My husband and I have always been reluctant to cruise but decided to try an Alaskan cruise with friends. We tend to be independent travelers and like to wander through towns taking in the sights in a leisurely fashion. We always thought that cruises would be too restrictive and that we would feel captive to a boat, surrounded by thousands of fellow travelers. However, we loved the cruise and will cruise again.

The Sapphire Princess is designed in such a way that we never felt overwhelmed with other passengers. In fact, the settings feel intimate, particularly in the dining areas. We booked a mini suite, which was on the Dolphin deck. We were surprised at the spaciousness of the room. The sitting area had a couch that was a large as a king-sized bed and an additional chair. Our friends booked rooms with balconies which only had one chair and were cramped. Our deck was twice the size of theirs. While the dolphin deck has no cover and is open to all the above decks, passengers above are looking at the scenery and not the lower desk, so that did not bother us.

Princess is a model of efficiency with respect to luggage transport, embarkation and disembarkation. All the Princess staff were friendly and helpful. We discovered that you can get a cooked to order omelet in the buffet for breakfast. We had fresh salmon omelettes every day that were superb. I thought the food on the ship was good but not great. The buffet gives you healthy dining options, like fresh fruit and veggies. The Park Service Rangers were on board during the Glacier Bay cruise and were very willing to answer questions and were informative. Read more