Unforgettable Cruise to Alaska
Norwegian Bliss Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 52
7 Night Alaska Glacier Bay (Seattle Roundtrip)
Sail date: July 07, 2019
Ship: Norwegian Bliss
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 15842
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
Overall excellent. Positives: Allowing passengers to experience the glaciers on the bow of the ship. Medical evacuation for a sick passenger was announced and went smoothly. In spite of delay, the ship still arrived on schedule in Seattle. Some concerns were: the muster on the first day did not have any staff helping passengers get where they needed to go. The PA was not clear in the hallways & we were not sure where to tune in on our TV.Embarkation
Too many people yelling out instructions. Instead, should have more signs to direct people.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Garden buffet had lots of seating options for small parties and big groups. A special every night & always good food. Taste and Savor restaurants offered a good variety of appetizers, entree & dessert. What we had at the Local restaurant was average. Specialty restaurants Ocean Blue, Cagneys & LeBistro had excellent food & service. At LeBistro, we did not have time for dessert, so the wait staff arranged to send (2) desserts to our room for later.
Onboard Activities
We had a spa room, so took advantage of using the spa. We used the fitness center for a stretch & abs class & to work out on the equipment. We went to the observation room quite a few times for the view & light meal. We went to "Spice H2O" to use the hot tub & lay out in the sun while docked at Skagway. We enjoyed watching the games being played in the Atrium & poolside. We played miniature golf (only 5 holes). We viewed the kids' areas. We watched the go-carts. We went to the Havana, Jersey Boys & Forest Ranger Talk in the Theatre. We went to the Beatles Show in the Cavern. We went to the Happy Hour Prohibition Show in the Social. We enjoyed all activities & shows.
Entertainment
Havana was exciting, great costumes & performers, but too short (45 minutes). On the otherhand, Jersey Boys, Beatles & Happy Hour Prohibition were excellent.
Service and Staff
No issues with any service we received. All waiters & stewards on the ship were very cordial and friendly. Our room steward (William) was very efficient and in our room three times during the day.
Ship Quality
The ship's layout was similar to the Celebrity Equinox that we took to the Caribbean. I was concerned about the go-karts but didn't hear any noise since they were electric. I like the "Spice H20," an adult area at the back of the ship with a bar, (2) hot tubs & lounging chairs. All common areas looked clean and towels picked up in the pool area.
Cabin / Stateroom
Cabin was comfortable, but small. We were used to the size from our last cruise. Everything worked perfectly and the refrigerator had a little room to store our water bottle & medication. I like the safe in the closet. It was clean and kept clean by our steward. Since we had a spa room, we were told by Norwegian we would have robes & slippers in our room, like Celebrity. However, we did not. We had robes once we entered the spa but they did not supply slippers. Fortunately, we had our own.
Ship tip
Get to embarkation when it starts to avoid long lines later.
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
Norwegian Excursion: we took a bus from the ship to Mendenhall Glacier & a boat for whale watching. We saw Juneau but did not visit it. The excursion was excellent & we saw bald eagles & whales.
United Excursion: we took two buses to where we needed to check in for the helicopter ride to a glacier. The bus drivers were very helpful, cordial & the fare was inexpensive for the round trip. We were able to sit in the front seat of the helicopter & the ride was fantastic. We were surprised to see the dirt & rocks on the glacier but that is normal. We had to be careful walking due to the melting & holes in the glacier. Where there was deep crevices, the beauty of the glacier shown through. I just hope future generations can see these glaciers as they are melting & receding.
We were at sea but when we approached the glaciers, the ship slowed down to a crawl and turned so all passengers could see them. We & some other passengers found their way to the bow, which was opened during this time, and it was had to express the feeling of seeing these magnificent & beautiful glaciers & tall mountains. We also saw some sea otters laying on the icebergs in the water.
United Excursion: It was raining in this port & we had some problems finding our excursion location. Once we did, we found out it was cancelled (Float plane to Misty Fjords). We booked another excursion where we saw a salmon ladder in a waterfall, a salmon fishery, a heritage center on totem poles & a bay where we saw bald eagles & a location where bears frequent. We did not see bears, but on the way back, we saw a black bear crossing the road.
United Excursion: we were surprised that we had a private tour with a driver to see Victoria. It was great! We saw peacocks at a childrens' zoo, the Government House & gardens, where the 2nd Lieutenant of Canada resides, many residential areas and a city overview. Our driver was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions.
Disembarkation
Very organized, no one shouting, and done by color code on your new luggage tag.