Alaska is certainly a wonder of the world and it was the destination that attracted us to this cruise holiday, as was the departure point from San Francisco.  We have cruised with Princess a few times and expected the usual standard of food, entertainment and service that Princess has previously provided. We (40's couple) usually book our cruise holidays through e-cruising.com.au , who package up the flights, accommodation and cruise at very competitive prices.  Despite travelling to Alaska, we still elected to take an inside cabin on a lower deck to save on cost.  We also had a 'future cruise' reservation which gave us $75 credits each on this 10-day cruise.  Having cruised with Princess a few times, we have platinum captains circle membership, with a few perks, the most useful being the $100 credit on the internet.   The 13 hour flight to San Francisco was uneventful, though Qantas gave us a complementary economy-plus upgrade, making the flight a little more pleasant - well done Qantas! We decided to extend the vacation and stay 5 extra days in San Francisco before the cruise.  We booked our own accommodation online through booking.com at the Donatello Hotel, which was located near Union square and provided us with a fairly central location.  Booking (and paying) in advance also saved about 25%.  The staff were very friendly and hotel was clean and well maintained.  We had a corner room which was nice and quiet, whilst the room itself was spacious enough with all the facilities we required. Spending the extra time in San Francisco is a must for those of us travelling from afar - lots to see and do.  The Fisherman's wharf area was full of activity and became our home base for dining and entertainment (perhaps staying in the area would have been better).  We rode bikes over the Golden Gate bridge and drove a Gocart around town, the Presidio, the Golden Gate Park, through the Haight district and down Lombard Street (word's most crooked road).  We cruised the bay, visited Alcatraz, rode the Cable cars, visited the wax museum, Ripley's believe it or not museum, aquarium and the maritime museum.   We took a day tour to Sanoma and Napa Valley to taste a wide range of Californian wines (highly recommended, and only cost $60).  We walked through downtown, China Town and around Nob Hill.  We also visited the San Francisco zoo.  We rode the BART (rail service from the airport) and used the Muni  around town (rail, tram and bus) services, which were all economical.  Recommend getting a "Citypass", providing 7 days free access to the cable car and Muni services, plus a free bay cruise, free entry to the aquarium and selected museums and numerous discount vouchers.   Also recommend booking Alcatraz well in advance - we wanted to do the night tour but this was already booked out a month ahead.  Last suggestion, the top selling item in San Francisco are jackets, they are cheap and are essential as the weather and winds swing quickly due to the fog - so no need to bring too many warm jackets. We boarded Sea Princess for our 10 day cruise to Alaska in the late afternoon, completely avoiding the 'rush'.  Despite signage not to tip the porters, they expected to be tipped.  The ship sailed at 4:00pm, past Alcatraz and under the Golden Gate bridge.  Our cabin was tiny - one of the smallest we have ever had, though functional for sleeping, showering, changing etc.  Annoying features - the cabin door did not fully open, the bedside table was a single unit, and the water pressure and temperature was variable.  We also lucked out and had a very noisy neighbour, resulting in a couple of calls to the pursers desk (we are very easy going, but loud TV at 3:00am is a little rich). The ship is due a re-fit and we read several reviews commenting on the condition of the boat.  Sure, it was probably due, but the ship was perfectly functional, in good repair and clean.  The public rooms were good, the theatre and visit lounges were comfortable and the restaurants were also equivalent to other Princess cruises we have taken.  Seating in the buffet was always at a premium due to the limited outdoor seating (plus it was cold outside) - however, you did get to meet a wide range of folk when you have to share tables, which is nice.  Unlike recent cruises we have taken, there was a wider range of ages of folk, including a few hundred kids.  To the credit of parents and the ship kids programs, we hardly saw the children. The entertainment program onboard was a little dry, though a couple of the cruise staff did their best to inject life into the trivia quizzes.  The dancers and singers were good (though not the best we have seen), and they were using the same shows we had seen on our last cruise a year before.  We did not take a shine to the cruise director on this trip.  However, on the plus side of the ledger, they aren't trying to sell you something at every turn (soda club, photos, collector edition glasses etc) which is something we have disliked on other recent cruises. The ports of call were terrific, though the shipboard prices for tours would suggest there is no global financial crisis - we did not book any tours through the ship.  Ketchikan was our first port of call, the 'gateway' to Alaska.  Lovely town 'dressed up' for tourists (as were all three Alaska ports).  We took a 90 minute duck rise (same price as the Ship!), then wandered through the town, along Creek Street and Dolly's (former red light area during the goldrush) and along married men's path.  Tours were available in Dolly's for $5. Five cruise ships were in port, more than doubling the town's population.  Oh yes, be prepared.  Ketchikan receives 160+ inches of rain, so expect it to be wet.  We were lucky and had a half day of sunshine. Juneau is the capital but has limited land for its 14,000 population.  We booked a helicopter and dog-sled tour on the internet through ERA flights.  Though very expensive, this was $100 less than the same ship tour and was a once in a lifetime opportunity to get up close to a glacier and 'mush' a dog sled team.  Again, shopping filled the remainder of our day. Two cruise ships were in port. Scagway is a very small town with a winter population of 400-500 folk, growing to around 1,800 to meet the tourist invasion.  Two ships in port this time.  Scagway was the focal point of the 2 year gold rush, which resulted in the construction of the Whitepass railroad.  Many passengers booked on the railway tour (3 hour round trip), which can also be purchased in Scagway itself for around $110.  We found a smaller tour operator who took a dozen people in a small bus along the rail line to Whitepass.  However, we were able to stop in several places for photo opportunities and also went to the cemetery where local crime figure 'Soapy Smith' is alleged to have been buried.  Excellent tour guide for this 3 hour tour and only cost $50.  This also included entry into a 1 hour stage show 'Days of '98' which depicts the rise and demise of Soapy Smith.  Highly recommend this, tickets were purchased from the theatre where the 'days of '98' show was held. We sailed into Tracy Arm which is a fjord a little south of Scagway.  We sailed into an inlet about 25 miles to see a receding glacier - the South Sawyer Glacier.  Stunning blue hue, was very beautiful.  Also the coldest part of our journey to date.  We entered the fjord around 4:30 am (yes, it was light), and after dodging some smaller icebergs, we were able to get up close to the glacier edge.  Very spectacular.  Our last port was on Vancouver Island in the port of Victoria - the seat of the Provincial Government of British Columbia.  Yet another early morning arrival (6:00am), we off-loaded from the ship as soon as the gangway was opened and headed off into town on the first shuttle to get a good local coffee (desperate, as the coffee on the ship is ordinary at best).  We then took a tour of the Parliament building, which included a period costume performance, then headed off to the BC museum.  Just enough time left to stroll through town and the harbour, through spectacular gardens and do some more shopping before our scheduled departure at 2:00pm.  A shame we had such a short period of time, though we were able to clean out the bank account with local purchases!!  One last bonus to our trip.  When we checked in to San Francisco International Airport, we had three very large bags, two of which were over-weight.  Embarrassing reshuffle ensued (fortunately, not too many 'onlookers' and no spill of dirty underwear!!).  However, we were rewarded with complementary business class upgrades for the 14 hour return flight.  Again, thanks Qantas. Overall, very relaxing holiday for us with a few more sea days than you would otherwise find in cruises these days.  Loved San Francisco (despite it being a little pricey), and the opportunity to see Alaska and glaciers before they completely melt due to global warming!!