This was a relatively inexpensive vacation booked last minute, as no air fare or hotel was needed. I had a large premium balcony on my Alaska cruise on the Spirit last year - this year the goal was to cruise cheap & get in my last one to reach platinum. I booked an inside cabin in the bowels of the ship but thankfully a 4K opened up a couple days later, and I nabbed it! This particular 4k was absolutely & completely obstructed - no view except for underneath the lifeboat. If you could lean out around the end of the lifeboat I hear there was a little view, but that wasn't possible for me as I'm still on the mend from a back surgery. Still, there was daylight and lots of fresh air available with the French Doors opening. The doors opened easily & this was a huge perk at a very minimal cost (only $25 per person) above the cheapest inside rate.

The crew at embarkation were very helpful as we boarded fairly last minute, & I'd left a bag inadvertently in the car. They told me to board the ship & a lady at the desk ran out to pick up the bag from my son, who drove back with the forgotten tote bag. It held a bottle of wine for carry on and my special tempurpedic pillow for my neck (the ones on board the ship tend to be way thick & hurt my neck).

Sort of confusing with the room steward assignment - the first day someone named Anna introduced herself as our cabin steward. The next day it was someone else entirely, a fellow named Santika. He told me Anna was just covering for the first day, and this was his first day of work on the ship. He did a fine job, perhaps things were done more by the book than most cabin stewards. No complaints though. Read more