Overall a relaxing cruise. Friendly and relaxed crew and passengers. Food quality and restaurant service was generally below par except for Cagney's and Le Bistro. Staterooms need upgrading but are clean and comfortable. On-board retailing was overdone. Ports have become too commercial and lost some of their charm, too bad. But, Alaska is still incredibly beautiful.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Well organized and friendly staff on shore. One bag took forever to arrive.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Terrible food and service in Tsar's Palace. Salmon was way overcooked. Azura was much better but Salmon was not. Cagney's & Le Bistro had very good food and better service. Teppanyaki was a disappointment with bland food and boring chef. Overall, all the restaurant staff was pushy and impatient if you weren't immediately ready to order. Like they wanted you to get your food and get out as quickly as possible. Somewhat better in the specialty restaurants. The bars and bartenders were much much better. Friendly and competent. Pick a lounge, tip the bartender extra and you'll be taken care of the rest of the trip.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Wife loved Mandara Spa. Casino was OK. One rude blackjack dealer and nonexistent cocktail servers.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Magician and Acrobat shows were very good. Some good music in Spinnaker lounge.
Children's Programs
no kids...
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Room steward was pretty MIA although our room was serviced. We got a contact card finally on day 5. As stated earlier, most restaurant staff was pushy and impatient except for O'Sheehans and Chin Chin. Staff in specialty restaurants was somewhat better. Overall most of the ships staff was very friendly and happy. Some of the security staff was a little rude when boarding at ports. Photos taken by staff were mostly crappy.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Easy to find your way around once you got acclimated. Things were well kept up. Too many little tables selling stuff in the common areas made things more congested than needed. A lot of the chairs in the Spinnaker Lounge were just plain uncomfortable. Elevators were well located.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Good size but not spacious. Wall between toilet and sink was a pain to deal with and not needed. Clean. Sofa/Bed was very worn and uncomfortable. Should have been replaced a while ago. One deep drawer was falling apart. Bed was comfortable. Mid-Ship location was relatively calm during rough seas.
Ship tip
When the restaurant wait staff gets pushy, push back (if you're not in a hurry). Have that cocktail and make them wait. Give yourself a couple of minutes to look at the menu and wine list. Relax.
Spent extra days exploring on our own after the cruise. Stayed downtown. Easy to get to destinations. Beautiful city with some good attractions and dining.
Misty Fjords trip was excellent. Beautiful scenery. Ketchikan has become overbuilt with jewelry stores and generic gift shops. Look for the locally owned shops farther from the ship to get a better feel for the town.
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