We celebrated our 20th anniversary on our Alaskan cruise. It was cloudy and cool but no rain. We went to see the salmon spawning, eagles soaring, and whale watching. 2/3 ain’t bad. I loved the coconut lattes while my husband had salted caramel coffees. So much to enjoy on the ship.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Moderately long lines but once we dropped off luggage and got through security, we only had to show our medallion and then we were pointed to walk onto ship. I am guessing we got priority with it being our second Princess cruise. Gold has its privileges.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We ate at the buffet mostly, did not go to MDR. Also enjoyed Salty Dog Gastropub, and the outside chili dog/burger bar. Loved the Salty Dog. Service was excellent. Plus you could listen to music from the Piazza there. The drink service in the buffet has improved considerably since our May cruise.
The waiters were friendly and quick to bring drinks. The buffet did not disappoint. I looked for halibut but did not find it in the heated fish area though. Bummer! The bar brought drinks fairly quickly to wherever we were.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The Shops of Princess
5 out of 5
Lots of shops to get souvenirs. Plenty of choices. Some markdowns. We had onboard credit so it was nice to use for that! Even had some $10 Alaskan T shirts. From less expensive to up there.
Hot Tubs
5 out of 5
Enjoyed the hot tub, which wasn’t overly hot, but clean and very comfortable. Even with the cooler weather, it was great!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Princess Theater
5 out of 5
I did not catch the last name of speaker, first name was Michael. He was an outstanding speaker who gave us the time frame to see Dawes Glacier, about 7am. It was wonderful to view it from the ship. He spoke in Princess theatre, quite poetically at times. He had one talk about Glaciers and Polar Bears. Another about the Klingit people. Do not miss this! Another Princess presentation was by the first female winner of the Iditarod, Libby Riddles. I missed her talk as we were in the Gastropub then. Ugh! Lots of other fun things to do like Linedancing lessons. We did not partake but enjoyed watching and the great music.Lots of other fun stuff involving officers pitted against the guests.
Piazza
5 out of 5
Nice music, had stage performers dancing, singing and much more. Great place to enjoy afternoon coffee or a libation.
Movies Under The Stars
5 out of 5
The newest Avatar movie, Katy Perry in concert with excellent speakers outside. Super fun
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
We were very pleased with all the servers. We enjoyed all the baristas, smoothie folks, the waiters.
Our cabin steward was very nice. She did need some instruction at times to bring fresh towels, clean glasses, clean room. She would do it all but seemed a bit slow compared to our last cruise.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Discovery is a lovely ship. Always clean. Bathrooms spotless.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The deluxe cabin had a huge balcony with 2 fold down chairs with ottomans. Had enough room easily for 4. The cabin seems small but works. We bided on the mini balcony but didn’t bid high enough I guess. The room was clean except for a spot on the sofa. The day before the cruise ended, the spot was cleaned.
Ship tip
Definitely do Port Valet. Fill out the form and give it to Guest Services. Your luggage has to be outside your door ready to go the night before. So bring a carry on for what you need in the am.
Did a whale watching tour. It was cloudy and a little foggy. After a 30 minute bus ride to the marina and a 40 minutes smooth boat ride out to the area, we saw several humpback whales. Even with my IPhone mini, I was able to get decent photos.
We loved watching the salmon ladder, seeing them prior to spawning area. So fascinating. Amazing that they go through such an arduous journey to spawn. We did a photography excursion of different areas of town including Creek Street, the gorgeous Ketchikan library, a totem park, etc.
Of course shopping at Ketchikan is great.
We did the hike and float in the Tongass Forest. It’s located in Dyea, the former boomtown Gold Rush town. Lots of history there. An easy hike on flat ground full of old Sitka spruce trees. We didn’t do the float, but those who did viewed an eagle and her young in the nest. We saw a harbor seal fishing while waiting for them.
No excursion needed. The captain said this is the closest they have ever gotten to the glacier.
It was cold but they were passing out blankets. There was a station set up to add Kahlua and other liqueurs to your coffee. The mountains, glacial water and glacier was breathtakingly beautiful.
I’m trying to download my photos but so far not having any luck.
Quick disembarkment. We did the port valet which is sooo nice. Didn’t have to lug our big suitcases off the ship. Seattle provides this service free of charge. They even print your boarding pass so you are checked in. Just go to the airport boarding area once you pass security.
Lisak2525 my husband refuses to go to MDR. We are from Florida where shorts are the accepted attire almost every nice restaurant. He is also impatient about waiting to get food delivered. I wanted to go, but I would be going alone. So there! 😂
May I ask why you never ate in the MDR? When we took this ship the food in there was amazing & the service was awesome. You missed out on some great food & extra good service.
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