Table Of Content
This late lunch was over by 4 pm, just as the ship was docking. Saying goodbye to the Local, we went back to our room to do a little packing before heading out. Wanting to catch the farewell Beatles tribute show at 2 pm, we rushed back to our cabin to make another costume change. Arriving to the show just as it was starting, we were able to find seats off to the side without too much difficulty. So instead, we somehow secured seats in the Observation Lounge to do some blogging and social media for a little while, grabbing a couple snacks in the process.
What to Do With Our Time
There was a one-hour long presentation at the beginning of the cruise, but it was mostly a glorified shore excursion sales talk. We would have liked to see activities or classes that focused on the different ports or the history and culture of the region. Instead, many of the daily activities included your typical trivia and demonstrations or several for-fee offerings like painting classes, wine tastings, and other premium events. The ship holds just over 4,000 passengers but disperses the crowds nicely at most times.
We Are Onboard, Now Make Some Reservations.
The third takes you to all the dining menus (MDR, specialty, fast casual, room service, and more) I collected onboard. As always, feel free to ask questions or share your own experiences on the Bliss to the comments. The service tonight was…off, until it got really comically bad.
Day 3
By way of a quick introduction, I’m Sarah, also known as “Prof. Cruise.” I retired after 10 years as a college professor to pursue my passion for cruising, moving across the country to Seattle where I now live downtown and within a five minute walk of the NCL cruise terminal at Pier 66. My passion for cruising is only equaled by my love for Alaska.
Day 5 Lunch at The Local
Norwegian Bliss is a beautiful vessel with a refined feel you don't normally expect to find on such a megaship. Its most striking feature is the 20,000-square-foot Observation Lounge, which dominates the entire forward section of the ship on Deck 15. It's simply a refined indoor haven of calm, and we've never seen anything quite like it on a mainstream ship. If you’re fortunate, as I am, to have visited Alaska many times, the Bliss is awesome on port days when most passengers are off the ship. In fact, on my first cruise on the Bliss with my son, we stayed onboard for the majority of our time in port and practically had the entire ship to ourselves. That’s when the Bliss is really fun and you can fully appreciate all she has to offer!
We signed up for the comedy show and the for-fee Happy Hour Prohibition which are not available to pre-book online. The staff did let us reserve those shows for our friends as well. Even though there are two comedians that rotate sets in the Social, you are only allowed to book a reservation for one showing. One 10-minute session of laser tag on the Bliss will cost you $9.95.
My Port (Half) Day in Juneau
Played poker at the casino and had some amazing meals.alaska was beautiful and the people were friendly and welcoming . Our balcony suite was very comfortable and our steward was very attentive. We spent a lot of time on the balcony, the scenery was as amazing as you would imagine. In case you haven’t heard, the Bliss is a huge ass ship. And while there’s a ton to do for those not content to relax and eat for 168 hours straight (me), it’s not ideal for anyone looking for a more serene experience.
Day 2
We stuck around to hear a few more songs, and then all of us decided it was time to call it a night. Dinner took about 90 minutes, meaning we were getting out just as the Welcome Aboard show was starting. Usually, this show is not well attended, so we figured we could still find some seats if we walked in late. The theater was packed, and we were stuck standing at the top of the balcony to watch the remainder of the show.
Day 5
Norwegian's The Haven Makes Cruising Tolerable (Travelogue) – Cranky Flier - Cranky Flier
Norwegian's The Haven Makes Cruising Tolerable (Travelogue) – Cranky Flier.
Posted: Wed, 03 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Anyway, the cruise I’m reporting on here was my second on the Bliss to Alaska, but was significant in that it was the very first Alaska cruise across all lines and ships of the 2024 season. It was also my first time cruising solo on the Bliss (last time I had my son with me). I’ll be providing a detailed trip report from each day as well as highlighting some features I loved about the Bliss (and a few I didn’t) and some tips for those booked on or considering her. The first two are videos, one a full ship tour and one a cabin tour.
It would have been faster but it was clear that check in agents were being trained and were still learning the systems. We would have been on the boat immediately, but the Coast Guard did an inspection and that held us in the waiting pen until almost 11 AM. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Rates are in USD and valid for US and Canadian residents only. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. With the Malting’s Whiskey bar packed, we were able to grab a couch at our go-to Sugarcane Mojito bar.
So I was NOT going to miss it tonight even though we were scheduled to cruise through the Endicott Arm fjord during dinner. It was so quiet in the dining room it was like being in church and let me tell you, that cornbread was a religious experience. Our flight left on time, and we arrived almost 25 minutes early. Getting in our car, it was now an hour drive back home. We pretty much crashed immediately and began dreaming of our next cruise on Symphony of the Seas which is currently 2 months away. It seemed just like yesterday we were boarding Norwegian Bliss.
We booked this trip almost as soon as the itineraries were released. Even though we had a little taste of the new ship during a 3-day inaugural cruise earlier this summer, we couldn’t wait to get back onboard Norwegian Bliss. For our full week trip, we were cruising with two other couples. This “group cruise” included several planned dinners and excursions together, as well as some separately.
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