Jim Zim's Cruise Review Of The Norwegian Bliss Panama Canal Cruise

[Spaniel Lover]

That's my review of our 15-day cruise on the Norwegian Bliss! I hope you enjoyed it.

 

If you follow the links in my signature, below, you can read reviews of other cruises I've been on.

 

It's time for you to take over this conversation now. Any questions or comments? I'll keep an eye on this discussion for the next couple of weeks and try to reply to questions. If you're reading this in July 2018 or beyond, I'm no longer reading the comments... so don't expect a reply from me... but of course, feel free to post your thoughts.

 

If you subscribe to my YouTube channel, you will always stay up to date on my latest videos.

[amygutman]

Made my night.

Family and I love, love your reviews...your "Haven vs Steerage" has been personally viewed by us 100+ times - and good for you for being rewarded for your always honest, refreshing and personable reviews of all ships.

Thanks for sharing your precious cruise time with all your readers...Amy

[NancyL2]

Fantastic and amazing review! Thank you.

[ParrotheadKev]

"So, while I didn't appreciate having to pay $420 (on top of my already substantial cruise fare) just to be able to upload videos to YouTube"

I for one want thank you for spending the $420. I was following along everyday after work, so you made one old guy in San Diego happy.

I thank you and always enjoy your reviews...

PS: and your train videos

[PhoenixCruiser]

Fantastic review, loved the details and pictures.

 

My parents will be on her for New Years.

 

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk

[coopster]

great review i just have 1 question at the breakfast buffet do they have kippered salmon on it?

[CruiseJB]

Thank you for your fantastic review. I booked my Dec 2018 cruise in May of 2017. my only regret now is not booking a spa balcony or spa mini suite. The silver lining is I am in a mini suite only a few cabin doors down from the OL.

 

Now I can't wait to go back and watch all your videos. I caught a couple before this review on YouTube and want to see the rest. I loved loved loved your Don't book a balcony on the Bliss video!:hearteyes:

[Kealy]

Great review -- so informative and positive.

Thank you!

[Dckamme]

Excellent review, looks like a beautiful ship, I especially like the chandelier in the atrium! Sounds like you had quite the experience in Guatemala, at least a story to tell! The photos of the canal were great, I’ll have to add a Panama Canal cruise to my bucket list :)

 

 

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[Maya1234]

I’m sure NCL appreciates that your willingness to criticize means people can trust your reviews to be honest ones. I love your reviews and this was a wonderful one!

[jimbri]

As always, Wonderful review and videos. Thank you so much!!

[david_sobe]

Great review as usual. NCL owes you much more than a bathrobe, chocolate covered strawberries, and $25 OBC. But those were fantastic gestures. NCL would pay a huge amount of money for a video half as good as yours to some advertising company.

I suppose why lunch is so expensive in Margaritaville is perhaps they have to split profits with Jimmy Buffet? LOL

How expensive was it?

[shadowmeboy]

Jim,

 

Great review! I loved the extra information you added on here.

 

I have been watching your cruise videos on YouTube as well as your train videos. My wife said I cannot set up trains in the house like that.

 

Thank you again!

 

Matthew

[graphicguy]

Jim...as always, great job!

 

 

You're not helping me with my desire to sail MSC again....by steering me towards Bliss!

[JayS]

great review i just have 1 question at the breakfast buffet do they have kippered salmon on it?

I was on this transit. I also was on the Breakaway Transatlantic. Thirteen days between cruises.

 

I hope you don't mind MHOs.

The buffet seemed to be raised a notch or 2 above other NCL's buffets. The breakfast had real lox on display not hidden away. They had shrimp, crab legs (snow and king) and oysters on various nights. I didn't realized until the OP pointed out no Mexican station but a large Indian area.

 

The MDR are equivalent on both ships.

 

The specialty restaurants common to both ships had changed menus. Cagney's only the prices changed. I preferred the old menus.

 

The Local similar to the O'Sheenans with a slightly different menu.

 

On a previous cruise one of the shows was a Jersey Boys act with 4 singers. I thought the show on the Bliss would be similar. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

I was told the Happy Hour Prohibition show included 5 drinks. I was expecting small amounts with just a taste of alcohol. Again I was surprised.:D

 

 

Finally for those of us on the cruise, in Mazatlan we were docked with the Carnival Splendor and in LA with the USS Iowa. The Splendor is too wide by 17 or so feet for the old locks while the Iowa class ships are at the limit.

[Lupush]

Jim, your videos and reviews are invaluable to my wife and I. In fact, my father in law liked the ship so much after watching your review he decided to join us in the Haven on the 12/8 sailing!

 

 

Thanks so much for the time and work that you put into these.

 

 

Best,

 

 

Lee

[LeesaB]

Subscribing to remind me to look at this later (looks great!)

[Steff79]

wow, thank you, like your yt channel,

[Arzeena]

Thank you for this wonderful cruise review. I am looking forward to "savouring" it. :D Your reviews are always over the top and have excellent content.

And the continuity just cannot be beat, compared to other reviews that last for months on end ( and which I have stopped reading because I loose interest after two months and they are still going on and on and on!!!!). You do an excellent job always!

[tbo]

Thank you so much for your honest reviews. I've watched many of your videos and always feel so informed afterwards.

 

 

Last year we booked MSC SeaSide, the whirlpool suite and we did so knowing that you were booked and would be sailing ahead of us. After your review, it didn't take a second thought for us to switch over to the Bliss. THANK YOU for saving us from the food and entertainment on MSC! We will be on the Bliss in March and looks like we are making the right decision. I'm guessing between now and March I'll have watched all of your Bliss videos numerous times getting ready for our cruise.

[alreadypacked]

Loving the review and pictures!

 

Thanks for posting!

[UFMOM]

Enjoyed your review very much. I am looking forward to our cruise on the Bliss through the Panama Canal starting on the Pacific side, in November. The anticipation after seeing your review is helping me get through the healing time for the broken ankle I sustained while in Havana Cuba on the Sun in June. Thanks for making the waiting a little easier while watching your videos.

 

 

 

 

Mary Ann

[oncruisecontrol]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a photo of our Cruise Director, Silas Cook:

 

Silas did a good job as Cruise Director, and it was easy to see why NCL gave him the plum assignment of CD on their new flagship. I've actually seen a few bizarre choices for Cruise Director on some of my previous NCL cruises, so it was good to see that they got it right on Norwegian Bliss.

 

The only strange thing I noticed about Silas is that he never used his last name. He was always referred to as "Cruise Director, Silas" or "Silas, your Cruise Director"... never as Silas Cook. That seemed odd to me, since Cook is such a straight-forward last name. I could see just going with your first name if your last name was Smolinski or Ruotsalainen... but Cook?!?!

 

 

 

I sailed on the Getaway in 2016 and Silas was our cruise director. He was easily our new favorite since 2007 when we sailed with Butch Begovich on Carnival Victory. I think that it makes sense for Silas to use only his first name BECAUSE 'Cook' is such a straight-forward last name and BECAUSE 'Silas' is NOT a very common first name. Though most people have heard of the name Silas, it is not very common. To me it seems apropos for him to use a one-name moniker. Loving your review BTW. I remember your cruise reviews of other cruise lines from several years ago, and it's nice to read your new one of the Bliss.

[Cafedumonde]

Thanks for such a great review! Now we want to book Bliss! Your review of MSC saved us from the ship. We cancelled an upcoming Seaside cruise right after seeing your video. It confirmed all the negative things we had read about MSC. THANK YOU! Your honesty is very much appreciated. You and your wife make a lovely couple. Happy sailing.

[tallnthensome]

Thanks for such a great review! Now we want to book Bliss! Your review of MSC saved us from the ship. We cancelled an upcoming Seaside cruise right after seeing your video. It confirmed all the negative things we had read about MSC. THANK YOU! Your honesty is very much appreciated. You and your wife make a lovely couple. Happy sailing.

We are sailing the Bliss here on the 15 day Panama Canal in March and like what we read and see. We also sailed the MSC Seaside in April and it was absolutely phenomenal from top to bottom. One of our best cruises ever. I would NOT have cancelled based on someone else's review. You messed up sorry to say.