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Here we are, back to the regular I guess. Yep, another main dining room aboard the NCL Bliss. However, this was the largest and most well-situated dining space on the ship. Located at the back of the ship on deck 7, it still served the same menu as Taste and Savor. It just did it with a bit more flair. We ended up here after a decent meal at Taste the night before. We were seated near the window had the view of the water as well as natural light. I found it a bit louder and more energetic as the dining room was full.

For our appies, I decided to go fairly simple in the Avocado Hummus served with crispy pita thins and a cup of vegetable sticks. I may have missed something here, but there wasn't a whole lot of avocado in the hummus. It ate like a regular hummus. Not bad really as it was creamy with some texture, garlickiness and acidity. The pita was actually more fluffy than crispy, which was fine by me. Veggies were fresh and went well with the hummus. My son had the Italian Beef Meatballs with spicy marinara sauce and parmesan cheese. Pretty standard stuff where it was still decent. The meatballs were juicy and moist with a good amount of char on the outside. This added smokiness while the sauce did live up to the promise of being spicy (it just wasn't very spicy, that's all).

The 2 soups on the menu for the night were Chicken and Matzo Ball as well as Cream of Asparagus. Surprisingly, the matzo ball itself was pretty good. We weren't expecting much as even some Jewish delis cannot even nail a good matzo ball. However, the one here was fluffy while not being too much so. I'm not sure if they used any egg, but it sure seemed like it. The broth itself was a touch salty and in need of more natural chicken essence, but it was fine and we liked the veggies. As for the cream of asparagus, it was indeed rich but not heavy. It was in a beautiful shade of green which made it appetizing . The topping of toasted hazelnuts were a nice textural contrast as well as adding an aromatic nuttiness. There was plenty of asparagus flavor which was elevated by just the right amount of seasoning.

Onto our mains, the best of the bunch had to be the Braised Lamb Shank with roasted carrots, shallots and rosemary potatoes. Large and cooked perfectly, the meat fell off the bone easily and was uniformly tender throughout. Normally, the shank can be dry in spots, but not this one. The gelatinous meat was very moist and well-seasoned. Even the sides were on point with all three veggies being fully cooked while still retaining a firm exterior texture. Large and robust, the Herb Crusted Rotisserie Chicken was serviceable. Naturally, the dark meat was much more juicy and tender than the breast meat. With that being said, the breast meat wasn't exactly dry either. We liked how the skin was fairly well-rendered and seasoned. The mashed potatoes were creamy and the broccoli wasn't horribly overcooked either.

We also had 2 fish entrees including the Broiled Lemon Pepper Coalfish with Cajun roasted potatoes and creamed leek. This dish was mostly average as the fish was a touch overdone. It was nicely seasoned though where the lemon pepper was noticeable. The best part of the dish was the creamed leek as it was aromatic and indeed creamy. Not particularly Cajun-tasting, the potatoes at the very least were tender and browned. Similarly to the one at Taste, the Breaded Flounder Fillet was essentially the same except a bit thicker. As such, it was more moist. The breading was nicely browned and crispy while not being overly greasy. Nothing amazing, but well-executed nonetheless.

Another classic "available everyday" entree was the 3-Cheese Baked Ziti with parmesan, mozzarella and ricotta cheese. This was similar to the one found at The Local, but done much better. First of all, there was actually enough sauce which wasn't watery. Second, the pasta was al dente, but not hard. Hence, it ate more like a uniform dish rather than feeling like it was thrown altogether (which this dish still was, but better). Something that sounded rather tasty was the Sauteed Beef Strips with chimichurri sauce. I wouldn't say it was as flavorful as the description, yet at the same time, it wasn't bland either. The beef was sufficiently tender and the roasted veggies were still vibrant. It sat atop a fluffy cilantro rice that was mild (which was a good thing).

Moving onto the sweets, the that caught my attention was the Snicker's Pound Cake consisting of Snicker's pieces, vanilla ice cream, white chocolate curls and fresh strawberries. So one would assume this was super sweet and yep, they wouldn't be wrong either. I still enjoyed it since the pound cake was moist and I do like Snickers. I can see how some people would find it too sugary though. Something less sweet and also not as sweet was the Chocolate Eclairs with vanilla custard and chocolate glaze. I found the choux pastry to be on the drier side but light. Vanilla custard was semi-sweet while the chocolate glaze was fairly sweet. Yet as mentioned, it was nowhere as sugary as the pound cake.

The last 2 sweets included the Warm Banana Souffle and Mexican Chocolate Cake. As evidenced in the picture, the souffle was pretty sad-looking. It was still light and fluffy despite not rising much. I'm not a huge fan of banana desserts, so the flavor was meh for me. I did enjoy the Mexican chocolate cake though as it was moist and rich without being too heavy. It was on the sweeter side due to the dulce de leche. Overall, this meal was okay, but more on the "meh" side. Considering it was no extra charge, it did the job. We loved the dining space though as it was classy and spacious. Definitely better atmosphere than Taste and Savor.
The Good:
- Classy dining room
- Nicest view of the 3 main dining rooms
- It's included
The Bad:
- Food was okay, but not memorable
Although I've had many opportunities to try Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, I've never actually considered dining at the place. Why not you might wonder... I don't have anything against the place and honestly, I have been curious. However, each time, there was something more unique and interesting to try. Not to mention, I'm not a huge fan of trying chain restaurants when there are many locations available (so no rush to eat at one). With that thinking, I never got to eat at a Margaritaville. Ironically, I finally decided to do so on the NCL Bliss for lunch.

We started off strong with the Volcano Nachos sporting tortilla chips, queso, chili con carne, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and jalapenos. Oh boy, this was larger than what you see in the picture. Unlike the chips found at The Local, these were much more airy and crispy. With layered chili and melted cheese, there weren't many chips that were bare. No we didn't finish this, but it was pretty good. Next, we tried the Conch Fritters served with key lime cocktail sauce. I thought these were serviceable with a decently crispy exterior. Inside, the fritter was a bit on the doughier side with a mix of chewy (in a good way) conch and veggies. There was a slight spice to it and it tasted good on its own even without the cocktail sauce.

Appreciably better than the ones at The Local, the Hot Pretzel Sticks were served with queso and mustard. Despite looking heavy and dense, these were actually somewhat soft inside. I liked how they were served warm with a chewy and slightly crispy exterior. Seeing how this and the nachos were completely different than the crappy ones found at The Local proved that Margaritaville had their own separate supplies for the restaurant. Now it wouldn't be a visit to Margaritaville without ordering a drink right? I decided on the Last Mango in Paris featuring mango tequila, Cointreau orange liqueur, margarita blend and cranberry juice. As you can imagine, this was tropical and fruity. Not particularly strong (which was a good thing for us), this was a refreshing beverage on a nice day. Would've been better in Mexico though...

Continuing on the same theme of the nachos, I had the Volcano Burger sporting volcano chili, lava cheese sauce, Fritos corn chips, pickled jalapeno and guacamole. Supremely messy, this burger was quite good. I found the large burger patty to be moist and a bit crumbly. The soft bun barely held everything in though. Of course the corn chips added a salty crunch which was doused with spicy melted cheese. Not being merely a side, the fries were crispy and hot. Much better than the ones found at the other venues aboard the ship. Viv ended up with the Grilled Chicken Sandwich with chicken breast, Monterey jack cheese, bacon, Dijonaise, lettuce and tomato. Compared to my burger, this was rather ordinary. However, the chicken was tender (could've been more charred though) and the amount of cheese and crispy bacon ensured it wasn't bland.

To get our greens, we had the Blackened Shrimp Caesar on the side to share. Nothing amazing here, yet the romaine was fresh without any brown or red edges. There was a twist with the Caesar dressing as there was key lime which gave it a different acidic note from the usual lemon. The best part was the shrimp as it was charred with blackening spices. They were also meaty and cooked just right. As for my son, he decided on the Key West Fish Sandwich featuring grilled fish (which we figured was mahi mahi) with cilantro lime slaw, tomato and jalapeno tartar sauce. The fish was rare in the middle and tender. I would say this was one of the more mild-tasting items we had, but I guess it comes with the territory since it was a fish sandwich. The tartar sauce was not that spicy either.
My daughter went for her favorite in the Fish & Chips with LandShark beer batter. We thought this was prepared quite well. First of all, it consisted of the same crispy fries as with the other dishes. Secondly, the fish was flaky and moist while encased in a thin crispy and non-greasy batter. Slaw was fresh and bright while not overdressed. We didn't notice anything special about the tartar sauce, but it was fine. Overall, I actually didn't mind the food at Margaritaville. I can't compare it to the on-land version because I've never been, but it was significantly better than The Local and hence, I was okay with the reasonable $15.00 per person cover charge.
The Good:
- One of the least expensive pay restaurants
- Large portions
- Good casual food
The Bad:
- Most items were heavy, so if it isn't your thing...
- Some tables were right on the running track, not good
Due to the wide range of dining options aboard the NCL Bliss, we didn’t get a chance to visit any of the main dining rooms until well into the cruise. Ultimately, we were ready to see what dinner was like without the dining package and/or paying a la carte. We decided to try Taste on this night (although all 3 main dining rooms serve the same food). Looking at the menu, it was pretty obvious that it didn’t compare to Le Bistro and Cagney’s. Yet, at the same time, the options were not completely unappealing. Oh, and I forgot to take a picture of both Taste and Savor. That forgettable? I guess we were about to see...

For our appies, my daughter went for the Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli with lobster cream. Appetizing in appearance, this ate surprisingly well. Although the lobster essence wasn't particularly strong, it did add the usual aromatics. The pasta was al dente and fairly thin while the cheese in the middle was ooey and gooey. We thought this would've been good as a main. I guess we could've asked for that in hindsight... My mom decided on the Stuffed Mushroom Caps with shallots, garlic, chopped walnuts, seasoned breadcrumbs and grated manchego cheese. It is safe to say this was not the prettiest attempt at plating. However, the caps were tender and full of ingredients which were varied and fairly subtle. Normally, manchego would be noticeable as well as the garlic, but the mix was not that impactful.

We also ordered 2 soups that included the Cream of Broccoli with cheddar cheese and Sweet Yellow Corn & Chili Bisque with Monterey Jack cheese and jalapeno. Thick and creamy, the cream of broccoli had an unmistakable essence. Some melted cheddar added more body to the soup. We liked how it was flavorful without being overly salty. I really enjoyed the bisque as it was sweet with depth. There was a background spice that helped balance off the flavors. Viv went for something simple in the Bruschetta featuring grilled ciabatta, ricotta cheese, roma tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil. Nothing complex here, but the bread was crispy and didn't get soggy. On top, the tomatoes were fresh and the drizzle of balsamic added the necessary acidity as well as sweetness.

Our final starter was the Smoked Sausage with russet potatoes and dijon mustard dressing. Yes, this was not really all that elegant and fairly simple. However, it was still enjoyable to eat regardless. The "potato salad" underneath was on point texturally where it was soft without being mushy. There was a pleasant tanginess from the dijon that helped lighten the heaviness of the dish. The sausage itself was moist and bouncy with a nice snap from the casing. My daughter went for the Potato Gnocchi with pesto cream sauce, sundried tomato and pine nuts. She liked how the gnocchi was seared and caramelized, but the texture was a bit too dense. The sauce was definitely creamy with the classic taste of pesto. Cutting through the heaviness was the necessary tang from the sundried tomatoes.

For myself I had the Southern Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes, corn and biscuit. I found the meat to be fairly moist where it certainly needed more seasoning (or brining). The batter itself was somewhat crunchy, yet it merely slid off the chicken once I cut into it. This created a disconnect between that and the meat. Nothing really interesting about the corn and mashed potatoes. The biscuit was not-so-great as it was hard and cold. It was no surprise that my son chose the Beef Short Rib Ragu braised in red wine atop pappardelle pasta with ricotta cheese and aged balsamic vinaigrette. Although a bit clumpy, the pasta was surprisingly al dente. There was plenty of shredded short rib which was fairly tender with some dry parts. It was well-seasoned and benefited from the acidity of the balsamic which created another layer of flavor.

Off to 2 fish dishes, Viv ordered from the classic entrees (available every night in all of the main dining rooms) choosing the Breaded Flounder Fillet with arugula salad, cherry tomatoes and mustard remoulade. As simple this was, the execution was pretty spot on. Flaky and moist, the fish was the beneficiary of a crispy and light breading. With a squeeze from the lemon wedge and splash of remoulade, there was enough tangy creaminess to compliment the fish. For my dad, he had the featured fish in the Baked Walleye Cod Fillet with spinach mashed potatoes, glazed carrots and lemon-butter sauce. Similar to the flounder, the cod was also moist and flaky. Breading was a touch thicker, yet still crispy and nicely browned. We would've liked to see a more tangy sauce, but it was not offensive. The glazed carrots were actually pretty good being sweet and not overdone.

Also selecting from the classic entrees, my mom opted for the Grilled New York Strip Steak with French fries and peppercorn sauce. Despite the uneven grill marks, the steak was prepared medium-rare as requested. With that being said, more char would've elevated the caramelized flavors and smokiness. The meat was sufficiently tender and the peppercorn sauce was impactful enough. Nothing special about the side of fries though. For dessert, my mom went for her standby with the Classic Vanilla Cheesecake topped by raspberry sauce. Considering this was a no-sugar added version, it was pretty solid. It was not that heavy for a baked cheesecake, yet it was still creamy and rich. Not surprisingly, it was sweet due to the addition of sugar substitutes.

Our last 2 desserts consisted of Black Forest Cake and Flourless Chocolate Cake. With a plethora of fresh whipped cream, the black forest cake was light and ate almost like an Asian cake. On that note, it was also not very sweet either and the tangy black cherry sauce only helped keep things bright. On the other hand, the flourless chocolate cake was predictably and expectedly more dense. We found it a bit dry, but not lacking in sweetness. Similar to the black forest cake, the fruity tang was provided by the berry compote on the side. Overall, the food at Taste was acceptable and was a touch better than the last NCL cruise I was on several years ago. I would still say that Holland America still has some of the best main dining room food compared to other mainstream cruise companies.
The Good:
- Mostly decent food
- Enough variety to please everyone
- Dining room not as nice as Manhattan Room
The Bad:
- Clear distinction between specialty restaurants and main dining rooms (as expected)
- Compared to specialty restaurants, the food at main dining rooms are more akin to catering
As a rule, when we find a restaurant that is all things to everyone, it is a reason to run far away. Hey, I've always said (and others as well) - do one thing right and do it well. So when we looked at the menu of Food Republic aboard the NCL Bliss, it initially scared us and we vowed not to eat there for the duration of the cruise. Think of it, put Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai and Chinese into one restaurant - there is no way it can be good. But I get it. Limited space on a cruise ship means they have to group some things together. So for the purposes of curiosity, we did eat there anyways.

We ended up doing mostly the Japanese offerings including the Tonkatsu and Black Cod Skewers. Inexplicably, the pork loin tonkatsu was cut into think strips and topped with honey mustard, radish, dried chorizo and bonito flakes. Although each piece was crispy, the meat was slightly dried out and there was just too much "stuff" on top. We would've much preferred a whole tonkatsu (that was less thin) that we could cut up by ourselves. Coated with a lemon miso glaze, the Black Cod Skewers were actually pretty good despite the lack of charring. Although it is pretty hard to mess up black cod due to its fat content, they still did a good job where the fish was buttery and soft. I found the glaze to be a nice balance between sweet and savory with a background tang.

Of course we didn't ignore the sushi, so we went with classic Dragon Roll consisting of unagi, avocado, shrimp tempura, imitation crab and unagi sauce. This certainly looked like any other specialty roll from a Japanese restaurant on land. In some aspects, it was not bad but the rice was a little soft for our liking. Other than that, the avocado was fresh while the eel was soft and there was enough sauce. The other roll was the Salmon Belly Roll with salmon roe and green apple. As expected, this was a light and refreshing as there were not many strong flavors at play. Again, the avocado as well as the cucumber were fresh. Salmon was buttery and soft but a little lacking in flavor though. Rice was still soft, but since there was a bit less, it wasn't as apparent.

Continuing with Japanese, we tried the Ramen with BBQ Pork Belly in a lemongrass broth. Okay, I know I shouldn't have been expecting much, but still this was a fail. First, the broth didn't really go with the rest of the ingredients. It wasn't rich nor flavorful enough to stand up to the noodles and the pork belly. The belly was probably the only good thing about this as the egg was not even done properly. At the very least, we ended off with a fairly decent attempt at Shrimp Pad Thai made with real tamarind. It was also spicy, which was a pleasant surprise. The noodles were a bit soft though, but this was our favorite item of the bunch. The large shrimp were also done properly with a meaty snap. Yet, that wasn't enough for us to justify spending any extra money to eat at Food Republic. We suspected this already. It was just plain stupidity on our part.
The Good:
- Lots of choice
- Excellent location with plenty of natural light
- Interesting "order-at-your-table" computer screen
The Bad:
- Food is okay, but not worth the extra cost
- Small portions
In the late 90's we were seeing a new trend appear in the cruise industry - alternative dining options for a fee. The usual main dining room with an early and later seating at fixed table arrangements were not the only place someone could dine at anymore. So we saw the rise of specialty French, Italian and Asian restaurants as well as steakhouses. Hey, we even started to see established restaurants on land set up shop aboard cruise ships. Now we are seeing another genre being included - American BBQ. On paper, Q Smokehouse aboard the NCL Bliss sounded like the real deal with menu descriptions that rivalled those in Texas. Hey, I've been there and even though I wasn't expecting anything close, I still had medium-high hopes.

To start things of, we had the Deviled Eggs with maple sugar glazed bacon. Honestly, I believe deviled eggs are making a comeback. Often forgotten and associated with the 80's and earlier, deviled eggs never got the love I thought they should. These were pretty good with creamy egg yolk spiked with enough seasoning a touch of mustard. The sweet and smoky bacon did elevate the flavors as well as providing texture. Next, I thought the Fried Green Tomatoes to be so-so. Even though the crumb coating was uniformly crispy, it merely slid off the firm tomato. It was almost as if the coating and the tomato were 2 separate dishes. Lack of cohesiveness literally and figuratively. It was topped with red pepper jam, bacon and blue cheese crumble. The strong flavored ingredients were all there, but it just seemed something was missing.

The Texan Crab Cakes with chilled pimento cream was appreciably better. I'm glad they didn't serve the same version as Cagney's. That would've been a total rehashing of things from different restaurants on board. These were quite good with evenly browned sides. Unlike the one at Cagney's, the ones here were a mix of crab and peppers. Hence, there was a variation of flavors that did mask the delicate sweetness of the crab. No matter, it was texturally on point though, so we still enjoyed them. Our last appie was the Tex-Mex Style Tortilla Soup with red onion and cilantro. This wasn't bad where the balance of tang and spice made the soup appetizing. It wasn't heavy despite the viscosity and the crunch from the tortillas added texture. We actually didn't order this. Instead, the server added this for no charge.

Onto the BBQ, my son went for the Beef Short Rib with pickles, chunky potato salad, coleslaw, BBQ beans and jalapeno cheese corn bread. Yes, it wasn't a whole lot of short rib on the platter as he easily dusted this off. It was good though being tender with rendered fat. It was mildly smoky and could've used more rub. My daughter kept it simple with the Pulled Pork with the same sides. This was not very good as the pork was stringy and dry. Yes, we sauced it afterwards with the available BBQ sauces at the table, but that only served to make it wet and sweet. Sides were okay though as the potato salad was indeed chunky with a nice tang to it. Beans were a bit sweet, but pretty typical. Corn bread was decent being somewhat moist with a touch of heat and tang from the jalapenos.

My parents weren't really all that hungry and shared the BBQ 1/2 Chicken that looked rather appealing at first glance. It sported a nice hue as well as well-rendered skin. Although the dark meat was somewhat moist, the white meat was dry and rather bland. There was smokiness, but not as strong as we would've liked. For myself, I went big with the Pitmaster Platter consisting of BBQ chicken, beef brisket, pork spareribs and jalapeno & cheese sausage. No need to talk about the chicken as it was not very good. Brisket was awful as it was dry and hard. Despite sporting a nice bark, the meat itself was almost inedible. By visuals alone, you can probably tell it was more like jerky... Ribs were okay though being fall off the bone while still being meaty. Nice bark on it too. I liked the sausage as it was bouncy and juicy with a snap casing.

Off to the sweets, we shared the Warm Skillet Brownie as well as the Peach Cobbler. Both were served with vanilla ice cream. The brownie was okay where it was rich and moist. However, it was really sweet though that partially obscured the chocolate flavor. I really didn't like the peach cobble as it was a buttery mess. Somehow, the batter was undercooked, so the whole thing was wet and mushy. Furthermore, it was too sweet. As you can probably guess right now, we were not impressed with Q Smokehouse aboard the NCL Bliss. Yes, we cannot compare with on-land BBQ, but this was an insult to Texas-style BBQ. If you are ever on an NCL ship and this restaurant is on that ship, take a hard pass. You will do better at the buffet and that is free.
The Good:
- Loved that they tried to do a BBQ restaurant
- Service was top notch
The Bad:
- Food was subpar
- Not sure why we had to pay extra for this as the free one on Carnival was better