Norwegian Bliss is Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) largest ship, spanning 333 meters in length. Built in 2018 and refurbished in 2021, it holds over four thousand guests at double occupancy. Travel destinations of the Bliss are many, including Alaska, which is where I had the pleasure to go onboard. Its other destinations include:

• Bahamas
• Bermuda
• Caribbean
• Mexican Riviera
• Pacific Coast
• Panama

I’m going to go through some of my favourite features of Bliss, its highlights, as well as my overall experience—the good, the bad, and the mediocre. Remember, as always, you can go to NCL’s website directly; the link is here for the most up-to-date information.

Some of the pictures I’ve taken with this post in mind are fire, in my humble opinion. I’d like to thank my insomnia and jet lag for keeping me awake at 4am, helping me to take photos with no other people in them, as they slept soundly. So let me go ahead and share it all with you, starting with one of my most important activities – eating.

Dining

As with many, if not all, cruise ships, Norwegian Bliss offers a variety of culinary options, to suit every taste and every dietary preference of its guests. It consists of complimentary choices available free of charge for every guest, as well as speciality restaurants where a specified cover charge may apply, depending on the offer you might have purchased.

Complimentary

1. Garden Café (deck 16) – indoor buffer serving a wide variety of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. By far the most visited dining option by me but also by many others, it offers just about everything you might be in the mood for. Some of its most popular choices included the omelette station, burgers and pizza and Asian kitchen.
2. The Local Bar & Grill (deck 7) – a 24-hour eatery with a set menu, the Local offers bar favourites, including beer and cocktails. Its typical pub experience does not stop there, as it offers TVs to watch the games on. It is located right above the Atrium, so during the day it fills up quick, as it offers a great vantage point to watch interactive games and shows (such as Wheel of Fortune or Deal or No Deal played with cruise guests).
3. American Diner (deck 17) – exactly as advertised, this is a 50’s styled restaurant, serving America’s favourite dishes such as nachos, burgers and meatloaf.
4. Main Dining Rooms (decks 6 & 7) – Savour, Taste and the Manhattan Room are three modern restaurants offering contemporary design and classic dishes in a more fancy setting.

Speciality Dining

Depending on the cruise package you purchased, it might include complimentary speciality dining as part of it, essentially wavering the cover charge. If you don’t have it, you can still visit these restaurants at any point during your cruise, however you will need to pay.

1. Food Republic (deck 8, US$50 pp) – Asian-Latin fusion, serving sushi, tapas, noodle and rice dishes, open for lunch and dinner.
2. Palomar (deck 8, US$60 pp) – Mediterranean restaurant focusing on seafood dishes from Europe.
3. Teppanyaki (deck 6, US$60 pp) – Japanese restaurant where a skilful chef prepares dinner right in front of you on a hot, steel plate, complimented with lively conversations, tricks and sing-alongs.
4. Cagney’s Steakhouse (deck 8, US$60 pp) – American steakhouse specialising in beef, but also serving seafood selection, paired nicely with wine.
5. La Curina (deck 8, US$40 pp) – Pasta, pizza or Tiramisu? This Italian restaurant has got you covered.
6. Le Bistro (deck 17, US$ 60 pp) – Another European restaurant, this time serving tasty classic French dishes.
7. Q-Texas Smokehouse (deck 6, US$40 pp) – BBQ-focused restaurant serving authentic Texas smoked meats full of flavour.

Bars and Lounges

Now, doesn’t that get your appetite going? After dinner, if you’re looking to wash it down with a drink, there are numerous places to do so. There are bars and lounges on nearly every deck, serving a variety of beers, wines and cocktails. Check out some of my favourites below, with far more available throughout the ship!

1. Maltings Whiskey Bar (deck 8) – As a whiskey enthusiast, I appreciated Maltings’ great selection you can enjoy inside and outside, alongside a stunning sea view.
2. Humidor Cigar Lounge (deck 8) – a great place to pair your whiskey up with a smoke, in a comfortable leather chair.
3. The District Brew (deck 8) – perfect place for beer enjoyers, with over 70 different ones on offer, all while you listen to some live music.
4. Sugarcane Mojito Bar (deck 8) – as the name suggests, enjoy a refreshing mojito throughout the day or night.

Activities

While eating and drinking are activities I found myself doing the most off on the ship, there is so much more to check out too onboard the Norwegian Bliss. It has what it takes to cater to adventure seekers! Individual charges might apply. Please check out NCL’s website for the most up-to-date information.

1. Bliss Speedway (decks 18 & 19, US$15 pp, per ride) – this two-level racetrack allows you to experience go-karting in the middle of the ocean. However, it is outdoors so its opening is weather-dependent. Unfortunately, for the whole duration of my Alaska cruise, it remained closed and I didn’t have an opportunity to try it out for myself. Hopefully, you’ll be more lucky.
2. Mini Gold (deck 19)
3. Aqua Park (deck 16) – Lounge by the pool, hop into a hot tub or enjoy a water slide looping out of the ship.
4. Casino (deck 7) – from table games to machines, you can enjoy your time trying to win the jackpot.
5. Spa and Gym (deck 16) – avail of the fitness centre or a spa treatment, and relax your body and mind. Charges apply for those.
6. Video Arcade (deck 5)

Entertainment

If you’re looking for some more indoor entertainment, enjoy your night in one of the below:

1. Social Comedy and Night Club (deck 6) – a self-explanatory name really. Enjoy comedian stand-up shows in the afternoon and evening, and top it off with dancing later on.
2. The Cavern Club (deck 8) – by far the most surprisingly liked place. From karaoke to the Beatles cover band, I found myself coming back to this club over and over again.
3. Bliss Theatre (deck 6) – while it serves multiple functions, at night, it provides fun and entertainment in form of comedy shows and musicals, creating an atmosphere not to miss out on.

Norwegian Bliss is a big ship. There’s a lot to do and experience, some of which I didn’t even get to cover, the post would be far too long. These are just some of my favourites, and again, for a full list, please visit the official NCL website. The crew on the ship does truly an amazing job in ensuring there’s something new for you to do everyday.

There are shops to visit, selling some merchandise, souvenirs and day-to-day items you might need. For people travelling with kids or teenagers, there’s places for them to go too, meet new people and have fun.

Every morning, you receive a daily summary of everything that is going on and where, any special events, entertainment line-up and family activities. There is a lot going on at any given time, and especially if it’s your first-ever cruise, your natural reaction will be to check out everything immediately. So here is my advice – please don’t.

You risk experiencing everything half-assed, jumping from one thing to another, and it might leave you simply bored at the end of the cruise because you’ve ‘seen it all’. Pick a few things or activities every day. You’ll be on the ship for a few days if not weeks, so try and spread it all out, leaving something new for yourself for each new day.

Norwegian Bliss is a far bigger ship than I expected. It was extremely easy to reach 10k steps just from walking it front to back. It has a wide selection of just about everything and when I found my favourite places, it was a pleasure to keep going back to them, seeing others do the same and build relations with other guests over the course of the cruise. It offered an experience I will not forget.

Norwegian Bliss served incredibly well as my ‘home away from home’ for my Alaskan adventure and I would not want it any other way. There was genuinely nothing I disliked or hated that would put that in jeopardy. Of course, there are small things here and there I’d change, but they’re nit-picks and ultimately had no major impact on the cruise itself – the quality of the toilet paper was low, the smoking area was very far away and my wee little legs hurt.

These aren’t real complaints, these are preferences. The food was amazing anywhere I went, and every crew member I met and interacted with was polite and extremely helpful. When my suitcase wouldn’t open on the day of arrival, they sent over a carpenter right away to help me, so I had clothes to wear. When I met with the comedians outside of the shows, just out and about, they stopped and gave me their time of the day for a lovely chat. When I visited the same places over and over again, the crew members learned my name and made me feel welcome.

That is the Norwegian Bliss experience I will remember and that’s the experience you will have yourself when you go onboard it.