All and all, the views were amazing. The cost of the cabin and the general lack of regard from the staff were the biggest detractors (Except for Lance, he was awesome). The food quality was decent, but the specialty dinning hidden fees defeated the point of it. The shore excursions were high dollar, and we were glad that we did the train.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
I was not expecting my drone to be confiscated the entire trip. Turns out it is company policy and I couldnt use it in port.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The extra charges on nearly everything really detracted from menus. The drink package was limited to
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Points to the entertainers but otherwise, limited onboard activities. Small ship so I guess it was expected.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
As above.
Children's Programs
No kids on board
Service and Staff
1 out of 5
Terrible. There was a single bar attendant (Lance on the ocean side bar) that went out of his way to make sure we were taken care of. The bartender Victor would not serve drinks unless you went out of your way to get his attention and he would not ask if you needed anything else. He seemed burned out. Again, the only one that stood out was Lance. It was almost comical how he was upbeat and personal whereas the rest of the crew was just there.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
This room was a balcony view masquerading as a suite. On other cruise liners this would have been a balcony, but we paid for a suite in value. Very disappointed.
The white pass train and bike ride. It rained the entire bike ride but that didn't detract from the experience. The views were limited in the clouds but still great.
Uh oh!! We are sailing on the Volendam to Alaska in September and Hawaii in November! Getting to know the staff is our favorite part of cruising so hopefully we will meet some staff that we like.
Research is the key to knowing everything to expect on a cruise anywhere. There are videos and reviews out there on the internet to let you know everything there is about every cruise line, every cruise ship, and ports of call. With a little looking just on the the cruise line website you would have known about the charges in the specialty restaurants, what your room size was and what it offered, cabins on cruise ships are not big unless you spend the really big bucks for a top level suite and then only on the really big ships are they really really big. With a suite, it's not about the room but the perks that come with it. Most of all, just checking the section on prohibited items you would have known that drones are absolutely not allowed on a cruise ships. Heads up, no cruise line allows you to bring one on the ship.
Glad you enjoyed Alaska it is one of the most amazing places to visit in th United States. We have cruised there with Princes and plan on going back on HAL because they were the ones who started it all in Alaska.
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