We did a seven night cruise to Alaska and stopped at some of the most beautiful places. We felt the safety standards on the Ovation were sufficient and we had a fantastic time. Literally the ONLY complaint would be that we could have used 2-3 hours more in Juneau.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
It was really quick and efficient
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Main dining room was wonderful. Our servers were fantastic and the food delicious. The buffet for breakfast and lunch had a decent variety and great food.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Did the North Star while at Dawes Glacier and I DEFINITELY recommend this. Utterly fantastic views. I'm afraid of heights and still enjoyed every second of it!
Entertainment
2 out of 5
We only saw the headliner (comedian) once. It was not great. In fact, the guy we saw was bad enough that we contemplated leaving early but were too close to the front for it to not seem awkward that we left.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All staff on board was amazing. Our servers in the main dining room were some of the best we've had on any cruise. The barista at breakfast was so great. Always came up with little extras for my coffees to make them special. Our room steward was friendly and our room was always in great order.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was very clean and well maintained. LOVED the adult solarium at the front of the ship. It was an awesome huge space.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The size of this room was fantastic! Had more than enough room to be comfortable for a week. Our balcony was the largest we've ever had. I loved that it faced not only out to the side of the ship but toward the front as well. Probably would have gone a few levels lower instead of deck 13 because the deck above us was an outside deck and came out well over our balcony leaving us with no ability to see things looking upward. Still, we had a great sheild from the elements when it rained and I don't regret this exact location. With the deck above being a public deck, it did have times it was loud but not during our sleep.
Ship tip
Take advantage of the adult solarium! It is such a great space and it's HUGE! Because it's enclosed, you can be in the pool or hot tub regardless of weather and be comfortable!
We love Seattle. Didn't do a ship sponsered excursion as this was our starting and ending port. Just explored on our own. Spent SO MUCH time at Pike's. It was much bigger than we ever knew. We also visted Snoqulamie Falls and hiked down to the water. Be prepared, that hike back up is a doozy. Also went to Boehm's Candy in Issaquah (love this little place). We also spent time walking near Kerry Park for great views of Seattle.
I give this five stars because of our excursion to Mendenhall Glacier and the Gardens. Our tour bus driver was so funny and we LOVED both stops on the excursion. We'd definitely do this one again. Hiked to the waterfall near the glacier and it was so pretty. We stopped at the Gardens first and they are STUNNING! Then only downfall to this port is the lack of time there. We got in at 2pm (able to disembark near 2:30) but had to be back on ship by 830pm. Our excursion took up most of tht time so we had very little time to explore the port. Basically had to eat dinner and go back. Missed doing the tram up the mountain due to lack of time in port.
We did the White Pass train. Absolutely wonderful. The views are stunning. Spent time afterward stolling through town into the little shops. Great day!
We did the Raptor Center (definitely recommend), Fortress of the Bear (we liked this but would have preferred more time at the Raptor Center) and the Sitka National Historical Park (beautiful place to hike/walk around)
Such a beautiful, scenic day. We didn't get as close to the glacier as we thought but had a great view. The ship rotated only once around (we, and others, thought it would have rotated a few times).
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