The Perfect Combination of Grandeur and Elegance: Norwegian Bliss 7-Day Independent Tour to Alaska + Victoria

Trip Overview: This trip lasted 7 days, aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Bliss. Visited 4 states/provinces in the US and Canada: Washington State, Alaska, British Columbia and Yukon Territory in Canada. Total cost for three people was $8,400.

Recommended Season: Since Alaska is covered by snow for at least half the year, the Alaska cruise route is only open in summer. No need to prepare for cold weather when visiting in summer; just bring spring and autumn clothes.

Suitable Audience: This route includes many activities. Seniors can choose to visit the small towns in Alaska, while adventurous souls can join exploration trips deep into the snow-capped mountains and forests. It is suitable for all ages.

Drawbacks: The cruise ship only has very few Chinese-speaking crew members. If you don't speak English, communication can be very difficult. Also, due to the seasonality of this route and the limited number of cruise ships, prices are relatively high.

Day 1 2018/7/1

Seattle, Washington, USA — Norwegian Bliss

Map of this trip: Starting point is Seattle, Washington, USA, passing through Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway in Alaska, and Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, finally returning to Seattle.

Americans love playing in water. Even before the ship set sail, some elderly ladies were already playing.

The racing track on Norwegian Joy is its signature, just like the North Star on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas. Many children rush to the top deck as soon as they board to reserve racing time. Within just a few minutes, all available time slots were booked. If you plan to do activities on the ship in the future, be sure to book early.

Seattle is a high-tech city in Washington State, USA. It is about 174 km from the US-Canada border, the largest city in the state, and the largest city in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Seattle is home to many famous companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco, etc. Also, a quick clarification: In the US, there are easily confused terms: Washington D.C., Washington State, and Washington City. In American English, "Washington" usually refers to Washington State. To refer to the US capital, Washington D.C., you must add "D.C."

Famous Seattle landmarks: Space Needle, Seattle Great Wheel, and Pike Place Market. Since Seattle is known as the "Rain City," overcast weather is common.

Norwegian Cruise Line logo.

Washington State Ferry that can carry over a hundred cars. Its tonnage is 2,500 tons, but compared to the 168,000-ton Norwegian Bliss, it's a little guy.

On the far right, the cruise ship docked at the pier is the Golden Princess under Princess Cruises; on the left, the one already leaving port is the Volendam under Holland America Line. These two ships follow almost the same route as the Norwegian Bliss, so they will appear at every port for the next week.

Interior decoration of the cruise ship. It seems interior design is not Norwegian's strong suit.

Glimmering Puget Sound in Washington State. This concludes the first day.

Day 2 2018/7/2

When taking a cruise, you must choose a balcony cabin — it is absolutely worth it.

Mysterious marine life spotted.

After the overcast weather of yesterday, passengers quickly went to the top deck to enjoy the blue sky and white clouds.

Norwegian Cruise Line's food is the best we've had so far, though it also depends on the ship and route. Who knew you could eat chilled crawfish on a cruise!

Such large shrimp available freely — just eat as much as you want!

Exquisite decorations in the buffet restaurant.

Desserts are also quite good, though appearance is a bit lacking.

Day 3 2018/7/3

Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

Cruise ship gathering! Large ships (Norwegian Bliss, Golden Princess) can dock at the pier. Two small ships under Norwegian Cruise Line's Regent Seven Seas can only anchor in the water.

Golden Princess looks like a giant compared to civilian small boats.

Ketchikan is a tourist town with a small stream running through it, surrounded by colorful houses.

From afar it looks like paint, but up close it's all candy! Unfortunately, few people bought it.

Statue of a 19th-century pioneer, with Holland America's Volendam behind.

Bald eagle spreading its wings, with the Norwegian Bliss behind — doesn't it look like a luxury hotel?

Lifeboats are not only for rescue but also for shuttle transport, used as ferries.

Panoramic view of the Norwegian Bliss! You can see the blue whale painting on the bow — this is a unique feature of Norwegian Cruise Line; all their ships have such paintings.

Two familiar friends indeed appeared again. You can see the Bliss is much taller and larger than them.

Day 4 2018/7/4

Juneau, Alaska, USA

Alaska in summer is great for travel — moderate temperatures, not freezing, and you can enjoy green mountains and clear waters.

A local salmon store named "Red Dog" attracts cruise passengers.

Soon we'll take the red tram up the mountain to see the full view of Juneau. Although Juneau is the state capital of Alaska, it's only a bit larger than Ketchikan from yesterday.

The museum on the mountain introduces various types of bears in Alaska.

Ancient trees bear marks left by Native Americans; their meaning is unknown.

The three cruise ships look like floating palaces on water.

Enjoying the full view of Juneau from the tram, with snow-capped mountains in the distance.

The belated Norwegian Pearl. True to its name, its painting is a string of colorful pearls.

The pier has been "occupied" by the two familiar friends. The Pearl can only anchor in the water, and the crew have already lowered lifeboats to transport passengers ashore.

Besides playing in water, Americans also like sunbathing — there is a big cultural difference between China and the US.

After leaving Juneau, the cruise heads to Glacier Bay. Alaska's summer is hotter than expected; most snow has melted.

Large ice floes drift by, instantly bringing a chill.

This glacier never melts all year, making it a symbol of Juneau tourism.

Mysterious marine life spotted again.

It's dinner time. We had dinner at the buffet while enjoying the magnificent scenery of Glacier Bay.

Because of its large tonnage, the Norwegian Bliss cannot enter deeper areas and has to turn around for Skagway. Initially, we thought a larger ship would be more stable and resistant to wind and waves, but we never expected disadvantages from such a heavy and large ship.

Today is July 4th, US Independence Day. The chefs in the buffet restaurant showed their talents, carving various decorations on watermelons to celebrate.

Crew members also dressed up as the American symbol — the bald eagle — to interact with passengers.

The Independence Day meal was also quite good: lamb chops, steak, salmon fillets, etc., all you can eat.

Butter mussels — a rare way to cook in China.

Day 5 2018/7/5

Skagway, Alaska, USA — British Columbia, Canada — Yukon Territory, Canada

The "old friends" from previous days appeared again as expected. Pictured is Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas.

Skagway town scenery. Without tourists, it's almost deserted.

Since we need to drive to Emerald Lake ourselves, the first thing after disembarking was to go to the only car rental shop in town — AVIS. The clerk said we were lucky; all other cars had been booked, and only one car was left. Next time we must book in advance, or the travel plan might be completely disrupted.

The rental car is America's best-selling model, Toyota Corolla. Although it's a compact car, it wasn't cramped for three people.

Alaska's scenery — you can only see large stretches of green in summer.

After showing passports at the border checkpoint and entering Canada, we saw a mirror lake, which I personally found more beautiful than Emerald Lake later. If this scenery were in China, it would probably have been developed into a tourist attraction and started charging fees.

A tourist minibus heading to Emerald Lake, with license plates from both Alaska and Yukon Territory, allowing free cross-border travel. Similar to vehicles in Guangdong with Guangdong-Z and local plates for travel between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau.

After driving 100 kilometers, we finally saw the real Emerald Lake. Unexpectedly, it was just a small lake; I thought it would be much larger — a bit disappointed. The lake contains a lot of minerals, giving it a dark green color, hence the name Emerald Lake.

Near Emerald Lake, there is a free museum — why not visit?

Various North American western animals, lifelike.

What animal is this exactly?

A foreign friend was feeding a goat grass; I quickly snapped a picture.

On the way back to the cruise ship, we encountered a small waterfall. We parked by the roadside and took a quick photo.

Tourists from all over North America brought vitality to Skagway.

Day 6 2018/7/6

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Attractions: Fisherman's Wharf, Downtown Victoria, Butchart Gardens, Miniature World

A fleet of buses and three-wheeled vehicles warmly welcomed us.

Unexpectedly, there were also rickshaws — an eye-opener.

Victoria's Fisherman's Wharf, similar in concept to San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. The buildings are colorful, somewhat out of sync with Victoria's leisurely slow pace.

Water taxis shuttling between the east and west coasts.

A tourist bus with British charm welcomes everyone to Victoria!

You can also experience aristocratic life by hiring a carriage driver.

Victoria's most famous hotel, The Fairmont Empress. Staying a night is not too expensive.

Orcas are a symbol of Victoria; even balloons are in orca shapes.

Victoria was once the largest Chinese settlement in Canada, known as "Da Bu" (Big Port). At that time, Chinese laborers who came to Canada for gold mining and railway construction settled and lived here. Later, with the rise of Vancouver, Victoria gradually declined and is no longer the economic center of British Columbia.

Victoria is not only a popular tourist city but also attracts many elderly people to spend their retirement years due to its pleasant climate, beautiful scenery, and relaxed pace of life.

Butchart Gardens (also translated as Baocui Gardens) is a floral display garden located on Brentwood Bay, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is a Canadian National Historic Site and attracts over one million visitors annually.

The garden's flowers are colorful and meticulously cared for by professional horticulturists around the clock, impressing even someone like me who prides themselves on being well-traveled. I personally think Butchart Gardens is the most wonderful attraction of the entire trip.

Sunken Garden — one of Butchart Gardens' highlights.

Flowers in the Sunken Garden are blooming in competition.

The most famous fountain in the garden — the Rose Fountain. My photography skills need improvement; I didn't capture the roses in front of the fountain.

Flowers vying for beauty on the carpet-like lawn.

The Dragon Fountain near the Japanese Garden.

The Rose Garden, as famous as the Sunken Garden, allows visitors to immerse themselves fully among the roses.

Another distinctive fountain — the Sturgeon Fountain.

In comparison, the Italian Garden is less impressive.

The souvenirs shop has very cute little birds!

Miniature World — as the name suggests, a miniature world. The magical scaled-down world lies behind this unassuming door; let's go explore.

World War II Western Front: German forces are using their powerful armored units to make a last stand against the US-British Allies. Pictured is a German Jagdpanther tank destroyer.

German forces are using Panzer IV tanks and StuG III assault guns to ambush American Sherman tanks entering the city.

The cruelty of war is evident; may the world have peace.

American Civil War — Union and Confederate forces fighting to the death.

Logging camp and train station scene; timber is transported across North America by rail and water.

Miniature fairy-tale world, like being immersed in Disney animation.

Central London 50 years ago; familiar landmarks are all in the picture, including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, etc.

Amusement park at night.

Medieval knight duel + castle and moat.

Three "old friends" arranged by size of tonnage. Norwegian Bliss: 168,000 tons

Princess Cruises Golden Princess: 109,000 tons Holland America Volendam: 61,000 tons

Two "old friends" bid farewell to Norwegian Bliss with bright lights. This trip is about to end; we'll arrive in Seattle tomorrow morning.

Day 7 2018/7/7

Seattle, Washington, USA

After breakfast in the buffet restaurant, we left the Norwegian Bliss, and she immediately began preparing for the next batch of boarding passengers. The Bliss and the Seattle skyline marked a perfect ending to this trip.

In 2019, a Norwegian Cruise Line advertisement in downtown Shanghai brings back many memories. The Norwegian Europe route on the right was already scheduled for my next cruise trip. I sincerely hope the COVID-19 pandemic ends soon, the world returns to normal, and cruise travel experiences a renaissance!