Over all a great cruise. Where there some differences between pre and post pandemic yes, is it a make of break NO! You just have to take a deep breath and go with the flow!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We had heard all sorts of horror stories but our experience was seamless. We had followed all the steps at home prior to boarding and this set us up for no hiccups. From dropping out bags to being in the ship 60 minutes max. We could pick a time for boarding and choose 10:30am. Those that picked 9am had more problems and a longer wait apparently.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We felt there was a good variety in all the restaurants. One issue for me, we had an up tick off a gastric bug which meant the buffet was not self service half way through the cruise. This results in a longer wait for food which then leads to warm food at best. Ultimately no one's fault, just an observation.
Garden Café
4 out of 5
Standard variety of different foods.
Los Lobos
5 out of 5
We felt this was the best specialty restaurant. The food was very good, service was amazing. For me Mexican food can easily go both ways, this restaurant goes the right way!
Q Texas Smokehouse
4 out of 5
Nothing bad just standard BBQ fare. The beans have just the right amount of tang/spice to them.
The Observation Lounge
5 out of 5
Great hang out area. They serve breakfast, lunch and afternoon/everything snacks here too.
Food Republic
5 out of 5
We enjoyed this restaurant, just picked from the menu as we went. Good food, nice atmosphere.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
My hubby enjoyed the race track. It was a tad chilly on deck for the pool but it was heated SSI it would probably be fine! The hot tubs were great. There was mini golf but by the time we thought about trying it out it was very windy out on deck.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
See above for Bliss theater, it wouldn't let me move it 🤷
Bliss Theater
5 out of 5
Jersey Boys was just fabulous. There was a variety of other entertainment during the week, comedy, magician etc. They were all good.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everything crew related was faultless.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
We like the layout and design, it seems well thought out. All of the ship was well maintained and being cleaned on a constant basis.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our cabin was very nice, plenty of storage for clothes and bags etc. We asked for the mini fridge to be emptied and extra pillows. You can also request more blankets and coat hangers. Beds are comfortable if on the firm side. You can request a topper for the bed if it's too firm.
Ship tip
Relax, Enjoy every minute and have a wonderful time!
We saw a of LOT icebergs but did not get to the face of the glacier due to too many icebergs! The Captain said it was unsafe! We had a planned excursion to the glacier on a smaller boat and that was cancelled for the same reason. Disappointing but what can you do!
Our original tour was cancelled, so we picked a whale watching tour instead. We did see some whales and seals but the very rainy weather made it a little less enjoyable.
Sitka was a new port to us as we have cruised Alaska before. We went to the Raptor center where they rehabilitate and injured birds. The goal is to release them back to the wild but sometimes this is just not possible, so they do have some permanent residents. The tour then took us on a walk through the rain forest and into a man carving totem poles.... Fascinating! We then had some free time to wander around the little town.
It's okay, I think suffering a little from the pandemic. We traveled in a day early and tooled around a little. It's an easy city to walk around. The market is fun and there is a great French bakery just opposite the market. We went to the crumpet shop for breakfast that was a good find ! The day we disembarked we wanted to do the city bus tour but it doesn't start till 10am, had it started at 9am it would have been good.
For me the best of the ports, gave you a view into true Alaska. We took a nature hike and were met by one of the local tribes elders, what an amazing man
The NCL Bliss docked at its new port which is about 7 miles from the town, so it takes a bit to get there and back.
We took a hovercraft trip out into three Pacific, which took us to a small island. We had an up close and personal visit with some of the local eagles and seals. It was really enjoyable.
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