Planning Alaska 2019...comparing NCL BLISS to DCL Wonder

[disneymagicgirl]

We have done 4 DCL sailings to the Caribbean and love it. I have my TA working on booking us Wednesday. We are a family of 6, so it will be expensive even with OBB. Because of this I am having her book us shoulder season (late May) and trying for 2 secret portholes, but if those are gone then 2 connecting 7As. I need all 3 little kids in my room or connecting, so doing a Verandah/Inside combo won't work.

Being the good researcher I am, I wanted to compare pricing on NCL bliss. We can sail connecting verandahs in peak season for about $12k. The ship looks awesome for my 8 & 10 year olds. It is round trip with glacier bay from Seattle. Seems like alot of pros to this one. I am just concerned with the kid clubs b/c I can't see much info on their site. Are the hours good? I will need DD3 to stay onboard for some excursions. Are they open for that? Are 3 year olds in with 12 year olds? That is actually fine when my boys are in there with her, but I don't know about that for the rest of the time. My inlaws want to go too, and aren't thrilled with the DCL cost or lack of glacier bay.

Anyone been on both lines and can comment to help me?

 

[Pens Fan]

I can't answer your specific questions about the kid's clubs (our "kid" will be 20 in 2 weeks), but I read a lot on the NCL Cruise Critic boards. I'd suggest posting your questions about the club hours, etc over there as well so that you get a wider pool of people that can answer your questions.

The Bliss looks pretty amazing. Had we not just been in Alaska, I'd definitely be checking into a trip on it.

 

[Geomom]

DCL: If you want to look for cheaper connecting rooms on the Wonder, I'd suggest category 9B oceanview on deck 2. Most of the 9B rooms only sleep 3, but there are a lot of connecting rooms in that category. We did DCL Alaska in a category 9C oceanview on deck 2 Aft (Rm 2116) for the 4 of us and loved the location and the giant porthole.

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

We were also pricing the Bliss for Alaska... my 9YO would LOVE it. Far more than Disney Cruise Line... He loves Disney, but the Bliss has some pretty cool stuff for this age group.
I'm not telling him we could sail to Alaska on the Bliss as I would never hear the end of it... I really want to try and go with Disney for Alaska. When I priced out the Bliss, I would say we could get a balcony cabin for what we'll pay on deck 2 oceanview with Disney but would also get the Beverage package with NCL.
Couple of reasons why I don't want to cruise on the Bliss to Alaska... I'm afraid the ship will be so much fun for my DS especially that we will have a hard time getting him away to watch the scenery, get off in ports.. etc. I was thinking.. how much time will we have to actually enjoy the Bliss? I don't want it to be all about the ship when I'm cruising Alaska. Disney Wonder is a beautiful, amazing ship of course... but it's more familiar to us now. The Bliss would be exciting, trying to fit everything in... For Alaska I'm looking for a more "Zen" experience... Also, we really want Vancouver as our departure port.
We will try to cruise with NCL on the Bliss when it comes to the Caribbean though.
As far as the kids clubs, I have read other places kids love them as well. My DS loved the kids programming on Royal, I assume it'd be similar on the Bliss.
I'm not saying the Bliss is the wrong choice for you for Alaska, I just know I want it to be Disney. For sailings like the Caribbean though? I have no issue and even prefer to try other lines now.

 

[Winston Wolf]

We're also looking hard at NCL Bliss, but not until summer 2021

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

The kids club hours on Royal were pretty much 9-12, 2-5 & 7-10 pm, with a charge after 10 pm til midnight. That was sea day, while in port they were open the entire time.
Each day your kid could also be in the club for dinner if they were present by 5 pm, so essentially it was all day.
I know you are asking NCL but I read on cruise critic they operate in a similar manner.
This is for the kids 3-11.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Thanks everyone. I am usually all about DCL and happily pay the premium, but I am not convinced the Alaska premium is worthwhile considering you don't get Glacier Bay and we'd be in rooms with no balconies. That doesn't make for a very fun time for whomever is hanging out in the room for the toddler to nap.

 

[oumagic]

Having been on an Alaskan cruise with a balcony, I will not consider going back to Alaska without a balcony. And Glacier Bay was excellent.

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

Thanks everyone. I am usually all about DCL and happily pay the premium, but I am not convinced the Alaska premium is worthwhile considering you don't get Glacier Bay and we'd be in rooms with no balconies. That doesn't make for a very fun time for whomever is hanging out in the room for the toddler to nap.

Ooh Glacier Bay... totally missed that.
If only the Bliss sailed from Vancouver....

 

[AquaDame]

Ooh Glacier Bay... totally missed that.
If only the Bliss sailed from Vancouver....

This is what is giving me pause too... I'm currently debating HNL vs. Princess.

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

This is what is giving me pause too... I'm currently debating HNL vs. Princess.

I looking at HAL too but every balcony I choose is "not available"... (Aug 17 2019) plus I wonder what they have to do for a 9 yo?

 

[Pens Fan]

We were also pricing the Bliss for Alaska... my 9YO would LOVE it. Far more than Disney Cruise Line... He loves Disney, but the Bliss has some pretty cool stuff for this age group.
I'm not telling him we could sail to Alaska on the Bliss as I would never hear the end of it... I really want to try and go with Disney for Alaska. When I priced out the Bliss, I would say we could get a balcony cabin for what we'll pay on deck 2 oceanview with Disney but would also get the Beverage package with NCL.
Couple of reasons why I don't want to cruise on the Bliss to Alaska... I'm afraid the ship will be so much fun for my DS especially that we will have a hard time getting him away to watch the scenery, get off in ports.. etc. I was thinking.. how much time will we have to actually enjoy the Bliss? I don't want it to be all about the ship when I'm cruising Alaska. Disney Wonder is a beautiful, amazing ship of course... but it's more familiar to us now. The Bliss would be exciting, trying to fit everything in... For Alaska I'm looking for a more "Zen" experience... Also, we really want Vancouver as our departure port.
We will try to cruise with NCL on the Bliss when it comes to the Caribbean though.
As far as the kids clubs, I have read other places kids love them as well. My DS loved the kids programming on Royal, I assume it'd be similar on the Bliss.
I'm not saying the Bliss is the wrong choice for you for Alaska, I just know I want it to be Disney. For sailings like the Caribbean though? I have no issue and even prefer to try other lines now.

Whatever you do, don't show your son this! https://www.ncl.com/travel-blog/nor...PRO_BRA_TWI_BLG_TWT_SHIPBLISS_COCOS3518_NA_NA

Sorry - this popped up in my Twitter feed and I thought of your post. Couldn't resist!

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

Whatever you do, don't show your son this! https://www.ncl.com/travel-blog/nor...PRO_BRA_TWI_BLG_TWT_SHIPBLISS_COCOS3518_NA_NA

Sorry - this popped up in my Twitter feed and I thought of your post. Couldn't resist!

HAHA!
How did you know he has a total sweet tooth? Like I said if he knew Bliss was sailing to Alaska... he'd beg and beg and beg. He's excited to go on the Wonder for Alaska but ever since I've shown him the Bliss press release videos... It's "I want to go on the Bliss" "I want to go on the Harmony"... (wants to do the big new ships).
However since he's not paying AND I know he loves DCL and he'll just turn 11 in a year and half... so going to Edge alone will entice him
We will see on the pricing though.
Bliss is a definite contender.
Princess too.
I just wish Bliss sailed from Vancouver...

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

I was looking at the Bliss. Looks amazing. Unfortunately, DS won't make the height requirements for the go karts. I should never have shown him a video before I checked....

 

[Pens Fan]

HAHA!
How did you know he has a total sweet tooth? Like I said if he knew Bliss was sailing to Alaska... he'd beg and beg and beg. He's excited to go on the Wonder for Alaska but ever since I've shown him the Bliss press release videos... It's "I want to go on the Bliss" "I want to go on the Harmony"... (wants to do the big new ships).
However since he's not paying AND I know he loves DCL and he'll just turn 11 in a year and half... so going to Edge alone will entice him
We will see on the pricing though.
Bliss is a definite contender.
Princess too.
I just wish Bliss sailed from Vancouver...

I agree about Vancouver. We loved it so much when we sailed from there last Summer. Seattle is a pretty amazing city too, though. It has pretty much the same scenery as Vancouver (ocean, mountains) and lots of things to do. The one thing I didn't like about sailing out of Seattle (at least the one time we did it), was that instead of going up the inside passage then turning around and coming back down, we headed up through open waters and then entered the passage at Skagway and came back down. That first day was a really rough ride, and while none of us get seasick at all, a lot of people did and there's no scenery along the way, really. I don't know if that's the case with all Seattle departures, but I know it is with at least some of them. Seattle sailings do get you a stop in Victoria which is a bonus, though it's usually at some weird time like 5 -10 PM.

 

[Dug720]

I looking at HAL too but every balcony I choose is "not available"... (Aug 17 2019) plus I wonder what they have to do for a 9 yo?

It is hearsay, but I encountered two very rambunctious boys who seemed in the 8-10 years range around the pool area on the HAL cruise I was on. They were swinging off the sculptures - which is not allowed, BTW - and their dad pulled them aside and I heard him say "Don't you want to go to the club at some point?" and they both said "No. It's boring and they don't do anything."

Like I said, hearsay, but they definitely did not appear to be interested in the club at all. And TBH, we had a lot of stretching clinics on the sun deck at various times of day, and the easiest way for me to get there was via a stairwell that passed the kids' club floor, and I do not recall ever seeing it open when I passed.

They may be catching up now, but at least a couple of years ago, it certainly gave the impression that they only had them because they felt they needed to.

 

[wl1117]

To me, Bliss is too much ship for Alaska. I loved my relaxing Alaska cruise on the Wonder. We didn't feel rushed to experience it all and could enjoy the scenery. I think with the Bliss, there'd be too much we haven't done to be relaxing. Plus, when I've priced the Bliss in the past, it was higher than the smaller NCL ships. Too bad they've decided to go with the one-way cruises on the smaller ships for the most part, as I think they'd fit us a bit better than the Bliss (at least, for Alaska).

 

[jenny_nichole]

Are the following port times short on the Bliss?
Juneau 2:30-11pm
Ketchikan 6am-1pm

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I was looking at the Bliss. Looks amazing. Unfortunately, DS won't make the height requirements for the go karts. I should never have shown him a video before I checked....

oh dear, whats the height requirement? I didn't even think about that.

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

To me, Bliss is too much ship for Alaska. I loved my relaxing Alaska cruise on the Wonder. We didn't feel rushed to experience it all and could enjoy the scenery. I think with the Bliss, there'd be too much we haven't done to be relaxing. Plus, when I've priced the Bliss in the past, it was higher than the smaller NCL ships. Too bad they've decided to go with the one-way cruises on the smaller ships for the most part, as I think they'd fit us a bit better than the Bliss (at least, for Alaska).

That's what I was thinking too... Bliss looks amazing and we want to try it but.. too maybe too much for Alaska...