The Norwegian Bliss isn’t just any ship—it’s like staying in one of the nicest “hotels” at sea. Think Vegas casino vibes: bars at every turn, restaurants galore, live music, comedy, piano bars, Broadway-style shows, a casino, and even a spa—but here’s the jackpot: most of it is already included. Unlike Vegas, you won’t be crying over your credit card bill after ordering a sandwich.

🛳 General Ship Layout
(a.k.a. How Not to Get Lost at Sea)

The Norwegian Bliss is a whopping 20 decks tall—basically a floating skyscraper with bars, buffets, and zero property taxes.

Public decks (where the action is) are found low (5–8) and high (15–20). The in-between decks are mostly staterooms, crew stuff, and mysterious “Do Not Enter” doors we’ll all secretly want to peek behind. You’ll probably only see those middle decks when you’re boarding or leaving the ship—so let’s not pretend otherwise.

🛳 Where the Ship Am I?

Elevator banks are located midship (the middle) and aft (the back). Translation: You’ll spend a week pressing the wrong button and saying “Oh, wrong elevator bank” like it’s a drinking game.

To help you find your way around it is good to know the following terminology:

• Forward / Fore = The front of the boat.

• Mid / Midship = The middle section of the boat. 

• Aft = Toward the back of the boat.

• Port = The left side of the boat (facing the forward of the ship).

• Starboard = The right side of the boat (facing the forward of the ship).

• Deck = Ships don’t have floors, they have decks.

• Atrium = The large, open central area of the ship. It’s the social hub of the ship—a place where you’ll find live music, trivia games, people sipping cocktails at 10 a.m., and someone always asking, “Where are we supposed to meet again?”

• Tim Hortons = Nope, not on the ship.

• Dunkin Donuts = Nope, also, not on the ship. 

• Starbucks = You’ll find one off of the atrium. This is NOT part of the all you can consume package, so if needed, plan and budget accordingly. However, we are assured there are coffeemakers in every room and read ahead…FREE breakfast room service where you can order coffee or tea.

• Stateroom room service = all food is included. Delivery is not, except for breakfast! Breakfast is free, all other meals will incur a $9 delivery fee.

Let’s talk staterooms, shall we? You need to set your expectations somewhere between “cozy” and “did I just walk into a closet with beds?”. When they say cruise cabins are small, they mean it. Like, “turn sideways to pass your partner” small. But here’s the kicker—they’re efficiently fabulous. It’s like IKEA and NASA teamed up to design a hotel room. It’s Engineered with the same logic as a clown car—but classier. So yes, your stateroom might be pint-sized, but it packs a punch. It’s charming, it’s clever, and it somehow fits your suitcase, shower, and sanity all in one compact cube. Just don’t expect to host a dance party unless it’s a solo interpretive number performed entirely from your bed.

🧩 Piecing It All Together

The Blissfits command center (our block of rooms) is on the Starboard side, Deck 13:

• Rick & Julie – 13800
• Jim & Deb – 13798
• Joyce & Conrad – 137?? (hey, we’ll find you… eventually)
• Jagger, Victoria, Jaden & Jackson – 13822

Pro tip: If we’re meeting at a venue on Deck 7 Aft, here’s the formula:
Walk Aft (that’s “back of the ship” for non-nautical folks) ➡️ find the elevator ➡️ go down to Deck 7 ➡️ celebrate that you didn’t end up in the kitchen.

🐟 Insider Tip: Follow the Fish

If you’re hopelessly lost (and let’s be honest, you will be), head to a stateroom hallway. The carpet is decorated with fish swimming forward—that’s the front of the ship. Except for the occasional rebel fish going the wrong way, just to keep you guessing.

So if you can’t tell where you are, trust the fish. They’ve got your back (or your bow, technically).

Note that this is interpretive art that we had AI generate based on the text of this part of the Survival Guide. We didn’t adjust it in any way. As you can probably tell, if you look closely.

<- Back to Part 2

Stay Tuned for Part 4 ->