Was on the June 21 Ovation Alaska cruise. In just about all aspects, it was a top-notch experience that is worth every penny. While the summer-like weather helped with navigating the waters, the large ship was able to get very close to the Dawes glacier and did multiple 360s for all to have good views. The venues on either end of the ship --- Cafe270 and Serenity --- provided gorgeous views of the landscape with the multi-level, full length windows. Cafe270 itself would be considered an upscale entertainment venue with windows becoming projection screens for nighttime events. This was an ideal ship for Alaska especially.

The captain (Henrik) is a standout. In his Q&A session, he was engaging and he provided good insight into what it takes to run the ship especially in the waters around Alaska. He also described the logistics of an unfortunate emergency helicopter situation we experienced for one of the guests. Many were concerned/curious about that.

The service was high quality, from room stewards to dining service. Never experienced anything that wasn’t attentive and professional. We had anytime dining and never waited after making reservations after the first night, and even when we missed our reservations we were seated quickly, and a window table like we had other nights. The second formal night offered lobster, and there seemed to be the biggest crowds in line for that. Read more