I am trying to visit all 50 US states and this time it was Washington and Alaska. I have always wanted to visit Alaska so this was ideal. My oldest son (33) accompanied me though we chose to have separate cabins (good decision - gave us both space).
We had 2 days in Seattle before the cruise and 3 days after, Seattle is a great city with lots to do. It’s pretty compact so we managed to walk most places from our hotel near the Space Needle. The only issue with travelling thru the city is that the freeway cuts across it - so crossing points are sparse. So do your research. Seattle has fantastic tourist attractions (Space Needle, Museum of Pop Culture, Chihully Glass, Pike Place Market, Great Wheel, Underground Tours etc) and lots of open space. It’s also close enough to Mt Rainier for a day trip - we did one and it was great.
Embarkation was a breeze - within 20 minutes of being dropped by taxi we were thru security, dropped bags, had checked in and were on board. The first view of the ship is great - it’s huge. Disembarkation was similarly smooth, quick and easy.
I was travelling with my oldest son (aged 33). We decided on separate cabins - for a bit of peace and quiet. We chose Baja Deck (Deck 11) because it had only cabins around it and no adjacent public areas. The specific cabin was not too close to stairways or escalators.
The cabin was plenty big for one and I think for a couple it would be absolutely fine. There is good storage space, with a fair number of hangers, as well as drawer space. The bed was great. The cabin was clean throughout (although we both took hygienic wipes for an initial clean of the usual areas).
The bathroom was tight as expected but not too bad. I am 6ft 2 but didn’t struggle too badly with the shower.
So great to see these glaciers close up. Princess were one of the few ships allowed into Glacier Bay (for conservation reasons). It was quiet and peaceful - and cold so wrap up warmly on board. The views are awesome.
Only in port less than 5 hours but really worth the walk (c15 mins) into the city. We visited the outside of the Parliament and we also went into the Empress Hotel. The retail area is great - a lot of good pubs too.