NCL Bliss: Ocean Blue, Cagney's, or La Cucina for a very special occasion?

Hi Bliss-ers--

I am surprising my partner with a cruise for his birthday and would like to reserve his birthday dinner at the most sophisticated and romantic specialty dining restaurant.

He is really excited about waterfront dining so I would appreciate your recommendation for both waterfront and indoor dining (in case it is too cold to dine outside).

My thoughts:

• I am attracted to Ocean Blue bc it has the strictest dress code and appears to have the most sophisticated room
  
• We dined at Cagney's on another ship and found it just okay--it was very noisy and hectic, without much ambiance.
  
• We live in Montreal so have access to amazing French food, so Le Bistro is out
  
• We prefer adult-focused dining so I would appreciate your thoughts on the most adult/least family friendly of the three restaurants
  

Question:

• Can all the restaurants accommodate 6 people for waterfront dining?
  

I honestly couldn't tell the difference in sophistication between any of these 3. They were all very nice. I would almost say our most sophisticated dinner was La Cucina, simply because it wasn't as busy and the waiter was really on point. But the service and what not is generally the same for all.

What you should do is consider the type of food you might want for your special occasion.

DO waterfront dining. And here is a tip. Figure out which night you are doing this, then look up the sunset time. Book your reservation an hour or so before sunset. If you really want to go all in, figure out which way the ship will be heading and choose a restaurant that has a view of the sunset on that side :)

But yeah, I'd say Ocean Blue if I had to pick one. Your partner, however, may prefer a porterhouse at Cagneys for all we know. :)

My vote would be for Cagneys but Ocean Blue is definitely very classy. But my decision is based on I am more of a meat eater than seafood eater.

I don't care for La Cucina. If only it was half as good as Olive Garden. I find their meals MDR quality or even worse. Last time on Getaway we raved how much better the gnocchi was in Taste compared to La Cucina. Maybe because I married into an Italian family but can never find a great meal there and I have tried many times.

However, any of the restaurants are very nice on the waterfront deck. You really cant lose. I am voting for the food only.

Ocean Blue on the Bliss is a lot nicer than other -away class ships because it takes up the entire space on that side of the ship (filled with the noisy Mojito Bar, Raw Bar, Tapas Bar, Sushi bar on other ships).

Eating outside is totally a matter of preference. We have seen multiple parties start outside and move inside after a while because of the heat, humidity, or wind (or cold on our Bliss cruise to Alaska). You're there for a classy dinner, and sweating in your salad.

How do you secure waterfront dining? When I did our reservations online it didn't give that option. Thanks in advance!

How do you secure waterfront dining? When I did our reservations online it didn't give that option. Thanks in advance!

Good question. I'm sure you can just ask the maitre d when you board.

The waterfront always had some available tables when we sailed. Not everyone appreciates the experience!

Waterfront tables are first come first serve.