Norwegian Bliss Questions from a first time cruiser....

[lantzalot]

I'm sorry in advance if these are obvious to all of you veterans... but help a newbie out. We are going on the Bliss on 8/25 and I'm at the "obsess about your vacation" stage of my planning... So here are my random questions, in no particular order:

 

1. Can you or can you not decorate doors on the Bliss?

 

2. Is there any dress code at all in the evenings? I have read "no dress code!" and "no jeans or shorts after 6PM"....

 

3. Are the pools heated? Do people (kids?) actually use the pools on an Alaskan cruise?

 

4. Are there kids menus at the specialty restaurants or are they the same generic kids menus as at the complimentary restaurants? We have the Specialty Dining Package but it's only for 2. And my kids (9 and 11) are good adventurous eaters. We have reservations at Los Lobos, Q, and La Cucina. So.... Kids menus? Pay for SDP for them? Pay A La Carte?

 

5. For the large-bottomed passengers among us... are the chairs on the balconies comfortable with the arm rests? Or are they small-ish chairs? Is there any ability to get arm-less chairs?

 

6. Any tips for actually getting reservations for the race track?

 

Thanks so much!!

[cruiselover19811981]

I'm sorry in advance if these are obvious to all of you veterans... but help a newbie out. We are going on the Bliss on 8/25 and I'm at the "obsess about your vacation" stage of my planning... So here are my random questions, in no particular order:

 

1. Can you or can you not decorate doors on the Bliss? Yes, you can decorate. We didn't but many did last week.

 

2. Is there any dress code at all in the evenings? I have read "no dress code!" and "no jeans or shorts after 6PM".... You may wear tasteful, nicer looking jeans. My hubby and I did with dressier/collar tops. Some dressed even more casual...shorts. This is in the main dining rooms, though. Smart casual is what we aimed for. Hubby mostly wore golf shirt & khaki pants

 

3. Are the pools heated? Do people (kids?) actually use the pools on an Alaskan cruise? Yes we did last week. We had no rain. Pools were heated. Used on embarkation day, 1st day at sea, and last day before getting off for Victoria. We were lucky on weather last week, though.

 

4. Are there kids menus at the specialty restaurants or are they the same generic kids menus as at the complimentary restaurants? We have the Specialty Dining Package but it's only for 2. And my kids (9 and 11) are good adventurous eaters. We have reservations at Los Lobos, Q, and La Cucina. So.... Kids menus? Pay for SDP for them? Pay A La Carte? We only ate in Main Dining, so I can't help here.

 

5. For the large-bottomed passengers among us... are the chairs on the balconies comfortable with the arm rests? Or are they small-ish chairs? Is there any ability to get arm-less chairs? Not applicable.

 

6. Any tips for actually getting reservations for the race track? As soon as you board, go up the stairs to "Q" restaurant located on deck 6 forward and book. We had no issues but do it straight away. Only 5 in front of me but I ran up there and sent the family to grab a table for lunch. Once I finished, the lineup was out the door to book them and Laser Tag (we did not do Laser Tag)

[BirdTravels]

1. Can you or can you not decorate doors on the Bliss?

Decorate away.

2. Is there any dress code at all in the evenings? I have read "no dress code!" and "no jeans or shorts after 6PM"....

No formal dress. Shorts are allowed in all restaurants for all meals with the exception of Ocean Blue and Le Bistro which require long pants (Jeans or Dockers), which you are not going to.

3. Are the pools heated? Do people (kids?) actually use the pools on an Alaskan cruise?

Yes. The pools, water slides, and the water feature in the Spice H20 are heated. And are used daily.

Some outside eating areas, like outside the Garden Cafe Buffet have heaters.

 

4. Are there kids menus at the specialty restaurants or are they the same generic kids menus as at the complimentary restaurants? We have the Specialty Dining Package but it's only for 2. And my kids (9 and 11) are good adventurous eaters. We have reservations at Los Lobos, Q, and La Cucina. So.... Kids menus? Pay for SDP for them? Pay A La Carte?

The kids menu is the same everywhere. And not very adventurous (burgers, dogs, mac & cheese, PB&J. All menus from the Bliss (kid's menu is on Post #279) can be found here https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2641186

I would kinda lean toward buying 2 3-meal packages for your kids. Look at all of the menus on the link above and figure out what they would order and see if a la carte would be cheaper.

5. For the large-bottomed passengers among us... are the chairs on the balconies comfortable with the arm rests? Or are they small-ish chairs? Is there any ability to get arm-less chairs?

The balcony itself is smallish. You can always ask your room steward. Not sure that they can swap out funiture.

 

6. Any tips for actually getting reservations for the race track?

Have an exact date and time you want when you board. Use the touch screen kiosks in public areas (e.g., elevator lobbies) to book. The track does not run in the rain (which it does frequently in Alaska). Book early in your cruise when you have the best insight into the weather. And when there is the maximum opportunity to rebook if things get cancelled.

 

Thanks so much!!

Enjoy the Bliss. Look at the link above to help you plan.

[lantzalot]

Thank you both!