We chose this cruise to go to areas we have not traveled to previously. My girlfriend and myself would be considered avid cruisers at this point and love every cruise we have taken. This cruise initially tried to frustrate us due to two issues we encountered. The first was the cruise terminal on embarkation day. The employees that were dressed in RCCL attire had a very difficult time figuring out the proper procedures for boarding. We had a Grand Suite (Sky Level) and were not allowed to board right away because I was only Emerald and not Pinnacol, D+, or a "KEY" guest. We all know this was incorrect but this happened to us and a couple of Suite guest behind us. We were all told to proceed to a specific area and door. Later I found that this was the wrong door for suite guest but this is the one we were told to go to. Once the announcement was made to start boarding the Suite, Pinnacol, D+, and "KEY" guest, this was when two different employees told us we were Emerald or Gold so we could not board with the proper group. A third employee finally showed up and got the process straightened out after some of the other suite guest started yelling at the employees after they just shrugged off the complaints and rudely ignored us. I do not think it is our responsibility to know their job. This just started the cruise on the wrong note. This was the worst embarkation experience we have encountered over several different terminals. Once on board, the ship was fantastic. Rooms were ready on time and the Grand Suite did not disappoint. Loved having all the outlets and USB connections for charging stuff. Having the outlet by the bed for the CPAP was very convenient. The room was kept immaculate the entire cruise and towel animals were provided and kept my girlfriend very happy. The SPA area did not disappoint. The hair cut I received and the couples message that we had were great.

Dining was the only letdown and this may be because of the class of ship and its layout. Our first lunch was in Costal Kitchen and was enjoyed very much. That night we tried the Silk restaurant due to having "My Time Dining". To say we were disappointed is being mild. Service was horrible and caused us to much confusion. I do seriously believe this is due to the design and layout of the dining room. Where in the traditional MDR, the Waiter, Head Waiter, and Assistant Waiter work together as a team and have line of sight communication, this class of ship was not designed for the MDR experience. It originally had four different menus at the four different dining venues. This did not go over well and now they are trying to run the four different venues on the MDR menue for all four spaces. These spaces were not designed in the MDR style conducive to these seating's and causes a bunch of confusion between the different wait staff. I would say that maybe this was the first night jitters with new guest but we tried the "American Icon " the next night and although a little better, this experience fell well shot of what we have experienced on other classes of ship that use the MDR concept. Rather than keep being disappointed, we chose to take the rest of our dining in the Costal Kitchen. I cannot say enough about the staff in the dining venue. They were terrific every breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They literally saved our dining experience and was one of the biggest positive aspects to our cruise. We tried the 270 Bistro and the Windjammer and found both of these venues adequate. Another jewel if you are sky class or above, was the Concierge, and the Concierge lounge. Always a nice quiet area to hang out, grab a quick snack, drink, or coffee. The Concierge and staff for this area were great and made everyone feel at home and relaxed throughout the entire cruise. Entertainment and Activities abound on this ship. From the "North Star" to PIXELS in 270, there seemed to always be something to do. We did shore excursions at all three ports and found all to be quite interesting. We found that there wasn't enough time for everything so we will probably have to schedule another Alaska adventure further down the line. Disembarkation was the saving grace for this cruise terminal. The new program of checking your luggage through to your final destination and getting your boarding passes on the ship made the process seamless and a lot less stressful. I love this new program (probably not available at all ports) and would highly recommend its usage to future Alaska cruisers.