Embarkation at Vancouver was quick and painless and we encountered no issues. The entertainment crew were some of the best ever and this was our 7th overall cruise (first with Princess). Service was great from our room stewards to the food service personnel. Servers and assistants were friendly, helpful and quick with a joke. All things that should lead to a magnificent experience. Our cabin was always clean and well-kept. Our excursions were above average with great guides. We enjoyed every one of those. We chose Princess for the itinerary and were pleased with the stops.

On the other side, however, there were enough shortcomings to take my rating down significantly. The first thing we noticed was an odor on deck 7 that smelled of sewer. This continued for the entire cruise. Second, was the temperature in the common areas. It was cold in the atrium, bars, and all areas open to guests. I realize this was an Alaskan cruise and the temperature outside was constantly in the 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit, but that is not an excuse to keep the inside the same temp. We were bundled up every evening inside the ship including the dining rooms. Third was a lack of activities on the ship until the evening. Even those days "at sea" lacked a lot of activities during the day.

Again, as far as personnel goes, it was great, however, I'm afraid the ship is showing its age.