This was our 10th cruises to Alaska but 1st with HAL. Balcony room, and accompanying two 83 years adults.

What we like: Hard working staffs everywhere, clean ship. Entertainments: Bobby Wilson's Motown evening, Illusionist's performance; Adagio, violinist and piano duo at the 2nd floor lounge every evening; Foods: All the desserts and ice cream. good waffles, custom order Pizza. Dinner evening: Softshell crab(Monday), Arctic Char, Lobster(Wednesday), Wild mushroom soup, and Quails(Sunday). Johnny Walker taster party(free on Thursday evening, 8 differents types of scotch whiskeys served with JW blue label as highlight; same evening 2 bottles of Blue label sell for $310 usf less 10%). Staffs were not pressure to sell drinks.

Not so crazy about: every morning 5am, all outside walking areas were sprayed with fresh water, as an early riser, very difficult for me to jog. As a photographer, the ship has no clear view to the very front of the ship, all front views have to view thru windows or plastic windshield on sky deck. No problem if you are not a serious photographer. The ship only stop at the front entrance of Tracy Arm and one has to buy a tour to see the Fjord. Read more