Our very first cruise, and Royal really knocked it out of the park for us. We had a great time and we've already booked our next one. I've been dead-set against cruises for decades, but this one changed my mind quite a bit. Alaska is a wonderful and majestic land and taking a smaller ship is well worth it, in my opinion.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Somewhat chaotic as we were traveling with someone who required use of elevators. Plenty of staff showing you around, but lacks signage that would make things easier.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food was good to excellent all around. Only a few items in the Windjammer that were a miss (like beef curry). Giovanni's was also subpar for the cost. MDR food was good, though you could get similar in the Windjammer far quicker. Chops was easily the highlight. Regular provided coffee was palatable, but one of the weaker Lavazza blends. Specialty coffee was much better, and the coffee card was worth it without buying the more expensive beverage package. Only real complaint was certain people, generally the older crowd, that insisted on grabbing items with their fingers instead of using tongs.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We didn't bother with the pools or rock-climbing, but the other activities (trivia, name-that-tune, etc.) were fun. Some events only happened once, which would've been better spread over a few days with so many port stops.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Shows that we attended were excellent (magician/comedian Bill Cook; Broadway performances). The musicians were great, especially the duo doing the Caribbean music.
Children's Programs
4 out of 5
Our 11-year-old had a blast...except for being bullied by 2 others in the kids program. If those 2 had been barred from the program earlier in the cruise, our kiddo would've had a much better time.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Every staff member was exceptional with 2 exceptions. First, the front-of-house guys who ran the MDR at evening food service were unapologetically rude and nasty. We avoided the MDR for dinner because of them. Second, the Adventure Ocean staff did play favorites with those 2 bullies, and allowed them to bully our kid as well as several others. Aside from those 2 outliers, the staff and service was great. Our room steward, Sharon, even went out of her way to decorate our cabin for our anniversary when she found out it was (we never paid for any package for it).
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Everything weas quite clean and well-maintained. You can see signs of rust, but as a Floridian, I'm used to seeing that. The staff kept cleaning up the entire time, and despite only have once-a-day cabin service, it felt like we actually got twice-a-day a couple of times. There's some general signs of wear and tear which you'd expect for a 20-year-old ship that sees constant use, but nothing egregious. The casino is just a smoke-filled annoyance that wafts out into the Vintages bar, which ruins the ability to sit there and enjoy the quieter atmosphere. Finally, "Washy Washy, Happy Happy" is permanently living rent-free in my head now.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We had the ultra-spacious balcony, and it was quite capable of holding 2 adults and 1 child, plus 10 days worth of luggage. The carpet, drapes, and sofa are showing signs of age, but that's to be expected. Cleanliness was quite good, better than most hotels in Vancouver from what I saw of pictures. Bed was rock-hard though, which we just lived with.
Ship tip
Use the elevators at the front of the ship. You can avoid all of the hassle of the centrum elevators that are in constant use.
Portions of Vancouver are fine, others should be avoided after dark. The port itself is chaotic with 4 ships in port, and the embarkation is basically done at a convention center. The YVR airport is the worst, though. It's fine to fly into, but absolutely horrible to fly out of, ESPECIALLY if you're doing it early morning.
Probably the "weakest" of the port stops, but still quite engaging. The raptor center is interesting, but most excursions only give you like 30 minutes, at most, at them. This stop had the most souvenir options close to the dock we were berthed at (the far north dock).
Great stop and we were not disappointed with whale watching. We got to see Flame and her most recent baby, along with several others. The hike to Mendenhall was great, and our guide (Daniel) did a great job explaining things. Not something for people with mobility issues, though.
Another great stop. We did the sled dog visit (and got to hold and love on adorable puppies) as well as the train. Weather was literally perfect and we actually found ourselves getting overheated.
The only stop we did where the weather turned "sour". This meant slightly cooler temperatures and a drizzle that lasted about 20 minutes. Lumberjack show was awesome and hilarious, trolley tour was just ok.
They will come around to your room and kick you out promptly at 8 am, even if your departure time is later. Getting luggage was relatively easy with The Key. However, it's an incredibly long walk to get out from the ship to the Pan Pacific elevators (where we were staying).
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