Norwegian Bliss ship

Our Inaugural Sailing & Review of the NEW Norwegian Bliss!

Norwegian Bliss ship

Just a few weeks ago we took an Inaugural Sailing onboard the new “Norwegian Bliss” Cruise Ship so we wanted to tell you a little bit about her and show you a few pictures & videos of her so you know what you are getting in case you decide a Cruise with Norwegian Cruiseline on their “Norwegian Bliss” ship is a good choice for your next vacation!

Or, if you want more information on another Norwegian ship or a feel for what their line is all about, no problem, we have sailed on several of their ships and have albums on each filled with pictures, videos & tips in the captions…

Please enjoy a few of them here:

Norwegian Epic

Norwegian Breakaway

Norwegian Escape

…and of course, now we have a collage of Pictures and Videos of the NEW Norwegian Bliss

Since Norwegian Escape (the second newest ship in the Norwegian fleet) is a sister ship to the Bliss, feel free to click on the “Escape” link above to see more pictures of things that are on the Bliss that we didn’t include in this blog post

…as this review below will entail all the newest features & highlights that are unique to the Bliss and different from Escape.

Norwegian Bliss and Escape differences

Let’s dig in. 🙂

She can accommodate 4,004 guests and is a beauty inside and out especially since the front of the ship (first picture at the top of this post) has been painted by Marine Life artist, Robert Wyland, with colourful images of humpback whales, dolphins, sea lions and sea turtles… how fitting since she sails from Seattle to Alaska 1/2 the year!

Let’s talk next about…

The Accommodations on the Bliss:

The Norwegian Bliss (as well as here sister ship Escape) has a range of accommodations for solo travellers, families and high-end guests. 

From studio staterooms for one person with access to a private lounge and a full-size bed… to “The Haven”, a private access three-storey complex featuring luxurious suites with a private restaurant and lounge, outdoor areas, a pool, whirlpools, spa treatment rooms, and a sunbathing deck… there is something for everyone!

Click here to See Our Videos of a few of the Staterooms onboard Bliss.

Click here to learn all about “The Haven” onboard Bliss. 

Tip: The Norwegian Bliss also has Mini-Suites but speak to Shawn first about those as he will share why they may not be the best choice of stateroom and he’ll steer you to the very best room suitable for YOUR needs. 🙂

2 Major Differences from the Norwegian Escape:

Besides the fact that Norwegian Bliss has that new smell to her and brighter appearances with fresh colors, there were two unique things that stood out on Bliss, and they are:

1. The Observation Lounge.

It is a big upgrade! She has 180° of two story floor-to-ceiling windows that spans 20,000ft² of spectacular views out into the Sea… perfect for Alaska!

And it’s a place you’ll want to visit again and again to enjoy Glaciers or whatever the scenes are in the part of the world you are in or read a good book and relax having cocktails with friends!! 🙂

Bliss Observation Lounge picture

2. The Thermal Spa. 

She has some uncommon new features (on top of all the normal inclusions you’ll find on Escape & other Norwegian ships) to treat your body to including a snow room, a salt room and a new version of a combined sauna steam called a “Sanarium”.

If you purchase a “Spa” category Stateroom or Suite, the thermal spa is included– lucky you!!  Otherwise there is a charge of $249 per week/per person (at time of writing) to use it — well worth it in our opinion… check out these pictures to get you excited!!!

Norwegian Bliss spa area pictures

Nice, right?

Something else they did a little different with Bliss is the Infinity hot tubs. They sit suspended over the side of the ship so that you can have great ocean views while soaking in the relaxing warm water!

infinity hot tubs on Norwegian Bliss pictures

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Entertainment onboard Norwegian Bliss:

The “Bliss” Theatre hosts Broadway shows and musicals and we highly recommend “Jersey Boys”… a story about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Don’t miss it- we were so impressed and said afterwards that it rivals Broadway- it was THAT good!!

Jersey boys onboard Norwegian Bliss review

The comedy and nightclub venue is still onboard (we laughed and laughed) but a subtle difference from Escape is that instead of a Jazz Club the “Cavern Club” has performances done by a Beatles cover band. The place was jumping when we went in and again, the quality of the entertainment was excellent, not cheesy.

Bars onboard Norwegian Bliss

For all you non smokers who like going to the Casino and not have to inhale second hand smoke, Norwegian Bliss has solved this issue now by adding a ventilated casino room for smokers to gamble. Thats right, a smoke free casino has been added. Below is a picture of the smoking room:

Norwegian Bliss smoke free casino review

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What is New in Dining?

Margaritaville is still onboard with their incredible burgers (try it sometime if you haven’t already) but new is “Q”, a Texas Smokehouse.

We tried the beef short rib and brisket sandwich which were both to die for. See our pictures below which do NOT do the flavour justice. We will for sure go back there anytime we’re on a Norwegian Ship with a “Q” onboard… Yummy!! 

Q Texas Smokehouse onboard Norwegian Bliss review

“Coco’s” is new onboard too… who doesn’t like chocolate!!!  Of course we tried a few treats— we “only” did it so we could report back to you the quality. (yeah right!!!)

Now we can confidently tell you that they were VERY good. You are welcome!!! LOL 🙂

Take at a look at this shake which we devoured…

Cocos onboard Norwegian Bliss

Also new to the “Norwegian Bliss” is Starbucks… now you don’t have to go without when at Sea!! 🙂

Starbucks onboard Norwegian Bliss review

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New Activities on the Bliss:

Well, some pretty exciting new things were brought to the Bliss including Go-Karts at Sea… we didn’t get a chance to try it out but the track looks like so much fun!

No matter your age, you can enjoy this!

Go-Carts onboard Norwegian Bliss

And now you can also play Laser Tag at Sea in a really cool setting… it had a very “Star Wars”-like feel! Because you can play night and day, it feels like a different game depending on when you play! 

lazer tag onboard Norwegian Bliss

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Well, there you go, a peek at “Norwegian Bliss”… Norwegian’s newest ship.

Don’t forget to check out our Pictures and Videos of Norwegian Bliss.

If you have any questions feel free to reach out to us or if you want to book a Norwegian Cruise or any other Cruise Shawn would be Happy to help. 🙂

We appreciate You!

Nancy & Shawn
Your Trusted Cruise Experts!

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