Boarding the ship and check-in was a breeze. No lines, no hassles and we got our ID cards along with our champagne. Lunch around the pool area was salads, burgers and dogs. The was open and since this was an cruise without additional cost for alcohol, a few people tried and succeeded in drinking multiple days worth of booze in one sitting before being admitted into their suites.

The suites are huge. The walk-in closet and the nearly standard sized bathroom were just great. The staff was there to introduce themselves and the orders for the refrigerator stocks were placed - all very efficient. The event of having everyone around the ship go into the hallways and have a ship-wide cocktail and welcome party was a great ice breaker. The captain and principal members of the crew came to us and introduced themselves - a very nice touch. We spent more than an hour getting to know our neighbors, before the dreaded, mandatory safety muster. We were also able to get a load of laundry done and iron all of our clothes that were now unpacked.

Departure from Vancouver was on time and the ride out of the harbor afforded many great views of the city and Stanley Park. Exhausted from a day of walking Vancouver and being a bit tipsy, we decided to get a pizza and other snacks delivered to the room. The serviced was prompt and the food well prepared. The days are very long during June and we were off for a cruise day along the Inside Passage. Early in the morning of our first day, we had breakfast delivered to the room (which arrived exactly as advertised and was well prepared) and went to the spa to workout. Noble, the health program manager, was fantastic. We signed up for personal training sessions and multiple workout regimes that were offered. The spa had plenty of equipment and treatment rooms along with steam and sauna rooms proved to be invaluable throughout the cruise. Read more