Olive2cruise

We were on the June 9th cruise (the 2nd Alaskan cruise) and these were my observations

Common complaints so far:

Buffet> can't find a seat often.

Never had a problem finding a seat. I especially liked the seating in the outside area and often it was only us and one other table of people. The only time there was a line was the Seafood buffet night for the crab legs. Also, there are several stations with the same food...walk towards the back for omelets and carving stations...no line.

Laser/Karts sold out by noon for the week. People upset.

N/A for us..we weren’t interested

Folks with UDP can't get reservations. Restaurants fully booked.

We were able to get all our reservations ahead of time at the times we wanted. There were 6 of us. We did have to call for our Q reservations, don’t know if that glitch has been fixed

Cavern holds 100 folks, with 4,700 guests on the ship.

Same for the Social comedy club.

When we boarded we made our comedy club reservations. No problem. I think everyone on the stand by line got in as well.

Atrium overcrowded. Noisy.

Crowded and enthusiastic. We like to grab stools one deck up at The Local and watch and drink from there

All day chair hogs.

It wasn’t super warm so I’m sure that had an impact but watched World Cup soccer poolside, among other times with no problem

Always found seats in the Observation lounge. It is a gathering place for people who might be in separate rooms and they might hang there for awhile but there is still plenty of other seating.

Main theatre holds around 1,000 guests, long lines. Guests turned away from shows.

We had our reservations before we boarded. Many standbys got in. Not sure if all because never went back out. Recommend getting your drink ahead of time while there are servers taking orders. They don’t get to everyone

Elevators> two banks facing each other, folks push buttons on both sides,

making for 10 to 20 minute waits. Folks in wheelchairs left out for

all those in a big hurry and cut in front. IE: not enough elevators for

4,700 guests.

The first couple of days there were crowds at the elevators but it did get better. For those that can, walking up or down a couple of decks can alleviate the crowd at one floor.

Really hope NCL corporate is listening and works to rectify these

issues by expanding shows/ times etc.

We are looking forward to our cruise in Dec. But one review said:

"NCL used to be Anything you want, when you want... Now it is

Make your reservations ASAP upon boarding for the week and be ready to

stand in long lines...and pay lots of Fees"

Not sure what lines they had to stand on. We never had a wait for dinner, show, or boarding at a port. My bill at the end of the week for the two of us was $34.00. One of our favorite areas was Deck 8, Waterfront. Empty! The bartender was looking for customers!

Envious that you’ll be on in December! You’ll love it

As mentioned earlier, please take some time to search current Bliss

reviews and make your own conclusions. :cool:

Hello

My wife has a starbucks gift card loaded with cash. Does anyone know if we can use that?

Yes you can

We were in mini suite 14764 and loved it. The stairs and elevators were right there. It was a quick run up to the Observatory lounge or buffet area for coffee, drinks and snacks at any time. We loved our views whether pulling into ports or viewing the Glacier. Saw eagles, seals and whales from our balcony.

Waterfront on deck 8. I don’t know if the secret is out but the couches and chairs were always empty when we were there. And the bartender out there was looking for customers! The couches are set back enough that you don’t get the wind, so it’s very comfortable, temperature wise.

We took a helicopter and it was smoother than a regular airline flight. I took my Bonine in the morning and bet I didn’t need it.

I was on the June 9th cruise. Was always able to get a seat in the Observation Lounge. Sometimes right at the front, other times not. Didn’t observe the saving of seats but did observe some sacked out sleeping. Signs appeared asking not to move furniture. This was after I did see a big group reconfigure an area into a large circle. You can tell who reads the Dailies and who doesn’t by those who had bare feet or shoes on the furniture. I’d think a quite word to people on days 1 and 2 would probably solve that. The area is a lively area where groups of people meet up to spend time together. We spent a lot of time on the Waterfront on deck 8. In the beginning of the week it was very empty. People began finding it a little later but still always could find a comfy seat. The couches are set back, so even though it’s outside, you’re sheltered quite a bit from the sea breeze.

We made reservations by calling ahead of time.

It worked fine for me on the Bliss. Was able to book reservations, check my onboard account and communicate with my sister and husband (also on the ship)by text and phone. But the benefit I didn’t expect was texts from my daughter back home came through on my phone too.

We were on the Bliss last week. I am prone to motion sickness and always take Bonine the first day of a cruise. Because I heard the same about sailing in the Pacific I decided not to risk it and took it everyday. I felt movement but never felt ill from it. As stated, felt most in the a Observation lounge, and if sitting on high top chairs in the Garden Buffet.

We did Dawes Glacier due to ice conditions. Not sure how close we were but had a beautiful view and they were able to do a full 360 degree turn.

The water is heated, but not to bath water temps. It wasn’t cold, tepid. Air temps were mid 60s and bright sun and kids, and the occasional adult, were enjoying the pools.

Ketchikan is a good port to walk around and explore on your own. This is where we saw the most bald eagles.

Last week there were no announcements of wildlife. Sitting on our balcony or on the deck 8 water front couches gave us the best views. By time they made an announcement, the whale or seal would probably be gone. I learned the best way to spot a whale is to look for the water spouts. Then if you watch, they’ll usually surface. The seals were very curious of the ship and would be checking us out as much as we were checking them out.

I had not read anything prior either - that is why I booked our transportation outside of trip ahead of time; us being approached telling us it was included was a complete surprise.

 

My suggestion would be to call the Port of Seattle; they are the ones that actually offer the service and ask them!

We used the port valet for our luggage...what a wonderful service but didn’t see, hear or know anything about free transportation for us. We did wonder why we had to wear those stickers though!

We did the helicopter dog sledding from Juneau this past Tuesday. Weather was beautiful, sunny and mid 50s in town. They said 10 degrees colder on glacier. It wasn’t windy for us but could be other days. The sun was intense. I wore jeans, T-shirt, sweatshirt and jacket and was very comfy. They have a locker at the heli port if you get there and think you have too much. The dog mushers were actually in short sleeves enjoying an usually warm day.

I read somewhere that the even number cabins have bed by bathrooms and odds are by balcony door

 

 

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No, that’s not accurate. On our floor, 14,the even numbered rooms were next to each other but the room layouts alternated. We had a mini suit with the bed by the bathroom. It worked out well, because we did sit on the couch to warm up when using the balcony to watch for whales, seals and eagles.

Sue, you’re awesome for answering so quickly! Is that the Flapper from Lug....also looking for a bag for Alaska.

Also, your hair looks great!!! I won’t be so lucky out on the seas.

So many drinks to choose from, so little time! Thanks for pics of the selections. 49 days to go!

We will be boarding in June and your updates and posts make me more excited than I already am! Have a wonderful and safe trip and I’ll be following along! Even though I’m not on this specific trip, thank you for all the time you’ve put in to take as all along for the ride!

We will be sailing 7/14. Finally hit the 90 day mark! We were able to make reservations for Cagneys & Teppanyaki but not Q. Does anyone know if reservations for Q will be accepted? How about show reservations? Those aren't available yet.

Excited about Bliss! We've done GA and just did Epic. Thanks for all of the great info & pics!!

We were able to make Q reservations by calling. Not able to make any show reservations yet.

We are going in June and just yesterday I was starting to think about my wardrobe. Wondering about needing shorts to a winter coat. I’ll be following the advice of seasoned travelers here! We are booked for a glacier excursion, so will bring my coat, but that flattens very nicely. Have water proof shoes from LL Bean. Purchased a rain jacket. Just need to figure out everything else.

Has anyone been able to book any of the shows yet? It still says not available when trying to book online.

I’ve missed both GSC and LSC (aka Coco Cay - Royal’s island) and both resulted in a day at sea. Pre-booked cabana cost was credited back to my on board account, not the credit card used to book. Hoping to make it there this year - it’s been a while!

Is that how they normally refund canceled excursions due to weather? Makes me think that maybe I shouldn’t prepay my gratuities if there’s a chance of ending up with on board credits. (Alaskan cruise in a couple of months where the weather can be unpredictable). To the OP when we couldn’t go to GSC due to rough seas we had an extra sea day.