Rhapsody is an lovely ship, small enough to fit into tight spaces that the megaships just can't do which comes in handy for visiting glaciers close-up, which is what this cruise is all about. The food is good, (with 10,000 meals served each day to around 2,000 passengers), service is great, the entertainment had something for everyone- very good each night. The ports were all enjoyable- Juneau, (the state capitol), Skagway, (an old Gold Rush town with a lot of history), and Victoria, (a taste of England).

Rhapsody also misses a beat here and there. Maps are provided for the ports of Juneau and Skagway, in which shops such as Diamonds International, (which pay "a promotional fee to advertise...") have their stores marked on the maps given to passengers. Victoria does not have a Diamonds International or other similar shops found in various cruise ports, so no maps are provided showing passengers how to walk into the Inner Harbor of Victoria. Having been to Victoria before, I still needed a map because the Empress Hotel and other Victoria landmarks are not seen from where Rhapsody docks. Fortunately, a nice Canadian lady in period costume was handing out maps at the pier which clearly showed not only how to walk into downtown, but how to get around once you got there. In contrast to Rhapsody, staff on one of RCCL's other ships- Jewel of the Seas- handed out maps to every port we visited on our European trip with them. The helpful staff even marked the maps showing you exactly how to reach the city center on foot. Each port was discussed the day before as well, explaining how to use shuttles, maps, or where to meet up for excursions. Shopping was discussed, but not emphasized as it is on Rhapsody.

Also missing is the Midnight Buffet. Twenty years ago, in the good old days of cruising, even 4 night cruises included a Grand Buffet on the first night in the dining room which included a 30-minute photo op before the buffet opened. They continued each night, albeit becoming less elaborate each night until the last night the buffet was held in the Windjammer and consisted mainly of what appeared to be left-overs from dinner. Although the Midnight Buffet was absent from Rhapsody, there was a "Big Band Buffet" at 11 pm on the sixth night of the cruise in the Centrum, ( or center of the ship), which was a smaller version of the Grand Buffet and very tasty as well as beautifully presented. ( Also missing, at least for us, was the coupon book for Gold Members, and the survey which was to filled out at the end of the cruise; I guess RCCL didn't want our opinions. Oh, well, that's what Cruise Critic is for). Read more