Minor issues aside, this was an amazing trip. If you get a chance to take it, do it.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Boarding time was for 11:00am, we were on board at 11:08.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We only ate in the main dining room a couple of times. The food is the same every time, but the portions seem smaller, which I get to help combat food waste. We just ate in at the buffet most nights or had pizza. Guys Burger and the taco place were still great. The steakhouse was still good as well.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Too chilly to go into the pools or hot tub. Deck games were fun to watch, lost $50 in the casino, and just lounged around most of the time.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Went to see one show 80's to the Max which was pretty good, and one comedian who was good. Don't remember his name.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Still received great service from all crew members we encountered.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The layout was different than any other ship we've been on, so we got turned around several times, which is more on us. This seems to be an older ship, several things were out of service and twice we had to call guest services to get lights fixed in our room. One set of doors to the Serenity deck never worked, and one flight of steps to an upper deck were closed off as well.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
2 lights required repair and there was a tear at the seam in the couch. Not as nice as others we've had. Balcony was still nice to have.
This was my favorite port. Absolutely no usual port stores, it's owned and operated by the native Tlingit people. All proceeds support the village of Hoonah. We had our first ood sightings of bald eagles here and while walking the trail, saw an approximate 2000 lb eagles nest. We then walked into Hoonah and saw another bald eagle sitting at the waters edge.. I think it was here as well that we saw a whale right next to the ship. Looked down and there it was.
The port was great. We did the Whale watching and wildlife excursion. They guarantee you will see whales or you get $100 back. We did not get any money back. While we did not see them breach (which apparently is uncommon) we did see them flip their tales several times. Saw sea lions or harbor seals or otters, whichever they were, as well. The crew was fabulous.
Looked like a little more old fashioned port. No big stores or restaurants. We ended up doing a last minute excursion, the White Pass Summit Yukon Railroad. Very glad we did. Great ride and amazing views.
We got to town 3 days early to do some sightseeing. Did not see the homeless issues talked about, but we stuck pretty much to Fisherman's Wharf, did a tour of Alcatraz and rode the cable cars. Did a tour of Muir Woods with Dylan Tours which was awesome.
We took the glacier excursion and was able to go much closer to the Sawyer Glacier than the ship could go. It calved 3 times while we were there and the naturalist said he'd never seen that happen before. The blue colors of the Glacier were amazing. There was a bear sighing as well, but we were not able to see it. This was my second favorite "port".
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