Beautiful Alaska trip on a beautiful ship

Item: Island Princess
Rating: 4.4
Author: checkert

Island Princess Cruise Review to Alaska - Gulf of Alaska

checkert

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 46

Overall rating:

4.4 out of 5

7 Night Voyage Of The Glaciers Southbound (Anchorage To Vancouver)

Sail date: June 12, 2019

Ship: Island Princess

Cabin type: Balcony

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

Overall, it was a fun trip. The ship itself surprised us as it was so amazingly well kept up. Some shared lounges seem to be a bit crowded and spaces might be better thought out, but it is a small ship. Most every staff that we encountered were friendly, talkative and helpful. The ports were as expected, busy but fun. There are WAY more jewelry stores at each port and some of the owners can be a bit obnoxious, but if you walk quickly by, you can avoid them. Take time just to enjoy the scenes as you sail by the mountains. You'll find waterfalls, wildlife and beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Quick, simple and friendly.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

I had higher expectations for the main dining room on a Princes ship The Bayou specialty restaurant had the most delicious food.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

The hot tubs and pools were beautiful, clean, warm and inviting. The fitness center is in a windowless "hole" of a room in the back of the ship. Not worth going to.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

All of the shows were wonderful. I especially LOVED the Secret Silk. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Our room steward did a great job. He noticed when we were out and had the room looking beautiful every time we came back. He brought extra lotion when asked and was very friendly. I loved the extra touches for our anniversary. The wait staff for the "Pub Lunch" in the Bayou was terrible. That's a lunch that we will not try again. I also was impressed with the staff in Horizon Court. We never waited more than a couple of minutes for drinks and everyone was very friendly.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

I was "warned" that the ship was older and would look worn. It was beautiful, spotless and extremely well maintained. We took the full ship's tour and I noticed how exceptionally clean and well maintained the "hidden-staff only" areas were. The ship is easy to navigate and we quickly learned our way around. I noticed staff touching up paint here and there and always picking up and cleaning up little messes to keep it sparkling clean.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

The cabins itself was immaculately cleaned. Our only big complaint is the size of the showers on this ship. We have been on several different ships and never have seen such a small shower. It was pretty much unusable. The bed was comfortable and the balcony very well maintained.