Why Norwegian (Bliss on Mexican Riviera) over any other mass market line?

[GenghisQuan]

With the gradual reopening and recovery, I have been eyeing Mexican Riviera cruises, and notice that Norwegian Bliss is available as an option vs Majestic Princess.

 

However, I have had a previous extremely lackluster experience on board Pride of America, characterized by poor organization, bad food, too many guests and not enough space, the utter inability to actually dine freestyle due to lack of capacity in the dining rooms, and various other issues as noted here. I got the overall feeling that it's built that way on purpose so you'll shell out for extra services or to eat in the specialty restaurants.

 

So my question is, for those of you who like Norwegian, what do you like about it and think it does better than other mass market lines like Carnival, Royal, or Princess?

[pmd98052]

I would go on which ever is lower cost with the edge to Princess if they were both same cost. NCL has (imho) better main entertainment shows in theatre, but worse MDR food, but arguable slightly better buffet. Kids clubs similar etc. Just comes down to price really.

[hallux]

4 hours ago, GenghisQuan said:

characterized by poor organization, bad food

Consider that POA is largely staffed by US citizens rather than people from around the globe as is the case on every other ship in the fleet.  Should that matter? Not in the least.  Does it?  Possibly.  The food I get on board is better than anything I make for myself at home.  Is that setting a low bar?  Certainly, but I think I only found one food item I wasn't thrilled about.

 

4 hours ago, GenghisQuan said:

So my question is, for those of you who like Norwegian, what do you like about it and think it does better than other mass market lines like Carnival, Royal, or Princess?

I've been on the Bliss twice (once for the cruise you're looking at), it's a lovely ship and I thought the crew were excellent.  Of course - the crew you get on your Mexican Riviera cruise will differ from the crew on mine in 2019.  I thought the entertainment staff were energetic, personable and truly seemed to have a lot of fun.  The CD was WAY more engaged on my NCL cruises (different CD's on the two trips) than on either of my cruises with Royal, I could actually pick him out of the crowd rather than just recognizing his voice from hearing it during announcements.  The assistant CD and some of the entertainment staff were the same on both cruises, and because I sailed solo on the first they had some closer interaction (through either being the solo host or coming specifically to a solo meet to introduce themselves) and claim to have recognized me when I ran into them on the second.

 

4 hours ago, GenghisQuan said:

too many guests and not enough space

The Bliss is quite a bit larger than the POA.  I did not, in any way, feel "cramped" on the ship.  Maybe it was the times I wanted to eat dinner (I'm an early dinner person) but I never had to wait for a table at my MDR venue of choice (Bliss has THREE 'MDR' venues) and was always seated on time at the specialty restaurants. 

 

Both my Royal trips were CROWDED.  Granted - they were both during school break weeks to accommodate my niece and nephew so there were A LOT of kids, while the Bliss trips were not during those weeks so they were mostly adults.

[Shellbelle28]

We chose NCL for our first cruise more than 20 years ago because of their "freestyle" dining concept. The thought of assigned dining times/tables did not appeal. We had a good time on that cruise and have stayed loyal since then. We sail in the Haven for the most part now and enjoy being spoiled. My spouse would hate having to wear anything dressier than an aloha shirt and khakis, so the laid back dress code is also a reason. 

[BermudaBound2014]

6 hours ago, GenghisQuan said:

So my question is, for those of you who like Norwegian, what do you like about it and think it does better than other mass market lines like Carnival, Royal, or Princess?

 

I've been on nearly 40 cruises spanning 35 years and have absolutely zero brand loyality. What I've learned is that cruise lines have more in common than different and each has certain things I like. As cruising has evolved, I think it is much more important to compare ship to ship verses line to line because there are great differences among ships of the same line.

 

In your case, POA has a very low space ratio (36.8:1) so it's not surprising you felt a bit crowded. The Bliss sits at 42.5:1 and Majestic 41.7:1. What this means is that in theory the Bliss should feel less crowded. However; these stats are based on double occupancy which must be considered. If a ship typically attracts families with children (more than 2 per cabin) the space ratio changes dramatically. I will say both Bliss and Majestic should feel significantly less crowded than Pride of America.

 

Typically when sailing with DH we choose NCL for the relaxed dress code and O'Sheehans (Local) 24 hour pub which we enjoy after a late night. I feel that NCL has some of the best entertainment at sea and we tend to stay out later enjoying their venues. Also, DH is a beer guy and district brew house is a huge draw.

 

I believe that overall Princess offers better itineraries and time in port. This is especially true in Alaska where CCL (who owns Princess) owns many of the tours out right. Princess will also typically bring on destination experts for lectures and natural guides while cruising scenic areas regularly while it's hit or miss with NCL. Neither of these will matter on a typical Mexican Riviera cruise. I think food quality is better on Princess (but food is subjective) and I've found service a bit more attentive overall on Princess.

 

I made an analogy comparing NCL to Celebrity stating NCL is more like a local pub (think Cheers) while Celebrity is like an evening at a more fancy Martini Bar. Keeping with this theme I'd say that Princess sits somewhere in the middle. Maybe a coffee shop that is bustling during the day but much more quiet in the evening.

 

The bottom line is that you can't go wrong with either. I am a big proponent of trying lots of different cruise lines. I have never been loyal to one cruise line for many reasons. The loyalty perks just don't do it for me. A free bag of laundry is nice, but not nice enough for me to turn my back on a great price or itinerary on another line. I am a value driven consumer, so for me I tend to choose the option offering me the most value which differs greatly depending on if I'm cruising solo, with girlfriends, extended family, or DH.  

 

Hope this helps in some small way. Enjoy your cruise whichever you choose 🙂

[saltsandknit]

I have only sailed Princess once and did not enjoy it much. I have been on the Bliss sailing Mexico and I am booked on Bliss again sailing Mexico in December. The larger ships have infinitely more dining options than the smaller ships. You can pre book all dining ahead of time if you want but if you just walk up to any of the standard dining rooms on Bliss you will get seated pretty quickly. We never waited more than 20 minutes. Usually it is less. I can’t promise you will be happier but the larger ships are fantastic 

[BermudaBound2014]

2 minutes ago, saltsandknit said:

I have only sailed Princess once and did not enjoy it much. I have been on the Bliss sailing Mexico and I am booked on Bliss again sailing Mexico in December. The larger ships have infinitely more dining options than the smaller ships. You can pre book all dining ahead of time if you want but if you just walk up to any of the standard dining rooms on Bliss you will get seated pretty quickly. We never waited more than 20 minutes. Usually it is less. I can’t promise you will be happier but the larger ships are fantastic 

 

Actually the Bliss and Majestic Princess are very similiar and both categorized as 'large' (not mega). Their space ratios are also very similiar (see above). In terms of GT:

Bliss 167,800 GT

Majestic Princess 143,700

 

The Majestic Princess is larger than any of the "aways" (which comem in at 135,000 GT) and only slightly smaller than the "away plus". For all intents and purposes, these two ships are the same size. I haven't counted the specific dining options on each, but I suspect those are going to be similiar as well. Perhaps you sailed on a smaller Princess ship?

[saltsandknit]

1 minute ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Actually the Bliss and Majestic Princess are very similiar and both categorized as 'large' (not mega). Their space ratios are also very similiar (see above). In terms of GT:

Bliss 167,800 GT

Majestic Princess 143,700

 

The Majestic Princess is larger than any of the "aways" (which comem in at 135,000 GT) and only slightly smaller than the "away plus". For all intents and purposes, these two ships are the same size. I haven't counted the specific dining options on each, but I suspect those are going to be similiar as well. Perhaps you sailed on a smaller Princess ship?

I know nothing about Princess. I was referring to the difference in size to the NCL ships. Dining is more of a challenge on the smaller NCL ships. The Jewel class is my favorite but wait times are longer than on the larger NCL ships like the Bliss. 

[BermudaBound2014]

12 minutes ago, saltsandknit said:

I know nothing about Princess. I was referring to the difference in size to the NCL ships. Dining is more of a challenge on the smaller NCL ships. The Jewel class is my favorite but wait times are longer than on the larger NCL ships like the Bliss. 

 

OHHH.... you were comparing the Bliss to POA. In that case I agree completely. Bliss is much larger and will have significantly better dining options. I also like Jewel class but DH prefers the "aways' for the waterfront. 

 

To the OP... the waterfront is a lovely feature on Bliss you won't have on Majestic Princess. You may want to look at photos of that to see if it appeals to you.

Edited August 10, 2021 by BermudaBound2014

[barrykel]

One major issue with Princess is that, in conjunction with their new Ocean Medallion, they've introduced a new version of their smartphone app which their website says is required for pre-cruise data entry - they've removed the functionality from their website, and the app is still quite buggy and only supports fairly recent versions of the smartphone OS's (iOS 13 and Android 8). While it turns out the app really isn't required (you can just show up at the pier with your documentation, as always), their messaging (and the app's bugginess) is confusing and causing many cruisers a good deal of aggravation. We're booked on the Majestic in December (I had an FCC that was due to expire, tho as you can tell from my sig I'm generally partial to NCL). The medallion does appear to offer some very cool features, such as the ability to order drinks, make meal reservations, and track other members of your party from anywhere on the ship. Ask me how well they work after our cruise.

[Nola26]

I really enjoy cruising thanks to NCL. I am actually booked on the very cruise you mention in November. We are looking forward to the trip, but will understand if for COVID reasons it cancels. We've also sailed on the Bliss previously, it's become one of our favorite vessels. We love the observation deck, entertainment choices and beauty of the ship. This time we'll be in a balcony cabin. We'll have an even better experience compared to our inside, which was great too. I actually slept past 1pm that first day. I was exhausted and the lack of sunlight allowed my body to just stay at rest, a great way to start vacation.

 

POA isn't a great ship experience, the itinerary is the jewel for that trip. My mother sailed her in 2019. She had a great time, but the ship and experience is atypical for NCL. She loved being in Hawaii and took advantage of a range of excursions.

 

With NCL's current promotion you can have 2 specialty dining meals included in your cruise fare. Generally that's how we "pay" for specialty dining. We have wonderful meals in the MDRs so don't feel the need for specialty, but we take the perk. The Bliss is the one ship where I paid for a Specialty meal. We had a fun and delicious shared meal al fresco on the waterfront at the Mexican restaurant, Los Lobos, no regrets on the $ spent there.

 

Your starting point seems to be that NCL is awful so you'll be looking for confirmation of that view. Don't give yourself and other cruisers the stress, sail with someone else. I'm not saying that to be snippy. I won't sail Carnival, even for free. I have never sailed them but my research tells me their product and my expectations don't match, so I just pick a different line.

Edited August 10, 2021 by Nola26

[TFLG]

9 hours ago, GenghisQuan said:

With the gradual reopening and recovery, I have been eyeing Mexican Riviera cruises, and notice that Norwegian Bliss is available as an option vs Majestic Princess.

 

However, I have had a previous extremely lackluster experience on board Pride of America, characterized by poor organization, bad food, too many guests and not enough space, the utter inability to actually dine freestyle due to lack of capacity in the dining rooms, and various other issues as noted here. I got the overall feeling that it's built that way on purpose so you'll shell out for extra services or to eat in the specialty restaurants.

 

So my question is, for those of you who like Norwegian, what do you like about it and think it does better than other mass market lines like Carnival, Royal, or Princess?

 

I typically cruise Celebrity but I've sailed the Bliss to Mexico twice and have another one booked for Nov.  The Bliss is a beautiful ship and the food and service are very good. There are plenty of places to eat and drink although on a full capacity cruise you should make reservations for the specialty dining prior to sailing.  I've never had a problem getting into any of the main dining rooms on the Bliss (there are 3 of them).

 

Of course my experiences were Pre Zombie Apocalypse and who knows what things will be now.  I'll find out in Nov if the US gov ever sends me my passport.....

 

 

 

[need2cruisesoon]

Ive been on the Bliss (PC) and sailed the Majestic sister Regal being they are both Royal Class ships.

If I had to pick it would be the Bliss.

 

I think you'll have more fun on the Bliss, the layout of the ship is very conducive for a Mexico cruise, I especially enjoyed the waterfront and the Observation Lounge.

[bostonphil]

I have only sailed NCL and that is because I like traveling alone. I sail NCL because of the studio cabins. I would like to try another line but I have sailed NCL 6 times and now I get rewards. Also, I am very familiar with the NCL website and how to find studio cabins.

 

However, I am curious about other lines. I know that some of them offer cabins for one person. I am considering looking at other lines.

 

I sailed The Bliss to Alaska and found it too large and too crowded. It seems like they added more cabins but cut back on the public spaces. There were real problems with crowding in the elevators and I mean real problems.   I eat in The Garden Cafe usually off hours and there were times when it was so crowded that I had trouble finding a seat. Staff had to find a seat for me and sometimes it was on a stool. I had trouble getting on and off.. The Atrium was over crowded during shows and activities. Sometimes there was no seating available at all.

 

It could be that because we were sailing Alaska, guests who might be on the outer deck were inside instead.

 

The pool was always available. You could always find space to really swim laps and yes, there were swimmers. The pool is heated and there were attendants with very large and warm towels.  This would probably not be true sailing Mexico.

 

I really liked The Observation Deck and always could find seats and tables. Some reviewers claim that they could not find seats in The Observation Deck. I never had a problem.

 

Because of COVID, the ship will probably  be less than full, much less crowded and it will almost certainly be more comfortable.

Edited August 10, 2021 by bostonphil

[alohayall]

This is me:  Cruises: 24, of which 17 are Disney.  Princess 5, RoyalC 1, Carnival 1.  Next: NCL to AK.

 

My first thought was that you can’t compare POA to anything else NCL, based on general observation/ reading reviews.  It seems like a floating hotel to get you from island to island.

 

I agree with the poster who said compare ship to ship.  I even do that within a cruise company; I have certain ships I prefer depending on the destination.

 

I’ll be in the Encore, the Bliss’ fraternal twin.  And have read lots of reviews.

 

My question for you is whether deck chair availability matters.  Or if deck chairs should be free.  The situation on the Encore sounds horrible for sun worshippers; the Bliss sounds a little better, but I would read up on that.  Look specifically at that top area; the exclusive Haven may take a chunk of space.  The Bliss does have an adult area called H2O spice, which may be free.  But it may also have a for-fee (but limited capacity) sun area.  Pictures of the Majestic Princess look like they offer more open sun deck space (Lido and Sun decks). 
 

Pre-Cruise, I can see that NCL is good at getting money from you after the fare price; but it is all truly optional.  
 

I chose to try NCL on the Encore due to features that it and the Bliss offer for an Alaskan cruise:  the large Observation Lounge for viewing from a climate-controlled space and a Thermal Spa to have access to warm water.  Plus a solo cabin without a single supplement.  (I have sailed Princess to AK 3 times - they were more expensive this year).

 

But - if you want to try any large ship - this might be the year to do it while the capacity is reduced.

[hallux]

25 minutes ago, alohayall said:

The Bliss does have an adult area called H2O spice, which may be free.  But it may also have a for-fee (but limited capacity) sun area

Spice H2O is free, and is all but completely a "sun area" (entry walkway, awning over the bar and dependent on where the sun is).

 

You may be thinking of the Vibe Beach Club, which has limited passes for sale on embarkation day, that costs money.

[alohayall]

7 minutes ago, hallux said:

Spice H2O is free, and is all but completely a "sun area" (entry walkway, awning over the bar and dependent on where the sun is).

 

You may be thinking of the Vibe Beach Club, which has limited passes for sale on embarkation day, that costs money.

You’ve got the names for the places I was thinking of.  Thank you. I know there’s a Vibe on the Encore; wasn’t sure of the name (or reality) of it on the Bliss - and was too lazy at that moment to look it up.  (But took the time to look at deck plans and pictures of the Majestic Princess.  Go figure.). I’ve read lots of complaints about how the Encore utilized lots of sun deck space with the go-karts and laser tag. And how there’s no Spice H2O free adult area.  At least I am sailing to cold AK (and don’t utilize fully sun space any time of the year.  I want some shade to go with the sun).