I'm not at all a cruise person. I generally travel with no plan and float from place to place. I only went on one because I was the companion of my elderly grandfather. There were times I felt a bit too much like I was part of a cattle heard. I also wish I'd gotten to see more of the less commercial parts of Alaska.
Despite the above though there were parts I liked. The staff were all, with few exceptions, really great people who seemed to care that the passengers were having a good experience (or at least faked it convincingly).
As odd as it might sound some of the best parts of my experience came due to starting off with an injured back. I went to an acupuncture consult with low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised to find the professional working there, Justus Verre, was incredibly skilled, in addition to being personable and dedicated to helping his clients. I did 5 sessions with him, which included learning stretches and exercises for home. I felt they were worth every penny. My only regret is that I won't be able to continue seeing him for treatment off ship.