First Alaskan cruise after two Caribbean trips. TERRIFIC! In so many respects. We went almost 1800 miles, and I'd say at least 90% of the way we were passing snow capped mts., often on both sides. The ride was incredibly smooth, not surprising with the "inner" channels predominant. Even the windier days with choppier waters had us with a VERY smooth ride - NO rocking.
This ship rides so smooth. It is also one of the prettiest ships I've seen, so nice with the wood, marble and brick effects. The shops were fair, but we shop offship mainly anyway. The embarkation was quick, though they really needed better signs to direct traffic. We were on by 12:30 and were eating lunch immediately.
FOOD: Quite good. The 24 hour buffet was terrific, sometimes with choices like Mahi-Mahi, Grouper, a big bowl of peeled shrimp, beef, chicken and more, all at one time! The pastries were a little weak for my style (I like the sugary ones like doughnuts). But the fruits and veggies seemed quite fresh. My wife just oozed over the cantaloupes. So, the 24-hour buffet gets high marks. The formal dining room was good, and the portions were larger than the last two cruise lines we've been on. The beef was variable, but the rest was quite good. More "anytime" dishes always meant they have something we like. At least the dining room wasn't over the engines like on the Celebrity Century. Never got to the Lido grille because everything else was so good, but people raved about the pizza. SHOWS: Quite good. This ship has TWO auditoriums in a sense, though one is more informal, but still large. That means many show choices.