We are proof that no matter how cautious you are, catching a virus can happen. Three out of nine of us got sick towards the end (6th and 7th days). Even that could not dampen the spirits of our group. The "Daily Sheet" should be read carefully as there are many hidden gems that aren't well publicized. Explore with an open mind, and be gracious to the staff, who are doing an impossible job with grace and good humor -- and bring air freshener, seriously, if you're sharing a cabin with another person this is a must. The best parts of the trip were the Salmon Bake in Juneau and the Narrated Trip through Glacier Bay. Forever memories.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
Boarding was okay, but my very small pocket knife got confiscated. The rules clearly state that knives over 4" were prohibited. What they fail to mention is that knives UNDER 4" are prohibited as well. These people could be more precise. The "Security" people seemed to run their jobs more like prison guards. They were brusk and rude when directing people where to go (and where not to go) -- basically, they were clearly not happy in their work.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The food was very good in the buffet, and the food in the main dinning room was fantastic. The drinks were very good. We went to the Teppanyaki restaurant and the Sushi restaurant. Both were outstanding and the best value the entire trip.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We saw the dancers (average) the magician (pretty good) and the comedian (very good). Going for Tim Kaminski was worth the trip -- very funny man.
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
The room stewards were fantastic, very good at their job and always upbeat and happy to serve. The dinning and buffet staff were very helpful, attentive and great at their job. The bartenders made good drinks and ran a clean bar, but were usually very slow to acknowledge your presence. Finally, the Customer Service/Passenger Care desk were average at best, poor at worst. We had to stand in a very long line 3 times our first day to correct the SAME problem each time. We found them to be impatient, rude and at times incompetent.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Everything seemed very clean and always smelled fantastic. We did have 3 of the 9 in our group get ill towards the end of the trip. The virus was relatively mild in 2 cases, and only took a day to become manageable. In the third case it lasted 3 days (I'm just glad it struck on the 6th day and not the first).
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The shower drain was slow but otherwise outstanding. Consider bringing a can of air freshener with you as the fan is passive.
Ship tip
Make sure of charges before ordering ANYTHING. You will be charged tax on drinks while in Seattle's waters for instance (even after paying a very high price for the drink package). The charges were a surprise since nobody bothered to tell us in advance of ordering.
While I was quite sick and couldn't leave my room, the other 8 people in the group did go ashore. We got there at 6:30pm, after most attractions had closed. US Dollars were usually spent since exchanging money there was impossible because of the hour. Kind of a waste of time.
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