This was a really great cruise for the wife and I. This was our fifth cruise but our first one to Alaska and it rocked! It was our third cruise with NCL, second time with the ultimate beverage package, and first time with the “free” shore excursions (it is only the 25 dollar credit per person per port).
Embarkation was fairly simple but we did have to wait a bit at the pier prior to getting on the boat. We showed up about 10 am, dropped our bags, and received our room keys. Then we had to wait until 11 to board the boat, this was to allow the boat to prep for everyone. We were on the boat by 11:30 and headed to lunch followed by exploration of the ship.
The ship was very nice, I did not think it was dated at all. There were many bars (two right near the pool, one on the back upper deck of the ship, one mid deck on the upper deck, one in buffet area, several on the lobby/shopping deck with themes like Martinis, Beer/Whiskey Bar, Champagne Bar). There was also a two bars/clubs/entertainment venues (Fyzz for Karaoke and Spinnakers for dancing and variety shows). The UBP was great, the only issue was the first and last day of the cruise you have to pay for the tax for each drink (anywhere from 60-90 cents per) which was a bit of a surprise but not a huge issue. The bartenders were super helpful and always pleasant. If you have the UBP you can only get one drink per card at a time which is just nice to know.
Starboard side of the ship about a 10 second walk to either elevator or stairs. Right beneath the kids area of the buffet. Was very quiet most of the time. Plenty of storage space and room for two people. The sofa area had a curtain between the bed area along with the curtain on the balcony which helped keep room dark. Bathroom was nice with shower/bath. There was a slight smell from the toilet but we had air freshener which helped.
Stayed two nights prior to cruise. Visited space needle, the glass gardens, and pike place market. Was fun and got us on west coast time 2 days before the cruise which was nice.
Picked up a few city pamphlets in Ketchikan and found some hike routes out of town. DId about a 3 mile hike which was about a 5 minute walk from the ship. Was beautiful with great views of mountains and water. After that we walked through town. A lot of history there. On this day around 3pm there was a one man show on the ship called North to Alaska which involved some songs but also quite a bit of story telling and history, I would have paid for this but it was free and quite fun!