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Cruise to Alaska 2026

Welcome to the

Norwegian Bliss
Cruise to Alaska 2026

from the Port of Seattle

The Seattle waterfront marina next to the Norwegian Bliss.
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The Seattle skyline and marina on a beautiful Saturday morning.

Saturday is Sail-Away on the Norwegian Bliss

A shot of the Seattle space needle from Deck 8 of the Norwegian Bliss before departure.
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The Seattle Space Needle seen from the NCL Bliss.

A sunny day as buses drop off passengers who will line up to check in on Pier 66.
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Buses drop cruise passengers at Pier 66 on Alaskan Way.

Ship terms:

forward-aft = front & back

bow-stern = front & back

starboard – right

port – left

(remember, port and left have four letters)

Crowd on the Seattle side of the Norwegian Bliss excited as sail-away begins.
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The excitement grows as the Norwegian Bliss casts off from Pier 66 in the afternoon.

Seaside hotel next to Pier 66 as Norwegian Bliss casts off.
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Ship thrusters push the Bliss sideways from the pier revealing the Edgewater Hotel on Alaskan Way.

Norwegian Bliss passes freighters moored just outside of the port of Seattle.
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Empty freighters moored in the channel in Puget Sound.
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The NCL Bliss steams past empty freighters anchored on Puget Sound.

Just outside of the port of Seattle along the Puget Sound channel the winds pick up and the swells get rougher.
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Winds pick up as the Bliss follows the channel North.

Along the shore of the Puget Sound channel the winds toss small craft.
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A two-masted schooner struggles in the maw of the waves.

Seattle skyline taken from the Norwegian Bliss five miles away.
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A departing view of Seattle on a windswept Saturday afternoon.

A television screen view of the bow of the Norwegian Bliss at sunset heading up the Puget Sound channel.
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The Norwegian Bliss bow at sunset taken from a cabin television screen with the reflection of a mobile phone lens.

Norwegian Bliss encountering rough seas on the Outside Passage.
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The NCL Bliss hits rough seas in the aftermath of a storm as it follows the Outside Passage in open ocean.

On tall ships, the middle and lower floor cabins rock less if prone to seasickness.

Holland America Line Noordam running parallel to the Norwegian Bliss.
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The Noordam runs parallel to the NCL Bliss in fifteen foot swells.

A popular bear in Ketchikan.
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For this cruise, I’ll be your tour guide.

Never mind who I am?

Got any honey?

SITKA

Sitka holds a number of distinctions…

…its population is only 8,300, but it is the fifth most populated city in Alaska…

...it is the largest city in the U.S. by land mass – 2,870 square miles – making it larger than Rhode Island (1,545 sq. mi.) or Delaware (2,489 sq. mi.)…

…it sits inside the Tongass National Forest which is the largest temperate rainforest in the world spanning 17 million acres…

…and the length of Sitka’s road and highway system spans 18 miles…

Mt. Edgecombe volcano near Sitka.
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The Bliss nears Sitka and in the distance Mt. Edgecumbe volcano…

…with magma intrusions, ground uplifts and earthquakes in 2018, it is now considered active…

…but the last eruption was 4,500 years ago.

Guests are reflected in the Observation Lounge front windows as the ship approaches Sitka.
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Guests are reflected in the Observation Lounge window.

A crowd in the Observation Lounge watch as the Norwegian Bliss approaches the dock in Sitka Harbor.
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Cruisers in the Observation Lounge watch as the Bliss docks in Sitka.

The Norwegian Bliss docked in Sitka harbor.
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Passengers disembark on the pier and walk up the ramp to a staging area where a legion of buses transport people into town.

A rare bald eagle is prominently displayed in the wild life exhibit in Sitka.
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A Sitka official welcomes us…

St. Peter's by the Sea Episcopal Church in downtown Sitka.
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…St. Peter’s by the Sea…

Sitka National Historical Park Russian Bishop's House, a former Russian orphanage.
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The Russian Bishop's House on Sitka.
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…Russian Bishop’s House…

A view of Sitka harbor at low tide as tourists walk along the beach.
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…a beach at low tide in Sitka….

A view of Sitka harbor, the steeple of St. Michael the Archangel and Mount Edgecumbe volcano.
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…the marina, St. Michael’s steeple and Mt. Edgecumbe’s iconic cone shape…

A impertinent polar bear insists my wife include him in a selfie.
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…bear encounters in Alaska are frequent but we never saw one…

An exterior view of St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Sitka.
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…St. Michael’s Cathedral bell tower…

Interior of St. Michael's Cathedral in Sitka.
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…and its Russian Orthodox ornate interior…

…before Alaska was sold to the U.S., it was Russian…

Norwegian Bliss tied up in harbor in Sitka.
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…as we return to the Norwegian Bliss in the afternoon for sail-away…

A popular bear in Ketchikan.
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…my tongue is felt...

…Juneau is next.

JUNEAU

Norwegian Bliss departs Juneau passing three ships including the NCL Encore.
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…the Bliss arrives in the morning in Juneau joining three other cruise ships…

A view of the top of a Tlingit totem in Juneau.
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…Totem Pole Trail comprises 13 totems in downtown Juneau created by the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people...

A chairlift sits far above the city of Juneau, Alaska.
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…a chairlift high above the Bliss on a mountain ridge is a popular ride…

A totem pole in Juneau harbor as tourists walk by.
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…a totem on the waterfront and South Franklin St. shops…

Wings Airway float plane arrives for sighting tours.
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…a float plane tied up ahead of sightseers…

A store front in Juneau selling local Tlingit .
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…artisanal shop window in downtown Juneau…

A Juneau resident with a jacket full of patches from different countries he has visited.
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…a local walker and world traveler…

…25 patches…

…really?..

…Austria, Belgium, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Lichtenstein, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland…

…but that’s only 17…

…I’m remiss – so shoot me...

A second, modern version of a Tlingit totem in Juneau.
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…a contemporary totem…

A telephoto image of the Governor's Mansion in Juneau, the Alaskan state capital.
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…Juneau, the state capital, is built in the foothills of a steep mountain…

…and the columned Governor’s Mansion…

The Grisly bear offered to take a selfie with my wife in Juneau.
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…the bear asked to take his pic…

…that’s his smile – I know – creepy…

The Tlingit people provide in impromptu ritual on the waterfront boardwalk in Juneau.
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…a band of local Tlingit Native Americans…

The Tlingit people provide in impromptu ritual on the waterfront boardwalk in Juneau.
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…performed a sacred ritual…

The Tlingit people provide in impromptu ritual on the waterfront boardwalk in Juneau.
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…for the public and…

The Tlingit people provided an impromptu ritual on the waterfront boardwalk in Juneau.
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…a Tlingit chief…

The Norwegian Bliss moves sideways from the pier where the Holland America Line Noordam cruise ship is docked.
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…it is afternoon when the Bliss casts off moving sideways…

Juneau harbor as the water is stirred up as the Norwegian Bliss comes about.
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…churning the harbor water as seagulls swarm…

Juneau Bridge as the Norwegian Bliss departs.
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…with a parting shot of Juneau Douglas Bridge while…

NCL Encore and a Holland America Line ship sit in port in Juneau, Alaska.
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…cruising past the Noordam and NCL Encore cruise ships…

A float plane passes over the NCL Bliss on its flight path to land in Juneau harbor.
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…as a float plane passes overhead…

DON’T FEED THE BEARS

A popular bear in Ketchikan.
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…got any honey?...

ICY STRAIT POINT

The chairlift at Icy Strait Point that takes guests from the dock to the port buildings and restaurants on the other side of the rise.
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After disembarking, you take the chairlift to the far side of the island where…

A harbor boat flies down the bay in Icy Strait Point.
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…the local authority is on the move and…

A day of kayaking at Icy Strait Point.
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…kayaking for the adventurous – the rescue boat is just off-camera…

Springs flowers and a cannery in Icy Strait Point.
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…a nearby small town, summer flowers and a cannery…

The bay in Sitka popular with whales and whale watching.
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…the picturesque bay…

Whale sighting in the bay at Icy Strait Point.
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…is a feeding ground…

Whale sighting in the bay at Icy Strait Point.
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…for whales and whale watching…

A second selfie of the bear.
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…salmon breath – ewwwww!…

KETCHIKAN

The dock for the Norwegian Bliss in Ketchikan.
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The Bliss docks in Ward Cove in Ketchikan…

…guests are bused into town…

…a short ten minute ride…

Princess cruise ship arrives in Ketchikan.
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…where the Princess cruise ship arrives as we arrive by bus…

Two Holland America Line ships docked along the waterfront of downtown Ketchikan.
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…to the busy Ketchikan harbor…

A large statue in Ketchikan harbor near the visitor center depicting the history of of the area: with minors, aviators, salmon fishing and Tlingit Indian tribes.
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…a commemorative statue of Alaska’s rich history…

The Dockside Trading Co., one of the many souvenir retailers in the downtown area of Ketchikan.
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…downtown harbor area...

A tour boat reversing out of the harbor in Ketchikan.
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…a sightseeing boat sailing backward…

Famous Fat Stan's pizzeria in Ketchikan.
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…famous Fat Stan’s pizzeria…

A slew of small outboard fishing boats being prepped for tourists in Ketchikan.
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…a fleet of fishing boats being prepped…

Jackets in Ketchikan are a popular with tourists
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…low costs jackets are a staple with tourists…

Creek Street District with Molly's, a bordello, the quintessential house of ill-repute.
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…Molly’s in the Creek Street District…

Molly's in the Creek Street District in Ketchikan.
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…a former brothel…

120 & 124 Thomas Street placard with its shady history on one of the wharfs on the outskirts of Ketchikan.
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…and 120 Thomas Street with its moonshine past…

A view of the Ketchikan Duck Tour in Ketchikan.
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…a passing Duck Boat...

…Duck Boats are World War II era steel traps drowning thirty-two victims over the years. They sink in seconds trapping people in their intractable roofs…

…like this Duck Boat…

The ramp and floating dock next to the Bliss in Ward Cove in Ketchikan.
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…guests return to the Bliss in Ward Cove after a day in Ketchikan…

A floating hotel next to the Bliss in Ward Cove in Ketchikan.
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…sitting next to the Bliss in Ward Cove…

…a floating hotel for seasonal workers…

Norwegian Bliss passes an old cannery in Ward Cove in Ketchikan.
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…and an old cannery…

A group of islands just outside of Ward Cove in Ketchikan.
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…as we say goodbye to Ketchikan…

Our last glimpse leaving Ketchikan.
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…as the Norwegian Bliss sets sail for Seattle…

Norwegian Bliss dockside.
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…and it’s already Saturday morning and the end of the cruise…

…as Seattle harbor patrol checks in…

…and cranes unloaded pallets of baggage…

…and forklifts load supplies…

…as NCL employees walk down the ramp…

Seattle skyline and seafront.
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…as passengers disperse along Alaskan Way…

An image of California and Nevada mountain ranges take at 30,000 feet.
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…homeward at 30,000 feet…

…far mountain range California…

…near range Nevada…

Fourteen cute polar bears in basket in one of the tourist shops in Ketchikan.
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Bye!


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