Just ok, it rain everyday. The wilderness environment is not for me.

Item: Norwegian Bliss
Rating: 3.6
Author: redskins7

Norwegian Bliss Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage

redskins7

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 6

Helpful Votes: 135

Overall rating:

3.6 out of 5

7 Night Alaska With Dawes Glacier (Seattle Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 04, 2022

Ship: Norwegian Bliss

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 9910

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

This was a rescheduled cruise due to Covid-19. The itinerary changed from the original booking reducing the time for most of the ports. Why wouldn’t you provide time in one of the most popular ports (Victoria)? And why a late night visit? Victoria and the Glaciers were the 2 main reasons for the trip and I didn’t get to see either. Now that I’ve seen Alaska, I realize the wilderness is not for me. If you are considering going on an Alaska cruise checkout several cruise lines itineraries to ensure you have adequate time in port to enjoy yourself. Being from the east coast, time adjustment was a factor with 4: am sunrises and 10: pm sunsets. Also, be ready for rainy overcast days. At this point I’m not sure if I will do the Outside Passage. Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan were the best stops on this cruise. I wouldn’t recommend using NCL for booking flights reservations unless you don’t care about flight times and connections especially if you’re booking way in future of your flight. There is no way to know what your flight arrangements will be and they are not willing to make changes.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

The ArrivalCanada form was a challenge to complete for some and slowed the process. When getting our keys we were told our number was different than those on luggage tags we had been sent. The customer service rep couldn’t explain why it had been changed and went speak with a supervisor. When she returned she had a new stateroom number and said this now room. We her our luggage was going to the original room and informed us to let customer service know and they would arrange for the luggage to be delivered to our new stateroom. To our surprise, the new stateroom was an upgrade to a balcony. While reviewing the documents in the welcome folder I noticed there were 4 excursions tickets for Whitewater raffling. The tickets were for a couple. and 2 kids. So before unpacking and having to move again wee went back to the customer service desk. They verified it was our room and the names on tickets were not on board. The only reason I can think for the upgrade is was there way us compensate us for the lousy flight arrangements they given and wouldn’t change when we complained about a 11:54 pm flight back to east coast.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Breakfast in the main dining and buffet were ok. Lunch at the buffet was good. Lunch at Bar and Grill was hit or miss depending on what you ordered. Dinner in the Asian and Seafood speciality restaurants was very good. Dinner in the main dining rooms was also a hit or miss, I was not impressed at all. Overall, I enjoyed the food in the buffet better than the dining room.

The Observation Lounge

5 out of 5

Beautifully crafted room with great views, comfortable furnishings and food for lounging and viewing the ocean. I really enjoyed the environment.

Teppanyaki

4 out of 5

Good entertainment and the food was good also, especially the steak. Similar to Japanese Steakhouse.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

It rained every day, so some of the activities were limited. Most of the indoor activities were trivia, game shows and dance lessons.

Bliss Casino

4 out of 5

Very large with a good variety of slots. Several people won large tax reporting Jackpots(not me). Separate smoking area with closed doors. Open all night when not in port. Ticket machine to cash your tickets anytime. Try to win early, the slots get tight later in the week.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

I really enjoyed the stage shows Six and the Jersey Boys. The Comedy club was very entertaining. I was pleased with the entertainment.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

For the most part service was good, however I felt many of staff were in training because of minor mistakes here and there.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

The ship was very well maintained and designed. It could be a challenge walking the entire ship from one end to the other.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

The room was comfortable and clean. The balcony was a nice size and provided an excellent view.

Ship tip

Book every show or specialty restaurant immediately. They are first to fill up. I you think you want to go book it early.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Seattle, Washington

4 out of 5

Because we couldn’t do a lot of walking and had 14 hours for our flight, we took the Bainbridge Ferry to Bainbridge Island and caught the Clearwater Casino shuttle to the casino to spend the day. After a fun day we took Ferry back after an hour delay and the Light Rail to the airport. The walk up hill was no fun. We were able to enjoy the day because we used the free Port Valet service to check our luggage to our final destination. Please take advantage of this process.

Thumbs Up 0

Sitka, Alaska

4 out of 5

The day started out rainy, but cleared as we left the ship. We boarded the free shuttle to the downtown visitors center and booked an excursion with limited walking. We saw the Eagle and Bear reserves and visited the Totem Pole Park. Due limited time in port we didn’t get any time to experience the local shops.

Thumbs Up 0

Juneau, Alaska

2 out of 5

The rain stopped just as the free shuttle reached downtown. Great shopping and restaurants. Get to the Crab restaurant early, the line gets long around lunchtime. With only a limited amount of time in port, we had to choose between an excursion or shopping. We chose shopping. Four-five hours is not enough time to enjoy this port.

Thumbs Up 0

CRUISE ENDICOTT ARM & DAWES GLACIER

1 out of 5

I was so excited about seeing the Glaciers, only to be disappointed because the ship couldn’t enter the bay because too many small icebergs were in the water.

Thumbs Up 0

Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska

2 out of 5

NCL has invested money here to create small visitors area with shops, restaurants and river activities. They also offer a zip line and kayaking, There is a $5 round trip shuttle to downtown that was a waste of money and time. most people stayed on the shuttle and headed back to the ship. I could have stayed on ship for this one.

Thumbs Up 0

KETCHIKAN (WARD COVE), ALASKA

4 out of 5

Again, we needed more time to enjoy the port. A free shuttle to downtown was great and the driver did an excellent job providing highlights and history for the area. Lots of local shops. Holland America and Princess Ship dock right in the heart of downtown with easy access to everything. Again, short time to enjoy the town.

Thumbs Up 0

Victoria, British Columbia

1 out of 5

Due to heavy rains and wind the night before, we arrived at Victoria late in heavy rain. The fog was so thick you could barely see anything from the ship. The ship was only going to be in port 4 hours 7:30 pm - 11:15 pm. Based on the weather and the limited port time we stayed on the ship. This was a major disappointment because I was really looking forward to seeing this port.

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Disembarking was easy. Customs was done on the ship . By 8:15 am all tag colors had been called. I delayed until 8:45 am there were others behind me. I guess everyone was off by 9:30 am

Traveler Photos

Unable to see the Glaciers because ice in the water

6 Comments

Gwbigdog 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise.

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Gwbigdog 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise

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byhisgrace 2 years ago

Appreciate your feedback

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javawoody 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your experience

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AuntPinkie 2 years ago

Appreciate your feedback. Alaska isn’t for everyone nor is the Caribbean. Now you know and that’s always good. Congratulations on your cabin upgrade.

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CruzeFan 2 years ago

Thanks for the review. The roundtrip cruises from Seattle have fewer ports and shorter port times than one-way itineraries between Vancouver and Seward / Whittier due to the need to get back to Seattle. The wilderness / scenery is the primary reason most people love Alaska. Icy Strait Point is one of my favorite ports due to the lack of development, amazing scenery, whales, eagles and other wildlife.

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Other reviews of this sailing

Alaska cruise

This was at best a very marginal cruise and for all purposes a cruise that we did not really enjoy.

Great Cruise but