Back from Bliss P Canal - my thoughts and suggestions on the ship

[Oceansaway17]

So let me start by saying I overall really like this ship and was glad to be on the first Panama Canal Crossing in the new section. However, it did take longer amount of time and due to media activities going through the locks to Pacific, the ship did NOT arrive at the Bridge during the day. So we had to settle for long distance photos. I am glad I did another cruise in 2011 as a shore excursion during the day.

 

Let me now list PROS and CONS of the ship as I see it having done a lot of cruises on several lines.

 

PRO:

1) wonderful shows including the comedy and individual entertainers. I really like Havana and Jersey Boys(even with some cussing). Havana costumes are wonderful. We had a few individual entertainers that left the ship in LA so unsure of what the Seattle market will get. But those are 7 days and they need to fit in the two big shows.

2) The food was really good in MDR as well as Cagney's and the LOCAL. I did not do O Sheehan's on Escape as I thought it was a hamburger and hot dog joint. But my goodness the menu is great and different from buffet and MDR. One can get a really good made to order burger. Fish and chips are good too. and desserts were great.

3) Friendly staff everywhere

4) Studio rooms have really much better mattresses than on the Escape. Like so much better. Trust me. zzzzzzz was good.

5) The Waterfront; Best place to walk and or relax and take photos. It goes around 70% of the ship and is wonderful. Do not overlook this area for taking great photos or chatting with folks. places to sit during day where at night would be a restaurant.

 

CONS:

1) The studio lounge was always very chilly. There were no real tables and chairs like on the NCL Escape but rather tables that could be considered like foot rests. Also same old stuff every day. They would have Croissants but no butter or jelly. I had to beg for honey for tea. The coffee is espresso machine which was not hot enough at times. They had OJ and water. Never any other juices and the tea selection was not as varied as the buffet. Except for 5 pm gathering of solos, most of the time was empty. They did have cookies and cake that were good.

2) the Buffet. Very strange on this ship how they really pushed for folks to join the buffet for evening by holding signs on the meal of evening. It felt like they were over selling and wanted folks to know that the buffet was good alternative to MDR and specialty. Well that is fine for one night, but really do the MDR and other restaurants. Trust me. Give yourself a break from the Washy folks and self service.

 

The buffet appeared to be smaller than Escape because it did not extend to the Glass in front. Instead one could look down on the Observation lounge and they too could hear us. This was a sticking point during Canal crossing as well as coming into ports. The buffet was stressful all the time to me.

But best to take food out to both sides near the pool area. Lots of nice seats out there and no cold air conditioning. They do have heaters as well in ceiling for you Alaska folks. So take your food outside or down to Observation lounge.

 

3) Studio room- I was amazed that I was not given a hanger with clips (for like pants or skirts). I was told not their policy and the room steward would have to ask special permission from boss. I mean really dude. oh well. Also odd that the two fancy square pillows would appear in the day but be taken away at night. So if one wanted to sit up and read, they had only the thin sleeping pillows. Now this seemed to be not all passengers but some of us. again very odd.

 

Also very odd on this ship many of the Studio rooms were not serviced before noon or 1 pm and then again not until around 9 pm. So the studio stewards have to do their also assigned Balcony rooms and then the studios. And it seemed like carts where in aisles all the time. Feel sorry for those having end rooms near the doors where the stewards congregated a lot. But the stewards were friendly in spite of their heavy load of assigned rooms.

 

4) The Thermal SPA; Wow kind of disappointed the most on this one.... and so were quite a few others. First there was very little eucalyptus smell from Steam room or anywhere in the SPA. 2nd- the door to get into the SPA was very hard to open. 3rd -if you want any sweetener for your hot tea, bring you OWN. I was told it is not policy to offer anything for the tea. oh well.

 

Also the Thermal SPA pool as well as Saunas were inconsistent in temperature.

The view out the back as great and the SPA was kept clean and for the most part one could get a set.

 

5) Observation lounge; Yes I know this is a big selling point and I did for the most part like it with a few exceptions. 1st) some parts were too chilly and other parts fine 2) While it is supposed to be a quiet zone and given that fact that food is served, in 3 areas you will hear rattling of glasses and silver wear and folks chattering more. They do watch to make sure you remove shoes, but I found it odd they don't control folks sleeping and messing the pillows. I was scolded for having my Birkenstock shoes on but I had them faced out and bottoms not touching. Then again others did have shoes on so luck of the draw. Eventually I used a clothe napkin to rest my toes.

 

*** Advice to those of you for Alaska or Panama Canal in fall. This lounge is big but it will get very competitive in the front and be prepared for the chair hogs. I would say visit the lounge for some photos, but DO MOVE AROUND to other parts of the ship. This lounge can not handle 4000 folks trying for a front photo. Use the Waterfront or H2O zone as well and or your own balcony. Back of ship is really the best.

 

6) Bow of the ship is not the best place for photos in my opinion. Because of the GPS and radar stuff, they hold you back about 10 feet or so. If you are over 5 feet 5 inches you can do okay on the sides. But then again folks were pulling up chairs and standing on them. Got rather pushy at times. So do go and get a few horizon shots but then go to the Waterfront as well as Deck 7 for better shots.

 

7) Atrium at times: So while I like this venue, when they have trivia or other games or music, it fills up fast. Even the seats on deck 7 looking down from LOCAL area. While they do put up additional folding chairs, it is still not enough. I saw many folks shaking their heads in disgust mumbling about next time getting there 1/2 hour early. And this is the issue with this ship. One must get everywhere early and select your spot.

 

8) Theater: Very pretty, very comfortable, but gets filled up very very fast most of the time. It appears that for some shows like Jersey Boys and Havana which showed 4 times. ---- not everyone on ship would get to see the show. So good luck in Alaska on the 7 day cruises. Amazed at folks wandering around during show and bothering to find a seat. Then again a lot of folks kept 1 seat between them and others. That I saw a lot of.

 

Overall I am glad I did this ship, but like a lot of folks, they felt crowded and rushed a lot!!!!! The elevators were making no sense at times and were always filled.

I would say they could get rid of Margaritaville and put in something better that would get used more

And don't worry if you can't get into the Comedy club ( also small), they will try to put a show in the big theater at least once. Well they did on the 15 day. Hoping for the best for you Alaska folks.

I did not do the laser or the Race Track. But the Race track is fun to watch and it gets rather fast and competitive too.

 

So hopefully some of my words will help others. I wanted to share some things that myself was well as others commented on during the cruise.

[cruiselover19811981]

Thank you for your helpful review! Much appreciated, as we sail the Bliss in August with our 2 children and my parents/in-laws. Much of what you said, I thought to be true of the Escape. Great MDR food, Margaritaville could be easily replaced and they could maje better use of that space. Service always good. We did buffet minimally on Escape, but liked the outdoor eating space, so thanks for info you provided about ceiling heaters there.

 

Just wondering about pools? Will they be heated for Alaska?

[shof515]

2) the Buffet. Very strange on this ship how they really pushed for folks to join the buffet for evening by holding signs on the meal of evening. It felt like they were over selling and wanted folks to know that the buffet was good alternative to MDR and specialty. Well that is fine for one night, but really do the MDR and other restaurants. Trust me. Give yourself a break from the Washy folks and self service.

this is not unique to the bliss. i noticed the same thing on my Escape cruise a few weeks ago.

[floridian1]

Thank you for sharing! We are less thrn 2 weeks away from our cruise.

 

You mentioned cussing in jersey boys. My son is 10 and looking forward to the show as he sings in a chorus...how bad was the swearing?

[gambit57]

Thank you. Very helpful in planning. Looking forward to the Alaska reviews. I suspected as much about the forward lounge. Disappointed, but not shocked at the other stuff. From the plans, I thought there was just not enough seating areas in places everyone knows is going to get crowded at one point.

 

Being forced to miss shows due to lack of seating should not be an issue. I really wish DCL would get more legitimate competition, but it looks like NCL isn't going to be one.

[tallnthensome]

Thank you for the review. We are on the 15 Panama Canal in March. We are hoping it's a good time for our two girls, 9&11, as we expect them to be two of only a few kids aboard.

[david_sobe]

You are not allowed to wear shoes in the sit down area of the solarium?

I was confused maybe I misunderstood the area you meant?

 

The atrium on the Breakaway class ships is really bad for shows. Neve enough chairs and the acoustics are bad. If you want to see a show there, get there early.

[tempus137]

You are not allowed to wear shoes in the sit down area of the solarium?

I was confused maybe I misunderstood the area you meant?

 

 

There are a lot of couches & lounge chairs, where people would lay down & sleep. That's where they required no shoes.

 

 

You can wear shoes if you are just going to sit with your feet on the floor.

[tempus137]

 

7) Atrium at times: So while I like this venue, when they have trivia or other games or music, it fills up fast. Even the seats on deck 7 looking down from LOCAL area. While they do put up additional folding chairs, it is still not enough. I saw many folks shaking their heads in disgust mumbling about next time getting there 1/2 hour early. And this is the issue with this ship. One must get everywhere early and select your spot.

 

 

The Cavern was also jam packed for the Beatles cover band. We actually went out to the waterfront and took the chairs & barstools inside. Otherwise, totally SRO

[Oceansaway17]

I am not sure if the pools will be heated but there are heaters near outside tables for eating.

 

The cussing was about oh say occasionally and in the context of tough character type. Kids will be fine. The 2nd half is better too.

 

Shoes have to come off on couches. Then again it doesn't stop them from actually rubbing their smelly feet into the fabric. And really the loungers are not that comfortble anyways. Best to sit in chair or sit in waterfront.

 

If those of you with kids have partial wet suits, take them on ship for Alaska.

 

I think NO ship should really do Alaska without covered pools. In 2019 the Ovation of the Seas will do Alaska. Check out their setup. They have bumper cars and roller skating and covered pool. Same size as Bliss and while no observation lounge, there is Seaplex two levels with lots of Windows and Two 70 lounge in back.

 

 

Best to try various cruiselines if pools are important. My fav NCL is Dawn.

[lilant]

Thank you for sharing! We are less thrn 2 weeks away from our cruise.

 

You mentioned cussing in jersey boys. My son is 10 and looking forward to the show as he sings in a chorus...how bad was the swearing?

 

 

 

A LOT! I saw the show.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[lilant]

The observation lounge. In the observation lounge small table tents were put up to tell people not to use tables and chairs as foot rest and when lying down on a chaise to please remove your shoes. I was surprised to find many people lying down with their shoes still on. I am sure that's why NCL put up the table tents.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[floridian1]

A LOT! I saw the show.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Oh no...do u mind sharing which ones?:o:eek:

[YVRBassElectric]

Jersey Boys: I thought the language was appropriate for the characters - they were not choirboys! They storyline covers, drug addiction, the mob, gambling, womanizing and the wonderful music. They have taken about 45 minutes out of the original script but it's still 100 minutes long - my step-son wouldn't have sat for that long when he was 10

[Oceanwench]

Oh no...do u mind sharing which ones?:o:eek:

 

A couple of F-bombs.

Nothing over the top.

I was on the ship for the 2-day preview in Miami.

 

We're booked for January and I believe my daughter will let her 10-y-o son see it.

He saw Brat Pack on Escape, and it also had a few F-bombs.

[sacruise07]

Just off the Panama Canal cruise also. Agree totally with your assessment. When I step back and think about it, this is an incredible ship...for 3,000 passengers, NOT 4,000. Our take: Pros - beautiful decor, great specialty dining, incredible shows, very attentive staff. Cons - Unbelievably crowed elevators and not enough public space (constantly putting up metal folding chairs in every venue because they are too small for the scale of the ship -- I can do trivia at my local senior center on a metal folding chair, I don't want to pay thousands to do it on a cruise), Food in MDR's Taste and Savor was served cold (recommend Manhattan room for better service and hot food), almost impossible to find seating in the Garden Cafe, always had to go down to the Observation lounge...but then food was cold by the time I got there....

 

One other point - the only "included" activities on the Lido deck are the Pools and Water slides. If you are bringing children, the go karts and laser tag cost extra $$$$. There is no basket ball, ropes course or miniature golf.

 

It's an amazing ship and I hope they get the kinks worked out, but bottom line, I think they have pushed the capacity too far for the space available. The best way I can put it is they took space for 3,000 passengers and shaved a third off every space and upped the capacity to 4,000.

[Fanatico1981]

I think it will be a very interesting future for the ship, especially for the fact that the average age of the cruisers was at 65.

So a different folk will lead to a different behaviour.

 

As already mentioned, the buffet is too small.

I saw an empty area in the front, but I am not sure, if they will use it for more tables.

We just adapted ourself to the small area in the following:

We picked our food and went down to the observation lounge instead of spending endless minutes to find a free table.

 

About the atrium:

Its the same problem on every ship and In my opinion some kind of no go.

Due to the fact that the guest service is located there its likely, that you want to clarify something very important, but its not really possible to communicate. So this could not very nice.

 

About the chair hogs:

Yes, they su**, but what su**s way more are people at the waterfront who abuse the tables for their feets. Especially if the put their bare feet directly on it.

Sorry, but whats going on in the head of these people?

[20YearsBetweenCruises]

Funny how everyone can have different experiences. I was on the same cruise and thought it felt less crowded then the Getaway. We only had one time where’s we had an issue finding a table in the Garden Cafe. I guess it depends on time you go.

[Shidah]

I would much rather have peoples shoes touch a lounger than their actual feet. Especially since most cruisers will be wearing shoes without socks on. Just yuck!

[sjbdtz]

So let me start by saying I overall really like this ship and was glad to be on the first Panama Canal Crossing in the new section. However, it did take longer amount of time and due to media activities going through the locks to Pacific, the ship did NOT arrive at the Bridge during the day. So we had to settle for long distance photos. I am glad I did another cruise in 2011 as a shore excursion during the day.

 

Let me now list PROS and CONS of the ship as I see it having done a lot of cruises on several lines.

 

PRO:

1) wonderful shows including the comedy and individual entertainers. I really like Havana and Jersey Boys(even with some cussing). Havana costumes are wonderful. We had a few individual entertainers that left the ship in LA so unsure of what the Seattle market will get. But those are 7 days and they need to fit in the two big shows.

2) The food was really good in MDR as well as Cagney's and the LOCAL. I did not do O Sheehan's on Escape as I thought it was a hamburger and hot dog joint. But my goodness the menu is great and different from buffet and MDR. One can get a really good made to order burger. Fish and chips are good too. and desserts were great.

3) Friendly staff everywhere

4) Studio rooms have really much better mattresses than on the Escape. Like so much better. Trust me. zzzzzzz was good.

5) The Waterfront; Best place to walk and or relax and take photos. It goes around 70% of the ship and is wonderful. Do not overlook this area for taking great photos or chatting with folks. places to sit during day where at night would be a restaurant.

 

CONS:

1) The studio lounge was always very chilly. There were no real tables and chairs like on the NCL Escape but rather tables that could be considered like foot rests. Also same old stuff every day. They would have Croissants but no butter or jelly. I had to beg for honey for tea. The coffee is espresso machine which was not hot enough at times. They had OJ and water. Never any other juices and the tea selection was not as varied as the buffet. Except for 5 pm gathering of solos, most of the time was empty. They did have cookies and cake that were good.

2) the Buffet. Very strange on this ship how they really pushed for folks to join the buffet for evening by holding signs on the meal of evening. It felt like they were over selling and wanted folks to know that the buffet was good alternative to MDR and specialty. Well that is fine for one night, but really do the MDR and other restaurants. Trust me. Give yourself a break from the Washy folks and self service.

 

The buffet appeared to be smaller than Escape because it did not extend to the Glass in front. Instead one could look down on the Observation lounge and they too could hear us. This was a sticking point during Canal crossing as well as coming into ports. The buffet was stressful all the time to me.

But best to take food out to both sides near the pool area. Lots of nice seats out there and no cold air conditioning. They do have heaters as well in ceiling for you Alaska folks. So take your food outside or down to Observation lounge.

 

3) Studio room- I was amazed that I was not given a hanger with clips (for like pants or skirts). I was told not their policy and the room steward would have to ask special permission from boss. I mean really dude. oh well. Also odd that the two fancy square pillows would appear in the day but be taken away at night. So if one wanted to sit up and read, they had only the thin sleeping pillows. Now this seemed to be not all passengers but some of us. again very odd.

 

Also very odd on this ship many of the Studio rooms were not serviced before noon or 1 pm and then again not until around 9 pm. So the studio stewards have to do their also assigned Balcony rooms and then the studios. And it seemed like carts where in aisles all the time. Feel sorry for those having end rooms near the doors where the stewards congregated a lot. But the stewards were friendly in spite of their heavy load of assigned rooms.

 

4) The Thermal SPA; Wow kind of disappointed the most on this one.... and so were quite a few others. First there was very little eucalyptus smell from Steam room or anywhere in the SPA. 2nd- the door to get into the SPA was very hard to open. 3rd -if you want any sweetener for your hot tea, bring you OWN. I was told it is not policy to offer anything for the tea. oh well.

 

Also the Thermal SPA pool as well as Saunas were inconsistent in temperature.

The view out the back as great and the SPA was kept clean and for the most part one could get a set.

 

5) Observation lounge; Yes I know this is a big selling point and I did for the most part like it with a few exceptions. 1st) some parts were too chilly and other parts fine 2) While it is supposed to be a quiet zone and given that fact that food is served, in 3 areas you will hear rattling of glasses and silver wear and folks chattering more. They do watch to make sure you remove shoes, but I found it odd they don't control folks sleeping and messing the pillows. I was scolded for having my Birkenstock shoes on but I had them faced out and bottoms not touching. Then again others did have shoes on so luck of the draw. Eventually I used a clothe napkin to rest my toes.

 

*** Advice to those of you for Alaska or Panama Canal in fall. This lounge is big but it will get very competitive in the front and be prepared for the chair hogs. I would say visit the lounge for some photos, but DO MOVE AROUND to other parts of the ship. This lounge can not handle 4000 folks trying for a front photo. Use the Waterfront or H2O zone as well and or your own balcony. Back of ship is really the best.

 

6) Bow of the ship is not the best place for photos in my opinion. Because of the GPS and radar stuff, they hold you back about 10 feet or so. If you are over 5 feet 5 inches you can do okay on the sides. But then again folks were pulling up chairs and standing on them. Got rather pushy at times. So do go and get a few horizon shots but then go to the Waterfront as well as Deck 7 for better shots.

 

7) Atrium at times: So while I like this venue, when they have trivia or other games or music, it fills up fast. Even the seats on deck 7 looking down from LOCAL area. While they do put up additional folding chairs, it is still not enough. I saw many folks shaking their heads in disgust mumbling about next time getting there 1/2 hour early. And this is the issue with this ship. One must get everywhere early and select your spot.

 

8) Theater: Very pretty, very comfortable, but gets filled up very very fast most of the time. It appears that for some shows like Jersey Boys and Havana which showed 4 times. ---- not everyone on ship would get to see the show. So good luck in Alaska on the 7 day cruises. Amazed at folks wandering around during show and bothering to find a seat. Then again a lot of folks kept 1 seat between them and others. That I saw a lot of.

 

Overall I am glad I did this ship, but like a lot of folks, they felt crowded and rushed a lot!!!!! The elevators were making no sense at times and were always filled.

I would say they could get rid of Margaritaville and put in something better that would get used more

And don't worry if you can't get into the Comedy club ( also small), they will try to put a show in the big theater at least once. Well they did on the 15 day. Hoping for the best for you Alaska folks.

I did not do the laser or the Race Track. But the Race track is fun to watch and it gets rather fast and competitive too.

 

So hopefully some of my words will help others. I wanted to share some things that myself was well as others commented on during the cruise.

 

 

It's a really good thing we didn't arrive at the bridge earlier. We sat at the last lock in the canal waiting for the tide to go out.

 

When we had a bridge tour the next day, Captain Staffan confirmed that we only had 4" (inches!!!) of clearance, even after waiting for the waters to subside.

 

That is why we'll remain the largest CRUISE ship to transit the new canal, for the foreseeable future. It's not the width of the canal, it's the height of the Bridge of the Americas.

 

 

 

Stephen

 

.

[sjbdtz]

Just off the Panama Canal cruise also. Agree totally with your assessment. When I step back and think about it, this is an incredible ship...for 3,000 passengers, NOT 4,000. Our take: Pros - beautiful decor, great specialty dining, incredible shows, very attentive staff. Cons - Unbelievably crowed elevators and not enough public space (constantly putting up metal folding chairs in every venue because they are too small for the scale of the ship -- I can do trivia at my local senior center on a metal folding chair, I don't want to pay thousands to do it on a cruise), Food in MDR's Taste and Savor was served cold (recommend Manhattan room for better service and hot food), almost impossible to find seating in the Garden Cafe, always had to go down to the Observation lounge...but then food was cold by the time I got there....

 

One other point - the only "included" activities on the Lido deck are the Pools and Water slides. If you are bringing children, the go karts and laser tag cost extra $$$$. There is no basket ball, ropes course or miniature golf.

 

It's an amazing ship and I hope they get the kinks worked out, but bottom line, I think they have pushed the capacity too far for the space available. The best way I can put it is they took space for 3,000 passengers and shaved a third off every space and upped the capacity to 4,000.

 

 

1. The ship has 93 fewer cabins than the Escape, to both enlarge multiple venues, but also to create the Observation Lounge(s) (there's a separate Haven one).

 

2. Laser Tag was SUPER fun. But it's a workout. We had a lot of friends on the trip, and 20 of us did the lasertag at the same time / 2 teams of 10, with couples split 1 on each team. :halo:

 

3. Race Track was very fast, and the tight curves make it really fun.

 

4. Observation lounge requests stockinged feet, rather than shoes or bare feet. Not really THAT unexpected or out of bounds.

 

5. I liked the buffet layout - multiple repetitions of stations (desserts in 6 different places, for example). I also liked the high-top tables in the middle of the buffet.

 

6. The ship feels a LOT more spacious than Escape, which was really welcome.

 

 

Also, FDR's upscale influence can really be felt. Higher-grade fabrics, finishings, tiles, etc. NCL is definitely driving up-market quickly. I suspect Encore & Project Leonardo will reflect this even to another level.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

P.S. The mini-golf was being constructed during the PC cruise. It's only 5 holes, but is on deck 17 behind the race track. On the port side, go past the racetrack on 16, and up the stairs to the mini-golf.

 

.

[Oceansaway17]

oh I did not know about the tides for the bridge. Thanks for commenting. Darn those tides anyways

[packerman8]

One quick question that I am really hoping you can answer for me or someone can answer for me, We are booked on the Cruise for January when it is in Caribbean, and Wondering what restaurants can be used for free for the Specialty Dining that you get free for booking a cruise with NCL? Thanks in Advance.

[Oldgoat61]

Thank you for sharing! We are less thrn 2 weeks away from our cruise.

 

You mentioned cussing in jersey boys. My son is 10 and looking forward to the show as he sings in a chorus...how bad was the swearing?

 

F bomb, s...t, SOB, and some suggestive/crude language. It was more than a few times, and I thought unnecessary.

[sjbdtz]

F bomb, s...t, SOB, and some suggestive/crude language. It was more than a few times, and I thought unnecessary.

 

You wouldn't have had the color of the characters without it. They're from Jersey (Joisey!) !!

 

Stephen

 

 

.