We did a deal with our friends from New York. They would take the transcontinental train from Toronto to Vancouver with us, and then we would all take a cruise to Alaska. This would be our first cruise, as I have been prone to seasickness when on water. However, I armed myself with some Transderm anti-nausea patches, and off we went.

The train trip, BTW, was a wonderful old-fashioned experience on mid-20th century equipment, good food, excellent service. We arrived in Vancouver and headed straight to embarkation. Although this is perforce a tiresome business, it was organised efficiently as we cleared in turn US immigration and then the ship boarding process.

The ship, as others have commented, is somewhat garish in design, however our stateroom was pleasant, and the verandah was lovely to have. Even as we headed north and it got cooler I was happy to sit out there admiring the amazing scenery, snuggled under the rug thoughtfully provided. The staff are uniformly pleasant and obliging. The regular menu was excellent, and my husband was happy to be able to enjoy a good steak every night. We considered trying the Pinnacle one night but never got around to it. Read more