Great cruise, hits almost all of the sights. Make sure you do the the embarkation train from Anchorage - sets you up for a great cruise.
Hubbard Glacier and Tracy Arm Fjord (Sawyer Glacier) were incredible. Would go back just for those 2 experiences!
Staff on board was friendly, food was good, drinks were poured right. The shows left a bit to be lacking in my opinion, but that is also a hard thing to hit on the head with ages 8-80 on board.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We arrived at the train station in Anchorage (which is literally 40 yards across the street from baggage claim at the airport). The NCL employees took our baggage and loaded it up, directed us where to get our cruise documents and helped us get on the proper train. The train trip to Seward was a relaxing and fun way to start the cruise, definitely would do it again!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food was definitely good. I tend to go more for the buffet where I can get a little bit of a lot of different things, but my wife prefers the main dining halls. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that they could have done a better job communicating the menu at each restaurant.
We did not spend the money for the upgraded restaurants, but honestly did not feel the need to once on board.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The sports bar was our favorite place. Great views, awesome atmosphere, comfortable seating, and easy access if you wanted to go to the back deck for fresh air. My wife enjoyed the fitness center. The spa was very high priced so we did not choose to enjoy those services.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
I enjoyed the movies onboard the ship, but there was only 1 per day (and not every day). I would have enjoyed a few more. The shows were good, but not a lot of variety to choose from. A couple times the venue was listed wrong so people were walking all over to find the events.
Children's Programs
We have kids but enjoyed travelling as husband and wife this trip! Several folks talked about it in the elevator and said the kids program was great.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Truly exceptional! The steward was great and cleaned the room multiple times a day but was never a bother. The waitstaff was always friendly and seemed to enjoy their jobs.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
On our first cruise we were worried about getting lost aboard the ship but everything was quite easy to navigate. Most folks said the same by the second day.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Much more spacious than I expected (and I'm a big dude). The bed was comfortable and we enjoyed late mornings and naps there. Was actually very comfortable. If there was a negative it was the shower, but that is to be expected when space is at a premium.
Ship tip
Find a spot in the sports bar... best place by far on the ship. Food there was incredible. Cozy and friendly atmosphere, and easy to get to.
tourist trap, nothing to see other than a few excursions...
We did the Wildest Kitchen excursion which was really good, but a tad overpriced (as all excursions are)
Loved Juneau, just wished we had more time.
Do the walk out to the waterfall... awesome hike, easy to do, and great views!
The tram was a waste of money in our opinion.
Enjoyed the town, wished we would have done the train, but was so expensive. Talked to many folks who loved it though.
My wife and I walked the town and visited shops, was an enjoyable day. There is a shuttle for $2 that takes you from the ship to the town.
Difficult disembarkation. The ship was great, as was the crew... but once we got off the ship there was virtually no good information to help us get places.
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