This was my 11th Alaskan cruise and probably had the most fog of any of the ones I’ve been on. Fortunately the weather was fairly mild and we didn’t get a lot of rain, but it did tend to spoil the view in a lot of places. The fog horn went off a lot, so if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing bring earplugs. It was a wonderful cruise and we enjoyed every port!
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation in San Francisco was not very organized. They did enforce the arrival times, but there were no restroom facilities available so for those who arrived early you had to suffer in silence. Once inside the terminal it went quickly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We only ate in the main dining room four times, but always had the same servers even though it was Anytime dining. The food was excellent when we ate there. We did the Chef’s Table one night which we really enjoyed. Other nights we just ate on Lido deck or onshore. I enjoyed what food I ate on Lido, but not quite as fancy as the food in the dining room.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We did not use the pools or the gym but the kids seem to be having a great time in the pools and hot tubs.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
I did not attend any of the shows as I was on the same cruise less than a year ago and I had seen the stage productions. I enjoyed the comedians and attended performances several times. Did a little trivia and went to the ice carving and the lumberjack games and enjoyed them.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
My grandson was signed up for Circle C online but for some reason they said none of the online sign ups worked and they threw him out the first day and I guess he felt a little humiliated but went back with me a day or two later and signed up. He did not seem to enjoy the programs as much as he did on the Carnival Magic and most of it seemed to be free choice.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All of the people that served us did a great job!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
This is my favorite class of ship as I don’t need rock climbing wall, race tracks, freefall attractions, or roller coasters. I love the layout and it was well-maintained and they were always cleaning.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our cabin was what was once classified as a French door cabin, but the doors have been removed and replaced with two big window panes. I love the fact that I paid for an inside cabin and I got a view between the lifeboats that was probably as good or better than an outside cabin. The size was also the size of a balcony cabin and I appreciated having the sofa and extra room.
I love that this port is still pretty much just natural Alaska. We went on a private bear watching excursion, and although we didn’t really see a bear, it was beautiful countryside and we saw giant salmon leaping and a Blacktail deer. Loved our driver as he had grown up there and knew all about the area. He was also very knowledgeable about the local plants and the fact that with a little knowledge you could survive in Alaska without starving to death. Also had some interesting stories to tell.
We went on a whale watching excursion and did not see too many humpbacks, but we saw tons of orcas which was a real thrill. We also walked around town and ate crabs at Tracys crab shack. We got a pound of Alaskan king crab and a pound of Dungeness crab which came with some rolls and also got one small bowl of chowder and a soda. It was extremely expensive but delicious. We went fairly early but it was developing a pretty good line by the time we finished eating.
We went up into the Yukon with Chilkoot charters and had a great trip. We stopped to watch a mama bear and her two cubs for quite a bit. They walked right up to our van, crossed the road, and started eating raspberries on the other side. It was very up close and personal without being in danger. Beautiful scenery and a nice lunch with puppies.
We went on the small boat tour and went up to the face of both glaciers. Saw several small calvings and one pretty good spire that collapsed. There are a lot of seals in the water and we got extra time waiting for the ship to catch up with us.
We did not have too much time in Victoria, and I booked a seaplane tour so my grandson could have the experience. It was a very short flight and other than the pilot telling us ahead of time where he was going to be flying, there was no narration so you really didn’t have a clue what you were looking at. It was beautiful though and we had time to walk around and back to the buses to take us back to the ship.
I am diamond with Carnival so we got to meet up early and we’re escorted off the ship. I checked our luggage but it was easy to find and the Porter took it right out to the bus and off we went. We were at the airport probably before 9 AM. I forgot to look but it was quick!
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