Norwegian is by far our favorite cruise line for many reasons. Service, food, and open bar are the big 3. Service on this particular cruise was subpar. To start, the embarkation process was a nightmare. First alaskan cruise of the year for the port of Seattle and I think the embarkation crew were still hibernating for the winter. They passed out the boarding group numbers last minute, instead of providing them at check in like usual. As soon as they began boarding disables guests, chaos ensued. Hundreds of people flocked to the gangway while a handful of crew encouraged them to board, while 2 crew members were yelling how unsafe everyone's actions were. Had there been an ounce of communication, none of this would have happened and it would have been easy as it normally is. Service on the ship was very subpar for NCL. Several meals took well over an hour due to untrained staff. Lots of confusion in the kitchen, and in the dining room. The food in the buffet is the worst thing about all NCL ships. Borderline inedible is the best way to describe it. In contrast, the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants had incredible food as usual. Great selections and everything is presented very well. If you're sailing NCL you will have a much better experience avoiding the buffet all together and opting for the local or main dining rooms. The bars on the bliss are incredible. The alcohol selection is plentiful for a beverage package. Most things are included minus a handful of top shelf whiskeys and tequilas. Cruising to Alaska is like none other. We've been to countries all over the world but cruising to Alaska is the best experience you could ask for from a cruise. The observation lounge on the bliss, joy, and Encore is a terrific venue to visit to get some incredible views. If you haven't cruised to Alaska, I highly recommend going with NCL, especially on one of those 3 ships. Happy Cruising!