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Mrs. Shipgeek here. Mr. S. will give his version of the cruise a bit later.
This was our 28th cruise, but the first with Princess. I'm sorry now that circumstances led us to wait so long. It was an excellent cruise.
We booked online directly through Princess, including air and transfers. Their communications and assistance, from day of booking up to cruise day, were outstanding, especially Monica Hark. We were able to specify exactly what we wanted regarding meals, cabin arrangements, excursions, etc., and the price was right. I highly recommend it.
The ship is clean, tastefully furnished, and easy to get around. The only crowding occurred in the Horizon Court, sometimes, as there were several hundred non-English-speaking passengers aboard, who probably chose to eat there rather than dining room. I commend the staff for adding some Asian foods to the buffet, and providing final day announcements in Chinese as well as English.
The itinerary was great. Four ports, a day in Glacier Bay, and four sea days. The scenery, once we were in the Inside Passage, was so beautiful that I would not have felt disappointed even if I didn't go ashore. We did the White Pass & Yukon RR in Skagway (book this through your cruise)which was excellent; took the local Glacier Express Bus to Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau (buy tickets at the dock); and just walked around in Ketchikan and Victoria.
The onboard naturalist, who gave a number of talks, and the Rangers who came aboard for Glacier Bay, gave wonderful presentations.
Fabulous wrap-around promenade deck, with nice teak loungers.
Food was very good, especially the many creative and interesting vegetarian options. Servers, even in the buffet, were knowledgeable about the foods -- important to a person with a shellfish allergy. And all spoke and understood enough English to be comfortable that we understood each other. My only disappointment was the coffee, which was different with every cup.
Entertainment was mostly so-so, which seems to be the case on every ship now.
All staff we came into contact with were excellent.
All in all, a very good cruise.
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