We have been toying (for a few years) with the idea of booking a family cruise. We finally decided to go ahead with this, and selected Alaska, since my parents enjoyed their Alaskan cruise a few years ago. We selected the Inside Passage, since it included Glacier Bay, the highlight of the cruise.

We opted to spend a few days in Seattle prior to embarking. We stayed at the Westin Seattle. We chose this location, based on it's central location to everything. It was a wonderful choice! Wonderful restaurants nearby, monorail to the Space needle is 1 block away, and it's 5 blocks from Pike Place market. We experienced some great weather. It was sunny, highs in the 80s. Our rooms were on the 31st floor (north tower) and faced Puget Sound..it was a great view! The hotel was completely full, as it's cruise season in Seattle...and there was a video game convention taking place, so lots of activity in the lobby. NOTE - we spent lots of time waiting for elevators. For some reason, we only noticed two of the four elevators working. This caused lots of problems and complaints...imagine 15 people huddling around, waiting for an elevator.

The Golden Princess is a nice ship. It's showing it's age (launched in 2001), but it's still charming. Lots of public spaces, lounges, bars, the piazza etc. There were times when it seemed 2,600 couldn't possibly be aboard, I'm referring to never feeling crowded...but our cruise was sold out. We spent lots of time in the Piazza. I purchased the All inclusive beverage package, which allows one to purchase ANY beverage up to $10. I enjoyed Vines Wine Bar...the bartender Vukman, was a great host and provided wine suggestions. The pool areas are nice too. We did experience a mix of good and bad weather...but mostly sunny, so the pool and upper decks were frequented by passengers. The promenade got crowded at times, when they displayed photos taken during the voyage. The lounges were nice, spacious and provided a great location for some activities. Read more