Will it be Bliss? Our first NCL Post-Covid Cruise - Live!

[L1211]

First ship sighting - forgot to post!  The DD says “we’re sailing the Wyland”- ha!

[L1211]

Pictures sent to my by my daughter post upside down- i feel sure some CC junkie knows why and how to fix it! 

[L1211]

So very many lovely outside spaces on the waterfront!  I do miss the Miami vibe of the Escape though.  I find myself

going “that was the 5 O’clock Somewhere bar”. And “that was that tapas place” very similar, not the same…

[L1211]

Talk to me about the Skyline bar- I remember this to be a late night dance club, not a casino bar- am I right?! 

[L1211]

No reason to leave the casino- ever!  Breakfast anyone?? The pastries actually look pretty good! I don’t remember how NCL coffee is.  I can say, coffee on MSC was great! 

[L1211]

Ocean blue is beautiful!  We don’t dine there till Friday or Saturday. I was going to cancel because a vloger said it the seafood was only fresh early in the cruise.  Ugh… except @BirdTravels set me straight- it’s all frozen!  Assist goes to Bird! 
 

Also, I found the Vue- don’t I remember you can get bottles with FAS+??? 

Edited March 11 by L1211

[L1211]

She looks fun! There’s someone on this crew that lives to lower this onto the water! 

[L1211]

The local breakfast menus. Only 1 person at the bar and maybe three set at 7 - it’s 8:10 now and folks are starting to mingle. 

[L1211]

Q is an interesting place- a bar and restaurant and music venue- is that right?  It’s not on the plan, but maybe stop by for music and a cocktail?  What was here on Escape or Getaway? I cannot remember! 

[L1211]

The Cavarn Club is a new venue for us- liked, didn’t love the Beatles Experience last night- not sure we’ll wait and queue for another set.  Although I expect it’s better in this venue than the theatre. 

[erisajd]

18 hours ago, L1211 said:

Oh no!  Now I’m rethinking (way too late) my haven decision… it’s crowded today - everywhere…

After three other cruises, 1 Disney, 1 Holland America, 1 RCL, when we decided to go to Alaska this summer we booked Haven - Forward Facing Penthouse - just didn't to deal with 2000 of our closest friends on every stop.  We wanted the specialty reservations, we wanted the go cart track, we wanted to get on and off when we wanted and we did not want to wait in lines anywhere.  

 

Was it worth $2000 more than a suite on a different ship - I think its gonna be.  

[erisajd]

18 hours ago, L1211 said:

Pro tip- Wi-Fi not available after boarding - they said sailaway? That’s new to me. 

Doesnt your phone work while in port?  

[Kp125]

2 minutes ago, L1211 said:

Q is an interesting place- a bar and restaurant and music venue- is that right?  It’s not on the plan, but maybe stop by for music and a cocktail?  What was here on Escape or Getaway? I cannot remember! 

We just got home and that was one of our favorite meals. We didn’t like Food Republic at all. 

[Lush LaRue]

6 minutes ago, L1211 said:

Also, I found the Vue

If you happen to see it elsewhere, I’d love know. Booked LeBistro/Ocean Blue so I’d have least a few nights of Vue bubbles. 
Great review, using your notes to help prep for Alaska in April. 

[L1211]

3 minutes ago, erisajd said:

After three other cruises, 1 Disney, 1 Holland America, 1 RCL, when we decided to go to Alaska this summer we booked Haven - Forward Facing Penthouse - just didn't to deal with 2000 of our closest friends on every stop.  We wanted the specialty reservations, we wanted the go cart track, we wanted to get on and off when we wanted and we did not want to wait in lines anywhere.  

 

Was it worth $2000 more than a suite on a different ship - I think its gonna be.  

Cruise director said 4800 on her this week!!! Yeah, I think you made a good decision… I didn’t love MSC Yacht Club, but still should have booked haven… it’s complicated, the girls don’t want to be in the enclave. And we want to spend time with them- and 4798 others…

[L1211]

3 minutes ago, Lush LaRue said:

If you happen to see it elsewhere, I’d love know. Booked LeBistro/Ocean Blue so I’d have least a few nights of Vue bubbles. 
Great review, using your notes to help prep for Alaska in April. 

I am on the job and will keep you posted!!  

[L1211]

4 minutes ago, Kp125 said:

We just got home and that was one of our favorite meals. We didn’t like Food Republic at all. 

Oh good to know!  Do you know if it’s open for lunch? 

[L1211]

5 minutes ago, erisajd said:

Doesnt your phone work while in port?  

Unsure why but we couldn’t get a cellular signal on the ship in LA port- so odd!  We could up top outside.  

[L1211]

Ok, I know it’s been 8 years but check out these price differences!  I’m so old I remember when speciality dining took into consideration that you’d already paid for your meal and the charge was just a supplement.. oh the good ole days of cruising!
 

 Pad Thai- $6 to $21

Cali roll $5 to $15

[erisajd]

9 minutes ago, L1211 said:

Cruise director said 4800 on her this week!!! Yeah, I think you made a good decision… I didn’t love MSC Yacht Club, but still should have booked haven… it’s complicated, the girls don’t want to be in the enclave. And we want to spend time with them- and 4798 others…

We were looking at June 8 - June 12 departures - and discovered that a $10000 forward facing suite on Jewel was NOT in the Haven [because they don't have it or were sold out] and a $12000 forward facing suite on the June 8 Bliss departure was - so for us it was $2000 essentially!   That was a no brainer.  

 

I'm sure your priority 'pass' will work out - but we had a concierge phone number to call to make all our reservations - which made it easy - plus - we got our requested times on the Speciality restaurants - but given the filet and lobster [and the pork chop] in the Haven restaurant - we only used the two specialty restaurant bookings that came with Free At Sea . . . 

 

We are in Anchorage and Fairbanks pre-cruise and are doing a Glacier landing flight in Denali and then [since I'm a pilot] renting a seaplane and pilot for an hour in Victoria - and looking forward to those non-cruise very expensive splurges. . . . 

Edited March 11 by erisajd

[erisajd]

7 minutes ago, L1211 said:

Unsure why but we couldn’t get a cellular signal on the ship in LA port- so odd!  We could up top outside.  

maybe you were facing the wrong way -  but INSIDE the ship is essentially a Fourier box - all that steel degrades the signal - would need to be outside or on your patio . .  

[L1211]

10 minutes ago, erisajd said:

maybe you were facing the wrong way -  but INSIDE the ship is essentially a Fourier box - all that steel degrades the signal - would need to be outside or on your patio . .  

Yep.  Very true! 

[L1211]

Second drink of the day (optimizing that spend on FAS+!) - brown sugar shaken expresso with almond milk and pistachio latte. 

[L1211]

22 minutes ago, erisajd said:

We were looking at June 8 - June 12 departures - and discovered that a $10000 forward facing suite on Jewel was NOT in the Haven [because they don't have it or were sold out] and a $12000 forward facing suite on the June 8 Bliss departure was - so for us it was $2000 essentially!   That was a no brainer.  

 

I'm sure your priority 'pass' will work out - but we had a concierge phone number to call to make all our reservations - which made it easy - plus - we got our requested times on the Speciality restaurants - but given the filet and lobster [and the pork chop] in the Haven restaurant - we only used the two specialty restaurant bookings that came with Free At Sea . . . 

 

We are in Anchorage and Fairbanks pre-cruise and are doing a Glacier landing flight in Denali and then [since I'm a pilot] renting a seaplane and pilot for an hour in Victoria - and looking forward to those non-cruise very expensive splurges. . . . 

We’ve not done Alaska but on the bucket list for sure. We tend to cruise college spring break because of the DD’s schedule so no Alaska.  Your trip sounds epic!  Be sure to report back!! 

[tcmagnum]

11 hours ago, L1211 said:

Crème brûlée- 6/10- flavor really good- texture just ok (the DH makes the best creme brûlée so tough crowd..,)

 

apple pie- 1/10- total fail! Hard, jelled. Ugh.  
 

chocolate lava cake - 8/10 - alpaca texture - nailed!. Berries, ice cream, all really good!! 

 

Chocolate Lava Cake!!!!

That is our go to.  I've been known to skip appetizer and get 2 of those!!

But without that red stuff on top!!  Lol...