This was our second cruise on the Golden Princess. The first was to the Caribbean and the second to Alaska. At no fault of the cruise, Alaska's weather was wet and cold -- the last week of August. I would recommend the months of June or July. The skies were gray and we only had one nice day.

We had the anytime dining. We would rate the buffet as "poor". The food was bland and it all looked and tasted like leftovers. The other dining room was pretty good but not exceptional. We did not go to the restaurant that charged a cover charge since we paid so much to go on the cruise. All drinks, including water, were with a charge. You would think they would be included or the ship would at least have a soda and water machine on each floor.

We learned to NOT make excursion arrangements until we arrived at the destination. All the excursion establishments had stands right outside the ship with negotiable fees. We paid for a bicycle trip but could not go because it rained. We did not cancel our trip "24 hours in advance" because we had no way of knowing the weather. We lost nearly $200 because they would not refund our money. Therefore, don't sign up for anything until you actually get there. Read more