We did the Southbound Denali Explorer Cruise tour. Princess did a fantastic job every step of the way. Logistics were handled explained clearly and handled smoothly. Our luggage appeared every day when promised if not earlier. Service was consistently friendly, polite and professional. The Princess Lodges at Mt. McKinley and Denali were clean, had plenty of local culture/atmosphere, and the rooms were large with everything in working order. The glass-domed train ride from Denali to Whittier was fantastic - so comfortable while surrounded by stunning scenery, with a guide to explain and answer questions in every car. We checked in for the cruise while still on the train, which made embarkation on the ship a breeze. The ship was clean and in excellent condition. Food was good - food in the dining rooms was excellent and portion sizes were reasonable. Food in the buffet wasn't bad, and there was plenty of variety. Our cabin was large and clean with plenty of storage space, and our balcony easily fit 4 - 6 people (regular balcony room on Caribe deck).

Cruising Glacier Bay was a definite highlight and not to be missed - 12 hours of breathtaking scenery in all directions. Having the Naturalist and Park Rangers on board was a huge bonus. Shore excursions were excellent (except for the Natural History bus tour of Denali National Park). Loved the Wilderness Hike at Mt. McKinley, the helicopter to the glacier in Skagway, the Mendenhall Glacier & Whale Watch in Juneau, and the zip line in Ketchikan. We definitely thought doing the land portion first, then the cruise, worked out best. The land portion can be tiring (especially when the sun in Denali doesn't set until midnight and rises at 4am, sleeping becomes a challenge even with blackout curtains) but the cruise can be more restful.

This was definitely an older crowd, along with some multi-generational families. We took very active excursions (hikes, zip lines) in order to meet people closer to our age (40s/50s). That worked out well and we made some new friends. We did the Anytime Dining which worked out well most nights - we met a variety of interesting people from all over the country. One or two nights we left before dessert due to unstimulating conversation, but we were able to pick up dessert in the International Cafe. Read more