Norwegian Bliss has kicked off NCL’s 2022 Alaskan cruise season, as the first ship to sail from Seattle and head to ‘The Last Frontier’.

Not only is Norwegian Bliss the first cruise ship to visit Alaska for this 2022 season, it’s also the first of five NCL vessels to cruise the state’s waters, with operations running through October 2022.

NCL pioneered the Seattle-to-Alaska cruise route in 2001, and the cruise line says it is deeply committed to the region, working with destination partners in Seattle and Alaska to drive immersive and responsible tourism.

In conjunction with Port of Seattle, Norwegian Cruise Line Holding’s (NCLH), NCL’s parent company, invested US$30 million in an upgrade project for Port of Seattle’s Pier 66. The upgrade has expanded the check-in area by 300% to more than 150,000 square feet, plus added two new passenger boarding bridges.

In August 2021, as part of its Great Cruise Comeback to celebrate the restart of its operations, NCL restarted its U.S. voyages from Seattle to Alaska, making its first call to Icy Strait Point. At that time NCL also officially welcomed the opening of a new Wilderness Landing pier and the first of two gondola systems to be completed as part of the joint investment between NCLH and Huna Totem.

“We have nearly three decades of history cruising Alaska, pioneering voyages to The Last Frontier from Seattle more than 22 years ago and christened the largest cruise ship in Seattle in 2018 with the debut of Norwegian Bliss,” said NCL’s President and CEO, Harry Sommer. “We could not be any prouder to return to our ‘second home’ and jump-start the 2022 Alaska season with one of our most innovative ships and provide unforgettable guest experiences with some of the world’s most bucket list destinations.”

Sommer adds that NCL will have the youngest fleet sailing Alaska throughout 2022, with the largest capacity ever with the most sailings for NCL, including five, seven, nine, and 10-day itineraries on Norwegian Bliss, Encore, Sun, Spirit and Jewel.

Norwegian Sun will return to sail on May 5, marking the 16th of NCLs 17-ship fleet to return to operation, as it sets sail from Seattle and makes its way through Alaska and B.C. Norwegian Sun will offer five, seven, nine and 10-day itineraries this year before setting sail from Hong Kong.

Source: Travelweek