After booking with Holland America, we became concerned about the ship, based on customer reviews following the ship's refurbishment in the spring of 2010. Major plumbing and air conditioning problems were described, plus miscellaneous other issues. We contacted HAL and they did not deny there were problems and then assured us those problems had been addressed. We are pleased to report that overall, we had a good cruise. We did hear some complaints about some rooms being cold, but heard of nothing major happening. As for the "refurbishment", many of the public areas had been remodeled. The large fountain in the atrium remains inoperable. Apparently that was not handled during the makeover. We don't know if any staterooms had any work done. We were in a suite and none of those had been redone, but our room was very nice. We had originally booked a balcony room, but when we saw HAL had lowered the price of the suites ($200 pp lower than our balcony room), we called and received an upgrade, though no refund. The ship is an older ship. If you have cruised on some of the other lines, you will find it much smaller than many ships, with fewer extras. However, we were pleased with the extra perks that came with the suite, such as free laundry service and a lounge on our floor with refreshments and a full-time concierge. This was our first time in a suite and we loved it. The room stewards were very helpful and provided excellent service. We have heard criticisms against the tour director, but could find no fault. Yes, she is older than most, but seemed pleasant in her public persona. As for the amenities, we did not make use of the spa offerings, other than the gym, which worked out well. The casino is small, but not a major concern for us. The gift shops are typical, though it did seem odd for the jewelry shop to be without a wall break from the casino. We did not play any of the games offered, for we were too busy with shore excursions or watching the beautiful scenery. The entertainment was okay. We have seen better on other ships. The singers were fine, but there were only two dancers. There were numerous costume changes for all. The entertainment around the ship was very limited. Now for the food! It was okay, but not the best we have ever had on a cruise. The dining room service was extremely slow, at least in our area. As for the buffet, as mentioned in other reviews, no, there are no trays. It does make it awkward. Most of the time, the same food served in the dining room is served in the buffet. You can get it faster there, but with not as "pretty" of a presentation. Most ships offer lemonade as a choice in the buffet area, but not HAL. For those of us who are not coffee or tea drinkers, you are stuck with water, unless you want to pay for a beverage from the bar. In making a trip to Alaska, if you only do the cruise, you have NOT seen Alaska. We did the cruisetour, so we made it all the way to Fairbanks. Denali is not to be missed. The cruise ports are much like the Caribbean, with the same jewelry and souvenir shops. Take excursions so you can see more of the land. The park service guides on the ships who provide narration of Glacier Bay and College Fjords help to make what you are seeing better understood. People say the advantage to cruising is you only have to unpack once. That is true, but for the most part, what you tend to see is the ship, day in and day out. See the land you are visiting. Take advantage of excursions and add on land tours where it is an option. As for HAL, will we sail with them again? Probably not, unless it is one of their newer ships. Though we have no major complaints, we have had better cruises.