Overall, it was what I expected and very pleased with the experience. In all honestly, I doubt I would take a ship of this size on a warm weather cruise, the wet cold weather is a great equalizer, people stay under cover and inside. On the final day it was sunny and relatively warm, the sun deck was crazy.
I feel that Princess does a great job managing all the people, obviously they have done this a long time and have it figured out.
In the end, you create your own enjoyment and memories, we achieved that.
Kudos on the Medallion program, pretty slick program!!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
I mentally prepared myself for “hurray up and wait” but not the case at all. From drop off to sipping the first mimosa was less than an hour, very well organized.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
For a ship of that size the food was not that bad.
• Buffett – did its job, fed the masses.
• Main dining room – ate in the Reserve Collection twice, food was okay, but the service was outstanding.
• Churchills Steakhouse - very good, nice experience. Again, the service was outstanding and there was no rush. An enjoyable dining experience.
Drinks – we had the premium package (included with the cruise) it was a nice feature, but I wouldn’t pay out of pocket for it, at least not Alaska. It is a great way to experience top shelf liquor the you ordinally wouldn’t buy.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We participated in some of the trivia games but generally stayed away from those activities. The fitness center was well appointed and seemed quite busy.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Across the board the service was great. Our cabin attendant was exceptional, even though we pre-paid the crew tips we tipped our attendant as well.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Very clean, deck crew avctive everyday keeping the vessel in top condition.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The layout of the cabin was very nice, enjoyed the separate sleeping area.
The con’s of L107, being a forward-facing cabin, the deck was unusable when underway, however when the ship was in port or maneuvering near the glaciers we couldn’t have asked for a better venue.
Ship tip
The layout of the cabin was very nice, enjoyed the separate sleeping area. The con’s of L107, being a forward-facing cabin, the deck was unusable when underway, however when the ship was in port or maneuvering near the glaciers we couldn’t have asked for a better venue.
It was raining hard, no planned excursions. Put on my REI rain jacket and walked around town, the rhododendrons were in full bloom which made the walk worthwhile.
Scenery is spectacular, we couldn’t get too close to the glacier do the ice in the channel.
This is where I screwed up, I didn’t understand the excursion and what it entails. Only when the small boats pulled alongside Discovery did I realize they were going to the glacier. Would like a “do over” on that.
Skagway made the cruise. We road the train up White’s Pass to Bennett Lake and on to Carcross, Yukon. We were blessed with great weather and significant snows still in the mountains. I was prepared for chaos and crowds of people, not the case. Plenty of room, easy going and very well-organized excursion. Never thought I would see the headwaters of the Yukon River.
I know for business reason the ship needs to make a foreign port; however, such a late arrival time eliminates any opportunity to really enjoy a great city. I am not sure what stipulates the arrival time but I know we were not pressed for time. Out cabin attendant said they used to arrive a 2:00pm, that makes sense.
I think Princess needs to review this.
We took advantage of the Port of Seattle program to have bags processed and checked directly to Sea-Tac. Next time we saw them was in Washington D.C. The ship schedules your disembarkation time however you could skip that and go get in line early. We followed the rules but broke protocol when I spotted a big gap in the line and jumped in place. Skipping the bag claim and processing straight through customers is a time saver, get a taxi and on your way.
Appreciate your detailed and informative review. Glad you enjoyed your Alaskan cruise. I wish every cruise had the luggage to home airport offer. Glad it worked well for you as it did for us the one time we had the opportunity to do it.
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