The very best word you could use to describe this cruise is mediocre and I have always loved cruises. This is easily the worst cruise I have ever been on and we have been on 20 + cruises.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
The actual embarkation was not bad. It was the self-checkin experience that ruined it. It required technological experience that most elderly people do not have like scanning pictures into system and other things. I had to hire neighbor kid to help me three different times at $10 each time to complete process.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
1 out of 5
The buffet food had a good taste but was usually tough and dry as though frozen and reheated. Very difficult to cut meats or even pastries without sharper knife than was provided.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
At 81 and 84, we don't do much in the way of gyms and spas. We did not see much else to do and the only time we saw something we might have enjoyed was the times we had excursions booked.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
the production shows were good but the lounge entertainment was pretty bad. We enjoy good music and we moved from lounge to lounge and found the singers to be pretty bad. Even if they sounded good, you couldn't understand any words to their music
Children's Programs
no children with us
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The best thing about this cruise was the staff. We didn't meet a single one we didn't like. Cabin Steward made an effort to be personable without being intrusive and really everyone we encountered was great.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship was very cleaned and the only problem we had with layout was the buffet area. There were different islands for hot, cold, salads, desserts, etc. which had everyone moving in all different directions and people were constantly bumping into each other which is difficult when you're carrying a bowl of soup.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Everything about our cabin was great and the steward kept it cleaned to perfection.
Did not dock here, just looking and 10 minutes would have been sufficient.
We looked for 10 minutes and took a nap. Do not even know how long we stayed there.
Not sure what we paid for city tour of Juneau and trip to Mendenhall Glacier but while waiting for tour, we walked further into city than tour bus went. City tour consisted of driver telling us the capital was down this street but we didn't turn down street to see it. As we proceeded to 4 lane highway, he told us there were 3 schools, a library, etc in this neighborhood, but we didn't see them.....There was a 20 minute drive to the glacier where we were dropped off for 1 1/2 hours, picked up and a 20 minute drive back to ship. Don't know what we paid for this trip but $10 would have been too much.
We had to walk a pretty longway to get to our tour departure point and it was not easy for a 81 and 84 year old. Using the ship excursions would have been much easier on us. Also, the tour desk was listing the price of the tour as $90 but were hawking it for $60. Don't remember what we paid but sure it was more than $60 as our two tours were over $400 for the two of us. A real waste of money.
We had been to Ketchikan before so did not take an excursion. Enjoyed walking around town. When we were there before, the salmon were running and it was lots of fun with hundreds of bald eagles and even some bear around. That was all missing this trip so I would definitely advise that this is not a good time of year to visit. We still enjoyed Ketchikan
We had previously done an inside passage trip on the Alaska Ferry System so we were expecting some of the same. Wrong! We were still so far from shore that you could not see anything so it was worthless.
Went straight from Ship to Airport.....actually really glad to be heading home.
Had been to Vancouver many times before so did not feel we missed anything.
Trip to airport in a taxi was $35. Ship transfer would have been $50 for 2 of us.
Got off the ship in good and orderly time but luggage was missing. Agent finally called and they finally found another cart of luggage with our color tags which is why poor rating on this.
Sorry if I don't understand the negativity, we went on the Jewel to Alaskain 2022 and loved it so much we're going back this year. Just got back from Hawaii on POA and I can tell you, Alaska on the Jewel beats it hands down.
Just reread your review and your comment on Hubbard glacier I cannot believe that you were not impressed with the size of that glacier I would like to know the things that impress you
Practically everything you complained about was your own fault for your lack of research. ALL cruise lines now are having check in on app, so you better get used to it or find alternate vacation plans. There is zero cruise shops that dock at the glaciers, cause it's too dangerous. If you don't get a rush from watching a glacier calve, then maybe Alaska cruises aren't for you. I was on this ship not long ago and had a great time, with great food and service. My philosophy is......you spent goid money on your cruise, and if you spent all that time complaining instead of enjoying it, then that's a loss on your part.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
