Not as hoped. Food needs flavor. Fruit and salad bar was really good. The cruise I booked in March was not what I got in September. Miscommunication in booking my air travel. I looked up flights and gave to Air To Sea. I thought this was in the invoice I originally paid. Air To Sea did not send invoice to travel agent for payment. They canceled my cruise resulting in a loss of 2K dollars to rebook. I wanted to go with my grandson so I sucked it up. When flights were rebooked I had a 12 hour wait at the airport. Also, after cancellation, I canceled my Marriott credit card. Cruise company gave partial refund to my card. New one did not arrive in time to use on the rebooking. Had to use AX card, lost Marriott points. So, some disappointing things from beginning to end. But I did spend a wonderful week with my grandson. All was not lost. This does not earn 4 stars as shown below.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Handled by crew very well
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
1 out of 5
Main dining room food was basically tasteless. I did not go to a specialty restaurant although I had a complimentary dinner for two. Also had access to Coastal Kitchen however I did not utilize that benefit afforded Junior suite guests. Windjammer buffet breakfast had a sufficient amount of choice for breakfast. Was surprised to see grits there…cooked appropriately. Room service breakfast was good.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
I did not personally participate in onboard activities; however, my 7 year old grandson did. He enjoyed the play room, roller skating, the arcade, and laser tag.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Th couple of shows we attended really showcased the talent of the performers. Seating was limited. Early arrival is best. Hard to do that with early dinner seating. My grandson loved all the movement and lights. It held his attention.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
He loved every minute of the activities and interactions with other children.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our waitstaff in the Grande Dining Room were very professional, courteous and attentive to our needs. They deserve an A. Windjammer staff was attentive and offered to help while there. Our room steward, Ronald was super. I requested ice the first day and every time I came back to the room, I had fresh ice. He gets an A+ on all his duties.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
No comment here.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our suite was great. I had a handicap suite. Very roomy. Balcony space was super. Ronald kept our suite clean and stocked. I bought 2 cases of 1L bottles of Evian so drinking water was not a problem.
Probably the best port. It was a substitute for Skagway that had a rockslide. I booked a Seafood excursion because Eagle tour was full. Space came open on Eagle tour and I changed. It appears I did not get a full refund on the one I canceled. Have to do more research.
My excursion was booked through a Marriott recommended Shore Excursion Group, which was passed off to LAST CHANCE TOURS. The name says it all. Did not go as planned. The visit to the Mendenhall Glacier was really good and provided Eagle sitings. This was advertised as a city tour. The bus ride was considered the city tour. My husband pointed out to the driver he had a flat. He tried to go up the road for air. Bus would not move. Had to call another bus. This took over an hour. Ou bus driver on te way back as informative as well as entertaining.
Medical emergency caused detour. We were told there would not be time to go to Victoria. However, in order to keep their International Trade agreement with Canada, they had to at least stop there and drop gangway. This was ship rumor. We got there way too late to allow us to disembark. Disappointing.
I was on the same cruise as you were and had a completely different experience in the MDR. There were a few misses, but overall, I found the food to be quite good, especially the beef bourguignon, lamb shank, and some of the fish dishes. I will say that the food for lunch in the MDR is definitely not as good as dinner. Didn't try breakfast there this cruise.
I also feel quite differently as you do about the medical emergency on board. Think of it this way... if your 7-year-old grandson had a medical emergency, wouldn't you want to have the ship turn around? And, by the way, they were required to stop in Victoria due to what's known as The Jones law. Look it up. They just didn't have enough time till a passengers on and off.
Glad you still enjoyed your cruise with your grandson in spite of some disappointments. If you really didn’t like the complimentary food why wouldn’t you use some of the other dining options you had included?
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