Itinerary and ship were OK. Expected more for the cost and big, newer ship

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 5

Review summary

For such a new ship, we were not exactly blown away. It was a comfortable liner, but nearly all on board activities were full by the time we boarded the ship the day of our cruise (about 1pm). The tours offered were really expensive or sold out although one or two were worth it. Wifi is very limited (doesn't always work) and expensive - and we were forced to pay for more minutes we couldn't use. I eventually got part of this refunded but it was super difficult. I saw other passengers looking around for a lot of help in this area but staff is really lagging behind to help with this. Entertainment was really limited and kinda boring aside from the one main show (which was basically 3 stars). There was very little nightlife except the Beatles bar which we didn't really do because it wasn't matching our personal vibe for this cruise. I saw one other nightclub on ship across from that, if you want to try it. Food overall was not bad, but didn't like there was only 1 casual restaurant open after 8-9pm and everyone goes there for the same basic stuff, and it's always loud and crowded since it's part of the main entertainment stage. Cafeteria on the top floors was the only other option most hours but not enough elevators on this ship made it tough. Best to use the back elevators and walk the rest of the way. Other restaurants were really good if you can make the reservations before they're all gone. Plan this really carefully ahead of time if possible. We were also able to slide in at the last minute for one restaurant with another group we were traveling with. Lounge floor was always a mess and people squatting things for day at sea with no availability. Top deck to see the main glacier (Glacier Bay) was fun. We booked for June and weather was mostly good , but top deck usually too cold or windy to swim. Hot tubs (only a few on the ship) were usually busy/full except the first couple days. Ketchikan / Wards Cove so short it only gave us a chance to do 1 thing and then leave. Not even shop or take photos except for 20 minutes to buy two small gifts as soon as we got near the village shops. Victoria was an even greater waste of time. You have about 3 hours after disembark (at night), which gives time to do nothing really except take a stroll or dinner. Also note "Free 2nd flight" was a pain because the flight options they booked us were a joke. Attempted to work with Norwegian on this several times which was unworkable since you're stuck with whatever time they give you. We would've arrived in Seattle 2 hours before our cruise and no time to relax or see anything, just shuttle from the airport and board the ship. Ended up booking our own flight there at our own cost, with the initial leg being a total loss to us. Cabin was typical interior, not bad layout but nothing amazing. Onboard I was able to do the go kart racing which is one of my favorite activities typically and it was disappointing. Skip it and find save a few bucks, or leave it to the kids who might enjoy it more. There are two arcades and a library onboard also but a lot of the interactive games were out of service. Would probably not use Norwegian again due to underwhelming experience for the cost, unless we got a super deal. I noticed this itinerary is cheap if you book it a few months before traveling ,but if you book it for next year it's expensive.

Embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Onboard Activities

Entertainment

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Seattle, Washington

Juneau, Alaska

Skagway, Alaska

Cruise Glacier Bay

KETCHIKAN (WARD COVE), ALASKA

Victoria, British Columbia

Disembarkation