OK, please bear in mind that this was our first cruise ever. It was a birthday/anniversary gift to ourselves so we were open to paying a bit more.

We were looking for a trip with a smaller number of passengers (Ocean Victory has a max of around 180) and a ship that could go to areas the big ships cannot. We also wanted to focus on seeing and learning about Alaska: scenery, wildlife, history, etc. Ocean Victory's itinerary seemed to fit the bill. Though we did go to Ketchikan, other ports were Petersberg, Wrangell and tiny Kake, which are not able to accommodate the big cruise ships. One of our fellow passengers called our trip "expedition lite", with several days where we could get out on kayaks and zodiacs and actually see the wilderness up close and personal with a guide who knew where to go and what to look for.

We feel we got good value from this cruise! The crew really took good care of us, and everything was well organized. The ship is pretty new, everything is clean and in good condition. Staff was friendly, attentive and seemed to be adequate in number. There were plenty of common areas both inside and outside and great views were easily obtained. The hot tubs were great, especially after our "glacier day" in Endicott Arm. Read more