Overall, we ha a good time and are happy we went. BJ's Travel provided many alternatives for the cruise location we wanted and I'm sure we will begin our search for our next cruise there.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
All the food service areas were good. Compared to other cruises I've been on, the variety and presentation were only so-so.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The weather was too cold for us to swim or even use the hot tubs. In addition, both were closed several days out of the seven. There were no rock climbing walls and We weren't interested in the fitness center, although I did see quite a number of people making use of it.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
BB King's lounge was fun. The band was very good. But they were playing infrequently with the lounge being used for lots of other things that we weren't interested in.
Children's Programs
No children
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The room stewards (Ayu & MJ) did an excellent job of keeping out room clean and orderly. I was sick with a cold on the penultimate night's sailing and sweated up the sheets. Ayu & MJ come in at our request and changed the sheets and made the bed while we were in the room, something they ordinarily waited to do when we were out of the room. They were quite solicitous to my health.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Everything was clean and orderly. The design was old.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was adequate. There was enough closet/storage space for our clothes and bags. The bed was comfortable and the room stewards kept the linen fresh and neat. They also kept the bathroom clean and in good order. The door to the balcony leaked air and the wind whined constantly which was irritating when we were trying to sleep.
Ship tip
Skip the balcony on late season Alaskan cruises. The weather was cold and rainy and the balcony was unusable.
Due to skipping Juneau, we spent a lot of time here, visiting several glaciers. US Park Service rangers were on board to give us running commentary on what we were seeing. All-in-all, it was very interesting.
Very interesting presentation of Tlingit religious beliefs along with an excellent "Seafood Feast" consisting of boiled/steamed king crab, mussels, and shrimp. And for dessert, smores!
We visited the Raptor and Bear rehabilitation facilities. The docent with the Raptors was very informative and answered all questions easily and clearly. There were quite a few bald eagles, a golden eagle and several varieties of owl. The snowy owl was spectacular. We also walked to a small stream where thousands of salmon had come to spawn - quite an impressive sight.
The weather was chilly and rainy (not the fault of the cruise line or the tour guide). However, the tour was rushed with the guide several times telling us that he had seen wildlife at that spot "yesterday" as we sped by in the van with fogged windows that we couldn't see out of.
Let me recommend the Port Valet service, offered at no extra charge. Our checked luggage was handled all the way through to our final detination, we were given boarding passes for our airline for both the initial departure location as well as the connecting location. And did I mention it is FREE?
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