Our family finished a week on Explorer in Alaska on Friday. In June 2015 my wife and I along with another couple spent a week on Celebrity Solstice in Alaska, and our kids decided they wanted this year’s family vacation to be a cruise in Alaska. So it was decided - cruising Alaska two years in a row but on different boats that go out at the same time on almost the same route and this time with our 21 and 24 year old girls.

Embarkation was a breeze. The priority check in with our room wasn't really needed, although that may be due to our arriving around 10:45 such that it was a little early.

Two junior suites turned out to be the best setup for us. We were on Deck 10 just aft of the center elevators. The location was perfect being a short walk to Windjammer for either food or drinks. I didn’t even open the bottles of wine brought on board since it was so easy to get there for a beverage. Rooms were really nice and spacious. Closet space was exceptional with lots of racks, and there were numerous storage drawers inside the room. The balcony was plenty big with two chairs and a table. Our attendant was exceptional even to the point of being around more than what we would have liked. He did an excellent job keeping up the room and helping when we needed something. Read more