Launched in 2018, Norwegian Bliss cruise ship is the 3rd of all four Breakaway Plus-class NCL vessels – together with the sisterships Norwegian Escape (2015), Norwegian Joy (2017) and Norwegian Encore (2019). This class of ships are approx 7,000 GT larger in comparison to the previously biggest vessel of the line, Norwegian Epic. Bliss is NCL's 16th vessel and the 11th built by Meyer Werft (Papenburg Germany).

History - construction & ownership

Norwegian Cruise Line Corporation Ltd. (Norwegian) is a wholly owned subsidiary of NCLH (Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd). This American cruise company is headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. In 1966 Norwegian began operations under the name "Norwegian Caribbean Line". The NCL company is best known for the Freestyle Cruising concept, meaning that there are no set times and seating arrangements for meals, formal attire is not required. Norwegian is a publicly traded company with 44% publicly listed on NASDAQ, with major shareholders (as of 30 June 2014): Genting Group (28%), Apollo Global Management (20%), and TPG Capital (7.9%). NCL controls nearly 8% of the total worldwide share of cruise market.

The 164,600-ton, 4,200-passenger cruise ship Norwegian Bliss boasts the innovative features found on Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Breakaway, as well as a number of new interactive experiences. The new miracle by NCL features an expanded Haven – the line’s concept “ship within a ship”. This space (accessible only by keycard) boast an outdoor terrace, private restaurant, courtyard area with retractable roof pool, whirlpools, spa treatment rooms, separate sauna, private sundeck. Other differences from the Breakaway-class NCL vessels are: more Haven Suites (42 to 55), 26 additional Penthouses, 14 Spa access suites, more Studio cabins (59 to 82). The home port of the ship is Port of Miami.

Cruise itinerary program

Norwegian Bliss itinerary program is based on weekly 7-day Alaska voyages departing Seattle WA on Saturdays. Passengers experience the wildlife and beauty of Alaska while visiting Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and enjoy the charm of Victoria BC.

Following the inaugural Alaskan season, the ship was homeported in Miami Florida for the winter season 2018-2019, with scheduled 7-day Caribbean roundtrips to St Thomas USVI, Tortola BVI, Nassau Bahamas.

In January 2018, NCL announced that for winter season 2019-2020, the Bliss ship will be homeported in NYC New York. From NYC, the ship will operates on roundtrip itineraries to Caribbean (a total of 18 voyages). Ranging from 7- to 14-days, the itineraries visit call ports in Bahamas (Nassau, Great Stirrup Cay), St Lucia, St. Thomas USVI, Antigua, Jamaica (Ocho Rios), Puerto Rico (San Juan), Barbados, St Maarten, St Kitts, Roatan, Mexico (Costa Maya, Cozumel), Belize (Harvest Caye).

Cabins

Most Norwegian Bliss staterooms are 170-tt2 Balcony rooms (1088). There are a total of 2206 staterooms in 42 categories. 47 are the wheelchair accessible rooms. The largest staterooms are the Haven Deluxe Owner’s Suites (900 ft2). The ship offers 82 single cabins (studio staterooms designed for solo travelers) with virtual views and exclusive Studio Lounge. The ship also features many family cabins (connecting staterooms) across most categories.

Dining options - Food & Drinks

Norwegian Cruise Line introduced Norwegian Bliss' à la carte specialty dining at the signature specialty restaurants onboard, providing passengers the freedom to savor gourmet dishes, various tastes and the flexibility to choose the number of courses to enjoy during the meal. On Norwegian Bliss guests can choose between 11 complimentary dining options. They can also experience new flavors at signature specialty restaurants, such as Le Bistro, La Cucina, Cagney’s Steakhouse and Bayamo by James Beard Award winning chef Jose Garces. Norwegian’s signature specialty restaurants feature enhanced menus including favorite dishes and new tastes. Whether passengers prefer a light meal of a favorite soup or appetizer, or indulge in a dinner featuring Maine lobster, with the new à la carte options, they have the opportunity to create their own, desired dining experience.

• The shipboard dining options feature the new "Q Texas Steakhouse" (barbecue eatery with live country music). The menu includes brisket, chicken, ribs and sausages smoked over oak, pecan and hickory woods. A modern Mexican restaurant is named Los Lobos (first debuted on Norwegian Dawn in 2016).
• Adjacent to Los Lobos is The A-List Bar, serving handcrafted cocktails, premium spirits and wines.

Norwegian Bliss is the first NCL ship with full-service Starbucks store. The first Starbucks at sea was opened in 2010 on Allure of the Seas (Royal Caribbean). Another new for NCL amenity is the chocolate-themed dessert outlet Coco’s (patisserie / treatshop), serving handmade pralines, crepes, truffles and other treats paired with specialty teas and coffees.

Follows the complete list of Norwegian Bliss restaurants and food bars.

• Private Room at Taste (100-seat, group private dining venue)
• Savor Restaurant (forward Dining Room, complimentary)
• Taste Restaurant (forward Dining Room, complimentary, with Your Time dining)
• Le Bistro (French specialty dinner-only restaurant; reservations-only; US$20 cover charge)
• Teppanyaki (Japanese Hibachi specialty, reservations-only restaurant; US$25; open for Lunch and Dinner; features live cooking demonstrations)
• Manhattan Room (aft-location Dining Room; complimentary; Freestyle dining, Dinner only)
• O’Sheehan’s Neighbourhood Bar & Grill (sports bar, with 24-hour American cuisine - burgers, steaks, desserts; complimentary)
• Shanghai’s Noodle Bar (Asian cuisine complimentary restaurant inside O’Sheehan’s Pub area)
• Food Republic (via partnership with Pubbelly Restaurant Group; specialty restaurant open for lunch through dinner, offers international cuisine; iPad ordering system)
• Pincho Tapas Bar (Latin dishes)
• Cagney’s Steakhouse (specialty dinner restaurant for prime steaks and gourmet seafood specialties; reservations-only, US$30 cover charge per person and free Kids Menu)
• Moderno Churrascaria (Brazilian steakhouse; reservations-only; US$20 per person cover charge; with outdoor seating waterfront area)
• La Cucina (Italian specialty restaurant; reservations-only, US$15 cover charge; with outdoor seating waterfront area)
• Bayamo Restaurant (Cuban/Latin seafood restaurant)
• Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville At Sea (debuted in Southampton on October 27, 2015 as a complimentary fast food restaurant; however, in November 2015 NCL confirmed that the first ever Margaritaville at Sea aboard Norwegian Bliss, would operate as a speciality a la carte restaurant, due to "crowd-control reasons")
• Garden Cafe (complimentary buffet restaurant with various cuisine stations)
• Q (Texas barbecue eatery)
• Los Lobos (Mexican restaurant)
• Coco’s (chocolate-themed dessert outlet)
• The A-List Bar (serving handcrafted cocktails, premium spirits and wines)
• Starbucks store.

Entertainment options - Fun & Sport

The Bliss vessel features expanded 55-suite Haven, a spacious sundeck, 2 whirlpools, private dining and specialty restaurants, expanded courtyard, outdoor terrace, Thermal suite, treatment rooms (14 – suite Heaven SPA) and fitness center.

NCL Bliss is the world's second cruise ship (together with NCL Joy) featuring a Ferrari racetrack (deck 19). It's a first for a cruise ship based in North America. The facility is built by RiMO Supply (RiMO Germany Group) and operated via partnership with Scuderia Ferrari Watches. This is also the first ever branded Formula 1 race car track.

• The 2-level track spans on 2 decks and offers incredible seaviews at height of 60 m  (200 ft). It has capacity up to 10 racers at a time on electric go-karts (Ferrari branded).
• The GoCars can reach speeds up to 40 mph (65 kph). In comparison to the sister-ship Norwegian Joy, Bliss' racetrack is 40% longer and has 10 turns (Joy has 8), two of which are cantilevered over the ship's side.
• Passengers booked in Concierge and The Haven staterooms enjoy complimentary rides with bookings. The used by RiMO technology ensures optimal usage under intensified UV conditions and saltwater exposure.

NCL Bliss features an open-air laser tag course on the top deck. Other top-deck features are Aqua Park )with 2 multi-deck water slides, one with a hull-extending loop, one with transparent loop section stretching down to the below deck), 2 racing slides (inner tubes with length over 110 m / 360 ft) with a transparent section.

Pool Deck 16 has 2 pools (located away from the deck's center) and cantilevered whirlpools (hot tubs over the ship's sides). A water fun kids zone (on top deck) has splash pads, tipping buckets, water cannons and slides. 

Follows the complete list of Norwegian Bliss lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Bliss Theatre (800-seat; features Broadway-style musical productions; two grand-shows per night). Theater's signature programming features the new Broadway musical show “Jersey Boys" ("Best Musical" 2006 Tony Award, rock ‘n’ roll themed) and the "Four Seasons" musical (NCL exclusive production show by Warren Carlyle / themed on Cuba’s culture - dancing, music, costumes).
• The Supper Club (theatrical entertainment dining venue, with grand-style aerial acrobatics; surcharge $30-40 PP)
• Atrium (3-deck midship hub area - “678 Ocean Place”, with a big-size LED screen, dance area and live entertainment)
• Atrium Cafe & Bar (specialty tea & coffee bar)
• The Library; Card Room; Internet Cafe (24-hour)
• Headliners Comedy Club & Lounge
• Mixx Bar (live piano music; pre-dinner cocktails); Bar 21; 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar; Tobacco Road Liquor Bar; The Humidor (cigar lounge); The Cellars Wine Bar; Sugarcane Mojito Bar; Prime Meridian Bar; Studio Lounge
• Carlo’s Bake Shop (cakes, pastries, bakeries; cupcake classes)
• Art Gallery
• The Cavern Club replica of the Liverpool music club, Beatles music, tribute bands performances)
• Bliss Casino (served by Skyline Bar)
• Bliss Ultra Lounge & Nightclub
• The District Brew House (craft beer hall featuring a keg room, 24 draft beers on tap and 50 different bottled beers; via partnership with Wynwood Brewing Company, Miami)
• Dolce Gelato (Italian ice cream)
• Atrium Boutiques (tax-duty free shops); Photo Gallery & Shop
• Waterfront Promenade (1320 ft/402 m long; open air dining and entertainment venues)
• Aqua Park (3-deck, with two pools, 2 racing twist-slides and 5 multi-level waterslides)
• Kids venues, club lounges (Kid’s Aqua Park, Splash Academy for kids 3-12 yo, Guppies Nursery for kids 6 months to 2 yo)
• Mandara Spa & Fitness (Thermal Suite, Snow Room, Salt Room, Medi Spa, 24 Treatment Rooms, Beauty Salon, Barber Shop, fitness classes)
• Spice H2O (adults only; served by Breezeway Bar & Grill)
• Entourage Teen Centre (jukeboxes, table football, video arcades, teen disco)
• “The Haven” (Suite- and Villa-passengers only complex; consists of The Haven Courtyard, The Haven Restaurant, The Haven Lounge)
• Rock Climbing Wall; Jogging Track; Sports Complex (Spider Web - enclosed 24ft/7m tall kids climbing wall with spiral slide, Bungee Trampoline, 9-hole Mini Golf course, the largest at sea Ropes course, Zip Line, The Plank - 8ft/2,5m extending platform)
• Vibe Beach Club (adults only).

• In late October 2016 was revealed the NCL Bliss ship's hull art - themed as “Cruising with the Whales”. The art design is by Robert Wyland - an American artist known worldwide for his large outdoor sculptures and murals (named "Whaling Walls"), all featuring life-size images of whales and other marine life. The NCL Bliss' hull art has as centerpiece an image of a mother humpback whale and her calf. The design signifies Alaska's beauty and importance of conservation.
• On October 28, 2016, the vessel's construction officially started with the steel cutting ceremony. Instead of the traditional water method (injecting the metal with heat), for NCL Bliss was used the dry plasma method - for more precise cuts and creating less mess).
• The ship has the world's biggest marine scrubber system, consisting of all 5 units produced and installed by Yara Marine Technologies. These units clean the engines' sulfur oxide emissions by 99%. At max cruising speed, the ship's engines consume ~11 tons of diesel fuel per hour. The ship's design also features Heat Recovery Systems, energy saving LED Lights, an improved hydro-dynamic.
• NCL Bliss was built with new "scrubbers" (exhaust gas cleaning systems). The new technology reduces the equivalent of approx 1500 tons of the poisonous gas Sulfur Oxide. These in-line scrubbers (5 units) are lightweight and able to operate in dry mode, as well as in open and closed loops.
• Ship's powerplant consists of all 5x MAN marine diesel engines (2x model 14V48/60CR) plus 3x model 12V48/60CR) with combined power output 76,8 MW. Propulsion's combined output is 44 MW.
• Fun facts: On the vessel was applied paint with total weight approx 300 tons. The total length of onboard cables is 2200 km (1367 ml). The total length of onboard pipes is approx 400 km (249 ml).
• On May 24, 2017 at Meyer Werft shipyard (Papenburg) was held the vessel's keel laying ceremony. During the special event, the first block (out of 90) was lifted into the yard's covered shipbuilding hall. With this officially started the NCL Bliss ship's assembly. The ceremony was attended by Andy Stuart (NCL's President and CEO). He laid a “lucky coin” before the first keel block was lowered into place.
• On November 29, 2017, NCL announced the name of the ship's godparent - Elvis Duran. He is an US radio personality and host of a daily morning radio show in NYC New York on the radio station WHTZ (branded Z100).
• On February 17, 2018, was the vessel's float-out ceremony held at the Papenburg shipyard. The ship was officially delivered to NCL on April 18, 2018.
• On March 13, 2018, the liner left Meyer Werft Papenburg for its conveyance down Ems River to Eemshaven (arriving March 15). It was assisted by tugboats and navigating in reverse (stern first) up to North Sea for trials. As the passage through Meyer Werft's sea lock is less than 4 ft (1,2 m) clearance, the maneuver took ~2 hours at speed 0,2 kn (0,2 mph / 0,4 kph). In Eemshaven, the ship loaded additional crew and provisions, then headed to North Sea for sea trials.
• The official delivery to NCL was on April 19 in Bremerhaven Germany.
• Vessel's christening ceremony was scheduled for May 30, 2018, in Seattle WA.

Inaugural cruise itineraries 2018

The following tables show the ship's Inaugural cruise itineraries with ports of call, port times and USD prices per person (based on double occupancy).

(repositioning) 12 nights / 13 days Inaugural Transatlantic cruise from Southampton to NYC New York - from $1000

During the 2-day inaugural ship preview in NYC, NCL Bliss was berthed at Pier 88 in Manhattan. On May 4, the ship was boarded by brand partners, US media and cruise industry representatives, also boat's godfather Elvis Duran. The Z100 morning show was live-broadcasted from the liner. Following the cocktail reception (held in The Haven's Horizon Lounge) VIP guests enjoyed the premier of "Jersey Boys" show in the Bliss Theater.

(repositioning) 15 nights / 16 days,Inaugural Panama Canal cruise from Miami to Los Angeles - from $1350

Ship's 2-day preview cruise from Miami (May 8-10) was a special voyage for VIP guests only, including Wyland (hull artist), Elvis Duran, The Morning Show members, Alex Vega (The Auto Firm).

7 nights / 8 days, Inaugural Alaska cruise roundtrip from Seattle - from $1200

8 nights / 9 days, Inaugural Mexican Riviera cruise roundtrip from Los Angeles - from $850 pp

7 nights / 8 days, Inaugural Caribbean cruise roundtrip from Miami - from $800 pp

Godspeed to the new ship!