VUCruiser

Have done two at a time on the Bliss...the 6:00 AM large black coffee and large unsweetened black iced tea combo...

Like others, love this tread and the pics. We sailed on the Norway in 2000, I believe...porthole cabin on the lowest deck...secret stairwell up to dining room entrance, dancing at Club International, sunsets on the promenade...a real ship.  

NCL ships with the Waterfront!  Outdoor comfy seating and outdoor dining is amazing and a key reason we keep getting on the Bliss!  

The grocery store in town is great for snacks and the things needed to build your own picnic.  Not sure about pre-made sandwiches but having so many other options may outweigh that...

TY kabux!  That is great news! 100% on the back support 🙂

bumping in case anyone knows...Given that they will bring loungers and other chairs to other cabins, I am hopeful...  Thx!!

Blankets available at outdoor dining on the Waterfront for Alaska sailings....and the Waterfront is usually not busy at all-fantastic location at all hours for comfy ocean viewing, reading, napping, etc....

We had one on the Bliss...we did think the larger bathroom made a difference to our experience, but if that is not of interest, we did not find many other benefits...we would have done laundry so the free bag was nice but not a lot of $$ value.

Excited to be in the Havana for the first time on our upcoming Mardi Gras sailing and wondering if we can get one or two regular balcony chairs added.  The chaise and lower chair are nice at times but not sure if always want to be so low. Has anyone had/asked for one or two regular balcony chairs brought down by the cabin steward?  Thx!

From Pikes Market this morning (4/15). 

I recall taxis being easy as well from SEATAC if you are concerned about roaming charges. Same advice to follow the signs. They take credit cards but you may want to confirm before getting in. 

We were on HAL four years ago and did a land tour to the Yukon and Denali.  We did not buy the meal package.  Hotels were walkable to other eating venues and it gave us flexibility.  Pricewise not sure ended up that far off, but we really enjoyed sampling local restaurants.  We do not have mobility issues but if we had it would have been more challenging.

NCL doesn't give us much time...had been looking at the "Local Brews and Waterfront Cruise" for our upcoming NCL Bliss cruise but looks like only one way from Ward Cove into Ketchikan...looks like still have to take the shuttle back. Even though I will have a shore excursion credit, it would still be $100... Did similar trip last year and stopped at Ward Cove and as the morning got later the line for the shuttle into town got very long. I don't know how long the wait was for those trying to go as I did not take the shuttle-just wandered around the gift shop as we have been to Ketchikan before.  If the waterfront cruise was round trip back to Ward Cove, I'd do it.  Not sure about just one way...

Thank you!

On the Bliss soon and want to try Q Texas Smokehouse.  But with long daylight hours, we’d like to order it to go so we can hit the Waterfront for sunset or take it to our balcony.  Assuming if we can’t get it “to go” formally, we can just take the metal tray it is served on…has anyone done this?  Thx!    

On the Bliss the week before-we’ll get the ship warmed up for you! 😊

We miss some of the older traditions but welcome the new flexibility and easier access to having a balcony cabin.  Sailed the Norway years ago and would love to visit her and the Club International again; but alas, that is not possible. We had a cabin on the lowest passenger deck and there was a "secret" or hidden stairwell that took us up to the middle of things. We also did RCCL Song of America out of NYC in the mid-90s and I remember the cherries jubilee done at the table. HAL's Prinsendam is a star in our memories.  Miss the dressing for dinner at times, but comfortable in our own skin we still do it if the spirit moves us. Such a privilege to have sailed on the older ships but do love today's cruising with it's easy to get tables for two, flexible times, and less expensive balconies. Cruise on!

When we were on the Bliss in October, the outdoor dining at La Cucina, etc. had blue blankets available...they may have also been available for the Waterfront seating during the day but I don't know.  I did buy a wool wrap at a port stop to use as a blanket. Long underwear under sweatpants worked well for a very comfy afternoon of scenic cruising on the waterfront. 

We were on the same Bliss sailing as MMackey above (10/15-22/22)...we did get better weather than we were expecting.  Went whale watching at Icy Straight Point and we saw a few whales-they told us that migration had been happening so we were at the ends of that- but still a great experience though raining.  Juneau was beautiful and we took the tram to the top as had not done that on previous visits. The beautiful weather gave fantastic views....but folks in town told us it was the first nice day there in quite a while. Many stores were open as was Tracy's Crab Shack. Dark early...saw stars more in the early morning (body clock was on ET)...no northern lights...warm enough with the deck heaters above to eat outside at La Cucina and Blue Ocean (layered clothes) which was beautiful. Weather for balcony was not great when raining with wind, but good when weather was cooperating and on Glacier Bay day....Waterfront couches were a good sub when we couldn't use balcony.  I'd do it again.  . .  

We sailed the 10/15/22 Bliss to Alaska for a late in the season cruise knowing it would be cold and rainy and came prepared  We have sailed several times on NCL, but never on this class of ship with the Waterfront, and were looking forward to seeing and experiencing this space. Out of 7 nights, we dined outside at the specialty restaurants 4 times for dinner.  We had upgraded to the premium plus so had the 4 specialty dining spots.  

1st night at Ocean Blue and three other nights during the week at La Cucina including while docked in Victoria and while departing Icy Straight Point. The host warned us when we requested outside (it's cold, are you sure?) and by the last night they just led us outside 🙂  La Cucina had tables that reached further in than the other outdoor restaurants so we opted there most often as it helped cut down on wind. We were not alone as other couples and families were also dining outside on three of the four evenings we chose to do so...

I post this as I had trouble finding info before we left about the ability to dine outdoors when cold and rainy, and wanted to let future cruisers know this is a great option. Blankets were provided for my lap and shoulders. Ceiling heaters were on...not overly strong but took some of the bite off.  Tables were set back from the railing.  We had layered up.  We eat at home outside frequently as well so we were in great spirits being able to be in the fresh air with a view of the ocean.  It was beautiful!  One night even had a bit of a sunset, and for October in Alaska that itself is a blessing.   The ship's lighting was just so pretty.  Wind was not an issue given where we sat...not all of the outdoor dining spots lended themselves as well to this as did La Cucina, however, so were did limit ourselves in terms of dining options.  (La Cucina's bread was fantastic and they gave us an extra loaf to bring back to the cabin :))  

Tried the American Diner for lunch one day...it was just OK, and much preferred the buffet for lunch and one of the other evening dinners, and bringing our plates outside near the pool where there were ceiling heaters as well. 

Had a great time! 

Overall loved the waterfront, and were there frequently, even though we had a balcony as it was covered and had those great couches.  

I don't know about the Bliss' outdoor dining in hot climates but given this experience, we will have to try it.

Happy sailing!

They have outdoor dining which we did on the Alaska itinerary recently.  Was beautiful to be outside, no smell except ocean air 🙂  (blankets provided in cold climate)

We did a transatlantic in mid-November 2005 from Lisbon to Ft. Lauderdale with several of the same ports (Lisbon, Agadir, Casablanca, Seville, Canary Islands) before crossing the Atlantic. In port, weather was beautiful-warm (at times it was hot, but mostly comfortable) and sunny. Did not wear jackets.  On board, enjoyed the pool and our balcony...(later crossing the Atlantic ran into more weather issues).

The Norway was a classic!  One of our favorites!

Sailing in two weeks on a cold weather Alaska cruise on the Bliss so seems like an odd question...which is better for a basic milkshake on the Bliss- Cocos or the American Diner?  Have seen pics of the elaborate ones in Cocos, but they also seem huge and a lot of work 🙂  Also wondering about hot chocolate?  Cocos, Diner, or buffet?  Pics of menus seem to say that Starbucks does not have hot chocolate...Thanks!

We did the reverse trip along with Dawson City this past June and it was amazing.  You will get into the swing of things quickly with the keys, luggage times, etc.  On a few stops, the luggage had to be out pretty early so make sure you have carry on bags that can hold your toiletries and PJs among other things you may need in the morning.  The train between Anchorage and Denali was amazing!  Agree on the train lunch-a must do.  Have some great pics of the mountains closer to Denali in my phone's black and white mode (Noir mode) that just turned out beautiful given there was still significant snow on many of the mountains...just from my iphone. The resort at Denali was nice-we ended up with a balcony overlooking the river in the back which was just so peaceful we could have stayed several more nights given the chance.  Most folks sat near the front of the bus, but we sat near the back and had room to stretch out a bit.  Enjoy!!