Great trip - service and staff were awesome; nature was even better!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was excellent. Yes a little time waiting in line but everything else was simple and quick.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Not sure I like the Freestyle Dining. This was our first cruise with Norwegian and took some adjusting. I didn't like worrying about where I was going to eat and if I needed a reservation. That said, the food and service at Cagney's was great! So much that we went twice. The Teppanyaki was good as well. Never had a problem with seating in the MDR and the food and service was good.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We did a bit of trivia and such but stayed away from the fitness center and spa.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Comedian Carl Strong was really good - enjoyed both of his shows. The acrobats Anna and Vlad were amazing!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Overall very good service and no complaints. A little disappointed that the staff did not go out of their way to remember our names like on other cruiselines, but that doesn't detract from their performance. Our steward was accommodating whenever we asked for special things.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Everything was clean and well maintained. As an older ship I was expecting drabness but was pleasantly surprised. It took us a while to figure out the layout - but I'm sure that's more of our being directionally challenged.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Cabin 8016. Smaller than we've had on other lines but adequate. Plenty of drawers and shelves. We were directly above the Stardust Theatre which was a bit worrying but only one night did we hear music/noise and it stopped (obviously) when the shows stopped way before midnight.
Ship tip
Make specialty dining reservations before getting on board.
Spent a day in Anchorage prior to the cruise. Took free shuttle to the zoo, but was a bit disappointed in the zoo. It wasn't well laid out and for a small zoo was particularly difficult to get around. The rest of Anchorage was great - everything within walking distance. We even walked from the hotel to the train depot with our luggage - not any worse than carrying through the airport! Alaska Railroad to Seward was great and they checked our bags through to the ship which was awesome!
This port basically exists to cater to cruise passengers but since proceeds benefit the Native American tribe that owns it I felt good spending time and money there. Actually saw a whale several times there in the harbor. Went on a whale watching excursion which was great - binoculars were provided (which was good because I had left mine on the ship). Saw a couple of groups of hump back whales - maybe 8 or 9 altogether.
Did the helicopter glacier excursion in Juneau. Was very excited about this and not disappointed. Our helicopter pilot was awesome. The glacier was amazing. We even tasted the water in the little rivulets in the ice. Lots of great pictures.
Were surprised that we actually got to go through Tracy Arm Fjord and visit Sawyer Glacier. We thought we would have to make a detour because the way was not clear enough for the ship, but we were able to get there. Again, very amazing views. Loved the camaraderie among the passengers where we were on the bow and the complimentary hot chocolate.
No excursions planned here although we did end up going to a theatrical performance about the Gold Rush era and Soapy Smith. Got some great deals shopping here.
Did the Deadliest Catch crab fishing boat tour. Unlike some other tours that feature young people as tour guides and/or folks that live here just in the summer, this was run by some retired commercial fishermen that had spent most of their lives on the water. I got the impression they were just having fun sharing what they love. They had great stories to tell and were very good about making sure everyone on board got to see, touch, hold all of the sea creatures. Also, a wonderful surprise was stopping to feed the birds and being joined by several bald eagles that swept in and picked up the fish right in front of us.
Great views from the ship. Saw seals, whales, and orcas. Thought the orca were dolphins at first. They were speedy and hard to get pictures of. Looked like they were going for the seals and whales we had just seen!
We had tried to get the city tour ending at the airport but it was sold out. The disembarkation process was very smooth. Very impressed with the port and the way the mass of passengers was handled. No stress, just wait in line for your taxi which was coordinated by the staff.
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