Seems like a deal if you only purchased it for one day or one person. The package is $10 per person, per day, which will give you unlimited games on certain machines with a green swipe. All the games are a la carte by swiping your room key but if you think your kids might spend a lot of time in the arcade, especially on bad weather days at sea, you may want to look at purchasing a package. There are a range of games from car racing to basketball hoops, to a virtual rollercoaster. Next to the Kids’ Clubs and Teen Club you will find a small arcade. Tip: the track is behind the smoke stack so you may get dirty, don’t wear anything nice and be sure to wash your face and hair after! Arcade It is great fun to race against each other and take hairpin turns while at sea. If you would like to take a spin on the two-level race track, you will also need to reserve a time slot early. Check and see if they are still offering this and sign up early in the week. Tip: if you have a teen, the Entourage teen club offered one night activity with unlimited laser tag – for free! If you have a teen that doesn’t mind joining a teen club, this might be a good way to try Laser Tag for free. Just keep in mind that on the Alaska cruise your session may still end up canceled due to bad weather. I would recommend scheduling these as soon as you board with guest services or through the online touch screens near the elevators because the sessions book up quickly, especially for days at sea. The Laser Tag is an elaborate maze offering 30-minute sessions, which must be reserved in advance. However, good luck getting the information in advance of your cruise because they are very reluctant to give out this information. Check with Norwegian for current pricing and policies as these may change. Added Costs on the Norwegian Bliss Cruise Ship However, the limitations of some of the “perks” like the unlimited drink package were definitely a surprise. We certainly didn’t expect everything, like the specialty dining, to be free. I didn’t include the obvious ones like spa or salon services and shore excursions, because I think most people are aware that those are additional. That is why I wanted to provide a list of add-on expenses on the Norwegian Bliss so that others can budget accordingly. So I figured I’m not the only one who would be surprised. When I posted about this on Instagram, I got a number of surprised comments about the non-all-inclusive nature of our experience. Still, all the add-on expenses made our Alaskan cruise deal not such a steal after all. So I’m not sure if this phenomenon is endemic to the cruise industry or to Norwegian in particular. And when Glenn and I took a Royal Caribbean cruise while we were dating, I don’t remember paying extra for mini golf or to use the rock climbing wall. I remember taking a Princess cruise with a friend in my twenties and we did a wine tasting for free. To continue to raise the bar on amenities, the Bliss has added more amenities and activities including laser tag, water slides, and even a go-kart race track. The Norwegian Bliss is part of Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Breakaway Class of ships, which sails to Alaska, the Caribbean, Mexico, the Pacific Coast, the Panama Canal, and more. It seems as if the cruise industry is going in the same direction, at least that was our experience on the Norwegian Bliss. The airlines have lowered their flight price, only to decouple fees for baggage, seat selection, entertainment, and food. The rule in the hospitality industry these days seems to be a decoupling pricing strategy. So my expectation going into our cruise was that it was going to be a fairly all-inclusive experience while on board. With those changes and upgrades, have come quite a few hidden (or at least unexpected for those that didn’t read the small print) costs.įor our Alaska cruise on the Norwegian Bliss, we selected the specialty dining package and the unlimited beverage package for two as our included “add-ons” to our package. The ships have gotten much larger and many offer so much more in terms of dining and on-board activities over the years. While we chose our Alaska cruise carrier because of the Norwegian Bliss cost, which was quite affordable for a family of three, we quickly discovered that some aspects of cruising have changed in recent decades. Back then, I remember ordering room service at will, grazing at midnight buffets, and indulging in whatever entertainment was offered on board. At least that is the way it used to be. Prior to sailing on the Norwegian Bliss cruise ship from Seattle to Alaska, it had been 20 years since my last cruise. We tend to think of cruise ships as all-inclusive resorts on the water.
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