Semi-live from the Bliss 12/19

[The Traveling Man]

On 12/22/2021 at 7:33 PM, OrcaGirl said:

Oh FFS, on this the fourth day of the cruise I found the free way to access CC without using up wifi minutes. It’s slow as molasses though so don’t know how helpful that will be…

 

 

 

So what's the trick?  Inquiring minds want to know!

[mlgb]

15 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Great sense of humor! Thanks for the review.

 

Not sure if this article explains why you didn't see Ruby yesterday, but it says both the Ruby Princess and the Bliss won't be stopping in Cabo today to reduce the number of passengers in the city (didn't you already go to cabo?).

 

Anyway, reducing the number of ships in port maybe why you didn't see ruby yesterday.

"The expected arrival of five cruise ships for Christmas Eve has been reduced to only three, as the Norwegian Bliss and the Ruby Princess have changed their routes to avoid Cabo."

 

https://gringogazette.com/wp/2021/12/two-cruise-ships-are-a-no-show/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=two-cruise-ships-are-a-no-show

 

 

Gringo Gazette needs to get their act together. Bliss was already in Cabo for this cruise.

[BermudaBound2014]

10 minutes ago, mlgb said:

Gringo Gazette needs to get their act together. Bliss was already in Cabo for this cruise.

 

I was being sarcastic about Bliss in Cabo lol......  but the rational still applies to possibly explain why the Ruby wasn't with Bliss yesterday 🙂

[coldferret]

34 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

So what's the trick?  Inquiring minds want to know!

we were supposed to have free access to cruise critic on the Escape . The internet mgr . could not get it to open the entire 2 weeks. Just spun

[OrcaGirl]

Quieter day for us. Breakfast at the buffet, reading and hot-tubbing up on Deck 19, trying desperately to not interject myself into other people’s conversations and correct the bad info they are giving and/or being given (no, the Eastern Legacy is not available at the pool bars; no, the Vibe beach club is not the same thing as the Marketplace; no, today is not Thursday…)

 

Got the letter in our cabin this morning confirming that Santa is bringing us PCR testing for Christmas. Woot? 9am to 12pm on Deck 5 at the Eurofins office. No pre-booking required, just have to bring the letter.

 

Lunch at the buffet. Drink a pina colada. Go to the thermal spa. Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

Tonight was dinner at Los Lobos; we had already used up our two specialty dining credits so we were a la carte. We’re light eaters anyway, so an order of tableside guac and queso fundido later, we were full…

 

Had reservations for the 9pm comedy show but honestly, it’s kind of intense on the ship tonight and I might turn in early. Lots of very tipsy people + holiday family drama = me wanting to jump into a kayak and paddle home. (It’s reminding me a little of Disney World, with parents yelling at their kids to have more fun goddammit or we’re going home, etc.)

 

Random thoughts/observations:

 

Paper straws and pina coladas don’t mix. 

 

The husband has very strong opinions on the proper way to assemble a taco. And a baked potato. And a hot dog. So if you ever see a 6’5” dude at a cruise ship buffet weaving back and forth between stations and mumbling about the correct order for layering condiments, it’s probably him. 

 

I haven’t been checking to see if they’re keeping the mask mandate for future North American cruises, but if they do, I hope NCL puts a few free (staffed) disposable mask stations in key locations around the ship. I’ve seen zero enforcement, and less and less mask-wearing, and it would be nice to have there be some way of preempting the “oh I forgot it in my room” crowd.

 

And for the duration of the pandemic, it would be a nice gesture for NCL to add websites like the CDC, various countries’ travel regulation websites, etc to the free websites list.

 

At 4:01pm on the sixth day of the cruise, we got Whammed! Still haven’t heard Mariah’s All I Want for Christmas (Is You) yet though…

 

Do wish they’d turn down the music throughout the ship when the captain or cruise director makes an announcement; they’re nearly impossible to hear.

 

Mad props to the persons who packed holiday lights to decorate their balcony. That’s hardcore Christmas.

 

During his navigation update, the captain mentioned that we’d be getting rough seas tomorrow. So naturally I’ll be walking around singing “I’ve got this notion that the motion of your ocean exceeds small craft advisories.” I know those aren’t the right lyrics…

 

Wish Los Lobos had horchata-based cocktails or desserts. I love horchata.

 

One of the emotional support dogs is wearing a Christmas tutu. [eyeroll]

[brad0576]

On 12/23/2021 at 11:17 AM, julie3fan said:

 

I thought I read that Jersey Boys had started back up again?  I hope so, as we're sailing Jan 9th.

I was on the 12/12 Cruise - we had Jersey Boys but not Six due to a member being ill but "not positive for Covid or Influenza"

[styxfire]

37 minutes ago, OrcaGirl said:

Do wish they’d turn down the music throughout the ship when the captain or cruise director makes an announcement; they’re nearly impossible to hear.

YES!  Same problem on every ship I've been on, every brand.  If the message is important enough to interrupt my tranquility, then PLEASE invest in an appropriate sound system and PLEASE speak slowly and clearly to the passengers.  I've "heard" ~200 messages from ship captains over the intercom and yet only ~2 of them were ever understandable.  What a farce?

 

Thanks so much for all the info you're sharing, OrcaGirl!!!!   I hope your Christmas docking goes smoothly.  I was on a Christmas cruise several years ago where we woke up to an early-morning Dec.25 "intercom" message that the ship couldn't go to the scheduled port due to "rough waters".  Christmas was cancelled!!!!  As an adult, I could "go with the flow".  But travelling with multiple relatives w/ children, it was bad bad bad BAD.

 

I hope Mazatlan goes well, and i wish you & your companions a Merry Christmas!

[brad0576]

2 hours ago, OrcaGirl said:

Random thoughts/observations:

 

Paper straws and pina coladas don’t mix. 

 

They seem to be extra bad in frozen drinks - and generally not great at all.

 

We bought plenty of metal straws after outlast cruise.....somehow they were left in Orlando

[OrcaGirl]

Merry Christmas!

 

Another quiet morning at sea. Starbucks, reading on the balcony while waiting for the husband to wake up…

 

Opened our Christmas stockings out on the balcony…

 

 

Decided to try out The Local for breakfast… the French toast was amazing! Possibly one of the best I’ve ever had. And the husband enjoyed his breakfast sandwich… 

 

 

After breakfast we went to get a swab stuck up our noses into our brains, as one does… 

 

COVID testing was held in the Guppies space on Deck 5. This was my second PCR test of the pandemic but first with a mimosa in hand. The Eurofins staff was cheery and well-organized. Our results should be ready by this evening. 

 

And then it was off to the thermal spa, to get in as much pool and hot tub time as possible. (Received an email from our strata management that our building’s pool and fitness centre have been closed again due to the sharp increase in cases in our area…) 

 

Random thoughts and observations:

 

No bingo on the schedule for today either, so we won’t get our free plays. So on a 7-day cruise there was one day of bingo… did they think it was antithetical to Christmas? Staffing issue? COVID issue?

 

Used a few of our free 120 min of ship-to-shore phone minutes to call my parents to wish them a merry Christmas. Of course they thought calling them from a cruise meant I had COVID and wasn’t going to be let back into Canada… 

 

Won’t deny that I let out a Buddyesque shriek of “SANTA!!!” when we spotted him in the Atrium.

 

 

Today’s Christmas movies are The Grinch (2018) and Arthur’s Christmas… haven’t seen either. Still think they should have picked Die Hard as tonight’s 10pm movie…

[dis220]

Thank you for your GREAT running report!

 

Is a COVID test required to reboard after visiting a Mexican port?

[numberguy]

17 hours ago, OrcaGirl said:

 

 

The husband has very strong opinions on the proper way to assemble a taco. And a baked potato. And a hot dog. So if you ever see a 6’5” dude at a cruise ship buffet weaving back and forth between stations and mumbling about the correct order for layering condiments, it’s probably him. 

 

Bwa-hahahahahahah!

 

I'm loving your review style...

 

--Michael

[chillyw]

16 hours ago, brad0576 said:

They seem to be extra bad in frozen drinks - and generally not great at all.

 

We bought plenty of metal straws after outlast cruise.....somehow they were left in Orlando

 

DAMN... I just realized that I'm in Miami, and my stash of metal straws is back in Austin.

[rj59]

On 12/22/2021 at 7:10 AM, OrcaGirl said:

I can’t remember what ship (or even what cruise line) this was on, but I miss having an uncovered outdoor eating area near the buffet. It was definitely aft, there was an nice little bar and a mix of seating and killer aft views. It was just a nice quiet place to enjoy breakfast or lunch. Wish NCL had that.

The area outside the buffet on the pool deck is a spot for outside dining. On the Joy I saw Ringo eating there every morning, and on the Getaway I saw Johnny Cash, Elvis, and Jerry Lee Lewis dining al fresco. Most other ships have buffets on the rear, but NCL has the observation lounges and buffets in front, so you have to just take food out onto the pool area. You can also get the killer forward views from the observation area front windows if you sit all the way forward in the buffet, since most people don't go back that far anyway. 

[CruisinMama2003]

7 hours ago, dis220 said:

Thank you for your GREAT running report!

 

Is a COVID test required to reboard after visiting a Mexican port?

No, passengers are not tested to be able to reboard

[brad0576]

22 minutes ago, CruisinMama2003 said:

No, passengers are not tested to be able to reboard

The face scanners to get on and off the ship do take your temperature at the same time as your facial recognition- I would think if someone was running a fever they would probably be sent to the medical center.

Edited December 26, 2021 by brad0576

[OrcaGirl]

From last night, couldn’t post to CC for some reason…

 

If the ship’s a-rocking, don’t come a-knocking… because we’ll be in the thermal spa giggling like idiots in the thalosotherapy (sp?) pool as the water shifts from one side to the other…

 

Had a final lunch in the buffet, which was delicious, even though I didn’t get any naan to go with my butter chicken because apparently some people didn’t get the memo about not reaching in and grabbing food with their bare hands. The tongs are RIGHT THERE, dude.

 

Had a lovely chat with a pool bartender almost entirely in bahasa Indonesia. Saya mau satu corona dan satu mojito, silikan. Terima kasih banyak! Sampai jumpa lagi…

 

After lunch, we headed to the casino to use our free casino play ($25 each, loaded onto our cabin card, valid for slots only)… the husband burned through his pretty quickly, but my machine paid out a few decent wins and free spins and I just played until the money was gone.

 

Then we headed to the District for drinks and a heated game of Uno Flip. I forgot to take a photo of the beers on tap (sorry!) but the husband enjoyed a strawberry something and a Purple Haze.

 

The main dining rooms were offering a special Christmas dinner that looked really good (will post the menus when we’re home) but then we popped up to the buffet and that also looked so good. The buffet was quiet and the main dining rooms looked busy, so that was our deciding factor and we had a delicious buffet dinner for Christmas.

 

 

Dropped a little more cash in the casino and then headed to the The Social for the 7pm comedy show (same guy we saw on the first night but we really liked him)…

 

And then, sadly, it was time to head back to the cabin and pack up. Except there was only one COVID test result waiting for us… yikes. We waited until 8:30pm to follow up, and were told it was likely a printing delay. Not setting my luggage out until I get my test results back.

 

Random thoughts and observations:

 

No, testing wasn’t required due to being in Mexican ports. We fly back to Canada tomorrow and NCL provided optional (not mandatory) testing for any international guests returning to their home countries if that country currently requires a negative test for reentry (as Canada does).

 

Please don’t leave your used masks just laying around. This isn’t a leave a mask, take a mask situation.

 

 

On our way into the buffet, the crew member at the hand washing station actually asked a dude if he had his mask, and then got him a disposable one!! Literally the only instance of ‘enforcement’ I witnessed all week. 

 

Was definitely colder today (I mean, relatively; it was -31C at my parents’ place when I called them this morning…) and it started to rain after dinner and the winds have picked up.

[mlgb]

You're probably in port already, but today is supposed to dry and chilly (for us). 

Your timing is good. 

 

[AKR2011]

Safe travels home! I've enjoyed following your posts 👍

[roger001]

Enjoyed it.  Thanks.  We were on the Bliss last week.  Hope you trip home is a better experience than ours out of Long Beach last Sunday.  Between SWA and the Long Beach terminal, it was the experience from hell.  

[OrcaGirl]

Didn’t sleep particularly well, perhaps due to more noise caused by the swells (doors banging, hangers clacking, etc.) and perhaps due to anxiety dreams that our negative test paperwork would be denied.

 

Eventually got up, grabbed one last onboard Starbucks. (As opposed to my usual 2-3 Starbucks a day back home.)

 

Threw the final few items into my backpack and it was up to the buffet. 

 

It’s currently 8am and the ship is still waiting for clearance to begin disembarking passengers. Glad we’ve got an afternoon flight. (And just got an email that our flight is delayed at least an hour anyway due to snow in Vancouver…)

 

Filled out the ArriveCAN app while waiting for our luggage tag colour to be called. 

 

Update: the ship starting disembarking self-assist passengers around 8:10, after many many pleas to wait patiently in the public lounges and not line up yet.

 

[OrcaGirl]

Managed to go this entire cruise without overhearing any crypto bros, until breakfast this morning. Oh well.

 

Our colour (lime green) got called around 9am, so off the ship we went. 

 

Luggage pick up was fast and immigration check was perfunctory. Ordered an Uber ($73 + tip to John Wayne Airport) since Lyfts were in the $200+ range. In retrospect, should have booked a shuttle.

 

On the drive, the news on the radio mentioned that the Holland America Koningdam cruise ship returned early to San Diego due to a COVID outbreak onboard. Yikes! I remember seeing their ‘bubble tour’ passengers wandering around unmasked in stores at the Cabo port…

 

Now sitting at the airport (oh my god SNA >>> LAX) waiting for our delayed-even-further flight. (If it gets cancelled outright, I wonder if I can talk the husband into a night at Disneyland?!?!)

 

Wifi is good and I’ve got a couple of hours to kill, so if anyone has any questions for me, have at it… 

[OrcaGirl]

The Christmas dinner menu for the MDRs:

 

[OrcaGirl]

Assorted photos from the NCL Beach Resort Getaway excursion that I don’t think ever posted…

[styxfire]

Great pics, OrcaGirl!  At any time on your cruise, was there any official (or unofficial) commo about any positive tests on-board?  The CDC is still showing the Bliss' status as:  "CDC has investigated and ship remains under observation."

 

[nona0541]

On 12/19/2021 at 8:25 AM, OrcaGirl said:

(Not sure how to properly add photos from my phone, but let’s try…)

 

Photos:

1. Circling for 30 min while the pilot reminds us to reread the safety card on bracing position.

 

2. Delicious short rib fries at San Pedro Brewing Company.

 

3. Fire safety at the
Crowne Plaza

Why did you not notify front desk that evidently someone smoked in the room and put the bag around the detector.  That way the management could rectify the situation.