The Norwegian Bliss is now back in action after having sailed with guests from the Port of Los Angeles on Sunday.
Kicking off a Mexican Riviera program, the vessel marked Norwegian Cruise Line’s return to the West Coast after a 19-month hiatus.
The 2018-built vessel also became the seventh to resume revenue service for the company, joining other two ships currently operating in the United States.
For its first post-pandemic cruise, the Norwegian Bliss is sailing a seven-night itinerary that includes visits to three destinations in Mexico: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta. The 4,200-guest vessel is also spending four days at sea before returning to California.
Sailing from Los Angeles every Sunday, the itinerary is set to be repeated through the end of the year. Certain departures also include Ensenada in the itinerary, replacing one of the sea days.
Built in Germany at an estimated cost of $1.1 billion, the Norwegian Bliss has capacity for 4,200 guests at double occupancy and 167,800 tons. The vessel is the third of four Breakaway-plus class vessels, following the Norwegian Escape and the Norwegian Joy.
As such, the ship was designed with improved features and experiences, including a large 20,000-square-foot observatory lounge, an open-air laser tag and a two-deck racetrack with go karts.
The vessel also introduced new concepts for Norwegian, such as the Q Texas Smokehouse, a Texas-inspired BBQ spot complete with a stage for live country music.
On the technical side, the Norwegian Bliss was designed and at Meyer Werft built to meet the most advanced environmental regulations. The feature is celebrated by a hull art created by the marine life artist Robert Wyland, which aims to represent the importance of marine conservation.
After a 500-day operational pause, Norwegian Cruise Line resumed revenue services in July, with the Norwegian Jade. The vessel launched a Piraeus-based program of destination-intensive cruises to the Greek Islands.
Later, the brand expanded its restart to the Alaska, the Caribbean, the Western Mediterranean and more.
More recently, in September, Norwegian returned to New York City, offering a Bermuda program from Manhattan on the Norwegian Breakaway.
