This was a special cruise for my husband's 60th birthday year. Solstice met all our expectations and more. We've sailed on Reflection and Silhouette in the past, and although some of the amenities are different we found the staff, service and food on Solstice to excel the younger ships in the fleet.

The Alaska experience was out of this world. Despite not being able to visit Skagway due to a mudslide, every stopping point was simply amazing. We packed so much in that we felt we were on the ship for longer than 7 days - a bonus.

Blessed by great weather for most of our ports of call, we had a dramatic sail away from Seattle with Mount Rainier looking on. Then a sea plane and bear watching experience at Ketchikan - exhilarating. Tracy Arm Fjord was skipped in favor of, some say, the more dramatic Endicott fjord and Dawes Glacier, due to weather conditions. It was a serene and majestic sail up the fjord. Juneau was wet, as we'd been told to expect. It rains plenty in Juneau! We went whale watching and the glacier, but nothing prepared us for the whales of Icey Strait Point. Captain took us here instead of Skagway due to the mud slide. A beautiful spot. Peaceful, stunning 360 degree views from the ship (we went ashore for an hour or so to explore the cannery etc.). A pod of whales swam around and about the ship, wow! Read more