This was our first cruise. We had such a great time! We originally booked an inside room, but then put in a bid for a balcony upgrade. Two days before the cruise we were awarded an aft facing balcony room. We were so excited! The room (8134) was directly over the wake and directly above the Bliss Lounge. Although the wake was actually quite noisy, it was white noise and watching it was mesmerizing! I spent many hours sitting on the balcony watching the wake! We saw several pods of orcas and quite a few humpback whales from the balcony! We could hear the drums from the Bliss Lounge between 10:00 pm and midnight, but it really didn’t bother us too much. The view and the lack of wind on the aft facing balcony made up for any noise and was so worth it to us. The dining experiences were all positive and the wait staff was wonderful! We had the beverage package and enjoyed that immensely. The bartenders were friendly and efficient. We enjoyed the entertainment and the ports and Gkacier Bay was certainly the highlight of our trip. The views from the balcony were breathtaking!