Rare Ferry_Watcher Posted April 6 #1 Share Posted April 6 Welcome to NCL Bliss. This morning, just before 7 AM, my spouse asks, 'why is there a cruise ship sailing by?' I quickly looked at the Port of Seattle Cruise Schedule (which is sitting next to my desk), and I realized it was the Bliss. I grabbed my phone and took this photo from my deck. Looking forward to the Cruise Season (and getting back to work at Pier 91). 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psuboater Posted April 6 #2 Share Posted April 6 Happy cruise season! Welcome to everyone coming to our corner of the country 🙂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julia Posted April 6 #3 Share Posted April 6 Yaaaaay! We are 30 days out from our Noordam cruise to Alaska! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 1025cruise Posted April 6 #4 Share Posted April 6 NCL keeps pushing the season earlier and later. I can't believe the ports will be ready for cruise traffic this early. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted April 6 #5 Share Posted April 6 44 minutes ago, 1025cruise said: NCL keeps pushing the season earlier and later. I can't believe the ports will be ready for cruise traffic this early. Is it doing Alaska this sailing, or some modified route because Alaska isn't "open" yet? Like Vancouver or Victoria, Astoria, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Ferry_Watcher Posted April 6 Author #6 Share Posted April 6 22 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said: Is it doing Alaska this sailing, or some modified route because Alaska isn't "open" yet? Like Vancouver or Victoria, Astoria, etc. Hi @CruiserBruce, It's a 7 day Alaska round trip. It was on a coastal cruise this past week ending in Vancouver yesterday. I am not sure if they had offered a 1 night cruise Vancouver - Seattle last night (April 5th), or whether it sailed to Seattle empty. Arriving in Seattle after 7 AM is late for any ship, so maybe the crew had a one day break before the start of the Alaska season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 1025cruise Posted April 6 #7 Share Posted April 6 On the NCL board, someone who is boarding today (I think) mentioned that their Port Valet was cancelled. Claim is that NCL isn't participating this year. Rumor is that it's too early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Ferry_Watcher Posted April 7 Author #8 Share Posted April 7 Less than 12 hours later, the Bliss sets off on time, on it's first sailing of the 2024 season to Alaska. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat915 Posted April 7 #9 Share Posted April 7 Yay. I have 70 days until my alaska cruise 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashpalo Posted April 7 #10 Share Posted April 7 2 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said: Less than 12 hours later, the Bliss sets off on time, on it's first sailing of the 2024 season to Alaska. You have an amazing view!! I’m heading your way in 31 days! Can’t wait! Thank you for all the information you provide on this board. It’s been very helpful as I plan my 2 days in Seattle and my Spirit Cruise to Alaska 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urban trekker Posted April 8 #11 Share Posted April 8 The Bliss sailed empty from Vancouver to Seattle - probably hard to do a one nighter with her due to the tide situation for going under the Lions Gate Bridge. P.S. - just got off the coastal sailing so was told this by ship's staff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Ferry_Watcher Posted April 8 Author #12 Share Posted April 8 12 hours ago, Urban trekker said: The Bliss sailed empty from Vancouver to Seattle Hopefully the hard working crew were rewarded with some well deserved time off. Thanks for letting us know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piperpals Posted April 8 #13 Share Posted April 8 The Bliss was in Port in Vancouver on Friday, I go through there on my way home and there were definitely people boarding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare martincath Posted April 9 #14 Share Posted April 9 22 hours ago, Piperpals said: The Bliss was in Port in Vancouver on Friday, I go through there on my way home and there were definitely people boarding. The 'empty' cruises can be filled with employees without any CBP/PVSA issues, I think also professional 'freebies' for travel agents to let them experience the ship. Plus there might have been a bunch of new crew flown into YVR to start their contracts. So seeing even quite a large number of people going up the gangplank, it could still easily be a 'non revenue' cruise. As Dennis says, persuading people to pay for a one night cruise is probably tricky if tide timings prevent port (in/e)gress during civilized hours, but employees and freebie-getters won't complain!!!! 😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeromep Posted April 9 #15 Share Posted April 9 I looked at the weather up in SE Alaska. It is a chilly, and damp day, by Pacific Northwest spring standards. I hope that those Bilss pax are prepared for the weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njhorseman Posted April 10 #16 Share Posted April 10 6 hours ago, martincath said: The 'empty' cruises can be filled with employees without any CBP/PVSA issues, I think also professional 'freebies' for travel agents to let them experience the ship. Plus there might have been a bunch of new crew flown into YVR to start their contracts. So seeing even quite a large number of people going up the gangplank, it could still easily be a 'non revenue' cruise. As Dennis says, persuading people to pay for a one night cruise is probably tricky if tide timings prevent port (in/e)gress during civilized hours, but employees and freebie-getters won't complain!!!! 😉 A cruise from Vancouver to Seattle can be a revenue cruise without violating the PVSA. The passengers would be embarking in Canada and disembarking in the USA, which makes it a perfectly legal voyage. The PVSA only comes into play if passengers were being carried from one US port to a different US port without making a call at a distant foreign port. That having been said there likely would be little or no demand for a one night Vancouver to Seattle cruise and the people who were seen boarding in Seattle were likely crew coming aboard for the start of their contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cynt Posted April 11 #17 Share Posted April 11 Thx @Ferry_Watcher We board the Quantum in a few months. Can we come and crash at your house a couple of nights before our cruise? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julia Posted April 11 #18 Share Posted April 11 FYI: This ship (Bliss) called on Juneau today, opening an even longer Alaskan cruise season. Not everyone is happy about this in Alaska, with many residents in the major port towns forming groups to curb the cruising industry. Google it. I'm actually a proponent... especially with the mega ships now in these small ports, and 10k-15k passengers on any given day. It's pretty crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Ferry_Watcher Posted April 11 Author #19 Share Posted April 11 13 hours ago, cynt said: Thx @Ferry_Watcher We board the Quantum in a few months. Can we come and crash at your house a couple of nights before our cruise? LOL, not only that, but you can drive in with me in the morning and be one of the first passengers in line. : ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeromep Posted April 11 #20 Share Posted April 11 14 hours ago, julia said: FYI: This ship (Bliss) called on Juneau today, opening an even longer Alaskan cruise season. Not everyone is happy about this in Alaska, with many residents in the major port towns forming groups to curb the cruising industry. Google it. I'm actually a proponent... especially with the mega ships now in these small ports, and 10k-15k passengers on any given day. It's pretty crazy. The piece from Alaska Public Media was more positive. They interviewed a couple of passengers and some of the local vendors and didn't get much in terms of negative feedback about the season starting this early. https://alaskapublic.org/2024/04/10/cruise-ship-season-begins-in-juneau/ https://alaskapublic.org/2024/04/08/juneau-had-a-record-breaking-cruise-season-last-year-this-year-should-be-about-the-same/ But apparently there are forces that want to flatten or reduce the number of passengers that get off ships on any given day. https://www.juneauempire.com/news/first-cruise-ship-of-the-season-arrives-to-welcomes-planned-protest/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrFUN Posted May 7 #21 Share Posted May 7 On 4/6/2024 at 7:45 AM, Ferry_Watcher said: Welcome to NCL Bliss. This morning, just before 7 AM, my spouse asks, 'why is there a cruise ship sailing by?' I quickly looked at the Port of Seattle Cruise Schedule (which is sitting next to my desk), and I realized it was the Bliss. I grabbed my phone and took this photo from my deck. Looking forward to the Cruise Season (and getting back to work at Pier 91). Great photo!! 🩷Would be grateful for your expert advice about Pier 91 for HAL's Westerdam this May: (1) Can private limo companies drop us off right where the Stevedores can get our luggage right from the vehicle? (We can't lug the larger bags.) (2) Is it true that Priority boarding pass pax have a separate line and can come earlier (10:45 am) than the posted 12 noon embarkation time? (3) On disembarkation can private limo service also pick us up near where the porters assist us through the terminal to outside? Many thanks!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Ferry_Watcher Posted May 7 Author #22 Share Posted May 7 1 hour ago, DrFUN said: (1) Can private limo companies drop us off right where the Stevedores can get our luggage right from the vehicle? (We can't lug the larger bags.) (2) Is it true that Priority boarding pass pax have a separate line and can come earlier (10:45 am) than the posted 12 noon embarkation time? (3) On disembarkation can private limo service also pick us up near where the porters assist us through the terminal to outside? 1 & 3). Yes, private limo vehicles can enter the "U" shaped driveway area in front of the Pier 91 Terminal building.during drop off (embarkation) and can pick you up during Disembarkation. 2). Re Priority Boarding - each cruise line does it a bit differently. I am not sure which cruise line you are cruising on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrFUN Posted May 7 #23 Share Posted May 7 Thanks so much for your wonderful response! RE: Priority early embarkation at Seattle: We are in HOLLAND AMERICA (HAL). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoberDogLover Posted May 25 #24 Share Posted May 25 (edited) On 5/6/2024 at 7:50 PM, Ferry_Watcher said: 1 & 3). Yes, private limo vehicles can enter the "U" shaped driveway area in front of the Pier 91 Terminal building.during drop off (embarkation) and can pick you up during Disembarkation. 2). Re Priority Boarding - each cruise line does it a bit differently. I am not sure which cruise line you are cruising on. @Ferry_Watcher RE 2) We are sailing Celebrity Edge out of terminal 91. We have booked The Retreat and are wondering if there is priority boarding and a waiting area if necessary. Been reading all your tips. THANKS! They are helping me with the pre-travel here's what I need to know anxiety! Edited May 25 by SoberDogLover Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Ferry_Watcher Posted May 25 Author #25 Share Posted May 25 50 minutes ago, SoberDogLover said: @Ferry_Watcher RE 2) We are sailing Celebrity Edge out of terminal 91. We have booked The Retreat and are wondering if there is priority boarding and a waiting area if necessary. Been reading all your tips. THANKS! They are helping me with the pre-travel here's what I need to know anxiety! Thank you for the kind words. There is priority boarding for Retreat guests. Either make yourself known to the pier side Retreat Hosts outside the terminal building (Pier workers, usually wearing red magic lamp pins), or walk to the Priority signed terminal entrance towards the right-side of the building and identify yourself as Retreat.. The Edge does offer separate seating and light refreshments for Retreat Guests once you go thru security screening and check-in.. The planned opening for terminal doors (EDGE) is 10 AM, and the expected time for embarkation for the EDGE is 10:45 AM. Every cruise day is a little different, but this is the expected schedule. Also, I was on the EDGE's first sailing of the Alaska season, so I may be able to answer any general questions you might have. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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