Overall, this was an awesome cruise! We went early in the season so it was cold and not all excursions were available yet. The upside was we were the only ship at every port we visited so it was never crowded. The most beautiful scenery you will every see.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
Embarkation is the only complaint I have about our cruise. It took over 2 hours and felt like we were being herded from one line to another. Perhaps it was because we were starting in Canada? The luggage drop off was a mess and unorganized. The security line took forever because you are in line with passengers from other ships. There also seemed to be many passengers that did not speak any English so the check in process took even longer since the Carnival & terminal employees were unable to communicate effectively. Given the choice, I would not sail out of Vancouver again.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We had a wonderful experience in the dining room for all 3 meals. We rarely went to the buffet. The steakhouse was a great choice on our first night (free bottle of wine and an amazing sunset) and the Chef's Table was also a unique experience we chose to indulge in.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We were never bored! Always something fun happening on this ship. We enjoyed the trivia and karaoke. Cookie was the best! We are so thrilled he is now a cruise director.
Entertainment
We did not attend any of the shows.
Children's Programs
We did not take any kids.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
What can I say but TOP NOTCH! From the dining staff to the room steward and everyone in between. They pay attention to every detail.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Overall the ship is great! However it is starting to show it's age and will probably be needing some aesthetic updates in the near future. It's easy to find your way and never felt crowded.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
This room is perfect if you like having natural light and fresh air, but don't want to pay for a balcony room. We were perfectly situated between 2 life boats giving us a decent amount of view. This is considered an interior class room so it was very affordable but seemed to be the size of a balcony room (minus the actual balcony).
We started our day in Juneau by taking a shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier where we did a quick hike to the waterfalls and explored the visitor center. After returning we had lunch at the famous Red Dog Saloon and then walked around downtown and did some shopping. We finished our day there by taking the tour of the Alaskan Brewing Company (a quick shuttle drive from downtown) which had some really good and unique beers!
What a fun little town! We took the train to the top of White Pass Summit which was stunning (and sometimes terrifying). The afternoon was spent exploring the city and also a flight of beers at the Skagway Brewery. I highly recommend the Spruce Tip!
This is definitely a tourist town! We did the Adventure Kart excursion and had a blast! The town is full of shopping and restaurants so no shortage of places to go.
We had fun in Seattle, but I have to admit we were exhausted from the cruise by the time we got there. We did manage to take the light rail downtown and visit Pike Place and wander around downtown. I was shocked at the amount of homeless downtown. I didn't remember that from visits past. Yet another flight of beer at Pyramid Alehouse near Safeco Field.
We went on the first cruise if the season. Rainy in Juneau and we were not able to go up the Tracey Fjord but that was ok. We went up another fjord. Need to see the glaciers now before they are gone.
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