Loved the ship and crew. Would do this cruise again. Go for a balcony the views are stunning and worth every penny. We also got out worth from the drink package.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
As quick as possible given the volume of passengers heading onboard. The RC workers were kind enough to open elite lines to manage the flow of passengers which benefitted my wife and I very nicely.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Great food and drinks. We got value from the ultimate drink package, per item cocktails and beers are expensive as expected, paying up front and more than breaking even each day was a much more relaxing experience. Enjoyed My Time dining with great staff and venues, the food was better than expected considering the volume of patrons in the main dining room. Enjoyed two of the fine dining restaurants as well.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Great activities staff and a hilarious cruise director. Lots of stuff going on every day. Loved the adult only pools and hot tubs. Also try the Flowrider! its really fun, don't be scared if it is cold out on the deck I would guess that the water in the Flowrider was 90 degrees - very comfortable.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Big party's themed nightly with various live music and game shows. We skipped the Ice Skating performance due to dinner scheduling and lack of interest. You won't have a hard time finding something fun or interesting to attend.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Great staff from the waiters to the bar tenders, pool staff, and room attendants. Our room attendant was so kind and social, making sure we knew to be awake for the best time to see the glaciers and views.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Great common areas that felt that are large and open. You won't feel cramped when you stroll through the ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Loved the Balcony room, category D2. Personally wouldn't want anything smaller and I love the option for open air lounging and viewing whenever i felt like it. Members of our family on board who had booked interior rooms were jealous and came in to enjoy the view of the beautiful Alaskan scenery more than once. We were lucky enough to see both Dolphin pods jumping and an Orca breaching the surface from our Balcony. Would do it again in a heartbeat.
Ship tip
Pay attention to your dinner reservation times and any conflicts you may have with scheduled on-board activities.
Ship is docked 10-15 minutes north of downtown. Seattle is what you make of it, lots to see but also a very big and potentially dangerous city (having lived there years before).
Lots of shopping, good if thats your thing. The Explorer is so large it requires a further docking point making it a shuttle or long walk from the downtown strip. Loved our Sleddog Camp Excursion, you can't see anything like that unless you're in Alaska.
Loved the town, even with the so-so weather we had for the day. Tons of small businesses to explore and a friendly local population. Did a motor scooter tour which was an absolute blast. Amazing scenery just out of town and cruising along the water was stunning. Views were comparable to any nature documentary.
Very Fast, process for having luggage taken off the ship to our pick up was great. No delays. Long line waiting for cabs but look for flat rate SUVs if you are in a larger group. Our group of 6 split the flat fare of $75 in a very comfortable Cadillac Escalade with more than enough space for our luggage. 2 uber cars were much more due to the surge pricing and not as comfortable.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
