It was a great cruise but not your typical "cruise" experience because of COVID. Very low key. Not as many people out and about, not sure if it was the type of cruise and destination. Buffet was only open for breakfast/lunch. The food didn't seem to really change much and was just sort of Blah. The staff and crew were wonderful, very appreciative of everyone returning to cruising. There were very few people that attended any of the Karoke or Trivia nights. No dancing except in the nightclub and very few people there (less than 15). The plus was that nothing was ever crowded. The Solarium had chairs available. Only 4 allowed on the elevators at once. The only time there was a lot of people in one place was the nightly show. Overall a nice cruise, just low key.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Extremely streamlined and easy!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food was just "okay". Kind of basic. The buffet was nothing exciting. We definitely were not excited about going to the buffet. The evening dining was nice, but again, nothing amazing. Even lobster night, although plentiful, was nothing terribly exciting. Other cruises I have been on in the past the food has been much better than this one.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The solarium pool was nice, especially since it was a little chilly out. There was no one at the regular pool our entire cruise (except the first day that we sailed). Rock wall was closed, the fitness center was nice and spacious and never busy.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The entertainment on the stage show was great! Very talented performers. A great variety of entertainers. The comedian was hilarious and the Broadway show was fantastic with great background/drops. The piano bar singer at the Schooner's bar was very good as well.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff are AWESOME! These folks work so hard to make sure your stay and experience is wonderful. Everyone is SOOO friendly and will go out of their way to do things for you. Somehow they remember your name, and what foods you like and what you like to drink. The bar tender at the Vortex had a special drink she made special for my daughter and had it ready as soon as she came in! Really!
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
This was an older ship, my understanding is that it was going into dry dock after a few more sails. It was definitely dated in many ways but it was clean for sure. Although you didn't see the staff constantly cleaning, which might have made everyone uncomfortable, you knew they were doing it when you weren't looking.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Size of the cabin was pretty standard. The balcony was really great to have. It was very clean. However, the bed was so uncomfortable that we almost hurt trying to sleep the first couple of nights. I don't remember the beds being that way on other cruises.
Ship tip
This ship sailed at drastically reduced capacity. It was nice in some ways, but also seemed very empty at times (especially after 10:00 pm.) If you are a "party late night person" you will be with a very small group of night owls. Also, there is only dancing in the Vortex night club, not the usual dancing in the other venues.
No excursion - did the Pike's Market. It was Super crowded and not fun to pull suitcases around. Found a luggage storage place to store the luggage for a couple of hours. Also, limited seating around the market to get a bite and just sit. All the food places were packed and long wait. Went back on our return and it was far less busy and more enjoyable.
yes, excursion to glacier and whale watching. The whale watching wasn't a "great" experience. the one in Juneau seemed to see more whales based on other passengers conversations.
Did not do an excursion. They had a beautiful river and salmon ladder here. The usual tourist shops. The town itself wasn't that exciting. Go up the trail to the restaurant at the top of the Funicular. Great view!
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