Chicago Voyager

This was the Ocean Loop.  The rider goes to the top and descends vertically proceeding through a tube that projects over the edge of the ship.  Required rider weight range is 130-300 pounds.

My post was not intended to be “melodramatic.”   To my knowledge, cruise ships are not equipped with MRIs or other specialized equipment to evaluate head trauma.  I cannot see the benefit of waiting three days for an evaluation.

Clearly there is an operational flaw that makes the water tube unsafe.

Frankly, I was considering going through the tube until one of my friends informed me of past problems.  I’m glad I decided to enjoy other available activities. 

Marktwothousand, thank you for your perspective.  I would encourage fellow cruisers to study the fine print governing liability claims and get sound legal guidance.

Following this incident, crew members wearing protective garments performed a cleaning of the tube.  The ride was then closed for the remainder of the cruise.  I wonder what changes will occur before it reopens.

As a first-time NCL passenger, I was quite happy with other aspects of my vacation.  The only reason I share this story is as a point of caution to passengers of any cruise line.  Weigh the risks.

I recently went on a NCL Bliss Eastern Caribbean Cruise departing Miami on November 24, 2018.  Just as the ship was leaving St. Thomas, I was seated at the pool deck closest to the exit of the rapid water tube when an emergency was called over the loudspeaker.  

Crew members gradually assembled at the water tube, where an injured young woman was trapped inside.  She suffered a head wound that required 12 stitches, as well as cranial swelling.  Surprisingly, the ship continued to move away from the island as she was being evaluated on board.

The young woman was somehow trapped in the tube.  Crew members did not verify she had exited before sending two heavier males, both of whom collided with her.  About 20 minutes later, the woman emerged with her head wrapped in towels and profuse bleeding.

I spoke with the first male a couple of days later.  He reported he told a crew member that he had “hit something” while flying through the tube, and was shocked to learn that a second passenger was allowed to proceed.  The first passenger sustained bruising to his arms and legs and felt bad for the woman he had struck.

The second male also sought treatment.  He reported that crew members presented him with “legal forms” to sign and asked him to take a blood alcohol test, even though it was four hours after the accident and, more importantly, he did not feel responsible for the woman’s injury.  He had the feeling that NCL was looking to assign blame while protecting its own legal interests.

When the ship docked at Nassau some three days later, the woman who sustained the head wound was sent away by ambulance, with sirens wailing, to a local medical provider. 

After the cruise, I opened up my passenger contract and studied the fine print related to carrier liability.  As a legal layperson, I got the sense that passengers use all ship facilities, including water rides, at their own risk, without recourse or any expected standard of urgent care for bodily injury.

I never spoke with the female, but the reports of the two males were thought-provoking and made me feel reluctant to participate in these types of activities.

As a new member of this site, I’m just amazed at all of the thoughtful observations and helpful suggestions!

I hope to be able to help others after my cruise.

Merçi beaucoup!

littlelulu01, what a small world! In fact, 10290 is our assigned stateroom, so your information is GREATLY appreciated. :cool:

It certainly sounds like there are some tradeoffs. However, I think I would definitely appreciate the larger balcony, as well as the convenient location near the aft elevators. Also, thank you for the tip about requesting an extra chair, if needed. We are accustomed to a firm foam mattress, so it's nice to know that mattress toppers are available.

We're excited about our vacation, so it's nice to know what to expect in this unusual room.

Good observations! I will take note of our balcony visibility in relation to upper decks. While we're pretty far aft, I look forward to getting my exercise!

Thank you for the replies! Reports about other Norwegian ships seem to indicate that the sleeper sofa might be replaced by a chair and that the shower is larger, so perhaps this is true of the Bliss.

If it turns out another party requires accessible accommodations, I will be a good neighbour and switch, as I believe these travellers should be given priority for limited facilities. I'm making a leap of faith that there were no parties with special needs at the time of my room assignment.

One remaining point of curiosity pertains to the "white space" between the aft MX rooms (orange) and the BF balcony rooms (green) immediately forward: https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/bliss/deck-plans#dsr5 . I wonder if this might be some structural feature of the ship or perhaps a storage closet. I doubt it is unused space. In any event, I guess I should feel lucky to have a bit extra space. :)

Hello Friends . . .

I am excited about my upcoming Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Bliss. The stateroom booked is a Mid-Ship Mini-Suite (Category MC) with a total size of 249 sq. ft. and a 42-sq. ft. balcony.

When I received my eDocuments, the assigned stateroom is described exactly as what I booked. However, when I located my room on the deck plan, I was surprised that the colour (orange) is different from Category MC (light blue). On further inspection, I discovered that orange translates to a Sail Away Mini-Suite (Category MX) with a total size of 308-361 sq. ft. and an 84-101-sq. ft. balcony. In addition, the "square" symbol indicates our room to be accessible, even though no one in our party has special needs. Here is a link to the deck plan, where you can see the two orange rooms located aft: https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/bliss/deck-plans#dsr5.

It appears there are only four (4) MX staterooms on the entire ship: two on Deck 10 (accessible) and two on Deck 8 (not accessible). The photos use the same stock images as the MC suites, although I would assume the layout might be different.

Are there any downsides to my room assignment, or should I just be happy that the space is larger than expected? Would appreciate your thoughts!

Thank you!