My mom and I just got back from the northbound Voyage of the Glaciers cruise. We absolutely loved it! There is literally something for everyone. We departed from Vancouver and did an excursion in each of the ports: Ketchikan - Misty Fjords Wilderness Cruise, Juneau - Salmon Hatchery, Mendenhall Glacier & Salmon Bake, Skagway - White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad. We also added the land tour: Denali - Tundra Wilderness Tour and Fairbanks: Riverboard Discovery & Gold Dredge 8, Arctic Circle Air Adventure. I would recommend spending a couple of days in Vancouver. It's beautiful and there is so much to see and do. In Juneau, I would recommend the Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Watching excursion. Salmon bake was fun and delicious, but we should have checked out the whales. Don't miss the WPYR railroad! We did the 3 1/2 hour excursion where you travel to the Summit and back. In Denali, be sure to upgrade from the Natural History Tour to the Tundra Wilderness Tour. If you do the NHT, you will see almost nothing of Denali and little or no wildlife.

Embarkation and disembarkation were very smooth. Service was completely exceptional. Our steward was named Toffee and she went out of her way to make sure our stateroom was clean and well-stocked, e.g. extra towels, robes, etc. When I researched the ship prior to our cruise, I got the impression that it was kind of run down. While the cabins may need some updating (carpet and upholstery are a bit worn), the common areas are lovely and everything seemed very well-maintained. Lots of nice places to sit and enjoy the views - especially when we were at sea. My mom and I really debated about getting a balcony. We ended up deciding against it and we weren't disappointed. When viewing the glaciers, the Promenade deck was perfect and it allowed us to move from starboard to port easily and quickly.

We did traditional dining with the 8 p.m. seating. Our table mates were lots of fun and we enjoyed great food and conversation each night. Not sure why there are complaints about the food. I'm not a foodie and this is probably not a cruise for people who are used to 4 star restaurants, but the food was fresh, tasty and plentiful. If you ask, they will happily serve additional appetizers and bring you another dish if you're not happy with it. There's really no reason to be unhappy with the food with so many options and their willingness to serve you something else. We had breakfast in the Horizon Buffet. Lots of fresh fruit and hot breakfast options. Only problem is that it gets really crowded and hot. Read more