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These reservations do fill up quickly, so we suggest that you book on embarkation day if you have your heart set on testing out these activities. After cruising on Norwegian Bliss, we are more than glad we opted to secure the vacation funds for a second Alaskan cruise sooner than expected. For mega-ship lovers, Norwegian Bliss is the ship to choose when cruising to Alaska. It has all of the bells and whistles you have come to expect from a ship of its size, including signature entertainment, a variety of bars and lounges, diverse dining options, and an enthusiastic crew. Overall, we enjoyed our transatlantic sailing on Norwegian Bliss and we think it can only get better once it gets to Alaska and the Caribbean, where the destination will play a bigger part in the overall experience. While we do wish there were a fewer extra charges (especially for the laser tag, which was our favorite top deck activity), there is still lots to keep you busy.
Day 7 Room Service Lunch
I also hesitate in recommending it for the 7-day Alaska itinerary from Seattle (even though I’ve done it twice myself), especially for those who haven’t cruised to Alaska before. Also, popular ship activities will be very crowded on your two sea days. If that doesn’t bother you and you decide to book for Alaska, be sure to reserve your preferred dining venues and ship activities as early as possible, because everything fills up fast. Sitka is the first and oldest city in Alaska so it’s fitting that it was the very first port of the 2024 cruise ship season. I last visited here in late October on the very last cruise of the 2023 season.
Day 4
Lenny Schmidt was the closer, also doing about a 20 minute set. To the Food Republic right before 7 pm, we had to wait a few minutes for our friends to show up, wine in hand, of course. You can not make reservations at this venue, but it is never that busy either, as it is not part of the Norwegian Specialty Dining package. With only about 45 minutes to spare, we were able to order, find seats, and dig into the savory crab legs! This was on the top of my to-do list for this trip, so I am glad we were able to fit it in.
Norwegian (NCL) Bliss Review and Alaska Trip Report 2024
From what we were able to see, the show was one of the better welcome aboard shows. Muster went by uneventfully, so it was officially time to get the cruise started. Snagging seats on Deck 16 near the main pool, we ordered a round of cocktails and let the Sail Away party begin. When compared to similar outdoor celebrations on Caribbean cruises, this party was a bit lackluster due to the weather.
Solid Cruise and a fun time
His roughly 30-minute set was timely with reference to current events and controversial topics that just felt very atypical for a cruise ship. I did find some of his jokes good but overall was not impressed. The group’s opinion was a bit more split with this comedian as I seemed in the minority this time. We arrived to the wine bar early and put in our order to check another bar off our list. This drink around the ship was going to be done in no time! Chatting and recounting the day with our friends, time flew by.
What to Do With Our Time
While there are several ships sailing to Alaska, none of them offer the onboard experiences and venues that you will find on the Norwegian Bliss. This was partly due to the maitre’d moving us to a waterfront view table early on in the evening. Our experiences at Le Bistro have been hit or miss in the past, so we had not dined here in a while. For this cruise, the Princess wanted to give it another try, and I reluctantly agreed. Our meal at Le Bistro was one of the better dinners we had on the ship. This 7-day cruise was a round-trip cruise leaving from Seattle, WA.
Day 3 Breakfast in the MDR
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THE 13 BEST Norwegian (NCL) Cruises from Vancouver (with Prices) on Cruise Critic.
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We were right as the venue was packed with others cruisers listening to the band’s British Invasion set. There is no signature menu at this bar, so we ordered our typical go-to drinks, a Daydreamer’s Daiquiri and a Sidecar. We could already tell that the reports would be correct and that the Observation Lounge would be busy the entire cruise. Actually, we were quite proud of our ability to get everything done and get to the restaurant on time. Tonight, we were dining at Los Lobos with our party of six.
Our tour today was one of the most popular, and a large mob of people were led outside into the rain to slowly load onto buses. As Norwegian Bliss is a brand new ship, the machines in the casino are mostly new games. This meant that her favorite slot was nowhere to be found. So, she tested out a game named after her but quickly lost the $20 that she threw into the machine. With so much nightlife onboard, we actually never returned to the casino for the rest of the cruise. The game takes approximately an hour, so we were done by 1 pm.
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Still, we had one more day on the ship and a short stopover in Victoria, British Columbia. Sleeping in a bit, we arrived at the Local at 10 am for breakfast with our Starbucks in hand. The show was a solid hour and included several song and dance routines with Madam Lulu and her “girls”. The show was enjoyable; although, the cover charge feels a bit steep at $29.95 plus service charge.
And, a few hours luxuriating in a good book on a comfy chair in the Observation Lounge can't be beat. On my last NCL cruise (to Antarctica/South America in December) I missed skillet cornbread night in the MDR because it was my son’s birthday and he wanted to celebrate at Teppanyaki. I’ve regretted prioritizing my kid’s happiness over that cornbread ever since.
Luckily, the couples they did choose provided plenty of laughs as they tried to beat the clock in three challenges. Trying to describe the challenges would not do them justice. If you are sailing on an NCL ship, you will just have to see the show for yourself. Tonight, we were doing Jersey Boys with the wives of the other two couples. I guess the gentlemen were not into this style of music.
We stopped in for some appetizers and drinks at the Blue Crab, a recommended restaurant which is located along the waterfront. We enjoyed our light fare of local mussels and clam chowder. The show included a mix of songs, some that we had already heard in the band’s first show, as well as songs from the Abbey Road album and a few notable solos like Lennon’s Imagine. At the end of the performance, there was the typical officers farewell along with a parade of crew members.
But then I worried about being a stereotype (vegetarian, salad, you know). So I went with the obvious choice, the one with candy in it. And it seems after only 3 nights the chef knows my preferences and put extra brittle in mine. I also appreciated some warm soup after a chilly, drizzly day at port. Then I carb loaded for tomorrow’s hike with pasta and bread.
Norwegian Bliss is home to several new and innovative spaces that you can only find on the ship. These features include the largest race track at sea and the first outdoor laser tag. Both of these activities are fun, even if they do cost additional money. The Ocean Loop waterslide was a gravity-defying wet and wild ride that you will want to repeat numerous times.
The food was delicious, the choices were plentiful as well as the drinks. We met people from all over the world and the atmosphere was relaxed and happy. Everything was first-class and seemed to run very smoothly., from the crowd control to the ports to the onboard entertainment.
Plus, it is rare that a brand new ship makes its debut in the Alaskan region. Being avid mega-ship fans, this end of summer cruise was almost a given for us. But Norwegian Bliss can only mimic a small upscale vessel to a certain extent. For the size of the gym versus the size of the ship, it really should be been open 24/7 to have a prayer at accommodating everyone weird enough to exercise on vacation. And to make matters worse, as soon as I disembark tomorrow, I’m moving (20 feet across the hall, but still!)!
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