at Savor, where we were promptly seated at a table for two!  You gotta love it.  This is why I don't think we'll ever leave NCL...

Our server was Boieto, and he was our best and most engaging server of our entire cruise.  Took drink orders right away, we asked for the wine list, chose a wine by the glass, and I am here to tell you that without asking, Boieto made certain those glasses were never, ever emptied during our entire meal.  The Mediterranean beef skewers sounded yummy to me, but Boieto said he heard they might be a bit dry, and maybe choose something else!  Interesting.  So I went for the Rotisserie Chicken, while DH chose the Chicken Cordon Bleu.  Wouldn't you know it, the beef skewers magically appeared as well!  

I really hope the NCL Brass read these reviews, because, Boieto was our best server of the entire cruise (we chose him as our Cruise Hero), our meal was delicious and memorable, and I think our impromptu dinner at Savor was our absolute favorite. Boieto was pouring us so much wine that at one point one of the maitre d's came over, and, thinking maybe he'd scold our server, instead said, you need a cheese plate!  And then, it appeared, along with these delicious potato croquettes.  We had yet to see Jersey Boys, but, Oh, What a night!!!

Day 4 - St. Thomas, USVI - Tuesday, November 27, 2018, continued

It's sunset and time for Sail Away from St. Thomas.  We left the Observation Lounge to view it from the balcony of our stateroom. The stateroom itself was so pretty and tidied-up by our steward. Just look at that!!!  Swoon....

Think about how much you would have to pay on land for a room with a view like that... cruising is the best!

A few more photos as the sun went down and we sailed away from St. Thomas... note the nice overhang for shade during sunny days on our Deck 15 cabin, and the pretty lights on the Carnival ship as we passed.

Day 4 - St. Thomas, USVI - Tuesday, November 27, 2018, continued

During our Fun Day at the Atrium, we first met our friend Bruce, who we hung out with for the rest of the cruise.  He was an absolute hoot, and one of the things we love about cruising is meeting new friends.  Next up, we played the Scattergories game with Bruce as our lead, but, sadly, lost.

Unfortunately, toward the end of our Atrium Fun Day, some truly obnoxious cruisers showed up and were horribly rude to the sweet and kind bartenders we had made friends with.  Hated to see this.  I believe they had just come off shore and were pretty fired-up.  I'm in the F&B business, was horrified to see their behavior, and I did snap at them, but to no use; outnumbered and nobody else spoke up.  We got another drink, again tipped our bartenders, and said goodbye for now. It was so unfortunate to see, but a part of cruising, I suppose.

Got a little hungry, and went up to the Observation Lounge for some snacks.  It was Tea Time by now, around 3:00, and we munched on some focaccia, some salami, some cheese, some hummus.  Loved this space so much.  Yeah, there were some nappers, but it didn't ruin the experience.  Contrary to other blog reports, we weren't bothered by nappers at all and didn't find any seat-saving and were always able to find some prime spots for relaxing and enjoying the views. YMMV!! The Observation Lounge Bar is terrific, as well.  A great place to employ your Ultimate Beverage Package on Cranberry Mimosas or Gin & Tonics.

Day 4 - St. Thomas, USVI - Tuesday, November 27, 2018, continued

Today, we hit the Garden Cafe for breakfast, around 9:00, so it was relatively empty considering all the cruisers getting off the ship to meet their shore excursions.  The omelette station is amazing!!  There are two of them, right across from each other, so if you encounter a line in one, maybe cross and find a shorter line.  We really didn't encounter any issues in the Garden Cafe as far as lines, crowds, or finding tables, but, admittedly, didn't spend a lot of time here.

So, confession time.  Guys, we didn't get off the Bliss.  Not even once.  When our dream cruise in a Penthouse Suite on the Star fell through, DH said, when we rebooked, that he wanted to Ship-Shop and not Port-Shop. We've been to the Caribbean before, we just wanted warm weather but not necessarily destinations. With the help of our PCC we chose the Bliss and yeah, we stayed on board her at the ports.  During our Med cruise on the Epic in 2016, we knocked ourselves out at the ports, but this time, we just wanted to chill.  Everything looked lovely from the wonderfully, all-ours, empty ship.  I'm sorry.  Don't judge me.  

 It's been a rough year. The worst, really.  Long story.  Won't bother you with it.  

Back to fun!!  So, when you stay aboard, they still offer lots of activities!  After breakfast, we headed for The Atrium, which we hadn't yet experienced, and spent the bulk of the late morning, early afternoon there, watching games and participating in a few.  We won the trivia contest!!!  We got NCL Keychains!  We had a blast.  Got to know the bartenders, and became friends with Concepcion, who, upon discovering we were celebrating our anniversary, made some yummy shots just for us.  She called them Nuts and Berries.

That sounds wonderful!!  We did the 13 day Med cruise on the Epic from Barcelona in March 2016, not really the same thing, but hit the Italian ports of call including Sardinia and Sicily and it was idyllic.  Wish I could be of more help, but just wanted to chime in out of jealousy. 😉