Norwegian Bliss Makes U.S. Debut in NYC

The Norwegian Bliss has yet to be christened, but she’s on her way. On Thursday, the brand spankin’ new cruise ship docked in New York City’s Pier 88 as the first stop on its inaugural U.S. tour.

Built in Germany, the Bliss is Norwegian’s largest ship with a capacity of 4,000 passengers and weighing 168,028 tons. After a weekend in NYC, the ship heads down to Miami, crosses the Panama Canal, and cruises up the west coast with stops in Los Angeles and Seattle, the ship’s captain told The Knockturnal.

Once in the North West, the ship will be christened and be stationed there for the summer season. In June, the Bliss will play host to thousands of passengers as they cruise up to Alaska with a stop in British Columbia.

Thursday marked the first night guests were welcomed onto the ship on U.S. soil as they were encouraged to explore at their own pace. The Knockturnal got a sneak peak on what passengers can expect.

The ship has numerous dining, drinking, and entertainment options on its 20 (!) decks. And there’s no shortage of activities typically found on land. Most notably, this includes a Nascar race course for electric go-karts (for real), laser tag (seriously), and a waterslide that loops around the side if the ship.

When it comes to dining options, the ship has almost a dozen options, including two upscale seafood restaurants, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville At Sea on the pool deck, and Q Smokehouse, a Texas BBQ joint, and The District Brew House, which serves 24 beers on tap. Speciality dining includes Le Bistro for French fare, La Cucina for Italian, and Teppanyaki for Japanese hibachi. In other words, if you want it, Norwegian’s got it.

On Thursday night, guests also included NYC radio personality Elvis Duran, who has been named the ship’s “godfather.”

Inaugural guests were also able to watch a special performance of ¡Havana!, a new original musical production. The show celebrates Cuban culture and music from the 1950’s telling the story of a traditional Cuban dance club and the family that runs it. Led by Tony Award–winning director and choreographer Warren Carlyle, the show also features set design and costumes by Cuban-American Ruben and Isabel Toledo.

And while it’s no easy feat to translate a Broadway production to a performance at sea, the team seems to have done it. With awesome vocals and music, we really did feel transported to the sultry locale despite it being rainy the day we visited the ship. Seems like Norwegian’s got a winner on its hands.

Additional entertainment options include the Broadway production Jersey Boys, which celebrates the music and true story behind Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and Happy Hour Prohibition – The Musical, a comedy set in a New Orleans speakeasy that pays homage to the best music of that era.

The Norwegian Bliss is a truly impressive achievement. From the entertainment and activities to the drinks and dining options, they’ve essentially created a city on the sea. We’re excited to see what’s next.