Bliss cabin differences - help + add'l ??

[travispete]

Hello, my family has been on quite a few RCCL cruises but never on NCL. We are booking a Bliss Mexican Riviera cruise (4/3/22) and I don't entirely understand the different cabin categories, so I am enlisting your expertise.  What are the main differences between the SPA BALCONY, BALCONY, and CLUB BALCONY SUITES? If $$ wasn't an issue (there is a negligible difference between all three), which would you choose and why? We will have our 14 year old daughter with us if that makes any difference. Also, while I am at it, tell me the good, the bad and the ugly with the Bliss, please. We are booking it nonetheless, but want realistic expectations going in. Is SIX still being shown? I am seeing varying answers. Fun for teens? My daughter will turn 14 first night of the cruise - embarkation day. 

Thank you so much, in advance, for any help you can provide.

[smillerholmes]

I am just off the Bliss (02/27 - 03/06) same itinerary. Embarkation was a breeze (and they even changed my cabin). I thought for sure luggage would be late to arrive...nope, it was there when I checked before heading to lunch.

 

I'm not sure I can help much with cabin categories, I went with Club Balcony (deck 12) as a solo traveler and it was a pleasant experience, and I've only sailed Bliss once.  Would it work for a couple with a 14-year old - yes, there is a pull out sofa and the bathroom is a very nice size.

 

I tend to like the smaller Jewel class ships and so I was unexpectedly surprised to find that I loved the Bliss!  Beautiful ship.  There are tons of activities and I'm sure there will be more orientated towards the younger crowd during Spring Break.  There were approximately 2K passengers and I saw maybe 50 or so kids/young adults during my cruise.  

 

Six was not shown on my cruise, but Jersey Boys was - it was an awesome experience, but only shown Thursday and Friday evening of that week.  Hopefully they will also offer the opportunity to talk with some of the talent.  They had about an hour where one of the male leads for Jersey Boys, female lead along with the musical director and the magician showed up on Saturday morning in the Atrium to answer questions about showbiz life and they talked alot about the things they had done during the lock down - it was very interesting.  There were multiple shows with the magician and comedians (PG at 7/R at 9) to round out the week.

 

Food was top notch as usual.  Service was awesome.  No waits for much of anything; even the usual practice of those that wait until the last few nights to use their Specialty Dining package.  I went to Le Bistro/Cagneys/Cagneys the last 3 nights of the cruise and restaurants were about 25% full between 7:30 and 9:00.  Feel free to make reservations if that works for your family.

 

Not sure if you are Starbucks fans, but there is one on the ship and they took pride in remembering orders.  They were pretty awesome.  Can't speak to the go karts or water slide (although I did converse with a family where the mom got stuck) - she took it better than I would have.  Whale watching in Cabo was so so good, it's the end of the season, but you might get lucky if it's still offered.

 

Debarkation - also a breeze.  I did the self-service walk off and I was in my Lyft headed to the airport at 08:50.

 

If you have more specific questions I can try to answer and I'm sure others will chime in as well.  

 

Enjoy your cruise

 

 

[davencl]

We are booked on that cruise.   Very good pricing at this point.   Spa Balcony is basically  the same as club balcony.  Spa balcony includes thermal spa pass.   Balcony is a little smaller than club balcony in length.   We typically chose the club balcony for the little bit of extra space.   

[Uff da]

Bliss Mexican Riviera Cruise was my first on NCL a couple weeks ago. We booked a regular balcony and it was great, but just 2 of us. We did not spend much time in it to be honest. I really didn't consider any of the others. I'm pretty sure Spa and Spa Club balconies come with access to the Thermal Suite (18 and older only.)  

I'm pretty sure the teen program, Entourage (13-17 year olds,) is operating. It's a place for the kids to hang out. Movies, games, dances. All that jazz.  

Six is not being shown. As a matter of fact, it has been removed from the planning section of my upcoming Alaska cruise so it looks like it's not coming back any time soon. Same with Prohibition. Jersey Boys was the only big show. 

If you want to watch a really great video tour of the Bliss, find the one on YouTube by Harr Travel. Really thorough overview of all things Bliss. It was really helpful to know where things were. 

Food is fine. It's cruise food. Some things are better than others. I had the best piece of salmon I've ever had one of the last nights at Taste and their tiramisu is killer. If you watch the tour, you'll see how big the buffet is. It goes on forever. 

It's a nice ship. As a matter of fact, I watched a tour of Odyssey of the Seas and thought it was very similar to Bliss. All the outdoor stuff and buffet at the top. All the inside stuff and dining rooms are on decks 6,7,8. It's fairly easy to navigate. One really great thing Bliss has is the Observation Lounge. Nice place to grab a snack and/or drink and watch the ocean go by. Can't wait for that in Alaska. 

There were a couple hiccups on my cruise, but I'm staying optimistic that Alaska will be better with what I know now. 

You will have a great time. The Riviera cruise is the best one I've been on. I loved the itinerary. So fun. 

 

Edited March 11, 2022 by Uff da

[hallux]

1 hour ago, travispete said:

BALCONY,

Standard balcony, with some variations

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/bliss/staterooms/balcony

1 hour ago, travispete said:

CLUB BALCONY SUITES?

Balcony cabin with an upgraded bathroom and maybe some additional space

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/bliss/staterooms/club-balcony-suite

1 hour ago, travispete said:

SPA BALCONY

Balcony with spa access.

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/bliss/staterooms/spa

 

These can be looked at on the page for the ship.

 

The ship is beautiful, lots of places to explore.  I liked the ship so much I sailed a second time in 6 months!  I did the same itinerary as you back in 2019, in a standard balcony cabin.  Of the ships in this class, several of us have agreed in other threads that the Bliss is the best mix of the free observation lounge and Spice H2O and additional for-fee spaces that are taking over some of the newer ships.

Edited March 11, 2022 by hallux

[debenson0723]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is The Waterfront area, which is a favorite.  Nice quiet area to sit on comfortable couches and watch the sea go by.  Sometimes you will see whales, flying fish, dolphins (especially leaving various ports) or just beautiful sunsets.  Several specialty restaurants have outdoor seating on the Waterfront and it's lovely to dine out there (if not too windy). There are also a few bars located in that area.  

One more thing...the casino is non-smoking, with an enclosed smoking area that is separate from the main casino.  I rarely visit the casino on other ships due to the smoke but find myself there more often on the Bliss because of the lack of smoke.

 

I have been on the Bliss 3 times, the last being the Mexican Riviera in November.  You will have a great time.

[n4w]

Spa means your fare includes access to the spa, which also means that the cabin is closer to the spa facilities.  And then the difference from regular balcony to club balcony is essentially a larger bathroom and perks:

Exclusive Club Balcony Suite Amenities

• Option to pre-book onboard entertainment and dining as early as 125 days prior to sailing
• Complimentary treats delivered to your stateroom
• Complimentary bottle of sparkling wine
• Complimentary choice of one valet laundry or pressing service
• Bliss Collection by Norwegian™ featuring fine linens, pillows and a memory foam mattress or mattress topper

https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/cruise-accommodations/minisuites-and-balconies

 

PLUS: you get to pay extra $3 pp/pd gratuities!

[wampuscat7]

With a 14-year-old, I would get at club balcony suite - one with a large balcony if you can. I wouldn't bother splurging for the spa balcony personally, but that's because we have a younger child and spend most of our vacation as a family. We wouldn't use the spa enough to make it worthwhile. 

Edited March 12, 2022 by wampuscat7

[n4w]

1 hour ago, wampuscat7 said:

With a 14-year-old, I would get at club balcony suite - one with a large balcony if you can. I wouldn't bother splurging for the spa balcony personally, but that's because we have a younger child and spend most of our vacation as a family. We wouldn't use the spa enough to make it worthwhile. 

and I think the minimum age for using the included spa facilities is 18