Overall the cruise was fine. This was my first Princess cruise (I have been on Carnival an Holland America) and I was a little disappointed. I was under the impression that the Princess line was a higher class of service but felt it definitely wasn't. The constant assault to my wallet was frustrating and the mediocre food on the Lido deck left me not wanting more.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was easy and fairly quick. We were on board and in our room within an hour of arrival.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
While the food in the formal dining room and specialty restaurants was extraordinary, the food on the Lido deck was mediocre. I felt there were not as many choices as on my previous cruises where each place had different types of food instead of just the same thing at each location.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
I definitely felt there were less activities than on other cruises and the ones I wanted to attend seemed to always be during my late seating dinner hour. I used the Spa services which were overpriced and carried a mandatory 15% service fee. I usually tip 20% so it was a loss for them.
The "Movies Under the Stars" was a cool concept but it rained most nights so we didn't get to enjoy it (not their fault).
The Casino forced $6 bets for Blackjack and Blackjack only paid 6 to 5.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Couldn't attend because they all conflicted with dinner, or weren't of interest to us.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Most of the staff were friendly and helpful, though we did encounter some rude staff in 2 of the shops.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The layout was fine and it was kept clean and orderly. I don't know if they were trying to get a jump on end of season maintenance, but they were constantly varnishing banisters and wood trim which a little unpleasant.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
The cabin felt smaller than on other cruises where I had a balcony and the balcony was definitely smaller. There where there was barely room for two to sit. The bathroom also was smaller. Overall it was clean and comfortable... but cramped even fo 2 people. I can't imagine 4 in it.
Ship tip
The even bigger disappointment was that I constantly felt like they had their hand in my pocket. You could not walk through the shop area without someone trying to sell you something or give you a raffle ticket to get you into their store. This got old real fast and I felt like I needed a calendar to keep track of all the raffles they wanted me to attend.
Juneau was beautiful, though the fantastic weather might have swayed my opinion. We took the helicopter up to the Mendanhall Glacier and stood on it which was very cool!
Enjoyed the train to the Summit but the ride back on the bus was not as enjoyable. It included a visit to the Suspension bridge, a lunch and visit to Jewell Gardens which was really a bust. The bridge was marginally interesting as it was fairly new and none of the buildings there were heated so we froze while we waited for our visit to be over. The food at Jewell Gardens was not good and not plentiful and the gardens were small. There was glass blowing, but no one interacted with us or explained what they were doing. We should have just done the round-trip train and saved our money.
We visited the Red Onion Saloon and Bordello and took the tour. It was very interesting.
The Captain announced at the last minute that it was too windy to attempt to dock at this small port, though there were two other ships trailing us who did dock.
Though I hate giving up my luggage the night before (which is normal), the disembarkation was quick and we were actually released earlier than expected.
Will be on Ruby on Nov. 4 for 4 Pacific costal cruise.
This will be our 29th cruise. Have sailed many different line but now just concentrate between Princess and Holland America.
We Reine the older ships may lack in some areas but overall we enjoy the cruising experience, many times on different ships.
Both Princess and Holland America are beginning to refurbish their ships. One very nice change is the individual food stations on the Lido decks. Check HAL'S Eurodam or Majestic and Princesses CRIBBEAN Princess. You won't be disappointed.
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