This trip made me want to go back. I would even go back on the same ship which I don't like to repeat trips. Alaska is fabulous and changing all the time.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Lines went quickly in Customs. We were about an hour early arriving and were able to get on the ship and into our room right away. Our luggage was put into our room and not just into the hallway. We were able to tour the ship before it got more crowded.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food in the main dining room was delicious. The presentation was fabulous and the wait staff very friendly and accommodating. We sat at different tables every time, our choice, to meet new people and loved it. The food in the buffet, Lido deck, was more than plentiful, but a little hectic. The workers served the food and quite often I would have taken less. Taste of the food was very good, though. They had sugar-free desserts that were better than any I'd ever tasted! We also had a taco bar in the pool bar which rivaled any I've ever tried. Along with that was a burger/hot dog joint that served Nathan's hot dogs and amazing burgers. My only complaint about food and drink was the drink. We purchased Coke packages and the only place to use them was at the bars. There were plentiful places, but it was a pain to try and get one from a waiter at any of the food places, including the main dining room. We ended up getting a diet coke and carrying it into the dining room which seemed a little tacky.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The Spa was amazing! We paid extra to use the facilities all week, well worth it Hydrating whirlpool, heated loungers, steam rooms, yes! It was pretty cold to use the pools, only a few kids in them. The outdoor whirlpools were small and crowded. There wasn't a walking track, you could walk around the promenade deck but it was usually very windy. We didn't use the basketball court or the gym. Daily activities on the Lido deck were kind of hokey, trivia, etc.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The shows were short, only about 1/2 hour long. The ships' singers and dancers were talented but the show would never rival off-Broadway. The comedian was surprisingly good, I'm not a comedy fan. I didn't
care for the magician. These three were repeated with slightly different themes throughout the week. The piano bar had very talented singers but again, seemed repetitive. I loved the BB King Blues club. The band was very friendly and good. They could play in a large nightclub.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
ALL service staff were professional, helpful, and HAPPY!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
I felt like the ship was laid out very well. It was easy to find things and convenient maps by every elevator. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was that to get from one open pool to the other, the closest path was to go all the way through the buffet area. They needed a separate walk area. Otherwise, I never saw any trash, empty dishes, etc. laying around. Many bathrooms around the ship and all were kept super clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Obviously cruise ship cabins are small, but was pleasantly surprised. We had two twin beds and still had a seating area. The balcony helped to make the room seem more open. The cleanliness of the cabin was very good I don't know how our steward knew when we were out but he always came at the right times! It was a little adjustment to the twin beds, but they were comfortable. The balcony area seemed a little dated, furniture not great, and quite a bit of rust in the corners. However, the size wasn't bad.
Ship tip
Tour the facilities right away. The spa only sold 40 weekly passes. I would recommend it to anyone.
OK. Came in the night before and toured around a little. Lots of construction and the downtown area was surprising littered, old tires, paper, etc. The port building, Canada Place, needed more elevators.
Charming. Touristy. I think the jewelry shops took away from the cuteness of the town. We did the Totem Bight park and it was interesting and informative. Also, toured around the town a little. It only took 5 minutes to get from ship to town, super easy.
We had to dock a ways from the town so took a shuttle into the city. Not a problem, though. We did a whale tour and glacier tour. Fabulous! We saw several different kinds of whales, sea lions, bald eagles, and more. The glacier was phenomenal but there was only enough time to hike to the base of the glacier, or go to the visitor center. We felt a little cheated here because it was such a great stop. 1/2 and hour more would have helped. I didn't like having to choose to see the glacier or learn about it.
Interesting little town. Took an 8 hour excursion, combination bus and train, into the Yukon and back. Loved the train! The bus ride was beautiful but the narration of the guide got monotonous at times. Rather than giving us information through facts about the gold mining times, he had a created story that was kind of annoying. Still, great trip. I appreciated the train guides much more.
We disembarked in Seward and boarded a bus to get to Anchorage. The whole process didn't take more than 15 minutes, found our luggage quickly and went on our way. The ship was very organized and made for a smooth process.
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