A family group of 8 (including 3 young children) just returned from the June 22-29 cruise of Alaska on the SS Mariner. We boarded in Vancouver around 2:00 and had a buffet lunch in LaVeranda until our suites were ready by 2:30, with luggage waiting. We were all on Level 7 and thought this was a very convenient location - down the hall from the gym and spa, and an easy walk downstairs to the lounges and restaurants. The rooms were spacious and clean, with DVD players in every suite. The most outstanding feature of our cruise on the Mariner was the "service". That is where you see the real difference in cruise lines. The attitude of all the crew was genuinely happy, which you do not often see these days. Everyone had a smile and was constantly asking if they could help you.

Excursions/Ports -- We were very lucky with our weather, especially on port days -- blue skies and temperatures in the upper-70's. In Ketchikan, some of our group went on a privately arranged fly-out, fly-fishing trip for trout through the Hook-up Fly Shop. They caught about 20 fish and really enjoyed the setting, fishing guide, and pilot. Others took the flight-seeing trip to Misty Fjords with Carlin Air (had originally booked with Michelle at Island Wings, but she was ill that day, so hopped on two available seats with Carlin).

The following morning, we took the Tracy Arm catamaran excursion through Radisson. It was one of the week's highlights. They picked us up from the Mariner about 7:20 and we sailed all the way into Tracy Arm to within ¼ mile of the Sawyer Glacier. This was a sold-out excursion and the catamaran held about 100 people (Radisson passengers only). There were 2-3 naturalists aboard who provided interesting commentary and several Radisson crew members who served snacks and drinks onboard. The scenery was amazing - large icebergs, seals, sheep, waterfalls, and the calving glacier. In Juneau, some of us did the Nature Hike excursion through the rainforest, which was a scenic and interesting hike (fairly strenuous, too). Read more