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Login Imagine exhilaration whilst exploring the wilds of Alaska. Imagine relaxation upon finding your slice of paradise in The Caribbean. Imagine Bliss. That's what you'll experience when you holiday on board Norwegian Bliss. Custom-built for the spectacular, Norwegian Bliss features a revolutionary Observation Lounge for you to soak in every stunning moment, from bald eagles soaring over glaciers to dolphins splashing through warm turquoise waters. Come aboard and experience the best dining, entertainment, and amenities at sea against a backdrop of unrivalled natural beauty. Whether you choose to go tropical or a little wild, there’s one word to describe the experiences awaiting you on one of Norwegian’s newest ships: Bliss.
My wife and I and our 3 kids (16,14,12) took a 7 day cruise to Alaska with stops in Sitka, Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan and Victoria BC. Overall we had a wonderful experience and our looking forward to our next opportunity to cruise. The scenery was amazing. We saw lots of wildlife. There were plenty of activities on the ship and the crew were very kind and attentive. The included food was good to great depending on the night/venue and the specialty dining was exceptional. The pool and water slides were heated so you could enjoy them even when the weather was colder. Embarkation/Disembarkation went smoothly though crowded it was well organized. With 5 people our stateroom was a little crowded but we were only all in there to sleep so it wasn't bad. The kids saw whales from the window repeatedly and it was big enough for them to sit and read in the windowsill. Our first day started early as we had a 9:30am check in time. There were still a lot of people leaving from the previous cruise so it was pretty crowded trying to get our luggage down to the pier and check in. Once we were able to drop our luggage off getting through security and the check-in process was pretty quick and we only had to wait in the terminal for about an hour before we were able to board. We made our specialty dining reservations right away then hit the Local for a quick lunch before heading to the pool. It was a nice day in the low 70s but there were very few people actually swimming or using the water slides so we had either no or very short lines. The ocean loops drop slide in particular was really fun. That night we went to the food republic specialty dining but it had a 2:1 special and kids 12 and under are only $20 so it was just $100 for all 5 of us. It was my daughter's favorite restaurant of the cruise and had great variety designed to let you try a lot of things. The pork belly pot stickers were my favorite! Our second day was at sea and because we weren't in the inside passage yet and the ship was moving quickly there was a lot of motion. We all took bonine but my wife and son still struggled with seasickness and the ship was rocking enough I saw multiple people stumbling in response. It didn't stop us from having a good time but it's definitely something to keep in mind. We had breakfast at Savor the included main dining room and it was pretty good. Breakfasts were really consistent throughout the cruise with a lot of repetition on the menu so it was easy to always find something you like. We did lunch at American diner and it was our only meal that no one really enjoyed. It wasn't bad but nothing stood out like Applebee's quality. The kids did like the chocolate mousse dessert. We spent quite a bit of time wandering around exploring the ship especially the waterfront area on deck 8 and the observation lounge. There were fun events like sudoku and trivia in the atrium that our family enjoyed. That night we did the Teppanyaki specialty dining which was my favorite of the cruise. It's not just about the food which was amazing in and of itself but the chefs all have their own comedy routine/show which our family really enjoyed. My wife and I ended up coming back for a date night later in the cruise. Day 3 was Sitka. If your cruise has this as a destination make sure to make your shuttle reservations early! We weren't able to get an early shuttle slot and ended up waiting in line for over an hour. Don't think this is Norwegian's fault but they should definitely switch shuttles to be first come first serve. Public transit was pretty limited so we had to pay for a taxi to get out to fortress of the bear but it was still less than $150 for all 5 of us including the tickets and taxi which was way cheaper than booking it directly through the cruise line. After fortress of the bear we did a little hiking, went up Baranof Hill and walked around downtown Sitka until it was time to return to ship. We went to Cagney's that night which was my son's favorite of the cruise largely because of the absolutely massive piece of chocolate cake they gave him. The steak was great. The shrimp cocktail and creamed spinach were really good too. Day 4 was Juneau. We were able to get off the ship at 6 so we just grabbed quick snacks from the observation lounge and were able to be near the front of the line getting off the ship and beat the rush. We took public transit out to Mendenhall Glacier. It's a longer walk than getting one of the excursions but it was only $14 roundtrip for all 5 of us compared to over $100 per person for a shuttle so was well worth it to us. The glacier and Nugget Falls were really fun to see. The hike out to Nugget Falls was really fun for the kids because there was still a lot of snow and ice on the ground which we don't get often at home. After the glacier we went to the state history museum (bus dropped us off right in front so no more walking thankfully) I don't remember the exact price but it was less than $30 combined. It took about an hour to walk through and view all the exhibits. It had a good mix of both native Alaskan history and early exploration, natural resources and wildlife exhibits which I enjoyed. We had lunch at one of the main dining rooms after getting back onboard then we had the scenic part of the cruise going up the Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier. We were fortunate and there was limited ice and no fog so the ship was able to get all the way up the arm and very close to the glacier for great views and pictures. There was even a wild black bear on the shore! That night we split for dinner with my wife and son going to the local and my daughters and i went to the main dining room. There is definitely a quality difference between the specialty dining and the complimentary but if you stick to steak/fish instead of chicken and pork the main dining room is still pretty good. The flavors are designed to appeal to everyone so don't expect anything really bold or spicy. The appetizers are often better than the entrees. Dessert was always great no matter where we went. After Juneau was when we started seeing whales regularly in the observation lounge as well. We saw one between Sitka and Juneau but for the rest of the cruise we saw multiple whales every day including orcas between Ketchikan and Victoria which we were very excited to see. Day 5 was Icy Strait Point. We were more relaxed at this port because we had more time here and didn't seem to be a lot of things we wanted to do that would draw crowds. The zipline looked amazing but it was way too expensive so we rode the free gondola, explored the little museum then spent hours tide pooling and whale watching. Even though there were a ton of people near the shops the beaches were empty especially if you walked about a half mile toward Hoonah. We found many shells, agates and other interesting rocks along the tide line. The tide pools had sea anemones, starfish, sea urchins, and little fish. Hoonah has nothing interesting there except some restaurants but the free shuttle back was nice as it saved us about 1.5 miles of walking. We went to Q's smokehouse a barbecue specialty dining restaurant that had another 2:1 special. It was my wife's favorite and was pretty good but it's easy to find good barbecue restaurants so I don't know if I'd do it again on a future cruise. Day 6 was Ketchikan. We did a quick snack at the observation lounge for breakfast and were at the front of the line to get off the ship at 6am. There was a 20ish minute shuttle ride into town that is first come first serve (learn your lesson sitka!) so being ready to get off right at disembarkation time is a huge time saver if you dont want to waste your port time waiting in line. In town we walked over to creek street and up married man's trail, browsed shops and went to the SE Alaska Discovery Center ($15 total, kids <16 were free $5 per person for the rest). This was an exceptional museum that had some really great nature exhibits and stories tied to the exploration and native history of Alaska that helped the kids relate to it more easily and kept their attention. After the museum we did some souvenir shopping and stopped at Jellyfish Donuts for a snack ($6 per specialty donut but they were big and really good). Back at the ship we all went to the main dining room for lunch then at dinner the kids went to the Manhattan together and my wife and I went for a date night at Teppanyaki. It was just as good the 2nd time and the chef had a different routine/jokes so it didn't feel repetitive at all. I could have eaten there every night the whole cruise and not gotten tired of it. Day 7 Mostly at sea then Victoria BC. I spent most of the day up in the observation lounge reading and watching whales (both humpbacks and orcas). We did breakfast, lunch and dinner all in the main dining rooms with a snack at the local. The highlight of the day was one of the orcas jumping almost all the way out of the water which was really cool to see. At Victoria many people didn't even get off the ship and with how late it was there wasn't a lot open. We just walked to the downtown area near the parliament building and took pictures. The buildings are lit up at night and look pretty cool. Disembarkation - We picked an 8:15am disembarkation time to avoid the initial rush and have time to eat one last breakfast together on the ship which was a nice way to end the cruise. There were some lines still but we were in our car heading home by 9am so nothing too bad. They had all the luggage sorted by disembarkation time and not a lot of people had picked 8:15am so it was easy to find our stuff.
Definitely impressed with the experience and looking forward to booking again. This is our first experience on NCL and first Alaskan cruise. I’ll start by saying this, Alaska is out of this world and gorgeous. NCL’s port stops are well worth the trip on the inside passage. My only critique is the Ketchikan dock. You’re docked 7 miles from town and that puts a time crunch on your excursions as you need to factor in 30 mins each way of shuttle transportation. However, the Ketchikan port shopping terminal is MASSIVE and cheap. If you’re cruising Alaska, wait until this port to shop. Excursions: NCL offers plenty of options, most are pricey and crowded. We booked online through a third party app, cheaper and well worth our time. Juneau Whale watching was incredible and a van tour through Ketchikan. Both of those were incredible tours and intimate given this was the start of the season. Food: Buffets were amazing as far as the quality of the food. There’s no lines so it can be a little chaotic at times but you get used to it. I would not recommend the paid specialty dining unless you want a more intimate experience, the food was no different than the Buffett quality. Entertainment: very good array of entertainment options and never a dull moment with staff interactions. Staff: Fantastic
Biggest thing to note was the crew. The most upbeat, helpful, and friendly group on any Norwegian cruise so far. Our room steward was super awesome. Food was good in every venue, although the American Diner is a wasted concept. It is essentially the same menu as The Local, but they are super understaffed so the experience is not as good. It is billed as American Comfort food, but so many things could be added. They should just dump this concept and put some kind of Central American themed thing here since the Los Lobos concept fell so flat. Also disappointing that the Haven menu never changes. Not day to day, or even week to week. On a cruise more than a few days this would be really frustrating. Service there was stupendous however. All the bartenders were amazing, but my favorites were the group at Sugarcane. Also loves listening to Latin Fire there. Our stateroom was in great shape, and was very comfy. I will note they need more drink servers in the casino area too. You are more likely to hit a progressive jackpot than to see a drunk server while playing. So far, Bliss is my favorite Norwegian Ship
The Haven
Hidden at the top of the ship, The Haven features our most luxurious, well-appointed accommodations as well as 24-hour butler service, concierge service and private sundeck.
Club Balcony Suite
Sublime, spacious suites ideal for the two of you or the whole family. Savour luxurious touches and breathtaking, private views.
Spa
Pampering begins here. The Haven Spa Suite, Spa Club Balcony Suite and Spa Balcony provide a more pampering spa experience at sea with easy access to the Spa and Fitness Centre. Complimentary access to the Thermal Suite can be enjoyed during regular business hours.
Balcony
See the world like never before. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors open to your very own private balcony. Stylish and sophisticated appointments enhance these modern rooms.
Oceanview
Experience comfort all around you. These stylish staterooms feature fine appointments and clear ocean views.
Inside
Relax in lively style and smart sophistication. Our modern inside staterooms are highlighted with appointments like a TV, sitting area and more.
Studio
Specifically designed and priced for solo travellers, our Studios feature a full-size bed, separate bath area and access to the private Studio Lounge - no single supplement required.
Serving a wide variety of culinary delights to please every palate, our complimentary dining options include three main dining rooms, a help-yourself buffet and a variety of casual cafés, grills and on-the-go choices. Plus, our Main Dining Rooms offer a menu that changes daily, Chef's Signature Dishes and carefully selected wine recommendations, guaranteeing a different culinary adventure with every visit.
Speciality Dining
The best way to enjoy freshly smoked Texas barbecue at Q? Splitting a rack of ribs with friends, both old and new. Make your holiday even sweeter with rich chocolate delights from Coco's and then raise a glass of craft beer to toast unforgettable nights at The District.
Listen and learn in a lecture held by a guest speaker, Norwegian Cruise Line ships have much to offer to enhance your learning and senses.
Bars and Lounges
With so many bars and lounges to discover, finding your favourite may take a few days. Pull up a stool on The Waterfront and pair your favourite vintage with soothing waves at The Cellars - A Michael Mondavi Family Wine Bar. Grab a freshly muddled mojito anytime you like at Sugarcane Mojito Bar. Or Let your hair down in The District Brew House, offering more than 50 different bottled beers and 24 draft beers on tap.
Entertainment
Top off spectacular days with legendary nights aboard Norwegian Bliss. Perfect your dance moves and clear your pipes as you go on an incredible audible journey with The Four Seasons in a Tony Award®-winning musical. Fans of the Beatles shouldn't miss a night rocking out in the famous Liverpool nightclub where the band played. And don't miss SIX, the sell-out award-winning musical that has not only taken the theatre world by storm but also the charts.
Activities
Interested in a little excitement? Burn rubber at the racetrack and then challenge your friends or family to some friendly competition on the Aqua Racer. Dare to whoosh over the side of the ship on Ocean Loops before dodging lasers during an exhilarating game of laser tag. Wanna get lucky? Bet it all at our award-winning Casinos at Sea® - where an electric atmosphere buzzes late into the night.
There are plenty of ways to be pampered. Unwind in the Thermal Suite with a steam or a dip in the Vitality Pool. Check out the Salt Room. Chill out in our unique Snow Room. Or simply indulge in a hot-stone massage. You deserve it.
Welcome to Mandara Spa. Start with a hot-stone massage, one of over 50 speciality treatments offered by our well-trained massage therapists. Then unwind in the Thermal Suite with a steam or a dip in the Vitality Pool. Within these tranquil walls, experience the Salt Room, a dramatic grotto surrounded with layers of body-cleansing salt crystals.
We know a thing or two about letting the good times roll for everyone. And with our interactive Kids’ Aqua Park and fleetwide complimentary youth programs – Splash Academy and Entourage – there’s excitement for all ages on board.
