Back from Not So "Bliss"ful Cruise to Alaska....

[Twocoasts]

Background: Third NCL cruise in a year--Med on Epic and Bahamas on Sky. We are not frequent cruisers (though it might seem like it) and only booked this trip because my awesome sister-in-law was comped a Haven suite plus another free interior cabin and all we had to do was pay to upgrade to our preferred Club Balcony. And, my DH has never been to Alaska so it made sense for us. We have enjoyed our past NCL cruises, but my favorite cruises were on Oceania and Windstar (e.g. small ships) which is what we will probably said next after sailing on Bliss.

 

Check-in in Seattle was a mess. I had heard horror stories about Miami but it was an absolute breeze compared to Seattle. We had purchased Priority boarding but were ushered through the same security line with everyone else (including Haven). We did get to the counter relatively quickly but the crowds were crazy. And the "Priority" waiting area consisted of some folding chairs --about 30% of the amount they needed. After about an hour the area was so over-flowing that they took us through the Haven entrance to clear the space, which was much appreciated. Muster was super easy--go to your check point, and that's it. We then went to Savor (or Taste--I get them confused since they are across from each other with the same menu) for lunch. Cabins were ready around 2.

 

Club Balcony on Bliss has a great bathroom with an amazing shower. The cabin overall was nice but the storage was lacking. Much more storage on the Epic ( I know people hate the Epic bathroom). We requested a coffee maker and got it pretty quickly.

 

For those who want to skip to the bottom line, the Bliss is just not a ship for us. It is a gorgeous ship. But, the crowds were literally everywhere. There is no place on the ship to get away and relax, other than your cabin. The spa was so crowded that there wasn't any place for half of us with appointments to sit and wait. The elevators were the worst we've seen on any NCL ship. Garden cafe was huge, noisy and you had to stalk tables to get a seat. The lines for Savor and Taste were long every day. The Local, which is a great place to get away on the Epic, is above the atrium. It's so loud you literally have to shout your order to the servers, who still manage to get it wrong every time. On both Epic and Sky we enjoyed having a drink above the atrium so we could see what was happening below, but still hear ourselves think. The Observation Lounge was lovely--if you could get in. Forget it on a sea day. And every bar tender seemed cranky with the exception of the ones in the casino.

 

The noise level on the ship overall was terrible. We had dinner in Q the first night (SIL's choice) and the duo performing was so loud we had to use hand signals to pass the salt and pepper. Only about 8 tables were occupied but the volume was for a crowd of a thousand. Food was good--not great but not bad at all.

 

We did the Beatles show that evening and it was wonderful. Really great performers. We also saw Sixx and Jersey Boys (my fourth time) and all of the entertainment was great. We had no problem booking shows ahead of boarding and also got all the dinner reservations we wanted ahead of time too. Our favorite specialty restaurant was Food Republic. Thanks to this board, we used one dining credit and four items was more than enough for DH and I (and he's a big guy with a big appetite). Cagney's was good--huge steaks! I took leftover stead back to the cabin and it became part of our breakfast the next two days.  And one slice of the chocolate cake lasted us three days! Least favorite was La Cucina. My gnoochi were like lead. Pizza, however, was really good. Food at Teppanyaki was good too--but we hated that meal because again, it was insanely loud to the point that you couldn't have any conversation at all. I don't like screaming through my meal.

 

Excursions were good. The helicopter to the Mendenhall Glacier was fantastic! And whale watching was awesome too. So many hump back whales! We also did the Crab Feast and while the food and service at the lodge were excellent, and the boat tour wonderful, the guide tour bus ride didn't happen. I don't think the driver even said hello to anyone and he definitely did not provide the guided tour of Ketchican. 

 

The Priority access was a huge plus for departure day. They had a special exit for us, and we were off the boat in about 15 minutes with our luggage waiting for us. Getting on and off at ports was slow because they didn't use facial recognition--you had to show your card every time. 

 

We had room service breakfast a couple of days due to early excursions and it was delivered on time. Not correct or complete but we didn't starve. 

 

The crew overall was wonderful and working so hard. But they are clearly short staffed. Our cruise had 4500+ guests and they just are not equipped to handle that many people.

 

It definitely seemed like more of a Carnival cruise than NCL--or at least what we previously experienced on NCL. More rude guests. People dressed like slobs in the specialty restaurants. Not a ton of kids but some exceptionally poorly behaved ones (and a few really lovely children). 

 

People have mentioned previously that the port stops were short--and they were. We would have liked more time in Juneau. And we stayed on the ship in Victoria because it just didn't seem worth it to tour the city at night. 

 

Would we do another Alaska cruise? Yes! Will we ever go on another ship that has a 4,000+ capacity? That's a big NO for us. 

 

Happy to answer any questions.

 

[BlushPell]

Thanks for sharing and sorry it didn’t live up to expectations. I had a similar experience on the Joy in July it was just too crowded sailing at just shy of 4900(I was told) which was well over the double capacity of around 3800. The over capacity BA+ class ships are loud and crowded. 
 

Glad you had some good experiences as well.

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, Twocoasts said:

People dressed like slobs in the specialty restaurants.

I had to snicker at this one, for reasons I won't go into because I'd probably get banned. Sorry the cruise wasn't up to expectations. For some reason, my wife and I never seem to cruise at busy times, we always seem to be able to avoid the crowds. Best of luck back on Oceania and Windstar. Those are great lines. Thanks for your review.

[hallux]

1 hour ago, Twocoasts said:

There is no place on the ship to get away and relax, other than your cabin.

I guess you missed The Waterfront on deck 8?

 

Sorry to hear of your experience - I've had great cruises on the Bliss, Joy and Escape (very similar ships) and even have another cruise on the Bliss booked.

[HBCcruiser]

2 hours ago, Twocoasts said:

The Priority access was a huge plus for departure day. They had a special exit for us, and we were off the boat in about 15 minutes with our luggage waiting for us. Getting on and off at ports was slow because they didn't use facial recognition--you had to show your card every time. 

Does anyone know if there is a benefit to this if you are Platinum? @BirdTravels I consider you an expert on knowing the ins and outs of Latitudes perks and such. Are you able to comment on this? Thx. 😊

[Twocoasts]

1 minute ago, hallux said:

I guess you missed The Waterfront on deck 8?

 

Sorry to hear of your experience - I've had great cruises on the Bliss, Joy and Escape (very similar ships) and even have another cruise on the Bliss booked.

You're right--There was some nice outside seating on 8 at the Waterfront. But it too was extremely crowded. It could have been the time of year (late August before school is back in session) and the destination. I know lots of people love the Bliss--it just doesn't fit us.

[Twocoasts]

21 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

Does anyone know if there is a benefit to this if you are Platinum? @BirdTravels I consider you an expert on knowing the ins and outs of Latitudes perks and such. Are you able to comment on this? Thx. 😊

I'm not sure. We're lowly Bronze so don't know about perks for the other levels.

[destar]

Sorry to hear of your experience. Im booked for Alaska on the Bliss for next May. 

[TPgal]

35 minutes ago, Twocoasts said:

You're right--There was some nice outside seating on 8 at the Waterfront. But it too was extremely crowded. It could have been the time of year (late August before school is back in session) and the destination. I know lots of people love the Bliss--it just doesn't fit us.

I think we might have been on the same sailing (8/12).  We had only sailed on smaller ships and liked many things about the Bliss (club balcony as well) but the lines...it took us 90 minutes to get to a bus in Sitka, because the port times were so short waiting until later wasn't an option.

 

I agree that the noise level in the atrium was bonkers.  How on earth can origami be so loud?  But, every butt attending the atrium events is a butt that is not in a lounge chair somewhere else. 

We liked the waterfront, and didn't find it extremely crowded, but it was a struggle to find a spot for our party of five.  Wait, maybe we were the problem, but we weren't this lady sleeping in the observation lounge... too bad her room didn't come with a bed.

 

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, HBCcruiser said:

Does anyone know if there is a benefit to this if you are Platinum? @BirdTravels I consider you an expert on knowing the ins and outs of Latitudes perks and such. Are you able to comment on this? Thx. 😊

No idea. 
 

Seattle is a mess. We will be sailing again soon, and will report on our luck.
 

The last time we sailed from the Bell Street terminal in 2021 was when testing was still metering people getting to check in. 
 

Last year, we sailed out of Pier 91 (oops) which went wonderfully. 
 

In 2019 (last before the shutdown), there were multiple waiting areas, none designated for priority, and half the waiting room boarded before we did (Platinum Plus at that time). So someone who bought Priority back then got nothing from a get-on-first perspective. 

[HBCcruiser]

4 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

No idea. 
 

Seattle is a mess. We will be sailing again soon, and will report on our luck.
 

The last time we sailed from the Bell Street terminal in 2021 was when testing was still metering people getting to check in. 
 

Last year, we sailed out of Pier 91 (oops) which went wonderfully. 
 

In 2019 (last before the shutdown), there were multiple waiting areas, none designated for priority, and half the waiting room boarded before we did (Platinum Plus at that time). So someone who bought Priority back then got nothing from a get-on-first perspective. 

Wow good to know!. Have you ever sailed out of San Pedro on the Bliss or Joy? Any experience with the Latitudes priority boarding there? We just became Platinum and are wondering about it. 

[cruiseny4life]

31 minutes ago, TPgal said:

We liked the waterfront, and didn't find it extremely crowded, but it was a struggle to find a spot for our party of five.  Wait, maybe we were the problem, but we weren't this lady sleeping in the observation lounge... too bad her room didn't come with a bed.

 

What a great idea! I never thought about packing a throw. Guess it's going in my bag for my upcoming cruise. Pr1ma has an Observation Lounge, so I could make good use of a comfy couch. Thankfully for everyone else on board, we have a balcony, so I probably don't need to do this. I imagine this sleepy lady is an interior-dweller and just needs some natural light. 

[Two Wheels Only]

Where are those "jumping on the furniture" kids when you actually need them? 🤬

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

Does anyone know if there is a benefit to this if you are Platinum? @BirdTravels I consider you an expert on knowing the ins and outs of Latitudes perks and such. Are you able to comment on this? Thx. 😊

Platinum doesn't include any priority for disembarking.  That might be a benefit if a person either a) has a very tight schedule to get to the airport or b) is one of those nervous types that can't wait to end their vacation (which continues to baffle this 🐀).

[HBCcruiser]

19 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Platinum doesn't include any priority for disembarking.

I didn't think so. Thanks! 🐀

[chefchick]

To the OP/Twocoasts -how was embarkation at pier 66 as far as drop off (via Uber, taxi, etc)?  As a local, I know there is a TON of construction going on at the waterfront and some of the regular open streets (Alaska way, Bell st., etc) can be blocked to thru traffic?  Did you have any problems with that?  And, same with disembarkation….were taxi lined up at the pier or somewhere down the street?  Boarding the Encore this weekend so would love a heads up…thanks.

[Twocoasts]

1 minute ago, chefchick said:

To the OP/Twocoasts -how was embarkation at pier 66 as far as drop off (via Uber, taxi, etc)?  As a local, I know there is a TON of construction going on at the waterfront and some of the regular open streets (Alaska way, Bell st., etc) can be blocked to thru traffic?  Did you have any problems with that?  And, same with disembarkation….were taxi lined up at the pier or somewhere down the street?  Boarding the Encore this weekend so would love a heads up…thanks.

It was a zoo. Our Uber had to drop us off pretty far down the street. We had better luck with our Uber pick up because a spot at the curb opened up, but you're right--the construction is a mess.

[RickKane]

What time was your check in window?  We scheduled 9:30-10 for next week and i'm expecting it to be chaos.  

[Twocoasts]

3 minutes ago, RickKane said:

What time was your check in window?  We scheduled 9:30-10 for next week and i'm expecting it to be chaos.  

We arrived between 10:30 and 11. The curb and the Security lines were the worst part. 

[Panhandle Couple]

1 hour ago, Twocoasts said:

It was a zoo. Our Uber had to drop us off pretty far down the street. We had better luck with our Uber pick up because a spot at the curb opened up, but you're right--the construction is a mess.

We were there in 2019, and it was mess due to construction and early Seahawks game crowd randomly crossing the street from the ferry docks.

 

Sounds like some thing haven't changed.

[BirdTravels]

5 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

Wow good to know!. Have you ever sailed out of San Pedro on the Bliss or Joy? Any experience with the Latitudes priority boarding there? We just became Platinum and are wondering about it. 

The last time we sailed from San Pedro,,, which was a while ago,,, there was a platinum waiting area (it was combined with the Haven/Suites). Don't know what they are doing now. 

 

 

As I said, we will be sailing out of the Bell Street terminal in a couple of weeks on the Encore and we'll see if things have improved since last we were there. 

Edited August 28, 2023 by BirdTravels

[ChiefMateJRK]

4 hours ago, chefchick said:

To the OP/Twocoasts -how was embarkation at pier 66 as far as drop off (via Uber, taxi, etc)?  As a local, I know there is a TON of construction going on at the waterfront and some of the regular open streets (Alaska way, Bell st., etc) can be blocked to thru traffic?  Did you have any problems with that?  And, same with disembarkation….were taxi lined up at the pier or somewhere down the street?  Boarding the Encore this weekend so would love a heads up…thanks.

Okay, I'm going to tell you a secret.

 

Uber drop off and pick up at Elliott Av. and Bell street.  You'll never encounter a crowd.  Zero traffic.  No train delays.  If you're really a local, you should already know this.  Don't tell anybody else.  We don't want to ruin this. 😎

 

ETA: I and others share this pro-tip on here from time to time.  Nobody ever reads or remembers, so we're likely "safe." 🤣

Edited August 29, 2023 by ChiefMateJRK

[tw0sugar5]

FYI the price of just the transportation (not including full accommodations nor food) when using the Alaska Maritime Highway System ferries as well as the bus to and from Seattle and the ferry terminal at Bellingham is $1519.98-and it’s not do-able in 7 days.  

 

Wow.  What a run-on.

[depplep]

On 8/28/2023 at 1:41 PM, TPgal said:

I think we might have been on the same sailing (8/12).  We had only sailed on smaller ships and liked many things about the Bliss (club balcony as well) but the lines...it took us 90 minutes to get to a bus in Sitka, because the port times were so short waiting until later wasn't an option.

 

I agree that the noise level in the atrium was bonkers.  How on earth can origami be so loud?  But, every butt attending the atrium events is a butt that is not in a lounge chair somewhere else. 

We liked the waterfront, and didn't find it extremely crowded, but it was a struggle to find a spot for our party of five.  Wait, maybe we were the problem, but we weren't this lady sleeping in the observation lounge... too bad her room didn't come with a bed.

 

Some people have no shame. I gotta know, was she wearing shoes?

Edited August 29, 2023 by depplep
Addition

[latebuyer]

This is too bad as iwas planning a trip on the bliss to mexico. Just curious to people find the small ships less busy then these big ships%?