Joy or Bliss

[disneylover89]

Looking to cruise to Alaska, July 2020.  Both the Bliss and the Joy sail there.  We would be happy with either itinerary.  Which ship would you pick and why?

[BirdTravels]

The ships are nearly identical. Pick the itinerary you want. We sailed on the Bliss last year and Joy this year to Alaska. 

 

There are little things... for us the Sunday departure works better. The. Kids is a year younger, but the Joy went through a $50M renovation this year. 

[mapleleaves]

Look carefully at the port times.  I think the Bliss is very poor...... Ketchikan 7am -1pm ( does that give you enough time for your planned activities?)  and Juneau 2:30pm  - 11pm ( are there activities for you in the evening hours on shore?)  and Victoria 7pm - midnight ?

 

Joy is slightly better but do you really want to spend a day in Victoria.  It's not Alaska.

 

I'd look at sailings out of Vancouver.  Vancouver is only 100 miles north of Seattle .... easy to get there by bus, train or rental car if flight to Vancouver is too pricey. 

[Sauer-kraut]

Take the Northbound or Southbound one way cruise from Seward/Vancouver on the inside passage.  Great cruise, and if you can swing it, do it back 2 back and make it a two week cruise!

[bonvoyagie]

I have done both of the itineraries over three cruise dating back to 2002. There is never enough time in any port to really explore everything the port has to offer - hence the need for several trips. Between the ships, they are cousins and while similar there are differences - the Joy was built for the Asian market and then re-vamped for the US Market. I understand that there are differences in the spa area and the restaurants. You would have to go on the website to compare them

 

As far as AK goes - I think I would prefer the Bliss as it goes to Glacier Bay while the Joy visits either Dawes or Sawyer Glaciers. which are nice, but not quite the same as GB.

 

One note - the Joy alternates between Icy Point and Skagway - I prefer Skagway as there is way more to see and do.

 

Juneau - Bliss is there in the PM, Joy the same day in the AM - Bliss can be delayed if a Joy tour runs late as they use the same dock. Joy leaves here to go to the glaciers - they usually offer a small boat tour that is highly recommended. It leaves ahead of the ship and allows you to get up close and personal with the fjords and glaciers - you re-board the Joy in the Fjord. This is the best way to insure a great glacier view. Both ships offer whale watching, dog sleds, gold mines, and more.

 

Ketchikan - We like to simply wander around this town - visit Creek Street, shop at Tongass trading company  etc. The Lumberjack show is good as is the Crab Boat tour. Float planes can take you into Misty Fjords park.

 

Skagway - The Train Rides are good as well as the gold dredge and tours into the Yukon they now have rafting trips .

 

Victoria - Here is where the Joy has the edge as you spend more time here in the afternoon/evening - the Bliss arrives sometime after 6:00PM and leaves at 12 midnight.  Carriage rides, the Butchart Gardens, and simply the area around the inner harbor are great places to visit.

 

For more ideas about the ports - try www.cruiseportinsider.com

I would also seriously consider the Jewel which runs between Vancouver and Seward Alaska offers the best port times of any - the only drawbacks are that it does not visit Victoria, and you have longer flights from Anchorage back home (or vise versa).

 

Alaska is way more about the scenery and wildlife over the ship - we love to sit on our balcony and watch the scenery and wildlife - eagles, whales and more go by.

[Sailing12Away]

58 minutes ago, bonvoyagie said:

For more ideas about the ports - try www.cruiseportinsider.com

I would also seriously consider the Jewel which runs between Vancouver and Seward Alaska offers the best port times of any - the only drawbacks are that it does not visit Victoria, and you have longer flights from Anchorage back home (or vise versa).

 

Alaska is way more about the scenery and wildlife over the ship - we love to sit on our balcony and watch the scenery and wildlife - eagles, whales and more go by.

Alaska is on our list of future cruises to book, and you put up a lot of good tips - so I thank you for that. For us, coming in from NY we'll have long flights regardless of where we fly into.

[disneylover89]

Thank you for the replies.  This will actually be our second Alaska cruise.  We went on Disney Cruise Line in 2012 when my kids were younger out of Vancouver.  This time we want to go out of Seattle. We are leaning towards the Joy at this point in time because of the longer stay in Victoria and it seems the halibut fishing may be better in Hoonah but if there are a lot of negative reviews on the Joy, we would switch to the Bliss.

Edited August 10, 2019 by disneylover89

[disneylover89]

49 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

Alaska is on our list of future cruises to book, and you put up a lot of good tips - so I thank you for that. For us, coming in from NY we'll have long flights regardless of where we fly into.

When we flew from NY to Vancouver, we flew on Cathay Pacific Airlines.  The flight was non-stop to Vancouver with top notch service. But this was back in 2012, I cant speak for it now.  The negative is that there is only 1 flight per day and leaves at 6pm.  We stayed at a wonderful hotel right in the airport when we arrived and check in was quick and easy.

[enyliram]

looks to be a difference for solos.? i dont see any studios or studio lounge. wonder how the solos get to meet on the JOY 

[LisaLisa87]

We chose Bliss for 2020 because of Glacier Bay. The short stop in Victoria doesn’t bother me since it’s not in Alaska. We booked and cancelled Alaskan cruises twice on DCL because we’ll probably only do this once and we really want an itinerary that includes GB. 

[david_sobe]

The ships do look very much alike.  Because the Joy has no thermal spa, I would always choose Bliss if the choice came down to these 2 ships. Sailing Alaska, I can think of no better way of laying on a heated tile lounger watching the snow capped mountains go by.