Two night sailing aboard NCL Bliss
After a short EasyJet flight from Gatwick we arrived in Hamburg in the sunshine. We were met by the Norwegian Cruise Lines representatives, who showed us to our coach transfer and we began our two-and a half hour journey to Bremerhaven.
As we got closer to the port we couldn’t miss our ship, NCL Bliss. Check-in was a breeze and we were quickly on board and found our cabin. Located on Deck 15, we were in a midship balcony stateroom, which boasted a very generously sized bathroom, a sitting area, two twin beds and a very comfortable sized balcony, the décor was simple but classy.
Next was the mandatory safety drill, then we made our way to deck 16 to grab a cocktail and enjoy the 28-degree sunshine, it was pure ‘bliss’ and when I closed my eyes I pictured myself sailing through the Caribbean.
We got ready for dinner that evening and visited the Teppanyaki restaurant, which for me as a ‘foodie’, was an incredible experience. The Teppanyaki restaurant is one of the Norwegian Bliss’ many speciality restaurants, on a typical cruise these restaurants would carry a $20 per person supplement. The chefs sang, danced and cooked us some beautifully authentic food. We had a quick wander as we walked towards the theatre and we stumbled across a bowling alley, so after a quick $5 game and a win for me we moved onto the show. The show for the evening was... JERSEY BOYS! I was very excited as I have never seen this show and although a shortened version from what you would find in the West End it did not lack any quality and got the standing ovation it deserved.
The next day we woke up to the sun shining through on our balcony and I knew we were in for another amazing day, we headed to the Garden Café where you could find the widest range of breakfast food I have ever seen, there was something for everyone from cooked breakfast to pastries. We then had a planned ship tour which was organised by NCL, this really helped us see the size and what the ship had to offer, there really is something for everyone. They have the Splash Academy and Guppies which are the kid’s clubs, the Mandara Spa for relaxation, the largest track at sea for go-karting, 2 multi-storey slides and laser tag for the adrenaline junkies, an impressive fitness centre and other general relaxation areas. After touring the 20-deck ship we were now ready for a light lunch, so we headed to Food Republic which is a Sushi restaurant, once again I could not fault the food or service, we ordered our choice on an iPad. We were now ready for another cocktail and to relax in the sun, we headed to the Spice H20 which is an Adult’s area with hot tubs, again another lovely area and somewhere you can watch the world go by, as this area sits at the back of the ship.
That evening we had a dinner reservation hosted by our Norwegian representative, this reservation was at a restaurant called Taste, this is included as part of the all-inclusive package and I felt it would be enough to satisfy you for the whole holiday as the food was delicious. Afterwards we walked through to the social, comedy & nightclub where they were hosting a silent disco, which was great fun!
Overall, we had a wonderful experience onboard Norwegian Bliss, for me personally it has made me want to book my future cruise with Norwegian cruise lines. I loved the relaxing approach and on board you feel very free, its lovely being all inclusive and not having to worry about having an extra cocktail… or two!
Written by Georgie Perez, Sussex Cruise Club
Georgie loves going on holiday and has travelled far and wide. She got engaged on a cruise ship and then got married abroad in 2019. Her favourite destination so far is Australia, but she's always planning her next trip! To contact Georgie please call 01243 870870