It was an enjoyable cruise, but with the weather making the pool area mostly unusable many areas of the ship were overcrowded. We have cruised on the Norwegian Escape, and it had more venues available than the Bliss.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We didn't use the ship's main dining room, as the menu didn't seem better than the buffet. We were diappointed that there is no longer lobster night.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The laser tag and cars looked fun, but not so much for our age. As it was a late season Alaska cruise, it was too cold to use the pool most times as it didn't have a cover for colder weather which was surprising for an Alaskan cruise. Also, capacity in the hot tubs was less than 1% for all guests. The fitness center looked nice.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We especially enjoyed the Jersey Boys.
Children's Programs
We are senior citizens traveling without our Grandchildren.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
I don't understand why the service desks are located in the atrium where the activities are often unbearably loud, and you can't hear the assistants! The ship was clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was very clean, but the balcony glass railing was difficult to see thru and needed to be cleaned. The beds were comfortable, but there was limited space between the bed and closet.
Ship tip
I personally don't think it's the optimal ship for Alaska, expecially late in the season, as the pool and activites on the deck are not practical when it's cold and rainy.
Unfortunately, it was a very windy day and the tram tour we had booked was cancelled. We ended up going to the museum, which we would highly recommend!
Unfortunately, the excursion we were considering sold out. We enjoyed walking downtown and checking out the shops, and later we learned there was an old cemetery you could walk to and a nearby hike to a waterfall which we were sad to have missed!
Luckily it was a beautiful day and very scenic. The ship rotated so you had an opportunity to see the Glacier from numerous viewpoints. It was beautiful, but much smaller than when we viewed it 10 years prior.
I always enjoy Ketchikan and the boardwalk. The bus transfer from the Port was timely and I enjoyed the narrative of the bus driver. Unfortunately, the process does decrease your time in Ketchikan.
The ship was delayed, so docking was even later than the ridiculous scheduled arrival of 8 pm. It's unfortunate that the schedule doesn't allow an opportunity to see the Butchart Gardens.
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