Overall this trip was everything we had hoped and more! I can't wait to start planning our next adventure! The Princess staff made it all worth while. And oh the places you'll go!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Being first time cruisers we were unsure of the process. We found everyone to be extremely helpful and courteous to us.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
You will never go hungry on a Princess cruise. From the buffet to the grill and the pizza...not to mention the International Café of treats! We especially enjoyed the Crab Shack...it was definitely a great experience!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
There is a lot to offer depending on what you are in to. There are fun contests and activities to get cruisers together as well as options to get away and unwind or spend time with family. We spent a lot of our time on the back deck whale & dolphin watching...playing cards and having a great cup of coffee.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
While we did not take advantage of all of the shows that were offered, what we saw were quality talented performers that put on a great show.
Children's Programs
We did not have any children with us on this cruise.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I can't say enough about the staff on the Emerald Princess. What a top class group of associates! They were kind, courteous, always helpful and full of stories, ideas and suggestions. We had one bad experience with a customer service person when we first boarded which made us a bit concerned, but the rest of the staff more than made up for his poor service. It was great talking with so many nice people from all over the world. The staff definitely made this a great experience for us.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
We were amazed at how clean everything was...all the time! Not just when we got on board...not some of the time...ALL of the time.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We didn't really know what to expect. I had always heard how cramped the cabins were. We were pleasantly surprised at the size of the room and how manageable it was for us. While we had an "obstructed view" we were able to get a cabin in between life boats which allowed us to see the beautiful scenery any time without having to go out on the deck. Next time I will splurge for a balcony room though. Our room steward, Aracelia was amazing. She took great care of us and was a pleasure to talk to. Definitely top notch!
Ship tip
Take advantage of all the Emerald Princess has to offer. You can sleep when you get home! There is so much to do I'm not sure it is possible to get it all in! You will definitely not be bored!
Seattle is not our cup of tea. It is just not an environment we appreciated. Had we had time to venture out of the city I'm sure Seattle has a lot to offer. We just did not see it.
Ketchikan is a port city and tourism is a major part of who they are. Our excursion was a tour of the city led by someone who had lived there all his life. Ray was full of stories and history about Ketchikan. We saw the totem poles and heard the history, took a tour of Dolly's and got the Creek St history. It was definitely a good day. I highly recommend going to Annabelle's for chowder or the crab mac 'n cheese. That was one of the best meals I have had....ever!
Juneau was probably my favorite port. We took a bus out to the Mendenhall Glacier which is a beautiful site. If you have time the walk to the waterfall is worth the hike. The best part was the whale watching tour. We were lucky enough to connect with Dolphin Jet Boat Tours...Captain John is the best captain in that harbor. He had us on whales in no time. He was kind, courteous, answered a ton of questions. He was very conscientious about balancing giving us a great trip and making sure he was not crowding the whales or doing anything to endanger the wildlife. He is top notch and I would highly recommend him to anyone going to Juneau. Whale watching will make you hungry for...what else? Fish! Try the Twisted Fish...great halibut and Alaskan cod! Well worth the trip.
We booked the all day Yukon/White Pass Train ride. Again - I can't say enough about the folks we came in contact with. Being history buffs - taking the same route the rushers took all those years ago really makes you wonder how they did it. And the scenery...WOW. There are no words to describe it. We got on a motor coach in Fraser, BC then rode up into the Yukon. The driver provided a lot of history on the rushers and what they had to go through. We had a little extra time so we were able to go to Emerald Lake which is absolutely breathtaking!
We took a horse drawn carriage ride through some of the historical parts of the city near the port. There was not a lot of time to do a lot in Victoria, but we were able to get a taste of the city and the history.
The disembarkation was very smooth and stress free. We opted for a shuttle from the boat to the airport which meant they took care of basically everything. We turned over our bags before going to bed the last night and did not worry about them again until we returned home. The entire transition was well organized and a pleasant ending to an amazing week.
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