We have sailed three times previously on Disney and greatly enjoyed their ships and service. However, for this vacation, we decided to give RCI a try for several reasons. First, we really wanted a one way sailing and not a round trip. We had visited Alaska's interior many years ago and wanted to tour the interior again after sailing. Disney does not offer this option currently. Also, let's face it, Disney is quite a bit more expensive. For what it would have cost us to put two adults and two kids in a single balcony stateroom on Disney, we were able to book two balcony rooms and an inside room and bring my parents along for a once in a lifetime trip for them. Our agent was able to book us two nearby balcony rooms and an inside room across from one of them that my two teenage children stayed in - more on that later.

With that as our background, we were off for our first go with RCI. Embarkation actually went pretty smoothly and we boarded with no drama. While there was the "opportunity" to take a start of cruise picture in front of a fake background, it was off to the side in the waiting area and there was no pressure. Very different from our Disney experience where you pretty much have to run a gauntlet through the boarding photo area and its a hassle to go around it.

We came on board near lunch time and headed up to the Windjammer buffet for our first meal. Overall, we were quite pleased with the buffet. There was a great selection of options and the space available during breakfast and lunch was impressive. Izumi, Rita's, and the back open deck are all available for seating in addition to the tables in the buffet area. With the good weather, we enjoyed eating meals outside on several occasions during the cruise. Read more