Our Breakaway... Err... Joy... Umm.. Escape... Nope! November Bliss 2021 Review!

[LadyCruising]

Thank you for this awesome review. My husband and I are taking this cruise next March and it is great to see that Covid precautions are being taken but it has not put too much of a damper on the fun!

 

[cynt]

Awww man great review! 

[Cruisingcrew5]

13 hours ago, OrcaGirl said:

Loving the review, and great to see you had a good time with the NCL Beach Resort Getaway excursion. We're on the Bliss in two weeks and that's the excursion we picked for Mazatlan but I hadn't been able to find any recent reviews.

 

By chance, do you recall if there were any opportunities at the resort to add on activities or book a massage? If buying additional beverages beyond the included two, did you need US cash, pesos or was credit card accepted?

Great questions! I'd love to know as well as we are in prep mode now.

[tripleboom]

14 hours ago, OrcaGirl said:

Loving the review, and great to see you had a good time with the NCL Beach Resort Getaway excursion. We're on the Bliss in two weeks and that's the excursion we picked for Mazatlan but I hadn't been able to find any recent reviews.

 

By chance, do you recall if there were any opportunities at the resort to add on activities or book a massage? If buying additional beverages beyond the included two, did you need US cash, pesos or was credit card accepted?

 

@Cruisingcrew5 and @OrcaGirl I don't distinctly remember if there were additional activities offered through the resort or not.  A little ways down the beach there was someone doing parasailing that looks pretty fun, and I saw a banana boat getting pulled through the water throughout the day too, but I don't believe either activity was directly affiliated with the resort.

 

USD was definitely accepted at the resort. I didn't notice any credit card readers at the bars, but admittedly I wasn't looking for them either.

Edited December 8, 2021 by tripleboom

[tripleboom]

13 hours ago, brad0576 said:

QQ- Has Jersey Boys returned yet?

 

It wasn't on our sailing, but I've seen posts elsewhere from the Bliss that indicate it has returned since our sailing. We were a little bummed to miss out, but with COVID protocols strictly enforced it shouldn't be much of a surprise when these cancellations pop up from time to time.

[dodger1964]

I'm sorry if you already mentioned this (I looked thru all the pages, but could have missed it!)...when did you have to wear a mask while on the ship?

 

Thanks for your review.  We are thinking about last minute cruise on NCL.

 

[tripleboom]

Just now, dodger1964 said:

I'm sorry if you already mentioned this (I looked thru all the pages, but could have missed it!)...when did you have to wear a mask while on the ship?

 

Thanks for your review.  We are thinking about last minute cruise on NCL.

 

 

For this itinerary we only had to wear a mask before embarkation (during testing, check-in, heading up the gangway, etc.).  Once on board there was no mask requirement for passengers, though all crewmembers were masked.  At our port stops we were required to be masked just before disembarking, in the immediate port/pier area, and when on transportation to & from excursions.  Once at the excursion sites themselves masks were not required. 

 

Just bear in mind that the requirements do vary by itinerary. For instance many of the European itineraries require masks while on board, but to my knowledge none of the U.S.-originating itineraries have any onboard mask requirements.

[tripleboom]

After such an active day, it was good to slow down and grab a bite to eat! We had a leisurely dinner at The Manhattan Room once again, and it was fantastic.

 

Beef Short Rib Ragu

 

 

Yummy in my Tummy Tuxedo Cheesecake.  That may not have been the actual name of this one.

 

 

Most MDR dining experiences ended with the Buena Vista Irish Coffee.  So good, though it appears some EXTRA trouble was in the bottom this particular glass.

 

 

After dinner we ran into one of the ship's photographer's again just outside of Ocean Blue, and Sandi and Joe snagged a couple more photos that were keepers.

 

 

 

We then circled around to the other side of the 678 chandelier...

 

 

And landed at the Sugarcane Mojito Bar.  We had some time to burn before our evening activity, so we made our way through a good chunk of the menu.  The wiki rum punch shown below was soooo good, but that raspberry guava mojito they make is the absolute best of the bunch.

 

 

We had to walk aft to get to the theater, which brought us right past Maltings Whisky Bar.  I couldn't very well just walk by, could I?

 

Grass Clippings sounds like a terrible name for a drink (watch it being made and you'll understand the name's origin), but it is SOOO good!  Silver Tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and simple syrup.

 

[tripleboom]

As you may recall, we had gone to see SIX earlier in the week and loved it. Unfortunately, Jersey Boys was not playing this cruise.  I didn't ask, but assumed like so many other shows across the fleet, that it was probably shut down for this sailing due to COVID protocols, but admittedly that's just my speculation.

 

So when we saw that SIX was playing again this evening, we decided to book it and attend again! This time we were there early enough to wander down toward the front and take it in from the second row.  Again, these women are SO dang talented.

 

 

Before the show there's the typical "no video or still photography allowed" announcement, but at the end of the show there's a big encore/reprise that highlights the themes of each queen's spotlight song, and the actors specifically solicit the audience to take photos and video for this portion.  So if you want a little taste of the SIX experience, here you go!  Sorry for my "WOOOOO!!'ing, but it's tough to hold that back!

 

 

After the show we headed up to the pool deck where the White Hot Glow Party was already underway.  Dan Dan and his cruise director staff were up there as the party got underway.  We hung out near the stage for a while and danced our butts off and generally had a blast!  After about a dozen songs or so Dan Dan left and the party cooled off a bit. We headed up to the sun deck overlooking the pool for a bit, then headed off to bed for the night.

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow's Day at Sea would be refreshing after a GO GO GO past three days.

[Sugar0802]

On 12/6/2021 at 12:19 PM, tripleboom said:

 

Not for this cruise (Nov. 14 - 21).  I suspect they would have started putting it up maybe the week after ours or certainly by the week after that since Thanksgiving would have passed.

We were on the Nov 21-28 cruise and there was no decorations - yet

[tripleboom]

Day 6 - Day at Sea

 

After three days in a row packed with activity, we were all looking forward to a day to catch our breath! I love days at sea and the leisurely pace that comes with them.  We started the morning by having a sit down breakfast in The Local.

 

I opted for the breakfast sandwich which was REALLY tasty.

 

 

While Stacy went with the pancake platter.

 

 

From there we headed up to the pool deck to scope things out.  We went all the way up to Deck 19 forward to check out that "hidden" area just outside of the Vibe, and decided, despite it being a little breezy, that that's where we were going to spend a chunk of our day!

 

For the vast majority of the day we had the space basically to ourselves.

 

 

 

So I set about working to finish up my book for the cruise. On my commute at home I typically listen to audiobooks and podcasts, but when cruising or traveling in general I do prefer to chill out and read instead. For this trip it was Andy Weir's Artemis.  Love Andy Weir's detailed, scientifically thorough novels. The science is way over my head, but I still love reading something written by someone who does understand it.

 

 

Ok.  Important question.  What do we all think about the single lens style sunglasses I'm sporting here?  I like the look. Maybe not for everyday, but I like them on vacation.  My wife thinks they make me look like a dork.  I respect her opinion because I'm always about one pun or dad joke away from Power Dork, but I do like these.  No holding back now, Cruise Critics.  We are all critics after all, right?  

 

 

Seriously, this spot is amazing. SOOOOO much more comfortable and less chaotic than the main pool area.  With the proximity of the bar, drinks were flowing easily, and it really was just the most peaceful day.

 

Love me a good Mango Meltdown.

 

 

The only thing that could make this area more perfect is if there was a hot tub.  Wait. What's that?  There is one?!  CANNONBALL!

 

 

[tripleboom]

The hot tub up here hangs out over the side of the ship, so it offers some great views, both of the nearby bar AND the ocean. 😁

 

 

 

Having had a fair number of drinks prior to entering the hot tub, any reasonable, well-behaved person would call it quits. But hey, Captain Karl was my DD, so reason went out the window.

 

Shots incoming!

 

 

Jellybean shot. Tasted like black licorice.

 

 

And a green tea shot (Irish whiskey, peach schnapps, lemon lime, and sour mix).

 

 

We also did a Patron Café shot which was very similar to the Café Tequila we had sampled in Puerto Vallarta. This was $1 extra/per shot over the UBP.

 

After we finally gathered the courage to stand up into the rapidly cooling air, we headed back to the cabins to relax for a bit, and get ready for the evening's meal at La Cucina.

[Travelicious]

Regarding the sunglasses, I think they look fine.  But your wife knows you much better than any of us.

 

Loving the review!

[kpjb]

Sunglasses are fine, but lose that Red Wings hat and get a Penguins one.

 

We do a lot of the same things on a cruise.  We always head to Savor/Taste for lunch as soon as we board.  So many go to the buffet or pool bar, but this is our way of officially starting the vacation with a nice meal and drink.

 

So Spice H2O is not the location for any of the parties on this ship?  Looks like the big screen is at the pool, also.  It seems like a big, closed pool would just be in the way for parties or even watching movies under the stars.  The Spice parties on the -away ships and Escape were a great location, IMO.

 

I'm definitely going to be camped out up on deck 19 in January.  That looks as good as having a private bar, hot tub, and sun deck all to yourself. 

[ShelleyQT]

Thanks for the review!  It makes me look forward to my cruise in 3 weeks, and I'm also enjoying your sense of humor.  

 

Are the scrambled eggs in the Local fresh?  That photo makes them look like they are the liquid ones they use on the buffet.

 

Regarding the sunglasses, since you asked, I'd give them a definite "no."  I noticed them on your towel animal and thought, "Not that type of sunglasses?!"  Whenever I've seen them before, it's always been on women, so maybe that's why I think they look more feminine, but I think even on women they are too big and strange.  

[jesstree]

Sunglasses are supposed to be fun. I'm Goodr fan because they have some crazy colors and some frameless. Rock it be unique, we only live once, have fun.

[tripleboom]

Looking ahead to Day 7, we realized we wouldn't be back onboard and out to sea until after the sun had set, so before supper we headed to The Waterfront to take in the last sunset of our cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

When we headed to the restaurant we saw one of the ship's photographers out along the rail photographing another couple. So Stacy and I decided to have a few more photos taken. These turned out to be keepers too!

 

 

[KAYKAY121]

On 12/1/2021 at 6:11 PM, tripleboom said:

Day 4 - Puerto Vallarta

 

Sorry for the delay in posting! The life of a claims adjuster is never boring!  Nothing like a pipe break on the 3rd floor (with ensuing water damage to all levels) of an assisted care facility to start your day!

 

We had a fairly late start to the day in Puerto Vallarta, with only an 11:30 AM show time in the theater to go to our NCL excursion for the day.  So we met up, snagged some breakfast in the Garden Café, and watched as the Bliss pulled into port.

 

 

 

 

Our port buddy for the day was the Majestic Princess

 

 

Before we had to head out, I had to go and exchange some towels up on the pool deck, so as long as I was up there I traipsed all the way up to Deck 20 where the entrance to the Laser Tag facility is located to snap a photo from the tip top of the ship.

 

 

The picture made the trip worth it, but what was even better was discovering a little hidden gem.  If you go up to Deck 19 forward, on the port (left when facing forward) side of the ship, there's basically a more luxurious sun deck just outside of the entrance to the Vibe Beach Club.  This was one of those moments where I REALLY missed the research period for this cruise and ship. Had I had my year or so to research I'd have already known about this and would have been camped out there for the first sea day!  So now you get to know what I already should have. 🙂

 

 

With couples' loungers, a hot tub, and its own bar, this place was AMAZING!

 

 

 

It isn't a secret anymore. It's where we will be. 🙂

[tripleboom]

It was a little cool for dining out on The Waterfront, but we had our minds made up, they had the heaters going a little bit, and under the roof we were pretty well insulated from the wind. So don't let a cool evening deter you from this wonderful experience.

 

The calamari starter was as delicious as always.

 

 

Joe's gnocchi was reportedly quite good as well.

 

 

Our waiter at least applauded my effort at pronouncing Ravioli Di Gamberi Con Salsa Di Aragosta Dragoncello.  Or... You know... Shrimp ravioli 😁

 

 

The last time I ate at La Cucina was in 2017 on the Escape. I had an amazing bleu cheese filet, and was hoping to have it again this trip. Unfortunately the filet had been downgraded to a beef tenderloin. It was more than a little chewy and pretty disappointing.  Living near Omaha I'm no stranger to good beef, and this wasn't close.  Presentation was great, but quality was a D+.

 

 

Desserts were a considerable step up with no one disappointed in what they got!

 

I always opt for the tiramisu.

 

 

Lemon curd ricotta cheesecake

 

 

Blackberry Panna Cotta

 

 

Aside from my main entrée, everyone really did enjoy the meal. I'm pretty certain if I had chosen a different entrée this would have been pretty flawless.

[tripleboom]

19 hours ago, kpjb said:

Sunglasses are fine, but lose that Red Wings hat and get a Penguins one.

 

We do a lot of the same things on a cruise.  We always head to Savor/Taste for lunch as soon as we board.  So many go to the buffet or pool bar, but this is our way of officially starting the vacation with a nice meal and drink.

 

So Spice H2O is not the location for any of the parties on this ship?  Looks like the big screen is at the pool, also.  It seems like a big, closed pool would just be in the way for parties or even watching movies under the stars.  The Spice parties on the -away ships and Escape were a great location, IMO.

 

I'm definitely going to be camped out up on deck 19 in January.  That looks as good as having a private bar, hot tub, and sun deck all to yourself. 

 

I think I brought three different Red Wings hats on this cruise. If it's any consolation, I am a Lions fan too, so don't you think I've suffered enough without being needled about the Wings too? 😂

 

I remember looking through the Dailies and finding myself surprised that there wasn't more going on in Spice H2O. It's really the perfect spot for a party.  It was a little awkward around the stage during the Glow party since there really was only so much room between the stage and the pool itself.

[tripleboom]

One thing I really miss from the Breakaway and Escape is the Howl at the Moon shows in Headliners. So we decided to check out The District Brewhouse after dinner to see how the scheduled piano entertainment was.  Well... after a quick detour...

 

 

 

 

Once we settled in with our drinks we played some Pass the Pigs to pass some time until the pianist arrived.  If you've never played, then you'd have probably given us as bewildered a look as the waitstaff did. 😁

 

 

Once the show began, we continued to play our game for a while. Meanwhile, what was advertised as a sing-along show became karaoke instead. I was looking forward to an engaging piano player leading the crowd in some familiar favorites, but instead got two different 70 year-olds both singing What a Wonderful World in the span of about 45 minutes.  Karaoke can be fun, it just wasn't what we were hoping for tonight.  So after a long day in the sun, it felt like as good a time as any to head off to bed before our final day on the ship.

 

I swung by the video monitor to capture this information on the way by...

 

 

Not my sunglasses this time. 😂

 

 

Ensenada, dead ahead!

[tripleboom]

Day 7 - Ensenada

 

We made our foggy entrance into Ensenada on November 20th.

 

 

 

 

Our excursion for the day wasn't going to meet until shortly after noon, so we headed to the buffet for an early lunch, scoring a seat overlooking the observation lounge below.

 

 

Unbelievably this was my first and only cone of the whole cruise!  I think the fact that the buffet is FORWARD on this ship probably saved me about 5 lbs gained!

 

 

I don't know about you, but every time that I cruise it seems like there's one or two people, among the thousands, that seems to be following me around.  For this cruise, it was the guy over Sandi's shoulder.  I'm sure his glorious mustache is part of the reason I noticed him everywhere I went. Kudos to you, Captain Mustache! I'd sport a look like that if I could!  Or if Stacy would let me.  So that's definitely out.

 

 

 

With lunch complete, we headed straight to the gangway (got to skip the theater this time), and met our tour guide, Melissa, for our Guadalupe Valley ATV Adventure!

[ShelleyQT]

That is some really discreet spoon-pointing, Sandy!  🤪

[AKR2011]

5 hours ago, tripleboom said:

If you've never played, then you'd have probably given us as bewildered a look as the waitstaff did. 😁

DH and I play this all the time and often teach bartenders wherever we go. It's always a blast! This and Farkle are our favorites. Small, packable, and always entertaining.  

[tripleboom]

It was a pretty overcast day and much cooler than our days down at the end of the Baja Peninsula. With a high of 66 for the day I saw plenty of my fellow passengers wearing pants and/or hoodies, but there's no way I was spending my last day on a cruise before returning to an Iowa winter by wearing PANTS.  That's lunacy.

 

 

For the Guadalupe Valley ATV Adventure you must show a valid driver's license to participate, so make sure that comes off the ship with you for this excursion.  After everyone was gathered, we headed out to a nearby van, loaded up, and began our trek out to the Santa Rosa area.

 

 

After the 30ish minute drive, we arrived at the ranch and met our other tour guide, Alejandro.  He and Melissa worked to get us geared up, given the operation and safety briefing, and then got us onto our ATVs for the day.

 

Stacy and I are no strangers to ATV riding. Her parents owned a power sports dealership for several years, so she basically grew up on dirt bikes, ATVs, and snowmobiles.  We've taken a few trips out to the Black Hills of South Dakota as a family, and it's always a lot of fun.

 

 

 

 

With the South Dakota tourism ad out of the way, let's get back to Mexico. 😁

 

All situated and ready to roll out.

 

 

The ride was not particularly long, so I was kind of bummed about that. I figured it wouldn't exactly be a challenging, technical ride since it's meant to be something a first-timer can do, but it was just a short, closed loop before we were back to the camp.  Still some pretty sights along the way though!

 

 

 

 

Despite the shortness, Alejandro made it fun!  There's some rough paths, and we were fortunate that there had been some recent rain that tamped down some of the dust on the trail. We got good and dirty anyway though!

 

 

 

Melissa was kind enough to use their air compressor to spray off the excess dirt from our clothes.  I thought that was a nice, thoughtful thing to have on hand!