We decided on the Connoissur cruisetour because we have been to Europe a number of times without a guide and always felt that we were missing something. Alaska was almost a foreign country to us so we decided a guided tour was the way to go. In this case our tour director, Chris, was a big help. He made all the reservations for our dinners and shows while we were on land and that got us seated when and where we wanted. Plus, the cost of most of our meals was included in our package. That was a nice feature when you consider the cost of meals in the Princess lodges. When Princess ruined a piece of luggage transferring it between lodges Chris was there to take care of the paperwork. He never hesitated to ask if everything was as expected or if there was anything he could do to help us enjoy our trip. He did not follow us when we boarded the Coral Princess so we said goodbye and moved on.

We found the Coral to be a very nice vessel. It was not so large that you felt overwhelmed but it was not small either. It never seemed crowded yet you never felt alone. There were many seating areas around the ship that you could go to to read or simply watch the Alaskan sights. All were very comfortable and plush. Getting on and off the ship was really pretty quick at every port. In fact it was probably much easier than it had been on previous cruises on larger vessels. We decided to book the early dinner seating, which worked well for us. However there was one night when we knew that we wanted to eat later. A simple call was all it took and we were able to get a table at the second seating. The food was better than we had experienced on other cruise-lines but it was still cruise food. The Horizon is a great alternative for a quick meal. The food there is almost as good as served in the main dining rooms.

A number of people were using the hot tubs and a few people also were in the pools. Being from Florida we bypassed the pools, but the people using them seemed to be enjoying themselves. Plus, the chairs around the pools were very comfortable with seat pads as good as we have at home. We booked a mini-suite in order to have a bit more room in the bathroom and cabin. I did find the bed to be a bit small, a little too short and narrow for me, but that was my only complaint. The balcony on our deck, Dolphin, was not covered but we had great weather the entire trip so the lack of a balcony cover didn't bother us a bit. Read more