The Norwegian Bliss will be Norwegian Cruise Lines sixteenth ship and third ship in their Breakaway-Plus class. It will accommodate 4,000 guests and will be their most innovative ship to date. It is currently being built by Meyer Werft in papenburg, Germany.
Norwegian Bliss’ innovative design will offer guests the freedom and flexibility and create their perfect experience at sea, with a wide variety of accommodations including luxurious suites in The Haven, Studio staterooms for solo cruisers with virtual ocean views, and new connecting staterooms ideal for large groups and families. Norwegian Bliss will also feature two observation lounges, with one being exclusive to guests of The Haven, a great place for whale watching in Alaska or enjoying the sunsets in the Caribbean.
Norwegian Cruise Line will take its award-winning entertainment programming to the next level aboard Norwegian Bliss, bringing the best of Broadway to sea, featuring the award winning musical “Jersey Boys”.
Norwegian Bliss will also feature a new theatrical cocktail hour experience, Happy Hour Prohibition-The Musical. Alibi, the ship’s reimagined comedy club and nightlife venue will feature two comedy performances six nights a week. The Cavern Club will offer rock & roll with live performances nightly and a Beatles’s cover band singing some of the Beatles’s best hit songs.
Continuing with its tradition of featuring original artwork on its ships’ hulls, Norwegian Cruise Line has commissioned Wyland, one of the world’s premier marine life artists, to design the hull art for Norwegian Bliss; the artwork will feature images of humpback whales, found in every ocean around the world. The ship’s hull will serve as a large canvas to showcase the importance of conservation and ocean preservation.
The buzzing talk amongst the cruisers is the new addition to the Go-Karts which the NCL Joy sailing from China recently initiated. These look to be a high light for cruisers. Although one may think it’s for kids, don’t let your kids get too excited over this feature unless they are 14 or older. The minimum age requirement for the Go-Karts is 14 years. They can go as fast as 30mph and having children younger than 14 can pose a safety hazard. Another new feature is the Laser Tag which is less restrictive when it comes to age. There is a fun Aqua park for all ages, along with Ocean Loops & Aqua Racer water slides. The kid’s clubs are some of the most fun at sea.
Now let’s talk dining…Of course NCL have their main dining room and buffet style options. Although if you want to step it up and try some new cuisine, along with some of NCL’s signature restaurants the Bliss will offer a couple new options such as Texas Smokehouse, offering BBQ style cuisine and Los Lobos for those preferring a Mexican atmosphere. Also don’t forget the lively Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, a great hangout which offers tasty beverages and food as well.
She is currently scheduled to set sail for her inaugural sailing summer 2018. Starting with a 15 day Panama Canal itinerary leading into seven day itineraries to Alaska offering guests the premier way to see America’s last frontier by providing all the innovative features, entertainment, signature dining, and onboard experience NCL is known for around the world. She will visit ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and British Columbia as well as scenic glacier cruising.
Norwegian Bliss will then make her way down to Los Angeles with a 5 day cruise from Vancouver with one stop in San Francisco before arriving to Los Angeles to begin her 4 weeks of Mexican Rivera itineraries. She will start with an 8 day itinerary from Los Angeles to Mexico with ports of Ensenada, Los Cabos, Mazatlan, & Puerto Vallarta, then 3 more weeks with a 7 day itinerary minus the port of Ensenada.
After this she will head over to Miami in November with a 14 day itinerary through the Panama canal to start her inaugural winter season with 7 day itineraries through March visiting St Thomas, Tortola, & Nassau. After this, she will start her way back to Los Angeles in March 2019 and head to Mexico until summer when she will return to Alaska.
The bliss was built with the plan to sail Alaska during the summer months and the Caribbean during the winter & spring months, although over time that may change.
The ship is already booking up quickly and its build is not even completed. I’m sure NCL will have no problems keeping this mega ship booked to full capacity. I guess it’s the thrill of cruising on a new vessel, and offering new innovations that keep people filling these new mega ships up.
Sharon at Sea