Aug to Alaska on Norwegian Bliss w. 10 yr old

[sue2020]

I have a tentative reservation on Bliss for Alaska on Aug 9. This would be our first ever cruise and it would be w. our 10 yr old grandson. We don't have flexibility regarding timing and location. I have a few questions:

 

- how warm is the water in the outdoor pool on Bliss?

- how much time does one get for $15 on the race track and how much time for $10 for laser tag?

- which included eating location is less crowded and best with kids for breakfast?

- can one watch the glacier from the balcony (we have room 12814, mid-ship)

- is there a long wait for lunch in the main dinner locations between 12 & 1pm?

- are the water park and the race track safe and appropriate for a 10 yr old (knowing that weight and height requirements are met)?

- if you took this cruise in August, was it very rainy and cold?

 

I am trying to figure out if this is the "right" cruise for us. 

 

Any other comments, suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[kitkat343]

The weather in Alaska is unpredictable - we had lovely weather in late May, other years it snows then.  There’s a ton for kids to do in Alaska, and there will be a lot of kids on the ship.  It’s a good choice for a first family cruise.  Consider private tours to save money and think about the deadliest catch tour, and if you can afford it the temsco helicopter to dogsled excursion is amazing, but very expensive. There’s more detail in my cruise review in my signature line about independent excursions.  
 

 

this is a good place to post your questions, but if no one answers the questions about the ship I’d repost on the Norwegian board also.   Have a great trip!

Edited February 8, 2020 by kitkat343

[sue2020]

Thanks for your helpful answer and suggestions. I would love to read your review but (excuse my ignorance) I could not figure out how to get to it......

[kitkat343]

sure - actually this was my first review and pretty short.  So I cut and pasted the relevant info here:

 

The ports were excellent, and we had adequate time in all of the ports to enjoy many activities. In particular, we loved the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour in Ketchikan (which is fascinating and great for families), and the Temsco helicopter to Dog Sled camp in Skagway (please note that Temsco is the subcontractor for the helicopter tours for the cruise ships, and you can save 10% by booking directly through their company. Also, if you choose to visit a dog sled camp, please make sure you do it in Skagway, not Juneau since the weather is a bit more stable in Skagway. Also, please try to book your helicopter tour in the morning, since helicopter tours are often cancelled due to inclement weather. If your helicopter is scheduled for the morning, you will have a better chance of it being rescheduled for the afternoon, instead of the tour being cancelled outright. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that you will be able to participate in this amazing activity due to the unpredictable Alaskan weather).    There is also the Mt. Roberts Tramway in Juneau that leads to lovely hiking trails.  

 

But actually at 10 you might want to have your grandson look at the ship's excursions and think about which ones he's most interested in.  Then you can duplicate those excursions with private vendors (trip advisor is where I find most of mine, and you can also try the Alaska board to see what they recommend.)

[sue2020]

The above helpful info is much appreciated. I will look into the suggested offshore activities.