This was an amazing cruise to a beautiful location on a fantastic ship
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Arrived at port about noon (our time on the app was 11:30 but our shuttle was late) - sailed right through. Picked up our Medallions at the service desk. Two in our party had their medallions delivered to their homes. Did not save them any time. However, that was like having a fastpass so if it were busy they could cut the line. The longest part of the process was navigating through the queue lines...and they were empty!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food was excellent. If you can't find something good you've got other problems. Soup always cold...moved on to something different. Had meals in the main dining room and buffet. Great variety. Cocktail variety excellent. I gave four stars here because the bars were understaffed. This is a princess problem, not a staff service issue. Also, the medallions were not working to their full potential. Most times the bartenders still asked for name and room number, many writing things down.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
There are plenty of options here. One in our party played pickleball every day. Our adult children used the basketball court. Too cold for the pools but the hot tubs were full. The fitness center was fantastic and always busy... but not too crowded. Self-service laundry was free. I wish I would have known this. I would have packed very differently. Still used it! Didn't come home with suitcases full of dirty clothes - very nice! I gave this 3 stars because the casino experience was disgusting. I get it, people still smoke but folks - it's 2023. This was very surprising to see they allowed smoking. They have a 'section' for the smokers but let's be honest. It doesn't make any difference. The casino is no longer run by Princess but it still is a reflection on the brand. Our group of 9 are big gamblers and we went one night then didn't return. We reeked of smoke after a few hours. There are ships that have no smoking policies in their casinos and we will sail with them in the future. (by the way...I'm a casual smoker)
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Room steward outstanding. Wait staff not notch (except for our main waiter in the main dining room. He was just ... eh. Not his best week (we all have them)) Bartenders very good - but bars were understaffed. Most ship personnel very friendly
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Room was fine - typical standard balcony room. Plenty of storage. Bed was very comfy - beautiful crisp, white sheets (my SIL thought they were too 'loud'). LOL. Balcony pretty small. We had 4 rooms and opened the balconies to connect. So wonderful
Ship tip
Make dinner reservations early. Arrive at Gigi's at 10:45 - there will still be a line. Be patient with busy elevators. Because the weather is quite chilly when the ship is moving, all indoor areas very crowded. Just be prepared.
Since we did Endicott Arms, we could not do an additional excursion in Juneau. We did get off the boat and walked around the town. Had a couple of beers at the Alaskan Brewery. Very fun. Weather was 65 and sunny
Very organized. Do the walk off at your leisure. Here's the lowdown on Uber/Rideshare - Uber will drop off right at the port and is way cheaper than the Princess shuttle or a shuttle from a hotel. However, for pickup AFTER the cruise, you do have to walk a bit (less than a city block) to the Rideshare pick up spot. We had no problem here and the area for the shuttles and private transfers was a madhouse. It would have not been fun for us if it was raining! So it's a gamble. We saved over $100 with rideshare so it was worth the gamble for us. But for piece of mind I would suggest just using Princess
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