Too early in season for Alaska

Norwegian Bliss Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 9

Overall rating:

3.5 out of 5
Verified Review
Norwegian Bliss

7 Night Alaska: Dawes Glacier Juneau & Ketchikan (Seattle Roundtrip)

Sail date: May 18, 2024

Ship: Norwegian Bliss

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 14776

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 4 months ago

Review summary

We had previously cruised with NCL on the Sun with a similar itinerary but in late August,. The 6 am port calls meant not many stores and restaurants were open when we arrived, limiting time to grab crab legs to try or browse the town and shop. Also, found stores closed as it was too early in the season. I recommend waiting to cruise beginning in June.

Embarkation

1 out of 5
Transfers not found at airport after being flown to Seattle as part of land based pre cruise tour. Luggage was placed in a rental truck that ending up breaking down on highway.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
Food Republic, Cagney's and Ocean Blu are our favorites. We always find NCL food and beverages to be top notch!

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5
Due to the time of year of sailing not able to enjoy all of the outdoor activities the Bliss has to offer.

Entertainment

4 out of 5
Jersey boys was a hit! Icons in our opinion was a miss!

Children's Programs

No children

Service and Staff

4 out of 5
Spa staff very pushy on this sailing to purchase items.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
Public restroom self flushing toilets often did not work as designed.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
Beds and pillows were a hit - super comfortable. The larger bathroom in the mini suite is fantastic. We discovered on ship that there are options to book rooms with the bed next to the balcony door. Recommend this being reviewed by cruise consultants moving forwards the options of cabins with bed placements.

Ship tip

Deck 15 observation deck is a must to take in the scenery and relax, but get there early for best seat options.

Ports of call

Seattle, Washington Did not visit port

Embarkation and Disembarkation port

Sitka, Alaska

5 out of 5
Loved the history, nature and options for the day with excursions.

Juneau, Alaska

2 out of 5
Too early of a port call, other NCL ships came in and had the afternoon. Felt rushed.

CRUISE ENDICOTT ARM & DAWES GLACIER

2 out of 5
Our excursion was cancelled due to a non functioning boat. The scenery was beautiful, however did not see the glacier as planned up close.

Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska

3 out of 5
Nice addition to the intenerary. Would have liked to see options to take passengers to the nearby town.

KETCHIKAN (WARD COVE), ALASKA

1 out of 5
The new docking location is awful. It is 7 miles from downtown and with the time in line for transport to and from was 1 1/2 hours. We cruised previously with NCL when they docked downtown as do other cruise lines. This new location limits the time in port.

Victoria, British Columbia

2 out of 5
Arrival time in Victoria was 8 pm with all on board back at 11:30 pm. Not enough time to enjoy this beautiful city. I would recommend a longer port call.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Smooth process
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