Nov 18, 2024

Having recently tested the more expensive cruise ships, Seabourne, Queen Mary 2, Silver Seas, we decided to go back to Norwegian (14 previous cruises) and test the large mega ships, specifically the Norwegian Bliss. In January we will cruise the Eastern Caribbean on the Norwegian Breakaway. I have been very reluctant to do this, but my concerns about living aboard with 4,000+ citizens were not as bad as anticipated.

In both bookings we have opted for accommodations in the “Haven” which is an exclusive part of the ship with considerable cost (some say three times the cost of similar cabin on lower floors) and a very large difference in density of passengers. In the Haven we have our own dining rooms (inside and outside), a couple of bars, pools and hot tubs, observation and sun decks with covered cabanas.

The Haven on Bliss is on decks 17, 18 and 19. Our cabin 17112 is one bedroom, one bath with a generous balcony. We have a cabin attendant, Butler and Concierge looking after our needs.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY:

Transportation: Our first trip for a long time on Southwest Air with the requisite cattle-call boarding. We opted for this as any Delta flight would have been at least two stops to Long Beach and SW had the only non-stop, 1:15 flight. Long Beach Airport terminal is very small, but very efficient. They open both ends of the airplane for boarding and deplaning. A Bloody Mary cocktail will set you back $28. Taxis are expensive, $60-$80 to-from hotels and cruise terminals. We stayed the first night on the Queen Mary, permanently berthed in Long Beach and that’s another story and not recommended.

Ship Terminal: The cruise terminal is simple and efficient. Haven guests are given exclusive check-in experience and priority boarding and luggage handling. We were allowed to go directly to our cabin to drop our carry-on luggage and were given a thorough briefing and tour of the Haven. The Safety briefing was done online before we boarded so all we had to do for the safety regulations was to find our assemble point and get checked-off by a crew member.

Entertainment: We have a reserved section in the Theatre for top drawer entertainment including the “ICONS” and “Jersy Boys” and “Beatles”. The Evening shows were very well done, high levels of energy and talent. We took a behind the scenes tour of the ship, arranged for us by the Concierge. I met a passenger on the tour that was retired from a shipboard maintenance job, and he commented about how clean and organized the below deck facilities were.

Dining: We took most of our breakfast and lunch and a few dinner meals in the Haven restaurant. From Day 1, all of the staff we encounter know our first names. We dined in the specialty dining rooms most nights, Cagney’s being our favorite. These dining rooms are an add-on cost, and our Norwegian status (Sapphire, earned from previous cruises) afforded us two additional evening meals at no cost. The meal presentations and quality were some of the best we have ever encountered cruising. Jain had prime rib one night that was disappointing. Since we ate at 5:30 every evening, that is generally not a good time to order prime rib.

Passengers: Some of the worst we have encountered. We have noted while traveling since the COVID debacle that travelers have given up any sense of appropriate attire, even sensible attire. Dress codes for different venues and time of day are more than adequately posted, but the staff are overlooking the miscreant’s behaviors. It is sad but not just a Norwegian experience. We found passengers on the ‘luxury’ cruise ships to be more respectful and “older” 😉. People in airport terminals and flying passengers are just as bad.

Staff: We had an excellent rapport with our staff members. Our Butler was a little “gabby” and hard to understand sometimes. Our concierge made everything easy for us, was very prompt in addressing our requests.

New friends: On every cruise we have encountered a couple or two that we have befriended and added to our party list. Jerry and Ruth were the latest and since they live in Las Vegas are more likely to show up than others. We know a couple in Arizona that have been on our list for some time.

Let us know if there are any other factors that will help you plan your next cruise. We can recommend Tory at Vacations to Go, if you want some help in making the arrangements. He’s been a big help to us, including negotiating a $3,000 + credit for a cruise price reduction that will be applied to our next cruise.