Alaska - Port or Starboard on the Bliss

[Hotspring]

We are booking a balcony next August on the Bliss.

Trying to determine if we should get a port or starboard cabin.

Understand that port is preferred for the narrative in Glacier Bay but we enjoy viewing the landscape and building layout of the little towns when the ship is at port. Can always move to the ample Observation lounges that the Bliss will have when in Glacier Bay.

 

Which side will likely offer the best town views?

[BirdTravels]

We are booking a balcony next August on the Bliss.

Trying to determine if we should get a port or starboard cabin.

Understand that port is preferred for the narrative in Glacier Bay but we enjoy viewing the landscape and building layout of the little towns when the ship is at port. Can always move to the ample Observation lounges that the Bliss will have when in Glacier Bay. Which side will likely offer the best town views?

 

Hate to disappoint you. The Bliss does NOT go to Glacier Bay. It goes to the Sawyer Glacier for an hour.

[zqvol]

It is impossible to say. The ship may dock with one side toward the dock one week, and the other facing the dock the next week. For what it is worth the spaces in AK are very tight even for a much smaller ship and you will have excellent land views whenever you are docked from either side of the ship.

[Langham1865]

Do what I am doing and splurge on an aft balcony and you don't have to worry about it!

[RD29P5]

Don't think anyone can give a definitive answer which side will have better views of town, at least until a few cruise's into the season. CLAA (cruise line agencies of Alaska) lists which dock each ship will dock at in port on their website, but 2018 isn't out yet.

[don't-use-real-name]

Previous post the berthing pier side is variable.

When sailing the inside passage there will be land on both sides the mainland going NB on the starboard - Vancouver Island

on the port side.

Returning the reverse this provided the Inside Passage is used both ways.

In open waters makes little difference you will be some 10-50 miles out to sea - land a speck on the horizon.

If the route takes you to Glacier Bay the ship will do one or more 360 degree turns for all to take in the glacier.

As mentioned above the Tracy Arm Sawyer glacier the ship goes into a narrow fjord and comes back out the

same way - the only inhibiting factor taking photos in the daylight - the passage out of the fjord may have a

degree less of sunlight - in this digital age should not make much of a difference.

 

When sailing away from the departure port get familiar with the ship - where is the best place to see the sights

and take photos - bear in mind the BLISS is a much larger ship than the others that have sailed this trip in the past.

The BLISS being a large ship should have lots or room on the top decks for that photo opt.

There will be crowds - get to that photo opt site early or if in a balcony cabin enjoy the view unhindered. If NCL is not

making announcements pester one of the crew to give you a heads up - beware of the rush stampede to get to the

photo shoot spot. Read the Dailies ships newspaper for clues and details times about the route.

 

The BLISS being the large ship it is anticipate delays moving the masses of folks on and off the ship -

This is NOT the small ship that you would be familiar with in this market. Shore excursions maybe sold out

or limitedly available - or on the other hand there may very well be an abundance knowing that are more folks

coming to visit !

 

Will be interesting to read the critic of what went well and what didn't - Next Year that is !

[FreestyleNovice]

I heard rumours on a birthday from some friend who has a friend that has a friend.. about future limiting some passages/cruise ships getting too close to the glaciers (in general). Anything true about that?

[VideoTech]

I heard rumours on a birthday from some friend who has a friend that has a friend.. about future limiting some passages/cruise ships getting too close to the glaciers (in general). Anything true about that?

 

The cruise ships cannot get to close to any glaciers that have a significant amount of ice floating in front of them. This tends to control how close they can go, at the discretion of the captain and subject to the rules in force for that particular cruise line. Thus, in recent years at Glacier Bay, they do not go very far up the Johns Hopkins inlet towards the glacier there; the inlet is usually filled with floating ice and too dangerous to navigate.

 

On the other hand, the Tarr inlet is wider and usually more clear, hence this is where the cruise ships go to provide close up views of the Margerie Galcier.

 

There is already a National Park Service limit on the number of cruise ships that can be in Glacier Bay at any one time, perhaps this is what your friend of a friend of a friend was referring to.

[don't-use-real-name]

The ice flows around where the ship navigates could be very troublesome -

The aft and forward thrusters and the rudder coming in contact with ice could cause

damage to these parts disabling maneuvering of the ship.

No we aren't talking Titanic icebergs but just enough pesky ice cubes unsuitable for cocktail drinking !

 

Maybe our resident Chief Engineer chengkp75 could care to comment further & Thanks !

[cruisecraze96]

Hate to disappoint you. The Bliss does NOT go to Glacier Bay. It goes to the Sawyer Glacier for an hour.

 

 

 

This is why we decided on the Pearl instead. Wanted to try the Bliss but decided we really preferred the itinerary on the Pearl for Alaska.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Hotspring]

This is why we decided on the Pearl instead. Wanted to try the Bliss but decided we really preferred the itinerary on the Pearl for Alaska.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Yes, you definitely will enjoy the Pearl. We did the same cruise on the Pearl in 2012 and enjoyed it.

However, we have graduated our taste to the Haven in which the Bliss offers greater number and value in the Haven cabins, particularly within the Spa Haven cabins. (No, we are not quite ready to swallow cost of the Haven Aft Cabins plus the $220/week spa pass per person if we went Aft as suggested in this string). I guess we are sacrificing time in Glacier Bay for less time in Sawyer, but the other 6 days we will be pampering ourselves from the masses on such a larger ship.

 

Thanks all for your input.

[FreestyleNovice]

The cruise ships cannot get to close to any glaciers that have a significant amount of ice floating in front of them. This tends to control how close they can go, at the discretion of the captain and subject to the rules in force for that particular cruise line. Thus, in recent years at Glacier Bay, they do not go very far up the Johns Hopkins inlet towards the glacier there; the inlet is usually filled with floating ice and too dangerous to navigate.

 

On the other hand, the Tarr inlet is wider and usually more clear, hence this is where the cruise ships go to provide close up views of the Margerie Galcier.

 

There is already a National Park Service limit on the number of cruise ships that can be in Glacier Bay at any one time, perhaps this is what your friend of a friend of a friend was referring to.

 

Thanks!! :)

[Caribbean Drifters]

my In-laws and our family both scored -700 rooms for a sailing next August, so we get the best of both worlds.