This was the first Alaska Cruise for both of us and we chose it particularly because it was round trip from San Francisco so no flying was involved. Embarkation was great and as Elite Members of the Captain's Circle we got onboard quickly just before 1pm and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon. Getting off the ship was also easy. We work as Ushers with the SF Giants and went to work, so we dressed in our work uniforms. We got to the Elite Lounge and had a cup of coffee and a pastry and were off the ship by 8am (walking off with luggage) and had lots of time for a leisurely breakfast before going to work!

Overall, the cruise was fantastic. Sailing out of the SF Bay on a beautiful, sunny afternoon was a treat. The first few days were rainy, though we never did use our $3 ponchos in Juneau, but the rest of the trip was cold but dry. The shore excursions were all good experiences and it was warmer in Victoria on Friday, 5/26 than it was in the bay area!

The food on this cruise was fantastic. My partner enjoyed lots of seafood while I found plenty to eat in steak, pork and lamb. Our most recent cruise, 25 days from Beijing to Sydney last Oct/Nov,(on the Golden, a very similarly laid out ship) was lacking in that department, IMHO, but I enjoyed every meal we had. Read more