Alaska is our "happy place" and we see something new every time and we love to go up there. Departing out of Vancouver is easy and we maximize our time in the Inside Passage (as opposed to departing from Seattle where we spend 36 hours in open water before getting to the calmer, inside passage views.) We take the train from downtown Seattle and enjoy the views of the Sound as we head north. We take this same train when we arrive in Vancouver.
We experienced a long wait in Vancouver going through US immigration but after that our Platinum status got us on board quickly. The room was ready and the steward very helpful.
We've been to the ports of call many times so we have favorite shops all along the way. This time we only did whale watching out of Juneau but we understand the Ketchican trip saw bubble-net-feeding. We also like the White Pass Railroad in Skagway and the bear expedition out of Haynes.
This was a great cabin. It had no overhead obstructions so the views were great. Just the right size for us and it had a full-sized sleeper bed/sofa (kinda hard), but a nice touch.
Lots of great shopping at stores offering locally made items.
Great weather meant a great time at the glaciers.