LIVE from the Bliss: 10/29 - 11/3

[New2cruise2022]

I know, it’s 2 weeks before I get to the good stuff. BUT that’s 14 days for you to tell me what questions you want answers to, what pictures you want to see, and what details matter.
 

If I can’t be on a cruise, I want to have vicarious enjoyment from home (work?) through the adventures of others. I’ve done a few LIVE posts over the years here on Cruise Critic and I collaborate with my brother @drwbrt who shares this hobby with me, whether we are on a ship together or not. 

[New2cruise2022]

The Details

We — myself (47) and two of my sons (19 and 17) — booked this 5-day Mexican Riviera cruise 37 days away from embarkation. This is the closest to embarkation we have ever booked, but the price was right and we like the thought of a Halloween cruise and spending Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico. 

 

This will be our second time on the Bliss, and the second time with this itinerary, leaving from San Pedro in Los Angeles and stopping in Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada. We booked a Guaranteed Interior rate.

 

Our stateroom was assigned the day after booking,  36 days until embarkation. I was surprised it was assigned so early, but it was also my first time booking a GTY. So, I guess perhaps this is normal. I just thought NCL would wait and assign much closer to embarkation. 🤷🏿‍♂️

[laudergayle]

8 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

we like the thought of a Halloween cruise and spending Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico. 

We were in PV last year a few days after the Day of the Dead.  They still had all the displays up.  We really enjoyed looking at them all…but man was it HOT and HUMID.  And, we’re use to that kinda of weather!!  Enjoy your cruise…looking forward to your Live.

 

 

[New2cruise2022]

5 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

We were in PV last year a few days after the Day of the Dead.  They still had all the displays up.  We really enjoyed looking at them all…but man was it HOT and HUMID.  And, we’re use to that kinda of weather!!  Enjoy your cruise…looking forward to your Live.

 

 

I think Cabo and Ensenada are kind of USA-light ports. That isn’t a complaint, but they are so frequently full of American tourists that the experiences and prices lack some of that exotic, otherworldly experience other ports might offer. PV is still very Americanized in parts but feels a bit further away and more driven by culture than Cabo or Ensenada. Fingers crossed 🤞🏽 for a festive feel on this cruise. 

[laudergayle]

32 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

bit further away and more driven by culture than

We took the public bus down to the Malecon…you will feel like a local.  We also did a workshop at the ChocoMuseo down there.  Very interesting (but not that hygienic).  

 

[drwbrt]

It's been  3  days since my last cruise. Please take me with you.

[New2cruise2022]

9 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

It's been  3  days since my last cruise. Please take me with you.

It’s not too late. Book it. What do you have to lose? A job? A marriage?

 

It would be fun …

[drwbrt]

10 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

It’s not too late. Book it. What do you have to lose? A job? A marriage?

 

It would be fun …

Yeah...money and desire are not the issue.

[Kasher Cee]

I am so excited for this cruise! It has been about 8 years since I last cruised and this is my first time on Norwegian! 🙂

[Kasher Cee]

Can someone please make the time go faster?? I am so excited for this cruise! (Of course - time MUST slow down while on the ship!) LOL

[New2cruise2022]

5 hours ago, Kasher Cee said:

Can someone please make the time go faster?? I am so excited for this cruise! (Of course - time MUST slow down while on the ship!) LOL

This is it exactly. Since we can’t slow down time, we LENGTHEN the cruise. Not the days on ship (unfortunately) but the days and weeks and months (and years) leading up to it are filled with planning, researching, anticipating.

 

Hopefully this LIVE will help someone get ready for and enjoy the anticipation before their cruise. 

[New2cruise2022]

Norwegian Bliss and the many tenders bringing passengers to and from Cabo San Lucas. 
 

The Bliss

We were on the Bliss at the end of January 2023. The ship was built in 2018 but saw limited time full of its capacity 4,000 passengers due to the interruption known as Covid. The ship was refurbished in 2021. We really liked the layout of the Bliss with the Waterfront, a great outdoor space promenade, and the Observation Lounge which boasts forward views with huge windows wrapped around the front of the ship and a comfortable indoor space. 

[New2cruise2022]

I’m not good at waiting. I had to wait 40 minutes after sunset to see a comet that took 80,000 years to wave at earth. So yeah, 2 more weeks to wait for a cruise may be the end of me.  

T-minus 2 Weeks

For me, 2 weeks to go feels very close to go time. Preparations are in full swing as I get things at home and work settled. I spend way too much time consuming cruise news, reviews, and the latest on CC. It isn’t helping that my brother/best friend/cruising partner, @drwbrt just returned from a 7-day Caribbean cruise on Carnival Mardi Gras. 

He was nice enough to bring me along his journey with his 7 kids and his Uncle Milton. Milton was a trouble make but didn’t make too many waves for my brother. 

[ninjacat123]

I've been to Ensenada, never to Cabo and never on NCL!  Looking forward to your countdown and review!!💃😸

[New2cruise2022]

Online Check-In

We did online check-in a week ago. The process was easy, despite not being perfect. There were some app issues that were solved very quickly with a quick login on the computer. Again, not perfect but I didn’t feel inconvenienced. Pictures were accepted on first take and the passports scanned nicely speeding up data entry. It is satisfying to see “Completed” lit up in green on my Pre-Cruise Checklist in the NCL app. EDocs showed up in the app the following day. 

Side note: So far I have been impressed with the latest version of the app. It has allowed me to navigate pretty well and I was able to take care of all of my dinner reservations for both MDR and speciality dining. 

[New2cruise2022]

2 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

 

Online Check-In

We did online check-in a week ago. The process was easy, despite not being perfect. There were some app issues that were solved very quickly with a quick login on the computer. Again, not perfect but I didn’t feel inconvenienced. Pictures were accepted on first take and the passports scanned nicely speeding up data entry. It is satisfying to see “Completed” lit up in green on my Pre-Cruise Checklist in the NCL app. EDocs showed up in the app the following day. 

Side note: So far I have been impressed with the latest version of the app. It has allowed me to navigate pretty well and I was able to take care of all of my dinner reservations for both MDR and speciality dining. 

I know I’m vain, but the last post makes me embarrassed. 
1) The 18% battery life in the upper right-hand corner. I know it’s almost 11 at night when I took the screenshot. But I DO NOT like to be running low like that. I’m the guy that fills the gas tank when it’s under a half tank. 
2) I didn’t block out my name in the upper left-hand corner. This has nothing to do with privacy. It has everything to do with that being the name (full legal as it is) my parents gave me and continue to use to this day. Despite shortening that name to Nate when I was in 4th grade (don’t ask, but 1988), mom and dad still greet me with Nathan. 🤢 

[ninjacat123]

Are you all bringing costumes for Halloween?

[New2cruise2022]

9 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Are you all bringing costumes for Halloween?

If there is a place I feel “unprepared” it is on this topic. I do think we will bring something to be … festive. We do not have anything planned yet. This indecision is driven by cost and effort. If I decide I’m all in, I’ll budget a little more for the costume.

 

I welcome any suggestions for separate or group costume for three men. 

[ninjacat123]

This did make me laugh!

[ninjacat123]

Or you could go simple with with this...

 

[New2cruise2022]

Our Experience Last Time On The Bliss

We came back from our last trip with great — albeit tempered — reviews. We loved the ship as I mentioned before. The layout is great, as it is intuitive and easy to navigate. With only 2 elevator banks, I believe the elevators can be a point of concern for some passengers, but we didn’t mind taking stairs. This doesn’t work for everyone, so I may test the elevators for speed and availability this next time. 

 

I say that our review is somewhat tempered because we adjusted our expectations to account for the start-up after Covid. 👎🏼 After a no-sail order in March 2020, operations for most cruise lines did not resume until the summer of 2021, and usually with limited capacity. This cruise was among the first sailings that didn’t require or discuss vaccine cards, negative tests, or mandatory masks. However, in early 2023, the world was still restoring distribution chains worldwide and availability of products wasn’t always consistent. 

 

NCL — as with many cruise lines — had an interruption with staffing and bringing in experienced crew that knew the policies and procedures of the particular cruise line. The interruption also seemed to impact the language adaptation and many crew members severely struggled to communicate in English as a result. The staff didn’t seem as friendly, as attentive, or accurate. We took this into account when we cruised and we were very careful to not be overly critical of mistakes because of the inexperience and language barrier. I will be gauging the NCL crew against that first experience when we travel in the coming weeks.
 

Provisioning for the ship wasn’t perfect but we didn’t expect them to have every food and drink as we were still experiencing shortages at home in our grocery stores. The first few days we didn’t have any lettuce on the ship. Zero. Not for sandwiches or salads. Not in the MDR or the buffet. We got to Cabo and saw boats and tenders full of lettuce heading back to the ship. This was an extreme example, but there were lots of items NCL could deliver to the table. Some of it was obviously legitimate, but it perhaps was an easy excuse for other items. 🤷🏿‍♂️ 

 

Pictures of bar offerings in January 2023. We went in scavenger hunts to find brands and myth bust reports of unavailable brands floating around in Cruise Critic. 😂 

[New2cruise2022]

Our Experience Last Time … cont’d

The Food: Despite the aforementioned problems with provisioning, we liked the food across the ship. We only made a few visits to the MDR and enjoyed daily time at the buffet, late night trips to The Local, and specialty dining at Cagney’s (steakhouse), La Cucina (Italian), and Food Republic (Asian fusion). 

 

There was little if anything we thought tasted bad or inedible. Some food wasn’t to our liking, and perhaps because of execution, but nothing was offensive. We found cookies and desserts that we liked. We did not go hungry and suspect that no one would. The buffet was above standard for size and variety. The specialty dining was elevated ambiance and food quality as far as taste and presentation. 

 

Timing is always a concern for dining, both duration of any given meal and the speed of food from kitchen to table. The durations were long at time. Lunch in the MDR was 80-90 minutes. Specialty dining stretched out to nearly 3 hours in La Cucina, 2+ hours at Cagney’s. Food Republic was great for sharing and it was quick with dining around 60 minutes. 

 

I am particularly sensitive to food being the right temperature. If it is best served hot, I want it hot. If it’s best served cold, I want it cold. I thought most of the time the food was within range of acceptable temperatures, but I never noted something being perfect. That is part of what comes with serving 4000 people three times a day. I plan to test and report on the timing with this cruise. 

 

The Local is the 24-hour late night, bar/pub option. With the closeness to the restart after Covid, the Local closed by 12:30 AM most nights. From what I have read, it seems to have moved to a nearly 24-hour never closed, with only a short hour pause before breakfast around 4-5:30 AM. I love the concept and the menu offerings at the Local, including wings. It was one place on the ship where we wanted more in speed and execution than was provided. Fingers are crossed for improvements at the Local as it was still a very fun late night hang. I’ll include copies of the dailies with times and verify as we are a bit of night owls and early risers. 

Hush Puppies in the MDR for lunch. Texture and flavor were good enough for me to return to the MDR for lunch on a sea day and have them again. 

 

Potstickers at Food Republic. We loved ordering on the tablet, sharing our selections. I think my boys plan to go there again because they liked it so much the last time. 
 

I am a lawyer by trade but I ended up owning a pizzeria. La Cucina was very good and we enjoyed the pizza, the pasta, and appetizers like this burrata and tomatoes appetizer. 
 

I could do with out the brown decorative streak, as I did my boys’ laundry when they were growing up. But the tiramisu at La Cucina really was good. 
 

This filet at Cagney’s was cooked to perfection and tender. On of the best eats of the entire cruise. 

[ninjacat123]

The brown decorative streak…🤣🤣🤣

[New2cruise2022]

I can’t have little brown streak be the most recent post …

 

Our Experience Last Time … cont’d

Entertainment: It’s an important category for a lot of people. And I guess it should include all ship activities. For me, this is about creating an atmosphere and providing entertainment (shows, game shows, informational presentations, pools, hot tubs, music, etc). We felt like the last time we were on the Bliss, there were more activities than we had time to enjoy over 5 days. This was a good problem for us to have. 

 

The layout and atmosphere appealed to us. As mentioned earlier, The Observation Lounge is relaxing comfort. I have read that in inclement weather and with lots to see (think glaciers in Alaska) the crowds in the lounge could create more annoyance than relaxation. For us — with no glaciers in sight on our trip to Mexico — it NEVER seemed overly crowded. Occasionally, finding a seat for a group was more challenging, but never annoying or frustrating. We talked here, played cards here, laughed way too loud playing Cards Against Humanity, and enjoyed snacks and drinks all day long. Two thumbs way up. 👍🏿 👍🏿 

 

The Waterfront offers a great outdoor space for sitting and relaxing, and nice long and wide real estate for taking a walk and enjoying the view while you burn some calories before your next unnecessary feeding. We look forward to seeing if it still has the same feel. 

 

Maltings bar was always a nice hub for us. Good, comfortable seats, great drinks, and a lively crowd. The Cavern Club an homage to the Beatles stage overseas, was on the small side. Although some may have been turned away at capacity, keeping the very small made it feel livelier than it was at times. We will be very interested to see if the Beatles are a still a big draw and if the space still feels as fun and cool. 

 

When we sailed in 2023, both Jersey Boys and Six were playing. I believe there is just Jersey Boys and perhaps another song ensemble show, but no more Six. We will report back. 

 

There are go karts and laser tag up top. We did both. We enjoyed both. But, the cost didn’t deliver the value we wanted. Either way, they are fun options that feel enough out of place in the middle of the sea that it delivers a novelty. YMMV. 

 

@drwbrt on the hunt during laser tag. He was on my team. Not shown: The 8 other women on our that were there celebrating their 70th birthdays. No, we didn’t win. But we had a great time. Maybe I will have to do laser tag again …

 

The Social Club feels like it is too small for the ship. But, like the Cavern Club, it works. We saw comedians twice and we enjoyed the humor and the crowd. We have not been as impressed with comedians on other cruise lines since. We will see if it is all luck or if the Bliss can deliver again. 
 

Just add Fab Four. The recipe for a good show while you enjoy a beer. 🍻 (Or two.)

[ninjacat123]

I’m loving the italics during the preamble to indicate what’s coming up possibly on the next cruise. Like golf commentary in hushed tones.👍