I went on a 7 night Mexican Riviera cruise with my family in January 2026. We had a wonderful time. It was our first time on Norwegian. It stopped by Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo. Tip: The further you go outside the port, the cheaper the taxis. Always negotiate a total price. As for shows, we saw Icons, the Beatles show, Jersey Boys and a few comedy shows. Jersey Boys was the best. They need some kids shows. They didn't have any. A magic or dancing show would be good. Food I liked the food. Felt it was better than Disney and Carnival. I prepaid for the restaurants as well. We got to try three including Le Bistro, Cagneys and the Asian fusion restaurant. The Asian restaurant was our favorite, although my daughter loved Le Bistro. She still talks about the escargot. The main buffet was good. They have different themes each night. I appreciated the staff encouraging everyone to wash their hands before entering. They had a catchy washy washy song. We enjoyed Gelato and soft serve after every meal. They charge extra for room service, which sucks. The other cruise lines do not charge for this. I didn't like that they had an age restriction in the gym. I took my son to work out with me but after 30 mins, the staff kicked him out. So we left. I think Norwegian should revisit the age restriction on teens especially, if they are accompanied by adults. I'm all for not allowing teens in by themselves. Overall, it was enjoyable. I'll probably try Royal Caribbean next. read more

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Second time on Norwegian Cruise Lines but a first on NCL Bliss which is considerably bigger and updated than the Jewel. We sailed to the Mexican Riviera on a 7 night cruise. Pre sailing with NCL is easy. The app works great. The terminal at port of Los Angeles is confusing. I have cruised out of port of LA on Royal Caribbean many times. It seems more chaotic this time. I'm not sure who to blame. I needed wheelchair assistance for my mom but was told Haven Guests have a different check in. The staff at this terminal were curt and down right rude. I don't even think they know what they are doing. We chose to go through security and check in at the Haven stand. Lady there was ok but it wasn't the warmest of check ins. We then went to another desk where we received our cabin cards. There the staff were pleasant. Next, we went to the Haven waiting area. This is where you receive the wheelchair assistance. Communication was very much lacking all around! The drinks and snacks were very nice and appreciated. The NCL Bliss is a stunning ship! There is plenty to see and do. The standouts were the observation lounge, water slides, cleanliness, jogging track (only before 7am or after 7pm), outdoor movie theater, entertainment staff, the pool, and the Haven. We had cabin 18714 and 17712 in the Haven area. This was the highlight of the cruise. My experience with NCL is mostly with Haven because everything here is elevated from service, cabin amenities to food. There were some hits and misses in the Haven restaurant. I wish they rotated the menu daily. It is the same every single day. The restaurant was empty every day and I believe it's because the menu does not change. Service from the butlers, Jane and Shree were amazing. The stewards did a great job of cleaning. The rooms were amazing. They are starting to look out dated but overall we were pleased. They use LOccitane products which I love! The four stars really is for the Haven experience. I would give 3 stars for the rest of the ship. The speedway looks fun but you have to pay! The food At the buffet and main dining room were subpar. The buffet wasn't my favorite. I got real tired of the food there. I did like the ice cream scoops and the crepes. The entertainment was a 3/5. They had a magician who was more a mentalist that then tried to sell his program on memory. Odd! The Beatles band from Argentina played twice. It was good. They had plenty of dancing and dance classes. Cruise Director was great. I would go on NCL again if it's in the Haven! read more

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This review is definitely overdue since we actually took this 7 day cruise on the Norwegian Bliss last year, but the memories are still so vivid. We would give the experience a solid 4 star rating. The absolute highlights for us were the onboard activities that kept us moving the whole week. We loved the race track and found the alien themed laser tag to be absolutely incredible. It was such a thrill running around the open air course at night. The water slides were also a blast, especially the ones that loop out over the side of the ship. We found the food to be consistently good across the different dining rooms and the entertainment was fun and kept us busy every single night. Even though the ship has been sailing for several years now, it still feels very modern and the amenities are top notch. We especially loved the Observation Lounge with those floor to ceiling windows and the Waterfront area which was perfect for a sunset stroll. The only reason we are not giving it a full 5 stars is that the ship can feel a bit crowded during peak times and you really have to be on top of your reservations for the popular activities. Overall we think it was a fantastic vacation and we would definitely sail on the Bliss again. read more

Norwegian Cruise Line - Travel Services Near Me - San Pedro, California

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First back to back adventure, on the NCL Bliss ship Mexican Riviera cruise, out of the port of LA. Overall a very blissful experience, with so much joy along the way. Vacations should be this way I cruise SOLO, alot. NCL has wonderful solo group meet ups, if desired. We share cruise tips, plus! Truly enjoy, the fellow cruisers and their stories! Mostly adventurous, interesting, well accomplished, grateful individuals: who, have worked hard all their lives and are now enjoying leisure. Most of the staff, is outstanding. Hospitality plus, especially in the restaurant areas like SAVOR. Thank you and kindest regards, to all the beautiful people, I have met along the way. read more

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3 stars Please see review about my experience on the Norwegian Jewel in my older post. This review is only for the Norwegian Jade 7-day Alaska cruise between 4/28/25 - 5/5/25. The route was embark at Whittier to Hubbard Glacier-Juneau-Skagway-Icy Strait-Ketchikan-through inside passage and debark at Vancouver, CA. This ship is part of NCL's Jewel class of ships and it was built in 2006, so Jade is definitely getting up there in age. The furnishings and parts of the ship do show wear-and-tear & rusting. For the rusting, I have seen crew work on fixing it during a day at sea. What Jade lacks in newness, they more than make up for with an incredibly experienced staff and extremely professional trainees. This was my experience: Staff: they are the heroes of this ship - from housekeeping to f&b to the washy-washy team and to all the ones we don't typically see. There was a Staff Talent Show night where some were able to showcase their talent. Idk if NCL make their potential employees do a song-n-dance before they get hired...but there are definitely talented people on board. 1000/5 stars for this group. Entertainment: I think the cruise entertainment director did a really great job in scheduling the entertainment. There is incredible talent on board and I'm grateful she spaced the entertainment in a way that made sense so that all the best shows weren't crammed into the last couple of days. One of the headliners of the ship are comedian, Kelly Mcfarland, who had comedy shows the 1st & 6th night of the ship (3.5/5 stars). The other headliners star the performers of the ship starting with Illusionist Pablo Canovas (N/A) Day 2, Broadway Cabaret (3/5 stars) on Day 3, Blazing Boots (4.6/5 stars) Day 5, & Elements (4.7/5 stars) on Day 7. I'm not really big on magic, so I didn't attend. Broadway was just ok for me...I'm clearly not a broadway person, but the performers are incredibly talented. I'm not a country music person, but Blazing Boots managed to convince me that I am! Elements was very captivating and combines magic, dance, & aerial acrobatics. Wonderful all around. Day 4 was the International Crew Talent show and it was a full house. There were plenty of people who sang songs, 2 Balinese housekeepers who performed a traditional dance, and lastly, the washy-washy team did a dance performance. They did wonderfully. 4/5 stars. Excursions: Ziplining @ Icy Strait ($269): includes gondola ride up to the very top. The zipline is said to be as higher or higher than the Empire State Building. Fun, but not affordable if booked via cruise ship. Definitely cheaper to buy tickets upon arrival, but, during popular seasons, I'm not sure how long you'd have to wait since I think cruise passengers get priority timeslots. Whitepass Trail train & Suspension Bridge at Skagway ($279): another not-affordable excursion, which I ultimately cancelled because train ride would only go part of way due to blockages from past winter's snow AND the bridge was still under construction, so no bridge visit at all. As I was walking around Skagway, I decided to do the train ride and bought a separate ticket at the train station for $120. It was still expensive and, unless you love trains and ok-ish views, I wouldn't recommend it. There really wasn't much to do on the train other than look out the window. The nice thing is that, there is a balcony outside passengers can stand and take in the fresh air. I found myself mumbling, "are we there yet?" a couple of times because I wanted the ride to be done already. 2.5/5 stars UTV Safari Lake Mahoney at Ketchikan ($349): the most expensive excursion of my trip and I thought it was ok. The excursion left the Mill at Ward Cove at 11am, transported us to their office by Lake Mahoney where we were given instructions on how to drive the UTVs. We drove 5 miles in and 5 miles back. Afterwards, we were given reindeer hot dogs which was chewier than regular hot dogs, but still tasted like hot dogs. Staff was great and informative! One of the downsides of this excursion is that it took half the day, which cut into my time in downtown Ketchikan. 3/5 stars Food: is a hit or miss. I wish it was more consistent, but it really wasn't. The only consistent quality food is their breakfast buffet. If there was any dish on the ship that stood out, it would be the carbonara. That dish was pure perfection. Their banana caramel sauce was also very good on pancakes with whipped cream. Other food items I liked was their shrimp and grits and burger sliders. But overall, 3.5/5 stars for food. I had a good time on this ship and feel like 7 days was perfect for an Alaska cruise. However, I wish I had more time at Ketchikan and Skagway. Would recommend this itinerary to anyone. The good news is that there are plenty of cruise lines to choose from. read more

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Went on a NCL Sun cruise from Vancouver to the Hawaiian Islands. Let's start with embarkation, the process took over 2 hours to board the ship. Computer issues with immigrations. Long lines. No communication. Now to the ship. Old ship. She is only sailing till 2027 and has been sold. The food on the ship was very bad. Very basic in the mdr. And the buffet was terrible. If it wasn't for the ports I wouldn't have cruised with NCL. But they offer over nights in Kauai and Maui. And single nights in Kona and Hilo. The staff was very nice from my waiter host and my room steward. The shows were basically talent shows nothing to spectacular. The comedian was very good as was the magician. But the basic singing and dancers were just ok. read more

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This is my second cruise with NCL. I went to the Mexican Riviera on the Bliss on a 7 day cruise. What I liked: they did their best to accommodate dietary needs (gluten, dairy, eggs). They had Gluten Free bread, bagels, pizza. They had a variety of plant milks in the buffet and if I ordered ahead in main dining or specialty, they would make substitutions or even make items just for me. Our cabin steward was very helpful. The crew was fun, returning to the ship from port once they were literally singing and dancing. They also had cold water and cold wash clothes returning to the ship, which was very refreshing. We paid for access to the spa and it was delightful. Hot tub, therapy pool, sauna, saunarium, steam room, snow room, heat loungers, and comfy chairs. Infused water, tea, and oranges. Locker rooms with towels and robes. Paid for a deep tissue massage and it was excellent. Their mojito bar has great drinks. They have watersides, bowling, mini golf, and a go kart track (for a fee). What I didn't like: the daily schedule wasn't available ahead of time. They put it on their app and tv 8pm the night before. This made it difficult to plan. (Princess had it before we even sailed. ) Also, many of their events were just ways to get money. Bingo, sales events, seminars that rapidly became sales pitches. They had karaoke only once a day and fairly late. By then, I was tired and so I didn't go. (Princess had it twice a day, once in the afternoon and I went daily.) The drinks weren't very good. All the bars had the same menu except the mojito bar and whiskey bar. This was different even from our last cruise, where there was more variety and I was able to get a cable car on request (they didn't know what it was). They ran out of several plant milks half way thru the cruise. They had no vegan butter, so it was oil and balsamic, nothing, or butter. There is no option to order from where you sit unless you pay for The Haven. (Princess had that for everyone). Husband forgot his electric razor and tried to buy a single razor at Tradewinds. It was $40! We waited until we were in port and bought it there. The food options outside main dining were strangely limited. They had The Local and The American Diner. Only the Local was open all the time, so if you missed a meal, you had one choice and, if you have dietary restrictions like me, that meant very few options. (Princess had multiple always open - pizza, ice cream, and a deli.) the ship was quite new and nice but also generic. It was like a nice hotel. (When we travelled Princess the ship had a lot of fascinating detail, each bar had a theme and the decor matched. This just didn't. I assume that money went into the watersides instead. ) So, we had a good trip but we don't think we will cruise with NCL again. I havegave them 2 tries and was less pleased the second time. I preferred Princess and will likely try it out other cruise lines next time. read more

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A great birthday experience for a delicious treat aboard ship. Friendly staff and wonderful shore excursions!

Worst experience of my life. They turned my dream vacation into a nightmare! I had to cancel my trip because they kept stalling to give me an answer regarding air travel.I tried canceling 3 weeks ago but was advised to wait for an answer from the resolution dept. They promised to call me back in 2 weeks. When they didn't call back I called. They told me they didn't know when they would have an answer. They booked a flight that was arriving 5 hours ahead of my family at a totally different airport. Now they are charging me $2,102 for a late cancellation which is their fault. No accommodation for seniors! read more

Norwegian Cruise Line was cool. You know, I feel like I would give this cruise ship a lot higher of a rating if I didn't feel like I was kinda stuck in 2003. I mean that with all due respect... it just needs some furniture and lighting upgrades. The price point is on the nose for Norwegian but if you do get a balcony, you will have to pay a bit extra. Oh ya and the cruise ship we were on was the Norwegian Gem! The thing about this ship is the food also seemed just teetering around a 3... 3.5 star here and there. There were some things that tasted amazing and some things that didn't taste so good. I didn't love that they didn't have free iced coffee with the beverage package when they had so many different types of alcohol and hot coffee. This was kinda my biggest let down as silly as that could sound. The pools were overflowing with people (I know that's expected out of a cruise ship) but it just seemed like the ship was too small. What I did enjoy was the glow party. Everyone seemed like they were having a great time and they did put on a good show. The casino was also the right size, not too smoky at all, and the staff was very kind. Honestly, I am giving this ship a high rating because of the staff. They were sweet, attentive and made a great experience for all. The places that the ship docks at seems very touristy and I feel like there isn't enough time to go beyond the tourist areas. I also was expecting a towel animal everyday but maybe that's a carnival thing? Haha the best thing was the balcony in my room and a few salmons. I would recommend Norwegian Cruise Line specifically the gem if you miss 2003. I mean at the same time... who doesn't? The thing is... my 95 year old grandma loved it and that's the important thing. read more

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I booked a cruise with my 95yo father and my brother but I broke my ankle. As I was non weight bearing I had to cancel. I did not get travel insurance so that is on me. But NCL was unwilling to do anything for me. They refunded the taxes and shore excursions but that was all. I paid $3000 for my balcony room. NCL offered nothing. No refund, no credit. Not even a partial credit on a future cruise. DO NOT BOOK NCL UNLESS YOU GET TRAVEL INSURANCE. THEY DONT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS. read more

I had a concerning experience with the medical unit on my recent Norwegian Cruise Line trip that I feel needs to be shared. During my visit to the onboard medical unit, I hit my head while being repositioned, with staff present in the room. At the time, I was not feeling well and did report what happened. I left the medical unit still feeling unwell and returned the following day visibly unsteady. After returning home, I was evaluated by a medical provider and told I had a concussion. I requested my onboard medical records and was surprised to see that there was no documentation of a head injury or the incident. When I brought this to NCL's attention, I was informed that no head injury was reported or observed, and they denied responsibility based on the absence of documentation. From my perspective, this raises serious concerns about how incidents are documented and handled onboard. I trusted that what happened would be properly recorded and escalated, and only learned otherwise after reviewing my records myself. I attempted to resolve this directly with the company through multiple communications, but my concerns were ultimately dismissed. I am sharing this so others are aware and can make informed decisions. I hope NCL takes a closer look at their medical documentation practices moving forward. read more

Worst cruise experience I've ever had on Pride of America. I got food poisoning from their hamburger meat, and most of the food across Aloha Buffet, Starlite, Teppanyaki, the pool grill, and the pizza bar was cold, stale, or just poor quality. Limited juices, no oat milk, cold bread, stale cereal--basic things missing. Staff gave rude looks when they messed up orders. Cabin was uncomfortable: itchy bedding, no conditioner or toothpaste, and extremely dry air. Chairs around the ship, including pool chairs, were cheap and uncomfortable. Internet barely worked, and the onboard shops sold low-quality merchandise. For the price, this was unacceptable. I cannot recommend this cruise to anyone. read more

I will NEVER sail with Norwegian again and I am going to make sure none of my friends or family do either. My experience on the Norwegian Bliss this past Dec 28, 2025 - Jan 4th, 2026 sailing to Mexico (Cabo, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta) was the worst I have ever had on any of my 10 other cruises with both NCL and other cruise lines. It seems like in an effort for NCL to make money, they have completely sacrificed the overall guest experience.  Some of my specific complaints include: * Rude staff (unsmiling, unhelpful when asking a simple question) * Incorrect room charges (took many hours of my vacation time to correct) * Gym was closed on day of debarkation (this has never happened on my other cruises) * Incorrect information was given to us about tendering ashore in Cabo (they said our shore excursion was our ticket but they didn't let us depart the ship until after 2pm - horrible because we weren't able to fully enjoy the port as we were rushed back on board. The line to return on the tender was over a half mile long, no joke!) * Shows were sub-par, and weren't enough show times for the guests * No dining reservations were available * So many additional charges for everything * Water slides were closed for most of the at sea days * Ship was too crowded with not enough staff to accommodate which resulted in unavailability and/or very long lines for food/entertainment * Worst app EVER - not intuitive, feels like a PDF, constantly kicked off WiFi (that we paid extra for) * My biggest complaint still remains that when I wanted to get something corrected (ie incorrect room charges) it took so long and then nobody ever was actually able to help me until literally after I had gotten off the ship  Some things NCL did well: * Coffee and soft serve ice cream were very good * One of the wait staff named "Ralph Lauren" (Manhattan Dining Room) was extremely wonderful and very good at his job * Room was nice/comfortable/clean * Ship arrived to ports on time Again, I will never sail NCL again and I just hope they consider my formal complaints (and probably hundreds of others very similar) to change their current operating procedures, their app, and their staff attitude so that nobody else spends thousands and thousands of dollars with them to have a sub-par vacation spent primarily at guest services trying to fix NCL's mistakes. read more

Norwegian Cruise Line - Sunset from buffet on Norwegian Bliss - Travel Services Near Me - San Pedro, California

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I just got off a week cruise from Atl Ga to Miami Fl,the cruise was Cozumel Mexico and great stirrup Cay Bahamas, I had a wonderful time on NCL and I always do. read more

Norwegian Cruise Line - Great Stirrip Cay Bahamas - Travel Services Near Me - San Pedro, California

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I went on a 5 day cruise to Mexico on the Bliss. We had a great time. The food, entertainment and staff were all top notch. The check-in and checkout was seamless. I highly recommend NCL. I plan on booking another cruise soon! read more

Norwegian Cruise Line - Beautiful chandelier. - Travel Services Near Me - San Pedro, California

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We went on the NCL Bliss twice. Once in December and again this April. They had a lot of changes from last year to this year: Horizon park: nice open space to run around but there are no lawn games as originally stated. I wish they had the laser tag still Go karts are no longer free Drink package: no option for premium package for the better alcohol, coffee, and bottled water. There is only the basic package now which has an improvement for some liquor but overall having the two options is better. Meal package: no longer a la carte which is fine. What sucks is they removed the option for filet mignon or lobster tail upgrade in the main dining room. The lobster tails were delicious last year. This year it looked like the warm lobster tail and it was super over cooked each time. Not worth. The other main food was solid each time. The worst thing is that dining would take forever! Day 1 manhattan main dining. Seated 5 pm. Finished 8 pm Day 2 Palomar. Seated 8:30 pm. Finished 11 pm Day 3 manhattan. Seated 6 pm. Finished 8:30 pm Day 4 Cagneys. Seated 5:15 pm finished 7:15 pm This was not due to us. We viewed the menu before hand and ordered right away. Each appetizer would come slowly one by one. And there would be 20 minutes each between the apps and main and dessert. They really need to work on their speed for this meal If we didn't get a deal to get the 5 night cruise to Mexico for $1000 total for 3 people in the balcony room, I would not go again. Full price I'd have given this a 2 star. read more

It's a nice experience to have your Own cruise expert when trying to plan a cruise especially your first cruise. My cruise director or planner was Alex and he is amazing. He handles everything for you and you can text or call him anytime you want with any questions or concerns. He has been patient, friendly, and professional this entire time. He also does this for free for his clients which makes it more enjoyable and know that he's doing it cause he wants you to have the TIME OF YOUR LIFE! read more

Summary: NCL is terrible. A vacation shouldn't feel like being trapped in a floating shopping mall. The constant, relentless upselling greatly cheapened the experience. Pre-cruise communications were unclear and inconsistent; messaging on-board was intrusive. Food, drinks, and service were all mediocre at best (even in specialty restaurants). The brand new ship (Aqua) had terrible Wi-Fi service, antiquated tech, and non-functioning tech. BEWARE OF PRIORITY ACCESS. More details below, if you're curious: Upselling Culture: Nearly every activity felt like a sales pitch--future cruise promotions, overpriced art, and "luxury" items. There were even upselling scams at the casino! For example, it is absurd to pay $30 to enter a Blackjack tournament only to "win" the chance to buy another cruise next year to continue the tournament. This relentless upselling cheapens the entire experience. Priority Access: Priority access is another upselling scam. My card was charged immediately during online check-in--before I had finalized--just for selecting the option to see how it affected my boarding time. Despite advertising "priority boarding," it didn't change my boarding time at all and a NCL agent confirmed I would have to get in the same boarding line with everyone else. I canceled it with a NCL agent, but as of 1 month later I have only received a 22% refund. After three follow-ups with NCL, the issue remains unresolved. This is TERRIBLE ON-LINE CUSTOMER SERVICE. Tech: Wi-Fi connectivity was shockingly poor for 2025. Numerous touchscreen kiosks near elevators didn't work, and the ship relied heavily on outdated intercom systems for non-emergency messages. The DJs played uninspired playlists with awkward, mismatched transitions, and the gaming center offered limited options that would not engage today's kids. Intrusive Announcements: Loud, ship-wide intercom pages early in the morning (5AM PT) were intrusive, especially for jet-lagged passengers. There must be a more efficient, less disruptive, and more modern way to reach specific guests. Other early morning intercom announcements shared weather updates and activities - which were already available on the TV and daily Freestyle Newsletter. I didn't need to be woken by announcements when I was supposed to be on vacation to relax. Service: With staff locked into a shared tip of $20/day per passenger, there's little incentive for exceptional service. As a result, service felt uninspired and mediocre. Even at the specialty restaurant Le Bistro, the service was disappointing. We were celebrating a milestone birthday, and I had planned to treat three other passengers to dinner. Our waiter refused to combine the charges into a single bill--and was oddly rude about it. We ultimately had to involve the maître d' to resolve the issue. Also, the birthday cake was brought out only after we had already finished dessert and were standing up to leave. Environment: Poor weather forced everyone indoors, but there were no quiet, comfortable spaces. Even the observation lounge was crowded, noisy, and unpleasant. The only place I could find to relax and read my book was my stateroom. On our last day, we noticed a strong sewage odor in the stairwell near our stateroom. Food/Drink: Most of the food felt mass-produced and mediocre, even at the specialty restaurant Onda. (The food at Le Bistro, however, was quite good.) Regional options, such as the Indian dishes at the Indulge Food Hall and the pho in the Main Dining Room, were inauthentic and bland. Even the whisky bar and wine bar offered surprisingly limited, basic selections. One positive experience was related to the barista at Starbucks who created cute cat art in my latte foam. I was wearing a t-shirt with a cat on it, so this felt like a thoughtful, personalized touch that truly brightened my day. Thanks Starbucks Barista! The rest of NCL should take some inspiration from you! :) read more

Booked our cruise with our daughter, son-in-law and grandkids. We booked adjoining rooms so the kids would have access to their parents, all three kids are under 6. They will only allow 4 people to a room. When we checked in we were given rooms on different floors. Now we are being told that the ship did nothing wrong and it is not their responsibility to make any type of recompense for this issue. I have sailed with plenty of other cruise lines and have never had any problems or complaints. First and last cruise with Norwegian. Stay with Princess they treated their customers great. read more

I spent a week on the Bliss cruising to Alaska--my second cruise ever, and the first in many years. I had been really looking forward to it. While I absolutely loved Alaska and enjoyed connecting with the solo travelers' group, the overall experience felt like sensory overkill. It was so overwhelming that I now need a full week just to recover. Honestly, after this trip, I'm having second thoughts about cruising again. The good: The solo program was absolutely five-star! Huge kudos to Alvine, the solo director--he was incredibly friendly and welcoming. I'd easily give him a solid five stars. We met every day at 5 p.m. in the solo lounge, and through that, I made some wonderful new friends. Honestly, this was probably the best part of the entire trip. The bad: Unfortunately, I had food poisoning twice during the trip. I have a very sensitive stomach, so at first I didn't want to blame the cruise. But after chatting with other solo travelers, I found out I wasn't alone--several people experienced similar issues. A couple of them were hit pretty hard and were completely out of commission for a while. So... that's that. The elevators were constantly busy, which quickly became frustrating. The buffet area was so crowded it was dizzying at times--just a nonstop flow of people. What made it even more uncomfortable was that some guests would take their food into the elevators--plates stacked high with fruit, cups of coffee teetering on top. With the elevators already packed, standing shoulder-to-shoulder next to someone holding a plate full of watermelon wasn't fun! One time I was so fed up and I said, you know, there is a thing called room service! Of course, I got a death stair in return. I am glad she didn't punch me in my face, ooh wait, she was holding her fruit plate. Lucky me! Since this was my birthday trip, I decided to treat myself to a nail appointment. I had booked a regular service that was supposed to cost around $50. However, I ended up being charged $95 because they added a five-minute massage I didn't ask for. When I called the spa, I was told that I signed up for it. I didn't even have the energy to argue, so I just said, 'Whatever.' Honestly, it's still upsetting even just writing this out. Do I really have to relive this? LOL. The most astonishing part was the nail technician who kept telling me I looked old and needed Botox. She insisted she could book me a treatment that would make me look 10 years younger. Honestly, it felt unreal--my friends often tell me I look much younger than my age, and I'm still pretty young! At one point, right in the middle of painting my nails (while they were still wet), she shoved a Botox advertisement into my hand. I had to almost shout, 'Just drop it--I don't want to hear about Botox!' Then she said, 'Look at me, I look so young, see? No wrinkles! Don't you want to look like me?' I just said, 'No!' It was almost comical. I ended up sharing this experience on the Bliss Facebook page, and guess what? Within hours, so many people chimed in with similar stories--some even worse than mine! One lady said her husband was told to do something about his hair because he's going bald. Another was pitched Botox during an expensive massage session. Honestly, hearing all that made me feel a bit better knowing it could be worse. Thanks to everyone who commented on my post--it really soothed me. LOL After receiving so much encouragement from the Facebook community, I decided to visit Customer Service and share my experience. In the end, I received a full refund and a sincere apology. So, not too bad after all! I agree with many of the other reviewers about the major issues, so I won't repeat them here. I just want to say that most of the reviews I've read are accurate. In a nutshell: I might give cruising a second chance, but Norwegian is a big NO from me. I'm seriously thinking of selling all my Norwegian stock first thing tomorrow morning. If you have the money, I'd recommend booking with another cruise line. If you're traveling solo and really want to meet new friends, maybe this is a good choice. I really enjoyed making new friends and that is my happiest part of this trip. read more

I have to give them a 3 star, because of how the quality has dropped so so much. Norwegian used to be elite, the best in free style cruising. They had great itineraries, great food, and great prices. Now it seems that they've really made cuts to many things. You no longer get what you're paying for. The food.... Oh my god.... It used to be some of the best there was at sea. The buffet used to be gold! Now you're lucky if you get much variety, or quality. The food is tasteless. The same all the time... they're serving goop and poop on a shingle and expect us to swoon. The specialty dinning halls have lost their special too. It's just not the same. The portions are tiny, and after you pay $60 for a cover charge. Outrageous. Drinks are small too and after adding gratuity to everything, those should at least be worth the crazy money they cost. Excursions are getting more expensive as well, naturally , as everything seems to be more expensive. It's also unfair that one of the three complimentary restaurants was closed our entire cruise. Crap. The gem really needs a touch up! We save ourselves the extra money trouble that many people have with Norwegian by bringing cash. We ALWAYS bring cash to put on our sign and sale cards. Norwegian tends to over charge and then charge for things you never even had... I was overcharged by $300 our very first cruise and have learned from my mistake. ALWAYS BRING CASH - our room attendant was fabulous, I will say that, not a better one around! His name was Jonathan. He was terrific! read more

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My mother and I went on a 2-week cruise to see Iceland, Greenland and Norway in Fall 2024. Since Iceland and Greenland are pretty expensive to see on their own, I really feel like they could have cut Norway out altogether without sacrificing much. I won't go on and on, though. I'll just cut to the chase and point out what we didn't like since this isn't a review on Iceland and ice bergs in Greenland which was fantastic and well worth seeing. 1. Food is repetitive and pretty rich for two weeks. I stuck to the buffet on the top deck and my mom would join me often but spent the evenings at the various themed restaurants. By the end of week two, her stomach was starting to bother her eating the same rich food every day for every meal. She is elderly and while there is a good balance of age groups on the ship, there should be more healthy options so that passengers can self-sustain their dietary needs. 2. The process of getting on the ship took two or three hours when their computer system went down. That in itself would have been okay except we were in line outside in the Reykjavik cold. Very uncomfortable, confusing and drawn-out process which wasn't a great introduction for me to the cruising lifestyle. They also dropped some luggage in the water which caused panic among the pier staff and entertainment for those of us standing around freezing our asses off. 3. The process of getting on tender boats to reach venues on shore could have been a little clearer and it would have been nice to have less destinations that required them. The Greenland stop was understandable, but the rest were kind of a pain. 4. I think I saw others posting the same, but at least on NCL, it really is a nickel and dime operation. Laundry bundles. Mineral water markup. Wifi specifically is very expensive, and the booze package doesn't cover water, so you have to buy that separately. Shore excursions are very expensive with the most affordable at $200 and the most expensive at $700 a person. 5. The rooms! They are very tiny. Luckily my mom had the foresight to upgrade to a balcony room which became a lifesaver when the cramped quarters became too much to bear. We saw my mom's friend's room and it was even smaller than ours without a balcony. No wonder they did everything they could to spend time away from it. Unfortunately, I like sheltering in my room on any trip and it became oppressive after a week being in such small quarters with another person. 6. The shore excursions were hit or miss. Despite the long bus ride and relatively short visit, I really enjoyed the Vok baths. Ulvik was the only stop in Norway worth the time. A few of the excursions were mostly spent on buses getting to relatively short stops and then getting back on the bus again to return to the ship. Read the descriptions carefully before you choose a trip. My mom signed us up for the rib boat excursion and we canceled that one just in time because I realized that mom isn't the adrenaline junkie that those boats were intended for. My mom's friends weren't so fortunate and went on a trip that was far too arduous for them, and they almost had to turn back if it weren't for the husband's tenacity. Mom and I definitely learned a lot on this trip. After reading up on experiences on other cruise lines, we would not pay for another cruise with NCL. read more

They lost our luggage. The process for filing a claim is antiquated. They called us multiple times throughout the week and even left a message saying our luggage was damaged, then told us they had no idea why we got that call. They only provide a $100 credit. On the last day of the cruise they sent someone to our door to interrogate us. How many kids do you have? What are their ages? Did you check under the bed? One of your kids may have put it under the bed. Are there any other adults in the room with you? Does everyone have the same brand of luggage? We finally told him to come in and check himself. We went to guest services asked to speak to a manager, because of how we were treated by the crew member. They brought us to the back, put us in an office with someone who clearly was not a manager and smiled the whole time. Then proceeded to tell us that they will waive charges for the kids go-kart for the day. Completely unprofessional and worst customer service I've ever experienced. read more

I have done 54 cruises so I'm speaking from experience, most on Royal Caribbean, 2nd Princess and about 12 on NCL. RCL food was better than all of them until about 6,7 years ago when they cut the food budget, NCL food was great up to 4 years ago. NCL and Princess itineraries are the best but my last cruise w NCL on the NCL ESCAPE was a disaster, the ship was fairly new BUT FROM EMBARKATION: 1) ALL THE BATHROOMS WERE DIRTY, SMELLY LIKE THE 3RD WORLD, they cut their budget on housekeeping to the bone, I was disgusted. 2) they cut the entertainment to ZERO, NO LIVE BAND vs RC and Princess that still have a 8 to 10 musicians in amazing band 3) NCL had no outside guest entertainer, my 14 days Mediterranean cruise literally had the same guys wearing sloppy clothes inviting guests on the stage to drink beer! now was that entertainment? well, they had comedians but I'm tired of comedians, they were not that funny. RC has aqua shows, holiday on ice shows, acrobatic shows! NCL used to have the best food, I mean Pho/Ramen made to order, sesame dressing freshly made daily, cappuccino machine at breakfast, theme nights almost every night in the buffet, those were sadly all gone! NCL was the only cruise line having the best Mediterranean cruise last year 5/2024 starting in Venice, Italy, pre cruise we spent 5 glorious days in Venice in a honeymoon suite overlooking the Rialto bridge/Grand Canal so I forever remember this cruise despite the bad customer service, I did not even remember seeing too many officers, I also miss the formal nights as they have free style, everybody dressed so sloppily it was shocking, zero dress codes. I'm glad I did most all of my cruising when it was a golden age, now cruise ships are just people movers, a race to the bottom. I booked 3 cruises already for 2025, 2 on RC, their entertainment is top notch that's why their stock went sky high. NCL is only better than Virgin Voyages, it's a race to the bottom, if you are not 200 to 500lbs or LBGT, POC Virgin Voyages is not for you, after this year cruises, I'm just about done w cruising, it will be stay cations for me. RC customer service is the best of all cruise lines, the CUSTOMERS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT! Their shows are Las Vegas quality. Come back to read my future reviews on RC and Princess. read more

Went on a 15 Day Cruise to Iceland, Greenland and Norway on September 29, 2025. We booked this ship for the itinerary... We were to have 3 ports in Greenland. Just after final payment, we ere informed that one of the Greenland ports was eliminated and replaced by a day in the Christian George Sound, which was beautiful but gave us another day at sea... Then on the ship we are told that we lost another day in Greenland and added another day at sea... No refund for port charges or an apology... Our cabin was very cold. called and asked if the thermostat was individual because we had it on high at night and sometimes during the day. Ye,they ere individual, just turn it up we were told. Finally after 5 days I caught a cold from the draft that was coming in through the sliding door. Reported it and they said they would put it a work order. Came the nest day and raised the door up to Blok the top draft, which created a a wind coming in from the bottom. reported it again. again a day before fixing, came and put duct tape all around the door. I said to the maintenance guy that we wouldn't be able to use our patio. He said they would try to fix it the next day, which they did by replacing the entire door. Meanwhile I am sick with a cold and no cold remedies in the shop... They asked how they did and we told them the saga of the draft and the door. They files a claim and case for us by their suggestion. Two days after we returned from our cruise, we received an email apologizing and offering us $50 per person off our next cruise. are you kidding me??? The food as mediocre at best. The buffet wa Cafeteria food,ots of it and poor quality. Choices for dining were many if you wanted to pay $72 per person for the specialty restaurants... There were two dining room but they had the air menu so dining was limited to that or the buffet or outside and we were in ICELAND... Many activities but most of them had an uncharge... excursions were very pricey and many people complained about them but could not get their money back. We lost the Shetland Islands nd the lat port in Greenland because the Captain said the water was too rough to tender... No refund for those either. In general, Not a very good company to do business with or a very nice cruise. No effort was made to make up for the lost ports or the draft Nour cabin. VERY DISAPPOINTING CRUSIE! would not go on this line again. read more

If you are booking a family trip with more than one room, DON'T BOOK ON NORWEGIAN. They split the reservation based on rooms. I haven't even sailed yet and am already having so many issues. I made a reservation for 5 people - too many for one room. Our rooms are across the hall from each other. I put the incorrect people in the rooms. So now, in order to change it, we have to wait until we board the ship. Why can't they do this ahead of time? They could, it just comes down to LAZY people who don't care if the customer has a good time. I also had an issue with the air travel. I went through Norwegian to book it because 3 of us from the same house are traveling together. When I got the confirmation, they had put me on a different flight than my daughter and granddaughter. What a nightmare getting that changed! After contacting the VP of customer service and copying her on all email, it finally got changed. Here's what i would recommend for a European cruise - Go to a cruise travel agent! They will save you money. read more

So many things went wrong: There were problems with the ships engine making us 8 hours late getting back to port, which made me miss my plane from New York to California. The concierge who helped me with my travel plans canceled my Delta flight back to California and booked me a United flight later that day home, which cost me $650 because she didn't rebook me on a delta flight!! They told me I would get reimbursed for their mistakes and I only received a check for $192!!! They do BAD business business! I wouldn't go on this cruise line!! read more

Been on multiple cruises and always have a great time. Do things when I want, and never much of a wait. Classy environment for the most part, can't help some people. Food is excellent and the venues are well appointed across multiple ships we've been on. read more

We should have skipped Alaska on this cruise line. They have the farthest port slots of any of the lines. You have to be shuttled to the town and in Victoria you have to pay. It's a problem for people with mobility issues and it cuts into the in port time, which is already really short. The complimentary food was okay. The specialty restaurants were pretty good. read more

Second time cruising with NCL. First time was a 7 day Alaskan cruise on the Spirit in June 2023. 5/5 experience from the booking, winning our upgrade bid to a balcony cabin, service, and food. Employees were incredible, knew our names & preferred drinks and provided exceptional service. The trip was a dream until the flights back home. Our airline at the anchorage airport was delaying flights left and right (flights were booked through NCL) and NCL was no help. Thankfully, we had purchased insurance, which reimbursed a portion of the return flights we had to purchase on our own. Second trip was a 7 day Mexican riviera cruise on the Bliss this past March 2024. Unfortunately, we did not win our upgrade this time around and the ship was at capacity :( Kids ran around unsupervised, knocking on cabin doors and running away, sitting on the stairs & blocking walkways. Totally different experience. Employees were ok, but service did not really stand out. On the other ship, employees were more personable and seemed more eager to make our cruise experience enjoyable. Excursions were booked through NCL were fun but on the expensive side. I recommend the "free at sea" promotion if available so you'll get the most bang for your buck. read more

Norwegian Cruise Line - NCL Bliss - Travel Services Near Me - San Pedro, California

1. Up charge on many items 2.Technical issues affected cruise route. Norwegian did not fairly compensate for the loss of a stop. 3. Fees charged on casino money 4. We purchased a have it all package. Norwegian does not include water in this package but charges extra. Everything is an extra charge. This was my last cruise with Norwegian, never again! read more

We just finished a European/Mediterranean cruise on the Breakaway. We had some ups and downs which leads me to a fair and neutral review. We had a balcony on the 13th floor. It was a great room which was a plus but room maintenance and assistance was sub par. Due to constant injuries occurring in practice we had no in cruise entertainment. The excursions were rushed and 25% of the time was on tour guides taking us places to shop when we were supposedbto be seeing cathedrals, scenic sites and historical points of emphasis. An additional 25% of time was on buses so 50% was allocated and rushed for what you paid for. Our ports were Cannes France, Florence and Naples Italy, Ibiza and Mallorca. Getting off and on the ship was professional and easy compared to other cruise lines. The food was good but not great. The majority of ship staff was amazing. European tax reimbursement was madness and was not explained well. Recommend joining Facebook groups for the ship and time you are cruising. We met last of people this way and it was extremely beneficial. We plan to give Norwegian a chance again in the future but it will be a make or break moment. read more

Always spot on with service Not pretentious Not bottom of the barrel They take care of both of the adults and the little ones Beautiful rooms Awesome casino Both free and paid for restaurants are great Wonderful destinations I am a big fan! read more

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My wife and I took the Norwegian Bliss out of Los Angeles, for a 5 night cruise repositioning cruise to Vancouver. This was the beginning of the Alaska cruise season, and the Bliss needed to begin sailings from Seattle, starting in early April '24. Repositioning cruises usually have two common things: a lower cost and less crowding. The first was true ($348.40 + $238.46 tax for inside room), but it was also at full capacity, resulting in a lot of waiting. NCL leaves from the Port of Los Angeles (vs Long Beach), and there was another boat docked at the same time so it was pretty hectic traffic wise. We were able to print out our luggage tags the night before (an email from NCL delivered them if you completed your on-line check-in as requested), therefore was able to drop off our two bags to any luggage steward before entering the building. You go through metal detectors and xray for your carryon. There are then separate check-in lines based on which floor your cabin is in (and if you have status that gives you priority checkin). It didn't take too long to get in front, and after scanning our passports, we were able to get our key card. At this point, they had already been boarding our boat and we were able to get on the boat a bit after 12. First thing was to go to our assembly station, and get our card scanned, indicating we knew where to go in case of an emergency. We found a complementary restaurant to eat lunch, and hung around the common area until our room was ready for occupation. They allowed us into our rooms by 2:50 pm, and our checked luggage was delivered by 4 pm. Our cabin steward, Shane, introduced herself. We were on the 5th floor near the front, and was probably the smallest of the offered rooms. The beds are elevated, so space to put your empty suitcases away. The TV in the room is older, and will not allow you to plug your computer for broadcasting. There wasn't much space inside to maneuver, but it's a known thing...if you are going to get an inside room, need to be willing to hang out outside of your room during the day. Observations - - The Bliss can hold over 4,000 passengers and we learned that it was at full capacity. This meant waiting was mandatory, especially for things like the elevators and restaurants. Also it was too cold to use the outdoor sundeck and pool, which reduced public space significantly. - There are two large banks of elevators on either end of the ship, but as expected, it wasn't enough for peak. We strategized to use them only to go up (using the stairs when coming down), and catch it towards the bottom (since a full elevator would still stop on every floor, even though it couldn't pick anybody else up). - All in all, people knew what to expect so nobody seemed too upset about any of it. - The 5th floor inside rooms are right below the Bliss Theater, so you can hear (and feel) the music from the nightly show. - The doors to the cabin are configured to firmly close, thus will slam pretty hard if you don't hold it as it shuts. This is one of those things that everyone does, I guess. We got into our final destination of Vancouver around 11 pm on the night before disembarkation day. It seemed like they would allow anybody to leave the boat, even in the middle of the night after it was cleared by the port authorities. But it made sense to stay until the morning. The disembarkation process was relatively easy for us, since we were willing to carry all of our bags off by ourselves and we had already gone through immigration when we first visited Victoria. They require everyone to exit their rooms by 8:30 am on the day of disembarkation, to allow the attendants to clean the rooms for a quick turnaround. In our case, the ship was continuing to Seattle to pick up passengers the next day. read more

Norwegian Cruise Line - Norwegian Bliss - Travel Services Near Me - San Pedro, California

This was my first cruise ever so I don't have any other point of reference to compare my experience with Norwegian. Having said that, our family went on a 7-day cruise to Mexico and I had a pretty good time. Food was good for the most part. Some restaurants are first come first serve basis which is not how cruise line typically operate. Apparently other cruise lines you have your own time slot but that wasn't the case for Norwegian. Child care was a disaster. Line was always SO LONG and same families kept showing up early to save spots in the line for their other families. They should really have some sort of rule or policy to avoid people abusing child care service. Also, they didn't dock when we arrived at Cabo so they had a ship that would transport people from the ship to the land. So the line to get back on the ship was ridiculously LONG. If you ever get to Cabo, do not get off the ship! For any other islands, as long as ship docks, you should be okay. Overall, I think Norwegian is a good option if you aren't too picky and just want to have a good time. read more

Avoid this cruise line. One of the most enjoyable parts of going on a cruise is eating. The food was terrible, unfresh, and the exact same fare every day. I ate cereal and oatmeal every day. We went on this cruise with a group of friends and the area designated for eating was so limited that we rarely were able to sit together to eat. We were very excited for this cruise but it fell short of our expectations. read more

I've sailed with Norwegian before and had generally good experiences, but this most recent cruise has left a terrible impression--and it all comes down to their deceptive sales tactics around the CruiseNext program. While onboard, a Norwegian employee heavily pitched CruiseNext credits, insisting we would receive onboard credits to use on our next cruise, and that we could apply all purchased credits toward one future trip. That turned out to be completely false. After purchasing, we discovered not only are the credits restricted in how they can be used, but there were no onboard credits available for the next cruise, and you can't even use all CruiseNext credits on a single sailing unless you book multiple cabins. This was NOT disclosed clearly--nor were we warned about the limitations. It felt like a deliberate bait-and-switch to pressure guests into buying these credits while onboard. When I contacted Norwegian about this, they took zero accountability. No compensation, no apology, nothing. Just a corporate wall of indifference. For a company that claims to value loyalty and customer satisfaction, this experience says otherwise. I expected better. Be very careful if you're approached about CruiseNext credits--it's not the deal they make it out to be, and you may end up regretting it like I do. read more

We wanted to try a different cruise line so we booked NCL to Mexico. From the start I didn't like how they handle things ... unorganized and confusing. Our paid invoice didn't list items that was included in our cruise package. They have you select a check in time but it's per person so the person you are traveling with needs to choose a time themselves even though you booked together. Then when you get to the pier it's pure chaos... idk why they have check in times because when you get there, you check in, then they have everyone sitting and waiting for hours waiting to embark the ship. About check in.. they look at and scan your passport and take your picture. Then you sit with everyone else... if your worried about Covid that is NOT the place to be... hardly anyone wearing mask and no such thing as social distancing... you are packed in a waiting area. We had a mini suite which was a little small but okay. With our cruise package we had unlimited drinks. Can you believe water was not included and they charged us for water!!! Also, if you want a coke they charge you a service fee. WTH?? The specialty restaurant Cagney's Steakhouse & Le Bistro was a huge disappointment. SAVE YOUR MONEY and don't dine at either. Steak at both places and the duck was terrible.. even the appetizers was terrible. Also, double check your room charges.. my receipt said "0" charge but they later charged my dinner to my room. The Teppanyaki restaurant was good the first time we dined there. We went back another night and was a little disappointed the second time... steak was over cooked and the portion was really small compared to the first time. So something positive, we loved the casino and our cabin steward was really good. I really enjoyed talking with Mary at the Skyline Bar. She made us the best Espresso Martinis! Her servers at the bar and in the casino were really good too! They always came by to see how I was doing and if I wanted anything. All in all I feel like NCL nickel and dime us to death. They are unorganized and hurry up and wait. read more

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Group of 30 , were treated very badly! Lied to us about our Rome excursion. Wouldn't make it up to us in anyway told us to call a phone number after the cruise could never talk to a regular person.. read more