aT122240860

We enjoyed our time cruising to Alaska. The only way to cruise is to have a balcony room, so that you can enjoy the fresh air and privacy. The Staff, in particular the Cruise Director and the DJ, made the trip very enjoyable. At times, it did seem that the main dining rooms during the peak dining hours between the opening and 8:00 PM were extremely understaffed. It was difficult to obtain a beverage and to be recognized as needing service. The reservation system on board the ship, should be clearly spelled out to all passengers prior to booking on this cruise line. The added cover charges at the restaurants, was excessive in price given the cost of the total cruise package. To have to pay $20.00 per person plus an additional cost to have steak and lobster was expensive. The grautiuity of 18% added onto the bill made the cost for two people to dine in excess of $100.00. The feeling also was, that there was an expectation for additional tipping at these "cover" restaurants. The main courses at the open dining rooms, were strange, and in some cases distasteful. If a person enjoys eating lamb, duck and tough cuts of meats with various countries names associated with them then I am sure that they would be satistifed. The buffet at the pool, was sparse at best. The main selection of cold hambugers or hotdogs, with cheap American cheese and plain tortilla chips is in no way gourmet. There was not a change daily of the offerings to the Customers of the cruise. The last morning of the cruise, the cleaning staff barged into the bathroom, while I was in there and kept knocking. Even after I asked them to leave they hesitated. I felt like we were being "run off" and were not ready to leave as it was only 7:30 am in the morning. I would highly recommend, that anyone that is considering a cruise do thier homework on all available cruise lines and speak with people that have taken trips and would be able to share thier experiences to give a good overall conclusion on which cruise line would be the best selection.