For active sea travelers who appreciate a generous choice of diversions, restaurants, entertainment and personalized pampering — all wrapped up in gorgeously sophisticated style and quality decor — Norwegian Cruise Line‘s brand-new ship, named Bliss, excels. Not for the sedate, NCL has long been known for its razzle-dazzle bells and whistles that herald an abundance of experiences. This 2,043-stateroom, 167,800-ton vessel has made an especially impressive initial splash. Bliss is currently in the midst of a month-long inaugural celebration with a USA launch that kicked off in New York City at the beginning of May, followed by festive ports-of-call in Miami, Los Angeles (via the Panama Canal) and ultimately will be officially christened in Seattle on May 30 and then, on June 2, commence summer voyages to Alaska, featuring Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria, British Columbia. Quite a coming-out party.
With so much energy involved in birthing this billion-dollar baby, I wondered what most gives joy to President and CEO Andy Stuart, who deftly runs this 16-ship company. He enthusiastically told me: “The people: crew and shore staff! I walk around our ships and interact with crew and it is a joy to be a part of this. I look at their faces — and I know how hard they work, how creative they become in doing the best job possible. I notice the pride that they bring to their jobs every day. For example, the Indian chefs. We recently put in a tandoori oven. I went to see it and the chefs prepared tandoori-style sea bass and chicken. I tasted it — fantastic! Those chefs were so happy that I took the time to meet with them, see their project and that they could share with me the cuisine from their homeland. This is a people business. No passenger has ever written a letter to me about a lounge or our phone system, for instance. But passengers do tell me all the time about the bartender who took special care of them all week or a waiter or front desk staff member who was kind and made a positive difference in their vacation.”
According to Cruise Lines International Association, approximately 25.8-million people vacationed at sea in 2017, a number expected to grow this year. NCL has a keen eye not only on keeping its devoted passengers coming back again and again, but also wooing a new generation of Millennials. Here is a peek at noteworthy Bliss news.
HIDEAWAY HIGH
A staple on NCL vessels, The Haven is an exclusive hideaway. It feels even extra posh on the Bliss with 80 elegant suites spaciously cocooned in an enclave that harbors its own private dining room, a two-deck-level courtyard with sunlit-starlight bar area (the roof retracts), hot tubs, spa, pool, cabanas, private butlers and a stunning two-deck-high Horizon Lounge that panoramically overlooks the sea.
LET THERE BE LIGHT — AND SIGHTS
Massively roomy (at 20,000 square feet) and sea-loving romantic, the Observation Lounge, which wraps 180-degrees of floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of ship, is the perfect voyeur perch in which to sea gaze — eyeing glaciers in Alaska, whales in Mexico, turquoise splendor in the Caribbean while ensconced on a comfy chair, perhaps sipping a cocktail or cappuccino. Another monumental draw is that the lounge is dedicated to serenity — no meetings, dance-a-thons or other rah-rah hubbub will be scheduled. From bow to aft and port to starboard, Bliss also glistens with natural light. “It is our strategy to build ships that are outward facing,” says Andy Stuart. “Since our first Breakaway-class ship, we’ve located lounges and other public areas so that passenger views are more open to the outside and feel more of a connection to the ocean.”
ENTERTAINING WAYS
There are so many theatrical shows, music performances, stand-up comedy acts, lectures and magic ta-dahs on Bliss that, at times, it can be a challenge to choose among the wealth of offerings. Yes, this is a welcome conundrum. A dazzling, full production of the 2006 Tony Award-winner for Best Broadway Musical, Jersey Boys — showcasing music made famous by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons (“Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” ”Sherry,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”) woven into a story arc about their rise to top-of-the-charts fame — repeatedly earns standing ovations. The newest and most ambitious original musical devised specifically for NCL by Broadway award-winning creatives, ¡HAVANA! dances and sings its colorful, dramatic way across the elaborate-set-design Bliss stage as a tribute to Cuba in the 1950s. It is a show empowered by industry-titan, Cuban-born Frank Del Rio, President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Holdings, comprised of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Located in the more intimate Social Comedy and Night Club, Happy Hour Prohibition - The Musical is an adults-only, tad risqué show spun in Madam Lulu’s New Orleans speakeasy with audience interaction that time travels back to January 16, 1919 (on the eve of Prohibition), serving specialty cocktails from that era. Another venue, The Cavern Club — designed to flame fandom reminiscent of the Liverpool, England music hall where the teenage Beatles yeah-yeah-yeah’ed their songs — spotlights a Beatles cover band, its performers resembling and sounding remarkably like the Fab Four. In yet other ship locales, there are theme parties razzmatazzing every evening, such as Nashville Nights & Lights with country entertainment (how is your two-step?) and Caliente, mimicking a cool urban street bash with Latin-pop music on the pool deck.
RACY BUZZ
Why is a racetrack aboard a ship? From the reaction of enthusiastic passengers so far, this zoom-zoom course makes many people smile. So vroom on. Drivers steer electric go-karts up to 30 miles per hour around 15 hairpin turns for eight laps on this longest raceway at sea — 1,000 feet — a first for NCL’s North American-based ships. (The Norwegian Joy, sporting a smaller track, cruises around China and Australia year-round.) See the two-level course atop Bliss in the video below. Adrenaline addicts are also pumped about Planet Earth, another new top-deck zone with laser tag played in teams within an open-air, extensive, intensive alien-lab scenario.
WATER YOU DOING?
Two multi-story waterslides also entice action-enthusiasts. On the 360-degree Ocean Loops, swiftly slide along a mostly transparent chute on a heart-pumping, eight-second, figure-eight twist over the side of the hull. A tad tamer, the Aqua Racer is a larger flume for single and double riders (so parents and kids can swoosh together) who sit on inner tubes. For younger children, vibrant Kids Aqua Park enthralls with water cannons, tipping buckets, water tables and splash pads, slides and bridges. Supervised childcare is orchestrated at The Splash Academy (for ages 3 to 12) and Entourage teen area — the latter of which wows adolescents with an arcade, gaming stations, air hockey, foosball and a neon-lit dance floor. In the Guppies playroom, toys and sensory-play are available for children under 3 years old accompanied by their parents.
EAT, DARLING, EAT!
Twenty-seven places to dine deems the Bliss a culinary bonanza — a veritable floating city of sweet and savory flavors. In addition to the well-appointed three main dining rooms, indulge in specialty (for extra fee) restaurants and eateries, such as Bake Shop (cupcakes, macarons, truffles); Cagney’s Steakhouse (meat eaters’ nirvana); Coco’s (for chocoholics with milkshakes, sundaes, handmade bonbons); Dolce Gelato (icy yumminess); Food Republic (global faves, such as Japanese sushi, Peruvian ceviche, Korean fried chicken, Chinese noodles); Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at Sea (surfboard themed with huge cheeseburgers, yes, in paradise); La Cucina (Italian Tuscany); Le Bistro (lovely French); Los Lobos (plush Mexican cantina with tableside-made guacamole and hand-crafted margaritas); Ocean Blue (sumptuous seafood); The Local Bar & Grill (satisfying 24/7 pub fare with high-tops bar); Teppanyaki (hibachi Japanese with knife-wielding chef-manship and a cutting-edge Wasabi martini); The Waterfront (a boardwalk-like stretch of al fresco dining); and Q (Texas-style smokin’ hot BBQ served alongside stompin’ country band shows). Waiters are trained to ask passengers about food allergies pre-order; on menus for the main dining rooms, dishes are noted that are gluten-free, spicy or vegetarian.
DRINK AND BE MERRY
Twenty-two bars and lounges: Where to toast first? Among the prime places are The District Brewhouse, which taps into dozens of beers; The Cellars Wine Bar, which pours from prestiges Michael Mondavi Vineyards in Napa Valley, California; Spice H2O, an adults-only outdoor oasis that encourages dancing and hot-tubing under the stars; Sugarcane Mojito Bar; Maltings Whiskey Bar; Mixx Bar with live piano music; Vibe Beach Club; and the worldly A-List Bar, named after Andy Stuart.
JUST SAY SPA-AAH!
Mandara Spa soothes and beautifies with scores of treatments — massages, facials, mani-pedis, hair deep-conditionings, deep-cleansing shaves — in 50 lavish treatment rooms. Revel in the salt room, a grotto layered with body-cleansing salt crystals, and then in the exhilarating snow room (both all the spa-industry rage now). Energize in the vitality pool and find your pace in the enormous gym, which also provides classes in Pilates, yoga and Zumba.
THE LOWDOWN AND HIGHLIGHTS
NCL has established a freedom-and-flexibility formula that works for its passengers: There are no set dining times, no formal dress codes (and most passengers tend to wear casual attire). Pre-booking, oodles of options are offered to build a cruise that best suits each person, choosing from dining, drinks, spa, wifi and shore excursion packages. Some staterooms come with complimentary add-on perks as well. Once onboard, selections can be boosted via guest services staff or the easy-to-use, touchable reservation screens. Another fun difference? Eye-catching artwork is painted on the hulls of all NCL ships by notable artists. To dress Bliss, renowned marine life artist Wyland created an ocean-life scene. To collect Wyland’s artwork: Park West Gallery.
Built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany (see its float-out video below), Bliss will travel, after Alaska, from Los Angeles to Mexican Riviera itineraries, then from Miami to islands in the Eastern Caribbean (autumn/winter season). In 2019, Bliss will return to New York City for seven-day sailings to the Bahamas, Florida, the Western and Southern Caribbean.
