NCL Bliss - LIVE - 1/22/23 to 1/27/23

[New2cruise2022]

About Us: 
I am new to cruising -- brand new, first cruise. I decided to bring my two teenage sons (15 and 17) on a cruise to make memories. My brother and best friend (who lives on the other side of country) has cruised a few times before and was my personal consultant in helping me select a cruise. It took about 4 weeks of me talking about the cruise nonstop before he decided to crash the party and come along. We are both nerds by nature. We are laid back but we will also scrutinize and analyze data about anything to try and make sense of things. Apologies in advance if there are moments our LIVE report is full of boring information. We are also both idiots. We will take delight in many little and seemingly insignificant details. 

The Cruise:
We chose the Norwegian Bliss this sailing for a number of reasons:
1) Age. The Bliss is a 2018 ship, and when you take the shutdown/slowdown into consideration, it is still very new just 5 years later.
2) Size. The Bliss is a big one. With three new cruises, I wanted to test out the notion that the bigger the ship, the smoother the ride. I also wanted a ship with good size for ample activities, entertainment, and dining options.
3) Location. We live in the midwest and this late-January cruise out of Los Angeles (San Pedro port) is perfect. It is a less than 10-hour drive down I-15 to Vegas and across the desert into LA. No worries about delayed or canceled flights and a bonus trapping two teenagers in a car for some quality time. (I'll let you know if that turns out to be anything other than dad driving and two teenagers on their phones looking at god knows what for 10 straight hours.)
4) Value. When you consider that it checks all of the boxes on age. size, and location AND it is one of the lowest prices, it became the best risk for my money to determine if we like cruising generally and if NCL can deliver at the price point. After looking at historical pricing on one of the cruise tracking websites, I was pleased to find that I booked at the very lowest rate for the entire sailing.

The Itinerary:
This is a 5-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera out of Los Angeles with 2 stops,  Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and Ensenada, Mexico:

[New2cruise2022]

The Cabin:
Deck 15
Family Inside Cabin
Category I4

Two lower beds make a queen and two pullman beds.
Mid, but more Aft than Mid. Very quick access to the aft elevator bank and staircase. 
I chose a very basic cabin. No balcony, no window to the outside world. The going philosophy is that it will be small for three grown humans, but we plan on using it for sleeping and showering, period. It is listed at a whopping 135 sq ft. We will pack small and tight to fit the space we are staying in. We will update on how well we do (or do not fit) with pictures and descriptions.

NOTE: The brother @drwbrt, originally booked a studio room on a great rate. He did the Upgrade Advantage program and scored a balcony on Deck 13 with a near minimal bid, around $210 total. I think there is a chance he has one of the best dollar-for-dollar values on this entire sailing. We tried to upgraded our family inside with the same program, bidding more than him. More thoughts on the bidding process and how it actually works later.

[New2cruise2022]

Booking to Present, 4 Days to Go:
We booked 88 days out, @drwbrt booked about a month later. Within a few days, I found Cruise Critic. May apologies and gratitude to the rest of the community for the many questions (asked and answered) and comments (snarky and otherwise) that account for the more than 700 posts in just a few months. Apart from the many varying opinions (always humble, I might add), CC has been a great source information. At times you have to separate fact from fiction, rumor from actual announcement, and urban legends from reality. It has been enjoyable, informative, and calming. Some of my concerns were resolved and the anticipation for the cruise has only grown. 

I have planned. I am sure not as thorough a Travel Document as @Sthrngary, but plenty of planning, organizing, and researching. I have paper copies and digital copies of every communication and purchase. All at the ready, just in case. I expect nothing to be perfect, but the experience to be very enjoyable regardless.

Purchases and Packages:
My brother and I both chose the Free At Sea (FAS) Package. This meant we both had the Premium Beverage package, 75 minutes of Internet, and a Specialty Dining and $50 credit for excursions. One of my son's fares included the Soda Package and I purchased a Soda Package for the other teenager.
After lots of research here at CC, my brother and I upgraded to Free At Sea Plus (FAS+). With that upgrade, we both have Unlimited Internet (non-streaming), 3 total specialty dining each, the Premium Plus Beverage Package.
The upgrade for the Internet is great. Who knows if the Internet will even work or be reliable, but it is nice to have the upgrade because we don't have worries about using too much or the need to log off every time we are done to conserve minutes. 
The upgrade on the specialty dining is also great because we will be able to get a better feel for the value of specialty dining experiences over the included offerings at the MDR, the Garden Cafe Buffet, and the Local.
The upgrade on the drink package is the real reason we did the FAS+ upgrade. Certainly there is more variety and options when it comes to wine and liquor selections. That is offset by the many reports of supply chain issues and availability on ships and new restrictions on ordering. 
Despite these new reports we chose to upgrade because we wanted to get the bottled water (San Pellegrino for the sparkling crowd and Aqua Panna for the flat fans), the specialty coffee (anything and everything from Starbucks coffee, tea, and refeshers menu), energy drinks (Red Bull), and fresh juices. So even with some brands of alcohol possibly being unavailable, we are confident we will capture value with the other offerings included in the Premium Plus Beverage package.

For more on the package and deciding if it's right for you, check out the post by @Sthrngary. He posted in 2020 and the thread is 35 pages deep. If you have questions, this a great resource. We will report on our experience, but this is a great place to stop.
 

 

[cruiseny4life]

Oh you know I'm here for it all! The boring facts, the photos of suitcases sprawled across your room, and (hopefully) drunken antics that embarrass your boys. 

 

You better convince that brother of yours to share his balcony with you, giving you more space and your teens a quiet place for themselves in that inside. 🙂

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by cruiseny4life

[drwbrt]

Happy to be apart of this live.  Cruise Critic, and other forums, have been a great source of information.  I think both of us see this as a way to "give back" and the add value to our already highly valuable getaway.  Maybe TMI but both @New2cruise2022and I have large families, busy work schedules, and lives that demand the overwhelming majority of our time. Because of all of that, we rarely see each other despite living in one another's AirPod affixed at all times. This will be a vacation for us in every sense of the word.

 

I do feel like I won the upgrade daily double moving from a studio to a BA balcony. The high re-sale value on the Studios probably explains most of my upgrade.  I was excited to see what 99ft² felt like, but the ability fully stretch each morning, see the ocean, and not be located in a maze is more exciting.

 

Even though I have cruised before, this is my first time flying to port. Is it weird that I am on FlightAware tracking my plane more than 72 hours in advance?

 

This is my first go at NCL and can't wait to see how it compares to past sailings on RCL and DCL.

[drwbrt]

1 minute ago, cruiseny4life said:

Oh you know I'm here for it all! The boring facts, the photos of suitcases sprawled across your room, and (hopefully) drunken antics that embarrass your boys. 

 

You better convince that brother of yours to share his balcony with you, giving you more space and your teens a quiet place for themselves in that inside. 🙂

Already planning on visiting every bar (minus the Haven that is out of reach) for the sake of reviewing. Drunken antics are sure to ensue.

 

They are absolutely welcome in my balcony stateroom.  Without another traveller all my items will be stowed, and the room should look as in place as it was on embarkation day.

[New2cruise2022]

8 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Oh you know I'm here for it all! The boring facts, the photos of suitcases sprawled across your room, and (hopefully) drunken antics that embarrass your boys. 

 

You better convince that brother of yours to share his balcony with you, giving you more space and your teens a quiet place for themselves in that inside. 🙂

 

They are 15 and 17. A decade and a half with me, my boys don’t embarrass anymore. They shake the head and walk away. 

[drwbrt]

57 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

The Cabin:
Deck 15
Family Inside Cabin
Category I4

Two lower beds make a queen and two pullman beds.
Mid, but more Aft than Mid. Very quick access to the aft elevator bank and staircase.

 

He's really underselling the location.  He hasn't cruised before, so I'll forgive the ignorance. This was something unique to me about NCL. When I hear inside cabin my mind goes to a forward or aft maze of rooms begging to get lost after the fourth rum punch. His stateroom is in a corridor shared by only seven other staterooms and is DIRECTLY off the elevator lobby. This means less running into people in the hallways and feeling guilty about the two desserts in the MDR. This means being "home" immediately after climbing several decks of stairs. This is a great feature on NCL; I hope it lives up to my imagination once on the ship.

[New2cruise2022]

3 hours ago, drwbrt said:

He's really underselling the location.  He hasn't cruised before, so I'll forgive the ignorance. This was something unique to me about NCL. When I hear inside cabin my mind goes to a forward or aft maze of rooms begging to get lost after the fourth rum punch. His stateroom is in a corridor shared by only seven other staterooms and is DIRECTLY off the elevator lobby. This means less running into people in the hallways and feeling guilty about the two desserts in the MDR. This means being "home" immediately after climbing several decks of stairs. This is a great feature on NCL; I hope it lives up to my imagination once on the ship.

We are exchanging AirTags so we can find the other person if they get lost … sometime after the bars close. 

[AKR2011]

I'm looking forward to following your adventure.  Please post photos if you can too.

[janetz]

Me also!
Please post show times 😊

[drwbrt]

1 hour ago, AKR2011 said:

I'm looking forward to following your adventure.  Please post photos if you can too.

 

56 minutes ago, janetz said:

Me also!
Please post show times 😊

We will post as many pictures as the internet connectivity will allow.  We will include shows, show times, scans of the dailies. Thanks for sharing what you'd like to see.

[drwbrt]

So, I'm that guy.

[New2cruise2022]

24 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

So, I'm that guy.

You look like this guy. Purveyor of all good things. 

(I’m just jealous that he is more organized than me.)

Edited January 19, 2023 by New2cruise2022

[SuzieQ521]

2 hours ago, drwbrt said:

So, I'm that guy.

 

Wow, very organized!

 

We're on the same cruise...we have 3 US outlets in each room, right? (plus a USB next to each side of the bed)? Wondering if I should bring extra...

[PATRLR]

3 hours ago, SuzieQ521 said:

We're on the same cruise...we have 3 US outlets in each room, right? (plus a USB next to each side of the bed)? Wondering if I should bring extra...

Does Bliss have the USBs next to the beds?  I know Encore does, I don't recall Bliss having them when I was on it in 2018.

[drwbrt]

5 hours ago, New2cruise2022 said:

You look like this guy. Purveyor of all good things. 

(I’m just jealous that he is more organized than me.)

This guy looks like he’ll sell you candy out of a panel van. That’s not me. 

[drwbrt]

27 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

Does Bliss have the USBs next to the beds?  I know Encore does, I don't recall Bliss having them when I was on it in 2018.

They do. They’re in each bedside lamp. At least according to Harr Travel, including a large variety of other things (I really love his detailed videos, I just need a larger variety of phraseology). 

[cruiseny4life]

9 hours ago, drwbrt said:

So, I'm that guy.

I have one of these bags. I've used it like twice since owning it. I was gifted it on Christmas when I was young, beautiful, and had more hair. Like those attributes, the bag has never looked as nice as yours. Which is why it's in a closet somewhere, only to be seen when I'm looking for something else. 🙂

 

But for real, definitely a useful bag for someone who travels with a boatload of devices. That's not me. I have my phone and might have my Samsung watch. Might is the key word as I rarely find it useful anymore. 

 

3 hours ago, drwbrt said:

They do. They’re in each bedside lamp. At least according to Harr Travel, including a large variety of other things (I really love his detailed videos, I just need a larger variety of phraseology). 

I LOVE DANNY! Like, I have a crush on the tall man...just a normal, he's a cool guy kind of crush. Not an awkward crush. I do enjoy him trying to make a basket on every ship. Seriously, we need more vloggers like him (I know he's not really a vlogger). 

[drwbrt]

38 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

I LOVE DANNY! Like, I have a crush on the tall man...just a normal, he's a cool guy kind of crush. Not an awkward crush. I do enjoy him trying to make a basket on every ship. Seriously, we need more vloggers like him (I know he's not really a vlogger). 

“I’m a big guy, I’m 6’6”.”  Yeah you are! 
 

I poke fun, but really it’s a reflection of how many hours of his content I’ve watched. His videos are great. He’s doing Poseidon’s work. 

[New2cruise2022]

Packing: 

Candy & Treats
We are entering full packing mode. I know I welcome judgment, but I like who I am. Last time @drwbrtand I had a vacation like this was in NYC more than 10 years ago. Sure, we saw the sights like tourists do. Yes, we saw shows on Broadway. And we met Jimmy Fallon and impressed him with my ventriloquist-whistling party trick. But all of our memories included stops along the way to restock our candy. Yes, we are full-grown men. Even adults most of the time. But we also like candy. 
So candy and treats are coming on this trip … as if we won’t already have enough calories from drinks, Starbucks, and endless food. Dentists should look away or rest easy knowing that I am packing tooth decay. 
(We doubt there are many options for candy on the ship. And while I’m sure I can find candy coated in Tajin while I’m Cabo, I’m bringing along my own.)

 

[drwbrt]

On an entirely separate note—there's a dentist onboard, right?

[New2cruise2022]

Packing (cont.):

First Aid: Medicine, Bandages, et al. 
Despite this preparation being a trigger for Boy Scout days I’d rather not remember or my mom diving into a purse (BAG!) that would make Mary Poppin’s carpet bad jealous, here is the prep for the cruise. I know, I have more than I would ever hope to need and more than I would actually need. But I’m not interested in a trip to the Med Center on board. This is me ready — just in case. 

Contents may include but not limited to:

- Bandaids (many shapes, sizes, and colors)

- Neosporin Antibiotic Ointment

- Butterfly Closures (stitches at sea can’t be cheap)

- Cough Drops

- Airborne Immune Support

- Zicam Cold Therapy

- Acetaminophin (Tylenol)

- Ibuprofen (Advil)

- Tums

- Imodium AD (Antidiarheal — because you want that to stop ASAP and it isn’t a problem until it is.)

- Dramamine (Motion sickness can happen on cruises, right?)

- Chapstick (you can never have to many)

- Allergy Meds (Claratin, Zyrtec, Benedryl — yes, lots of allergies here)

- NyQuil (AM and PM)

- Mucinex (for coughing and congestion) 

 

Amateur Tip (Because I’m not a pro?) Yes, an entire pharmacy in one bag. Most things I found around my house and will return when I’m done. No need to spend $50-100 gathering things special for a cruise if you already have it. And I have little baggies for things I didn’t want to bring an entire bottle or box for.

[goldmom]

I would also suggest throwing in a few Covid tests.  Easier to check yourself if you feel sick than going to the medical center.  I'm a notorious "just in case" overpacker too, but I have saved the day at times.

Enjoy your cruise!

[lalamom]

On 1/18/2023 at 9:42 AM, drwbrt said:

Already planning on visiting every bar (minus the Haven that is out of reach) for the sake of reviewing. Drunken antics are sure to ensue.

 

They are absolutely welcome in my balcony stateroom.  Without another traveller all my items will be stowed, and the room should look as in place as it was on embarkation day.

My sister and I are on this cruise also, and our tradition is to make a card with each bar listed by deck and check each one off to make sure we have explored all our drinking options. 😄   These are already printed and ready to go!  Nothing else has been packed...