Alaska Cruise Itinerary

[africanviolet]

Hi,

We are looking at an Alaska cruise on the Norwegian Bliss in June 2024.  This will be my first Alaska cruise.  The itinerary looks a bit chopped up to me, meaning short times in port.  Is this a good itinerary or do other cruise lines offer a better itinerary for a 7 day cruise in Alaska?  Which ports are must see?  Here is the itinerary:

 

Seattle 5pm Embark

Day 1 At Sea

Day 2 Sitka 11-6

Day 3 Juneau 7-1:30

Day 4 Icy Strait Point 7-3

Day 5 Ketchikan 6:30-1:15

Day 6 Victoria 8pm-11:59pm

Day 7 Seattle 6am Disembark

 

Thanks so much!!

 

[coolrider71]

I have done quite a few of Alaska cruises. NCL has the farthest docks away from from town and the shortest port times. Those port times will allow you to go into town OR do an excursion, not both. I actually like the itinerary because Sitka and Icy Straight Point are my favorite ports. Princess and Holland America are better cruise lines for experiencing Alaska. They usually dock right in town and have between 8 and 12 hours in port. That way you can do an excursion and still see the town. Most people prefer Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan with Glacier Bay on the itinerary. 

[africanviolet]

Hi coolrider71,

Thanks for your response.  How is RCCL for Alaska?  Thanks again.

[coolrider71]

I have done quite a few of Alaska cruises. NCL has the farthest docks away from from town and the shortest port times. Those port times will allow you to go into town OR do an excursion, not both. I actually like the itinerary because Sitka and Icy Straight Point are my favorite ports. Princess and Holland America are better cruise lines for experiencing Alaska. They usually dock right in town and have between 8 and 12 hours in port. That way you can do an excursion and still see the town. Most people prefer Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan with Glacier Bay on the itinerary.                                                                                                                                                                                                          We have not tried RCL yet but would love to. Princess is great. Holland America is very nice but boring. I prefer NCL for the nightlife, thermal spa, and non-smoking casino. Of those 3 I think Princess has the better food. All subjective!          

[karatemom2]

NCL Bliss Alaska itinerary is practically worthless if your goal is to get to spend time in Alaska and see the ports. We have cruised on NCL and in general had good experiences, but would never, ever choose them for Alaska with an itinerary like this, and with their remote port location in Ketchikan which we experienced once - never again!

 

We have cruised primarily on Princess in Alaska - they offer the best overall experience and itineraries in our estimation. Holland America has some good options as well, but skews a bit elderly for our family. I don't believe RCI is allowed to go to Glacier Bay which is a deal breaker for many, especially if it is a first Alaska cruise. 

 

But whatever you choose - do not choose this! The port times are absurd!

[africanviolet]

Hi Karatemom2,

 

RCI is cruising to Icy Strait Point and Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier.  Is one of these the same as Glacier Bay?  Thanks so much for your help!!

[Northern Aurora]

7 minutes ago, africanviolet said:

Hi Karatemom2,

 

RCI is cruising to Icy Strait Point and Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier.  Is one of these the same as Glacier Bay?  Thanks so much for your help!!

 

ISP, Endicott Arm and Dawes are not the same as Glacier Bay.  

 

And my perspective, as someone who lives in Alaska, is that Glacier Bay is not an "absolute must see."  The glaciers in Glacier Bay are retreating.

[Tapi]

If you want more time in port, you may want to consider “one way” sailings to/from Vancouver to/from Whittier or Seward. Those will provide more time at each port since the ship doesn’t waste time sailing round trip. Instead, it can spend more time in ports. It’s a long distance from Seattle to Alaska and back. 

About Glacier Bay, it was recommended to us that we looked for an itinerary that included it, so we did, and it didn’t disappoint. It was, by far, the highlight of that cruise. It was breathtaking. Photos and videos simply couldn’t do it justice. Glad we didn’t skip it. 
 

The itinerary that we chose for our first Alaska cruise was similar to yours (roundtrip from Seattle) and with limited port times, but we booked it for convenience since it was our first time going there. It worked out very well, and we  still had enough time to do something very enjoyable at each port.

 

Contrary to itineraries in places like the Caribbean, the beautiful scenery doesn’t stop the moment the ship leaves port. You continue enjoying the breathtaking views as the ship sails the inside passage and between ports, so don’t be too discouraged about the shortened port times. You’ll still see plenty on your first Alaska cruise. 

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by Tapi

[donaldsc]

On 9/20/2023 at 10:18 AM, africanviolet said:

Hi,

We are looking at an Alaska cruise on the Norwegian Bliss in June 2024.  This will be my first Alaska cruise.  The itinerary looks a bit chopped up to me, meaning short times in port.  Is this a good itinerary or do other cruise lines offer a better itinerary for a 7 day cruise in Alaska?  Which ports are must see?  Here is the itinerary:

 

Seattle 5pm Embark

Day 1 At Sea

Day 2 Sitka 11-6

Day 3 Juneau 7-1:30

Day 4 Icy Strait Point 7-3

Day 5 Ketchikan 6:30-1:15

Day 6 Victoria 8pm-11:59pm

Day 7 Seattle 6am Disembark

 

Thanks so much!!

 

 

Did you figure out how long you will actually be on land during your 7 day cruise.  Did you also notice how much of your time that you are on land you will be early in the morning when nothing is open.  This is a totally ridiculous cruise.

 

DON

Edited September 21, 2023 by donaldsc

[karatemom2]

2 hours ago, africanviolet said:

Hi Karatemom2,

 

RCI is cruising to Icy Strait Point and Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier.  Is one of these the same as Glacier Bay?  Thanks so much for your help!!

 

No, that is not Glacier Bay, but another scenic cruising area with a glacier. It is very pretty, but in my estimation not as impressive as Glacier Bay which is a National Park where you see more than just one glacier, not to mention the other scenery and abundant wildlife. Also, we have been on cruises with Endicott Arm as the only scenic day where they ship has been unable to get to the glacier due to ice in the water - we have never missed our day in Glacier Bay. I think for a first time Alaska cruiser, Glacier Bay is a must see. 

[Coral]

RCI is not great in Alaska IMO. You need Glacier Bay on your first trip.

[surgie]

My husband and I took a cruise on Celebrity in 2015 and are going with RCCL next June with our multi-generation family. We thought Hubbard Glacier was stunning! We had a perfectly clear day and got fairly close to the glacier. This is the luck of the day whether you can see any particular glacier/s. But I can't compare it to GB having not been there. For us, paying for 4 cabins, RCCL had better pricing for our dates and we are happy with the ports and time in port. 

[Coral]

11 hours ago, surgie said:

My husband and I took a cruise on Celebrity in 2015 and are going with RCCL next June with our multi-generation family. We thought Hubbard Glacier was stunning! We had a perfectly clear day and got fairly close to the glacier. This is the luck of the day whether you can see any particular glacier/s. But I can't compare it to GB having not been there. For us, paying for 4 cabins, RCCL had better pricing for our dates and we are happy with the ports and time in port. 

Glacier Bay is rarely skipped and ship's seem to be able to get closer compared to Hubbard. I have missed Hubbard several times. So much better odds with Glacier Bay.

 

You lucked out. My first cruise to Hubbard, we were 9 miles away.

[laudergayle]

We did NCL Bliss out if Seattle mid May 2022.  The port times in Ketchikan and Victoria were not optimal.  We never even saw Dawes Glacier as there was too much ice to even make the bend to see it.  Definitely wouldn’t recommend the Bliss.  Encore (also out of Seattle) might be s little better…they do Glacier Bay.  This May we are doing NCL Jewel from Vancouver to Seward so we can actually enjoy the ports and see Glacier Bay.

[v3cruiser]

We have not done alaska yet but are doing the trip on the ncl jewel from seward to vancouver. it looks like we have a lot more time in port with a one way cruise. We browsed other ncl cruises but port times were short and the stop in victoria and sea day before seemed like waisted days.  

[africanviolet]

18 hours ago, laudergayle said:

We did NCL Bliss out if Seattle mid May 2022.  The port times in Ketchikan and Victoria were not optimal.  We never even saw Dawes Glacier as there was too much ice to even make the bend to see it.  Definitely wouldn’t recommend the Bliss.  Encore (also out of Seattle) might be s little better…they do Glacier Bay.  This May we are doing NCL Jewel from Vancouver to Seward so we can actually enjoy the ports and see Glacier Bay.

Hi laudergayle, did you see any glaciers on the NCL Bliss cruise?  Thanks.

[laudergayle]

10 minutes ago, africanviolet said:

Hi laudergayle, did you see any glaciers on the NCL Bliss cruise?  Thanks.

We walked out to Mendenhall Glacier, but you don’t really get a great view.  Other than that we didn’t see any.  We had booked the NCL excursion in Juneau where you take a smaller boat yo get close up to Dawes Glacier, but that was also cancelled due to ice.

[Coral]

56 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

We walked out to Mendenhall Glacier, but you don’t really get a great view.  Other than that we didn’t see any.  We had booked the NCL excursion in Juneau where you take a smaller boat yo get close up to Dawes Glacier, but that was also cancelled due to ice.

Mendenhall is not worth visiting anymore IMO - it has retreated so much. Landing on Mendenhall would be an entirely different experience.

[africanviolet]

2 hours ago, laudergayle said:

We walked out to Mendenhall Glacier, but you don’t really get a great view.  Other than that we didn’t see any.  We had booked the NCL excursion in Juneau where you take a smaller boat yo get close up to Dawes Glacier, but that was also cancelled due to ice.

Laudergayle, is the Bliss scheduled to cruise by Dawes Glacier on this itinerary?  I know you mentioned the cruise you were on didn't because of ice in the water.  Dawes Glacier is not mentioned on the itinerary.  Thanks again.

[laudergayle]

17 minutes ago, africanviolet said:

Laudergayle, is the Bliss scheduled to cruise by Dawes Glacier on this itinerary?  I know you mentioned the cruise you were on didn't because of ice in the water.  Dawes Glacier is not mentioned on the itinerary.  Thanks again.

Is this the one you’re looking at?  https://www.ncl.com/cruises/7-day-alaska-round-trip-seattle-dawes-glacier-juneau-and-ketchikan-BLISS7SEASITJNUICYKTNVICSEA?destinations=4294949410&sailMonths=4294949347&numberOfGuests=4294949461&sortBy=featured&autoPopulate=f&from=resultpage&itineraryCode=BLISS7SEASITJNUICYKTNVICSEA
 

 

[donaldsc]

2 hours ago, Coral said:

Mendenhall is not worth visiting anymore IMO - it has retreated so much. Landing on Mendenhall would be an entirely different experience.

 

When we did Mendenhall this summer our guide said that in a year or so you will not be able to see any of the glacier at all from the normal easily accessible viewing sites.

 

DON

[africanviolet]

6 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Is this the one you’re looking at?  https://www.ncl.com/cruises/7-day-alaska-round-trip-seattle-dawes-glacier-juneau-and-ketchikan-BLISS7SEASITJNUICYKTNVICSEA?destinations=4294949410&sailMonths=4294949347&numberOfGuests=4294949461&sortBy=featured&autoPopulate=f&from=resultpage&itineraryCode=BLISS7SEASITJNUICYKTNVICSEA
Laudergayle, Yes, that's the one.  I didn't realize Dawes Glacier was part of the itinerary before.  It appears NCL does go to Glacier Bay on a longer itinerary or in September/October.  If I had been the one organizing the cruise from the onset I would have chosen Princess instead.  Thanks again!!

 

[laudergayle]

16 minutes ago, africanviolet said:

appears NCL does go to Glacier Bay on a longer itinerary or in September/October

The sister ship to Bliss goes to Glacier Bay in June… and that ship is Encore. If that is important to you, you could probably switch with no penalty..cost may differ.  If not, you will still enjoy Bliss.  If you can swing the excursion from Juneau to get close to Dawes Glacier…do it.  It is somewhat confusing…when we went the excursion time was like 2 pm, when the ship was only in Juneau till 1:30 pm.  That’s because they pick you up at the dock in Juneau, cruise the glacier, then deliver you back to the ship several hours later while it is anchored to see the glacier from a distance. Hope that makes sense.  Enjoy.

 

BTW, Bliss is a beautiful ship and far exceeds the amenities you will find on Princess.  Food, especially the specialty restaurants, are excellent.

Edited September 24, 2023 by laudergayle

[karatemom2]

6 hours ago, laudergayle said:

The sister ship to Bliss goes to Glacier Bay in June… and that ship is Encore. If that is important to you, you could probably switch with no penalty..cost may differ.  If not, you will still enjoy Bliss.  If you can swing the excursion from Juneau to get close to Dawes Glacier…do it.  It is somewhat confusing…when we went the excursion time was like 2 pm, when the ship was only in Juneau till 1:30 pm.  That’s because they pick you up at the dock in Juneau, cruise the glacier, then deliver you back to the ship several hours later while it is anchored to see the glacier from a distance. Hope that makes sense.  Enjoy.

 

BTW, Bliss is a beautiful ship and far exceeds the amenities you will find on Princess.  Food, especially the specialty restaurants, are excellent.

We have cruised on the Bliss, Encore and other NCL ships as well as virtually all the Princess ships, including the new Royal class. We enjoy both, but Princess edges NCL by far in Alaska. Their ships are beautiful, food excellent, staterooms and balconies much larger and quality of service and entertainment is on par. We don’t miss outdoor slides and go kart tracks when our focus is the ports. 
 

Alaska is a magical destination with so much to see and that means you need time in your ports. It is not a place where a simple walk around town and stop in a shop or two is sufficient. Unfortunately the round trip Seattle itineraries offered by NCL, including Encore, are just truly abysmal in terms of the actual time in these wonderful Alaska ports. We have been to Alaska on both lines and without a doubt Princess offers a superior Alaska experience. 

[Coral]

12 hours ago, laudergayle said:

The sister ship to Bliss goes to Glacier Bay in June… and that ship is Encore. If that is important to you, you could probably switch with no penalty..cost may differ.  If not, you will still enjoy Bliss.  If you can swing the excursion from Juneau to get close to Dawes Glacier…do it.  It is somewhat confusing…when we went the excursion time was like 2 pm, when the ship was only in Juneau till 1:30 pm.  That’s because they pick you up at the dock in Juneau, cruise the glacier, then deliver you back to the ship several hours later while it is anchored to see the glacier from a distance. Hope that makes sense.  Enjoy.

 

BTW, Bliss is a beautiful ship and far exceeds the amenities you will find on Princess.  Food, especially the specialty restaurants, are excellent.

I think it comes down - does the original poster want to have fun on the ship or see Alaska? NCL itineraries are weak and have limited amount of time in port.

 

I do not recommend Dawes glacier.

Edited September 25, 2023 by Coral