We flew out a few days early to tour Seattle. Highly recommend the waterfalls and winery tour, and the Pink Door restaurant at Pike's Place. Inn at the Market wasn't our cup of tea. Embarkation was a bit disorganized, but we did arrive at @11:30, the busiest time...who knew?...The Lido was terrific, and our balcony room was ready by 1:30. Great space for all our stuff, and well arranged. No complaints here. The Zaandam is a beautiful ship, the food exceeded our expectations, both at the Lido and in the Rotterdam dining room. The staff were a delight, and we had too little time to partake of the activities. Alaska was stunning, especially Glacier Bay. I thank the Cruise Critic boards, especially Budget Queen, for steering us to the best excursions. To nitpick a bit, our cabin was never properly bussed..found an old towel animal in the closet the first day, and he was ready to disembark seven days later. The Pinnacle Grill was a major disappointment...Great filets, but ruined by the inedible sides. The table next to us was quite vocal about their issues, but we just let it slide. Since HAL has raised the surcharge, they really need to address the declining quality. By the way, the restaurant was 2/3 empty on our night. Service, however, was at the usual HAL friendly level, but we never got our decaf coffee. Still left a substantial tip...maybe our mistake! Hope the waiter/assistant didn't have to pool! Overall, HAL does a terrific job,and we're cruising with them again next month. Disembarkation was a breeze. It's so nice to be able to stay in your cabin until your number is called. If you are planning a trip to Alaska, HAL does it right, and you can't underestimate the value of the onboard naturalist.All in all, a terrific trip!