We cruised Alaska earlier than initially thought we would in life--glad we did! Family all had a terrific time, enjoyed wonderful weather, made massive memories, and could do much more of the walking/hiking/climbing with the kids than we would have been able to for those majestic views, than if we had waited for retirement! If you are able, check this off your bucket list now :)
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Quick, smooth, without interruption
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Windjammer-Breakfast was good, kept warm, as expected. I appreciated the beeper system for omelets instead of waiting in a long line for them, as well as the option for some basic premade ham/cheese and cheese square cut omelet pieces. Lunch option changed daily for food ethnicity, but seemed to be just one ethnicity per day only? Would have appreciated more options there.
We did not eat in the main dining room. Pizza was yummy, promenade delish, Two70 so handy, and Solarium Bistro a great option especially for busy days. Coastal Kitchen was amazing; beautifully plated food with smaller portions to allow more room for tasting a variety of things! I sooo appreciated the amount of seafood options there and the kids couldn't get enough of their braised short rib! Desserts were divine!
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
No shortage of things to do--more like a need to stay organized and plan ahead to make the most of your time and each member of your group to decide what they wanted to do the most. The app was key for each person to "favorite" their things to do of interest for the reminders and decide when they get the reminders which engagement to attend if multiple things occur at once. So fun!
Between the fam we had covered rock climbing, bumper cars, laser tag, escape room, roller skating, tons of sports at the Seaplex, ping pong, arcade, trivias, shopping, shows, seminars, Bingo, etc
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Starwater--did it the 1st night and knocked it out. It is pretty, the technology is fascinating and the talent is awesome, has some great parts, but as many have said the thought process of this production is just weird--it just feels disjointed/separate acts. Not a strong start, so do your drinking and rest of the night app planning then if need be.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
Kids had a great time with preteen events both inside and outside the actual area. Happy to see them make some buddies for the week and engage in so much physical activity, not just video game offerings, thanks for all the options and special sportsplex times just for the teens! Would have loved the Royal Carib app to have under 13 yr old message system usage permission option however.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Nothing short of happy, enthused and helpful everywhere we went! Loved the staff and service!
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Very clean ship, just showing a little wear. Dry dock around the corner will clear that up. Tech was great on boards, elevators fine, art beautiful in stairwells, halls, elevators. No off-putting smells anywhere.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Array was awesome! Room was all we could hope for on this splurge. Such a timesaver having 2 bathrooms for families getting ready for the day/evening! View and balcony space was great for 4 of us!
Ship tip
So much to do and see on this ship and itinerary. Planning ahead, doing research on possible activities and matching up meal things vs excursion/port timings ahead made it possible for us to make the most out of this 1 wk of our lives!
Lumberjack Show was super fun for all generations! Creek Street is cute and quaint for milling around and some shopping with views. Go up to the salmon ladder for some nice pics! The Totem Parks are beautiful and educational, love to get the history of the places we visit.
Pretty town, neat low tide area along with a nice hike in the Totem Park--views of whales in the harbor, previous fort site, totems, and history. Low tide rocky area has brought sea life temporarily to view for a fun experience of its own--crabs, clams, muscles, starfish, and other neat creatures while you wait for a whale sighting!
Pel Meni is a not to miss delicious treat for a meal or a snack in town--Eastern Euro dumplings! Yum! Give yourself 15 min in line, 5-15 min to gobble them up :)
We were sooo thankful, grateful and blessed with glorious weather to make this trek possible and stunning views! Get up early, do yourself that favor...get your warm drink, your comfy layers on, your blanket, and post up on your balcony with camera in hand approx 5am starting for ice in the water, birds chirping, waterfalls singing..and Enya's "Sail Away, sail away, sail away" in your head/on you phone music app...or perhaps Frozen movie hits if so inclined--majestic!
Mendenhall Glacier-get there. Whales are in multiple places, Mendenhall is only here. Local guides are amazing--Annika, our guide via RC excursion, aka Gastineau Tours, was absolutely fantastic, patient, and knowledgeable with stops and tidbits along the way as we trekked through the forest up to Mendenhall! Get those cameras out at those stops, no zoom needed here folks! Remember you are hiking too--don't be like me and clown car yourself with layers--you are heating up like the dickens as you exert yourself climbing this hike--it was strenuous to do the hike, but conquer if you are fit and able for memories that will last a lifetime!
Regal, beautiful, the architecture is art itself. One complex on the water looked like it was out of Willy Wonka's brick and glass topped factory-so neat! Multi-cultural, historic and very enjoyable more mild temperate temps and weather! Clean and fun easy manueverable city for our 2.5 hr walking tour with Linda--terrific guide with outstanding out-of-the-box knowledge to share along the way!
Hot mess, but to be expected this time. Out of the norm with our late entry to port 1:30p due to bad winds. RC vs the port seemed to not share communication or feared revolt.. because they let the zoo loose before many of the users luggage had even appeared in the port wearhouse! Getting a taxi after that debacle was a lost cause. We were not able to make our 2nd portion of expected Seattle sightseeing, so lucked it up and paid for the bus transport direct to the airport.
I can’t thank you enough for this review! We splurged and booked this exact room for our trip to Alaska in August but I couldn’t find any info on if it actually had 2 bathrooms or not (could only find info on J1 and J4 suites). Traveling with a teenager so knowing that it does have the second sink/toilet/storage area is a huge relief! Also happy to hear that the trip was so amazing, makes me even more excited now!
Forgot to mentions!!!!
Comedian and other theatre shows--all worth it! Hilarious comedian we have seen on Allure as well for both all guest and adult comedy.
Earth harp show was outstanding and juggler was fun and engaging!
Shout outs to our:
Room Steward--Arjay (not Array as listed in rvw--how do you edit these things?)
Coastal Kitchen Waiter--Raj
Wonderland "tour guide" and the whole crew--amazing 1st specialty dining experience!
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
