We have learned that a cruise is what you make it. Before we booked with Princess we read and researched the choices available.If you read all the reviews everyone experiences a cruise differently. For us we are so pleased we went with Princess on the Golden Princess. The embarkation and disembarkation was a breeze. We arrived a day early in Seattle and did a little sight seeing. We ate dinner at " The Crab Pot" fantastic! Embarkation day we had a shuttle pick us up for 10:30 a.m.( Shuttle Express). It was a great value at $ 60.00 for 5 people.Boarding the ship was very smooth and organized since we had all of our pre printed paperwork. By 12:00 we were dropping our carry on luggage in our rooms. We had 2 rooms Aloha deck A 733 and A737 Aft inside cabins. My wife, I, and my son shared one room, and the two girls in another. My major complaint with the room were the beds. Although not terrible they were not as comfy as Carnival's. Otherwise we found the rooms comfortable.However I do not think I will do 3 in a room again. As for being in the back of the boat...we loved it. We only had a few steps to be on the back pool area. It was great and most mornings we had our continental breakfast out there except for Sunday when we experienced 20 foot seas. If you go on any part of the Pacific please bring Dramine. The storms come up very quick.The Captain advised everyone and so we could take precautions( Dramine).He also was very precise on how long the huge waves would continue and end. He was spot on. As a result of this many of the outside activities were canceled. However, we found plenty to do, moves in the theaters, shows, and of course eating.Monday mornings arrival in Juneau was spectacular with humpbacks off our port. The back pool deck is also where we spent most of the day while cruising Glacier Bay. Our steward( Romeo) was very efficient and polite.My wife made everyone quilts for the trip and Romeo placed these on our bed everyday so it was a little touch of home.Also you can request fresh fruit to be placed in your room everyday. That was a nice touch also. We found that the formal dining room meals were superior to the buffets. Although breakfast buffet was good. But everywhere we went the service was excellent. Wait staff learned our names and preferences even in the buffet dining. One in particular( Tao) was so much fun. Everyday he had a brain teaser for us and since my wife was on crutches he made sure she had everything she needed. In the formal dining room( Canaletto) our wait staff( Roberto and Jose) became like family. We shared stories of our lives back home and laughed and laughed. On our last night together they toasted us in a wonderful way. My wife and I are not big wine drinkers but Roberto who is very knowledgeable helped my wife choose a Riesling wine that she enjoyed each night. We purchased the bottle and had a glass each night. My wife is from New Orleans, LA. I kid her saying she is a "food snob" she and I enjoyed the meals very much. My youngest daughter( 17) enjoyed trying new things. And since she is a vegetarian there was always something on the menu she enjoyed. My favorite part was the service. After a long day of sightseeing it was very relaxing to share a meal and be pampered. Thursday night was the best night with lobster and giant prawns. Also the presentation of the Baked Alaska was very fun. Excursions- one thing we learned was not to book through Princess. We booked everything we did on our own and found the tours less crowded and less expensive. I wholeheartedly recommend: Juneau- our least favorite port( to touristy) Orca Whale Watching $ 119.00 per person for 3.5 hours. Captain Larry is a little rustic in appearance but him and his staff are true whale lovers. The boat had an inside cabin and outside viewing. We saw so many humpbacks, eagles, and seals. It was fabulous Skagway- Historic Skagwway Tour. $ 40.00 per person for 2.5 hr tour. We rode in 1927 refurbished buses and our guides were dressed in costume. We even saw a show about the history of Skagway, very entertaining. Then after leaving town we visited one of the most spectacular overlooks of the city with the cruise ships. We ended with the grave of Soapy Smith. After this tour we ate lunch at a bar and grill on the main street( Caribou burgers) were awesome. We were so tired after shopping and did not feel like walking so a tour guide who remembered us let us on the bus and dropped us off at the ship. Although there are city buses( $ 2.00) this was a very nice extra. Ketchikan- too short a day(Princess are you listening)We did a flight seeing tour Sea Wind Aviation. Steve and his wife were great. We also liked all the extra precautions Steve took.His instrumentation panel on his plane looked like something out of Star Wars. We felt very safe! The flight was 45 minutes over some of the most spectacular mountains and lakes we have seen. He even went out of the designated tour area and took us a little over the Misty Fjords( excuse spelling). One of the highlights was seeing the mountain goats on a mountain top and a lake landing. We then ( due to time) rented one of the little electric cars($40.00 an hour) but it let us go all over town in a very short time, fun, fun fun. Once we returned to our car a group of Asian tourist were taking pixs of it. What can I say about Glacier bay! Words can not describe it. It is something every person I hope gets the chance to experience. Wear warm clothes! Disembarkation was so effortless. Literally our group was called at 8:45 and we were on our shuttle by 9:30 a.m. All in all this is a trip we would do again. I have already done the deposit and now am deciding on our next Alaskan adventure. We can't wait until we are awed by Alaska again in 2011.We are planning on going further north to Whitter and Anchorage.