Amazing Alaskan Cruise

Item: Emerald Princess
Rating: 4.6
Author: dshatt22

Emerald Princess Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage

dshatt22

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 15

Overall rating:

4.6 out of 5

7 Night Inside Passage With Tracy Arm Fjord (Seattle Roundtrip)

Sail date: May 20, 2018

Ship: Emerald Princess

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: R224

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

Once in a lifetime trip! It was amazing! Alaska is beautiful and my wife would move there to be a hermit if anything happened to me. Definitely do some excursions. Do some activities on the ship too. Eat as much as you want and take the stairs when you can, so that you can eat even more.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Very smooth, quick in getting on the ship. Everyone was helpful in letting us know where to go. We didn't have a transfer planned from the airport to the ship but we just asked someone at the airport who was holding a Princess sign. It was great!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

The food was delicious although it was pretty hard to find a seat in the buffet dining rooms. Make sure you order as much food from the dining room as you want!

International Café

5 out of 5

Open 24 hours. Nice to get lunch here or a snack.

Wheelhouse Bar

5 out of 5

Nice atmosphere. The singer/guitar player was excellent.

Slice Pizzeria

4 out of 5

Food was good but could've been a little warmer. It was hard to find a seat too.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Casino

4 out of 5

Casino was fun. Only played blackjack. Wished there were more opportunities to learn other games. Dealers could've interacted a little more and made it more fun. If you want to drink in the casino, bring it in from another bar or go to the bar before you sit down at a table because there are not many servers in the casino.

Jogging Track

1 out of 5

Don't do the jogging track. It is only a good size if you are a toddler. 18 times around=1 mile. Shouldn't be called a jogging track. Instead, walk/jog around deck 7 (2.5 times around=1 mile).

Lotus Spa

3 out of 5

Prices were kind of high and it was very busy. But if you want to do the spa, do it while at port for discounts and it is less busy.

Cybergolf

3 out of 5

Never found this. Not sure if it was really on the ship because we looked specifically for it.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Movies Under The Stars

4 out of 5

They don't have a lot of blankets and the ones they have are thin. So bring your own or bundle up. Or cuddle close to your mate. It is really neat to watch a movie under the stars on the ocean!

Princess Theater

5 out of 5

Nice theater. I thought the sound could've been better for movies but my wife and brother said it was fine so maybe it was just me. Don't sit on the floor because someone with a big head will sit in from of you.

Explorers Lounge

4 out of 5

My only complaint is that it wasn't bigger. It was hard to find seats at some of the shows so I think they just need to plan the venues better.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Everyone was friendly, smiling and helpful. Except one issue with the Port Valet at the end. The casino dealers could've interacted a bit more.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

The ship was clean and well-maintained. However, some of the venues were smaller and it was hard to find a seat for shows, especially the Explorer's Lounge.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ship tip

Plan your days so that you get to do everything you want to on the ship. You can use the Princess app and add activities. Also, make sure you list enough bags if you do Port Valet because it's not easy to change and you may get charged for extra luggage.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Seattle, Washington

5 out of 5

Ketchikan, Alaska

5 out of 5

Took a walking tour and learned about the town. "Joe Williams" was great and is native to Ketchikan. It rained all day. But we were told it rains about 340 days per year. So what can you do?

Thumbs Up 2

Juneau, Alaska

5 out of 5

Definitely do a whale watching tour!

Thumbs Up 2

Skagway, Alaska

5 out of 5

We did a train ride and yukon bus trip. It was awesome. Got to see husky puppies and sled dogs and the sights on the train were amazing! The excursion got in about 40 mins late so we didn't get to see much of the town but it looked neat. We almost missed getting back to the ship so don't try to run to a souvenir shop if you only have 20 mins.

Thumbs Up 4

Victoria, British Columbia

5 out of 5

Much bigger city than I was expecting. Didn't do an excursion but it was nice just walking around.

Thumbs Up 5

Disembarkation

3 out of 5

Traveler Photos

3 Comments

wwjane 6 years ago

Great review! My husband and I went to Alaska for the first time about two years ago to celebrate our 50th anniversary! We enjoyed it so much that we are going on another Princess cruise to Alaska to celebrate our 52nd anniversary in July! We are going to do some excursions we did not do then as times conflicted. We are really looking forward to the White Pass Railway tour! ❤️

Thumbs Up 1

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renaedave 6 years ago

awesome review

Thumbs Up 1

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harleychick421 6 years ago

Got Alaska booked for June 2019!

Thumbs Up 1

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Other reviews of this sailing

Awesome Alaska Inside Passage

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