Norwegian Bliss: A Mid-Lane Mega Ship That Earns Its Keep
Norwegian Bliss sits in the middle of NCL's fleet — not the newest ship, not the oldest, and not trying to be either. Built with Alaska in mind, it carries that DNA in details like the panoramic Observation Lounge, which transforms into the best seat on the ship when glaciers appear. But it also does Caribbean rotations well, with a top deck that includes a go-kart track, waterslides, and enough open-air space to fill a sea day without feeling like a theme park.
The ship works for a wide range of passengers. First-timers and families will find it approachable and well-priced; repeat cruisers looking for more can book into The Haven for a ship-within-a-ship experience. Sixteen dining venues sound impressive until you sort them honestly — a handful are genuinely worth seeking out, and the rest are serviceable. Bliss doesn't try to be everything, but what it does, it does with enough competence and personality to reward the right expectations.
Alaska-optimizedGo-kart track on the top deckThe Haven ship-within-a-ship16 dining venuesMid-fleet sweet spot
What Norwegian Bliss offers
Bliss sits in NCL's Breakaway-Plus class — large enough to pack in genuine variety, focused enough that most of it works. Here are the standout features worth knowing about.
Open-air go-kart track
A two-level electric kart course on the top deck that still feels novel — expect queues on sea days, but it's worth at least one run.
Observation Lounge
A wide, quiet forward-facing lounge with unobstructed views that becomes the best seat on the ship during Alaska glacier approaches.
16 dining venues
Three complimentary sit-down restaurants plus a range of specialty options — from steakhouse to teppanyaki — that reward selective booking over trying everything.
The Haven suite complex
NCL's ship-within-a-ship concept with private pool, sundeck, restaurant, and concierge — a genuine luxury tier inside a mainstream ship.
Production shows and theatre
A full Broadway-style theatre with multiple production shows that fill up fast — reserve through the NCL app weeks before sailing.
Aqua Park and pool deck
Water slides and a multi-level pool area that handles sea-day crowds reasonably well for a ship of this size.
What Norwegian Bliss offers
Open-air go-kart track
A two-level electric kart course on the top deck that still feels novel — expect queues on sea days, but it's worth at least one run.
Observation Lounge
A wide, quiet forward-facing lounge with unobstructed views that becomes the best seat on the ship during Alaska glacier approaches.
16 dining venues
Three complimentary sit-down restaurants plus a range of specialty options — from steakhouse to teppanyaki — that reward selective booking over trying everything.
The Haven suite complex
NCL's ship-within-a-ship concept with private pool, sundeck, restaurant, and concierge — a genuine luxury tier inside a mainstream ship.
Production shows and theatre
A full Broadway-style theatre with multiple production shows that fill up fast — reserve through the NCL app weeks before sailing.
Aqua Park and pool deck
Water slides and a multi-level pool area that handles sea-day crowds reasonably well for a ship of this size.
Well-laid-out balcony cabins
Standard balcony staterooms run roughly 186 square feet plus a 54-square-foot balcony — compact but smartly designed with usable storage.
After-dark bar circuit
Multiple bars and lounges spread across the ship give evenings variety, from quiet cocktail spots to livelier social hubs.
Family-friendly programming
Enough kids' clubs and family activities to keep younger passengers occupied, making Bliss a solid choice for multigenerational groups.
NCL app for pre-cruise booking
Reserve show times, specialty restaurants, and select activities weeks before embarkation — handling this early meaningfully improves the onboard experience.
Sports complex
A top-deck sports area that complements the go-karts with additional active options for guests looking beyond the pool deck.
Best match
For families who want variety without theme-park chaos
Bliss has enough onboard activity — including that top-deck go-kart track — to keep kids and teens engaged on sea days, while the ship's layout keeps things from feeling overwhelming. You'll share space with a mixed crowd, not wall-to-wall families.
Great for
For Alaska-bound travelers who want a purpose-built ship
Bliss was designed with Alaska sailings in mind. The Observation Lounge offers wide, unobstructed views during glacier approaches — a feature that genuinely elevates the itinerary compared to ships where you're jostling for deck space.
Great for
For couples wanting a premium feel without premium pricing
The Haven option · specialty dining · mid-range positioning
If you book a Haven suite, you get a ship-within-a-ship experience — private lounge, concierge, priority access — layered on top of a large contemporary vessel. It's not true luxury-line service, but the gap narrows meaningfully at Haven level.
Think twice
For travelers who prefer small-ship intimacy or all-inclusive simplicity
Bliss is a big ship with a big crowd, and many of the best dining and entertainment options carry surcharges or require reservations weeks in advance. If you want a quiet, all-included experience where everything is handled without planning, this isn't the right fit.
Entertainment
The Top Deck Go-Kart Track and More
Norwegian Bliss features a two-level, open-air electric go-kart track on the top deck. Eight years after launch it still feels novel, and on sea days the queue reflects that. The ship also offers laser tag and an open-air promenade with an Observation Lounge.
If top-deck activities matter to you, plan around sea days when demand peaks. Reserve entertainment through NCL's app weeks before sailing. Production shows and popular venues fill up first, so early booking keeps your evenings flexible.
Helpful Note
Book Shows Through the NCL App
NCL lets you reserve show times and select activities weeks before sailing. Production shows fill first, so booking early keeps your schedule open.
Planning Caveat
Go-Kart Lines Peak on Sea Days
The kart track draws long queues on days without port stops. Plan to ride early in the morning or during dinner hours to avoid the worst waits.
Cabins
Cabin Categories From Interior to The Haven
Norwegian Bliss offers cabins from interior rooms through ocean view, balcony, mini-suite, and suite tiers up to The Haven, NCL's ship-within-a-ship suite complex. Standard balcony cabins measure roughly 186 square feet plus a 54-square-foot balcony.
The range means budget-conscious travelers and luxury seekers board the same ship but live different experiences. The Haven adds private dining, a lounge, and concierge service, effectively creating a separate tier without requiring a different vessel.
Helpful Note
Balcony Cabins Are Well Laid Out
At roughly 186 square feet plus a 54-square-foot balcony, the standard balcony staterooms use space efficiently for a large contemporary ship.
Planning Note
The Haven Books Early on Alaska
Haven suites are limited inventory. On popular Alaska sailings demand is high, so book well ahead if the ship-within-a-ship experience matters to you.
More from this line
More Norwegian Cruise Line ships to compare
Compare more ship guides from the same cruise line.
Bliss sits between budget and ultra-premium — a contemporary mega ship with enough activities and dining variety to keep most passengers engaged without the sensory overload of a floating theme park.
Ideal trip
Alaska sailings unlock the ship's best design
Bliss was built with Alaska in mind. The Observation Lounge offers unobstructed glacier views, and the outdoor top-deck attractions feel purposeful in scenic waters. Caribbean itineraries work fine but don't leverage the ship's strongest features.
Key tradeoff
Lots of variety, most costs extra
Sixteen dining venues and headline entertainment sound generous, but many require specialty surcharges or advance reservations. Budget for add-ons or stick to the three complimentary restaurants and plan around the free offerings.
Customer Reviews
Bliss
★★★★☆
3.8 / 5
Based on 18 verified guest reviews
Edward L.
★★★★
The NCL Bliss was a vey nice ship. Good food, good entertainment, good activities and places to relax. Comfortable ship. You could always find an open table at the buffet. Great observation lounge. I did not care for the way NCL handled our itinerary. We were suppose to arrive in Vancouver the morning of our next to last day. Then enjoy Vancouver as an overnight port. But 3 weeks prior to leaving were informed due to tidal flow we wouldn't be getting into Vancouver until the morning of debarkation. That was after the fare was fully paid for. For a ship the size of the Bliss, the channel under the bridge had to be done at low tide. to make entry to the harbor which was 6am the final morning. For my group, having a chance to really visit Vancouver was to be the highlight of this trip and our hotel stay for the day. This did not happen because somebody at corporate could not read or check a tide table when planning for this i5 day itinerary.
RICKIE B.
★★★★★
I am writing to share my feedback regarding my recent trip. The service on the cruise ship was amazing, and I truly appreciated the high level of hospitality provided by the staff. Thank you for such a wonderful experience.
HOLLY P.
★★★
We have cruised NCL several times. We were so disappointed in the food, it was Luke warm most of the time. The Specialty restaurants were not s good as they used to be. Cagneys was terrible and we felt like we were being rushed, we didn’t receive our wine well into our dinner. The butter didn’t even melt on the potatoes. They had severs from other restaurants trying to serve as they were wearing their uniforms. Just not the service and quality of food we are used to . If you wanted your food hot the best place to get it was the Locals, but who wants to eat there every meal. You could get a hot omelette in the buffet along with everyone else! In my opinion they don’t have enough staff to maintain the ship and there passengers. We were so disappointed in the lack of staff that it will be difficult to travel on NCL. Hopefully they will do better in the future to accommodate passengers for all the extras that we are expecting. We couldn’t even get to the racetrack as they were either not open or taking reservations as we were told. It was at least an hour wait, when they were open. The venues couldn’t accommodate all the passengers that wanted to attend unless you were there at least an hour before. With the passenger count they should have used the theater.
Embarkation: 4.0
Cleanliness: 3.0
Main Dining: 2.0
Specialty Dining: 1.0
Entertainment: 3.0
Onboard Service: 3.0
Stateroom: 4.0
Activities: 3.0
Ship Decor: 3.0
KAREN R.
★★★
Unfortunately the Bliss was not as wonderful as we had hoped. The food quality on NCL has gone down significantly over the years. The service was ok nothing great. We had a party of 13 and I had contacted group reservations so we could all be seated together months prior to our trip. It was hit and miss. Some nights we were and some nights we were split up. It was a family trip so it was upsetting when we weren’t together. We barely saw our room attendant. When we first got to our cabin the rug was filthy with plastic clothing tags, pieces of tissues and hair. We asked to have it vacuumed which took 3 phone calls. The sink had toothpaste crusted on it. I’ll stop there! We will give NCL one last chance but the last few cruises we have seen a terrible decline. On a bright note Jersey Boys was as good as Broadway!
Embarkation: 5.0
Cleanliness: 1.0
Main Dining: 3.0
Specialty Dining: 4.0
Entertainment: 5.0
Onboard Service: 1.0
Stateroom: 1.0
Ship Decor: 5.0
Children's Programs: 4.0
Judith B.
★★★
We requested salt-free meals. To those meals were served with olives and some of the other meals tasted very salty. Thank God we brought extra blood pressure medication with us. I also misplaced one of the pre-orders and it took 50 minutes before the food was brought out. One time we ordered loaded nachos and a hamburger. The hamburger was brought out about 5 minutes after the nachos were eaton. At the same meal we were charged for a soda even though we had the soda package. It took two visits to guest services to get that charge reversed along with an additional tipping charge reversed.
Guest Photos
Who should book Norwegian Bliss
Bliss is a smart pick for families, first-timers, and couples who want a full-featured mega ship without tipping into theme-park territory — especially on Alaska itineraries, where the Observation Lounge and open-air top deck come into their own. The tradeoff is that its sixteen dining venues sound more varied than they are once you separate complimentary from specialty, and the go-kart queue on sea days can test your patience.
