If you want the ultimate Alaska glacier cruise, be sure to plan with extra $$. There were glacier excursions in Juneau and Skagway but trips were around $300-400 USD per person. The train ride in Skagway was around $180 per person. Ketchikan had crab boat or salmon fishing excursions, these were also well over $100 per person. For our middle class family of four there we could not afford to do any of the float plane or helicopter tours. Off ship prices for the same excursions were not much different than the ship based ones, so plan accordingly if you want to do any of the adventerous stuff. If you enjoy just hanging out in town in the touristy areas, that's available too.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
We embarked in Vancouve and got there a tad early. They seated us in rows and had us fill out a medical questionaire. Then they would call the rows up at a time so as not to bog down the line to get key cards. We got expedited due to travelling with two seniors and a 19mo old who was cranky. We were given green CBP passes for our group and sent down to another processing area, this time for border patrol for our entry into the US. This was a similar process to the first, as we were seated in rows then called up to the line. That process got slowed because CBP had major computer issues that day and the systems were crashing but we made it through. After passing through customs, we then went through regular security/xray which was a quick process and after that we were cleared to board the ship. We were originslly told that staterooms were not ready but as we entered the elevator to go up to the Lido deck they cleared everyone to enter their rooms. The whole process for us took about 1.5 hrs.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Specialty restaurants were excellent, especially Tamarind which was an asian style fare. The staff were amazing and very helpful since we were traveling with a tiny passenger. The main dining staff was also very nice and helped us get changed from late seating to early. We had a great table assignment in the main DR. Food options were almost limitless if eating on Lido deck.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
HAL has limited "fun" activities. There are two pools, the aft (outside) is an adults only (which we never used-ok since it would have been too cold). The Lido pool was standard bt nice and a tad chilly. There were three hot tubs midship and the main pool was the only kid friendly pool so it was more noisy there. The main pool was covered though which was nice so the temperature was not cold even when we sailed into Glacier Bay. The real star of the Lido pool in my opinion were the private poolside cabanas which had large 2 person beds and bistro type seating with large picture windows. The downside to these was there was an added cost and the spots filled quickly. We took advantage of the cabanas twice on sea days and they are all day rentals and include some freebies.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
BB King blues band were excellent, we just wished they performed a bit longer, most of the time they did 4 somgs then took a break between sets. We wish there had been more musical entertainment on board. Also, we did not attend any nightly shows since we were traveling with a small child and there was no program available unless we paid for a private sitter.
Children's Programs
4 out of 5
This is the second time my son has sailed with us on HAL and he absolutely LOVES going to club Hal. If you have an older kid, they will have multiple activities for them. They even had a US ranger come over to talk on the day we were in Glacier Bay. They did not have very many small kids on board so the preschool side was never opened and if you have a kid under 3 or who isn't potty trained then there are no play areas or programs available.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Amazing staff! Always very helpful and so sweet. The ladies seemed to enjoy seeing my daughter who was 19months; they were quick to help out or sometimes make her smile when she got cranky. Absolutely the best crew we have ever sailed with was on this boat.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Nicely sized cabin. Our room had a large bed and a nice sofa which converted to a sleeper bed at night. The sleeper bed was a bit more uncomfortable than the regular bed but it worked for my son. The baby slept with us so we did not request a crib or pack n play.
Ship tip
Take advantage of the poolside cabanas and specialty spa packages. Visit the Tamarind, it won't disappoint!
We caught a last minute city tour with trip to Mendenhall glacier which was amazing! The hubs did his own tour riding a rental bike so we did not have a lot of time at Mendenhall, we would have liked to hike there. Wanted to visit Tracy's crab shack but Optah was in port so they shut it down and didn't open it until 3pm and by then there was a long line.
Touristy, but you still get the Klondike feel when visiting. The train ride would have been nice but it is slightly expensive so we just walked around the town and shopped. There is a great playground in town so my two really enjoyed getting to play! There is supposedly some great hiking if you have the time, and the views of the mountains are incredible!
Very fast. It would be nice if the transfers took care of your bags for you from ship-plane but you still have to gather them yourself. Coach bus was nice and got us to the airport in plenty of time.
Wow. The train in Skagway is $129 on Celebrity, $66 for kids. The bus tour to Mendenhall glacier is $49, $33 for children. Helicopter tours are always expensive, if you can't afford the $300 - 400 helicopter tours just take the regular excursions.
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