the Observation Lounge.

From the forward stairs on Deck 15 all the way to the front bow, the design of the NCL Bliss incorporates a quietly elegant lounge. The color scheme is essentially neutrals with cream, light brown and grays prevailing. There are seating areas along both sides with small seating groups and paired lounge chairs facing toward floor to ceiling windows.

Ship’s Windows that is, which are really glass walls without openings. Does that really make them windows? In the US we label such glass insets in walls windows even when discussing offices many stories above ground level. With completely climate controlled buildings, those windows rarely, if ever have any mechanism for opening. Health and Safety you know. Can’t possibly let the plebes have the opportunity to jump from a height. Besides, you don’t need window ledges to provide perches for pigeons with the accompanying cleaning requirement if that window opens. But I have never heard of an alternate word for “glass inset in a wall to let in light even if you can’t open it.” If you can think of one, and I am not accepting skylights as those are ceiling not wall, please let me know. Whatever the language – we need some way to describe them.

Anyway, according to the ship’s list, the lounge will seat a couple hundred spread out over a significant sized area. It is also designated as a 24 hour quiet lounge. Apparently, there had been enough complaints to the front desk that the idiotic music that we had to tolerate for the first few days has been replaced by silence. No one has gone back to the desk requesting resumption of the strange pap or pseudo elevator music. Except that there were lyrics. You don’t have vocals in elevator music. Nor, come to think about it, should you really have recognizable melodies. Unless it is some stringed take on Beetles or Elton John…..

Any who – It is a lovely place to relax and read. It is also completely smoke free which means that the Knitters group has gradually transferred its gatherings from Maltings on Deck 8. Maltings, BTW, is located immediately outside the cigar bar. No idea which idiot on the Cruise Directors staff came up with that brilliant idea.

When having “Dinner with an Officer” we all suggested that this lounge be designated as “adults only” in order to preserve it both as a comfortable lounge, keep the furniture intact and provide an incentive for those who are not traveling with underage critters to consider this ship.

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About Holly

fiber person - knitter, spinner, weaver who spent 33 years being a military officer to fund the above. And home. And family. Sewing and quilting projects are also in the stash. After living again in Heidelberg after retiring (finally) from the U.S. Army May 2011, we moved to the US ~ Dec 2015. Something about being over 65 and access to health care. It also might have had to do with finding a buyer for our house. Allegedly this will provide me a home base in the same country as our four adult children, all of whom I adore, so that I can drive them totally insane. Considerations of time to knit down the stash…(right, and if you believe that…) and spin and .... There is now actually enough time to do a bit of consulting, editing. Even more amazing - we have only one household again. As long as everyone understands that I still, 40 years into our marriage, don't do kitchens or bathrooms. For that matter, not being a golden retriever, I don't do slippers or newspapers either. I don’t miss either the military or full-time clinical practice. Limiting my public health/travel med/consulting and lecturing to “when I feel like it” has let me happily spend my pension cruising, stash enhancing (oops), arguing with the DH about where we are going to travel next and book buying. Life is good!
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