I have been on about 50-60 cruises, so I would think that I am a seasoned traveler and know what to expect for my money. To say that the cruise staff is poorly managed would be an understatement. This is a beautiful and stately ship. However, we seemed to have issues in almost every area of the ship, with the exception of the embarkation staff. They were great. The Salty Dog (Gastropub) was also wonderful. As for the rest, read on.

Our party of 8 always entered the dining room promptly. However, we were always the last ones to leave. Service was painfully slow. The assistant waiter doubled as a beverage server which took him away from clearing dishes and running food from the kitchen. As if this was not bad enough, the food was horrible. One would think that salmon would be fresh on an Alaska sailing. It was dry and un-edible. I ordered it a second night and it was the same.

Next, was reservations. On the second day of our cruise, I made phone reservations for Wednesday at the Salty Dog, and Thursday at the Italian restaurant. On Tuesday, I received a card confirming my reservation for that evening. The reservation was made for Thursday, not Tuesday. We went anyway. Dinner was just OK. However, the server was excellent. On Wednesday, we went to the Salty Dog at our reserved time. They could not find a reservation for us. Read more