Bliss Race Track Warning

[PATRLR]

I believe the young kids don't 'mistake' the karts for bumper cars, they just drive the karts like bumper cars. Young, immortality, the more risky the higher the adrenaline, etc. etc.

That is a different point than the one I was commenting on.

[Notnewtoit]

Question to folks who have done it: are these go-kart sessions actually RACES, i.e. there is a recognized winner? Or... more 'processions' around a track?

[Two Wheels Only]

Question to folks who have done it: are these go-kart sessions actually RACES, i.e. there is a recognized winner? Or... more 'processions' around a track?

 

Best lap time wins...

 

 

...not my time. I haven't been on Bliss, yet.

[Notnewtoit]

Best lap time wins...

 

...not my time. I haven't been on Bliss, yet.

 

Hmmm so advantage in staying on the racing line then... ;p

[cathi007]

Go Karts...I expect the worst...it just makes no sense to me..not relaxing at all. Thanks for the words of warning..l will avoid.

 

I agree 100%, it's ridiculous and someone is going to get seriously hurt, stupid idea

[Oceansaway17]

I was on the Bliss for 2nd paying cruise thru P Canal. I had reservations but changed my mind. I watched a few times and decided too many aggressive MEN on the course weaving around and trying to cut anyone off if they could. All the woman I saw were going nicely around. Not many kids on ship so I did not see much issue there.

 

I got a credit back to my account right away when I asked the guy who checks folks in. He told me that he understands the course can be scary and expects issues to arise. He predicted then that once summer hit and ship in Alaska, things might get mean.

So reading this thread reminds me of my thoughts back then.

 

If they called it the Riding Track instead of Race Track, perhaps things would go better.

 

I agree with "Dougout", the helmet and fabric facial mask underneath must be hard to get use to.

[Oceansaway17]

You're very passionate about go karts.

 

 

 

And with an attitude too.

[Two Wheels Only]

If they called it the Riding Track instead of Race Track, perhaps things would go better.

Better as in....no waiting due to lack of interest? :(

[annmarz]

I was looking forward to the go-karts on my Bliss cruise next February but now I think I will skip it. Unless something is done to improve the problems cited by many people, if they even can.

[PATRLR]

If they called it the Riding Track instead of Race Track, perhaps things would go better.

Except it's not a riding track, it's kart racing. Maybe they need to make it more clear to everyone what it is. I also still like my idea of recreational races and competitive races where the recreational races the karts are throttled down and the competitive races the karts are allowed to go faster.

 

I agree with "Dougout", the helmet and fabric facial mask underneath must be hard to get use to.

Most tracks have the head sock. I don't even notice it. The bigger issue is helmets that fit better and I do think they should have the next pad to help absorb the bobble heading.

[hurley7]

I do agree with several of the comments that a neck brace of some type would prevent many of the problems. That, along with additional crew to watch over the track, and the excellent suggestion of having some races that are more competitive, and some that are more leisurely.

[TheDougOut]

Most tracks have the head sock. I don't even notice it. The bigger issue is helmets that fit better and I do think they should have the next pad to help absorb the bobble heading.

 

 

Here are the helmets we recently had at the great new track in Niagara Falls. They were super lightweight and each rider wore a disposable plastic hairnet (made from recycled straws?). By the way, this great track costs $10 as well.

 

 

Has anybody talked about the visibility issue with the Bliss helmets? I had to turn almost 90 degrees to see if there was someone alongside me - which I’m sure can contribute to collisions and injuries.

[Two Wheels Only]

I wonder if I can bring my own Arai helmet. It's DOT/Snell approved.

[bones774]

This is a track on a cruise ship. You have no business driving like that and you and similar drivers are the problem. The solution is for NCL to put governors on all the cars and slow them down.

 

You probably also cruise in the left lane on a highway and say "well i'm going the speed limit" and block the Passing lane!

[gambit57]

And with an attitude too.

 

Watch what happens when you say "tipping" instead of DSC. :')

 

It's all perspective. Local kart places generally go much faster. My kid has a toy electric kart that goes 12 mph. It's pretty slow. Until you turn. Then, it feels quite fast due to centrifugal forces. But, I watch his speed on my app. When you turn, the speeds drop quite dramatically.

 

If the top speed is 30 mph, even if you turn flat out, the karts likely are going in the low 20s. Again, if you feel that's fast kinda depends on the person. If you're used to it, it'll feel slow. If not, it'll still feel way too fast. Same with the steering. Non-powered so if you're not used to it, it can feel incredibly heavy, especially on initial turn in.

 

As it's electric, there are all sorts of cool safety features it could have built in. My kid's kart has automatic emergency braking like the fancy safety systems on real cars now.

 

Since it's a public activity, like anything, you'll get all kinds. It really just boils down to how strictly NCL enforces things. As is typical for cruise ships, it does sound like they don't police things strictly enough. Particularly if they're Haven guests. Not until someone gets seriously hurt or dies and it gets in the news. Then they'll probably just remove it or restrict it so much it's not fun.

[nstar612]

I just returned from Bliss last week. Here is my thoughts on the race track:

 

Don't sign up any kid who has no experience in real or simulated driving. At the bare minimum, all drivers needs to understand how properly enter a corner. The most common issues I saw were kids who got stuck at corners because they turned too late or didn't turn the wheel enough. A 9 years old and 13 years old from our party were pulled out of the race because they were getting stuck at every corner. Another 13 years old was doing fine because he has extensive driving experience from gaming. You might think it's harmless to let your little ones try the race track for fun. But, it will end up ruining the race for everyone. My own race was stopped countless times as the staffs had to intervene to rescue inexperience drivers. It's also possible that you are putting your little ones in danger as bumping does happen regularly.

 

Bumping seems to happen regular in the race track. Most corners aren't wide enough to accommodate two karts simultaneously. Anytime someone tried to aggressively overtake another kart at the corner is likely to bump the other kart. I have seen kids bumping into adults and vice versa. Remember that the final standing of the race is based on best single lap time. I have found it's better to slow down in first lap to allow some space between you and other drivers so you can really go for it during your second lap.

 

Personally, I didn't feel the karts were fast enough. I never used the break and had my foot on the gas pedal most of the times. I have a suspicion whether the staffs are able to control max speed per race. I had done both a single and a double race, and both times the speed seemed slow.

 

If I were to return to Bliss again (which I won't), I will never do the race track again. The course is too small and the karts are too slow. Not to mention you also run into the risk of having your race interrupted constantly due to inexperience drivers. Even at $10 per race, it's not worth it.

[TheDougOut]

I have a suspicion whether the staffs are able to control max speed per race.

 

 

They can control max speed per race and/or per car... it’s a known fact.

[Maniacal Cruiser]

They can control max speed per race and/or per car... it’s a known fact.

 

 

Good then they can speed up the slow pokes to keep it safe for everyone!

[Notnewtoit]

Good then they can speed up the slow pokes to keep it safe for everyone!

 

You need to learn how to pass.

[ceilidh1]

I just returned from Bliss last week. Here is my thoughts on the race track:

 

Don't sign up any kid who has no experience in real or simulated driving. At the bare minimum, all drivers needs to understand how properly enter a corner. The most common issues I saw were kids who got stuck at corners because they turned too late or didn't turn the wheel enough. A 9 years old and 13 years old from our party were pulled out of the race because they were getting stuck at every corner. Another 13 years old was doing fine because he has extensive driving experience from gaming. You might think it's harmless to let your little ones try the race track for fun. But, it will end up ruining the race for everyone. My own race was stopped countless times as the staffs had to intervene to rescue inexperience drivers. It's also possible that you are putting your little ones in danger as bumping does happen regularly.

 

Bumping seems to happen regular in the race track. Most corners aren't wide enough to accommodate two karts simultaneously. Anytime someone tried to aggressively overtake another kart at the corner is likely to bump the other kart. I have seen kids bumping into adults and vice versa. Remember that the final standing of the race is based on best single lap time. I have found it's better to slow down in first lap to allow some space between you and other drivers so you can really go for it during your second lap.

 

Personally, I didn't feel the karts were fast enough. I never used the break and had my foot on the gas pedal most of the times. I have a suspicion whether the staffs are able to control max speed per race. I had done both a single and a double race, and both times the speed seemed slow.

 

If I were to return to Bliss again (which I won't), I will never do the race track again. The course is too small and the karts are too slow. Not to mention you also run into the risk of having your race interrupted constantly due to inexperience drivers. Even at $10 per race, it's not worth it.

 

Thanks for this - I have decided that we will give the karts a miss based on everyone's reviews/comments. I honestly (naively) thought this was a fun, family friendly activity but it really is more an adult activity and I wonder why NCL would even allow children on there...

[nstar612]

Thanks for this - I have decided that we will give the karts a miss based on everyone's reviews/comments. I honestly (naively) thought this was a fun, family friendly activity but it really is more an adult activity and I wonder why NCL would even allow children on there...

 

You are welcome. Honestly there aren't many kids friendly facilities on the ship. The laser tag was fun, however trying to reserve a spot was a nightmare. Definitely book it as soon as you get board the ship. If you are doing laser tag, my advice is "DO NOT RUN!" I saw a few people getting injured from the game due to tripping/falling. The space is very tight and some surfaces are uneven. The miniature golf is too small to last even 15 minutes of your time. Depending on the weather, the aqua park/slides were seldom used due to the cold wind. The arcade is very expensive, imagine $2 per game. The most fun our kids had were actually from the family oriented games at the atrium (deck 6). Definitely don't want to miss those.

[gambit57]

I just returned from Bliss last week. Here is my thoughts on the race track:

 

Don't sign up any kid who has no experience in real or simulated driving. At the bare minimum, all drivers needs to understand how properly enter a corner. The most common issues I saw were kids who got stuck at corners because they turned too late or didn't turn the wheel enough. A 9 years old and 13 years old from our party were pulled out of the race because they were getting stuck at every corner. Another 13 years old was doing fine because he has extensive driving experience from gaming. You might think it's harmless to let your little ones try the race track for fun. But, it will end up ruining the race for everyone. My own race was stopped countless times as the staffs had to intervene to rescue inexperience drivers. It's also possible that you are putting your little ones in danger as bumping does happen regularly.

 

Bumping seems to happen regular in the race track. Most corners aren't wide enough to accommodate two karts simultaneously. Anytime someone tried to aggressively overtake another kart at the corner is likely to bump the other kart. I have seen kids bumping into adults and vice versa. Remember that the final standing of the race is based on best single lap time. I have found it's better to slow down in first lap to allow some space between you and other drivers so you can really go for it during your second lap.

 

Personally, I didn't feel the karts were fast enough. I never used the break and had my foot on the gas pedal most of the times. I have a suspicion whether the staffs are able to control max speed per race. I had done both a single and a double race, and both times the speed seemed slow.

 

If I were to return to Bliss again (which I won't), I will never do the race track again. The course is too small and the karts are too slow. Not to mention you also run into the risk of having your race interrupted constantly due to inexperience drivers. Even at $10 per race, it's not worth it.

 

Thanks! Definitely food for thought. I might do it myself, but now I don't think I'll have my kid do it unless we do the double kart.

[Maniacal Cruiser]

You need to learn how to pass.

 

 

I do, slow pokes need to learn how to not be a hazard on a track. If one is afraid to dive a go kart then do not try to drive on on the track. Timid drivers who think slow automatically means safe cause more accidents than any other class of driver (ceteris paribus).

[bones774]

Holy Crap, I grew up in the 60's. I climbed monkey bars, went down metal slides, built go carts out of fruit crates and old carriage frames and pushed them down the nearest hill, I climbed 30 ft up trees and i'm still alive, my crib was probably a death trap.. Yeah once in a while someone got injured, even a broken bone here or there but I wouldn't trade those experiences for the helicoptering parents and snow flakes they are raising today. Now you don't want kids riding go carts or even playing laser tag, and it's even too tough for the parents. sheesh.

[eddeb]

Any truth to the posts about unlimited Go kart passes for $99 ? :cool: