Just back…BLISS. November 5-12

[laudergayle]

Well, the title sort of gives it away.  Just back from a 7-day Mexican Riviera itinerary on the Bliss.  The Bliss did not disappoint.  DH would say this cruise was Epic…and I had to remind him we were on the Bliss.

 

Which in turn, he would remind me that this was his redemption cruise…even though it was my birthday cruise.  In fairness, we “joyfully” shared the Blissful experience.  Oh my…is the Joy in our future.  I digress.

 

Truth be told, our last cruise on the Bliss in May 2022, on Day 3, hubby got sick with norovirus, the morning after eating at Cagney’s.  We blamed Cagney’s until…in my sleep, I remembered I made him move from a sour smelling sofa in the Observation Lounge.  It wasn’t Cagney’s (yay)…but the norovirus breakout from the previous cruise.  We’ll come back to Cagney’s in a bit…for now, tuck it away for future reference.

 

Our clock says Midnight EST and my body/brain has finally caught up with having been in 8 time zones in 9 days…EDT, PDT, PST, MST, CST, MST, PST, EST. 

 

And, most importantly this evening…My “kitty kitty” still loves me and this story will continue tomorrow.   I hope you stay tuned😊

[vacation44]

Staying tuned and happy to read you had a blissful time.

[DominicAUS]

So glad you had an amazing time. Just love the Bliss and can’t wait to spend 20 blissful days on her in Jan. 

 

Look forward to hearing more 😎😎

[hallux]

6 hours ago, DominicAUS said:

Just love the Bliss and can’t wait to spend 20 blissful days on her in Jan. 

I love that ship also, and will be on her for 15 days in Jan/Feb...

[nhtravels]

We can't wait to book an Encore on the Bliss for an Escape to some beautiful weather!  It's getting cold here!

 

Can't wait to hear about your trip!

[Smitheroo]

2 minutes ago, nhtravels said:

We can't wait to book an Encore on the Bliss for an Escape to some beautiful weather!  It's getting cold here!

 

Can't wait to hear about your trip!

Love the names of the NCL ships.  So much better (my opinion) than mouthfuls like "Anthem of the Seas". 

[cruiseny4life]

Happy birthday again!! I'm so glad to see you report back. And, most importantly, that "kitty kitty" is still acknowledging your presence after a week away from home! YAY! Can't wait to hear more about your wonderful trip. Be sure to get some rest! That's a lot of time changes to get through.

[graphicguy]

[laudergayle]

For the Tale of Bliss to continue, one first must get on the ship.

 

Our flight from ATL to LAX was smooth, and 4 hours and 2 movies later, touchdown.  Shuttle to LAXIT and a $51 plus tip ride with Uber to the Crowne Plaza LA cruise port in San Pedro…where we were surprised with a corner suite.

 

The Crowne Plaza is a perfect pre-cruise hotel.  They have onsite bar, dinner and breakfast restaurant, a grab-n-go, but most importantly they offer a shuttle to the cruise port for $5.50 pp.

 

Our pre-cruise tradition has somehow turned into local pizza the night before the cruise.  Around the corner from the hotel was Buono’s…and the veggie pizza likely weighed 5 lbs.  it was nice to not having to eat in bed🙂

Cruise Day has finally arrived!!  The hotel lobby was filled with excited cruisers and the shuttle filled quickly.  We got to the cruise terminal shortly before 10 am and checked in by 10:00.  Boarding began at 11:15 with Haven to the left of the terminal then Latitudes.  However, on the right they began boarding Priority Access about the same time as Haven.  By 11:30 we mustered, made dinner reservations, got entertainment schedule and we’re seated at The Local for lunch.  Burger and fries for DH and Chicken Salad sammy for me.  Let the “eating extravaganza “ begin.

 

 

Next up…the ship…appropriately named The Bliss.

 

 

 

[Bruce Knight]

Look forward to this review - My mother and I are doing the Panama Canal in January on the Bliss and we are staying at same hotel - glad to hear it is solid choice!

[Sand and Seas]

We love the Bliss!  Looking forward to your review😊

[cruiseny4life]

47 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

Our flight from ATL to LAX was smooth, and 4 hours and 2 movies later, touchdown.  Shuttle to LAXIT and a $51 plus tip ride with Uber to the Crowne Plaza LA cruise port in San Pedro…where we were surprised with a corner suite.

 

The Crowne Plaza is a perfect pre-cruise hotel.  They have onsite bar, dinner and breakfast restaurant, a grab-n-go, but most importantly they offer a shuttle to the cruise port for $5.50 pp.

 

Our pre-cruise tradition has somehow turned into local pizza the night before the cruise.  Around the corner from the hotel was Buono’s…and the veggie pizza likely weighed 5 lbs.  it was nice to not having to eat in bed🙂

 

Well now, that is one fancy hotel to stay in! And a corner suite! Love it....treating yo'self right from the beginning! 

 

That pizza looks great! Was that 5 pounder tasty? And did you and your husband devour that entire thing? Pretty sure we could, but I'd be pretty bloated! I shouldn't say "we." There is not a chance in hell my lovely husband would touch a pizza with so many veggies on it. 🙂

 

I'm still waiting here for all the deets on your cruise!!!

[ChiefMateJRK]

I'll be following.  The Bliss and Encore are my two favorites.  I used to include the Joy, but their plans to screw it up next Spring had me removing it from several future plans.

 

Our Cat does fine when we're gone, except that he tells us about it for about the first half hour after we return.  DS looks after him while we're gone, so he's not neglected.🐈  Please let me know if the group "Siglo" is still on the Bliss.  Those guys were fantastic.

Edited November 13, 2023 by ChiefMateJRK

[schmoopie17]

Our all-time favorite cocktail waiter/bartender was on the Bliss. His name is Carlo and is quite the character. If you had the pleasure of encountering him, you were lucky.

Edited November 13, 2023 by schmoopie17

[HBCcruiser]

2 hours ago, laudergayle said:

 By 11:30 we mustered, made dinner reservations, got entertainment schedule and we’re seated at The Local for lunch.

Where did you go to make dinner reservations? Thanks for the review BTW. Enjoy your cruise! 

[laudergayle]

35 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

Where did you go to make dinner reservations? Thanks for the review BTW. Enjoy your cruise! 

Thanks!  We embarked and disembarked on Deck 7.  Restaurant reservations we’re at Teppanyaki Deck 6 and Entertainment reservations/schedule right across at The Social. 

[laudergayle]

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

That pizza looks great! Was that 5 pounder tasty? And did you and your husband devour that entire thing? Pretty sure we could, but I'd be pretty bloated! I shouldn't say "we." There is not a chance in hell my lovely husband would touch a pizza with so many veggies on it. 🙂

The amount of veggie toppings was a bit much…and the crust was dense.  I barely made it through one piece.  Should we ever return, I will order one of their pasta dishes.  

 

2 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

Our all-time favorite cocktail waiter/bartender was on the Bliss. His name is Carlo and is quite the character. If you had the pleasure of encountering him, you were lucky.

Our favorite bartenders were in the Observation Lounge.  They were all so jovial…cutting up with each other and the guests.  Unfortunately I don’t their names.  

[laudergayle]

The BLISS.  Hands down our favorite NCL ship.  While we like them all for different reasons, the Bliss encompasses the best of the others we’ve sailed (Bliss, Prima, Epic, Breakaway, Jade).

 

Our cruise went to the Mexican Riviera including Cabo, Puerto Valletta, Mazatlan and Ensenada.  Double Occupancy capacity is 4000, and our sailing was sold out a couple weeks before sail date. However, there were quite a few solos and very few kids.  The layout of the Bliss distributes guests across the ship so it rarely felt over crowded. The elevators were mostly packed…so we often took the stairs (which helped with the abundance of food).  

 

This was a warm weather cruise for many (not me 😁) and the pool deck and water slides were in full swing.  Which was great because those of us who live south of the Mason Dixon line had wide open space inside.  We easily found seats in the Atrium for shows and in the Observation Lounge for relaxing.  The OL is incredible and the right size for the passenger count.  I agree with @ChiefMateJRK it is a shame the Joy is reducing the size of theirs.  And, IMO Prima’s is a little on the small side.

There are 22 bars on board…so many places to enjoy the FAS drink package. 🤪 Our favs were the Skyline in the casino, in the OL and outside The Whisky Bar on the waterfront.  We didn’t make it to the Brewhouse until the last sea day, which was unfortunate as the beer selection was vast, and the views of the wake were beautiful. 

There is the Vibe, but we didn’t purchase passes.  Here is something I found interesting.  The Vibe is on Deck 19, starboard side.  As I understand, in theVibe you get padded loungers, hot tub, water feature, bar service and rest rooms.  On Deck 19, port side, there is a public deck with padded loungers, hot tub, shower, bar and rest rooms…for FREE.  You can access by walking up from Deck 16, but few people do this.  Or, FWD elevator bank, port side one elevator goes to Deck 19.  It’s a hidden gem…thank you ☺️.

 

We stayed in a Club Balcony cabin…deck 12 mid-ship.  

We were greeted with our complimentary DUC sparkling wine, our 2 Latitude waters…and, just in case we were thirsty…12 cartons of Flow Water 💦 🙃

 

 

 

 

[cruiseny4life]

2 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

On Deck 19, port side, there is a public deck with padded loungers, hot tub, shower, bar and rest rooms…for FREE.  You can access by walking up from Deck 16, but few people do this.  Or, FWD elevator bank, port side one elevator goes to Deck 19.  It’s a hidden gem…thank you ☺️.

Don't be giving away all the secrets!!! Glad you found a really great spot to hang out and enjoy the passing waves. 

 

2 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

We were greeted with our complimentary DUC sparkling wine, our 2 Latitude waters…and, just in case we were thirsty…12 cartons of Flow Water 💦 🙃

Looks like someone booked in that elusive Sept - Dec booking period. Right, @vacation44? Did you go through 12 cartons of water? 

[laudergayle]

3 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Did you go through 12 cartons of water? 

I turned it into wine 🤣

[Bostonjetset]

5 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

The BLISS.  Hands down our favorite NCL ship.  While we like them all for different reasons, the Bliss encompasses the best of the others we’ve sailed (Bliss, Prima, Epic, Breakaway, Jade).

 

Our cruise went to the Mexican Riviera including Cabo, Puerto Valletta, Mazatlan and Ensenada.  Double Occupancy capacity is 4000, and our sailing was sold out a couple weeks before sail date. However, there were quite a few solos and very few kids.  The layout of the Bliss distributes guests across the ship so it rarely felt over crowded. The elevators were mostly packed…so we often took the stairs (which helped with the abundance of food).  

 

This was a warm weather cruise for many (not me 😁) and the pool deck and water slides were in full swing.  Which was great because those of us who live south of the Mason Dixon line had wide open space inside.  We easily found seats in the Atrium for shows and in the Observation Lounge for relaxing.  The OL is incredible and the right size for the passenger count.  I agree with @ChiefMateJRK it is a shame the Joy is reducing the size of theirs.  And, IMO Prima’s is a little on the small side.

There are 22 bars on board…so many places to enjoy the FAS drink package. 🤪 Our favs were the Skyline in the casino, in the OL and outside The Whisky Bar on the waterfront.  We didn’t make it to the Brewhouse until the last sea day, which was unfortunate as the beer selection was vast, and the views of the wake were beautiful. 

There is the Vibe, but we didn’t purchase passes.  Here is something I found interesting.  The Vibe is on Deck 19, starboard side.  As I understand, in theVibe you get padded loungers, hot tub, water feature, bar service and rest rooms.  On Deck 19, port side, there is a public deck with padded loungers, hot tub, shower, bar and rest rooms…for FREE.  You can access by walking up from Deck 16, but few people do this.  Or, FWD elevator bank, port side one elevator goes to Deck 19.  It’s a hidden gem…thank you ☺️.

 

We stayed in a Club Balcony cabin…deck 12 mid-ship.  

We were greeted with our complimentary DUC sparkling wine, our 2 Latitude waters…and, just in case we were thirsty…12 cartons of Flow Water 💦 🙃

 

 

 

 

There is a free hot tub on 19?!?  That would’ve been nice to know. I was on the cruise before you and BOTH hot tubs in Spice H20 were closed the whole cruise. When I asked about other options at the reception desk she didn’t mention deck 19 to me at all; only the four on the loud main pool deck that were always full. 🤬

 

I’m glad you had a good cruise. How was your tendering in Cabo?

[laudergayle]

3 minutes ago, Bostonjetset said:

How was your tendering in Cabo?

Oh Lordy…I’ll get to that soon.  But probably not as bad as your cruise prior to ours.

Edited November 13, 2023 by laudergayle

[HBCcruiser]

6 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

We stayed in a Club Balcony cabin…deck 12 mid-ship.  

Too funny! We will be in  MA 13792 for New Years! Did you like the cabin? My guess is that it will be a full cruise - ours will probably have more children though. We want to try to change some of our dining reservations to a later time. Did you have difficulty booking/changing your reservations at all? This is the first time we are sailing as platinum. Did you get t enjoy your latitudes perks? Sorry for all of the Q's. 

[Bostonjetset]

11 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

Oh Lordy…I’ll get to that soon.  But probably not as bad as your cruise prior to ours.

Haha. You read my review?  Or were there people left over from my cruise on yours? Lol. It was the worst tender operation I’ve ever experienced. 

[vacation44]

20 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

 

Looks like someone booked in that elusive Sept - Dec booking period. Right, @vacation44? Did you go through 12 cartons of water? 

Oh, the memories of the water scandal of 2022!   Yes, we used them all as we had our young adult children with us and they are big water drinkers and made everyone else in our extended family drink plenty of water off the ship.