Alaska has been on our bucket list, so we finally did a land and cruise vacation. We booked Princess and went northbound to Whittier AK. Once on land we did our own planning have a fabulous time. Now about the cruise. Being our first we were not sure what to expect. Unfortunately those who are in control of the Vancouver Port should all be fired. There were 2 cruise ships all boarding at the same time and it was a complete mess. Thousands and I mean thousands of people all crowded into what felt like a plane hanger, with folding chairs, not enough to seat everyone for hours. Once we got through customs, we sailed through the Princess within minutes. We waited 3 hours while others waited as much a 6. Disgraceful.

Once on board we were very pleased to see the condition of the ship. Everyone was friendly and our balcony room was just lovely. It was exactly as shown online. I believe we had the perfect room. We were on the Emerald Deck which is where the life boats were. While the majority of the rooms had "window views" (of a life boat, we had a balcony. There are 2 forward and 2 rear on each side of the ship. We had complete privacy unlike the decks above us that apparently look down on the floor below. I would totally recommend this balcony room for the privacy. We did have a deck along side but it is not on the same level, so all you would see is someones head. Very few people actually walked by us when we were in the room. Our room was made up twice a day and new towels as well twice a day. Our steward was wonderful and very friendly. Whatever we needed, he was there. We enjoyed the activities on the ship and appreciated that they had so much information about Alaska. The naturalist on board was wonderful and her talks terrific. Lumberjacks boarded the ship with us in Vancouver, did a lecture and they left in Ketchikan to do their show, The Alaska Lumberjack show, which we highly recommend. Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the Iditarod, 30 years also, provided a wonderful story of her quest for the win. There were others, but you get the idea. They really tried to provide Alaska information. As for the food..... The crown restaurant (one of 2 specialty restaurants which cost you an additional $25 each) was well worth it. We had our best meal there. Steaks were great ! Not to say the other restaurants weren't good, just different. If I was to say anything about the food..... the shrimp cocktail was not good. The shrimps were small and frozen, soggy. Other than that one minor issue, we had plenty of choices, including hamburgers and pizza on the pool deck. Lets not forget about the buffet, which always had a good variety. There was always nighttime entertainment in the numerous lounges and theaters. Unfortunately we couldn't see them all.....but we sure tried. If you are a drinker, the prices were not different them NY. Wines ran about $8 a glass and beer $4-5. You can bring on a bottle of wine per person but it must be consumed in your cabin. We loved the cruise and will definitely take more.

As for the ports, Ketchikan be sure to see the Lumberjack show, and walk Creek street. Read more