I wouldn't hesitate to book this Princess cruise. To be honest, princess was a fall back option for us from another cruise that was cancelled on us. I had read some pretty mediocre reviews of the staff, ship, food, etc and was expecting to be disappointed. Seemed to start those expectations were being met but as time great, my wife and I really came around and started to be really thankful we found ourselves here. The entertainment, the cruise director (and staff), the food, and cleanliness of the ship along with the very comfortable bed and cabin really won us over. Michael the ship's naturist really elevated our cruise to the next level in terms of all things Alaska. We feel VERY thankful and blessed to have been on this cruise, thank you Princess!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was "ok" considering all the covid nonsense/canada checks, etc. We were on the ship in about 30 mins from the point of getting in line to boarding.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Buffet was, in both my wife my opinion, surprisingly good. We had read some pretty bad reviews on this but we actually enjoyed the meals provided. Were not able to do any specialty restaurants as they were all booked up the day we boarded the ship; that was a shame. The main dining room was kind of hit and miss. Nobody should expect everything to taste great all the time as this is such a personal choice. We were not disappointed by the food on this cruise, it was we'd say a little above average on the "cruise food" scale.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
It's alaska, and this ship doesn't do the "kid friendly" activities like others, so don't expect that to be part of this trip. With that said, trivia, game shows, etc were all very enjoyable.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Entertainment was the BIG surprise on this cruise, it was absolutely FANTASTIC in our opinion. I've seen plenty of shows on land and at sea and this ranks up among the best we've seen. Surprised we don't read more about this in other reviews but the two dance/performance shows in particular were really off the charts.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Service and staff were good. Double thumbs up to the cruise director (Marcus) and the assistants (Shell & Kimberly). These three really enhanced the cruise. Mike, the naturalist, was particularly amazing. These four really elevated our cruise to a "great" experience.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Ship is very clean and beautiful. It's the last ship in an older class and the layout and amenities do show this. I'm still giving this 5 stars because it was easy enough and VERY clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We really liked our cabin, a standard balcony. Not the biggest we've cruised with (actually on the smaller side) however, the bed was magnificent, the shower/bathroom were well laid out with good water pressure, etc. Very clean, room attendant was available but not overly on top of you if you know what I mean. We really liked this ship.
Ship tip
If you're doing Alaska, see the naturist and hopefully it's Michael. Go to the shows, relax and don't sweat the small stuff. This is a good ship, with good staff, and focus on the cruise!
Our favorite port, go out on a boat to see some wildlife, visit the old canary, and enjoy the totem poles (which were a little more interesting than I expected). Go up the stream beyond creek street in late July or August to see the salmon run where there are limited people around.
Great little town, the day we visited it was quite rainy/wet. Mendenhal glacier is a must do, we also enjoyed the salmon bake. The excursion honestly is not great value though. Just take a bus/taxi/uber to the glacier, then go out and buy some good food around town and you'll save $$.
The city itself is very touristy, not very interesting to my wife and I. However, this is a GREAT port to take the train which is a must do. I had my doubts but this ended up being a highlight (surprisingly). Also, the cruise into and out of Skagway is spectacular; amazing views all around.
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