Embarkation - You'll see me saying time and time again, Haven is the way to go! The dedicated Haven security line and lounge to fill out forms was awesome! The parking garage being across the street from the terminal (accessible by sky bridge) was quite nice as well. One problem was when we took the elevator to the floor that said embarkation, the door was secured so we had to get backs downstairs to floor level. Not very good signage. Once we were registered and received our key cards, we were escorted onboard the ship to the Haven area on Deck 17, and waited in the Haven observation lounge while our concierge briefed us on some items of interest. We had lunch in the dining room which was totally awesome (more about dining later) then went to our room, which was a forward penthouse suite on deck 10. So, having a priority baggage tag means nothing if you’re not on the Haven levels (17 & 18). Even though we were in Haven suites, our luggage on the 10th deck didn’t arrive till anywhere between 4pm and 7pm. We’re seeing inside cabins and others have their bags long before ours. Not quite what you purchase the Haven class for. Dining – Well there are many choices and only 7 days to do them. We took advantage of 4 specialty restaurants for dinner. Le Bistro – Was very nice. You can’t go wrong with any of the dishes. On the menu is a wide variety of very nicely prepared dishes. The foie gras appetizer was delightful. The sole was an awesome entrée. The service is wonderful and the food superb. Highly recommend this one, make your reservation long before embarkation day. Food Republic – A unique restaurant, you order via tablets on the table. The variety was quite amazing, from sushi items (rolls) to Hamachi taquitos (quite unique), crudo and a wide variety of other items. Best when going with others, order to share. We went once as a couple for dinner and I went solo for lunch. Both times were superb. Unlike most of the other specialty dining places you can usually get in without a reservation or make one same day. Teppanyaki – This is a must do! Do the steak and shrimp combo. The show is wonderful, with a table of 8 you get to meet new friends. The food is the star of the evening. I normally don’t eat fried rice, I ate this (would have had more but knew the main course was yet to come) and marveled at all the flavors in it. The steak and shrimp were superb. If you want to eat here, make reservations as soon as possible. Ocean Blue – So this is the one that is labeled as “next to impossible to get into”, but turned out to be a massive “meh”. The food was pretty good, I’ve had much better seafood stew. The meal was probably 3rd best of our specialty restaurants. Haven Restaurant – This is just another reason to book a Haven suite. Breakfast, lunch & dinner are served in the exclusive Haven restaurant. The hours for lunch were a bit late (noon vice the usual 11 for most places) but the food was great. One thing, the menu never changes, but with the several choices you’ll find something good. Breakfast is quite nice with a small buffet to sample from as well as the menu. Add to that the view and it’s a wonderful option to have. Maltings Bar- An awesome whiskey bar, a great selection. The bartenders were a joy to talk with and learn about various whiskies. Sugar Cane Mojito Bar – Want to try some great rums? This is the place! Once again, great staff and an excellent time. Local – A great pub, the food was good, not exceptional but basically pub food. The fact they stay open late is a plus. A nice vibrant atmosphere. Entertainment - Footloose was a great musical. Elements (the Cirque like production) was great as well. A very nice theater with comfortable seating, especially in the reserved Haven rows. Spa – HORRIBLE!! Seriously, how do you not have the thermal suites and other good things your other ships have in their spa? Add to that the abysmal service (you wait in a restroom that has some lockers, a shower and not much else) and hope they don’t forget about you like they did me. Then, to top it off they wanted to cut my appointment time down so they could keep on schedule. That didn’t happen. Oh, and to add to that, they keep your cruise card and then had trouble locating mine after my massage. This definitely was the weakest link of the cruise. My wife and I had massages on separate days and both felt as this was the worst part of the cruise. Disembarkation – The smoothest I’ve ever seen. The new Immigration system (getting picture taken and green light to proceed) is a very efficient process. We got to our car and were gone with some very fond memories. Read Less

We left from Seattle, and arrived the day before ship departure. We stayed at Hotel Ändra, highly recommended and great location. We were pleasantly surprised and had a great time exploring Pike Market, Space Needle etc. We actually would have spent more time here! But we came for a cruise, and it sure delivered. This ship is absolutely fantastic, but what makes it even more of a spectacular experience is the multi cultural staff and the personality of the staff. ALL of the staff was amazing, smiling, pleasant, eager to help and just happy! Embarking was so smooth, came at allotted time and we were literally never waiting for more than a few minutes in a line. Very well organized. Same with disembarking, we never new they set up the paths or anything and it was smooth sailing. We used the shuttle service to the airport and had our bags shipped to our destination and that as well went without any problems. We had a stateroom with a balcony and it was roomy, clean and beautiful views at all time. I’m so happy we did this because I enjoyed sun out on that balcony more than once and enjoyed grabbing fresh air in privat. We chose 250 WIFI minutes and I have to say I checked in w my adult kids daily and never used up the minutes. We also had the beverage package and high end beer/wine and liquor was part of that so we could vacation “properly”. For us it was well worth it! We also chose to do the upgraded dining package for 4 days. We chose this because we wanted to try out some of the restaurants and wanted to be able to have reservation...we realized after you could still make reservation at the main dining room but we were blown away with the Mexican Los Lobos and Cagneys....food was to die for!!! Elizabeth at Los Lobos was the best waitress we’ve ever had!!! The food is so good everywhere though and you will never go hungry, never. For excursions we had chosen to do a whale watch in Juneau followed by a quick tour to the Mendenhall Glacier. We saw plenty of whales and the tour was awesome, they even provided binoculars! We saw the glacier right before it got dark so we were happy! The second excursion was in Skagway where we did the train ride, goldpanning and dog sledding. We learned so much this day we’re still in awe. The train ride was spectacular and our guide, Klondike Mike, was incredible at telling the history! We’ll definitely be following the Iditarod race in March! So overall, the excursions where absolutely worth the money. We did our own thing in Ketchikan, which worked out perfect for us. We travelled with another group of 3 other couples but had already decided we were doing our own thing. It was easy communicating with our company through the app so we could meet up whenever. There were always some activity going on if you were up for it. I ended up splurging and got the spa pass for the week and enjoyed the time in there immensely. If there was something I would “suggest” changing it would be the Beatles show, we never got to see that show because you had to stand in line for at least 45 min everyday, how about reservations for that? And the Observatory Lounge is such beautiful space to take in all the views,how about a child free section? There were times when groups of 10-15 people with their young children took over whole areas for a full day. We absolutely recommend this trip and are already thinking about where our next cruise will bring us. Read Less

We picked this cruise to see Alaska, especially the inside passage and Ketchikan. Although scheduled, the cruise skipped both. That was extremely disappointing. Princess did nothing to make up for it. The staff were excellent, friendly and efficient, especially in the bars and restaurants. The food varied from good to poor, but there was a lot of it. The drink “packages” were overpriced, I don’t recommend them. The room service menu was surprisingly limited. The Coral Princess ship was nice. We had taken this cruise before on other ships, and the ports and shore excursions were excellent, but on this cruise we took no excursions primarily because of the bad weather. Embarkation was easy and quick, but disembarkation was a nightmare. Customs was easy, baggage collection was easy, but the line to get a taxi took two and a half hours! Standing in the cold with 2,000 of my best friends for that length of time was miserable. Overall, of ~20 cruises I’ve taken, this was the poorest. Good luck. Read Less

Beautiful ship, well appointed. All bars had awesome staff, especially Magnums and O’Shanahons . Specialty restaurants that we picked had wonderful food. We didn’t buy and shore excursions, (too $$$$) but, did do the port shopping experience. Disappointed in daytime entertainment options when we returned to ship. Appreciated the hand sanitizer stations throughout the ship. Best entertainment by far was Fire and Ice (Michael Jackson/ Tina Turner) done by Rosie. . The entire staff on the Jewel had the best attitudes, always with a smile and asking if we needed help. Dan the Man was fun and helpful with announcements. Loved the drink package and the Specialty Dining. We are already planning on returning soon. Maybe the 16 days thru the Panama Cancel, Florida to LA where we live. We took advantage of the CruiseNow package. I personally have cruised on Cardinal Cruise Line.......I will never go back. I’m in love with NCL! Thank you for a very enjoyable cruise Gail Ropp Traveling with Lance Lomax Read Less

The good: drinks, bar service, cabin service, food service (but not universally food quality) embarkation, disembarkation. Five for free. The mediocre: food everywhere except Cagney's and La Cucina (and the one lunch we had in the main dining room). Especially the oily yellow lab that passes for low-rent velveeta, which is as close to cheese as you get in an omelette or on a burger. Also, the Irish bar has nachos comprised of stale yellow chips, smothered in oil cheese and bacon bits? Why don't you step that game up to potato skins or chips and some real cheese? Also, $35 a glass for Veuve Cliquot? Puh-leez. You can keep it at that price. Balcony cabin seemed a little small, but that's because it's almost 1/2 bed. They could stand to widen them by about 2 feet for ease of passage. The bad: excursion markup is pretty extreme. The ship seemed even more maze-like than my previous cruises, with 6th and 7th deck dead ends at the main dining rooms. Read Less

My wife and I have done seven cruises and six of them with NCL. This was such a mixed cruise. One one hand, Alaska was amazing and the ship was great. It was nice, clean and the layout was great. The observation deck was really comfortable and even the Garden Cafe seemed to be upgraded and comfortable. Glacier Bay (which is the primary reason for going) was well organized and the captain slowed the ship down to a crawl and spun the ship around so everyone can have time seeing the glaciers and get their photos at a comfortable pace. It created a very relaxing time in which we gathered in our families state room and spent the time together on the balcony. The reason for the 3 stars was because it felt disorganized and at times poor service and food. For example: Our checked wine took four requests and two trips to the service desk to get, laundry took three requests, Ice sometimes took multiple calls and food timing was way off (I was served beffore my wife several times). The food was probably the most disappointing aspect of the cruise. We are not foodies but I have always considered NCL as having above-average food and occasionally amazing food. This trip I had a couple good meals, many average meals and a couple poor meals (dry chicken, overcooked fish, tiny portions etc). Overall it was a good cruise because of the destination and the company we brought with us. However we may not do NCL, it seems like they lost many of the personal touches that we have had in past cruises. Read Less

We had a wonderful time on our Alaska cruise on the Bliss from Seattle. First, I would like to praise the captain who made a couple of difficult decisions regarding when to leave a port and to skip a port. When we were in Skagway there were extremely high winds (50+ mph) and delayed our leaving the port for 6 hours but hardly affected our itinerary in Glacier Bay. The other decision was to not stop in Ketchican due gale force winds, which in my opinion was a smart move. Now on to the ship, they definitely made changes from the Breakaway and Encore that were more appealing such as; adding the racetrack and laser tag (replaces ropes course), enclosing an area in the casino for smokers so the smoke doesn't permeate the rest of the casino and surrounding areas, reconfiguring the comedy club with the stage in the center, switching the blues club to the Cavern Club, adding the observation lounge (especially the one in the Haven), having the Haven sun deck span the entire front of the ship with two hot tubs, the addition of the Food Republic and Q (both excellent food). The shows; Jersey Boys is fantastic, I didn't think Six was good, comedy shows were excellent, Beatles shows were excellent but unfortunately got overcrowded when in the Cavern Club. Ate most of our meals in Haven (outstanding)but on specialty nights had good meals in Q and Tepanyaki, however Cagney's but was a bit subpar and did miss not having a Moderno on board. One night tried meal in Manhattan room which was a disaster and was given a free lunch at Food Republic because of it (which we loved and wish we knew about it before). Local was good for snacks. Lastly, entertainment staff was terrific as was our Concierge David and the entire Haven staff were first rate. Port Valet is a terrific feature of the Seattle cruise port where they send your luggage directly to your airline and check it in. Read Less

We've always wanted to visit Alaska and I'm so glad we chose Celebrity to take us there! We embarked in Vancouver (lovely city) and went to Hubbard Glacier, Icy Straight, Juneau and Ketchikan. The Eclipse is a beautiful ship; very elegant and spotlessly clean. Service was exceptional all around. We ate at Moonlight Sonata (main dining room), Ocean View Cafe (buffet), and Cafe el Bacio all were great! We had mixed reviews at Tuscan Grill. I enjoyed my meal, but my husband ordered steak and he hated it. The steak was the only bad item we had all week. Our favorite was Sushi on 5, we ate there twice and loved every item we were served. We didn't go to any shows, but we were never bored. Plenty of bars with great drinks and lots of little places to meet people or just have a quiet moment alone. The ship only felt crowded in the Ocean View Cafe during peak hours. Embarkation and disembarking were tough, with long lines. We've had similar experiences on other cruises. Overall, it was an amazing cruise and we can't wait for our next Celebrity adventure. Read Less

We wanted to see the interior of Alaska, as well as the tidal glaciers and seaports. Our guide on land was outstanding. Alexa was so knowledgeable and she was able to give us history or the area, plus making sure our tours and accommodations were ready for us. We had Club Class dining, and that was a new experience for us, but and really enjoyed the extras that came with that. Most of all the wait staff was great and there was never a line to get seated. The excursions were very well done as well. We enjoyed the gold panning at Dredge 8, and sternwheel trip on the river, the train ride out of Skagway was over the top. It is a wonder the rail road got built and how the people made the trip to the gold fields was amazing. They must have had the true pioneer spirit. The entertainment on board the ship was fantastic !!!! We really enjoyed the productions shows and the comic was really funny and the singer had a wonderful voice. I highly reccommend this cruise. If you go in Sept. as we did, dress in layers and be prepared for rain and it was chilly late at night when we went out to see the Nnorthern Lights. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the departure port and itinerary, but I wouldn’t change anything. The ship is older and doesn’t have all the wizz bang features of the new ships, but that’s not why you cruise to Alaska. I didn’t notice any maintenance issues or problems with cleanliness. No funny sewerage smells or problems with air conditioning. Our stateroom was always clean and very comfortable. The size was not massive, but more than enough considering the amount of time we spent outside our cabin. Overall the crew were very friendly and efficient. I agree with some of the comments about the buffet, but if you choose carefully you can still have a good meal every time. If you time your meals correctly there are virtually no queues and we always found a table. Remember there is another seating area towards the back of the ship on both sides. We chose traditional dining for dinner and were able to get a table for two after requesting it on the embarkation day. We had to share for the first night, but had our own table for the rest of the cruise. The menu is adequate and again with careful choices you can have a lovely meal every night. The Crown Grill was excellent. Great food and service. Alaska was amazing! We even saw the Northern Lights (on the departure out of Haines and only for about fifteen minutes). I would happily cruise on the Grand Princess again. We’re already planning to repeat this cruise with our kids in a couple of years. Read Less

Prior to sailing: We purchased "The Key" which was a very good investment for us both. I also pre-scheduled our excursions (2 directly from Royal Caribbean International and 2 from other vendors) and activities such as IFly and the North Star along with pre-booking our night to see Pixels and the Escape Room. I drafted a calendar of events, activities, and dinner times and places we wanted to do from prior cruise compasses with lots of time to add more while on the ship. Months prior to cruising, I signed us up for the Meet and Mingle Roll Call, and participated on the review boards for our particular cruise and met many nice and funny people. This is a great way to meet others prior to sailing. Thursday: Seattle, Washington - We flew into Seattle a day before the cruise and arrived early and dropped our bags off at "The State Hotel" just steps away from Pike Place Market. It was our first stop and we watched the fishing sailing through the air. The booths are endless - we saw crab legs as long as our arms, an abundance of flowers and many local crafts. Prior to returning to our hotel, we enjoyed dinner at "Pike Place Bar & Grill." The Steamed Manilla Clams and the Cod Fish and Chips dinner were delicious. Best fresh cod ever! Embarkation and Day of Sailing - Seattle, Washington: Due to the time change and going to bed early, my husband and I had morning coffee at the "The State Hotel" and explore more of the area. Our Lyft picked us up at the hotel and we arrived at the ship minutes later at the Port terminal (before 10:00 a.m.). As I was a disabled veteran he made sure we were dropped off close to the entry doors - the cost $16. Upon showing our Sea Passes - we were quickly ushered in the line for "Key" members and sat in the area to await a wheelchair for me. Time quickly flew and before we knew it - the activity director took us aboard the largest ship we have ever seen. This was the fastest and easiest embarkation we have ever experienced. Ovation of the Seas - She is a very beautiful ship with plenty to do and see. It would take weeks to accomplish all on her. Our balcony cabin was mid-ship on the 11th floor - 11180. Knowing it would not be ready until 1:00 p.m.; we went to Guest Relations and purchased the Wow Bands for $4.99. These bands are surely worth it as I used it often for unlocking our cabin door throughout the cruise saving time for searching for my Sea Pass which I left often in the light switch. Not only did Glen, our room attendant, kept our cabin neat and clean each day, he left multiple towel animals for us to enjoy. I took Traveler's Ginger Candy (Gin Gin Company) with me and only had to savor two of them during the cruise. I share most of the bag with others who were experiencing seasickness even wearing the patch. Friday: Day 1 - At noon, we went to the Main Dining to eat with other Key Members and enjoyed a Chops Grille luncheon. Hubby had the Colossal Shrimp Cocktail, Everything Crusted Tuna and the New York Cheesecake. I had the Caesars Salad with their signature dressing, Petite Filet Mignon with three dipping sauces and the New York Cheesecake. This meal was scrumptious! After eating lunch, we explore the ship unto our way to the cabin. The large towel I pre-purchased was in the room, but the Polar Bear Alaska Blanket for two was missing. I spoke to the attendant and he did not know if one could be found. This was distressing for me, as I had purchased it months ago. A few days later the Deck Supervisor found a brand new blanket and gave it to me - it surely made my day that the personnel on the ship took extra lengths to ensure our cruise would be delightful. We saw our Key envelopes and entered our passwords for the VOOM and notice that we had a letter stating our special departure times for each port. Our next stop was at the Sky Bar where we met our Cruisers from our Roll Call. It was great seeing who I had been conversing with online prior to sailing. Muster was at 3:15 and we made our way down to the Schooner Bar. Go a tad bit early for Muster to obtain a seat. Muster went flawlessly. At 6:00 p.m. while hubby was relaxing and watching out our balcony, I went to see and purchase the Alaska Survival Kit. Many store vendors had their selections out and I was able to purchase gifts for our kids. I preselected our "My Time Dining" for 7:00 p.m. and we went to eat at the Silk. This dinner was disappointing after having a fantastic luncheon with Chops Grille. Although we were seated quickly, it took a while to take our orders. Hubby and I ordered the Escargot that was swimming in butter and parsley. I love eating escargot but the Silk's mostly tasted like butter and was bland. Maybe Silk could try cooking the escargot with less butter, add garlic and mushrooms to it like they used to do in the early 2000s. The rest of the meal was neither remarkable nor memorable as the prime rib was overcooked. The service was sporadic and we miss the old days of the traditional MDR days with the greeting from the Head Waiter, Waiter and Assistant Waiter all of whom worked together. I believe the seating arrangement made it more difficult and all of these restaurant venues with "My Time Dining" made it more difficult for the wait staff and guests. I highly suggest two of the venues return to the traditional MDR. After dinner, we went to Comedy Night on Decks 4/5. The show was average and was disrupted many times by guests leaving. We sat in the handicap area and the attendant was a tad bit annoyed with us sitting there. I guess she did not see my cane nor my leg brace. Her sour demeanor was quickly forgotten. After the show, we stopped in the Royal Casino and the host gave us our gold coins to try our luck at the special slot machine. While hubby played Blackjack, I tried my hand at Roulette. We both had a good night and won some. We strolled Deck 5 and found the smoking area. We made friends there that we would see often throughout the cruise. By the time we got to our room our luggage had arrived and morning came fast. Thanks to other cruise reviews, I had most of our important items in our carry-on. Saturday: Day 2 - Cruising: After having morning coffee, hubby and I went up to Deck 16 and were excited to experience the North Star. Even though I do not like heights, this was an awesome experience. Hubby took many pictures and we were able to see far off in the distance including the entire ship. Upon standing in line, the attendant escorted to the elevator to take me to the doors of the North Star so I can experience it without struggling the stairs. Just a FYI there are many times in which the North Star does not cost the guest any extra monies and as a "Key" guest we were able to experience it without lines a 2nd time. Port Shopping Show - I went to the Port Shopping Show and learned the best places to visit for shopping form multiple beautiful gems to see and possibly buy. Bingo and Blackjack Qualifying Round - Oh my - had so much fun playing bingo and won an extra bingo shirt. I came so close to winning cash. Hubby went to the Blackjack Qualifying Round and placed for the tournament. Balcony and Deck 5: - Spent the afternoon relaxing and watching for whales and Orcas and saw many. It truly was an awesome experience. Formal Night - Hubby and I dressed to the max and it was such a delight. We went to the second seating at Silk. If we thought the first dinner was disappointing, this dinner was worse. I decided to try the Seafood with Linguini. It was terrible, the shrimp tasted old, clams cold and the bay scallops were still frozen. I pushed my plate aside and the waiter came and was told I was done. Another waiter stopped and asked if I wanted to try something else. Once again I stated I was no longer hungry and this time described the meal quietly as to not disturb the other guests. We saw him walk quickly to the Supervisor as we were leaving. Hubby told me to keep going as the Chef was now running behind us. We left the area, went to Sorrento's and ate pizza. Needlessly to say we miss MDR dining. After dinner, we went to the Comedy Show and it was great! So glad to try to see another comedy show. Afterwards we strolled the deck in the moonlight then changed clothes for the Casino and played a few rounds. Sunday: Day 3 - Alaska Inside Passage/Juneau - Once again we enjoyed a light breakfast at Two70 (Deck 5) of coffee, juice and Panini. We went to our Meet and Mingle in Vintages and were greeted by others who posted prior to cruising. Tony and his wife were experienced cruisers and were very friendly. Tony gave each us beautiful bracelets. Thanks Tony! We met families with children who were bored and suggested the Adventure Ocean program. Two families sought us out later and told us they had a hard time getting their children to leave. Juneau, Alaska - Due to the Key, we went to the Music Hall (Deck 3) at noon to await our departure for Juneau. Within minutes, we were off the ship and going down the gangway. Upon hitting the boardwalk, a Pedicab took us to the Mount Roberts Tramway in which we purchased our tickets to the Tram and to AJ Mine/Gastineau Mining Tour. We took the tram to the top and we were able to see Eagles and view the authentic Alaska Native Arts and purchased items in their gift shop. We took the Tram down and were met by our guide for our mining excursion. This was a quaint excursion as it was shared with one other couple. We saw this same mining company on the Discovery Channel. Our guide was a retired miner and kept us entertain while exploring the inside of the mine. We learned the history of the mine and it was quite an experience. Once outside the mine, two young guides taught us how to pan for gold and garnets of which we each found almost entire vial worth of both. This is a must see excursion which I found online. Upon returning to Port, hubby and I went shopping and I was able to collect my charms to add to my bracelet while looking at Gold Quartz jewelry, Korite (Ammolite), Tanzanite, an array of Northern Lights jewelry the rare Alexandrite collection and the Crown of Lite jewelry collection. If you are a coffee lover like us - visit the Heritage Coffee Roasting Company. The aromas are intoxicating. While most people were eating at Tracy's Crabshack and eating arm length crab legs, hubby and I had a delicious dinner at the Twisted Fish Company. Their clams in wine sauce, crab cakes and calamari were scrumptious! We went back to the ship by 8:00 p.m. and took our purchases to our room. Upon leaving our cabin, we saw the telephone message light blinking and quickly learned how our Klukwan Native Culture Excursion was canceled due to "lack of participation." Although the Shore Excursion Desk stated for us to come by and book another excursion I took time to look at the Royal IQ app and saw there were none that interest us. I searched Google and learned this excursion had closed for the season the week prior. This left a bad taste as you would think the Shore Excursion would verify all excursion to ensure none closed early for the season prior to the sailing. Needless to say, we went to Deck 5, met up with friends and were invited to join them for the Jeep excursion to the Yukon. Shortly there afterwards we went up to the top deck to take photos of the ever changing sculptures on the pier and watched the sail away at 9:00 p.m. A while later we stopped in at Schooners and listen to piano music, visit the Casino, ate late night pizza at Sorrento's, met more friends on Deck 5 and had an enjoyable night. Monday: Day 4 - Skagway, Alaska - Morning came quickly and we picked up breakfast at Two70 and sat in the Deck 5 lounge. Shortly thereafter, the four of us left the ship (with our passports) and we walked to town (take the tram and ride it as it is 1/2 mile hike). Before you know it, we were in the jeep driving towards the Yukon. Our GPS (jokingly our landmark book) did not take us directly to the Yukon, as it did not account for the road closure and detour. Before we knew it, we arrived at the Yukon Suspension Bridge. We took our time, crossed the bridge and saw its beauty. Afterwards we had lunch at their cafe of bison chili that was mouthwatering. I purchase bison chips, crackers and cheese to enjoy later. After an hour out we turned around and the road was already paved, and we were on our way to Carcass and saw the smallest desert. We stopped in Carcross for drinks, snacks, and some shopping (a nice small town with plenty to see and buy including readers). The ice cream was delicious. Within minutes, we saw a bear by the side of the road and took pictures. We saw so much wildlife on our way to Emerald Lake. So cool to see and many photo ops there too. Soon we arrived at Emerald Lake and the view was spectacular. We took our time traveling back to Skagway and came upon another bear - this one was very large standing in the middle of the road. After taking a few pictures, the bear retreated into the woods nearby. The four of us went shopping and picked up trinkets, postcards and the train charms for our bracelets. We were back on the ship by 5:00 p.m. in time to relax for dinner. Tonight we had reservations for the Solarium. This is a quaint dinner spot that is included in your cruise to partake if one so desired. Many people just ate from their buffet, but Hubby and I chose from their menu and their buffet. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was very relaxing. The tables were nicely spaced and the wait staff made sure each guest was enjoying oneself. After dinner, I went to the Rossalite Gems show - these gems are beautiful!! Hubby and I watch the sunset and off to play at the Casino. Tuesday: Day 5 - Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier - hubby and woke up early and went to Two70 for coffee and carried our breakfast to the Deck 5 lounge where we could Glacier Watch. This did not occur ,as the Captain of the Ship was wise to turn us around when he saw how big the icebergs under the water were and was smart enough to put our safety first. Many understood but there were others who were angry until other guests explain that small iceberg on top of the water is much smaller than what is not seen under the water. The Captain took his time and the entire ship went whale watching with many to see. Prior to lunch, I went to the room to pick up my bingo shirts and daubers and purchase my bingo cards. I was awarded extra free bingo cards for each shirt and dauber and was given the B3 Blue Bingo Fish (which gave me an extra bingo card on day 3 - win a cruise bingo). No wins for me but came close and had an enjoyable time. After bingo, we went and saw the Love and Marriage Show - this show is a must to see and everyone seem to enjoy themselves. Afterwards I dropped off my bingo gear and was met by the 11th Deck Supervisor who surprised me with the Polar Bear Winter Blanket! Yeah!! Escape Room - this activity was pre-booked prior to cruising. Hubby and I never experienced and it was quite intriguing. There were 12 of us working together in which you collect clues, solve puzzles to escape and only had 1 hour to do so. Hubby found most of the locked boxes and we helped solved many of the puzzles to collect clues and were able to escape. This was a very fun activity and everyone should try it. I do know not all the ships have this activity but they should as it is a very enjoyable experience and does not take up much room to play it. Windjammer - Hubby and I went exploring another part of the ship and dropped our Custom Form off at Guest Relations. Unbelievable as there is still so much to see and experienced. Dinner was upon us and we decided to try the Windjammer. We were met with "Washy Washy" which sounded delightful in her singsong manner. A table was easily found and we went to look at the array of foods. Chad made me a delicious plate of my own ingredients for Lo Mein. I thought I was full until the dumped a fresh batch of French fries at a station nearby and off I went to get a small plate of them with Malt Vinegar. Oh my - I was in heaven!! The array of desserts will make your mouth water once again. Another familiar feature was seen in the Windjammer was see fruit carvings - the fish in the watermelon was totally spectacular! After dinner, we strolled the deck to walk off dinner prior to an evening out with hubby. I missed out as I fell asleep while waiting for hubby taking a shower. He went to the Casino with friends. So nice that I was able to catch up on my sleep which is hard to do on such a fun cruise. Wednesday: Day 6 - Cruising - Yep we had coffee from Two70 and taking breakfast away to Deck 5 lounge and relaxed watching the waves. Fab Abs class - OH MY! That was surely a work out! Off to the room to shower so I can enjoy the day. It was not long until it was our time to experience the IFly on Deck 16. IFly - The crew here are very safety conscious and thoroughly enjoys assisting guests with having a fun experience. First, you are asked if you have had any neck and upper back injuries as one cannot safely participate. Next, you are weighed in - thank goodness, they do not say one's weight aloud. Hubby could not participate, as he was a few pounds too heavy for his height, which he was fine with as I think he was more excited to see if I would go through with it. Lol. We watch a short safety video, learned our four hand signals and then suited up. Soon it was our turn to go to the gravity chamber. Since all of us listened and followed their instructions, we were able to fly higher with our instructor in which we spun upward. Such an exhilarating experience!! Bingo for a free cruise - Went to the room, picked up all my bingo gear and given 21 cards to play. So close with 1 number but did not win - maybe next time. It was so nice to see the young gentleman jump up, yell bingo, and win a cruise for 2 while on his honeymoon. Dog House - even with all the variety of food - a good beef hot dog and/or bratwurst with sauerkraut fits the lunch bill easily. Relaxing afternoon - hubby took a much needed nap and I went exploring the shops (be wise and leave your sea pass in the light switch like me - it saves you money - lol). I purchase a few small items and went to relax with friends. I woke hubby for dinner and dressed for our second formal dinner. American Icon Grill - this was chosen as Hubby refused to go back to Silk and he knew I wanted to eat lobster. Dinner service was extraordinary and so unlike what we experienced in the Silk. The Wait Staff were friendly and interactive with the guests. The waiter made dinner suggestions and knew the ingredients for the dishes. Our appetizers were delicious (hubby had the Caesar Salad and I tried the Escargot again - their style of cooking grows on you). Hubby selected the beef tenderloins and asked for rare and was super shocked it was cooked the way he wanted AND very tender. He was enjoying this dinner outing. The Waiter brought me two lobster tails and brought heated butter to the table. Oh my! The lobster melted in your mouth. After dinner, the Waiter cleared the table and knife scraped the tablecloth prior to dessert (an old MDR table method this was the only time seen done). Since this was the 50th year, a special cake with swirled lollipop stick came out with the desserts we selected. Hubby had apple pie ala mode nicely heated with a side of vanilla ice cream. I had the Molten Chocolate Cake that was quite delicious. Hubby and I had another stroll on deck and met up with our friends who had a very enjoyable experience too while dining in Wonderland. We share our dining experiences and discussed what we were going to do in Victoria. We all went to the Casino and knew bed was early as the time change went forward 1 hour - morning would arrive sooner. Thursday: Day 7 - Victoria, British Columbia including the Hop On Hop Off Tour - Hubby and I took the double decker bus to Victoria ($15 roundtrip per person) and saw many sights on our way and was dropped off at the Empress Hotel in time to purchase our tickets for the Hop On Hop Off bus which had a 90 minute tour if you stayed on it. My leg was sore so we chose the tour. The tour guide, Norm was very interesting and we learned about the Gold Rush, the history of Victoria, saw the tiniest through way that Mel Gibson took for Bird on the Wire, Craigdarroch Castle, Christ Church Cathedral, etc. We even saw peacocks and many deer throughout the tour. Once back to the Empress Hotel, we walk towards Irish Pub called the "Irish Times" for lunch. I advise you to be extra hungry as we ordered the O'Hagan's Platter. This platter is huge and contained Chicken wings, loaded fries, sweet potato fries and dry ribs. Hubby and I barely put a dent into it. This platter covered almost the entire table with barely any room for our drinks. We explored some of the shops and purchased a few items to take home. We took the Double Decker bus back to the cruise ship by 4:00 p.m. Both of us took showers and went to meet up with friends to share our Victoria experiences. Later that evening we ate dinner at Windjammer which was quite filling. We took our nightly stroll, headed back to our rooms to pack our luggage, and left it in the hallway for pick up. We went to the Casino, played a few rounds and turned in our remaining Chips and Tokens. Our last stop for the evening was a quick late night pizza at Sorrento's and I went to the library and printed out our plane tickets home. Friday - Day 8 - Vancouver, British Columbia - it is a sad day that this fantastic cruise was coming to an end. Since we had the "Key," hubby and I were treated to breakfast in the American Icon on Deck 4 prior to leaving on Deck 5 near Wonderland. We disembarked in easy and quick manner and our luggage was quickly secured. Our porter took our luggage throughout the terminal and escorted us outside the terminal by the Pacific Hotel where we would meet for the Sear to Air Post Tour Excursion with Landsea Tours. This is a 6-hour tour that included a drop off to the airport. Our tour guide was very interesting and we knew it had changes to it as the Gondola to the Suspension Bridge had been sabotaged a few weeks prior to the tour. Landsea Tours emailed us 2 days after the sabotaged to verify whether we want to continue with the tour as the Suspension Bridge was exchanged for a visit to Grouse Mountain Resort. We first crossed the Lions Gate Bridge and saw the massive entry lions. We took a brief trip to Shannon Falls and it was a breathtaking sight. Next, we went to the Britannia Mine Museum and this was exciting as we had the opportunity to learn how the rocks were broken down until fine sand and then sent to San Francisco to cultivate it for gold, silver, copper. We toured the underground mine and then toured the ground floor of the building learning about the different stages, how hard mining was, and the harsh life of the miners. We panned for a bit and found more gold and copper nuggets. We then took a brief trip to Horseshoe Bay for lunch and saw Howe Sound fjord. People were so friendly throughout the tour. Lastly, we traveled to Grouse Mountain. We took the Skyride Gondola up the mountain and arrived in time to witness the Lumberjack Show that was quite funny and impressive showcasing their skills. The lumberjacks interacted with the audience throughout the show. Vancouver Airport - Once the tour was complete we were dropped at the Airport doors for Westjet and assisted with our luggage. Our flight home late that evening was uneventful except how the Canadians can teach Americans a thing or two about the ease of flying international while disabled. As I was seen struggling trying to obtain luggage tags, a gentleman with Westjet quickly assisted us. Upon seeing me struggling with walking, he secured a wheelchair with a Westjet attendant for me. She took us through security. The Canadians operation for going through security is easily done as is how one travels throughout their airport. First, they swapped out my cane for one of theirs so I can go through scanner without the fear of falling. Next, security was already ready to scan my knee brace quickly and I was whisked away by the Westjet attendant to the appropriate gate. She made sure we reached our gate in a timely manner with time to spare. Unknowingly she reserved future wheel chairs for me for the remaining two connecting flights. Our first flight went from Vancouver to Toronto. Upon arrival, a Westjet attendant whisked me away in a wheelchair and took all the shortcuts to customs. We were there within minutes and a few questions later on our way to our next flight. We were quickly through security and once again, the cane swapping occurs. This was so cool as the disabled were treated with respect and not a hindrance as what I had incurred on the flights with American Air to Seattle. Each airline took care of their own passengers while the airport staff drove the trams to the multiple terminals. Upon our arrival at La Guardia airport, the wheelchair was there and we were quickly taken to the terminal for our last flight with Delta Air. We quickly obtained our luggage and hubby had us on our way home. We had an awesome time celebrating our 34th anniversary on the Ovation of the Seas (such a romantic setting for 2) and now must go back to the real world, but already planning our next cruise for 2. Or maybe with all our adult children to enjoy too OR just plan 2 more cruises??. Read Less

The cruise was a bucket list item for us. It came highly recommended by many friends and family who had taken the same cruise. It was a great way to celebrate my retirement and our 30th wedding anniversary. It was everything we expected and more! We couldn't have asked for a better experience. The ship was certainly GRAND and beautiful. So many things to do and see on board. Our room was amazing, especially with a balcony. That will be the only way we cruise in the future. The room was always clean and taken care of. Our Steward was great. Our dining experiences were excellent with good food and really great staff! The service was very special and a favorite memory of our trip. Goals? See bald eagles, bears, whales, dolphins and, glaciers. Saw all of them during our excursions! Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C., were as beautiful as ever. Brought back memories of a trip I took with my grandparents in 1973. Fond memories for sure. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we made a deposit for our next future cruise! Not sure yet where it will take us but we're ready to do it again! Read Less

We are from Vancouver, so this 5 day "Sampler" cruise was an easy get away for us. We have been to Alaska before, so did not go for the itinerary, which was a good thing as it turned out. We were 12 hours late leaving Vancouver due to a mechanical issue. We did not make it to Juneau, but stopped in Prince Rupert instead. I have never been there so it was a new experience. There is a silver lining! Due to the change in itinerary, we passed through Johnstone Strait, a protected whale habitat area, during the day both on the way up & back. I understand that the ship generally passes through at night. We saw lots of whales - quite a treat. We had a mini-suite, the extra space in the cabin and in the bathroom is worth it. Food was generally very good both at the buffet & the dining room. The Horizon Court gets very busy & noisy, so we tried to avoid peak times. There is a good selection of salads and hot food. Labelling of the food could be better, many dishes were not labelled at all, so one had to guess. Dinner in The Provence Dining Room was very pleasant. There is something for everyone on the menu. The wait staff work hard but are friendly & helpful. The one negative comment I have is about dress code or lack of. We found many people wearing blue jeans, and not your expensive designer ones but good old Levis, often topped with a T-shirt. Several men wore baseball caps during dinner. The dining room is equal to a fine dining restaurant, and I found this disrespectful not only to the staff but to the other guests who made an effort to "clean up bit" for dinner. So is there a dress code or not; if so it should be adhered to. We enjoyed the entertainment, but found the Productions much too loud. I had to leave as I found it uncomfortable. We found there was a lot of "selling" on board - wine tasting, art auctions, beverage packages etc etc. If not careful, one could rack up a substantial bill. We did not use the fitness centre, spa or casino. All in all, a good cruise experience. Read Less

Always heard the Alaska Cruise was a great one to take. I was impressed with the decor and cleanliness of the ship. It was well laid out, with lots to see and lots of activities to take p[art in. We tried a few and enjoyed them a lot. Engine trouble before we left port caused over a twelve hour departure delay, causing us to have to skip the Juneau stop and the glaciers. Although this was very disappointing, it was still a great and enjoyable cruise. The shows we went to were very well done and very enjoyable. The professional level of the entertainers was very high. The sailing was surprisingly smooth, (we expected a bouncier cruise), and the movement was mostly un-noticeable. The selection of food in the Horizon Lounge Buffet "blew my mind". I did not ecpect to see such a wide variety to choose from. The Staff overall were exceptional. Read Less

I am an avid photographer so my expectations for the chance to capture great images was high and I was not disappointed. By far our best trip and vacation memories ever! We sailed out of Seattle in September with a group of 8 family members with just the husbands and wives. We had no issues getting through customs, where the personnel were friendly and got us onboard as soon as possible. Recommend early boarding, it goes faster and less lines to wait in. Took some beautiful images of the Seattle coast as we set sail out of the harbor. September was a great month for the cruise, mild weather 45-65 during the day and not a single insect to be found. Quite a change from Louisiana weather where it was 90 when we left and a million bugs. The other nice thing was that the foliage change was in progress. We have cruised several times on Carnival in the Gulf down to Mexico. So we knew what to expect aboard ship. We selected a balcony cabin which is highly recommended because you are along the coast much of the cruise and always something to see. Try to book on the "right/starboard" side of the ship on a higher deck level. Another plus about cruising in Alaska in September is that much of the crowd is gone, excursions are not overbooked with excited tourist and a lot of on shore items are being discounted because it is at the end of the cruising season. Serious cold weather is not far off. One more thing was that since it was an Alaskan cruise, which is on the upper end of expensive, there were more middle to older age cruisers which made for nice time aboard. We traveled as the "Cajun Cruisin' Tigers", wearing our purple and gold about ship, and had a great time trading barbs with the Alabama cruisers with exchanges of "Roll Tide" and "Geaux Tigers". (The LSU tigers rolled over the Tide and everyone else this season :>) Back to the cruise. The food was good, different than home but cruising is about getting out of your comfort zone and doing/trying something different. We had a great time in the dining room with our wait staff. They took great care of us, keeping our glasses full, bringing extra portions, making us laugh and bringing a drink when asked. The dining table was a good place to unwind and reminisce about the days adventures, plan for the next day and what were we doing after supper. Highly recommend eating breakfast in the main dining room also. Can't beat the service and breakfast was always delicious. The Legend was clean and looked in good condition though being is service for a few years. Our cabin was well tended by the our steward. The room was a step up from some of our previous cabins on cruise which was a nice step up for the 7 day trip. The room and bathroom was always clean and never cluttered, which can happen easily on a cruise. The bed was comfortable and we slept well every night. Each night we were greeted with a towel animal sitting on our bed which is a Carnival tradition. We opted for 4 excursions. The second day of the cruise we traveled into the Tracy Arm Fjord. Every turn of the ship entering into the Fjord was spectacular. I set up at the front of the boat, it was cold, about 45 degrees with a stiff wind, but I shot some great shots of the blue green water, mountains, snow covered slopes and of course the glacier. The guys booked the small boat tour of the glacier. Highly recommend this trip. We got within 50 yards of the glacier with its glistening blue ice. Sea Lions and seals were on the ice floats. I even captured a beautiful rainbow that developed while we were back in the Fjord. I shot about 2000 images on the overall cruise. Bring the "good" camera and lenses , don't "wish" you had brought it. I carried 2 cameras plus my Iphone and used all three. (I am a former pro wedding photographer for 33 years) . The day we took the train ride from Skagway up to British Columbia. While I was still remembering my images for the Fjord, I was totally not expecting the gorgeous scenery I captured on this excursion. The train ride up to Fraser, where we got on a bus, was just stunning. We had our own rail car with plenty of room. i was able to shoot from the platform between the cars and got some great shots of mountains, streams and tall spruce trees. Never even had to share the space with another photographer and I stayed out on the platform for the one hour of the ride. There was point on the ride that the air was so crisp and clean, filled with aroma of spruce and pine, it was like being at Christmas tree farm except all the trees were huge and a multiple shade of green to gold. The trip into the Yukon, was even more spectacular. The colors of the foliage in Canada was phenomenal. The beauty that God created was present everywhere. The water along the lake was perfectly flat. I took images that still astound me for their sheer beauty. Even our bus driver said he had been making these trips for 12 years and he had never seen the water so still and colors so vibrate. I took reflective shots where you can hardly tell water from sky. So many shades of orange, red, yellow, green, gold the color spectrum was indescribable of the water, trees and mountains. The following day we booked the Whale watching tour in Juneau. We saw eagles and at least 3 humpback whales. Watching them blow mist into the air as they exhaled and saw the massive tale as they dived deep. We were also able to get a fantastic view of the Mendenhall Glacier while on the boat. I even saw a humpback breech but of course as luck would have it,I had just turned my camera off when the whale made its leap from the water. But it was memorable! The final excursion we made was the Crab boat experience in Ketchican. Being fans of the Deadlist Catch I thought this might be a fun excursion. The Aleutian Ballard was a boat on the show that was hit and flipped by a 60 foot Rouge wave. The boat was recovered and has been repurposed for the crab fishing experience. The trip is easy to get to and easy to access on and off the boat. Tip, sit on the lower deck toward the right side. It is too cold on the top deck in September with the boat moving and you cannot see as well from the top deck. You get up and close with the sea life, holding crabs and prawns. The crew is very affable and picture opportunities abound. I got great images of the crabs, octopus and some good shots of eagles being fed off the boat against the beautiful coastline. The entire excursion is in protected waters so no worries of rough seas. Two restrooms aboard are very clean and easy to access. We really enjoyed this excursion and again, more great picture taking. I do hope everyone gets to visit Alaska in their lifetime. We saw so much yet so little of Alaska on this trip. I do hope to go back and get deeper inland to see more. If you go recognize that you have to push yourself to take advantage of what this cruise offers. Sure there is great entertainment onboard with a good onboard band, drinks and some good looking young people in the stage shows. But to see Alaska get outside, watch the water and coastline. Get off the boat and take the excursions, you may never get the chance again to see so much beauty and wildlife in your lifetime. Bring your camera and capture the Alaskan Memories of a lifetime. Take in the beauty and breathe in the clean fresh air that is Alaska. Read Less

Chose this cruise to celebrate our 35th Anniversary and my wife's retirement. Inside Passage itinerary was on wife's bucket list. I Chose NCL because we had our honeymoon cruise with them in the Caribbean. I chose the mini balcony suite 11094 in the middle of the ship as an upgrade to our usual window room. Boarding was ok, not great. Line moved steadily, but no one was checking appointment times, it was just kind of a free for all. No issues getting on the ship. Our room was ready when we boarded. Cabin Steward was a sweetheart, kept things in great shape. Entertainment around ship was ok, not great. Production Cast in Stardust theater was excellent overall. The lounge acts were so- so. The comedian was hilarious. Casino Staff was totally excellent, I was addressed by name from day one, and they all were very pleasant to be around. Buffet was ok, only ate breakfast and 1 lunch there. Staff was nice, and washee washee crew had a blast Specialty Restaurants: Moderno was good, ate night one, plenty of food to choose from, and staff was friendly Le Bistro night 2, disappointing. Service had no sophistication at all, food was just ok, nothing special about it at all and extremely small portions. no name recognition, no celebration recognition... Teppanyaki- great company at the table, fun time. food had zero flavor, very typical of this type of restaurant. Our Chef was a novice....very friendly, but certainly needed to hone his show skills more before being turned loose. everything was rushed...deserts were terrible Cagneys- saved for last night, arrived half an hour early, got sat 40 minutes later. Waited 10 minutes and finally waitress came over and asked for dinner order before even seeing if we wanted a drink, when I said we wanted to get something to drink, she just left. 5 minutes later guy comes over to take order for decent bottle of wine (100$+) We wait 10 minutes and he comes back with wine....not a great presentation, and then wants to get paid for wine on the spot. Very weird. Waitress comes back and takes order..pretty much all she was was an order taker...never refilled wine glasses, or attempted to engage us in conversation. Ribeye Steak was of very poor quality, Filet was cooked correctly. cheesy grits were excellent. She brought us the wrong desert to start, correct desert was ok, again, not great. Spa- took the tour the first day and the hard sell was almost unbearable...we did get a couple massage the next day which was AWESOME! I did buy thermal spa passes before the cruise...an expensive mistake as we never found the time to use them at all used the fitness center once, it was more than adequate Shore Excursions: Most booked independently : Ketchikan:Misty Fjords Seaplane on Carlin Air thru Viator.com- Excellent! Crabfeast and Lumberjack Show thru AlaskaShoreexcursions.com- Excellent Juneau: Best of Juneau thru shoreexcursionsgroup.com- Excellent ( Whale watching, Mendenhall Glacier, and Salmon Feast) Skagway: Best of Skagway thru NCL ( Bus RIde, Train Ride Down White Pass, another Salmon Bake, Red Onion Tour) Excellent Cruise Director was good...The views were humbling, and with the exception of the specialty restaurants missing the service mark most of the time, and the food being probably no more special than what was served in the main dining rooms, we really enjoyed ourselves. Read Less

We wanted to go on the Bliss after reading about it so we chose their Alaska route. It was wonderful. We treated ourselves to the Haven and the level of service there was better than we could have imagined. Every crew member knew our names after the first day and called us by name the whole trip. The restaurant was the best one on the ship. Anything we needed was taken care of by the concierge or butler. The stateroom was beautiful and we received daily amenities. The Horizon lounge as so relaxing. We never wanted to leave the Haven! We enjoyed the Thermal Spa almost every day-it is worth the cost. The go carts were a lot of fun-glad we did them early as the weather later in the week kept them closed. We are in Ocean Blue and Le Bistro-two of the specialty restaurants-and they were outstanding. The comedy show was great. We love NCL. Read Less

I have been planning and reviewing this cruise for a year! I have read so many reviews and now that I have been on the ship I have to say that whomever doesnt enjoy themselves on a trip like this will never be happy !!!! We had the best time ever. The crew and service were AMAZING. The ship was AMAZING. The excursions were AMAZING. The ship was perfect to see Alaska. We just couldnt have had a better time. We have sailed NCL many times and we splurged and booked the HAVEN because it was my 50th birthday, all I can say is wow, double wow, wow wow...... It will hard to ever go back to "regular rooms" again. Our personal staff were remarkable. We didnt want for a single thing on this ship. We felt like royalty. Worth every penny!!! I did notice that there were a few minutes of traffic jams at the elevators right after the shows were over but that is to be expected. It is just like when going to a concert or sporting event. When you leave you have to be patient to get out of the parking lot.....I really didnt notice anyone having a real problem with it. As I said prior, it would be really hard to get upset about much when you are on a ship like this. The ship itself was beautiful. We saw both our private observation deck and the one for the rest of the ship and they were both aimed to please!!! And did!! Entertainment was very good. We only saw female entertainers other than the comedian which is a first on any ship we have been on. We just saw Jersey Boys at the Theatre in town so we did not see it on the ship. We saw SIX, and Prohibition, which was definitely worth the upcharge. LIke I said the comedian was top notch. We played the games, and really kept busy. We did not try the lazer tag or the go carts, mainly because it was just cold and there were a few "rocky" moments with the waters and my mom didnt want to be outside. Again, the staff were just the icing on the cake and we couldnt be happier. Read Less

Dates, price, and ports were desirable. We've traveled with Princess on an Alaskan cruise and I based my good prior experience on booking with Princess again. However, I was disappointed in how old and poorly maintained the Star has become. The overall feel of the ship is "aged". Our stateroom smelled of urine upon arrival and unfortunately that never faded throughout the week! The staff was not as friendly as expected, with the exception of a handful who did go out of their way to make us feel welcomed. The food both in the buffet and the formal dining rooms was only "acceptable". Not once did we receive a "hot" meal, but more like "lukewarm". However, the pizza parlor and grill were exceptionally delicious and fresh (most likely because they make the food as it's ordered). We enjoyed the Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway ports but were disappointed with the Victoria port. We arrived 30 minutes before dark and left approximately 4 hours later...not much you can see or do in that time frame so we felt it was a total waste! On a positive note, the bed and bedding were stupendous - best part of the ship in my opinion. Read Less

My husband and I have cruised 2 times on Norwegian, 2 times on Princess and Celebrity and once on Carnival and Royal and this was far and away THE best cruise ever. We sailed from Seattle to the Inside Passage with a stop in beautiful Victoria BC. Why was this so great? Embarkation super fast- no line Best food including buffet Friendly efficient staff Best itinerary and friendly tour operators Cleanliness Tons of wildlife to see Drinks in the brew pub. Tucked away and a great secret. We ate in 3 restaurants because we had the specialty dining package. Steakhouse was the best. Steak was perfectly prepared and seasoned well. Food was prepared hot and presented nicely. Pace was good. We did the white rail pass and 4 Mile hike in Skagway. If you are not in shape do not take it. Luckily we are and it was lovely because it was small and the location was away from crowds. I can see people who aren’t steady on their feet falling all over the place. Read the cruise literature and don’t push it. We also highly recommend the secret garden and tea tour in Victoria. Again, super small tour and delicious tray of tea sandwiches and treats. Victoria was so beautiful and Canadians are as nice as you think. Sweet way to wrap up the week. The captain had to divert us to the Davidson glacier due to visibility issues. Impressive engineering, fully rotating the ship 3 times so we could get great photos. Not so friendly local fishermen who were upset at the need to pull up their nets. :) We don’t do shows so I can’t say how that was. Nor did we really participate in any onboard activities. (I hate people as a rule because of the way they act on vacation). Sitting in the observation lounge at sea was a treat and we saw many whales and dolphins. I could go on about our experience but it exceeded my expectations. The weather played a big factor (yes, I know that’s not a direct result of anything the line controls) but the service we received all around means we will be back. My only complaint is this ship needs a thermal spa. We missed it on this trip. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we wanted the land and sea combination, we also wanted to leave from Vancouver, and the timeframe was perfect. The cruise was fantastic. We flew into Vancouver a day early and we’re so glad we did. The food and service on the ship were good and the personnel was great. The ship is a little dated but still beautiful. The cruise director was the best. Great entertainment. The excursions were good. If you go into Skagway, I highly recommend you go on an all day excursion. There isn’t much to see or do there. Glacier Bay was gorgeous. A definite must see!! The glaciers are absolutely gorgeous. We loved Ketchikan & Juneau as well. I don’t recommend the land tour. It was nothing like we expected. The only plus was the train ride and that we were able to see Danali Peak. The cruise itself was fantastic!! Read Less

Took a 7 day inside passage cruise to Alaska stopping in Juneau, Skagway, sailing through beautiful Glacier Bay, Ketchikan then Victoria Canada. Especially enjoyed Skagway with its goldrush history and Glacier Bay is absolutely stunning Beautiful, clean ship. We had the inside cabin and was delighted with the size, especially storage space for personal items. The bed and pillows were so comfortable, food was great, and the staff very friendly and accommodating. Especially enjoyed the afternoon tea time with scones and finger foods. You will have to pay for upgrades to dine in specialty restaurants and connect to wi-fi as with any other cruise line I imagine. As far as entertainment, we saw a couple of musical type shows which had some pretty amazing talent to be performing on a cruise ship. Also attended a couple of comic shows that were outstanding! Must do trip. Will definitely choose Princess again!! Read Less

I have taken 1 Carnival cruise ages ago. 1 Royal Caribbean 15 years ago and about 14 Norwegian cruise line cruises. On the Celebrity-Embarkation and disembarkation were smooth. I loved the size of ship. Never overcrowded. Perfect size. Cabin- in comparison to even the Norwegian new ships but had amazing storage. Didn’t need my over the door plastic shoe rack due to the great storage in bathroom. Nearly floor to ceiling cabinet like a deep medicine cabinet. We were in an Aqua class balcony room. Loved the extra storage over the beds. We could get daily, included, room service for breakfast. Loved having breakfast on our balcony on most mornings. Another bonus, big for me, I could put my feet up on balcony. And, table on balcony large enough for breakfast tray. The service in Blu(included for Aqua class and open for breakfast and dinner) Tuscan Grill and Romano(extra charge) were great. I was very impressed with the quality of the buffet. Amazing desserts. They even have a GF and sugar free section. Comedian was funny. We didn’t see a lot of shows. Best interactive, funny engaging captain we have ever encountered. He was so enthusiastic! Service was great. We had great weather at all ports except Victoria. Ketchikan-very disappointed our lighthouse, totem and eagles was cancelled. They tried calling us at 10:10 for our 12:30 meet up but we were off the ship already. We did get a refund. Our only last minute replacement option was crab boat ride or duck. We took the duck and it was actually a nice land and water tour. Our friends took the Bear life and wildlife excursions and loved it. Juneau-dog sled summer camp excursion was so much fun. Skagway-white pass rail and Yukon adventure. Long tour. We’ve done the train twice now we are done. Train up. Bus down. The suspension bridge place in Yukon was beautiful with great chili. Our friends got stuck on the later train for 6 hours missing their helicopter tour later. All was refunded but their day was wasted. Victoria was pouring so we didn’t get off. Slots were tight and casino staff wasn’t friendly. Lack of smiles and offered drinks. Cons: longest, most annoying muster drill ever. Stupid, time wasting movie. Why do they do this to the passengers? Celebrity gets it wrong. Casino staff. Cancelled excursion with poor, delayed communication. Pros: service. Above and beyond. Captain. Food quality. Wow. The shower has a bar so I can shave my legs easier and additional body sprayers for an enjoyable shower. . Raj, room steward, was awesome! Anticipating our every need. So much fun hanging out in Seattle (Motif Seattle) before cruise and an extra 2 days in Vancouver at Pinnacle Harbor Resort. I would do this ship and cruise again. Next time, I will go end of August to hopefully see some northern lights. Read Less

I would have given Ovation more stars but right on the docks it started badly. My husband and I both have mobility issues. This was our 50th anniversary cruise and we almost weren't allowed on the ship! When we arrived at the port although we were scheduled for pier assistance, we had to walk a LOOOONG way to get there, you don't get to the wheelchairs till you are almost on the ramps! They checked our passports and set sail passes on the first floor of the pier and sent us up the elevator to check in. There were people just off the elevator who again looked at our set sail passes and told us to see a pier administrator. I asked why and where do I go. They did not say why but just said go straight ahead someone will help you. We went straight ahead, talked to yet another person who told us to go to the wheelchair area, who then sent us back to one of the check in desks. Long story short, after at least 6 different people who kept saying they didn't know what was going on, one lady said, "Oh, you can't get on the ship because you owe money!!!" She said we owed $179.62. Not only a strange amt but how could I have printed my set sail pass if I still owed money? Luckily, I had printed all my Paid in full receipts ...cruise, excursions and amenities After repeatedly saying we owed the money but having no idea why, they allowed us on the ship only after I signed papers that said I would settle this on the ship. They also copied all my paid in full receipts. then we went to wait for wheelchairs. When we finally got on the ship, we went directly to guest services to get this taken care of and no one knew what the amount "owed" was for, only that we owed it. They said they'd check it out and get back to me and leave a message on my phone....never happened. This went on for three days, each day a promised call never happened...finally one person at guest services, on the third day said I guarantee you will not be charged for this ...she signed a receipt and the charge did not appear on my bill. Not only was all this a pain, but we were unable to sign up for the escape room and Ifly on boarding because they were gone since we took so long checking in....total time checking in....we were at the pier at 1030a and rooms were open by the time we left GS...so it was after 130p. We got to our room and it was a very nice quiet room, about 15 ft off the elevators, . After unpacking, I went to wash my hands and heard a deep gurgling sound. The hubs thought it sounded like a clogged or blocked pipe. I didn't pay much attention since the toilet and sink worked the rest of the day. The next morning while I was taking a shower I realized the water wasn't going down and before I could get out, the water level had risen to the height of the bathroom door! Luckily it did not go into the room. They sent someone up to rod out the drains, followed by a team to clean and disinfect the bathroom. After that we had no problem with the room. The balcony was large, and comfortable...with 2 chairs and footrests and a small table. The blackout shades worked well and the bed was comfortable. Our room steward "V" (his name was very long and difficult to pronounce so he said just call me V) was great. Replaced the ice as needed, cleaned the room, even when we said don't bother and kept us supplied with towels and some towel animals. We did not use the MDR as we ate whenever we felt hungry. We used the Windjammer and the food was actually very good. Loved the soups but they were loaded with salt! Finding a seat however was another story. We also ate at Sorrento's Pizza...which was very good. They had antipasto type dishes and pizza. Cafe Promenade was not as good as on the Oasis class ships. Desserts, pastries and cakes on the whole, were not very good. But this was expected since they were no better on any other RCI ship I have been on. The casino was drab and smoke filled. It seemed that there were very few slot machines and the only ones paying or interesting enough to play were in the smoking section. I did hit a jackpot for $1180 and was very happy it was $20 under the taxable limit...they have signs all over the casino stating that there is a 30% tax on wins of $1200 or more!!! 30%...that's HUGE! As far as the excursions/ports....Loved Juneau and Skagway but transportation in Skagway left a lot to be desired. Whale watching and wild life excursion in Juneau was a big disappointment ...seeing only the water blow and a whale's back was not very exciting. We saw about 5 sea lions on one bouy ...the extent of the wildlife. The captain said he saw an eagle fly by. The excursion boat was old, smelly and the stairs were so steep they were very difficult to maneuver even for able bodied persons. Skagway was beautiful and the White Mountain Pass Railway is a must do. We used luggage valet through RCI and it was great! It was easy and free. We left our luggage outside our door on Friday night and never saw it again till we landed in Chicago. Disembarkation and airport transport was a joke really. We bought and paid for 2 ...then got an instruction sheet very late...after 8pm with instructions for everyone but those with transfers...all it said was Transfers booked with us? Please see below...but the "below" was not there...many people were in line at GS just after 8pm on Friday for help trying to figure out what to do. The next morning, we found our way to the wheel chair assistance area, I needed to use the restrooms and tried to go to the one near the W/C area..I was told I'd have to walk up or down one floor or take an elevator (you know how crowded they are when everyone is leaving the ship).They said the restroom was closed due to security reasons! WHY would they make the restroom close to the handicapped area unavailable?!?!?!? Stupidest thing ever!! Continuing on.....although our flight wasn't until 330pm...we were put on an early bus and had to wait at the airport for 6 hours!!!! They also, wanted to put us on a different bus but the bus driver was nowhere to be found...so they loaded us all up on yet another bus. Also there was no manifest of names for people who paid nor did anyone have a physical ticket. Honestly, anyone could have gotten in the transport line and boarded one of the buses for free. Where the buses leave you at the airport was VERY far from the check in area....a good 4 blocks...there were however, wheelchairs for those that needed them. The ship, on the whole, is beautiful and yes, I would go on it again. The hallways are very twisty, turny and not in a straight line like the Oasis class...this makes walking thru those hallways seem very long and for the first time ever I always had difficulty figuring out which direction was the front or back. Also, when the MDR, Windjammer and 270 are closed (they all seemed to be closed at the same time) , there is only free pizza or what is available in the cafe promenade (premade shrimp salad or ham & cheese sandwiches, the same everyday) available. They really need something else. They do have a hot dog hut but it was never opened when we went there. Fish & Ships, by the outdoor pool was never busy. I only saw one or two people there the whole cruise and it was not free. We LOVED both indoor pools but the hot tubs in the solarium were very tiny...and really WHY do people traveling in Alaska open the windows??? Makes for a rather cold indoor pool. Read Less

My husband and I did the Alaskan cruise followed by a land tour with stays at the Princess Denali Lodge and Fairbanks Lodge. We wanted to see the glaciers, but also see the northern lights and visit the arctic circle. We had hoped to learn more about the Alaskan people and those that “live off the grid” as well as learn more about Alaska’s history. Our suite was beautiful and spacious and was best part of the cruise. The enrichment presentations were basic and repetitive. The talks were about mammals and sea life. Unfortunately, the lectures never focused on Alaska’s history, Aurora Borealis, or the glaciers and how global warming is causing most of the glaciers to recede. It was not until there was a surprise Northern Lights show during the early am hours through the College Fjord glaciers, that the Princess Cruise videographer spoke for a few minutes before a mammal talk, that there will be a dvd for sale with the nights light show along with pre-recorded Aurora Borealis events. We missed the Northern Lights that night as we were asleep. The Deadliest Catch excursion was great and I was pleasantly surprised. The Best of Juneau excursion was long and it was surprisingly warm. The glacier was sadly disappearing. The Yukon tour which included an extension bridge was also very long in duration. Again very warm which, of course, had nothing to do with Princess Cruises, but global warming. I forgot to add that the glacier viewing from the cruise ship was beautiful, but not as dramatic as one would think by viewing brochures. The Marjorie glacier I gather was grand at one time, but now it was just stagnant. I understand that it is one of the glaciers that is not receding. The College Fjord was far more spectacular with larger pieces of icebergs floating along side the ship. The land tour was very good. Weather remained quite warm, but overcast in the evening which prevented the Aurora Borealis from being viewed fully. We were only able to see a portion of Denali, but quite impressive. The highlight was the plane ride from Fairbanks into the Arctic Circle. Learned a lot about “living off the grid” and sustainable living in Alaska. I would of loved to have learned about the lifestyle of First Nation, Alaskans, and Indian tribes on the cruise before the land tour. Lastly, there are many fires that are still occurring in Alaska, so smoke may be present. In fact, we could smell the smoke in the plane on our flight to the Arctic Circle. We also could see the Rampart fire from the plane. Read Less