Norwegian Bliss Juneau port time

Does anyone have any idea why the port time in Juneau is so short? Do you have to been onboard 2 hours prior to leaving a port?

Does anyone have any idea why the port time in Juneau is so short? Do you have to been onboard 2 hours prior to leaving a port?

I just looked at the 2018 Alaska schedule for Bliss. Terrible port times. The times are so they can get from one place to the other from one day to the next. They also have [potentially] twice as many people to unload and load compared to Pearl or Jewel - though I don't know how this would really affect how much time the ship is docked. I believe the 2-hours prior to departure and after docking is referring to the beginning and end of the cruise, not the individual port stops. At the ports people generally were back on by about 30-minutes or so of the scheduled departure time - a couple times we left some early because, I assume, everyone was back on the ship and accounted for before the scheduled departure time.

Does anyone have any idea why the port time in Juneau is so short? Do you have to been onboard 2 hours prior to leaving a port?

The Bliss and Pearl split time in Juneau at AJ dock, so they are both only there a 1/2 day. You need to be onboard 30 minutes prior to the posted departure time. 2hrs is only for embarkation day.

It's short because after leaving port the ship heads to Tracy arm Fjord, make sure to book the Tracy arm excursion through NCL with Allen marine early. trust me it's the best excursion I've taken it the last 3 years while sailing on the Jewel. On last years trip we stopped and watched a bubble feeding grey whale and 2 different brown bears on the shoreline en route to the glacier.

This is why it is very important to look at itineraries before booking. Some people pick purely by ship and then realize later that the times in port or itinerary is lacking. I see this often with Bliss, Explorer, Solstice, etc...

I noticed this as well and am considering not booking but also due to the $1,949 price for a studio in June 2019. Juneau seems to be 2:30-11pm but Ketichan is 6am to 1pm as well.

What is really bizarre is Vancouver from 730 to midnight and then disembarking at 6am? Is no one supposed to sleep on this route???

I noticed this as well and am considering not booking but also due to the $1,949 price for a studio in June 2019. Juneau seems to be 2:30-11pm but Ketichan is 6am to 1pm as well.

What is really bizarre is Vancouver (do you mean Victoria?) from 730 to midnight and then disembarking at 6am? Is no one supposed to sleep on this route???

I assume you mean Victoria here. They really don't care if you get off the ship and visit Victoria. It is just required by law to visit a foreign port.

The RT Seattle trips have bad timing in ports as they have to travel farther. For this reason, the cruise lines often put some of their best (newer) ships on this route, or at least their best ships going to Alaska, on this route. For example the Bliss being new, the Explorer of the Seas, Solstice, etc...

I prefer the one way itineraries in order to try to get more port time and less "sea days".

I assume you mean Victoria here. They really don't care if you get off the ship and visit Victoria. It is just required by law to visit a foreign port.

 

The RT Seattle trips have bad timing in ports as they have to travel farther. For this reason, the cruise lines often put some of their best (newer) ships on this route, or at least their best ships going to Alaska, on this route. For example the Bliss being new, the Explorer of the Seas, Solstice, etc...

 

I prefer the one way itineraries in order to try to get more port time and less "sea days".

Yes sorry - my mistake :) Thanks for the good info as well about why they have to make the stop.

Don't forget the cruise lines make more money when passengers are onboard than when the majority are on shore. I am convinced this is just a business decision to recoup the investment in the Bliss.

I assume you mean Victoria here. They really don't care if you get off the ship and visit Victoria. It is just required by law to visit a foreign port.

 

The RT Seattle trips have bad timing in ports as they have to travel farther. For this reason, the cruise lines often put some of their best (newer) ships on this route, or at least their best ships going to Alaska, on this route. For example the Bliss being new, the Explorer of the Seas, Solstice, etc...

 

I prefer the one way itineraries in order to try to get more port time and less "sea days".

Don't forget the cruise lines make more money when passengers are onboard than when the majority are on shore. I am convinced this is just a business decision to recoup the investment in the Bliss.

I agree and am fine with it. I'm sure I'll have to take my kids again, assuming there are glaciers left big enough to be worth it. I've already been twice to Alaska, so this time, I really just wanted to check out a new ship and really didn't want a Caribbean route. When the kids get older, I'll do a one-way on a hopefully newish ship (I usually do Princess and I think they're still using some of the same ships they did about 20 years ago).