NCL Bliss 5/6-5/13 Review. Was it me or was it them?

[WestCoastDeb]

I think it was me, but here is my review.

 

Background- I live in the Seattle area. I chronically do not know the difference between relaxing and being bored. I am 37, and I am a morning person. 

 

Husband and I took this cruise as first time cruisers, along with my brothers, who were also first timers. They are quite well traveled, my husband and I well enough to have reasonable expectations. We got to the port early to drop our bags and go to Pike’s Place. Being able to do that was really nice. We got in line for security about 1030 and were through by 11. While the terminal was warm, it was ok with enough seating. We were on the boat by noon or so. Directly to the muster stations as we got on, as is the current protocol. Being a first timer, I couldn’t begin to even tell you where it was, but I was glad to have that checked off anyway. Next stop was the Garden Cafe. It was super warm (as was the whole boat at this point) and busy but we found chairs and the roast beef was good. We were giddy and nervous with excitement. After that we went to deck 8 (where our cabins were) and hung out in the brewery. Comfortable enough, and fun for the afternoon waiting to leave port. We did encounter our first issue here - one of our party is allergic to artificial sweeteners but no one in the brewery staff knew what ‘artificial sweeteners’ were to be able to tell us if the premade drinks had them. No big deal, we just steered clear of anything that could be dodgy. 

 

By about 4, we were in our cabins. The general group consensus was that we would not board so early next time. (One point for ‘it was me’.) At almost exactly 5, we were off of the dock. 

 

Our cabins were spacious with plenty of storage - and I am a chronic over packer. I had asked to not have any of the ‘for purchase’ items in my cabin but they were in the fridge. NBD, we took them out and stowed them. The bed was quite hard, the pillows made of potentially air. Three of the four in my group had complaints about that. I will call that one point for it being NCL. We did not meet our cabin attendant the first night, but I assume he was busy. No big deal. Our excursion tickets were in our room. We had three voicemails - both musicals we signed up for had been rescheduled and I don’t remember what the other message was. Phone was easy enough to figure out. We got another message in the middle of the night and I woke to the phone blinking. It was a reminder for the dress code for day 2’s dinner. Maybe don’t send those when blinking phones will wake people. 

 

The balcony was spacious. We were in cabin 8712. I failed to consider that a boat going quickly over the ocean where we were would create a lot of wind, so we did not get to use the balcony much (more on that later). That was a ‘me’ thing, I should have thought of that. Seems obvious in retrospect. 

 

May 6 was the Kentucky Derby. I decided I wanted my first ever minty Juilep. About departure time, we started looking for one. It took 3 places until someone could even make an approximation of it - and it was because it was the casino bar and since the casino was closed the bartender was kind of bored. That was frustrating, but it could be worse. There was some miscommunication at that particular bar and I ended up charged for top shelf drinks. A stop at guest services got that quickly and easily fixed. I was impressed with that. 

 

We did the buffet for dinner again. It was sufficient, though nothing great. All in all, that was my feeling about any meal we had at the buffet. 

 

Six had been rescheduled for that night, but a combination of first day tired, drinks, and being a morning person kept us from going. I am sure we missed out.

 

Day two was fully at sea. We spent some of it in the spa (nice, though I was underwhelmed by the heated loungers). My husband and I had reserved passes long before embarkation. My brothers toured the spa once on board, and it felt like a huge sales pitch. We told them we were just thinking about them getting passes but had to hear about the IV therapy, and the facials and all of the other add ons. It was a precursor for how the rest of the cruise felt to me. 

 

We also went to the Observation Lounge. I woke up quite early, and it was a lovely place to see the sun rise and watch the ship come to life. The bar in the Observation Lounge was the best I found on the boat. The bartenders were funny, kind, efficient and seemed glad to be helping. I bet they could have made a mint juilep but I was over it by then.

 

Later in the day I bumped into my cabin attendant. I asked for a pitcher of ice water to be in the fridge, but he said that was now for room service and would have a fee. I just kept my water bottle filled (via cup) from elsewhere but I was shocked that it was a fee now.

 

We had lunch at The Local. It was nothing to write home about, but it wasnt awful. Applebee’s quality, I would say. 

 

That night was our first specialty dining, Ocean Blue. That was eye opening. I don’t eat a lot of seafood (or drink wine), so take this as you will. I ordered the crab cake as an appetizer and it either had ground shell or sand in it, making it inedible. Someone else ordered the tuna tower with avocado and the tuna was still frozen in places. The white wine we ordered was delivered to the table as a red, and the server was certain it was right. Eventually they changed it, but I am uncertain what wine we actually ended up with. I ordered a ginger ale, which I thought would be easy. It was, but the server brought me two glasses and commented that they were both for me. Odd. Another restaurant where no one knew what ‘artificial sugar’ was. This time the server sort of laughed when we told him that there was an allergy. Why? We ordered the steak - it was chewy and a bit stringy. My fish was ok, I didn’t like it much but that could be me. Over all, we were all underwhelmed and confused by the experience there. 

 

Each day we would look through the daily activities and they mostly were sales presentations/auctions/additional cost things. There were crafts and presentations in the atrium, which ended up being where I spent a lot of my onboard time. 

 

The night was spent at sea, where it was quite dark. That was lovely. I was up early the next morning - docking is loud, but that is just a boat thing. Down to Taste for breakfast. Much more quite than the Garden Cafe. Service quick and the food was better than the buffet. Disembarking for excursions was well organized and efficient. A nice hike and a wander around Sitka and it was time to get back on the boat. Transportation back to the boat was also quick and efficient. We spent some time in the spa again and ate at the Garden Cafe. We also had decided to cancel several excursions and canceled them with ease. 

 

I was early to bed, everyone else spent time roaming the boat. Husband (who spends 2 hours a day gaming) found the arcade ok enough to entertain him. He also enjoyed evenings in the Observation Lounge. 

 

Day two was Juneau. Juneau was the highlight of the cruise for me because of our excursion. I am an Iditarod lover and the excursion I booked took me to the Reddington tour kennel (which I did not know when I booked it, or until the guide told us that was where we were going). I got to meet a musher I really admire and ride with his dogs on the sled. The way it all came together felt magic. There was time after too to eat at Tracy’s Crab Shack. Getting back aboard was great, easy, and efficient. This was my last excursion from the cruise. We sat outside by the mojito bar for the Dawes Glacier portion. The mojitos were yummy, and the mojito bar was the happening place on the ship every time I passed it. We got snuggly blankets as we cruised, though sadly we did not get to see the glacier due to some unfavorable conditions. 

 

That night we ate at Food Republic. There were some hiccoughs in the very start of the meal - namely our tablet was not linked to our room card so we almost paid for the meal vs using our dining credits. The food was excellent. The service was amazing great, though some of the food came out kind of sporadically. One meal credit really is enough for 2 people. I never walked past and saw them very busy. GO THERE while you are on board. You will not regret it. 

 

I had left a note for our cabin attendant to please bring us a fan and a mattress topper. The fan was there, I did not check for the mattress topper but the bed didn’t feel different. The cabin attendant did ask me the next day how my bed was. I assumed that meant he had put the topper on it. 
 

I should say, Shreem did a good job of keeping our room made up. I cannot imagine a situation where it would have needed 2x a day attention. I quite appreciated that. This day I did also discover that there were larger towels by the pool, and being a larger person that became my bath towel. The bartenders by the pools were fun too. They were a great stop between the spa and the Garden Cafe. 

 

The next morning was Icy Strait. I didn’t have an excursion and just wandered the little port town. An hour or so was good enough and I was back on board. We grabbed some lunch from The Local. It was fine enough. I took a nap after as I was not feeling well, everyone else explored. Dinner that night was Le Bistro. My snails were yummy, the bread was delightful. Another wine mix up, but we laughed it off. I had fish again — and why do I keep eating seafood when I know I don’t love it? I didn’t love it. That was a me issue. The risotto was lovely (or was that at La Cucina? Whatever). Everyone else loved their meals too. Service was attentive and lovely, aside from the wine mixup. 

 

The next morning was another early morning for me. I spent some time in the Observation Lounge again. My brothers had an excursion in Ketchikan, I spent a lot of this day alone (I enjoy the alone). Lunch was in Taste, which I really liked a lot more than their breakfast. The quiet while half of the ship was off on land was rejuvenating. After lunch I moved to the Atrium for crafts and a game show. We finished the day with dinner in La Cucina. For once, I did not get seafood. I had tenderloin. It did not have much flavor but was well cooked. Wait. No. I did. I had calamari as my appetizer. It was fine? The other person in my party who eats more seafood than me called it tough, but I dont know the difference and I enjoyed it. After we had drinks in the Observation Lounge. Well made, again, a good conversation space and there was some nice live music.

 

We were late out of port by about an hour, the results of a computer glitch. No issue for me, but some people seemed to mind.

 

And this night was the roughest sea of all of the nights. The waves were 11.5 feet.  Again, not an NCL thing. My patio furniture was all over the balcony all night. The loungers stood up on end. The dividers between patios were loud and rattling. We were *over* cruising by this point. Was that us or them? Who knows. Probably us. 

 

A full day at sea and most of the night into Victoria. I am, as I know now, prone to being sea sick. I spent a lot of this day in my cabin and being ill - and I should say I was in cabin 8712, so at the very front of the boat. That was certainly my bad choice. I had the Local for lunch, cheese fries were cheese fries. Hard to go wrong. I spent some of the day listening to the presentation by some of the staff about cruise ship operations and got a laugh out of seeing Dan Dan in person vs just over the PA system. I really enjoyed that presentation. This may be the night we saw the magic show, though it could have been two nights prior? It was…well, it was a way to fill time. 

 

Late into Victoria coupled with not feeling well meant I was early to bed. Victoria looks beautiful and I will take a weekend trip from Seattle up one of these weekends. We were out of port at about midnight, though I was very sound asleep. I woke when we pulled into Seattle at 5:30 the next morning. Breakfast on departure day was busy but fine. I will say, I didnt find any documentation on board or on the Freestyle Daily about where would be open for disembarkation day or much else. We got bag tags and that was it. Or, because I was tired and kind of over it all, I missed it.

 

The Port of Seattle disembarkation stuff was a whole mess, aside from our luggage being really easy to find. Signs on the boat that were to direct us that the crew said to ignore. People taking us out of one line to put us in another line to be told to go back to the original line. Endless hallways, as customs is apt to be. That is the Port and not NCL though.

 

All in all, will we cruise again? Doubtful. The ship was beautiful. It was clean. It was fully staffed and most everyone was very helpful. My brother’s allergies not being understood is an issue and we tend to travel together. I don’t understand bored vs relaxed, so I spent a lot of time wandering looking for things to do. (That was a me thing.) I just think I am more of a land vacation, rental car, spend time exploring person than spending so much time getting to and from my destination. Being an early bird meant I missed out on a lot of the bigger entertainment productions. That is a me thing, I imagine. Aside from one couple, everyone on board seemed drama free, which I appreciated. It was nice to dip my toe in the cruising world on such a beautiful itinerary, but I am more a ‘destination’ than a ‘journey’ person. 

 

 

 

 

[complawyer]

so in the end, in reality, it was you. we were on the bliss to alaska last july with a club balcony suite.

 

having previously been on an Alaskan cruise, i didnt much care about the ports or the offered excursions.

 

the ship however was amazing. i wouldnt have minded spending the entire 7 days in the observation lounge.

 

sorry that your cruise was a bust. but i wouldnt hesitate to book the bliss again.

 

im pretty sure he is no longer there, but there was a greeter when you entered the buffet. he smiled and sang and was generally a joy throughout the entire trip. i had to comment that i have never seen anyone take so much pride and joy in their work as this man.  when we got home i entered him in my "hero" evaluation

[complawyer]

sorry, just have to add a couple more comments (1) the shows on board were jersey boys and six.

 

jersey boys was almost a carbon copy of the movie and we walked out in the middle. i thought the acoustics were awful, and more specifically, Frankie Valli he ain't!

 

on the other hand, Six was unbelievable. we're going to see it again at the theater in los angeles this thurs.

 (2) we went to cagney's twice this cruise. while i concede the quality of cagney's and moderno has gone down a few notches, i have never had a "bad" meal at cagney's. some not as good as others, but generally speaking nothing to really complain about!

[LrgPizza]

I’m sorry you missed Six. It is still playing on Broadway, and it is fabulous!  Personally, I can’t imagine being bored on a cruise - or relaxing on one, for that matter. For us, the ship is the destination, and we never have enough time to do all we want to do. It’s pretty much go, go, go the entire trip. That said, cruising isn’t for everyone, and we enjoy land trips just as well.  Sorry your trip was a bust. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

We did Bliss B2B last month and I'm ready to do it again... and again... and again.😎

[complawyer]

way to go !!!! chief

[Greenpea2]

Loved the Bliss!

[hallux]

11 hours ago, WestCoastDeb said:

one of our party is allergic to artificial sweeteners but no one in the brewery staff knew what ‘artificial sweeteners’ were to be able to tell us if the premade drinks had them. No big deal, we just steered clear of anything that could be dodgy.

For this..

 

First - NCL has an "accessible cruising" form on their site that you can fill out prior to your trip, to alert the ship of allergies. 

Second - You can also then go to a dining room on embarkation to discuss the allergy, which in your case might also involve a senior member of the bar staff who might be able to answer the questions better than a random bartender.  If he or she doesn't know they will be more likely to research it and let you know.  NCL really do seem to care about accommodating allergies.

Last - I wouldn't have said "artificial sweeteners", I would have said "natural sugar only". They may still not have been able to answer your question as to which drinks he could have, but they may have understood the question better and might have been able to seek answers to your question better.

 

I'm sorry to hear that you feel cruising is not for you, not everyone enjoys "ship life".  The Bliss was my first NCL ship, she really is beautiful.

[cruiseny4life]

Thanks for adding in your review. It's refreshing to hear someone that hasn't taken 3,092,329.78 cruises discuss their cruise experience. And, I'm glad you took an Alaska cruise so you were able to see the beauty of the region. But, hey, now you know the cruise experience isn't quite for you. That's good! Enjoy those marvelous land-based trips. There are a lot of places to see in this world and you sure don't need to be on a boat to see them...well, except for, maybe the small islands. 

[tonit964]

It was you, which is not a bad thing, you just don't enjoy cruising, which again nothing wrong with that. At least you gave it a try! 

I hope your next vacation is wonderful.

[eileeshb]

11 hours ago, WestCoastDeb said:

All in all, will we cruise again? Doubtful. The ship was beautiful. It was clean. It was fully staffed and most everyone was very helpful. My brother’s allergies not being understood is an issue and we tend to travel together. I don’t understand bored vs relaxed, so I spent a lot of time wandering looking for things to do. (That was a me thing.) I just think I am more of a land vacation, rental car, spend time exploring person than spending so much time getting to and from my destination. Being an early bird meant I missed out on a lot of the bigger entertainment productions. That is a me thing, I imagine. Aside from one couple, everyone on board seemed drama free, which I appreciated. It was nice to dip my toe in the cruising world on such a beautiful itinerary, but I am more a ‘destination’ than a ‘journey’ person. 

You may enjoy a more port intensive itinerary like in the Caribbean or Europe where there's a new port every day with plenty of activities to pick through either the cruiseline or independent providers.  The big shows usually have 2 stagings, one about 7/7.30pm and the other at 9.30pm but to make the early show you have to have dinner early. 

Personally I can't hack a "traditional" (for irish folks) sun holiday where you spend 8 hours a day on a sun lounger, I get bored out of my mind within an hour. But cruising suits me perfectly. 

There are definitely cruisers for whom the ship is the main criteria and others for whom the ports are the main factor, I fall into the latter category. 

[WestCoastDeb]

2 hours ago, hallux said:

For this..

 

First - NCL has an "accessible cruising" form on their site that you can fill out prior to your trip, to alert the ship of allergies. 

 

We did this ahead of time, hoping the issue would be noted. 

 

Maybe we could have phrased it differently. As it stands, we were just disappointed that such an inclusive (from all accounts) line would not be prepared, but it is also kind of an obscure allergy so we just rolled with it as if we were on land. Don't eat anything that could be iffy, simple enough. 

[WestCoastDeb]

1 hour ago, cruiseny4life said:

Thanks for adding in your review. It's refreshing to hear someone that hasn't taken 3,092,329.78 cruises discuss their cruise experience. And, I'm glad you took an Alaska cruise so you were able to see the beauty of the region. But, hey, now you know the cruise experience isn't quite for you. That's good! Enjoy those marvelous land-based trips. There are a lot of places to see in this world and you sure don't need to be on a boat to see them...well, except for, maybe the small islands. 

 

 

I worried I would get roasted here, but I also wanted other people like me to have a chance at a review that may speak to them. 

 

I love Alaska and I will be back. For me, the area we cruised looked similar enough to the PNW (I am lucky, I am so lucky to live in such a stunning place). 

 

I don't want to come across as negative about the whole experience. Other people loved it! I loved the people watching. It is a great type of trip to take for mixed accessibility needs - my brothers booked a Caribbean cruise while on board to take an aging parent on who has dialysis and mobility needs. There are not many trips you can go on that are simple for that. 

[schmoopie17]

Since you're relatively new to CC, there is a phrase that is used here often...YMMV. (AKA...Your Mileage Might Vary).

 

It is apparent that YM did V.

 

Sorry about your experience...the Bliss remains our all-time favorite NCL ship. 

Edited May 16, 2023 by schmoopie17

[WestCoastDeb]

I keep thinking of more details to add. 

 

Elevators. Many people complain about the elevators. We found them sufficient. Sometimes they were slow but where were we headed in a rush anyway? We typically avoided them at times they were expected to be busy and we were fine. 

 

The Observation Lounge - I have so many good things to say about the seats there. My sciatica is DISPLEASED and those chairs didnt hurt. I was so happy for that.

 

The thermostat in the room had no instructions. In fact, nothing in the room did. Most of it didn't need them but knowing what I was setting the thermostat to would have been nice. 

 

I was glad to have the Freestyle Daily in my phone. It was really helpful for planning from anywhere. 

 

We never experienced a wait going to Savor or Taste, which was nice. My group went to the Manhattan Room one of the nights (I did not) and raved about it. It sounds like that is the MDR to visit. 

 

We saw a lot of whale spouts and my husband saw some whales just off the bow of the ship one morning, which was lovely. There were eagles all over the port in Icy Strait. 

 

My brothers are a gay couple (technically my brother and BIL, but whatever). One of them is heavily tattooed. To my knowledge they did not experience any issues due to this. Sad that I should need to mention it, but it is worth pointing out. Even the people on our excursions who were discussing their heavily conservative religious views were super kind. Our excursion guides were awesome and knowledgeable too. I would tour with them again. 

 

I found our cabins to be quiet, aside from the general mechanical sounds of the boat. As an early to bed person, that was great. 

 

The breakfast pastry singing ladies were there, and I can understand why people love them. I found them a little much for pre-coffee me, but I also dont like Disney so that is just a personality flaw I embrace these days. I felt the same about the 'washy washy' songs. 

 

The theatre chairs were wonderfully comfortable. The sound was good for the things we saw/times we were there (magic show, meeting before excursions, and a presentation about Alaska). There was even AC coming out of the back of the chairs, so the temp stayed lovely. 

 

There was never a time when I wanted to be in a space and did not find a seat there. Maybe that was luck, maybe it was great design. I did write that on my feedback card and really appreciated it. 

 

 

[curlstravel]

Pastry singing ladies are definitely not for me either.  Especially at breakfast!!!

[ChiefMateJRK]

42 minutes ago, WestCoastDeb said:

The breakfast pastry singing ladies were there, and I can understand why people love them. I found them a little much for pre-coffee me

 

25 minutes ago, curlstravel said:

Pastry singing ladies are definitely not for me either.

I recommend the MDR for you folks.  We tend to alternate between the buffet and MDR for breakfast.  That said, I do enjoy the Pastry Queens.😎

[WestCoastDeb]

The MDR is where I met the singing pastry ladies. I got a laugh out of them - just so you know I didnt Oscar the Grouch in their direction 😝

[ceilidh1]

27 minutes ago, WestCoastDeb said:

The MDR is where I met the singing pastry ladies. I got a laugh out of them - just so you know I didnt Oscar the Grouch in their direction 😝

I can't handle anyone being that cheery and jolly before I've had at least 3 cups of coffee...lol

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

I can't handle anyone being that cheery and jolly before I've had at least 3 cups of coffee...lol

Well there's your mistake.  Try a Bloody Mary next cruise.  😎

[Travelling2Some]

59 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Well there's your mistake.  Try a Bloody Mary next cruise.  😎

 

I so appreciate your enthusiasm for my bad habits.  It seems like every trip I come home with a new one (phony sigh).  The Bliss recently instilled a fondness for prosecco at breakfast.

[Jordan61]

On 5/16/2023 at 10:09 AM, WestCoastDeb said:

I felt the same about the 'washy washy' songs. 

 

LOL, we are on the Bliss now, and the first time we went to the buffet and got the washy washy song, husband muttered to me, "does that guy come with a volume control?"

[psuboater]

On 5/16/2023 at 8:19 AM, WestCoastDeb said:

 

 

I worried I would get roasted here, but I also wanted other people like me to have a chance at a review that may speak to them. 

 

I love Alaska and I will be back. For me, the area we cruised looked similar enough to the PNW (I am lucky, I am so lucky to live in such a stunning place). 

 

I don't want to come across as negative about the whole experience. Other people loved it! I loved the people watching. It is a great type of trip to take for mixed accessibility needs - my brothers booked a Caribbean cruise while on board to take an aging parent on who has dialysis and mobility needs. There are not many trips you can go on that are simple for that. 

I feel this. The first time we went to Alaska in 2008 it was my first time in the PNW. I was stunned! I still remember spotting my first bald eagle...

 

...now living on Whidbey Island, WA, we have a pair of bald eagles in our neighborhood that eye our corgi as a snack 😄.  I went to Alaska on a last minute with my family last year and I felt that it was just a magnfied place of where I already live. I think that might have contributed to your boredom. 

[Liljo22]

There were definitely issues that NCL could of and should of controlled but I think a lot of it was you.  I am not saying that in a bad way.  Just cruising might not be for you especially if you are prone to sea sickness.  I have been on small ships all the way up to RCL Oasis class ships and they usually had one sea day that the ship rocked pretty bad.  For activities, all the mass market cruise lines pretty much have similar types of daily activities.  They all have art auctions, port shopping presentations, trivia, inappropriate pool side contests and so on.  

[FLAHAM]

Wouldn’t cruise without a Kindle loaded with at least two or three unread books.