Embarkation was very smooth. I was met at baggage claim and transported to the 'wait' area by Town Car. There were some pastries and refreshments. I received a free cabin upgrade and had a comfortable room with a large view window and comfortable useful furnishings all to myself. The food was very good and the excursions and on board lectures were interesting. The meat tended to be cooked medium-rare, so that one should stipulate the degree of doneness if more cooking is desired. The ship can carry 88 passengers and only 56 were on this sailing, very convenient for the others. Passengers were middle-aged to elderly, skewed by a group of 23 from a retirement home. I suspect this age spread is common for this particular cruise among all the cruise lines.
This particular cruise is recent in the North American repertoire. One should know that the Columbia "River" is heavily dammed, and now consists of a series of lakes. It is beautiful, but is no longer really a river.
The TV had only 3 channels, which included a documentary and a GPS image. There was a lowboy next to the bed, convenient for toiletries. Cleaning was excellent. This room was very inviting and comfortable, and I spent more time in it than I should have (I traveled solo). Next to the bed, there was a comfortable chair, best for putting on shoes, an armoire, space under the bed for luggage and a number of drawers. There was a shower, terry robes, and abundant towels. The staff was American, very friendly and experienced. Many had worked for Un-Cruise for some time. In contrast to other cruise lines, they felt free to talk to the guests.