Tell me all I need to know about the Bliss

[OCVTSGIRL]

My friend and I are booked on the Bliss to Alaska in May 2025.  This will only be my third time sailing NCL.  My other cruises were with my husband and family on much smaller ships the last time being 14 years ago.  We almost always sail Royal Caribbean.  

 

I'm excited about seeing Alaska since neither of us have ever been and a bit nervous about cruising on a line and ship I know nothing about.  So please tell me all there is to know about the Bliss and the things that we shouldn't miss.

[zqvol]

Telling all there is to know involves writing a book. Search the NCL forum for Bliss and you will get lots of information. 

[BirdTravels]

25 minutes ago, OCVTSGIRL said:

My friend and I are booked on the Bliss to Alaska in May 2025.  This will only be my third time sailing NCL.  My other cruises were with my husband and family on much smaller ships the last time being 14 years ago.  We almost always sail Royal Caribbean.  

 

I'm excited about seeing Alaska since neither of us have ever been and a bit nervous about cruising on a line and ship I know nothing about.  So please tell me all there is to know about the Bliss and the things that we shouldn't miss.

NCL has two big ships doing R/T Alaska from Seattle, the Bliss and Encore, leaving on Saturdays and Sundays respectively. They are sisters, both purpose-built for sailing Alaska with large forward facing observation lounges, heated outdoor seating areas, heated pools and water slides. In terms of passenger counts, the Bliss and Encore are of similar size to Quantum class ships. Not too big, but definitely not small. 

 

The recommended cruise for first time Alaska cruiser is on the Encore which calls in Glacier Bay (Encore) versus the Dawes Glacier (Bliss). Similar itineraries, just different glaciers to visit. 

 

We sail to Alaska every year: 2019 Norwegian Joy (Dawes Glacier), 2021 Norwegian Encore (Dawes Glacier), 2022 Quantum of the Seas (Dawes Glacier), 2023 Norwegian Encore (Glacier Bay), 2024 Norwegian Encore (Glacier Bay). 

 

The following is a very old link to our live post on a cruise on the Bliss to the Dawes Glacier. 

 

The following link is our live post from a cruise on the Encore to Glacier Bay last year. 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 12:29 AM by BirdTravels

[EngrJones]

You're sailing on one of the two best ships in the NCL fleet.  That's all you need to know.  It's all downhill from here.

[RNCheryl]

our first NCL cruise was on the Bliss for our 50th anniversary with our extended family, including pre teens.  Our first cruise to Alaska was on Coral Princess, and remains our favorite cruise ever.  But Bliss had slides, race cars, and lots of teen things.

 

The best part was the lounge with floor to ceiling windows for cruising the glaciers.  Also enjoyed having a friend in an individual room.

 

The Beatles cover, Jersey Boys, and other entertainment was great.  This was 2019;

 

Food was good, not great, but no one was ever hungry.  Crew friendly and took good care of our kids.  Really enjoyed the Tapenyaki restaurant.

 

Biggest negative to me was the Atrium.  It was loud, crowded and not a place we wanted to be.

 

Recommend Bliss, but check Princess too.

[www3traveler]

Go to the Roll Call Section of this forum and find the thread for your particular cruise.

People are more than happy to answer your questions and make suggestions for you.

Enjoy the city of Seattle and your cruise.

[duck_keeper]

If you have booked a Balcony then you'll have the best view all around if the weather is good. If the weather is cloudy and rainy then there will be crappy views all around. If you don't have a balcony and are going to use the observation deck to see all the sites you'll need to get there early and stay put all day because the place is going to be crowded.

 

Don't plan on using the regular pool because it will probably be too cold. There are hot tubs that people were using so there are those if you are bringing your suit.

 

If you want to go on the whale watching excursion, book early if you are using the NCL excursion. If you can't decide what you want to do in port there are plenty of stands outside the ports that you can purchase tours directly from operators.

 

One of the best items to pack is a hooded jacket with a warm zip out liner so you can have a options depending on weather. Also comfortable shoes with good grip are a must. It will be slick/wet in many areas during your trip on and off ship.

 

Those are the few things I can come up with.

Edited Thursday at 02:47 AM by duck_keeper

[debenson0723]

Lots of YouTube videos on the Bliss.  It is my favorite NCL ship.

[stobe1]

Youtube is your best friend

[9tee2Sea]

all you the important things, not all you need to now.  First off, ITS BIG!!! It really dosent  feel over crowded though.  The Observation Lounge is a really nice place to be.  If someone is a very light eater ( snaking thru out the day), the Observation Lounge will probably satisfy their hunger.  The elevators are slow, and can get crowded.  I use the stairs as much as possible for getting in my daily step count.  There are a few small entertainment venues ( Cavern Club and the Comedy Club) that fill up VERY fast.  If you want to grab a seat in those venues, you usually have to wait n line about 30 min before they open ( the Cavern Club is very loud!!!!!!).  The main deck ( where the guest services desk is) is always having some sort of entertainment( A band playing, trivia, contests, etc).  The pool deck is VERY CROWDED, and I dont think they have pool deck bbq's like other ships.  I think I read you are going to Alaska, so take binoculars.  Seeing the lie tints in the Galciers, or waterfalls cascading down the mountains close up is amazing.

[schmoopie17]

They have a District Brewhouse. I don't know about you, but that's about all I need to know.

[hallux]

15 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

Lots of YouTube videos on the Bliss.  It is my favorite NCL ship.

I guess you could say it's mine as well, I've sailed on her 3x!

 

For the OP - at the top of the NCL forum section (where you see all the NCL posts) is a drop-down, select Bliss on that and you'll get a pre-filled search for all threads mentioning the Bliss.  Read...

[debenson0723]

41 minutes ago, hallux said:

I guess you could say it's mine as well, I've sailed on her 3x!

 

For the OP - at the top of the NCL forum section (where you see all the NCL posts) is a drop-down, select Bliss on that and you'll get a pre-filled search for all threads mentioning the Bliss.  Read...

3 for me too but Joy may be tying that record next year. 

[OCVTSGIRL]

Thanks everybody!  We have an inside cabin as this was a casino "free" cruise that my friend got.  I much prefer a balcony but the price was right for this cruise.

[schmoopie17]

17 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

3 for me too but Joy may be tying that record next year. 

It better be...

[debenson0723]

34 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

It better be...

I bought a CruiseFirst this week as a deposit.  There is a plan but no promises at this time 😉