Norwegian Bliss Cruise Ship

Norwegian Bliss: Bystander Alaska’s outstanding glaciers, walk through Greece’s winsome, sun-bleached streets, or find your own heaven in a secret beach in the Caribbean. Our outstanding ships are designed for you to enjoy as you choose while cruising to the most beautiful harbors around the world. No matter where your aspiration holiday takes you, feel free to navigate your way.

Norwegian Bliss will sail her introductory voyage in 2018 with a cornucopia of fantastic luxuries. The Observation Lounge offers the most scenic views at sea, and if you’re staying in a Haven Suite, you’ll get your own private observation deck.

Norwegian Bliss Reviews

Nothing is left out aboard Norwegian Bliss. Want a independent sundeck, concierge assistance, marble bathrooms, or 24-hour butler service? Haven Spa Suites offer congratulatory access to thermal spa suites, and close closeness to the spa and fitness center. All staterooms, from studio and inside rooms to The Have at the top of the ship, are magnificently and tastefully designed with thoughtful touches and beautiful, soothing colors.

When you get hungry, Norwegian Bliss offers a fantastic range of options, from international cooking to perfectly cooked surf and turf, casual dining, and more.

Imagine awe over revealing fantastic vistas in The Last Frontier. Imagine exhilaration while exploring the wilds of Alaska. Imagine mitigation upon finding your slice of paradise in The Caribbean. Imagine Bliss. That’s what you’ll experience when you anniversary on our newest and most incredible ship, Norwegian Bliss. Custom-built for the spectacular, Norwegian Bliss advertises a contemporary Observation Lounge for you to soak in every stunning moment, from bald eagles soaring over ice floes to dolphins splashing through warm turquoise waters. Come aboard and experience the best dining, entertainment, and amenities at sea against a backdrop of unrivaled natural beauty. Whether you choose to go tropical or a little wild, there’s one word to represent the experiences awaiting you on one of Norwegian’s newest ships: Bliss.

Norwegian Bliss Deck Plans

Norwegian Bliss is a graceful vessel with a refined feel you don’t normally expect to find on such a megaship. Its most striking feature is the 20,000-square-foot Observation Lounge, which commands the entire forward section of the ship on Deck 15. Basically designed to serve as a focal point for cruisers during its Alaska sailings (so far Bliss will spend every summer in Alaska and was designed with Alaskan sailing prerequisites in mind), its sole determination so far is to serve as a space for cruisers to read, chat with new friends and even fall asleep (we saw plenty of napping cruisers here all day long). No meetings, lectures or seminars are held here. It doesn’t transform into a nighttime disco. There’s no stage for a narrow band to play. It’s simply a discriminating indoor haven of calm, and we’ve never seen everything quite like it on a mainstream ship.

In fact, there’s a lot about Norwegian Bliss that’s accidental. It feels like a big ship that’s taken on the trappings of one that’s smaller and more upscale.

Don’t let impressions of the go-karts and water slides fool you. Consider the refined choice of fabrics and color schemes in cabins and public spaces, the excellent service and top-notch food in the restaurants, the range of academic activities during the day (vocabulary classes, guest lectures). And, family-friendly features seem less visible (the one exception being the kids splash zone on Deck 16).

In these areas, the ship more closely resembles something you’d find in one of Norwegian Cruise Line’s sister upscale and luxury brands (Oceania Cruises or Regent Seven Seas Cruises) than a fleetmate. It’s an evolution that the line began with Norwegian Escape and Norwegian Joy, which serves the Asian market.

But Norwegian Bliss can only mimic a small upscale vessel to a certain extent. At 4,004 passengers at double occupancy, it is a big ship, with a robust selection of dining venues, top-deck fun and enjoyable nighttime entertainment — particularly The Beatles cover band in The Cavern and the full-scale production of the Broadway hit musical, the “Jersey Boys.”

We loved the combination of upscale and mainstream; it gave us the perfect mix of high-energy fun (laser tag and go-karts!) but plenty of spots for quiet relaxation without having to go to an adults-only solarium, which we often find too hot or too stuffy.

Norwegian Bliss Cruise

But we’re not sure the mix works for everyone, especially families. We can’t figure out what a family with small kids or teenagers would do in the evening. Will they want to see a show about a 1960s-era band? Havana, which highlights Cuban music and dance, is, in some scenes, kind of inappropriate for kids. There is plenty in the kids’ clubs to keep the kiddos busy as the sun goes down, but less for families to do together (which maybe is just what parents want on their cruise vacation?!).

With that said, there is one family-friendly comedy show most nights, a hypnotist displays her talents once per cruise and laser tag and go-karts run till late. But both of those cost extra money — not necessarily surprising on a line that pioneered extra-fee specialty dining — so how many times are parents going to let their kids loose on the “rides”?

Overall, we enjoyed our transatlantic sailing on Norwegian Bliss and we think it can only get better once it gets to Alaska and the Caribbean, where the destination will play a bigger part in the overall experience. While we do wish there were a fewer extra charges (especially for the laser tag, which was our favorite top deck activity), there is still lots to keep you busy. And, a few hours luxuriating in a good book on a comfy chair in the Observation Lounge can’t be beat.

Norwegian Bliss Alaska

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is a subsidiary company of the shipping corporation Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd (NCLH). NCL was founded in 1966, headquartered in Miami (Florida USA) and publicly traded (NASDAQ) company listed on NYSE (NYC). NCLH’s major shareholders are the corporations Apollo Global Management (American), Genting Group (Malaysian) and TPG Capital (American). In 2017, the brand NCL had a worldwide cruise market share 8,7% (passengers) and 8,4% (revenue). NCLH (shipowner) owns the brands NCL, Oceania, and RSSC (Regent).

The 164,600-ton, 4,200-passenger cruise ship Norwegian Bliss boasts the innovative features found on Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Breakaway, as well as a number of new interactive experiences. The new miracle by NCL features an expanded Haven – the line’s concept “ship within a ship”. This space (accessible only by keycard) boasts an outdoor terrace, private restaurant, courtyard area with retractable roof pool, whirlpools, spa treatment rooms, separate sauna, private sundeck. Other differences from the Breakaway-class NCL vessels are more Haven Suites (42 to 55), 26 additional Penthouses, 14 Spa access suites, more Studio cabins (59 to 82). The Port of Miami is the home port of the ship.

Norwegian Bliss itinerary program is based on weekly 7-day Alaska voyages departing Seattle WA on Saturdays. Passengers experience the wildlife and beauty of Alaska while visiting Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and enjoy the charm of Victoria BC.

Following the inaugural Alaskan season, the ship was homeported in Miami Florida for the winter season 2018-2019, with scheduled 7-day Caribbean roundtrips to St Thomas USVI, Tortola BVI, Nassau Bahamas.

In January 2018, NCL announced that for winter season 2019-2020, the Bliss ship will be homeported in NYC New York. From NYC, the ship will operate on roundtrip itineraries to Caribbean (a total of 18 voyages). Ranging from 7- to 14-days, the itineraries visit call ports in Bahamas (Nassau, Great Stirrup Cay), St Lucia, St. Thomas USVI, Antigua, Jamaica (Ocho Rios), Puerto Rico (San Juan), Barbados, St Maarten, St Kitts, Roatan, Mexico (Costa Maya, Cozumel), Belize (Harvest Caye).

Most Norwegian Bliss staterooms are 170-tt2 Balcony rooms (1088). There are a total of 2206 staterooms in 42 categories. 47 are the wheelchair accessible rooms. The largest staterooms are the Haven Deluxe Owner’s Suites (900 ft2). The ship offers 82 single cabins (studio staterooms designed for solo travelers) with virtual views and exclusive Studio Lounge. The ship also features many family cabins (connecting staterooms) across most categories.

Norwegian Bliss Deck Plan

Norwegian Cruise Line introduced Norwegian Bliss’ à la carte specialty dining at the signature specialty restaurants onboard, providing passengers the freedom to savor gourmet dishes, various tastes and the flexibility to choose the number of courses to enjoy during the meal. On Norwegian Bliss, guests can choose between 11 complimentary dining options. They can also experience new flavors at signature specialty restaurants, such as Le Bistro, La Cucina, Cagney’s Steakhouse and Bayamo by James Beard Award-winning chef Jose Garces. Norwegian’s signature specialty restaurants feature enhanced menus including favorite dishes and new tastes. Whether passengers prefer a light meal of a favorite soup or appetizer, or indulge in a dinner featuring Maine lobster, with the new à la carte options, they have the opportunity to create their own, desired dining experience.

• The shipboard dining options feature the new “Q Texas Steakhouse” (barbecue eatery with live country music). The menu includes brisket, chicken, ribs, and sausages smoked over oak, pecan and hickory woods. A modern Mexican restaurant is named Los Lobos (first debuted on Norwegian Dawn in 2016).
• Adjacent to Los Lobos is The A-List Bar, serving handcrafted cocktails, premium spirits, and wines.

Norwegian Bliss is the first NCL ship with full-service Starbucks store. The first Starbucks at sea was opened in 2010 on Allure of the Seas (Royal Caribbean). Another new for NCL amenity is the chocolate-themed dessert outlet Coco’s (patisserie/treat shop), serving handmade pralines, crepes, truffles and other treats paired with specialty teas and coffees.

Follows the complete list of Norwegian Bliss restaurants and food bars.

• Private Room at Taste (100-seat, group private dining venue)
• Savor Restaurant (forward Dining Room, complimentary)
• Taste Restaurant (forward Dining Room, complimentary, with Your Time dining)
• Le Bistro (French specialty dinner-only restaurant; reservations-only; US$20 cover charge)
• Teppanyaki (Japanese Hibachi specialty, reservations-only restaurant; US$25; open for Lunch and Dinner; features live cooking demonstrations)
• Manhattan Room (aft-location Dining Room; complimentary; Freestyle dining, Dinner only)
• O’Sheehan’s Neighbourhood Bar & Grill (sports bar, with 24-hour American cuisine – burgers, steaks, desserts; complimentary)
• Shanghai’s Noodle Bar (Asian cuisine complimentary restaurant inside O’Sheehan’s Pub area)
• Food Republic (via a partnership with Pubbelly Restaurant Group; specialty restaurant open for lunch through dinner, offers international cuisine; iPad ordering system)
• Pincho Tapas Bar (Latin dishes)
• Cagney’s Steakhouse (specialty dinner restaurant for prime steaks and gourmet seafood specialties; reservations-only, US$30 cover charge per person and free Kids Menu)
• Moderno Churrascaria (Brazilian steakhouse; reservations-only; US$20 per person cover charge; with outdoor seating waterfront area)
• La Cucina (Italian specialty restaurant; reservations-only, US$15 cover charge; with outdoor seating waterfront area)
• Bayamo Restaurant (Cuban/Latin seafood restaurant)
• Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville At Sea (debuted in Southampton on October 27, 2015, as a complimentary fast food restaurant; however, in November 2015 NCL confirmed that the first-ever Margaritaville at Sea aboard Norwegian Bliss, would operate as a specialty a la carte restaurant, due to “crowd-control reasons”)
• Garden Cafe (complimentary buffet restaurant with various cuisine stations)
• Q (Texas barbecue eatery)
• Los Lobos (Mexican restaurant)
• Coco’s (chocolate-themed dessert outlet)
• The A-List Bar (serving handcrafted cocktails, premium spirits and wines)
• Starbucks store.