Great experience, beautiful scenery! Quality food with good variety. Thoughtful about our son's special needs (offered ear plugs at customer service, priority embarkation).
Embarkation
4 out of 5
The luggage check in was very inefficient and needs to be streamlined, or at least have more than two people checking in the thousands of passengers! We had priority embarkation due to one of our son's sensory issues (autism). So after getting our bags checked in, a lovely employee escorted us through the rest of the process to get on board. We headed to the garden cafe to grab some lunch and wait until our room was ready.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
It was a welcome surprise that the food was fresh, flavorful, and included high quality fresh produce. My kids were thrilled with the variety of desserts offered, and my husband loved the German themed lunch buffet one day. We really liked the Lotus Garden and O'Sheehan's restaurants (included) but the variety at the buffets made them a popular stop for us. We had dinner at the Teppenyaki restaurant our last night- the chef was engaging and the food was delicious. We did not purchase any beverage packages some were fine with water, coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and juice most of the time and purchased a couple of individual sodas over the week.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
There was a rock climbing wall which we never ended up doing since it was only open a couple hours a day. The pool area was popular, and we enjoyed the hot tubs a couple times- especially when it was a cold rainy night! Husband and one sun liked the gym. Both sons loved the arcade (make sure you limit their access if you don't trust them limiting their spending since their room key card is also a charge card).
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The comedian was hysterical! We didn't go to any dance parties or other shows.
Children's Programs
Our 12-yr-old wasn't up for trying the program.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Our room steward Jackie was excellent! Most of the wait staff was wonderful, with the exception of a couple of the guys at O'Sheehans- I suspect their eye rolls and rudeness were due to our not ordering a specialty drink or something else that would produce an additional gratuity for them. The rest of the ship personnel was consistently cheerful and helpful. The "washy washy" guys at the doorway to the buffet were awesome. They are there offering hand sanitizer as you enter and exit, and they played guitar and sang songs that they changed to fit the theme of cleaning your hands. They were hilarious and the one shorter guy had the best smile I've seen in my life!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
We got turned around a few times and didn't like that some parts of the ship required going down, across, then back up, but I guess that's to be expected. We were on the 9th floor near the mid ship elevators so in a great spot for usas it was our first ever cruise. The ship was clean and well-maintained, though I wish there were more trash cans available. They must know best, though, and maybe more garbage cans would make things stink? It wasn't a real big issue, as we could always find an employee to help take care of our needs.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
It was small, of course, and there were four of us in it. After the first night, we decided to ask to just leave all four beds set up so we could all have our own space. The beds took up most of the room, but it was fine. Omg the pillows were amazing. There were several, and the linens were nice and cool, and we all slept well. The bathroom was just right, though the VERY loud toilet flushing got to be quite inconvenient. Detachable shower head that also reached high enough for our 6'2" son. Our room steward did a great job clearing out dishes and replacing towels a couple times a day.
Ship tip
Check and recheck the local time. As the time zones moved back and forth, we missed out on a few events we planned to attend (including raffles and drawings where your presence is required) despite our best efforts to keep up with the accurate time. And until they fix their luggage check in process, just print your bag tags at home so you can skip the line. Also do the "easy walk off" if you can. Prepare yourself for the first day or two which are like your worst Saturday trip to Costco: people wandering slowly without paying attention to where they are going nor that other people are trying to pass by them. There were a few groups of reckless bratty kids running around unsupervised, and I wish there was a policy that allowed staff to require trouble makers to have an adult with them.
Visited Mendenhall Glacier and the salmon hatchery. Was lots of fun, not too rushed but not dragging out and boring either. Great visitor center at the Glacier. Watching the salmon (and the hungry sea lion) outside the salmon ladder was entertaining.
I heard mixed opinions on the White Pass railroad ride, but am so glad we went! It lasts a little longer than I'd prefer but the amazing nature scenery was well worth it. Just grab some snacks and drinks before boarding the train (we got some frybread) and enjoy the ride. They offer free bottled water on board, and there is a small bathroom in each car.
We visited the Saxman native village and learned about their history, culture, and totems. Warm welcomes and beautiful traditions. The lumberjack show was pretty fun. The show was a little corny in the scripting but provided some good laughs, plus it was impressive to see their skills and cheer for our team.
We arrived late due to a medical emergency in our previous port. We chose to not get off the ship as we have visited Victoria before, but I would highly recommend exploring if you haven't been before. The Gardens are beautiful and the whole island offers a lot to see and do.
We chose to do the easy walk-off since we could manage our own luggage. Do it if you can! We stood in line for 30 long minutes at the on-board credit counter to resolve a couple charges we shouldn't have had on our bill (charged for bottled water when we had already purchased it from NCL ahead of time). That was frustrating, but otherwise the disembarkation was just moving along in the line as we made our way out of the terminal.
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