Overall we enjoyed our cruise. There was not anything bad or intolerable. The ship was well maintained and clean, the crew was polite and hospitable. As in any large trip you will encounter rude people and some people were especially bad about butting in line or trying to cram in an elevator before it could unload, but you will get this anywhere.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
The embarkation was long. We were picked up from our hotel, The Four Seasons, in a timely manner. It was raining and we had to run through the rain to get to the bus. We arrived at the port very quickly. But there wasn't anyone there to direct us and we had to wander around a few minutes trying to find where we were supposed to go. Finely we found the area we needed to be in and we started checking in. Luckily with our medallions this part didn't take long, but customs was not set and ready for us. We were direccted to a large room where we sat for over thirty minutes. Then we were taken to customs. This part moved fairly quickly but we were then directed to another very large room with chairs in rows. We sat there over an hour because our ship, The Royal, had to wait for lower tide so they could go under the bridge. After a while we were allowed to board the ship. This was a lot of waiting.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We enjoyed just about all the food. The main issue we had was that in the main dining rooms, you had to wait. There was a long wait between the courses. We started eating in the buffet some because of the long wait. I don't know if they are instructed to wait this long between courses but it was just a little annoying to sit so long when there was other things to do. The last evening we got and left before dessert so we could see College Fjord. Everyone around was equally annoyed at this long waiting time.
Trident Grill
5 out of 5
We got food from the Trident Grill a couple of times. Great cheese burgers and fries. The only disappointment was the hamburgers seemed to be a little too rare in the middle but that didn't keep me from enjoying them. They were served with fresh lettuce and tomato and all the topping you need. One day they served, along with the usual fare, crab cakes and they were delicious.
International Cafe
5 out of 5
We ate at the International Café quite a few times. We loved the Chicken, cashew, and apple salad. The only drawback to this café was that they didn't serve drinks. Right next to it was a coffee bar with specialty coffees and teas but no regular tea or soft drinks. We had to go to the bar a little walk away to get a coke. But it is an excellent choice to take back to your room and sit on your balcony.
Concerto Dining Room
4 out of 5
We enjoyed the dining room. It was very pretty. The only complaint was how long it took between courses. If this is how they are instructed to do then perhaps they need to rethink it.
Horizon Court
5 out of 5
Horizon Court was so big that you could get lost. In fact the last morning we couldn't find each other and ended up dining alone. One end of the buffet of better then the other, so be sure to check it all out. The day of the seafood buffet it was so crowded that we ended up taking our food out by the pool. There were no tables left inside.
Alfredo's Pizzeria
5 out of 5
We ate here twice and each time the pizza was excellent. We love the thin and flaky crust with a delicious sauce. The staff was very nice. The Head Waiter was a woman and she called your highness and my queen everytime she waited on us. This was our most enjoyable dining experience of the entire cruise.
Symphony Dining Room
4 out of 5
Overall good food but service was slow between courses. A beautiful dining room.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We were mainly interested in the scenery. We saw a comedian who was very funny and we went to naturalist shows which were very informative and interesting. We visited the casino and the shops. But we were mainly interested in the scenery.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We only saw a couple of comedians and they were quite good.
Children's Programs
We didn't have children with us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Overall the service was excellent. Our room steward, Wayan, was very personable. He went out of his way to make sure we were comfortable. I thought the main dining room waiters were slow with service, impersonal.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The Royal was well maintained and clean. We appreciate the efforts put forth to insure we had a quality cruise.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We had a good time in our cabin. It was on the small size, especially concerning the bathroom and the balcony. We were on the balcony a lot and it could have been a little deeper and wider. But we enjoyed it nonetheless. The bathroom was very small. Barely enough room for one person.
Ship tip
There was a lot of walking on this immense ship. But I lost weight instead of gaining. All the walking counterbalanced the amount of food we enjoyed!
Customs took so long at the airport that we were forced to cancel our land and sea tour. We only had time to eat and go to bed. We thoroughly enjoyed the Four Seasons Hotel. The next day it was raining and we were fairly quickly taken by bus to the Cruise terminal.
Ketchikan was a nice port to walk around in. Lots to see and do. Plenty of shops. We bought rain proof jackets there ( only $19.99) and wore them the rest of the cruise. We saw the lumberjack show and it was very good. We walked along Creek Street. We boarded the ship and enjoyed sailing away from Ketchikan. As we were sailing away we saw a whale in the distance spouting and several orca fins.
In Juneau we did the whale quest and Mendenhall Glacier excursion. We felt they kept us quite a distance from the whales. Even with our telescopic lens we couldn't get good photos of the whales. There didn't seem to be as many whales as we had hoped, but that is nature.
We went on the White Pass Scenic Railway. We enjoyed this very much. It was well narrated. We had good weather. I would say we had the most successful shopping experience in Skagway. We ate at the Skagway Fish Co. The king crab was extremely expensive. I believe if they are going to charge such an extreme amount for one crab leg and a cup of drawn butter they should go ahead and charge a little more for some sides to go with it. My meal was halibut with potatoes and vegetables. It was delicious. The king crab was delicious but needed a side or something to go along with it.
Glacier Bay was gorgeous and majestic. The captain gave us plenty of time to see it as he made a 360 degree turn, lingering to allow us to enjoy it all.
We were not in Whittier long enough to give a good critique. It was raining and we quickly boarded our train to the Princess Wilderness Lodge. It was rainy and cold as we went to find our rooms. We thought our room was roomy and nice. The king size bed was comfortable and the room even had a large sofa and sitting area. We walked to Fanny Q's. It was still rainy and cold and we had to wait a while for a table to become available. The food was simple and hot. Not the best meal of the trip but served a need.
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