Making tracks for a Blissful break
PAUL COLE races to try out an unlikely go kart circuit – in the middle of the North Sea
IT’S AS you’re careering round sea.the penultimate corner, the revving of your go kart muffled by the tight-fitting crash helmet that you catch a glimpse of the In fact, tear your eyes from the track and the realisation slowly, surreally, sinks in. Regardless of your lap time, you’re all at sea. Quite literally. The North Sea. Because this 984ft go kart track is on the 17th deck of a cruise ship. It’s like racing on the top of a huge hotel, one that’s riding the waves on its way from Germany into the English Channel.
And if the idea seems strange, then blame Harry’s son.
He’s the young lad who looks up to Harry Sommer, the executive vice president, International Business Development of Norwegian Cruise Lines, and he has quite an imagination.
“I asked my son what he’d like to see on a ship,” says Harry. “And sure, water slides came up. Games, too.
“But what would really be cool was a race track or a rollercoaster.
“So we’ve created the biggest racetrack at sea on Norwegian Bliss. The rollercoaster poses a couple of problems but in theory it’s do-able.
“The big issue would be the height it would need to be to generate the speed required “It’d mean the ship couldn’t pass under some of the bridges, and we wouldn’t be able to visit all the ports we do now. But still .... ”
Harry admits he has “some surprises up my sleeve” when the next new NCL ship, Encore, is launched in the autumn of 2019 but won’t say more.
In today’s booming holiday cruise market, however, almost anything goes. When I set sail on the old QE2 many years ago, it was a big thing to be able to play golf in the middle of the Atlantic. Since then, I’ve seen climbing walls, zip lines, ice rinks, bars made entirely of ice, surf wave riders and, most memorably, indoor skydiving in a giant wind tunnel.
That’s not to mention the giant Tibetan prayer wheel that adorns the entrance to the Asian restaurant on Seven Seas Explorer, the “most luxurious cruise ship ever built”.
I’m now taking sharp bends on the new $600,000 Norwegian Bliss on a wing and a prayer. The electric karts hit 30mph but it seems faster on the two-storey track. It is all, of course, carefully planned to ensure you can’t shoot off overboard.
Where you can do just that, is on the Ocean Loops double loop freefall water slide which sends you on a dizzying series of steep drops and twists, some of them in a transparent tunnel which projects 11 feet over the side.
There’s nothing between you and the sea – 159ft below.
(One idea Harry considered was a water slide which wound its way not just outside but also inside, through a ship’s public rooms. The idea was dropped. The sight of an overweight passenger in his Speedos might be off-putting when you’re sharing a meal or a drink).
You also have the opportunity to shoot each other, in the sci-fi themed Laser Tag arena, prowling along corridors in what looks like a crashed spaceship.
But then, NCL has always had an edge. Sister ship Norwegian Epic included a big top circus, a Chicago blues club, a stand-up comedy club and the Blue Man Group as house band.
Now, the spacious Bliss Theatre offers the Broadway production of Frankie Valli musical Jersey Boys, a recreation of Liverpool’s Cavern Club boasting one of the best Beatles tribute bands I’ve seen, and a late-night comedy venue. Napkin folding, this ain’t.
There’s a Cuban dance musical called Havana, written by Tony Award-winning Warren Carlyle with songs specially for the show by two-time Grammy winner Albita Rodriguez. The latter name may not be so familiar in the UK but she’s played four US presidential functions, and her fans include Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, Madonna and Nicole Kidman.
There are hopes that this may be the first musical to transfer from a cruise ship to Broadway, rather than following the more familiar reverse route. It looks spectacular, the costumes are sensational and the music and dance routines a joy to watch, but it lacks that killer song. Still, it’s early days. We watched the first public performance during Bliss’s inaugural shakedown cruise last week.
So, yes, they know how to entertain you.
And that’s on top of the 27 different dining options available, ranging from the Dolce Gelato ice cream parlour and the Garden Café Buffet food court to refined speciality restaurants including French restaurant Le Bistro, American steakhouse Cagney’s and Italian La Cucina.
New for Bliss are the Q Texas Smokehouse and Mexican Los Lobos. Throw in the Japanese Teppanyaki – a show in itself – the Asian fusion Food Republic, and Ocean Blue seafood restaurant, and you eat your way around the world. Freestyle dining means you can book by phone, on the touchscreens about the ship, or in person as you would in the high street.
There are bars aplenty, 14 of them if you’re counting – it is do-able, but inadvisable, in one night – some specialising in fine wine and whisky, others in mojitos, craft beers and cocktails.
You soon gather that the entertainment is on a par with nights out in Vegas, New York or London.
And if you just want a light bite and a coffee, then there’s a Starbucks too. It’s another first for NCL.
As you’d expect, there’s also a spa which offers upmarket treatments, a gym, kids’ clubs and games rooms, a casino and a number of shops selling everything from diamond jewellery to headache cures.
Really, take my advice: don’t hit all the bars in one night.
But there’s more to this ship than fun and games. You’re on a cruise, after all.
Andy Stuart, president and chief executive of NCL, explains: “People cruise for the romance of the sea
and the beauty of the ocean. Let’s not forget that.”
To that end, great effort went into the planning of the new ship, with the express purpose of connecting passengers and the sea.
Not by dropping them overboard, mind. That’s frowned upon.
Decks have been made wider, viewpoints more abundant and observation lounges larger. In fact, the observation lounge on Deck 15 is reckoned to be the largest at sea, with two-storey glass windows offering 180° views from the front of Norwegian Bliss. Those windows extend high up and even above you.
When the ship begins cruising Alaskan waters from Seattle later this year, views of the glaciers are going to be unsurpassed.
There’s a second observation lounge in the Haven – a ship within a ship – 80 special suites arranged around a spa and private pool, for those seeking tranquility. This area has its own staff, its own private restaurant and bar, and its own lounges. You could spend an entire cruise here, just popping out to enjoy the ‘big ship’ experience or to see a show or movie on the giant open-air screen.
New ships due next year and in 2022 will take the connection with the ocean even further.
Accommodation throughout is of a high standard, with several grades of stateroom from inside cabins to extravagant suites for the 4,004 passengers. Unusually, Bliss also offers a series of rooms for single passengers, with their own lounge area, too.
The great news is that it’s virtually all included in the fare. Meals, entertainment, all the ship’s facilities, although there’s a small premium for the top restaurants.
Take it one step further, and sail premium all-inclusive, and you also get all your drinks (up to $15 a glass) included, gratuities and complimentary wi-fi, too.
On our brief two-day inaugural cruise, I managed to spend the grand total of €2.50, and that was on the flight out, for a bottle of orange juice.
Shopping, spa treatments and excursions are among the only extras.
Last year, one in nine holidays taken by UK holidaymakers was a cruise, and 23 per cent of all holidays booked in Europe was an all-inclusive break.
Norwegian Bliss, therefore, is perfectly positioned. You pay your fare and then not have to worry about money on the ship. Bliss indeed.
Now, I wonder what Harry’s son is dreaming up next...