SEATTLE - We arrived in Seattle a day early via Frontier Airlines. This was the first time we had flown this airline and it was on time and the employees were fun and friendly. My husband and I were also able to watch college football games the entire time in flight. We stayed at the Sleep Inn SeaTac Hotel. There was a free shuttle from the airport (took about five minutes), and it was a very nice stay. There was an IHOP in the same parking lot, so we ate dinner here and breakfast again in the morning. We had a towncar pick is up at the hotel and drive us to the pier around 10:30 a.m. When we arrived at the pier, it was already quite busy. We dropped our luggage off at the x-ray screening machines and then got in the line for deluxe verandah suites. We were second in line, and just as we were finishing up, they opened the gate and people were filing toward the ship (stopping for a final I.D. check and also to have their pictures taken). There were cookies, fresh fruit, and beverages while waiting in line. This entire process took less than 20 minutes. Once on the ship, we were given the choice of either having lunch in the Lido or proceeding to the Neptune Lounge for snacks (since we were staying in a deluxe verandah suite). We opted for the Lido. It was very crowded here with very long lines. We would come to find this to be a trend in the days to come.

DAY AT SEA - Being our first cruise, my husband and I were just trying to attend any and all activities that we found interesting (which included many activities). The seas got rough later that evening, and since it was formal night anyway, we opted to order room service. Room service arrived very quickly, the food was hot, and the order was correct. We LOVED room service.

GLACIER BAY - The morning started off a big drizzly and cloudy, but weather conditions improved slightly throughout our adventure through this beautiful area. Being later in the Alaskan cruising season, we were able to get very close to the glaciers, even visiting Johns Hopkins Glacier and Marjorie Glacier. I did try the Dutch pea soup, but it was not for me. HAL had complimentary hot chocolate on the decks while cruising Glacier Bay, so we took full advantage of that. Read more