An Alaskan cruise should be on everyone's bucket list. We chose the Jewel for its itinerary, schedule and price. We were not disappointed. Our mini-suite was large and comfortable. I would say that a balcony is a must because the scenery is constant and magnificent. Since the cruise is along the inner passage, the seas, except for the first night, were very smooth. The entertainment was very good with something good every evening. Dining ranged from average for the public rooms to very good for the specialty restaurants. This was especially true for Cagney's and Moderno, both of which I highly recommend.

However, as it appears is done on most cruise lines, the Jewel staff seems to always be pushing for extra expenses. Pushing the gift shop, art auctions, drink specials, games, spa treatments and on and on. It doesn't take long for this to become annoying. Another issue was the language barrier for many members of the crew. While I understand that a vast majority of the crew does not have English as their primary language, I would expect that those with the main responsibility being to interact with passengers (i.e. cruise director and his staff) would be easier to understand. Unfortunately this was not the case in many cases. Not enough to kill the cruise, just annoying.