We decided on the Norwegian Bliss because it is a New ship and seemed to have everything. We cruised with them 15 years ago and had a good experience. This cruise was not a good experience and they have lost my future business. Couple of issues: * 4700 guests and no more common space than any other ship we have sailed on. * The restaurant service was very poor. They rushed to get us out when they were there. * The food was below standard compared to the 15 cruises I have done. Buffet was ok * Needed reservations for EVERYTHING including dinner. We had seven and the best they could ever do was 9:00PM. So much for Anytime dining..Apparently if you don't get your reservations 90 days in advance of cruise you get what you get. Early shows were booked. Comedy shows sold out but was able to get in with the overflow group. Plan on waiting. * The premium drink package we purchased did NOT include water or coffee. * The world famous water slide / tube was closed for the entire cruise for repairs. * They offered a painting class that had 12 spots for 1 day only. Good Luck with 4700 guests and only 12 spots for a class. Why was it even in the daily program. * The drinks were not consistent. Find a bar you like and stay with it. Our biggest issue was the late dining time,poor food quality and service. Just FYI, the strawberry shortcake was made with pound cake. * Getting on the ship was simple but getting off at port was ridiculous. Again, 4700 guests is big if you dont have the staff to handle them. * One Starbucks coffee ship for 4700 guests. Yes, they charge. . Cabin was nice and steward was great. After providing examples of our issues, the manager of food services moved out last two dinners to 5:30. Expensive boat ride. Lost more cabins and the same amount of ship. When I take a week off work for cruise I expect a little more. Read Less

This was our first cruise and our first time visiting Alaska. Overall we had a good experience but we wouldn't do a cruise on this ship again. Positives: - Two highlights for us were two excursions we took. In Juneau with did a helicopter ride and walkabout to the Mendenhall glacier, this was definitely worth the relatively high price for the excursion. We also thoroughly enjoyed a bike ride that we did in Skagway. - We spent a bit more money to get a stateroom in the Haven, which is a separate, private section located at the top of the forward section of the ship. I'm not sure if our room was much bigger than any other room on the ship, but it was well-appointed with a nice big deck. Even better we had access to two private lounges, an indoor pool, sun deck, concierge and access to the Haven Restaurant. This was well worth the additional cost. - The food was great overall on the ship. We ate a number of meals at the Haven Restaurant. We also got a 3-meal restaurant package and are glad we did that. We had two meals at Ocean Blue and one meal at La Cucina, and all the meals were excellent. We also had a few lunches at the Garden Cafe, a buffet-style restaurant that offered any kind of food you would want. The food quality was high across the board. - Service was top-notch across the aboard on this ship. All the people working on the ship were professional, helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. A first-class operation. - The ship's gym is good. We used it several times during our trip. Negatives: - A low point of the cruise, from our perspective, was the cruising in Glacier Bay. Due to manmade climate change, there were really no glaciers or icebergs to see except for one glacier at the very end of the bay. Lots of brown and green, and no wildlife. It was pretty depressing. - An odd segment of the itinerary was our stop at Victoria, BC. We didn't get off the ship until 8:30 pm and had to be back on the ship before midnight. So we really didn't have much time to see Victoria. - The beverage package was a bit awkward to use. I like to have a glass of wine with dinner, but the package didn't cover a lot of wines. You had to pay extra for most of the wines. - This final point isn't really a fault of the ship, but as a married gay couple with no kids this really wasn't the right ship for us. This ship is HUGE, and most of the people on the ship are large younger famililes with lots of kids and older straight couples. If we were to do another cruise, we'd try to find a smaller ship and/or a cruise for LGBTQ folks. Again, this isn't really a criticism of the cruise. We didn't really expect there to be a lot of LGBTQ folks on the ship, but we didn't think we'd be the only one. Read Less

This was my 60th year of awesomeness; several friends joined me for the journey. I wanted to add places that I have not been for the 2019 trips. This was the 5th Trip of the year with more to come. The food was excellent aboard the ship with several dinning opportunities. Le Bistro... top notch, our server, “M”. (I cannot remember her name was superb. Cagney... excellent and great service by Ahmant. Taste... wonderful server, Mr. Cruz, he made our experience wonderful. Activities... There were fewer activities compared to other ships that I have been on. This could be better for adult and family entertainment. Prohibition was sold out, the Race trace was sold out...: The spa... wonderful. The warming lounge chairs are beyond description. The ports... just okay. Arriving at 8:30 for Victoria was a sad experience and not worth the walking tour we scheduled. Thankfully the experience of sailing and ocean views were great. The balcony view was worth the fare for great weather. Read Less

Wasn't informed why a Hot Stone Massage was to be 270.00 when asked if I wanted to upgrade from a regular deep tissue massage. Had a 3 meal package and was added the total price of an additional steak for 42.00 instead of some adjustment based upon cheaper offerings. Time spent in Victoria was supposedly to be from 8 to MN but unable to leave ship until 8:30 and On Board time was 11:30. Many rude people on elevators that weren't full and closed doors on us while we were trying to get on. No donuts available as we expected from previous cruises. Tough to get on an elevators at peak times but I guess was expected. Maybe needed to have more elevators. The show Havana had seemingly repeatable song and dance numbers as was overheard by others as well. Other than the cruise was as expected. Also my wife was walked in on while in her underwear by the porter after being asked if anyone was in the room. Read Less

This cruise was picked as a VIP Park West Gallery art auction cruise. We did not directly pay for this cruise but we are glad we chose it. Park West Gallery paid in full for Cruise, drinks, gratuities, and special dinning. The only real down side was the specialty dinning. It was not very good. Service was poor and the food was just ok. Got a backed potato at one dinning and did not even receive butter or sour cream, or anything other then the potato. We had charges on our bill that were not correct, the customer service desk had us back and forth several times for the same reason. Just seemed like they were not concerned. We were unable to use the go cart track as it was booked full the second day of the cruise. I would just think that they would have there act together if they were concerned about the customer. I did enjoy the cruise and most of our complaints are small, overall it was a nice cruise. Read Less

After doing research on cruise lines, we chose Norwegian based on the amenities and the itinerary, and they did NOT disappoint! This was our first cruise and from preparations and pre-cruise communications to embarkation, we knew exactly how to prepare and what to expect. We boarded the ship with ease and had one of the most incredible experiences of our lives! Our cabin was bigger than we expected and worked well for three adults and all of our stuff (lots of storage)! The bathroom was spacious with a roomy shower. Our balcony gave us 24 hour views of the scenery, fresh air, and the experience of watching multiple dockings. We enjoyed many of the bars and some of the entertainment. We saw Jersey Boys, which we really liked, and sat in on trivia and other games in the Atrium. We also took in live music in the Atrium and Observation Lounge. One of our favorite spots was the aft bar Spice H20 which was adults only for most of the day. We sat in the hot tubs and sipped drinks while taking in the majesty of Alaska. The food was also delicious! The buffet had a wide variety of choices for every meal and a special dinner offering each night that was well advertised. The main dining rooms had lots of options and great wait staff. We tried three specialty dining restaurants that we also enjoyed...we especially loved Ocean Blue! We opted for the in-room continental breakfast several mornings and appreciated the option to have an easy and relaxing morning as we prepared for the day. Overall, the ship staff was always friendly and greeted us everywhere we went. We always had our questions answered and needs met. We did excursions in 2 out of 4 ports and were extremely satisfied. All of our guides were great, and the White Pass/Yukon Railroad is a must!! Getting on and off the ship, even on short port calls, was so much easier than we expected and we never had a problem. We had such an amazing time that we've already put down a deposit on our next Norwegian Cruise! We can't wait to come aboard again!! Read Less

This was my 33rd cruise and 8th time to Alaska. Maybe I'm just getting pickier or maybe because our last cruise was in the haven, but I seemed to notice more little things that bugged me. It was a good vacation but nothing spectacular. We are platinum and so we were expecting the priority boarding as stated in many places on the NCL website. We got the priority check in which had I believe 3 dedicated workers just checking in platinum and higher, and haven guests. The problem was that if you were in that "special" line, you had to wait for one of those 3 dedicated workers to check you in. After moving super slow and the non platinum/haven guests clearly getting their paperwork done quicker, a worker saw what was going on and waved us to a regular check in spot. The worker checking us in had no personality and barely said anything. The last thing anyone wants at this exciting start to a vacation is to get bummed out by someone who just doesn't care. We also didn't get a ship map or listing of what was going on the first day like everyone else. We got boarding group 18 and I asked about the platinum priority boarding and the worker either didn't speak English or couldn't formulate an answer more than a few grunts so we moved on. On to the waiting area and I asked 2 workers about the priority boarding and they said there is none for platinum. I had even printed out the platinum perks and showed them but they were oblivious. As I type this I know I probably sounds like a snob but I just wanted what we were told we'd get from NCL. Moving on, turns out the priority boarding is probably a farce because they called 2 or 3 boarding groups at a time and group 18 was called about 15 minutes after group 1 so probably something that NCL gives frequent cruisers that doesn't really make a big difference, at least for those who arrive early anyway. It was a warm day in Seattle and my daughter and I were excited to go on the loop slide but it was broken and not operational all week. We then moved on to booking go carts and laser tag. The first screen we encountered lead us all the way to the part where you insert your card to pay just to be told it didn't work. We found another one and were able to get a decent go cart time on day 5 and laser tag the last day while in Victoria. You must reserve these 2 things ASAP upon boarding because at least 2/3 of the times were already filled and we did this as soon as we boarded. Next we went to an unorganized line at Teppanyaki to remove the 4th person from our reservation there and at Cagneys. NCL still can't figure out how to let people book for an odd number. We were a party of 3 but had to book for 4 ahead of time. We got the drink package perk so off to a bar. Long island ice tea was the drink of the day so I got one. They pre-mix all the liquors into 1 bottle and then add sweet and sour and coke at the end. Without a doubt, the alcohol mix is watered down greatly. In a 12 ounce glass, there was 1 shot of the "alcohol" mix followed by what appeared to be heavily diluted sweet and sour mix and coke. I had a bad stomach ache about halfway through the drink. A better bet is beer or wine, or a 1 alcohol drink and tell them easy on the mixer. I feel bad for anyone who paid $100 a day for this package. Crazy expensive! We went to La Cucina the first night. I wish they had chicken parmesan still. They seem to be going more fancy. The food was great but our waiter was extremely quiet and hard to hear. We met our room steward later that night which was the only time we saw him. Didn't get any towel animals this trip either but he did a good job cleaning. Cagneys was excellent. No issues at all with the food or service. Great dinner. Since I'm complaining so much, after dessert we didn't get anything to sign and no one asked if we were done so we just left. No biggie, but weird because at the other specialty restaurants they gave us a bill to sign and a place to add even more than the 20% tip already included. Speaking of the specialty restaurants, I think it's way too expensive. For example, at La Cucina you can get salad, soup, spaghetti and dessert. This looks exactly like what you can get at the buffet or main dining room. Why pay $20-$30 more for this? Is it really worth that much more that eating at an included restaurant? Again, we got this perk included. Teppanyaki at $39 each plus 20% tip is even worse. More little annoyances- games in the atrium. This cruise starts and ends in the USA. Why not get someone to host the little games they have who has a grasp of the English language? It was like NCL looked for the person with the thickest accent and told them to host a trivia game. Platinum tour-I'm glad I didn't pay the regular $79 price. Again, 2 of the 3 places we visited (laundry and galley) had workers speaking to us who were barely understandable and then asked if we had any questions only to have to ask several times and then have the tour guide answer for the other person. The show coordinator was English so at least everyone understood him and he was able to communicate. Lame tour other than the show guy. Perhaps add some interesting facts about how much laundry or how many eggs they use....something interesting other than here we do laundry and here we cook a lot of food. Los Lobos restaurant- despite the board showing completely full, the restaurant was less than half full when we arrived and left. While waiting to check in we heard them tell several guests that they were completely full. Strange. Maybe they were just short handed. Go carts- very fun but we arrived 15 mins before start time, then waited another half hour for some unknown reason. Then we got our racing hoods and were told the smokestack was blowing black stuff onto the track so our clothes might get dirty (they didn't get dirty at all). Then we waited longer sitting in the carts with helmets on for who knows why? It took 1 hour and 15 mins to complete this yet the racing part was only 10 mins. Once we got going it was really fun. The waiting was annoying especially since you have a reservation. Laser tag was also fun but the instructions given on the TV screens as you wait were completely different that what you are told when given your weapons. How does NCL not notice that? Again, the worker who gives verbal instructions can barely speak English. One guest asked how many bullets you can shoot and she asked, "what bullet mean?" This went on for a few more questions until everyone just agreed that we'd figure it out on our own. Butchart garden tour- way too short. I think this should not even be offered. Judging from other reviews, this is a common theme. Here's how it went down. Meet at 745 in the theater. Walk to the bus off the ship at 815. Drive 45 mins to Butchart and get tickets. Enter the gardens at 915. Immediately go to the fireworks area for the 930 show. Sit on the sidewalk because all the lawn seats are long gone. Fireworks ends at 10 and all aboard bus at 1050 cause all aboard the ship is at 1130. Try to work through the massive crowd leaving the fireworks to see at least a little of the gardens and then start the walk back to the bus. Too rushed!!! Despite the annoyances, it was a good trip. Alaska is a fun place and the ship has a lot to offer. Food was great everywhere we ate and service fairly good. This is not a luxury cruise line but NCL can make some easy changes to greatly improve things. For just over $7k I expect more. As many say, "first world problems." Read Less

The Bliss is a beautiful vessel... without a doubt! Everything looked beautiful and for the most part the staff was good. The cruise director Roberto was fabulous. The entertainment was top notch, really all the shows and the comedy shows were fabulous. The spa package for the week was a great experience and a great deal we thought. We did a couple of really great excursions at port.. they were on time and very informative about the Alaska culture. My one HUGE disappointment was the photography services. We got our photos taken in the atrium and asked if we wanted to do photos on the day we were cruising through glacier bay.. of course!! We showed up at the time we were given for those family photos in front of the biggest glacier, we were so excited!! These were the same photographers that took pictures two days before, once we were done they handed us a paper and off we went. We went to the photo area 2 days later to look at all the pictures taken throughout the week so we could order but noticed those glacier pictures were not there, come to find we had a specific time to view those in a different photo gallery.. several other families also were experiencing the same issue and were upset they were not informed of the difference. We went to the gallery and were told to come back the next day at a specific time.. we did and they did this elaborate slide show of our photos and once done we asked what’s the deal they said all these photos are only available in canvases.. Ridiculously EXPENSIVE!! we couldn’t even buy one print.. Therefor we didn’t get one photo of our family in front of that glacier! This made me sick and made me cry I was so upset... Shame on you Norwegian!!!! Why have 2 different photography shops and not allow people to view their memories with just one shop. We went to the arcade and was shocked you charge to play. I think charging for video games is ridiculous. The food was very repetitive. Would of liked it changed up some. Read Less

ship is only two years old. very clean and modern. 3 main dining rooms all had same menus, so you had your choice for dining. dinner menu could of been more selective. so called nightly specials not up to par that i have experienced on other cruise lines. had about six items on menu all seven nights and about six specials. food was tasty,but could of used a better selection (fish,lobster,filet) wait staff was excellent! entertainment was good. different game show activities for all ages several times during day and night. two major shows on ship. Havana was very good. Jersey Boys was outstanding! previously saw show on Broadway. the ships show was almost the same exact show, Fantastic! rock band Siglo was best cruise ship band I ever heard. They should be on a concert stage, not a boat! Can't say anything bad about service on ship! everyone very friendly and never had to wait for any amount of time for anything Time at ports could be longer. A cruise to Alaska is about the scenery especially the Inside Passage which is worth the price of admission itself! There is a lot of down time on the ship.to much time between ports. Again, I realize the trip is about the scenery, but time to explore the ports is also fun. shore excursions were excellent. 12 person canoe ride on Mendenhall Lake to see a glacier was stunning! Bus ride through the Yukon was breathtaking. Bike and Hike through rain forest outstanding! Highly recommend this ship to see Alaska. It was a trip of a lifetime! Read Less

The Negative...Bottled Water should be added to the Premium beverage package. At over $100/day its ridiculous that simple bottled water isn't included. Room Service charge of $7.95 should be abolished. No other cruise line charges this fee. Some cruise lines do charge for Room Service, but only after 11:00pm at a rate of $3.95. The show Havana, should be looked at. The whole story line, including the vocals(The singers simply don't make the grade), need to be Redone. Sorry, but its a horrible production. If they auditioned for me, I'd send them all home and say....Next... The Positive.....GREAT Ship. So many activities, its impossible to be bored. Service was Excellent. The Band Siglo, was the best band I've ever listened to, on any cruise ship in my 40 plus cruises. Comedians were very good. Simply amazing. No complaints on the Food. Everything we had was excellent. Boarding and disembarking in Seattle was very good.....Thank You Read Less

We had an awful experience with laser tag staff and game. Guns were nonfunctional. And when requested to change we got a very bad attitude from staff members. All of them get together and argued with children. Unfortunately this was last day of our trip.And ruined all 7 days. Also we had drinks and specialty meals packages included in our trip. It was very difficult to book the restaurant and finally when we got a place we were treated as beggars said we are eating free. Otherwise excursion were excellent. Manager at Savor restaurant is our vacation hero his name is Ryan Mortef. He made us feel better and help us get our food of choice. I would also request that garden buffet staff should be more cheerful. They all look very depressed. Chef at taste of India didn’t give right info on food. Overall ship is beautiful and very clean. Read Less

Norwegian Bliss is an incredible ship built for adults who love to wine, dine and enjoy some great music and adult entertainment - all were in abundance. This is my 4th cruise (but first time on Norwegian). See my specific comments and I also added some tips for traveling with kids ages 10-12 I wish I had known before we went. Food: was incredible in every location. Specialty dining package was great and glad I did it. Drink Package: I was worried we would not get good brands or good service, but was quite the opposite. There is no "catch" to this package, was easy to get a drink and was nice to not have to tip for every drink (gratuities are paid in advance when you pay for your cruise). Shore Excursions: Alaska has crazy weather, book your excursions with a plan B in mind - there is a chance your first choice will get cancelled even after you have booked and paid for it months in advance. Two of my shore excursions got cancelled and one was supposed to be the main highlight of our trip. Needless to say it was very disappointing for our whole group. Was not expecting that to happen. The shore excursions we did do were fantastic: Yukon railway to Canada with suspension bridge had beautiful, amazing views, Zip Line over Grizzly Falls was fun for mom, dad, kids and even grandma! Tons of whale watching, great little shops in every port. On Ship activities such as shows and specialty restaurants: my biggest advice to avoid disappointment is to plan your week way in advance. Choose excursions, time you will be on ship with port schedules, book dining, shows, everything you can online 120 days out, or as soon as they permit you. Only way you will get to experience everything you want. If you wait, will all be filled up. Could not get specialty dining reservations changed or added to on the ship (but there are a few that don't take reservations and it is a first come, first serve, I did not have trouble getting into lunch at Margaritaville). Race Track/Go Kart Tips: My 10 year old son had no problem with height (I think 55 inches but check) and enjoyed this the most. Get on the ship early the first day, find out where registration is for this activity and stand in line and get the unlimited package for every kid in your group. This will save you when you want to go watch one of the shows, sit and enjoy the views, etc. while the kids go on the Go Karts. An Adult does not have to be with them. It was a great activity and the only way you can get on it more than once or twice is with the unlimited package. There is no standing in line, you get right on, etc. I cannot recommend more, get the unlimited package! Worth the $199. Cannot sign up for unlimited package on kiosk, you have to stand in line day 1. Get a drink and then stand in line! Laser Tag: unfortunately no unlimited package for this activity. I would have bought it if I could. But same advice here: get on ship early, go to kiosk right away and book your laster tag for whole week. Then make sure you remember the days and times you signed up for. It is on your TV in your room, NOT on the NCL app. I messed up 2 laser tag times (because I was enjoying the cruise) and my kids only got to do it once in the whole 7 days. I left feeling bad they didn't get to do it more than once, but they did get to play 2 rounds and said it was fun. Kids Club/Teen Club: my daughter was really looking forward to the teen club activities, but she missed the cut-off for 13 by a few months and they would NOT make an exception and don't have the parent waivers you can sign I have seen on other cruise lines. We traveled with 5 kids total in our group and did not use the kids club for the younger kids. We signed up on first day, people seemed nice, space looked good, but for some reason the kids did not want to go. I felt the kids were very safe on the ship and as long as they stayed together in pairs they were able to move around and meet up with us after activities, etc. Pool and waterslides were great, we did get to use 2 of the 7 days. Shows/Music: are great and in abundance all over the ship. Really for adults, not inappropriate, but lots of music only adults would enjoy or get. But really great entertainment and performers. Send kids to race track or go to a 10pm show after they go to bed. Volume of people/embarkation/disembarkation: I was on a sold out cruise, we had 4800 passengers on board and I think Norwegian Bliss Operations did a fantastic job of not making the ship feel very crowded. Only had to wait once or twice for a bathroom and not for long, buffet seating was always crowded, but could find a table right outside by the pool under heaters. Getting on and off the ship at the ports was a breeze, was really impressed with how fast it went. Last night in Victoria Port: Do NOT plan on walking to and from the city in the short time you are there. Either plan an excursion or arrange for transportation ahead of time, especially if traveling with kids or grandparents. If just adults and you like to walk, go for it. I wish I had stayed on the ship and let my son go on the race track one more time! Overall I would highly recommend this cruise, and I would go again following my own tips above. Alaska was beautiful, amazing and all I hoped and more! Read Less

I chose this Alaskan Itinerary because it was one of the few that went to Glacier Bay and I wanted my kids to see it over the other options. Here were some of my answers to the NCL survey they just sent to me. 1. Breakfast at the buffet didn't have the variety I am used to. 2. The Race Track was fully booked within the first few hours of boarding. Maybe you should limit reservations to one per person until the 2nd day so we all have a shot. 3. Drink package not inclusive of bottles of water? So I can have a $10 glass of wine, but can't get a 25cent bottle of water? That's just petty. 4. Drink package not to include espresso/latte? 5. Gym had minimal weight equip. Plenty of cardio, but not enough weights. 6. I chose this specific cruise solely because it hit glacier bay. The value of this cruise was poor compared to others that had another stop instead of glacier bay. If I had to do it again, I would choose a less costly cruise. 7. Limited storage in the rooms, especially for my kids who had an inside stateroom. 8. Elevators were awful- Too long to wait, always full, disembarkation took me over 10 minutes to catch an open elevator. 9. Photo package should be unlimited like Disney offers. I would gladly pay you $300 vs the $150 for my 10 images if I could have unlimited digital images. I don't need the prints. There is no incremental cost to you, so it is 100% profit to allow me all photos for more money. You already did the work, but you lost out on $150 in more revenue. Other cruise lines provide this and you should too! 10. Wine cost is absolutely ridiculous. You have maybe 2-3 wines in each class that qualify for the drink package. I can walk into any restaurant in town and get a nice glass of wine for $14, but on your ship, that isn't the case. 11. Because of this, I likely would NEVER pay for a drink package again on your cruise line vs your competition. 12. Pool entertainment was too short. They should be out there all day long. 13. Pool temperature was too cold. 14. Hot tubs were always crowded and there weren't enough of them. They should also be located on the main pool deck, not just up above. 15. Entertainment was great. Jersey Boys, the Beatles, Havana, comedy, all good. Kids enjoyed this as well. 16. Could never find a seat in the mojito bar. 17. Needed more jazz music too, rumba, foxtrot music to dance to. 18. Pizza was so good I gained 5 lbs. 19. It's Alaska, how about a king crab dinner included. 20. $15 cover for Margaritaville? Not necessary, not worth it. 21. Same for the BBQ place. For over 10k for the family, I should get to eat in these mid tier places as part of the fare. 22. Daughter needed a bathing suit- None available for young adults in your shops. 23. Indian food in buffet was really good. 24. Plenty of omelette stations so you never had to wait long. 25. Sometimes difficult to find a place to eat at breakfast in the buffet. 26. The internet app was awesome. Again, no need to charge me $10 a person to communicate with family. For the 10k we paid, just include it. No one likes to be nickled and dimed. 27. would be nice to book larger parties in multiple staterooms for the same show. Link the rooms. 28. Let me trade my celebratory overpriced bottle of bubbly for some bottles of water. (latitudes gift) Read Less

Seven days on the Round trip Seattle to Alaska , inside passage! numerous activities for grandchildren, They loved the Go Karts, waterslides, variety of food options. The Haven for us. We loved unlimited bar, 24 hour butler, Private escort to excursions, embarkation and disembarking. Food.was amazing! Haven restaurant had beautiful presentation and service was impeccable. The kids loved the waffles. We enjoyed eggs Benedict and the smoked salmon frittata. The filet and prawns and lamb at dinner we favorites. Our butler delivered coffee and juice each morning and afternoon tapas. Each day we had a complimentary bottle of champagne. The excursion were well organized and lots of variety. We loved the Skagway Railway, Sled Dog and puppies! Ketchikan we saw a Lumberjack Show outside but undercover with heat lamps. The Saxman Native Village had a dance presentation as well as Totem Pole Craving demonstration. The village have many Totom Poles and our guide explained the history and meaning. In Juneau we went on the Mendenhall Glacier Explorer. Enjoyed the visitor center and great hike with views of the glacier and waterfall.Cruising Glacier Bay for the day was amazing. The ship circled the bay so so everyone had up close views. Glacier Bay Ranger came aboard for informative narrative as well as Junior Ranger Program. In Ketchikan our son and daughter went Ziplining. Challenging with expert instruction.In Victoria my son and I did city sunset tour and Escape Room. The Haven was beyond, beyond! Private dining, pool, bar, lounge,observation deck. Beyond pampering! Loved the spa thermal suite with wave tub and waterfall, snow grotto and steam and salt room. The heated lounges were so relaxing!The men’s facial and shave was excellent! Read Less

My parents treated all the kids/grandkids to an Alaskan cruise for their 50th anniversary. They had done one years ago and loved it so much they wanted us all to enjoy it with them this time. Last time it was on a different cruise line. I booked the Bliss because of all the amenities it listed I thought it’d be fun for all ages going: water slides, racetrack, laser tag, etc. I’ll start with that, unless you book a day/time on first day for racetrack/laser tag you won’t get to do it. One of the slides wasn’t operating and the other is run in a way that you have to wait in long line until a certain size tube is returned. Shows were NOT appropriate for kids which was disappointing, even though they say family friendly online. Food: it was ‘meh’. The few times we chose the dining room it was edible but not good by any means and we are NOT picky eaters. The desserts on board were flavorless. A few were ok but I was prepared to be wow’d by the food on the cruise. My husband and I have cruised before and I’ve always wanted 2nd’s even when I was stuffed because it was so good! Not this time... The room. It was nice, and plenty of storage. Our bathroom smelled like a urinal the entire trip but appeared to be clean so I didn’t complain. One of the lights in the vanity was out and never replaced even though I told our cabin guy. We did the laundry service and also a pair of shorts that was never to be seen again. Overall we had a good trip and enjoyed the family time. Our favorite place to eat was The Local, and loved the mojito bar. I think the Bliss is too big to be able to give over 4000 guests a 5 star experience and dining experience. Something to be said for the little guys, they don’t disappoint! The Bliss wins for smooth ride but that’s about it. Read Less

I chose this cruise because I had never been to Alaska and since I’m an NCL Latitudes member I was excited to experience the newest ship in the fleet that was built especially for Alaska. I persuaded a friend who lives in Seattle to go with me although she was reluctant as she had only cruised once before, years ago before the stabilizers, and had gotten seasick. I’m not sure she believed me when I told her how smooth it would likely be. Embarkation and disembarkation were an unbelievable breeze….the best I’ve every experienced….NCL has this people moving thing down pat. When we embarked we immediately went to The Local and had lunch. By the time we were done, our bags were at our stateroom door. I very carefully chose our cabin because I knew that the size of the ship and the number of passengers would irritate my friend. It couldn’t have turned out better for us. I chose a Spa Balcony cabin that was directly under the spa so it was not noisy. We were on the same deck as the Observation Lounge and also had our own private balcony. Up one flight of steps and we were in the spa (passes were included in our category) or we could go to the buffet for a quick bite to eat. The Observation Deck also had light breakfast and lunch and an awesome bar. All those venues had great ocean views and with the exception of the buffet, a good amount of privacy. I love the spa and because a limited number of passes are sold, I never had to wait for a heated lounger. Even the Observation Lounge was pretty uncrowded when we were there….usually early in the morning or late at night. We did go to activities in other areas of the ship but the point is, we wouldn’t have had to…..everything we needed and wanted was right on those 2 decks. So for those who don’t like the big ship experience (and I see a lot of those complaints in these reviews) this is what I would recommend. Also, book everything you want to do as soon as NCL will let you….you can always cancel and other cruisers will be happy to fill your slot but there are many things that fill up fast and then you’re probably out of luck. The cabin itself was well laid out (beds by the balcony rather than the closet) and was plenty of room for 2 people, although no one could call it spacious. I can’t imagine having 3 in a room like this although it is advertised to accommodate 3, maybe a couple and a small child. We really enjoyed the beverage package. It was fun to try drinks we’d never had before and I discovered I like White Russians. The first time I ordered it the bartender made it with cream (as it is supposed to be) and it was wonderful but every subsequent bartender told me they only had milk. So I’d go to the coffee bar and get half and half and hand it to them. I don’t think I was very popular with the bartenders…lol. Anyway I would suggest that NCL make cream available behind all the bars. Never had a problem getting a bartenders attention or a drink in a timely manner. The dining package was fabulous too. We did Cagney’s, Teppanyaki, and La Cucina. The food was fantastic in all of them. One small complaint about Teppanyaki is I think they sit too many people at a table. We were the last to arrive for our table and I was seated on the end by a woman who was left handed. I didn’t notice until we were well into the meal or I would have requested a change of seating because her elbow was in my space the entire meal. We only did 2 shore excursions, the rail trip in Skagway and the Lumberjack Show in Ketchikan. They were OK. I wished I had done something where we could see wildlife. I had thought we would see some in Glacier Bay but we didn’t. My fault for not doing more research. We did see a lot of humpback whales though and I was surprised that they came so close to the ship. They would breach and blow through their blowholes….quite an experience….I had only ever seen orcas before. The only difficulty we had on this cruise was when we were in Glacier Bay. They had park rangers come on the boat and talk about the glaciers. They said if you go outside you can hear the glaciers, especially if they are calving. We went out on the balcony to listen and enjoy the serenity only to find that one of the ship’s photographers was 3 decks below us, taking pictures and yelling at his subjects to get them in certain poses and reactions. I called guest services to complain and have him stop. Unfortunately I had to make 3 calls before it stopped and then we think they only moved him to the other side of the ship but we were glad to no longer have him disrupting our enjoyment. Management sent us some sweet treats to apologize and we were happy again. All in all a great cruise and I am doing this ship again in October on the Mexican Riviera. Read Less

This was our second cruise, but it took us over 20 years to try again because our first one wasn't a pleasant experience. So I'll start with why we selected this particular cruise and why it was so much fun for us overall! We love surprises, but some are even better than expected! The backstory: Bill and I planned an August RV trip to Washington to visit family members who are no longer traveling long distance in their RV. Our 25th anniversary is August 20, so we thought, since we'd be nearby around that time, maybe an Alaskan inside passage passage cruise would be a nice way to celebrate. As we were narrowing in on a particular ship from another cruise line and deciding on which 7 days, the Mickey Utley Band, a favorite that plays in Laughlin, Nevada when touring, announced that they had signed on to entertain for 2 months on the Norwegian Bliss, with their last week being July 21-28. So I started asking questions on their Facebook page, and we decided that it was worth moving our trip up by a month to know we'd enjoy dancing during the cruise. I continued to correspond occasionally after we booked the trip, including sending a message on the morning of the 21st saying we were headed their way. We enjoyed our first day, had an early dinner, and headed for "Q", the BBQ restaurant. The band had just taken the stage, and I waved as we walked in, but nobody waved back. I just figured they were busy, and when they started their first song, Bill and I immediately headed for the dance floor. The looks on their faces surprised us as much as we surprised them! It turned out I had been corresponding all along with their photographer/media person, and the band didn't have a clue we would be here until they saw us start dancing! We had a wonderful time dancing to this excellent band almost every night, and are so very glad we made this choice! We didn't make reservations for any other entertainment or shows, nor did we book any shore excursions. We attended several lounge-type performances by Duo Rika. Siglo, and Suzanne Jade, all of whom were excellent. We had local friends who gave us an incredible tour of Juneau, and booked the White Pass & Yukon Train trip at the dock. We wandered around Skagway and Ketchikan on our own. We didn't disembark at Victoria because of the short stay at that port. We bought the "Romance Package", which was wonderful in every detail. The roses looked almost as fresh as we left our room for the last time as they did when we arrived, and our dinner in Le Bistro was perfect in every way. We ate most of our meals in the Garden Café, which had a great variety of choices as well as special theme nights. The local was great for late-night gatherings with new friends and entertainers. Because we don't drink a lot of alcohol, we didn't buy either of the beverage packages, and found that we had made the right decision for us. We enjoyed the Sugar Cane Mojito Bar's creative options, had our usual 2-beer nights in Q while dancing, and enjoyed other adult beverages "a la carte" wherever we happened to be. Overall, we kept this cruise as simple as possible to allow ourselves to figure out whether we would enjoy cruising again in the future. We're glad we did it our way, we had a great time, and next time, we'll be more adventurous with our planning and reservations. Read Less

My family of 4 had a great experience with NCL on our recent trip to Alaska. We traveled with my parents who are experienced cruisers on different lines (RCCL, Princess, and Disney) we have only sailed with Disney. Here are our pros and cons. Pro: Beautiful ship! Loved the Waterfront, beautiful area to walk around outside. Great place for whale and other wildlife watching. Lots of entertainment, always something going on so we were never bored. Kids (both age 11) loved the pools and water slide. They did not weigh enough for the body slide so they only did the tube slide and kids slide. They loved how warm the water was (my kids and others were swimming in 65 degree weather, sun was nice and warm when it was out!). They LOVED Splash Academy! Had lots of fun there and was constantly checking out the Splash Academy itinerary and the daily freestyle for daily events. Food was over all good. Nothing really stood out. We only ate at the complimentary dining so cannot comment on the specialty restaurants but didn’t feel like we missed out. Loved the heaters by the Garden Cafe so we could eat outside on cold days but still feel warm and enjoy a quieter dining experience. Jersey Boys was excellent. Highly recommend this show. Embarkation and finial debarkation were easy. Others experienced poor experience with finial debarkation but we walked right off with no wait. Friendly service throughout the entire ship. Race track and laser tag were lots of fun but be prepared to bundle up for laser tag. We went on a warmer day but being on the highest deck it was cold and windy!! Cons: We had a balcony room and it felt tight for 4 of us. When they made our room up they always left the couch as a bed and never turned it back to a couch during the day. Our room had the bed close to the balcony and couch next to the closet. Didn’t really care for that design as it was hard to get into the closet and onto the balcony. My parents room was opposite with the bed next to the closet and in my opinion a much nicer layout and easier to move around in with several people in the room, but they had no bunk bed option in that room. No self laundry, they have a day where you can stuff the laundry bag and have it washed for $20 but the bag is small and rips very easily. You have to pay and make reservations for the race track and laser tag, things that on other lines you don’t have to pay for. You have to make reservations for many activities (laser tag, race track, comedy show, most shows in the main theater, and some activities like Canvas by U and such) if you don’t make reservations you risk missing out. Haven was terrible, simple as that. No family show. Would have been nice to have 1 show that our whole family could see together. Havana and Jersey Boys are not that family friendly. Short port times in Ketchikan and Victoria. We almost didn’t get off the ship in Victoria because we had already saw most things would be closed but decided to get off and walk to Fisherman’s Warf. Glad we did as it’s super cute! We were suppose to get off at 8 but we weren’t cleared until 8:30. Observation longe was always crowed and hard to find a seat. Great idea on NCLs part but just like pool lounge hogs, people hog the chairs in there not allowing others to take advantage of them. Overall we all had a wonderful time and would absolutely sail this ship again. Read Less

From check-in to disembarking, everything was awesome. Check-in and embarkation was so smooth. Everyone we encountered was so friendly. Exploring the ship before setting sail was really a great experience. Every part of the ship was clean, and looked brand new. We got to check out restaurants, bars, the pools & spas, laser tag and the race track before it got crazy busy. Our cabin (11116 Balcony) was just perfect. We had plenty of room, it was very clean, had plenty of storage and we really enjoyed the balcony. Our room steward (Romy Delfina) was so sweet and took care of us like we were the only people onboard. One of our suitcases was misplaced, and Romy took it upon himself to track it down and get it to us very quickly. We had breakfast in the Garden Cafe 5 out of the 7 mornings. The selection and quality of the food was unbelievable. The mornings that we got into port early, we ordered room service. The extra $7.95 was worth it to be able to get a good/fast breakfast in before our day at port. We had ate at Savor twice and it was out of this world good, and service was impecable. With our dinner plan we also ate at Cagney's, Los Lobos and Q. All were delicious and again, service was impecable. My only complaints would be the extra fee for laser tag and the race track. I felt that after how much we (and everyone else) had paid for this cruise, the least Norweigian could do is make these items complementary. We saw a few shows (Jersey Boys, Prohabition, and the Beatles cover band) all were top notch. The comedy shows were hit and miss. The ports (excluding Victoria BC) were awesome. So much to see, tons of excursions to choose from, and lots to do. In Juneau we did the Mendenhall Glacier/Salmon Bake. It was awesome, and the Salmon Bake was delicious. The only downfall was the time at Mendenhall was way too short. We literally had to hoof it to get back to the bus on time. In Skagway, we did the train ride. On the way up we were on the bus. Our bus driver (Candace) was awesome and had so much info to share with us. The train ride back down, not so awesome. Partly due to other riders. It was very long and not very comfortable. The scenery was beautiful, but I don't know if it's something i would do again. In Ketchikan, we did the duckboat. It was ok. We didn't have enough time after to explore the town or shop. So it hindsight, i wish we had just explored the town on our own. Victoria BC was a joke. We were held on the ship until 9:30 which left us approx. 1.5 hours to explore. We walked down to the waterfront just in time for all of the shops/restaurants to be closing. We would have been better off just staying on the ship. Disembarkation was very easy. We chose to use Port Valet and it really made getting off the ship and getting to the airport super simple. Read Less

We chose the Bliss because it was built for Alaska Cruising. It was a fantastic voyage in every way. Although no cruise/ship is perfect, the Bliss did not disappoint. We booked an M6 Mini Suite w/ large balcony on deck 8/ forward. It waa a great location as everything we wanted was very close by. Dining was Awesome. We had the 3 specialty dining package included, and went to Cagney’s, LaCuccina and Texas Smokehouse ( all were great) we also dined in The Manhattan, Savor and Taste dining rooms ( also great) We loved going to the Local for lunch pretty much every day. Entertainment was also very good. Our favorites were Jersey Boys, the Beatles and the Comedy Club. Siglo was the Awesome House band. Silas our cruise director and JoJo ( his assistant) were Awesome as well. Overall a great cruise experience, and nothing negative to say Read Less

The Bliss is a beautiful ship- immaculately clean and well maintained! The crew is extremely helpful and friendly- they are the ones that really make the whole experience. The dining options were varied and top notch, we especially enjoyed Savor, the buffet, and Q Texas Barbecue. Cagney's Steakhouse and Food Republic were so-so, in our opinion. The 7-day Alaska itinerary is awesome, our favorite port of call was Skagway and sailing through Glacier Bay was amazing. If you are a National Parks Passport nerd like myself, don't forget to take yours on this trip- there are park rangers that come aboard the Bliss to stamp your parks passport for Glacier Bay and narrate the tour. Don't miss the White Pass Railway in Skagway- the tour is definitely worth the money and the views are breathtaking. We were seated on the caboose- try to sit there if you can- it is great for taking photos because you have an unobstructed view when standing on the back platform. Take your camera! The Mendenhall Glacier and whale watching tour in Juneau sponsored by Alaska Tales was also well worth the money. Hannah was an excellent tour guide and Luke was a great captain. The hovercraft tour in Ketchikan was also a really unique experience- I am not sure how much wildlife we saw- really only some seals and eagles, but the experience of traveling on a hovercraft and seeing firsthand how it works is really the coolest part. Carter was an excellent tour guide on the hovercraft. The biggest disappointment of our trip was the stop in Victoria, BC. The ship was almost an hour late in getting cleared by Canadian customs and we had booked the Butchart Gardens Express tour. By the time the charter bus drove the 35-40 minutes each way to the gardens, we really only had about 75 minutes there to explore a 55 acre area. It was very frustrating. Since this was a night time tour, only the footpaths of the gardens were illuminated, so it was very discouraging because you had a feeling the whole time that you were missing so much that would have been apparent during the daylight hours. It cost the three of us in our party $335 to go on the Butchart Express Tour- definitely a rip off for 75 minutes of not being able to see that much. The Victoria stop was the weakest part of the trip itinerary- either Norwegian needs to allow for more time in Victoria or they need to stop doing the Butchart tour- there is just not enough time to transport passengers 35 minutes each way and then have enough time to even see anything once you are there. Since this was our last port of call, it left the trip on a sour note. Jersey Boys was an excellent show- I have seen the Broadway production of this and I think that the Bliss did a wonderful job of adapting this to a smaller stage. The actors/actresses were top notch. Great job! Read Less

Embarkartion was a quick process. We boarded much faster then I thought it might be. We had plenty of time to explore the ship before we were allowed in staterooms. Staterooms ere comfortable, clean and well appointed. The dining experiences were wonderful! The Garden Cafe' had a plethora of food choices- many cultures, flavors, and tastes represented. The other restaurants were a pleasant experience good selection of foods each day and night. Performance entertainment choices were varied with something for most adults to chose from. Plenty of activities for all ages, abilities, and preferences. Port excursions were interesting but overpriced, but enjoyable and offered new experiences for cruisers. The day in Glacier Bay National Park was the icing on the cake! The National Park Rangers were fabulous guides for the day. They gave interesting and accurate information- something for every age level. The staff made the trip! First class service, exceptionally friendly, unqualified level of professionalism. From their warm welcomes to the sad farewells, we were made to feel like family. Everyday- at every meal, at every activity, at every location, service was top notch. Yet with a ship this size, with a group of ,000 cruisers, and with a staff of 1,700 we never felt crowded or overwhelmed- except at the first port of call, Juneau. There was a crush of people eager to get out enjoy our first Alaska city experience. Who can blame us! It was worth the wait. Read Less

Excuse the length of this but wanted to include everything I could remember and also some pre and post trip information. I traveled with my husband, 3 kids (12,16,19) and elderly parents (mid 70’s). This was our very first cruise. We traveled July 14-21. Pre-cruise: We flew into Seattle early afternoon on Friday. We rented a car through Avis and picked up at the rental center. We drove from the airport to Port Angeles which took about 2 hours. We really wanted to some hikes at Olympic National Park prior to the cruise. In Port Angeles we stayed at the Olympic Lodge. One of the few “nice” hotels in Port Angeles. Did a waterfront walk starting at Francis park and had dinner at Kokopellis which was very good but a bit pricey. Saturday we drove into Olympic National Park and spent a good portion of the day doing hikes around Lake Crescent including Marymere Falls. We also drove up to Hurricane Ridge and walked around. Well worth the trip. Saturday night we drove back to Seattle and stayed at the Sleep Inn near the airport. It was as expected for a lower end hotel but very nice staff. Getting on ship: Sunday morning, I dropped of my parents, kids and luggage at the pier at 9am while my husband and I went to return the rental car. There is an Avis/Budget rental car on 1919 5th Ave. About a 15 minute walk (less than a mile) to the pier. We were all checked in by 9:45. We received boarding group 2 and were on the ship by 11:15. We immediately went to Deck 6, the Social to book laser tag, go-karts and the escape room (escape the big top) We had pre-booked shows and dining. We did not do the dining plan but you can book Manhattan, Taste and Savor early as well. Book as much as you can early. Go to book other things as soon as you get on the ship. Cabins: We made it into our cabins about 1pm. We went on the cheap so we could spend money on excursions. We had 2 family 1 regular inside stateroom. My husband and I were in 12641 the kids 12637. Our room had the big bed in the middle with 2 bunks in ceiling, the kids had 2 twins and 2 bunks that could come down from ceiling. They had one dropped the first night and kept that open. My parents were in 13451 with one bunk that come out of the wall and the main big bed. I thought the cabins were plenty roomy enough. There is a definite lack of storage though and we had stuff stored all over the place. I brought 10 magnetic hooks which were great for the backpacks, jackets, hats and gloves. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GVCSGTX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Hair dryer is great which was surprising. I had packed mine just in case. Water pressure and temperature in shower and sink were also good. We only felt rocking the evening after Glacier Bay. Never really felt it unless sitting on the pot. TMI? Dining: Again we did no specialty dining and really didn’t see the need for it. Breakfast we did in the buffet. My parents really enjoyed Taste and Savor for breakfast. I think we only ate breakfast 4 of the days. Garden Café has lots of choices for breakfast and they are all ok. I don’t like the fact at how crowded it is and how often you have to get up for drink refills and coffee. The food is never hot which I also don’t like but for a buffet it is fine. We only went to dinner at the buffet once and that was because we had a short time span between laser tag and the Jersey boys show. It was fine for dinner. We went on Alaska night which had a lot of seafood which my husband enjoyed. Most dinners were at Manhattan or Taste/Savor. My youngest age 12 had the New York Strip every night. It was hit or miss on the cooking and quality. Some nights a perfect medium, sometimes overcooked and once near raw. Sometimes it was a bit thin and fatty others it was perfect. He LOVED the Caesar salad and would often eat 2 at dinner. One night asking for one for dessert! We always found plenty of appetizers we wanted to order and several things from the entrée menu. I thought it had a good variety of specials each night and we usually ordered one of those. The only disappointing thing is it is always a long meal. Plan on 2 hours for dinner. Our favorite place was the Local. I loved their Cobb salad and had one about every day. My boys (12 and 19) loved the burgers and wings. They didn’t try anything else on the menu as they loved it. We ate lunch here most days as it is quick and good. We would get chairs above the Atrium to watch whatever show was going on. Your food comes out quickly so if you order appetizers you won’t be done with them before the entrée comes out. We did lunch one day at Savor and it was also great. We never went to buffet for lunch. I loved that we could wear anything to any of the restaurants as we aren’t fancy people and are happy in jeans and sweatshirts or shorts and t-shirts. I also loved that from the app I could book a new dinner reservation if we wanted to eat earlier or later that day. There were always something available in the complimentary dining places and we never had a wait even when we didn’t have reservations. Common areas: The pool deck was great even though it is a bit small and can get crowded. We were able to find seats and enjoyed the first day and last day up there most of the day. If hungry you can bring food from Garden Café out to seating. We loved the Waterfront. It was never crowded and we would sit outside there a lot and have drinks. The Atrium was a bit of a nightmare. I don’t understand why they would have such a small area for so many people. The seating is poorly designed and it would be better suited to have stadium seating or something so more people could sit and enjoy it. Go to the Local and watch from above. The Atrium area was always packed and we only once scored folding chairs after searching and dragging them over to the bar area. My parents were on the Not so Newlywed game and we were in the WAY back for that. I don’t know why they don’t utilize the Bliss theatre for more things. Which brings me to activities. Activities: I thought the amount of activities for teens were lacking. It kind of sucked for us since our kids are in 3 different age groups and they actually like hanging out together. There was no “club” they could go to together. They liked the game shows in the atrium but again always crowded. Other than that there wasn’t anything to do on the cold rainy days. Kids liked the go-karts and we all loved the laser tag. I wish we had signed up for the laser tag more than once. Worth the money. The Arcade is pretty small and not worth the money for the few unlimited games with the prepay. The 12 year old went twice and spent about $20. Of course we told him no more than $20 a day and he went twice and spent about $10 each time. We saw Havana and all I can say is Yawn. They are talented performers but no story line and we all found it incredibly boring especially the slow songs. The 12 year old took a hard pass and went back to the cabin. We all loved Jersey Boys though. Even the 12 year old boy liked it. Yes, some cussing but they are pretty much desensitized to that by their horrible parents. ;0) Bars: We only got one free at sea option so went for the drink package. Lots of fun bars and great drinks. Unfortunately we usually drank too much during the day to rally and do much at night. We did do a bar crawl or two where we tried to hit as many as we could by having one drink at each before moving on. We liked the mojito bar but drinks can be pretty sweet after one. They make great Moscow mule everywhere. We also liked the Dark and Stormy but some places made it better than others. District Brew house has a great selection of beers but the On Tap cocktails were a bit strange. We drank them anyways. Excursions: - All excursions booked off ship months in advance. So much cheaper than booking through NCL. My parents couldn’t be as active as we were so they did not do the excursions with us. 5 people for each excursion adds up quickly! $$ • Juneau - We walked around town a bit as our excursion wasn’t until 5:50. We ate lunch at Tracy’s King Crab shack. It was a bit expensive but you have to try the King Crab while you are here. It was fabulous. We shared 2 legs, 2 soups and 4 crab cakes. I didn’t share my beer though. For our excursion we did the Glacier and Dog Sledding trip through Coastal Helicopters. Pricey at $550 a person (NCL $100 more a person) but well worth it. We were lucky we had hats, gloves, fleece and rain coats as it was very cold. Dog camp was awesome though and everything was very professional and informative. The van driver even took us out of the way on the way back to see so many bald eagles it was amazing. Highly recommend this once in a lifetime experience. On and off ship was easy and everything ran smoothly. • Skagway – We packed a lot into this day. Our pre-booked excursion wasn’t until 1:30. We took our time getting off ship and made it into town around 10am. We went to the tour desk in town and asked what we could do and be back by 1:30. We did the Summit Express. Walked into town and caught a van for a 90 round trip minute drive to the top of the summit into Canada and back. We had to go back on ship and get our passports before meeting the van. We didn’t have to go through border crossing in Canada but we did coming back into Alaska. Great tour guide that answered questions and made lots of stops for pictures. Cost was $37 a person. We then went to lunch at the Smokehouse. Great BBQ and beer. Our pre-booked excursion was the Glacier ATV tour. It was a 6 hour excursion that I think was about $350 a person maybe a little more. We took a boat to an area to ATV. The boat ride was about an hour each way and the crew did a great job with pointing things out and telling stories. The ATVs were a blast. Each one holds 4 people but my husband and I had one to ourselves and my kids had another. My 19 year old had a blast driving as did my husband. We were right next to the glacier and got some amazing pictures. We were also on the coast and got to explore that as well. They do provide lunch but we were glad we ate before. Apple sauce, trail mix and some nasty turkey sandwich. Loved talking to the people who work there and hearing their stories as to how they got there. On and off ship was easy and everything ran smoothly. Even going back to get passports was not an issue. • Ketchikan – My husband, father and boys had a salmon fishing trip booked for 7:15. They got in a waiting area early and were there to meet the Captain at 7:10. Can’t believe how smoothly everything goes with getting on and off the ship. They id Ketchikan Charter boats with Captain Dan. I believe it was about $250 a person. They had an amazing time. Caught about 17 fish and were able to keep 8. Captain Dan was great and he even called a bald eagle down to the ship to catch a fish when he threw it. They packed up 18.5 lbs of salmon that was shipped to our house and arrived today (Tuesday). It cost about $200 to ship the prepared fish to us but again, once in a lifetime experience. My mom, daughter and I did the Alaska Kayaking experience. I think about $150 a person. I can’t rave about this one enough. It was a couple Mary and Tim who meet us at the pier. We walked to their boat and got on. They drove us out to a cove where they fitted us with water proof pants and jackets and pulled down the kayaks. My daughter and I were in one and my mom road with Tim. My mother had NO intention of getting in the kayak. She took a bad fall in Olympic National Park on Saturday and was very bruised, plus she had a pace maker put in 4 weeks ago where she couldn’t raise her arm fully. Tim convinced her and he seriously lifted her in and out of the kayak so gently. We saw 100’s of starfish, sea urchins, a sea lion, a minks and sea anemones. It was such a personal tour. We felt like we were the only ones on the water. They only take up to 4 people but if you get a chance book this excursion. Alaskakayakcompany.com • Victoria – I had mixed feelings on this one. It seemed stupid to get off the ship this late at night and we had nothing planned. Well my daughter is an explorer like me and we decided to go for it. Everyone else stayed on the ship. We walked off the ship with no plan. We were greeted by Graham the pedicab driver. A pedicab is essentially a guy biking you around the city. It was $75 a person which we initially thought was way too much. We decided to do it and were so happy we did. Graham was an awesome driver and peddled us all through the city. He even made us stop at a chocolate store where he bought us chocolate covered maple bars which he said we must try in Canada. The city is beautiful and clean. We saw so many sights in the 2 ½ hours and took lots of great pictures. He told us cool ghost stories and other things. Definitely give it a try and ask for Graham! Leaving the ship – We packed our luggage up the night before and left out to pick up in the morning. Go early to pick up tags as there weren’t many left when we went. We wanted a late disembarkment which we got though. We woke up at 8 and headed to Garden Café for some breakfast. They called our color tags around 9:15. There was a line but it moved quickly. We found our luggage easily and walked outside. We went out to the right and took the elevator to the 5th floor. We walked across the bridge to a less populated area. I thin walked to back to the car rental place and picked up our van. I drove back down the street and loaded everyone up with no problems. We spent some time doing tourist things in Seattle. Not a very clean city and had lots of homeless. We did the Underground Tour, Public Market and Wings over Washington. I don’t think Wings over Washington was worth the $20 a person unless you have never done Soaring at Epcot. Very similar to that. Underground tour is good and this was the second time we have done it. The other time was 20 years ago. We had lunch at Pike’s Place Brewery, very good. We drove back towards the airport and again stayed at the Sleep Inn. Read Less

Just off the Bliss on 7/21 and had a great time. It was me, my wife and son who turned 17 on the cruise. We’ve cruised NCL, RCCL and Disney in the past. Overall, we loved our cabin, the ship, the crew, the food and ports. Really don’t have any complaints and any hiccups were handled to our satisfaction. Here are the day-to-day details (sorry for typos in advance)… We flew in the night before and stayed at the Edgewater Hotel next to the cruise terminal. We used Aces Town Car Services from the airport to the hotel. They were on time, courteous and the price was very competitive. Great customer service all the way around. We didn’t get to the hotel until about 9:45pm, checked in and headed to the lounge for some food. We enjoyed the food and drink, but it was a bit expensive as we expected. The room was cozy with two double beds but worked fine for a good night’s sleep. On embarkation day, we had brunch at the Six Seven Restaurant at the hotel. Great selection of food and really good service. My son mentioned this was his “birthday week” so our server brought him a special desert…nice touch. After brunch we checkout and walked to the cruise terminal which is literally next door to the hotel. Just a few minutes’ walk. We dropped out bags and headed to the check in line. My son has special needs so we had made arrangements ahead of time for a less crowded check-in experience. I’ll share the details. We were told to use the security line marked “Haven/VIP” because the line was shorter. Since we arrived at about 10:15am all the lines were shorter so it really didn’t matter. We then proceeded upstairs to the “quiet” check in area. It was actually a bit loud, crowded and chaotic but there were plenty of chairs until they call your party to the check in desk. After about 10 or 15 minutes we were called up and check in. Very quick and efficient. We were told to head to the ship but instead entered a room that was packed and standing room only. This didn’t look good. There was an employee right there and I asked her if there was somewhere less crazy to wait and she pointed behind her and told us that was the door to the ship and she was going to open it in two minutes and we could be the first through. Sure enough, two minutes later we were walked up the ramp to the ship. There we were, on board the beautiful Bliss. It was surreal because there was no one else on the ship (I’m assuming the Haven passengers had boarded and where up in the Haven). We went to make go kart reservations in the Social (I think) and then to Teppanyaki to adjust some dining reservations. Just like that we were ready to cruise! We just had brunch so we decided to explore the ship for a while before eating again. We really loved the ship. Everything was clean and new, well laid out and easy to navigate. After our walkabout, we headed to the Local for lunch. Food and service were good. I told my wife we needed to check out the spa. We were given a tour and sold on just about every kind of “treatment” you could imagine, from acupuncture, to massage to hair loss treatments. No thank you. I just wanted to see the Thermal Suite. After we checked that out, our tour guide tried to sell us Thermal Suite passes. I told her no need because, surprise, I had already purchased one for my wife! She visited there just about every day and really enjoyed it. By then the cabins were ready to we headed to our Mini-Suite with Large Balcony – 8126. I was tempted to bid on an upgrade to the Haven in the month leading up to the cruise but am so glad I didn’t. The location was perfect for us. We were steps away from the Waterfront, most specialty restaurant and plenty of bars. Most of the other things we needed to visit were just a deck or two down so no need for the elevators (which could get crowded, especially the forward ones). I’ve sailed the NCL Pride of America before and felt our cabin was claustrophobic. Not the case on the Bliss. While the cabin wasn’t huge, we never felt like were too cramped. We had enough storage for the three of us and the balcony was huge with two chairs, a table, and two loungers. The only downside was it wasn’t covered, and since it rained just about every day, we couldn’t use it as much as we would like. The bathroom was pretty big and the shower was very spacious. Our cabin steward was excellent and always had the room ready to go at the right times. I would take this cabin again in a heartbeat. We had dinner at Cagney’s that night and it was excellent, from the food to the service. My wife and I had the dining package for three meals but I didn’t buy one for my son. Looking at all the menus before the crews and estimating the cost I thought it would be a wash if I paid for his a la cart. That was a mistake. His tab at Cagney’s alone was about $60 so next time I will by him a dining package to match ours. It ended up working out in our favor any, but more on that later. Day two was at sea and we had booked a double go kart ride so I could drive my son around the track. I used to race karts a bit so this was a must do for me. First, we had breakfast in the main dining room (Taste or Savor) as we ended up doing most mornings. Plenty to eat and we always had excellent service. After the first day they remembered us which was nice. And, since my son told everyone it was his birthday week, he always got special treatment. In fact, it felt like the entire crew went out of their way to make sure he had a special cruise. On to the go karts and the experience was pretty disappointing. We were told to arrive about 15 minutes before our 9am reservation, which we did. By nine we were climbing into the kart and ready to hit the track. We would be the only ones on the track, which was actually goo, because the double karts are so wide I don’t think we could have passed anyone. We were told we would get four laps but actually only got three. So, after a few minutes (and about $15) we were done. I think we walked off at about 9:05. That was it? That was it. I wouldn’t do that again. Later we met my wife and had lunch at Food Republic. It continued the theme of good food and service on the ship. We tried a variety of small plates and like them all. I think our total at the end was about $60. We enjoyed the ship that afternoon and then headed for an early dinner at Teppanyaki because we had reservations for Havana at 7:30 that night. Our Teppanyaki reservation was at 5:15 and we were seated at the table by them. By 5:45 all the other tables had a chef but we did not. Since we had a show reservation my wife went to ask when we would get started. Finally, at 6:oo, we get our chef. We sat for 45 minutes with nothing. I though that was strange. Anyway, the chef was good and we enjoyed the food. My wife and I agreed that this was our least favorite meal on the ship. The good news was because of the delay, the didn’t charge us for our son’s meal, which was how not buying him a dining package ended up working out. I though that was excellent customer service. We didn’t ask for anything or make a fuss, they just took care of it. We really appreciated that. I’ve read mixed reviews of Havana but we really enjoyed it. Plot? Who cares? The singing and dancing were really good and we all liked the show. Plus, it wasn’t too long and drawn out. Some have commented the costumes were too skimpy. We live in Hawaii, and if you’ve been to a luau, the Havana costumes were no skimpier than that. Anyway, just our experience, YMMV. The next day we arrived in Juneau, which by far was out most disappointing day. I checked the weather forecast a week out and figured our float plane flight to Taku Glacier Lodge would be cancelled. NCL left us a voicemail in our cabin the day before saying all excursions involving flights were subject to cancellation (of course) BUT they wouldn’t tell us until we were off the ship at and at the meeting point. So, if we’re cancelled, we have little time to find something else to do. I woke up, look out the window, and it was foggy and rainy. No way we were going to fly. However, we had to get off the ship, walk to the meeting point, give the bus driver our tickets, sit on the bus for five minutes only to have the bus driver get back on the bus and tell us we were cancelled. NCL could have been more proactive here to give us better rescheduling options. I hopped off the bus and started to ask around trying to find the one NCL rep that could actually help us find something else. Finally found her. We were scheduled for a salmon bake at Taku Lodge, and my son really loves salmon, so we found another option. We had some time to kill so we walked in the rain into town, had some snack and drinks, and walked back. We didn’t really enjoy Juneau too much. Took the bus to the salmon bake and they did a great job. We all had plenty to eat, and I especially enjoyed their chowder. Our van driver back to the ship grew up where we now live in Hawaii…small world! The next day we had an early, and long, day in Skagway. I think we had breakfast at the buffet that morning and I didn’t like it at all. Two many people and too crazy. I felt like I was always getting bumped into. I’d much rather sit down and be served…just more my speed. We did the excursion where you take a bus to Carcross in Canada and then the White Pass Railway back to Skagway. I love trains and had done this excursion about 30 years ago. The bus ride was really loooooong but the scenery was beautiful. Carcross was our lunch stop and was disappointing. They had the restaurant for lunch, a museum and petting zoo. It was just us and about a thousand of our closest friends. My wife and son really wanted to see a sled dog puppy and got there wish. The train ride was as spectacular as I remembered it, although the rain and clouds made it a bit less scenic. It was such a long, long day that we headed straight back to the ship and didn’t bother walking around Skagway. Next time I’ll pick a shorter excursion and explore the town. We had dinner at Taste or Savor and it was a good as always. The next day, Glacier Bay, was a highlight (as you can imagine). We woke up early so we could be one of the first on the bow when they opened it up. It was a little after 8am when they did and we got a spot right on the rail. It was so cold!! On the way to the first glacier I saw two pods or Orca, a humpback whale, a whale I couldn’t identify, and plenty of otters and puffins. I was really cool. By the time we got to the first glacier the bow was a madhouse, just a crush of people. I realized our balcony was about 50 feet away on the same deck, so why are we with all these folks? We headed back to the cabin and had the same spectacular view all too ourselves. I mentioned we were right near the Waterfront as well, so for the rest of Glacier Bay, we headed there any walked from one side of the ship to the other to catch the best view. It was busy but not crowded at all…and they have bars! Dinner that night was at Q. The portions were so big and the food was good BBQ. They really do a good job with the four types of sauces. Next up Ketchikan, which ended up being our favorite port. I thought our son would enjoy the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show so I booked it on my own. We got off the ship early and made the short walk to the show. We were so early that we needed to kill some time and headed to Creek Street. We were the only ones there (nothing was open) which was fine because we avoided the cruise ship crush of people. Back to the lumberjack show and we had so much fun. Yes it was cheesy but in a good way. And the things those guys can do with saws, axes and logs. Wow! We all loved it and I’d see it again. Next was lunch next door at The Alaska Fish House. Really good fish and chips. We did some shopping and then I had the Ketchikan Historic Walking Tour app on my phone, so we decided to give it a try. It was so interesting. We didn’t have time to get through the while thing, but really saw and learned a lot. Plus, found a spot on the creek where salmon were swimming upstream. Really need to see. Great day in Ketchikan. Another great dinner at Taste/Savor and then off to Jersey Boys. It was another great show and we all loved it. All the performers were so talented. Yes, they say a lot of ‘bad words’ but nothing my son hasn’t heard from me while watching football. Victoria is that short, late night port stop. I had booked a carriage ride with Tally-Ho Carriage Tours. Before that we spent our last day on the ship hanging out and packing. We had dinner that night at Los Lobos. The Mexican food was pretty good, I have to say. Really enjoyed the tableside guacamole. This is where we had the worst service of the trip, very slow and forgetful server but we had time. It was warm enough that we were able to sit outside on the Waterfront which was awesome. Great views of Mt. baker and the city as we ate dinner. I wish we would have had dinner outside more often, it’s a spectacular setting. We got off the ship and walked about 30 minutes to the carriage ride meeting point. Took about a 50-minute scenic trip about the city, very pleasant. They were able to drop us off at the port so we didn’t have to worry about the 30 minute walk back. Appreciated that. It was late, so we had a could of farewell drinks and then off to bed. Early debarkation in the morning. We had signed up for the Port Valet service where they check you in for your flight home and take your bags to the airport for you. The night before they had delivered out boarding passes and bag tags to our cabin. We put the tags on the bags and had them out by 11pm. That morning in Seattle, we got to Taste/Savor at 6:30am, right when they opened for breakfast. I was surprised because it wasn’t crowded at all. For Port Valet, they ask you be off the ship by 8am. The ship cleared at a about 7:15, and we finished breakfast just after 7:30. We had assisted debarkation and met the access staff at the internet café. We waited a few minutes and they escorted us off the ship at the uncrowded rear gangway just before 8am. We merged into a long line with the forward gangway passengers and I thought this might take a while, but the line kept moving at walking pace. We should the customs officers our passports and that was that. Cruise over! Our flight wasn’t until 5:30pm, so I booked a Pike Place food tour with Savor Seattle Food Tours. This was outstanding. It ran from 10am to noon and we hit about eight locations in the market. We tried everything from Greek yogurt, to cheese, to chowder, to donuts, to cherries, to crab cakes and more. Some locations at 45-minute waits for their food but we got to cut the line. Everything was so, so good and we learned about the history of the market. We had planned on eating lunch after the tour but were way too full. Instead we did a little shopping at stopped at a ginger beer bar. Then it was off to the airport. Of course, we didn’t have to check in or check out bags and there was no line at security. Had some dinner and boarded the flight. When we arrived home, our backs were there too. I highly recommend the free Port Valet service if you qualify. Some notes… We did spend a bit of time in the Observation Lounge and it’s a beautiful space. Great for Alaska, of course. It was usually crowded but we tended to go later in the evening and were able to find seating. Have a bar and (usually) some small bites was great. We saw the Beatles tribute band twice. Once in the Cavern Club (get there 45 minutes early) and once in the main theater. They played different sets and were really good. Also enjoyed the band Siglo many times, the piano duet, and the solo piano player. All were great to listen to over drinks. Never tried the pool or slides…way too cold for me. But, there were die hards out there having a great time. It was fun to watch people get stuck on the looping slide! Read Less

Don't get me wrong, the ship is a miraculous vessel. But having 4,000+ people on a ship was a bit crowded to say the least. That meant when the ship docked, it could take up to an hour to get off for your shore excursions. Staff made sanitation their top priority, so that was reassuring. But no matter how many times you use hand sanitizer, you still can't escape sharing oxygen with the mouth-breathers while at sea. There was plenty to do on-board, most of which were experiences you didn't need to be on a ship for. No offense, go-karts are great (except that I needed to make a reservation to ride. Seriously), but that's not why I booked a cruise to Alaska. I booked a cruise to Alaska for the scenery. But trying to find a seat on the observation deck had me hating humanity. Honestly I've never been so ashamed to be a part of this species. Be prepared to see people in front-row chairs with a world class view to be reading a book or napping- doing everything BUT looking out the window! It would have been easier to watch the Bridge Cam on our stateroom TV than to have tried getting a view from the observation deck. Food was great, plenty of complimentary options. But if we hit the Garden Cafe (cafeteria) during a busy time, it was pure armageddon. So we purposefully got up early just to adjust our eating schedule... so much for sleeping in on vacation. Booze would have been great if mudslides weren't $14 a glass. I can't speak of any other alcoholic beverage prices, as we refrained from drinking the rest of the trip. Maybe if we got a drink package we would have had a better deal but it was still hard to shell out the additional dough up front. I've never heard of Effy jewelry until this trip and I understand why. Pretty sure they don't need to advertise anywhere else as they did so HEAVILY on the ship. They had raffles and give-aways of chintzy pieces constantly. And graciously gave you the option of upgrade to larger pieces of cubic zarconium for a fee. The ship also gave you coupons and vouchers for other jewelry stores at docking sites. So like the sheep we were, we spent a large amount of our time going to seminars and hunting down jewelry stores to get freebies. The majority of the trip felt like a convention and not a vacation. Another personal struggle was trying to overcome the noisy atmosphere to hear the heavily accented crew over the PA system whilst making announcements. In conclusion, Alaska was wonderful and I plan to see more of this amazing state in the future. But I do not intend to do so from a cruise ship. Read Less