My wife and I (early 30s), her parents, and their friends cruised northbound from Vancouver to Anchorage on July 20th, 2012. Overall we had a fabulous time and there were only a couple of minor issues. It was my 17th cruise, my wife's 6th, and the first for everyone else.

We snagged a great deal on Priceline for the 4 star Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver. We took the Skytrain from Vancouver airport, made one quick transfer, and we were at the hotel in about 25 minutes. A tip if you have a large party is to purchase Skytrain tickets at the 7-11 in the airport. A block of ten "two zone" tickets run about $3.25 each as opposed to the $8.75 they charge on the platform. The only negative is that you have to buy ten tickets, so either have a big group or plan to sell them to some other tourists on the platform. The hotel was in a great location steps from Stanley Park. There were also various shops, restaurants, and grocery stores within walking distance. The hotel was quiet and comfortable.

On the day of embarkation, we were all planning to walk to the ship, but there was a bit of rain. My wife and I walked (the rain stopped right when we started) while our bags traveled with everyone else in a taxi. It was only about a ten minute walk, and we had a nice surprise as we went right past the Olympic cauldron. We arrived early (around 11am), and we were on the ship in less than 30 minutes. Read more