So Disappointed with Bliss

[e2011]

Just got off the Bliss and what a let down. We are Platinum members and always stay in Haven cabins so this was not our first rodeo with NCL. Let me start with the positives. The ship was beautiful and we loved the Wyland art on the ship bow.  Through gale force winds and 8 foot seas she was very stable. Almost no rocking. The interior art is very nice and the Haven forward facing lounge (designed for Alaska) is amazing. Boarding and disembarkation ran smooth for Haven guests as it always does.  The Haven staff was excellent as was our Butler and room steward. Now for the not so good.   The staff seemed overwhelmed and confused. Even in the Haven they had two bartenders who were not trained well. Asking questions of staff in the main hotel would yield different answers for the same question.  One employee at the Garden Cafe could not speak english. It was a point and nod deal.  The worst part was the food.  Both "pay extra" restaurants and free ones. I have always enjoyed NCL food especially in the pay places but this time its as if the had a machine that sucked all flavor out of the food.  Now I understand tastes change from one person to the next so I am only commenting on our experience. Maybe others loved it. But I can say the filet at Cagneys was no where near the quality of meat we had on other ships. Having gristle in a filet is unusual. Especially when I wrote a review of our time on the Escape and commented how I cut my filet with a fork.  Not on Bliss. And I do have the mention that the new "Q" BBQ was not good. No flavor at all and the meat was low quality.  On to activities. KART racing was fun. We did it twice but be aware we saw some aggressive driver put smaller kids into the wall with no punishment from NCL. They say they will kick people off for that but they don't and honestly that cant see everything at once. Lazer tag was very fun. Completely safe for all ages. Water slides are fun but its a water slide. Nothing special.  All in all I would only cruise the Bliss again in Alaska. For Caribbean there are better options.

Edited December 22, 2018 by e2011

[BirdTravels]

Sorry you were disappointed with the Bliss. 

 

We are platinum plus members and loved the Bliss and have booked her again. 

[e2011]

1 minute ago, BirdTravels said:

Sorry you were disappointed with the Bliss. 

 

We are platinum plus members and loved the Bliss and have booked her again. 

Alaska or Caribbean? 

[Trimone]

I think NCL are losing the plot, cheap food, cheap booze and overpriced 

[gmbhardy]

2 hours ago, e2011 said:

Just got off the Bliss and what a let down. We are Platinum members and always stay in Haven cabins so this was not our first rodeo with NCL. Let me start with the positives. The ship was beautiful and we loved the Wyland art on the ship bow.  Through gale force winds and 8 foot seas she was very stable. Almost no rocking. The interior art is very nice and the Haven forward facing lounge (designed for Alaska) is amazing. Boarding and disembarkation ran smooth for Haven guests as it always does.  The Haven staff was excellent as was our Butler and room steward. Now for the not so good.   The staff seemed overwhelmed and confused. Even in the Haven they had two bartenders who were not trained well. Asking questions of staff in the main hotel would yield different answers for the same question.  One employee at the Garden Cafe could not speak english. It was a point and nod deal.  The worst part was the food.  Both "pay extra" restaurants and free ones. I have always enjoyed NCL food especially in the pay places but this time its as if the had a machine that sucked all flavor out of the food.  Now I understand tastes change from one person to the next so I am only commenting on our experience. Maybe others loved it. But I can say the filet at Cagneys was no where near the quality of meat we had on other ships. Having gristle in a filet is unusual. Especially when I wrote a review of our time on the Escape and commented how I cut my filet with a fork.  Not on Bliss. And I do have the mention that the new "Q" BBQ was not good. No flavor at all and the meat was low quality.  On to activities. KART racing was fun. We did it twice but be aware we saw some aggressive driver put smaller kids into the wall with no punishment from NCL. They say they will kick people off for that but they don't and honestly that cant see everything at once. Lazer tag was very fun. Completely safe for all ages. Water slides are fun but its a water slide. Nothing special.  All in all I would only cruise the Bliss again in Alaska. For Caribbean there are better options.

 

Just wondering what are better options, in your opinion?

[gmbhardy]

1 hour ago, Trimone said:

I think NCL are losing the plot, cheap food, cheap booze and overpriced 

 

Great post. You’ve assisted a lot of people.

[e2011]

1 hour ago, Trimone said:

I think NCL are losing the plot, cheap food, cheap booze and overpriced 

I hope not as we really like the Haven format.

[e2011]

30 minutes ago, gmbhardy said:

 

Just wondering what are better options, in your opinion?

We were talking about that I think we would go back to the Escape or Getaway again before we would do the Bliss. Now for an Alaska cruise I would book the Bliss again because it is by far the best ship for Alaska so far that I have seen.

[yankees111]

I doubt NCL would kick someone off the ship for aggressive driving of the go-Karts. Too bad they don’t have separate times for kids to ride the go-Karts.

[gmbhardy]

44 minutes ago, e2011 said:

We were talking about that I think we would go back to the Escape or Getaway again before we would do the Bliss. Now for an Alaska cruise I would book the Bliss again because it is by far the best ship for Alaska so far that I have seen.

 

We love the Escape too. Getaway not that much. What we really like about the Bliss is the 15th deck observation lounge. It was our go to spot on the ship. Great place to relax, catch a bite to eat and and we had a lot of fun at the bar there too. The observation lounge is what sets it apart from the other “away” class ships.

[newmexicoNita]

12 hours ago, Trimone said:

I think NCL are losing the plot, cheap food, cheap booze and overpriced 

That is amazing that you are saying this, but everyone to their own feelings. I do not see the food as inferior, in fact I see it as improving since what it was like about 2008 or so. I do not see overpriced anymore than other lines. Taking a vacation is something that is going to cost a bundle no matter how you look at it. As for cheap booze, I can't imagine where you get that idea. You call your own brands, how can that being cheap booze? 

 

Now, OP I am sorry you were disappointed. Most people we have spoken with have loved the ship, but nothing is good for everyone. I have my opinion about mega ships and service.We have sailed on 3 large ships, 2, NCL and 1 Princess; we have never found the service quite s personable as the smaller ships. this is just my opinion. 

[HowardK]

Cheap booze? How? I had the promo package 2x last year and for the $100-$120 in service charges though I came away with some really good drinks; mojitos, Woodford reserve, brandy etc.. that at the end averaged out to under $3 a drink. Was able to try some new beers as well. 

[PATRLR]

11 hours ago, gmbhardy said:

 

Great post. You’ve assisted a lot of people.

Interesting that you felt a need to sarcastically comment on the negative post, but, didn't say anything in response to BirdTravels equally content free positive post.

[PATRLR]

10 hours ago, yankees111 said:

I doubt NCL would kick someone off the ship for aggressive driving of the go-Karts. Too bad they don’t have separate times for kids to ride the go-Karts.

I believe the intention was to kick them off the track, just as would happen on a land based track.

[4774Papa]

14 hours ago, e2011 said:

Just got off the Bliss and what a let down. We are Platinum members and always stay in Haven cabins so this was not our first rodeo with NCL. Let me start with the positives. The ship was beautiful and we loved the Wyland art on the ship bow.  Through gale force winds and 8 foot seas she was very stable. Almost no rocking. The interior art is very nice and the Haven forward facing lounge (designed for Alaska) is amazing. Boarding and disembarkation ran smooth for Haven guests as it always does.  The Haven staff was excellent as was our Butler and room steward. Now for the not so good.   The staff seemed overwhelmed and confused. Even in the Haven they had two bartenders who were not trained well. Asking questions of staff in the main hotel would yield different answers for the same question.  One employee at the Garden Cafe could not speak english. It was a point and nod deal.  The worst part was the food.  Both "pay extra" restaurants and free ones. I have always enjoyed NCL food especially in the pay places but this time its as if the had a machine that sucked all flavor out of the food.  Now I understand tastes change from one person to the next so I am only commenting on our experience. Maybe others loved it. But I can say the filet at Cagneys was no where near the quality of meat we had on other ships. Having gristle in a filet is unusual. Especially when I wrote a review of our time on the Escape and commented how I cut my filet with a fork.  Not on Bliss. And I do have the mention that the new "Q" BBQ was not good. No flavor at all and the meat was low quality.  On to activities. KART racing was fun. We did it twice but be aware we saw some aggressive driver put smaller kids into the wall with no punishment from NCL. They say they will kick people off for that but they don't and honestly that cant see everything at once. Lazer tag was very fun. Completely safe for all ages. Water slides are fun but its a water slide. Nothing special.  All in all I would only cruise the Bliss again in Alaska. For Caribbean there are better options.

We cruise on Celebrity and Royal C as well as NCL.  We notice that contrary to those two lines that on NCL cruises, we encounter some of the staff are just not trained well.  Still, it is more a speed bump than a road blockage.

 

Our last two NCL cruises on the Sun and Dawn, we have been pleased with the dining, both in the MDR and the specialty restaurants.  We feel that food quality has improved over past years.  I was somewhat disappointed in Cagney's when we got along with a very nice fillet some prawns instead of lobster.

 

Entertainment is still pretty good on NCL. NCL is still an option for us, even though we dislike the price bundling with the Beverage Package that we don't care for.

[e2011]

11 hours ago, yankees111 said:

I doubt NCL would kick someone off the ship for aggressive driving of the go-Karts. Too bad they don’t have separate times for kids to ride the go-Karts.

You misunderstood. I meant kick them off the KART track, not the ship.

[beerman2]

12 hours ago, gmbhardy said:

 

We love the Escape too. Getaway not that much. What we really like about the Bliss is the 15th deck observation lounge. It was our go to spot on the ship. Great place to relax, catch a bite to eat and and we had a lot of fun at the bar there too. The observation lounge is what sets it apart from the other “away” class ships.

Looking forward to the Observation Lounge in a couple of weeks. Will be very convenient for that last beverage of the night.

[jjlen11]

Sailed the Bliss Sept 30-Oct 5 …..it made me a believer on Norwegian and cruising! I went to Vegas yearly and of course with comp rooms and flight deals you thought boy I made out.....NOPE! The food and drinks were great, had some good times, met good people! Raced! Watched it sail out of Vancouver at 4:30 am! Sure, some food items weren't tasty.....a lot were! Some bars made lousy drinks......most didn't! Felt like I was treated top shelf the entire time! What I learned is that everyone has a wish list of things that could be better...like I wish I had a better cabin steward, I wish I had butter for my toast at O'Sheehans lol, I wish some people didn't crab LOL!! But ultimately it is what you make it....and be blessed you were able to go! Anything and everything can change at a moments notice and they cant promise you great weather and smooth sailing....relax and enjoy!

[swmichigan cruiser]

Just my 2 cents. We are Platinum Plus and got off December from doing a back to back on the Bliss and we basically got 5 nights free on each cruise as we get the specialty  restaurants at no charge because of the three night dining perk and two nights because of being Platinum Plus and was not impressed at all. I really liked the ship and the staff was great but NCL corporate has made it hard for them to keep up with demand. We tried Cagney's 4 times over the two weeks, First time both our steaks were way under cooked so we sent them back and when we finally got the back one was closer to being what my wife wanted and mine was way over cooked. Second time we went we both had 8 oz steaks again and both way under cooked and didn't bother to send them back. Third time had pork chops and prime rib much better. Fourth time had a 5:30 reservation got seated by 6:30 hadn't seen our entree's yet so we left. I don't believe it is the ship's fault at all just a corporate decision that has caused the problems. We are going on the Bliss for 15 nights end of March and taking our 19 year old grandson and were going to order him a 10 or 11 night dining package and add to our's but now we will get him a 6 night package because he will enjoy Q and Teppanyaki and we will not add to what we already have. My opinion it is great ship with a great staff but the specialty restaurants aren't what they used to be.

[Noworkforme23]

We were also just off the Bliss Dec 8-15 sailing, first time sailing with NCL. We stayed in a mini suite with Large Balcony & purchased the Thermal Spa Passes.. We LOVED LOVED LOVED NCL & the Bliss. Would love to book another one, but it is only available for 16 day sailings in Dec 2020. The Garden Cafe food was awesome.. tons of fresh offerings, grilled steak, chicken, fish, burgers, pizza, pastas.... Desserts !!! LOVED it !!!!!! 

We ate at Q & I had the salmon, it was HUGE & melted in my mouth. We also ate at the Los Lobos Mexican restaurant, it was also amazing.. LOVED the frozen margaritas !!! My son had the meat plate with every type of meat available & it was perfect !!! The service was awesome, the food was awesome, & now we only have the Escape & Encore as options in Dec 2020.    Does anyone know if the Escape has the enclosed smoking area in the casino? I LOVED the fact that I NEVER smelled smoke on the Bliss, except for the Spice H20 area.. so we rarely frequented that area. 

[gmbhardy]

5 hours ago, PATRLR said:

Interesting that you felt a need to sarcastically comment on the negative post, but, didn't say anything in response to BirdTravels equally content free positive post.

 

The poster made no attempt to justify his comments, so to say it more succinctly, the post was useless. BirdTravels has a stellar reputation on CC for assisting cruisers with  accurate information and posting extensive objective reviews including one on the Bliss. If you spend any time at all on this board you would have known that. 

[cathi007]

19 hours ago, Trimone said:

I think NCL are losing the plot, cheap food, cheap booze and overpriced 

Wow, I find the food on NCL to be amazing. The drinks are also good, and they use top shelf. As for being overpriced, I disagree with that too. I sail all brands Royal, Carnival, and Celebrity, so I am not tied to any, but NCL has been my go to for the last 4 cruises for me because of itinerary and price. Cruising is expensive on any ship

[shealea]

I have never sailed on a ship as large as the Bliss. We've sailed on the smallish ship, the Pearl etc.
I can see where the Bliss would be a good fit for those sailing with kids or young adults. 

I'm 60; love to have fun. But what are your comments and ideas on the Bliss for my age group? My husband would like to try the Bliss sometime, but I think some of the rigorous activities I would not be up to doing. Knowing me, I would TRY, then suffer with pain issues afterwards. yikes!!!!!!! 

[PATRLR]

16 hours ago, gmbhardy said:

 

The poster made no attempt to justify his comments, so to say it more succinctly, the post was useless. BirdTravels has a stellar reputation on CC for assisting cruisers with  accurate information and posting extensive objective reviews including one on the Bliss. If you spend any time at all on this board you would have known that. 

Bird & Trimone both offered their opinions only, neither made any "attempt to justify his comments" (whatever that actually means in the context of someone offering their opinion).  Bot posts were equally "useless" (your word again, not mine).  

However you went out of your way to be sarcastically critical of one but not the other.  You additional comments about Bird prove my implicit point that those who comment frequently and positively about NCL get a free pass around here.

For the record, I've been around these boards a hell of a lot longer than you have gmbhardy and I am well aware of Bird's posting record.  Bird has some fantastic reviews and is very helpful to many, myself included but of course I wasn't being critical of Bird, I was simply pointing out two similar, but opposite posts and your unbalanced commentary.

 

Edited December 24, 2018 by PATRLR

[ClaireAndMike]

I could be wrong, but I want to say that I read in another recent review that the contract for many of the staff just ended so maybe this was a largely new crew on your sailing?  Might explain part of it?  I'm on it this Saturday so I'll soon experience it for myself.