4 Travelers - My husband and myself (mid 50's, and his parents). This was our 5th Princess Cruise. Arrived in SFO on 7/4, and stayed at the Holiday Inn, Fisherman's Wharf (Priceline). Rode a cable car and did some sight seeing along the Embarcadero. On 7/5, took an 8+-hour tour of the Muir Woods and several Sonoma Wineries (purchased tickets online). On 7/6 the hotel Bellman arranged for a minivan to the Pier ($15 for all 4). Arrived at the Pier shortly after 11 AM and we were onboard the Dawn Princess and in our cabins by 11:45 AM. The 1st 24 hours were rough (11.5 foot waves and gale force winds). We had all taken Dramamine, so felt no ill affects. The weather was cold and rainy most days. Average high temp was 53 degrees (12 C). So the sunblock and mosquito repellant I had packed weren't necessary. Ports of call: Ketchikan, Juneau (Dawn Princess invited Libby Riddles, 1st woman to win the Alaskan Iditarod Sled dog race, as a guest speaker in Juneau -- very interesting), Skagway (tales of what happened during the gold rush days were unbelievable ... including how "Dead Horse Trail" got it's name!), cruising Tracy Arm Fjord (several whale sightings, thanks to Alan Cortash, the onboard 'Naturalist', who told us all exactly where and when to look), and Victoria, British Columbia (our 1st sunny day since sail away, the city spends $1 million each year on their hanging flower baskets alone!) Very beautiful and picturesque. Took ship-sponsored excursions in Skagway - minibus to West White Pass summit along the Klondike Highway (parallel to the White Pass railroad) and in Victoria - Double-decker bus tour through town. Toured on our own in Ketchikan and Juneau. A few observations: Our cabin was midship - seemed as though we were close to everything. Cabin was smaller than other Princess ships we'd been on. Stored luggage under the bed. Balcony was just large enough for two chairs and a small table. Shower seemed larger, however, than on other Princess ships. We had Anytime Dining and never had to wait to be seated. I thought the food was fine and beautifully presented. A man ahead of us in line one night was refused admission into the dining room on a smart casual night because he was wearing shorts. (Courteously, but firmly by the headwaiter.) The Captain personally made an announcement the 1st day there were 270+ children on-board. Parents were responsible for the actions of their minor children and misbehavior would not be tolerated. Each Patter had similar admonitions. We noticed no misbehaving children. The Cruise Director arranged a ship-sponsored CruiseCritic.com get-together. (We didn't go, though.) If you like salmon, you'll like this cruise because it seemed it was offered at all three meals every day in one form or another. If you caught a fish on a Princess-sponsored excursion, the chef would prepare it for you on-board. Instant hot chocolate was available for free each day. All of the staff we encountered were friendly and helpful; our fellow passengers were also kind and friendly -- no rude or boorish behavior noticed. We enjoyed all of the onboard entertainment. First class violinist played at different venues throughout the ship. Production shows were great. Best lead singers we've seen so far. Dancers were good. Tony Cherry, vocalist was terrific, the magician, Jeff Peterson, was talented and very funny, too. Brett Cave (Atrium Lounge) played and sang nightly. Good singer, but I didn't care for his 'antics'. Managed somehow to win more than we lost in the casino. Not great sums of $ ... but nice just the same. The Dawn Princess was well maintained and easy to navigate. Disembarkation ran smoothly. We were off the ship within 5 minutes of our scheduled departure time. Finding a Porter to help with the luggage and hailing a cab was a very simple process. Back to the same hotel (Holiday Inn, Fisherman's Wharf). They stored our luggage until our rooms were ready. Did a 2.5 hour "motorized" cable car tour of the city, which began at Pier 39. Our driver/tour director was entertaining and pointed out along the way sites where movies had been filmed. Had lunch at Pier 39 in the Sea Lion Cafe with a great view of the sea lions. More sightseeing and souvenir shopping the following day via a hop on hop off bus. Our farewell meal was at Scoma's. The 40-minute wait for a table was worth it! Made airport to hotel and return arrangements online with Airport Express SF. Cost was about $28 pp round trip.