Bliss Docking Locations and Shuttle Services

[jcathers1]

I'm trying to wrap my head around the port locations/berths for our upcoming Bliss cruise, as well as understanding how we get to/from the city centers of these ports. Can anyone confirm what I think I know? 🙂

 

Sitka: we berth at the Sitka Terminal Outside. There will be free shuttles into the town and they drop off at the Centennial Hall. 

Juneau: we berth at AJ dock. Appears there will be a short shuttle ride. Can anyone confirm where exactly the shuttles drop off?

Icy Straight Point: Bliss berths at Wilderness Landing and there is a free tram (green one) to the "main" area of the port.

Ketchikan: we berth at Ward Cove west. There will be a free shuttle. Can anyone confirm where exactly the shuttles drop off?

 

Thanks in advance for the help. Any other dos/don't for the shuttling? Trying to make sure we have all these details straight have been the most stressful part for me. It appears that NCL's port locations are among the worst of any cruise line, which seems surprising to me. 

[9tee2Sea]

that's the problem with the big ships.  They usually cant dock in town ( i say usually, but there always exceptions).  They seem to dock in commercial areas, or in docks the cruiselnes have built just for their ships.  I do miss walking off the ship, right into town, and just walking for hours.  Dont stress the transportation details.  The night before, all the info should be provided in the daily planner.  If not, go to guest services, and ask how/where you get transportation into town.  You can also attend the onboard port information talk in the theatre the day before. They who'd be able to tell you everything you need to know.  And if not, it's a good place to ask your questions, as other folks might have the same question.  Enjoy your cruise 

[The Traveling Man]

4 hours ago, jcathers1 said:

Juneau: we berth at AJ dock. Appears there will be a short shuttle ride. Can anyone confirm where exactly the shuttles drop off?

 

Ketchikan: we berth at Ward Cove west. There will be a free shuttle. Can anyone confirm where exactly the shuttles drop off?

 

It appears that NCL's port locations are among the worst of any cruise line, which seems surprising to me. 

Juneau:  The shuttle drops off and picks up at the base of the Mount Roberts Tramway, right in the heart of the city.

 

Ketchikan:  The shuttle drops off and picks up at the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau on Front Street, next to the main city cruise docks where most other cruise ships will dock.  As in Juneau, this spot is at the heart of the city.

 

You are not alone in questioning the wisdom of NCL docking farther away from the heart of town at several locations in Alaska.  In some cases it appears that NCL has chosen to dock at an industrial port instead of the busy central cruise terminal.  In other cases, such as Icy Strait and Ketchikan, NCL has invested heavily in their own facilities located a significant distance from the heart of town.  The reasons are unclear, but seem to be related to port fees, pier availability, ease of docking, and controlling their own destiny. 

[smarterman64]

in Ketchikan it's berth 4. 

[erisajd]

On 5/14/2024 at 5:28 PM, smarterman64 said:

in Ketchikan it's berth 4. 

Ketchikan is Ward Cove. . . 7 miles out of town.  

[Asawi]

17 minutes ago, erisajd said:

Ketchikan is Ward Cove. . . 7 miles out of town.  

Yeah, but I think the shuttle drop off is at berth 4 which was what was asked.

[Focacta]

The shuttles for Ward Cove take you directly from the ship to Berth IV downtown. Here is a link to the Shuttle Schedule for Ward Cove. The lines will get long but they are constantly moving. Getting off early will ensure barely any line. If you return prior to 11:30 that will reduce your wait time. They will not leave you if you are waiting in line to return to the ship, I promise! You can always go outside of the welcome center and grab a taxi or call an Uber but then you miss out on a chance to ride a double decker bus or a school bus for those nostalgic folks. 

[erisajd]

The rule of thumb with NCL in Alaska is no matter where town is or where the dock is, its the furthest one away. . . 

[TeeLee530]

In Sitka, I skipped the NCL shuttle to town or any NCL transport, and instead used the "Cool Bus" for $40/ person. It was 1000% worth it. No wait. Van/ small bus transport. Family owned business. 

They have a list of the stops and what time they go to them (it is basically an hour loop), but if everyone on the shuttle wants to they will change the stop order. They also communicate with Fortress of the Bears for when the big buses will be there, and adapt so you can go without a big bus  (Fortress of the Bears has a very limited number of people allowed at a time). If you are not there when they get ready to leave a stop they will also text to see if you are going on the load or not.

 

Using their service really allowed us to pack as much into the day as possible. 

ISP/ Hoonah the tram cars between the dock and excursion hub are a quick wait, easy to use, and a pretty trip. 

Juneau we realized the cheapest way to see the glacier, and to allow me to hike to Nugget Falls with my bad joints and slow pace, would be to rent a car. We rented through Turo, it was under $100 for the day. And we did the drop off/ pickup right at the dock. So no waiting. It was also nice to have total freedom with our schedule.   

Ketchikan definitely seemed like there were the worst shuttle lines, and is a ways out from everything. We did an NCL excursion, which picked up at the dock.  

[BirdTravels]

On 5/14/2024 at 11:11 AM, jcathers1 said:

I'm trying to wrap my head around the port locations/berths for our upcoming Bliss cruise, as well as understanding how we get to/from the city centers of these ports. Can anyone confirm what I think I know? 🙂

 

Sitka: we berth at the Sitka Terminal Outside. There will be free shuttles into the town and they drop off at the Centennial Hall. 

Juneau: we berth at AJ dock. Appears there will be a short shuttle ride. Can anyone confirm where exactly the shuttles drop off?

Icy Straight Point: Bliss berths at Wilderness Landing and there is a free tram (green one) to the "main" area of the port.

Ketchikan: we berth at Ward Cove west. There will be a free shuttle. Can anyone confirm where exactly the shuttles drop off?

 

Thanks in advance for the help. Any other dos/don't for the shuttling? Trying to make sure we have all these details straight have been the most stressful part for me. It appears that NCL's port locations are among the worst of any cruise line, which seems surprising to me. 

 

If you are taking NCL shore excursions, the location of the dock is irrelevant. The excursion will take care of you at the port. If you are venturing out on your own, you need to deal with shuttles which will have very long lines and take up a lot of your port time. 

 

Juneau: the dock is about 1 mile from town which is walkable. But a lot of time walking through a non-descript industrial area. 

 

Icy Straight. There is a low capacity gondola to the other area... which is not much better than the wilderness port. You can also walk there about a mile. 

 

Ketchikan, you need to catch the shuttle if you want to go to town on your own. 

 

[jcathers1]

Thanks, all! Very helpful info.

[jcathers1]

On 5/14/2024 at 4:19 PM, The Traveling Man said:

Juneau:  The shuttle drops off and picks up at the base of the Mount Roberts Tramway, right in the heart of the city.

 

Ketchikan:  The shuttle drops off and picks up at the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau on Front Street, next to the main city cruise docks where most other cruise ships will dock.  As in Juneau, this spot is at the heart of the city.

 

You are not alone in questioning the wisdom of NCL docking farther away from the heart of town at several locations in Alaska.  In some cases it appears that NCL has chosen to dock at an industrial port instead of the busy central cruise terminal.  In other cases, such as Icy Strait and Ketchikan, NCL has invested heavily in their own facilities located a significant distance from the heart of town.  The reasons are unclear, but seem to be related to port fees, pier availability, ease of docking, and controlling their own destiny. 

I've seen a couple posts that say the shuttle drops off at berth 4. The Visitor's Center appears to be at berth 2. Can anyone confirm which one is correct? These are about a half mile apart. 

[The Traveling Man]

4 hours ago, jcathers1 said:

I've seen a couple posts that say the shuttle drops off at berth 4. The Visitor's Center appears to be at berth 2. Can anyone confirm which one is correct? These are about a half mile apart. 

When we have been there, the Ketchikan shuttle stopped and picked up near berth 2, next to the visitors bureau, on Front St. between Mill and Mission.

[smarterman64]

6 hours ago, jcathers1 said:

I've seen a couple posts that say the shuttle drops off at berth 4. The Visitor's Center appears to be at berth 2. Can anyone confirm which one is correct? These are about a half mile apart. 

last year on the sun it was a berth 4 pick up. you did have to walk from town to the pick up location. 

[YVRteacher]

6 hours ago, jcathers1 said:

I've seen a couple posts that say the shuttle drops off at berth 4. The Visitor's Center appears to be at berth 2. Can anyone confirm which one is correct? These are about a half mile apart. 

It is berth 4.

[The Traveling Man]

1 hour ago, smarterman64 said:

last year on the sun it was a berth 4 pick up. you did have to walk from town to the pick up location. 

 

1 hour ago, smarterman64 said:

last year on the sun it was a berth 4 pick up. you did have to walk from town to the pick up location. 

The last time we were there was August 2021 on the Encore.  I think ours was just the second cruise to dock at Ward Cove.  The shuttle drop off was near Pier 2, next to the Visitors Center.  Things may have changed in the last few years.