I'm an old Navy salt. My wonderful wife of 30 years finally talked me into a cruise after MANY years of telling me we would have fun. I finally relented and we booked a 7 day Alaska cruise on Holland America. i ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! Embarkation lines in Seattle were long but fast and efficient. We upgraded to a Signature Suite from a regular verandah suite for $100 more each. It was definitely worth the extra money. Plenty of space and the two sinks and showers were very convenient although the bathtub did drain a little slowly, We will not settle for less from now on.

Cabin stewards were perfect, learning our names and preferences almost immediately. The towel animals were a real hoot and we anxiously waited every night to see what was next. Jason out cruise director was really good and quite the comedian. The classical piano/violin duo we listened to at night before dinner was wonderful as was the piano bar entertainer-he really got people to sing along instead of just putting on his own show like some do. I did the beer tasting event one day and really enjoyed it. It was alot of fun and I actually learned some things! The food in the MDR was always good. Plenty of choices, great dessert and coffee but plan on about a two hour experience, although it never seemed to be that long it always was. The staff knew we were celebrating our anniversary and several times brought us a little special cake to celebrate, it was always nice and a good conversation piece with our dining mates. Getting a seat at the 8 o’clock show can be a challenge if you get seated in the MDR after six. We usually just planned on attending the 10 o‘clock show, seats were always available. Cruising up into Tracy Arm was a magnificent experience. I can't commend the Captain more for the expert job he did in that narrow gorge. Awesome!

The gym was top notch and I always went to "morning stretch" although one time I think the instructor was getting bored because he turned it into "morning calisthenics"! I felt like I was back in boot camp, but I kept up! The crew on this ship is so nice, cheerful and pleasant that we ended up giving several people personal tips at the end of the week in addition to the daily "service charge" that is tacked on to the bill already. Disembarkation back in Seattle was a breeze. I love cruising, I love Holland America and we are already planning our next one. Carry on.