Overall, I was disappointed. I would take the cruise from Seattle and avoid the extra days at sea - they were pretty boring and the staff had a hard time keeping up with the number of passengers - leaving long lines.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
This process was great! Very organized and lines moved quickly. It was very smooth and stress free!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food was fair. Kind of bland and a lot of repeats at the buffet.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The fitness center had a machine "out of service" for the whole cruise. There was no staff in the fitness center to monitor the useage or misuse. The theater that held the most popular events was not large enough to accommodate the demand, so we had to go and sit in there for almost an hour prior to events to be sure we got seats.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Most shows were very good - the ones with the ship staff (dancers and singers) were top notch. The "headliner" left much to be desired. She had great energy, but was often flat and when serving as a judge on "the Voice of the Ocean" on the last night, she did not behave appropriately and favored one specific person that she thought was "cute" and wanted to date.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
The service was fair except for the main dining room, which was better. It seemed like the staff was overwhelmed and did their best with trying to keep up, but the staff to passenger ration was too low to maintain good service. There were long lines and slow service.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
There was a leak in the main hallways with buckets and caution tape - I don't know why. Otherwise, things were clean and tidy
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was always clean. It was small, but no smaller than expected.
Ship tip
Don't get a balcony room. It's not worth the cost. It's the same as an ocean view room with a tiny balcony that barely fits 2 chairs yet costs a thousand dollars more.
Loved Juenau. Went on the dog sled excursion. It was expensive, but worth it for me because I love dogs. I'm not sure everyone would enjoy it. It's a 2 mile dog sled ride with lots of others, then a few tents with historical artifacts, cookies, and a tour guide. Then a bit of time to hold and play with the sled dog puppies (2 to share with the whole group). My favorite was whale watching. We got lucky and saw orcas along with hump backs.
Loved the city, but did not have nearly enough time. Could only spend a few hours in this beautiful port, which was disappointing. I took the city bus tour - which I would not recommend. It's basically just driving around looking at houses with no opportunity to hop off or hop on.
Just got back from Grand Alaskan cruise on Monday 7/17. Totally agree with you on the staff comment. Long lines and never enough activities on sea days.
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