We had a nice cruise. Alaska is amazing! Definitely would go again, but here are a few things to know before you cruise on The Bliss to Alaska.

We (4 people) flew from the east coast the day before the cruise and took a connecting flight. Not a good idea! Our first flight was delayed, and we almost missed our connecting flight. All flights later that day and the next morning were full. I highly recommend flying direct. That stress was not good for a start of a vacation! However, we did make the flight and so did our luggage.

Once in Seattle, boarding the ship took no time at all. It was super easy! When you check in you receive a card to get in your room, and you also use it to make all your purchases on ship. Lots of people had lanyards to wear around their neck to carry the card with them at all times. They also take cash in the casino, or you can use your room card. We had two balcony rooms mid ship on 12th floor. The room was nice and clean. Our steward never came up to us to introduce himself. I had to introduce myself to him and ask him his name. He was nice, but I rarely saw him. Our large suitcases fit perfectly under the bed. There were only two sets of 8 elevators, so it can be a wait for an elevator at certain times, like right after a show or right before we left a port. Download the Norwegian app for The Bliss, before you lose wifi, if you want to text or call each other while on ship. Its $9.99 for the duration of cruise. You do not need to pay for wifi if you just want to communicate with each other on the ship. On the app it will tell you what you booked and activities that are going on each day. You can also look up your account and what you have charged to your room. If you do not have the app, they also leave a paper in your room each day telling you what is going on the next day on the ship. We had some AT&T cell coverage in Alaska when we docked. If you are just now planning this cruise, I highly recommend you book your restaurants and excursions ahead of time. Norwegian told me you can cancel up to two days before cruise and get a full refund. So book early, and if you change your mind you can cancel 2 days before, but I would check with Norwegian first. Restaurants are a must to book early. If not, you will be standing in line as soon as you board the ship and that is no fun. They fill up fast. I was not able to get the Japanese Steak House before cruise, but I did within the first hour on the ship. Read more