This cruise was purchased July 18th as a last-minute decision when inside cabins were selling for less than $300. We were assigned cabin 679 at the stern end of Main Deck 5. There are cabins below on Deck 4 and cabins above on Deck 6 so it was a quiet location except for very occasional rumblings of the stern thrusters below when docking.

Getting to Anchorage (ANC) on Air Canada's daily noon flight AC538 from Vancouver (YVR) was very easy and quick. Much to my surprise passing through US Customs and security at Vancouver airport involved identifying our luggage where they showed pictures of each bag on a screen and asked if they were ours. So I knew our bags were on the right plane.

Stayed overnight at the Inlet Tower Hotel which cost $133 /night and is close to downtown and offered free shuttle service from the airport. We were picked up at the hotel on Sunday at noon by Alaska Cruise Transfer and Tours which I booked on-line a week ahead ($54 p/p) and were taken to the ship at Seward by 4 pm after a short tour through the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center at Mile 79 of the Seward Highway. Read more