I would definitely do this again. And if I did I would maybe spend port time exploring the port instead of going on excursions.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We couldn’t believe the number of people that are smoothly brought into the ship in such a short amount of time. Our stateroom was ready long before expected and our stateroom attendent greeted us right away and gave us a couple tips to get us started.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We stayed in Aquaclass so our main dining room was Blu. The food was excellent as was the service and the ocean view. Everything we experienced at Blu was perfect. At Blu, you go to breakfast/dinner anytime you prefer during their open hours and those hours are adjusted if needed on port days to allow you to have breakfast before heading out or dinner in your return.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
There were lots of activities planned on board but I am more of a balcony-sitter, scenery watcher. I did go to the onboard naturalist’s whale lecture though and it was so informative! He also did an eagle one that I missed but my shipmates went and loved it even more. We also played bingo which was new to me. We didn’t win but the cash prizes were great! We also went to the silent disco which looked like so much fun for the participants but even more fun for the observers! I wish I would have gone to the Persian Garden. We found it on the first day then didn’t actually go til the last day. It was full the first time we tried then had just closed the second time. Another activity that was past my bedtime was the Liar’s Club which was like a game show the captain, cruise director, and others participated in. I have no doubt that would have been good but I never got there.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The Soltice performer (singers, dancers, orchestra) shows were good and you could really tell how hard these talented kids work. NYC3 was there one night. Then there was a tribute group doing Michael Buble songs. I enjoyed the aerialist act the best. They were included on the shows at least 2 nights as I recall.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Awesome in every way, especially our stateroom steward Wayan, and the entire Blu staff.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Absolutely everything was perfect.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our cabin was as expected, maybe a little roomier than expected. The bathroom was very nice, great shower, better mirror/lightning than you’ll find in most hotels. Very comfortable bed, we slept great. Much more storage than you would think especially in the bathroom.
Ship tip
One? Get the WiFi package and if your shipmates don’t then figure out some way to communicate with each other without texting.
We spent the night before the cruise and the night after in the Hilton in Seattle across from the airport. Both nights we took the train to the Westlake stop. We visited the fish market, ate lobster chowder and lobster rolls at Pike Place Chowder. We also took the monorail to Chihuly Garden and Glass which is my favorite thing in Seattle by far.
We did the Bering Sea Crab Boat excursion. It was very interesting and well planned. They don’t advertise that they have food but that say they were serving 1/2lb crab legs, already shelled, with hot butter. Yum! Also, they took us to an island with a huge population of bald eagles, highlight of my entire cruise experience!
Beautiful! We didn’t see as much wildlife as we had hoped for, only some seals, but the glacier is breathtaking. We also couldn’t get as close as we wanted due to so much ice in the water but still it was awesome.
We did the Mendenhall Glacier and salmon bake tour. Glacier do, crab bake skip, you are going to get great salmon on the cruise and in port but not at the salmon bake.
Skagway is very small, their only thing is tourism so it’s a few rows on touristy shops. We did the train excursion which was great if you sit on the left of the train, good if you sit on the right. Our train car girl was Mary who was so nice and fun and loves Alaska. She was definitely a highlight of the ride.
We may go back to Victoria for another vacation. It’s really pretty and has more to see than what you can pack into a few hours. We did the O’Canada Highlights bus tour. Our tour guide Jonathan was really good. We stopped at a coffee shop for a donut and hot beverage after driving through some of the more interesting neighborhoods in the area and up to a Victoria overlook with beautiful views of the city.
If you go back to Victoria do the excursion for Butchart Gardens. It takes you by bus on a sight seeing tour with narration for about 45 minutes seeing Victoria. It’s so clean and beautiful there. Then the Gardens are spectacular. It’s a huge place. And make time to visit the beautiful huge gift shop. Lots of great things to buy. More sightseeing on the way back to the ship. We loved it and would definitely go back again.
We had 3 days and 4 nights in Seattle before cruise. We saw quite a bit but our favorites were the Chihuly Glass and one day we took the ferry to Bainbridge Island which was great. We also did the Needle which was ok but too short and Pikes Market yo see them throw the fish. We were going to walk around to see the rest but it was much too crowded so we left. The weather was great in late August. Our hotel was in a convenient area and had a restaurant which we went to for breakfast and a couple of dinners. Very good. The Warwick Hotel.
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