A visit to Alaska should be on everyone's bucket list. Also, booking an Alaskan cruise should include the visit to Glacier Bay National Park. This was a must when we booked the itinerary. We wanted to see this park and we got a perfect day to see its beauty! Cruising the inside Alaskan passage is much different than a Caribbean cruise where one is looking for fun in the sun. Alaska's beauty is impossible to put into words. Make every effort to try and see this part of the world! It is definitely a once in a lifetime experience!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Seattle's Smith Cove pier hands down has the easiest embarkation process
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
I can only give 4 stars here. Food in the dinning room was fabulous. Buffet was not good at all. We ate there when we got on the ship and the following morning for breakfast. Both times the food was just not very good. We didn't visit there again. Pizza and burger place food was good overall but the type of food expected on the pool deck isn't going to be gourmet.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Did bingo while on sea days. Guido made the time very entertaining.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The shows and performers that we saw were good for the most part. The stage show "Colors" that we saw the first night was ok. The singing was good but the show itself was not anything experienced on Royal. The comedian was not very funny. The shows we saw in the Explorers lounge and Crooners bar were excellent. Piano Liam did an Elton John tribute routine in the lounge and we would see him play in the Crooners piano lounge. The jazz band was good as well.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Dinning hall and room steward service was excellent. The staff on the ship is excellent!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
This was the smallest ship we have experienced. The ship is VERY clean! I guess at 11-12 years old it can be considered an older ship but it definitely cared for. There is some outside rust on the outside balcony areas but overall it is clean. The lay out is different than previous cruises on Royal's Freedom and Oasis of the Seas with their promenades but shops and dining is definitely closer and easier to get to.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Mini suite with Club Class. The room was perfect and very clean. Beds were comfortable and the steward made the stay perfect.
Ship tip
Don't expect much happening after 11:30pm. Ship pretty much goes to sleep. Midnight curfew is required in the ship's lounges and bars. This is due to proximity of rooms where sound travel can annoy those sleeping.
This was our first stop. Weather was overcast with on off rain. Did a whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier excursion with Juneau-Skagway Tours. Booked this outside of the dock. The cost was less than a similar excursion with Princess and the experience was awesome. Whale watching was excellent. Saw a pair or pod of hump backs breach many times while out in Auke Bay. Took some awesome pictures too. The boat crew were excellent and provided a lot of background on the hump backs in the inner passage. One shout out is to Marina for helping my spouse in the wheelchair up the ramp from the dock. I can't thank you enough with helping my spouse get back up from the dock. I don't know how you did it but if it wasn't for you, this excursion could not have happened! Thank You!
Weather was perfect! Started out overcast but as the day went on, the sun burned off the clouds revealing the beauty of Skagway and Alaska! We did the White Pass Yukon Route excursion. What an amazing 3 hour train ride! Everyone should do this trip!
Ship entered the bay at 6am......some clouds and fog as the ship moved further in but once the sun rose, clouds disappeared and we had a sun filled cloud free day in Glacier Bay. This was a picture perfect day. All of Glacier Bay's treasures were on full display! Simply breath taking! Visiting Marjorie Glacier and the John Hopkins Glacier inlet was spectacular. As we left the bay late afternoon, captain mentioned that about 12 days out of the year is Glacier Bay free of clouds and full sun.
Did not do an excursion here as the time spent is short, Walked around in the town and visited Creek Street. The shops that are in the town gave me a similar impression as Ketchikan being the Wisconsin Dells of Alaska. Shops are very similar with the standard fudge available for purchase. Still the area is beautiful and the weather was picture perfect.
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