This cruise, combined with a land tour, was an excellent way to see Alaska. In every port we focused on activities such as sight-seeing, whale watching, visiting glaciers, native villages, and National Park Visitor Centers. Sure, we also went into gift shops, however, it was the former that really gave us a taste of Alaska. The embarkation area in Whittier was a zoo, disembarkation in Vancouver was more organized but still took awhile. The main dining rooms, Capri and Portofino's, were fine, but the food quality was uneven. Some favorites were the tender Beef Wellington, crab legs and dip, lobster tail, and breakfast. Meatloaf and turkey dinners were just okay, and like prior Princess cruises, the chicken was overcooked. Crown Grill was excellent with a pork chop, salmon, and the sampler dessert. The best dinner was at Sabatini's with 3-way lobster, short rib penne pasta, artichoke dip, and tiramisu. The Horizon Court Buffet was so-so. Breakfasts were not hot and seating was always a problem, but one improvement was the dessert island was outside the main food area. The International Café was a favorite spot to pickup specialty coffees, cookies and treats, or light breakfast and lunch sandwiches. Located next to the gangway while in port, be aware that you are not allowed to carry beverages off the ship. We only saw a few shows, the dance musicals being our favorites. The onboard naturalist was a valuable source of information, the Atrium shows were nice as well as lounge performers, a highlight hearing the singer with Two Many Chiefs in the Wheelhouse Bar. The slot machines were tight and the Casino was smoky outside the bar that allows smoking.