This cruise was wonderful, from the gorgeous scenery in Alaska to the ship itself, definitely a bucket list destination. The weather was wonderful as we only had rain in two ports (Ketchikan and Juneau) and it was not during our whole port stay either, we also had the opportunity to see a lot of wildlife, even a couple of bears!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was really good even though there were a lot of people, its was quick and efficient
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Main dining rooms were perfectly fine, specialty restaurants were wonderful, especially Le Bistro. The buffet had good selection too and the 24-hour dining option was good as well.
Tsar's Main Dining Room
5 out of 5
Really loved the decor of this main dining room, the food was delicious too
Sushi and Sake Bar
5 out of 5
Delicious food and great service, another great specialty dining option
Shaker's Martini Bar
5 out of 5
Great service and a lot of options
Le Bistro French Restaurant
5 out of 5
Delicious food, great specialty restaurant option
Chin Chin Asian Restaurant
4 out of 5
Good option although the food quality was not as good as on the other main dining rooms
Azura Main Dining Room
5 out of 5
Lovely main dining room, very good food
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The thermal suite at the spa was wonderful with the exception of the lockers not actually working, which I don't think was acceptable for the price charged to access the thermal suite. The staff was amazing and accommodating.
Shore Excursions Desk
5 out of 5
Amazing service by staff
Reception
5 out of 5
Wonderful service by staff
Entertainment
5 out of 5
I did only watch two shows because I was usually tired after the day's excursions and activities, but they were both amazing shows, especially the one on the last night pot the cruise with amazing performances by aerialists and acrobats.
Stardust Theater
5 out of 5
Very good sized theater and lovely decor, very Belle Epoque
Spinnaker Lounge
5 out of 5
Very good venue to have the solo meetings, and great to sit down and watch the gorgeous scenery
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone from staff was truly amazing, our wonderful solo group leader Stefan was especially sweet and kind, I celebrated my birthday during this cruise and he was kind enough to give me a little gift (an NCL cup and set of cards).
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was always clean, my stateroom was as well and my wonderful steward always made sure may cabin was cleaned after I had returned from excursions or to get ready for dinner.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was small as it was inside but was more than ok for a solo traveler, the bathroom had great size for the overall size of the cabin, the bed was really comfortable, and there was ample closet space. Loved that thee bedside lamps had USB ports and in general there were more than enough power outlets. I loved the mirror with light next to the bed.
Ship tip
I would not upgrade thee wifi to the whole trip because sadly wifi service was really terrible, even for sending messages or WhatsApp, so 150 minutes which is what is offered would be more than enough IF you don't need to do any work while on your cruise.
I think the fact that the cruise port in Ketchikan is not actually in Ketchikan but Ward Cove which is approximately 30 minutes away by bus/car was a downside, also because it was the port with the shortest time, I would recommend not booking any excursions in Ketchikan and just explore it as I did an excursion and didn't have time to actually see the town ask the back on board time was too early.
Juneau was gorgeous and the excursion I booked was one of my favorites as I got to go on a whale watch boat tour and then a very easy hike on the trail of time toward the Mendenhall glacier visitor center, gorgeous views and photo opportunities.
Skagway was very interesting given all the Gold Rush history, the excursion I booked was very complete as we got to go to the Yukon via bus and then a ride on the White Pass train which offered amazing views. The town itself is interesting too though I wish I had more time to explore it.
Definitely one of the highlife of this cruise, I fully recommend you attending the presentation given by the Rangers that board the cruise in Glacier Bay and just take in the gorgeous beauty that Glacier Bay offers, find a good spot on deck 13 where it's not too windy, and bring binoculars as you will see a lot of wildlife.
Hubbard Glacier was truly stunning, the excursion with the small boat that takes you close to it was expensive but absolutely worth it, we were fortunate enough to see the glacier calving 3 times and it's just beautiful scenery all around. Also very necessary to have binoculars here!
I didn't really get to see this port however the debarkation scenic train to Anchorage was wonderful and worth it if you have a flight leaving after 5 PM.
Thank you for the well written review. Reads like a book and felt like I was there. Glad you had a wonderful cruise (of a lifetime). And Happy Belated Birthday!
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