Overall, we were underwhelmed with our cruise ship experience. We were surprised by the lack of wildlife, but loved the landscape and excursions . We saw the northern lights, what an awesome sight.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was quick and easy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
This has gone downhill from years ago. You have to pay extra for specialty dining, regular dining takes place in four different dining venues.
We quickly settled on a favorite and went there 5 out of 7 nights.
We booked one specialty restaurant, Raw on 5. We specifically went for the crab. The crab was cooked, but cold and served on ice. (Why?) No one checked on us, we got out as fast as we could and went to our favorite restaurant for dessert.
Our regular waiter took us, even though we weren't at one of his tables. Service was wonderful in the Cosmopolitan restaurant.
Overall, the food was so-so to me. My husband thought is was good.
The buffet was huge and plentiful. I saw many guests not practicing good hand hygiene. I would prefer Celebrity have people behind the stations serving. I saw people stand in line, and eat from the same hand they handled serving utensils.
While there was plenty of food, and a huge variety, I noticed a lot of duplication at the various stations.
We mostly ate breakfast at the buffet,
lunch once.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The Cruise Director sets the tone, it just wasn't there. He was pleasant enough, but he paled in comparison to past cruise directors we've sailed with.
I love silent disco, what a mess this one was. Most people walked in, got headsets, stayed a couple minutes and left. I left also. There were only 3 people on the dance floor. There was no energy, no live DJ for one of the stations getting and keeping the excitement going.
Abba sing along was great, 80's night was pretty lit. The Club was so crowded those nights.
We mostly had port days, so not a lot of time experience shipboard activities.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The music in the central part of the ship, one deck below the cafe, was always good, plenty of seating on the two decks surrounding the musicians.
The main theater shows were nothing like the past. It was disappointing. The live band played on stage one time. They were wonderful, so it was disappointing that the only performed once.
The dancing was suggestive and I only knew three songs, my husband knew one. Quite a bit of pelvic thrusting facing the audience. Not just one song, most of them.
The aerialists were excellent.
The magician wasn't all that. She mostly talked about her experiences and relationship with famous magicians. One sensational act, the rest were forgettable.
The comedian was very funny. I thought he regular set was funnier than her 18+ set.
We were the next to the last cruise for Alaska, maybe everyone was burned out or taking liberties the didn't on other trips.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The service in the Cosmopolitan was impeccable. Our waiter, Daud, went above and beyond in his service to us. He made us feel special. Our sommelier, Anastasia, was attentive and made special drinks for us.
Pablo in al Bacio made excellent White Russians, but he never smiled or really engaged with patrons. I even commented that he was my favorite bartender and made the best drink. Another time my husband told him that he was my favorite and his drinks were always good
I was highly disappointed that we had to ASK for premium water and liquor. When they take your room card it clearly states premium drink package. We paid extra to have that package and it really wasn't delivered.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship was designed well. I think it was a mistake to make most of the rooms "infinite verandas". Only aft-facing cabins have real balconies. Those cabins go fast.
The rooms were kept clean and well stocked. Our steward, Alex, did a great job, but he seemed overwhelmed at times. I think he had too many rooms to take care of.
Late at night and early in the morning you could see staff vacuuming, sweeping, dusting, and wiping down surfaces.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Sunset Veranda - aft facing
Our room was a nice size, the balcony was plenty big with room to move around.
There were no Concierge cabins in that area of the ship. The corner cabins were Sky Suite. The rooms were a little bigger, but the balcony wasn't much more than ours. The couple in the one near us showed me their stateroom. They were displeased with the layout, it was a bit awkward.
Ship tip
Stick with the Cosmopolitan restaurant. I heard Eden, a specialty restaurant was excellent. We didn't eat there. Make sure you get premium water and liquor if you have the premium package.
We took the tram up Mt Washington. The ride was smooth and afforded nice views. At the top we were disappointed with the lack of attractions. The overlook was nice, the view was breathtaking.
We did "The best of Skagway" train & motorcoach tour. (6.5 hours) We crossed into Canada and did need our passports. The narration while on the train was interesting and informative. We stopped at a place called Liarsville. They had a smoked salmon and BBQ chicken luncheon. They put on a skit that was cute and funny and a bit hokey, but I enjoyed it. We learned about panning for gold and got to try our hand at it.
We got back on the bus and headed back to Skagway and stopped at the Red Onion Saloon and Brothel. We had our our tour complete with champagne. The "madams" were "punny" - so many play on words. We were all laughing. It was interesting seeing how the women lived and the quality of life they had.
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