Sunday, September 8, 2019 Seattle - Off to the Pacific Ocean

We were anything but sleepless in Seattle!  After a great night’s sleep we were ready to catch the shuttle for our 10 am boarding on the Norwegian Bliss.  

At the curb you leave your luggage, tagged with your official cruise tag.  Then we proceeded to customs and check-in.  During check-in we were issued ID cards for use on the ship and a boarding card that said group 16.  There were no lines and all went smoothly. Next, we waited in a large room with hundreds of others.  It wasn’t long before our group number was called to enter the ship .  Once again our passports were checked before we walked onboard.  This was our view of Seattle once onboard.

We had been informed that the rooms were not ready yet and it would be sometime before our luggage would arrive.  Once on the ship we went to a bar with TV’s and football was playing.  Our FL friends Dawn and Rick joined our group.  Dawn is also celebrating her 50^th birthday year.  All these birthdays reminds me that I might as well celebrate my 68^th birthday month.  Not sure that’s one that folks particularly celebrate but I’ll just go with it.

As dedicated Patriot’s football fans we initially thought we might watch their game at this bar.  However, after lunch, Sue did some research and determined that we would switch locations to watch the 5:00 game.  We made rendezvous plans and checked our room and found it ready. 

We tease that we are in “steerage”.  Our cabin is on deck 5, not far above the waterline.  We have a large window, no balcony.  My thought was that this is an Alaskan Cruise in September why would we need a balcony.  Our friends are far above on levels 10 and 12.  Yes, they are experienced cruisers not novices like us.

Our cabin has a lovely full bathroom with tub, queen sized bed, a daybed and lots of closets and drawers.  There is a curtain that can be pulled between the bed area and the daybed/window area.  I have yet to check out the upper deck cabins.  I expect chairs in place of the daybed.  I’ll get back to you on that.

This was our initial sea view.

We think this is the first time that we have stayed in a "hotel" with double sinks!  I know from watching HGTV that they are all the rage.

Our bathroom also has a lovely shower and tub.

It was also equipped with two TV's, five closets and six large drawers.  Way more than enough room for the two of us.

One of the nice features was a curtain between the bed and the couch area.  Since Allan goes to sleep after me and is often up before me he can hang out in that area with his porthole view, TV, computer and or book.

After getting settled in I took a quick two-hour nap!  Then we were off to watch the Pats.  Dawn shared Patriot plates and napkins left from last winter's games that we had all watched together in FL.  It was great fun viewing the season opening game with friends that enjoy football as much as I do.  It was a great game.  Thanks Pats.  This was about the time that the ship slowly left port.  It was a cloudy afternoon and we viewed multiple islands in the distance topped with soft clouds.

We opted for dinner at the Garden Café, a buffet like none I’ve ever experienced.  There were food offerings from around the world.  Everything was clearly labeled and served in containers that held 6-8 servings so they were frequently replaced.  Everything was, as you would hope. Hot items piping hot and cold items chilled.  Prime rib was the featured meal item so even with hundreds of choices we dined on beef.  It was cooked just right.

These pictures will give you some ideas on what was available:

  

  Soft serve ice cream

 Make your own.

 Drink stations, water, tea, juice, coffee...

 Yummy Noodle Soup several varieties.

  Pre-made sandwiches and salads.

  There were many Asians on the ship.

  The fruits were fresh and fabulous. 

The burger bar had burgers and hot dogs and all the fixings for you to make it just right.

 The pizza was very thin and overall got the lowest ratings from our group of all the foods.

The hot favorites were things like meatballs, stir fry vegetables, mashed potatoes, meatloaf and such.

 The soups were great seafood chowder, chicken soup, tomato soup, and there was always a variety of rolls and breads.

And let's not forget breakfast.  There was hot and cold cereal and all the usual breakfast foods.

                            

In the buffet area alone it is hard to believe that you wouldn't be able to find something to eat and enjoy for every meal.

                                      

This gal had her first day on ship and headed off to read her book and settle in for the night.