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BLISSfully sailing Alaska - Live report 6/23/18

CruizinCutieJulia
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ccm02339

ccm02339

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I’m following your adventures!! We are headed to Alaska next week and I’m looking forward to hear all about the stops along the way. How fun that you are traveling with your friend. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences!!

 

 

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CruizinCutieJulia

CruizinCutieJulia

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Monday June 25th - Ketchikan

 

No shore excursions planned. We were off the ship just after 9. I had been up for awhile and had breakfast in the buffet.

 

The one thing i really love about this ship is that they have taken care to design spaces that flow and disperse people well. The buffet is gigantic but they rotate the stations well so they repeat frequently and if you know this don’t have to wonder through for so long or you can get the freshest looking selection. For example- I wanted scrambled eggs this morning but I like my scramble well done. The first 2 stations had slightly less done eggs and I found the most perfectly fresh hard scrambled eggs at the 3rd station and I told the chef he was awesome and the eggs were just how I love them!!!

 

We walked around the shops near port and then creek st. I tried an Alaskan Beer and chatted with the bartender at Dwyer’s king crab. The beer was great- and I have no idea what it was. Let me know if you are interested, I’ll go back through all of our pictures to find the taps.

 

We bought a few souvenirs and were back on board around 1230 for lunch and hot tub time at spice h2o.

 

It’s getting colder so we napped in the room and watched sail away from our balcony. So we could bundle up and not be tempted to drink the afternoon away with Johnny chi and the guys at cavern club. It’s a light night for us as were whale watching tomorrow in Juneau at 730am!

 

Going to see Havana after dinner in the MDR and may call it a night shortly after.

 

 

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adjensen

adjensen

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The beer was great- and I have no idea what it was. Let me know if you are interested, I’ll go back through all of our pictures to find the taps.

 

Probably Alaskan? They make a lot of really good beers!

 

Post the taps, though, we're up there next year.

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CruizinCutieJulia

CruizinCutieJulia

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Juneau yesterday was a blast! I had booked a 3 hour whale watching tour on ShoreExcursioneer with Alaska Galore who also runs Harv and marvs for those of you doing research I think i heard Harv and marvs most frequently when looking who to book with. It was a great experience all around and we saw so many whales! It was a small group, just 16 of us on a the boat. Everyone had a prime location to see and snap pictures. Megan our guide was knowledgeable and fun. She really likes her job and was just as enthusiastic to be spotting whales as we were. As a special treat, on our ride back we got to see a Pod of 4 orcas swimming together. Orcas have been rare sightings this year they had said!!

 

It was truly awesome!!

 

Back on board was 1pm, sail away 130. It is cold here in the 50s and windy, when the rain comes it feels like ice pelting you in the face. We hung out in the room for a couple hours and decided to venture out for glacier viewing. The bow of the ship would be opened for guests, we did run up to take pictures before it got too crowded, we decided it was best to find another home base to watch the scenery. We finally planted at spice h2o since it is outside you have access to 180 degree views and their heaters are usually pretty good at taking the chill off. It worked out great!!! We had great views all the way to the glacier, and when you get as far as you can go, the ship does a full circle so everyone can see. Then as you leave it is simply amazing to continue to see it it in the distance. I only have a few pictures - my phone has been getting increasingly weird, but I’ll share what I have of course!!!

 

 

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Cyclops32

Cyclops32

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Were there a lot of families with kids that on the June 23rd Bliss cruise or more of an older crowd?

 

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I was told when we board they expected 1000 kids and I can believe it. Lots of large families and it is rare to see just a couple together with no kids

 

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CruizinCutieJulia

CruizinCutieJulia

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I was told when we board they expected 1000 kids and I can believe it. Lots of large families and it is rare to see just a couple together with no kids

 

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I believe that!!!! Thanks for providing the number, i was too scared to ask at check in because I knew that i could already see and hear a ton of kids

 

 

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CruizinCutieJulia

CruizinCutieJulia

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Yesterday we visited the port of Skagway. We arrived early in the morning and it was tough to get moving!!!

 

I was worried that cruising in Alaska would be a sleepy vacation, port intense and shore excursions, keeping everyone busy during the day and then the cold weather encouraging early bedtimes for usually an older crowd. NOT ON THE BLISS!! If you are at all worried about missing the party vibe of a Caribbean itinerary, you should sail the bliss. We have been out late at various parties and dancing all week.

 

So... Skagway is the longest port stop this itinerary. I couldn’t be certain but it felt like most everyone on the shipper booked the train to White pass and the Yukon. The line for the train as we debarked this morning was so long you couldn’t read the sign to see what the line was for! I was interested in this excursion and traveling into the Yukon Territory, but organized tours aren’t really “my thing”. A little bit of research uncovered a DIY Jeep rental and tour. I can’t say enough good things about this company and excursion. It was an easy walk into Skagway, where so many other passengers were headed. We filled out the obligatory forms and were headed out of town in less than 15 minutes. The tour gives you a CD that provides a brief history and information of the area and directions of things to see. There is also a custom binder to follow a long with and sites to see or viewpoints to maximize your trip. It was so easy to follow along with pictures to verify you are at the right places. The views and photo opportunities along the route to carcross and emerald lake.

 

All on board was 5pm in Skagway. I believe at least 1 of the ship tours ran late because we were not aboard until well after 530 and delayed leaving port until after 6pm. 745 dinner reservation at la Cucina and then 1030 jersey boys and then 1130 90s party as well as losing an hour to time change kept us out and well served at the bar until nearly 3am last night (I think... please refer to the “well served” above)

 

It’s a slow sea day so far, but a pleasant surprise was World Cup soccer on the big screen on pool deck and a lot of people enjoying it wrapped in blankets and having wonderfully warm seafood chowder being served poolside!!

 

 

 

 

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CruizinCutieJulia

CruizinCutieJulia

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Thursday our last day at sea for the week was chilly, overcast and rained on and off. The ship was flying and with higher winds we were rocking and rolling!!! It was a quiet day- a large crowd on the pool deck for the England vs. Belgium World Cup game.

 

I was slightly over served during the 90s party so we spent the majority of the afternoon napping in the room listening to the waves. We woke to screams from the balcony above us and saw and great show happening just off the port side - a small whale [emoji229] jumping and diving alongside the ship for close to 5 minutes!! It was awesome.

 

Dinner at cagneys was amazing, my first time trying it. The ladies sitting beside us were complainers and they never really stopped telling us (unsolicited) how much they didn’t like things about the ship. We suffered through and headed out to see our favorite staff and bartenders for the night!! It was an early night but we held on til midnight before bowing out.774035bd6aeb4e45616e009f6fb77951.jpg308e07567ca2d85f28cc400720f5a48b.jpgad5694daef78e6f7e62529d7f08d7b07.jpg

 

 

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