I just had the time of my life on a Majestic Princess Cruise Tour to Alaska. I admit my cruising experience is limited, having taken one deplorable Bahamian Carnival cruise in the early 1990's, but I think thought Majestic Princess was elegant, our balcony stateroom was plenty roomy for our needs and the staff, even this late in the season, were friendly and accommodating, and some were downright exceptional.

The food choices are somewhat redundant, in that the three main dining rooms share the same nightly menu, but we four individuals, with very individual food preferences, always found something we enjoyed. High marks to the Harmony, an Asian-inspired option. The menu had some adventurous items, our server was attentive and knowledgeable and we tried nearly everything! The Crown Grille made for a very nice evening for our last evening celebration, though it was bustling and busy. Again, the staff provided great service and the food was excellent. We did schedule our meal time reservations in advance, other than a couple days when we knew we'd be returning from port later in the day. We were always immediately seated. Even the days we had no reservation, we had no problems being seated quickly. We did not partake of the optional upcharge restaurants on this ship, The Catch or Alfredo's. Some good pizza would have been great, but at $40 per person, no thanks! Breakfast options are limited to a 24 hour coffee/tea venue in the Piazza with light bites (main dining, open only until 9AM, or the World Fresh Marketplace (typical of "all-you-can" eateries) which has a revolving menu of breakfast/lunch/dinner fare with internationally diverse options. I am a pretty light eater and am satisfied with coffee* and croissant most mornings so I can't speak to the quality of the food, but it is plentiful and a crowded place at least for breakfast. Oh, and room service is also available. By the way, the * next to coffee was purposeful. The brewed coffee is pretty awful by most coffee lover's standard, I'd guess. After a few days, I began ordering a triple cappuccino at the International Cafe and it became pretty tolerable. The barista, an artist with the milky foam, always provided a decorative heart or flower on top. It made the bitterness disappear, almost.

This was a very special trip for its purpose, family bonding, celebration and adventure. As much for the cruise, we booked it for the excursion possibilities because it's Alaska and Alaska has to be experienced to even begin to grasp its beauty and grandeur. We were very pleasantly surprised by the cruise itself though: the ports, our incredible adventures (seeing the Hubbard Glacier up close in a small boat, helicoptering over Juneau then trekking on for miles on the Mendenhall Glacier, visiting two National Parks, AND we had a blast on board. I'm sure there are more flashy, more entertaining, (more expensive) cruise ships, but our multi-generational crew loved the Majestic Princess.