Alaska was beautiful and I highly recommend going there. However, I do not recommend the Gold Princess boat. We have previously cruised with Carnival before and had a much better experience than we did with Princess. All of the issues were minor but collectively did not leave a great impression of princess. Here are some issues: -wanted to change our dinner seats so we would be with the people we traveled with. Staff informed us this should be very easy since their table was not full. The line to see the Maitre'D was not long but moved incredible slow and the Maitre'D was not very friendly. It seemed like we were inconveniencing him with a simple request. -Buffet required you to wash your hands before hand, which is very good, but they only had two sink at each entrance so during busy meal times there was always a line to get into the buffet -Spa service was poor. I tried to book a pedicure with the person I was travelling with and we were told it was full so the other lady opted for a manicure. Once there the second pedicure chair was empty the whole time. I found my lady was judgmental and the polish was wrecked the next day, thankfully they did fix this with no issue. -On board entertainment was bad and not many options available. -We were told one of the days would be "scenic cruising" to the College Fjord but we weren't scheduled to get there until the evening so it was really more of a a sea day. We didn't actually end up getting to the College Fjord due to weather. I understand the boat cannot control this but no other on board activities were provided to fill the time. -Room staff were friendly but they missed taking out some used dishes on a few occasions. On a positive, food was delicious, room/bed were very nice, excursions were great and it was a great trip as Alaska was wonderful to see. Read Less

Ok so my grandparents took me on this cruise ship and I wasn’t so sure if it would be a good experience. Legitimately right as we stepped foot on the ship we were greeted by so many polite staff members. This one man, John who was the person that cleaned our room, did a phenomenal job at socializing with me, answering questions I had about his experience and the awesome things that I would do, and also making the cabin super clean and cozy. He really made me feel at home and it really shows how awesome the staff are on this ship. That’s just one crew member out of a thousand. A fantastic part of the cruise in my opinion as a teenager was the all you can eat ice cream that was worked by very kind and patient women who by the end of the trip knew my order when they saw me walking up to them. Continuing the food topic, the buffet serves breakfast which was filled with a huge variety of delicious foods like Belgian waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, cereal, and lots of fancy stuff that I don’t remember the names of. Then when it was time for lunch the buffet would always surprise us with different things every single day. Now I know what your thinking, maybe all you can eat food that you can have any time you want, might not be your favorite, which is why I’d like to inform you that they had a pizza place where they hand made pizza of your choice and an area where you can order a burger with some fries. Moving to dinner, there was several places we could go to eat that all had amazing food and awesome waiters and waitress. I can’t remember his name, but this one waiter did magic tricks which entertained my family as we ate delicious food. I’m going to save the dessert for you to explore for yourself, but all I want to say Is that you should order the chocolate journey dessert because it tasted better than my words could describe it. Aside from eating tons of food, I would go to one of the pools. To be honest, I’m not sure how many there were, but it felt like a lot. I’d also go to the teen room which was an area I could socialize with other teens which helped me to have a gooOoOoooOD Time! I’d also go to the magic acts, and the comedian shows which were both totally awesome. There was also a “The Voice” competition that was held where people would sing and try to win the grand prize, which was fantastic to say the least. My dad actually made it into the finals and sang “The Summer of 69” by Bryan Adams which had the crowd cheering which was kind of weird to be experiencing as his son. There was also a game called The High Seas Heist which was basically a huge game of clue that you really needed to use brain power to figure it out. We also made 3 stops and a tour on the boat where we watched parts of glaciers fall off and make huge splashed which amazed everyone. We also did whale watching which required lots of patience, but ended up being so beautiful to see. One minor detail that I realized would be the maps that were placed around everywhere which helped me a lot when trying to find my way around. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I walked into the cruise ship expecting nothing to be fun for me, but walked out literally hugging and high-fiving the crew because of how much enjoyment they gave me. This ship has made me into a new person and I can’t wait to go back for another cruise very soon! Thanks for reading this through, make sure to have a Goooood Time! Read Less

The food quality is going downhill from previous Princess cruises, especially in the buffet areas; but, also to some degree in the main dining rooms. The steak house was good, especially the filet. The boneless rib tasted good, but had too much gristle. Never found a really good desert in any dining area - except the real ice cream that you had to pay extra to get. This ship is over ten years old. The cabin furnishings are in serious need of rehab = the lampshades were literally falling apart from age. It took four days to replace a blown light bulb. The toilet was permanently stained. While an improvement from previous cruises, the Internet is slow (sometimes very slow) and sometimes intermittent. The change to a rate per day is good, but the Internet Manager is available only for two periods per day. Highly recommend getting a cabin with a tub and not a shower! Read Less

Traveling up the Inside Passage has been on our bucket list for years and this year, celebrating our 40th, was the year to finally do a cruise. We initially chose this cruise at a special Princess Cruises presentation at AAA. Our experience surpassed our expectations. The ship furnishings were lovely, we loved having a balcony room, and the food and service were top notch, as were the entertainment options. We never thought we would love cruising, but we are ready to book another within the next year or two. The entertainment/activity options on board the ship were numerous and we sometimes had a difficult time choosing! We appreciated the evening deliveries of the newsletters that included the next day's schedule and information about the port we'd be stopping at. The bed was very comfortable and we were surprised, with all the people on board the ship, how quiet it was inside the room. Room service was exceptional--we have never been so spoiled! Read Less

The food was unbelievably bad. Even the Italian specialty restaurant was the worst Italian food I have ever had. The buffet was seriously worse than and American chain buffet venue. If you like selections such as sliced carrots with peas, this might just be the place for you. If you want something more inspiring, you are in the wrong place. The pizza restaurant on Deck 5 is excellent and the hamburgers on the pool deck are good, but those were the only bright spots where food is concerned. Stateroom was large and in very nice condition, but the balcony was in old, poor condition and the balcony furniture should have been replaced a long time ago. One day the bath water was DARK BROWN. Not a little, but A LOT. The front desk staff told me not to worry about it but that I should run the bathroom water form a couple of minutes before drinking. Yuk. Service was hit and miss, mostly miss. some staff members are friendly and helpful, but most seemed to have poor, or disinterested attitudes. We found ourselves being practically being pushed around by staff members in the buffet area. They always wanted us to get out of their way and almost never said "excuse me" or "thank you". One disappointment with the ship is that it does not have any indoor venue with a panoramic view. Every other ship I have been on has a lounge in the front of the ship, on a higher floor which is wonderful for taking in the scenery while cruising. This ship had nothing of the sort, no place indoors where you can see both sides of the ship from one location. This is especially important on inside passage cruises. Read Less

The ship is old and dated and cabins are far from promised on website. Nonetheless, service was good and the staff was friendly. The food was decent and common areas were clean and open. Accommodations, however, were far below par and not worth the price. The balcony room was cramped and the furniture was cheap. Our shower had only scalding hot water for the first 3 days despite repeated requests to have it fixed. The internet did not work. I paid for the premium package and it did not workout all. The only time I was able to use the internet was using a hot spot with my own LTE in ports. The cruise itself was fun because of the people I was with, but the ship itself was underwhelming. I would say if you are going on the cheap with a group of friends then fine. If you are expecting luxury, then this is not the cruise for you. Read Less

It sailed out of San Francisco , I live in the Bay Area. So it was convenient and I wanted to see Alaska again. This princess ship is old and tired looking It served it’s purpose it got me to Alaska and back. If your looking for fun and excitement on this ship, It’s NOT going to happen !!! I’m use to traveling on Royal Caribbean ships. nothing to do on the grand princess BORING !! I’m 84 years old and I’m sorry I don’t play trivia ! The cabin was extremely small but then again I’m comparing it to Royal Caribbean cabins which are bigger I don’t regret going but be prepared to bring your dominoes or cards with you !! Also dining service very very slow I will wind up going back on this ship in November because it again will sail out of San Francisco and it will be going to Hawaii Read Less

I wanted to introduce the family to Alaska. Princess cruises from San Francisco so we did not have to fly. They have lots of on board activities and entertainment for a wide variety of tastes so we rather enjoyed the sea days. The ports were all interesting. And I always promised my wife I would take her to Butchardt Gardens in Victoria. I knew Princess would be a good choice and I could afford the costs for the nine of us. The ship was older but had recently been refurbished and was very elegant and spacious. The cabins were great. They had ample room and nice amenities. The dining was good. The staff was very friendly and made us feel at home. We took shore excursions at three ports and they were all good. There was a wide selections of excursions. Next trip I'll choose new ones. I would go again. Read Less

First the positives: Great embarkation/disembarkation process. Very efficient. Itinerary was nice and Alaska was beautiful. That's where the good ends. For the negatives: This was the most outdated ship I've been on. The back deck smelled like sulfur/sewage most of the time. The Casino smelled different but equally as bad. We toughed it out an gambles a few times but no one in our party was offered a free drink while playing (maybe that is a company policy but their sister company carnival offers drinks to players). Very noisy near our state room making it hard to rest. Paper thin walls where you could hear your neighbors conversations. Beds not very comfortable. We booked twin beds but arrived to a one bed and had to wait until the beds were separated before settling in. Most activities on the ship were nickel and dime scenarios trying to separate you from you money. The food was just ok. dining room was a bit better but not by much. Most events were very unorganized. Many of which not starting on time and then not allowing you to get to something else in time after. I've been on several cruises and this is the first bad experience I've had. Maybe it was just this particular ship but not anxious to try Princess again in the future. Read Less

Never have I ever written a critique just to praise everything. I read and research every ship on Cruise Critic before I book. I feel others want unbiased opinions or why ask or read them. Never have I ever had such an engaging ship’s captain as Capt. Tuvo. He is an asset to the company. Never have I ever enjoyed such delicious cruise line food on the past 20 something cruises we have taken. The variety, quality and presentation was a highlight of our cruise. Never have I ever had the savings of only getting I drink package for hubby. I can never do the package justice. On PCL we were able to save money on drinks which was a first. Never have I witnessed so much cleaning and prepping. Never have I enjoyed such old world charm on a ship. The beautiful furnishings and design if the lounges are sumptuous. Oodles of places to play cards and games with sea views. IMHO PCL could have more staff to passengers ratio in these areas so we could have felt more pampered. Never have we (hubby noticed it also) ever watched so many servers avoid eye contact or just ignore us all together. We did not enjoythe noticeable waiting for someone to take a drink order. Never have I ever fetched so many drinks for our group. It was so noticeable that I feel the need to point it out. However we do acknowledge the need in the industry for this type cruise experience for those that enjoy being self sufficient. Some may find the staff asking “ may l get you something” annoying. Never have I ever had such comfortable bedding. Decadently cozy describes it. Never have I ever found blood stained bed linen on day 1. I am surprised by the lack of attention to detail. However, leaving a note for the cabin steward resolved the issue. Never have I ever had an on board Factory Outlet sale set up in a dining area for a four hour sale. Some cruisers loved that. Never have I ever witnessed a so many cruise staff being rude, indifferent and impolite to cruisers. I feel it may be a lack of training of the staff members. And the few experienced, well trained staff members were few and far between the inadequate workers. I made sure to write and turn in to guest services onboard commendations for staff that went out of their way to make sure our cruise was enjoyable.I really hope the company recognizes their efforts. Never have I ever had so many inappropriate interactions with staff. Examples of a few were: Cruise Director staff telling a passenger excited by game play “to Calm Down” three times in front of an audience. I felt it was purposely using the person as a chance for laughs. It wasn’t kind. Another time, my ill sister-in-law needed water. She went to two people at the Explorers Bar. They both pointed to the pitcher to help herself rather than stop their prepping for bar opening. She asked them because she was afraid that she couldn’t lift the pitcher. Never have I ever had dining staff tell me to not go to use the facilities because the waiter finally showed up to take our breakfast order. We were given a table with no one assigned to it. Never have I ever had staff interrupt me by saying “ if you would let me finish”. Why should I when you got me to your promotional by giving false info. I’m not new to cruise spa promotions. If you can’t honor the discount then why waste the vaca time I paid for to let you sales persuade me into what I know I won’t pay for. Sales are noticeably emphasized on PCL. Lastly, this comment from the washroom attendant when we told her that the bathroom needed servicing. “Why do they use so much paper?” It’s all laughable now but for a company with the slogan “Come Back New” it gave us pause to ever rebook with PCL unless the price was extremely hard o pass up or the ship goes to a bucket list destination that no other cruise line sails. Now we are forewarned about the PCL company. In my humble opinion if PCL really wanted to improve their staff responsiveness then PCL wouldn’t have closed my chance to take their on line survey 72 hours after disembarking when the directions said I’ld have two weeks. Makes me think they don’t care. However, I was able to do hubbies’ before it was closed for comments. Thank goodness we have Cruise Critic available to discerning consumers. As for cabin review and excursions please see the follow up below. Read Less

The cruise fit our travel schedule and we picked the best weather for the week. Sunshine everyday. We had no issues with embarkation or disembarkation during our port stops. Dining in the dining rooms was better than the buffet but it depended on your schedule as to which one to use. We used both. We did not take the cruise because of the food selections so as long as it was nourishing, it was okay. Unless you are looking for jewelry or art, don't get caught up in the sales pitches, it takes away from your valuable time for both sailing and excursions. Entertainment was very good, enjoyed the theater shows. A little too breezy for watching movies under the stars but did enjoy the walks on deck. Cabin was spacious but air was not working properly and refrigerator got warm b/c of lack of ventilation. Recommend balcony rooms just because of the views and privacy. Stateroom steward was excellent and the front desk was very helpful. I would definitely go again if the opportunity presented itself. I wish we would have had more time in some of our ports. The excursions took a lot of the time away from just seeing the towns where we stopped, but they were all very good. The train ride in Skagway, the Mendenhall Glacier excursion in Juneau or the tours of Ketchican and Victoria, they were all terrific. Read Less

I chose this cruise because it started and ended in the beautiful city of Seattle which adds another couple of days of sight seeing on our own prior to the cruise departing. We arrived Friday afternoon and explored Seattle that night, full next day and morning of cruise. We booked our own hotel. Perfect! My parents are avid cruisers so they booked us rooms that had windows (which we wanted) but we all had obstructed views to keep the costs down. See my cabin review for more details. This is the third time I have cruised INSIDE PASSAGE with Princess Cruises. This cruise went to Tracy Arm Fjord (I personally prefer Glacier Bay for more magnificent views). We booked the EXPERIENCE THE YUKON & SUSPENSION BRIDGE for our 3rd time and each time it's been a fantastic value for SKAGWAY. This shore excursion is extremely thorough and the coach takes you all the way into the Yukon (passed amazing scenery) and much further than the train. You end up at Caribou Crossing Trading Post which is an amazing stop where you can play with Alaskan huskeys, ride a mushing vehicle (extra), pan for gold (extra), view an amazing animal museum, gift shop, yummy bbq lunch included, ice cream shop, and tons of farm animals. It's great for fun photos as well. I think EXPERIENCE THE YUKON WITH SUSPENSION BRIDGE is the best excursion for the cost. In Juneau, to save money, we booked strictly the MENDENHALL GLACIER (self guided tour) which got us there and gave us plenty of time to hike to NUGGET FALLS. In KETCHIKAN, we immediately went to the visitors center and got the walking map which was a free walking self guided tour and was quite fun (walking required). Our tour guide also pointed out several bald eagles and some Juneau info as we went to and from the cruise dock. On board the ship, there are so many activities to please all ages and tastes. The crew was so friendly, professional and went out of their way to serve everyone. We chose "anytime dining" as not to be restricted in schedule. We would just choose 5 or 7 and be first in line so never had to wait to be served in formal dining room. One opens at 5 and one 7. Horizon buffet was really impressive too. Having pizza, burgers and ice cream available was an added bonus. The food was a huge variety and very well prepared. I've been 3 times on INSIDE PASSAGE and I would go again. It's such a great value. Embarkation at Seattle and disembarkation was flawless and professional. Read Less

To celebrate Mother's 80th birthday Embarked from Seattle, Washington Terminal 91 - the Terminal 91 and Star Princess Staff made the process very smooth and enjoyable. Star Princess staff was very friendly and helpful throughout the entire cruise, the dining staff made excellent recommendation of meal selections. So many choices for dining that you should pace yourself so you can try everything they have to offer. All of the Star Princess Entertainment was great and were a joy to watch, take everything in and you will have a wonderful time. Take advantage of the shopping and duty free items that they have to offer while your onboard. Excursions were wonderful and we were able to see many great things and wild life. take advantage of these as they will make your time better Disembarkation was as smooth a process as Embarkations. Highly recommend this cruise - go and enjoy, eat and have fun. Read Less

Poor guest services. Reported room with noises. Later a broken water pipe outside our door. Two days with noisy air dryer outside door with cords going past door entrance. Complained to guest services and they did nothing. Just smiled and said they would fix it. A few days later the hair dryer was smoking and sparking and killed the electric outlet to dryer. They brought in a handheld dryer until they could replace the permanently attached one. Then back to the air dryer on the floor again. This has been the worst cruise experience and feel overcharged and inconvenienced without even a hint of credit or room change offer. Since there were Carnival and Princess name plates on staff I feel we got a low budget Carnival cruise but paid for a Princess experience. I have traveled a lot. Princes always seemed to be fair but this trip in combination with Carnival staff was horrendous. A bad storm was coming into Japan so we passed two ports and headed towards our final port. It was a bummer. The other bad part was not being able to get off in Yokohama early to maybe see Tokyo. We were stuck on a ship, redirected to a different port then skipped two other ports to just sail until we reached our destination. Also, do not use the EZair as they gave us the worst flight times in early morning, twelve hour, seven hours and an overnight layover to get to Japan, then an early morning return flight. Do not understand why they use American airlines to get there and Delta for the return flight. Would have been nice to have only one airline to deal with. Terrible flight times and not coordinated with port arrival and departures. Consider this your warning or heads up on the poor EZair flights. Will never use EZair again. Diamond Princess boat is old from 2004. Stated refurbished in Feb 2019, but I could not see what was updated. The atrium staircase is worn out. Carpets and furnishings are dated. No any time dining on Diamond in Japan cruises. Twenty dollars extra charge for lobster and crab for dinner. It is really more a Carnival low budget cruise than a Princess experience cruise. The dining room takes the filet mignon and slices into small pieces to call it medallions. Skimpy portions in dining room. Horizon food court has the typical flavorless food items. Worn out napkins. Bed was comfortable and had many layers of pillow toppers on it. Shore excursions are pricey. Many ports there are low cost shuttles to the fireworks and parades. I recommend the low cost shuttle versus the over priced excursion and reserved seat (shared bench) to the fireworks and parades. The shows are very small actually a person juggler, one person magic act, small music numbers, nothing really to write about. Long gone are the days of full production shows. Read Less

I chose Princess Cruises based on the strength of the cruiseline's reputation and the many glowing recommendations of my travel agent and friends. I was incredibly disappointed in the land portion (7 days) of our Cruisetour that preceded the actual cruise which probably set us up for a disappointing experience on the ship. Princess has been doing this a long time and this shows in the seamless embarkation, disembarkation, and handling of our luggage. These things went extremely well. However, so many other things that COULD have gone well didn't... and I attribute this to the volume of business Princess handles. The excursions staff are poorly trained and so when things don't go as planned, no one knows how to handle the situation. Missing buses, mis-handled excursions, and incorrect billing are all things that happen... but they also need to be remedied and not addressed with a shoulder shrug. Amenities should also be as advertised. The "Fun Zone" was closed on the ship, the video arcade removed, and the space where Princess Links was supposed to be located was nothing more than some old astro turf with a few cup holes. Kid-friendly really means "kid-tolerant" as there was nothing for my young boys to actually do that was age appropriate aside from parking them at the Kids Club. (Needless to say, they aren't anxious to cruise with Princess again although we might be able to get them on a Disney ship.) NOTE: I spent a lot of time walking around the ship to entertain my boys and our favorite game became spot the broken stuff. The busted and missing railings count was up to 7 when I disembarked. As for the food. I don't understand why so many people rave about it. The Horizon buffet is mediocre and there is so much sodium in the food, it make me feel sick. We had dinner at the Crown Grill which was delicious (which should be with the extra charge!), but our celebratory Wedding Dinner at Sabatini's could have been bested by The Olive Garden. Our main courses were simply inedible, overcooked to the point where we couldn't even cut the shrimp. The special Crab Shack night was fun, but definitely not worth the $29 cover charge per person. Fortunately we tried Donatello's and it proved to be the best choice; so we dined well here for the remainder of the week. What did got well was the attentive service by staff in the bars and restaurants. These members of the staff work incredibly long hours and they make an effort to ensure the passengers are having a good experience. The same can be said for the Steward who cared for our suite. There were plenty of entertainment choices for the varied tastes of my family members (Bingo and the game show style events were our favorites), but the Lotus Spa (which I really looked forward to) was a bit of a disappointment. Services were of average quality (mani/pedi, massages, facial, blow out, and a shave were all had by my family) for premium prices which was expected, but the hard sell of products by the staff was extremely distasteful. The adjoining Fitness Center was also a bit of disappointment as hygiene wasn't a concern. I showed up for the yoga class which was held in the same area as spin class... and the instructor didn't even pretend to clean the gross floor before rolling out a bunch of dirty mats for the passengers. I have never felt so ripped off for the $17 I spent for the class. If you have read my review and gotten to this point, I do want to say that a lot of people around us LOVED the cruise. I can see how a lot of people wouldn't have cared about any of the things I mentioned. If you don't have young children, have low expectations for the quality of your meals, and just want to be on a floating hotel where you can drink, be entertained, and see some sights in Alaska, then a Princess cruise IS for you. Read Less

This cruise afforded us the opportunity to see the wonders of nature in a relaxing and fun filled way. The service was great. The food was good and the portions were perfect size so that you were able to have all three courses and not feel overly stuffed. Entertainment was funny and had good variety. Drinks were well made. Gym and spa were good. Steakhouse Crown Grill was fabulous. The naturalists on board were very informative about the glaciers and sightings wild life . The ship just hung out and circled about while by the glaciers so that you could see the calving from either side of the ship. Awesome and beautiful. The entire inside passage was extremely calm sailing so that you didn’t even feel like you were on a boat . You could see whales and sea otters from the deck at various times . Very casual in clothing dress on ship and land!! Excellent especially for a first cruise. All of the Princess excursions were excellent . The entire Princess operation is well organized and executed without a hitch in transportation , luggage etc. Read Less

To celebrate our 50th anniversary. Recommend by our travel agent. I had heard that Princess was a great cruise. The entertainment was awesome. The quality of entertainment was very surprising. Great crew and staff. We liked the voice of the ocean and the games played in the lounges. The cuisine was out of this world. I tried so many new and different foods. The staff was so polite and accommodating. Our stateroom was always clean and well cared for. The bartenders were very friendly and knew how to make anything. Our vow renewal of 50 years was the highlight of our trip. The special discounts and gifts we received for our anniversary were very nice and in expected. What an awesome way to celebrate 50 years of marriage. Thanks Princess for all the wonderful memories of our first cruise. You and your staff know how to treat people and create memories Read Less

We chose this cruise as a wedding anniversary treat, looking for a romantic setting, lots going on but not a party atmosphere, and not overrun with kids. The ship delivered perfectly. There was always plenty to see and do, and places on the ship that catered to adults only. The ship was busy, but there were never long lineups anywhere, even for free pizza, burgers or ice cream on the top deck. The excursions were all wonderful and very well-organized as we were taken ashore and returned quickly and efficiently at all ports. On board, there were good entertainment choices and lots of opportunity to stay fit (Zumba class on the deck, etc.) Loved the adults-only pool areas. The restaurants were definitely a highlight of the cruise with wonderful food experiences at all but one. The suite was beyond expectations in terms of space and comfort. A few minor glitches: difficult to get through to restaurant reservations or room service on the phone. Communication was a challenge with some staff as their English was not great (but then, we don't speak any other languages so some of that is on us). Loved all the restaurants, except Steamers Seafood was a bad experience. Quality of the food and service at this restaurant did not warrant an upcharge. Drinks were a bit pricey. At the Anytime Dining breakfast, it would have been nice to have more yogurt, granola and fruit options. Too focused on American-style breakfast. Some of the entertainment was average, but still fun and enjoyable. And it would have been nice to have even more places on the ship to have a quiet conversation over a drink. Read Less

We chose this cruise bc of the itinerary. We think Princess has the best one in Alaska. The ship was very nice. We bought a suite to make it extra special. Unfortunately you really don’t get much more with a full suite than you do with a jr suite except a bit more room and a lot more cost. Unfortunately the balcony was always dirty bc of the smoke stacks and all the suites are aft. Our room steward could’ve done better keeping it clean. Our table outside was missing a bracket so was wobbly and eventually fell out. Also, the food sucked (cruise food is never good and Sabatinis was the worst) and much of the staff was rude. We’ve actually had better service and staff attitudes on Carnival. Overall we had a good time bc we were with good friends and we are all pretty easy going people. The excursions we chose were not that great. You’re not missing anything by not seeing the lumberjack show in Ketchikan. The zodiac expedition could’ve been better but they cram too many people on one boat. The Jeep excursion in Juneau was fun and the whale watching we did later. Skip the city tour in Skagway, and don’t even consider the wildlife expedition bc you’ll only see eagles probably... and you’ll be stuck on a school bus all day. The train to Denali was great. The tundra tour in Denali also great. The river boat and gold dredge in Fairbanks was interesting and I didn’t expect it to be. Princess definitely has it organized well. They get you to and from every part of it without incident. The food at Princess lodge in Denali is decent but not at all in Fairbanks. Read Less

Fantastic Family Journey Amazing sights, amazing ship. Shore excursions could not have been better. Ship personnel were friendly and courteous The food and restaurants were top notch. Cabin was comfortable and the view from our balcony was outstanding. We were midship so , for the most part, any ship motion was virtually imperceptible. The itinerary could not have been planned better. We saw so much in such a short time. The excursions offered by Princess, gave a wonderful choice of things to do and see in Alaska. The information provided also allowed us to choose excursions with the proper activity levels for seniors and a child. Never had time to attend any shows onboard. We came back from our excursions hungry and exhausted. If there’s any drawback, it’s the amount of sales pitches going on for the ship shops. The meeting that was supposed to be about the shopping in ports, turned out to be a sales pitch for jewelry for sale onboard. Too much time wasted sitting in sales pitches Read Less

Visiting Alaska has been on our bucket list for some time. Princess Cruises has a stellar reputation when it comes to Alaskan Cruises and was highly recommended by our Travel Advisor. The ship has been beautifully redone in the past few years and the cabins and amenities are top notch. The ship offers a wide variety of daily activities but on and off the ship. We had a starboard cabin which was very important on the north bound cruise as we could see the shoreline and the various scenic wonders. A balcony is also highly recommended. The restaurant facilities from the Bistro to the common dinning rooms and the specialty restaurants offered impeccable service and the quality and variety of the food was very good. The Italian Restaurant, Sabatin's, is a must go. The staff is unbelievable and the food is exquisite. The only negatives I have is that I caught a bad chest cold and the "convenience" story had a very limited supply of OTCs medicines. However, the Medical Facilities are top notch and the medical staff was great. The other negative is that the internet service on the ship is poor. The speed is excessively slow (measured at app 1 Mbs) considering that I was required to pay to access the system. Definite area of future improvement to the ship. Read Less

Toilet didn’t work correctly for 7 days, extremely loud fan blowing outside door for 4 days, severe vibration for 2 days. We tried every day to get these problems solved and it never happened. Staff that took care of the room were great and did try to help. Service manager sarcastic response. Shipboard entertainment was average. Food in the dining room was average but service was great. Ship stops were appropriate. Glacier Bay was spectacular. We found tours purchased off the ship were less expensive. On board shops were appropriate with fair pricing. Embarkation and debarkation were well handled well. This cruise provided a lot of inboard activity which was appropriate for all ages. We ate in all three dining rooms, the food was average. We could make dinner reservations which we liked. Wait staff was great. The stress of wondering if the toilet would work and trying to get it fixed was a daily battle. Read Less

I booked our honeymoon a year in advance and we decided to splurge on a suite for our honeymoon. I have spent hours reading reviews and suggestions on Cruise critic so I will try to give back by covering the different aspects of a Ruby Princess Cruise, both good and bad. Because we had a suite the embarkation process was great. We got on board around 3:30. We had reservations for Crown Grill (free because we were in a suite) so we didn’t want to eat too much. Cabin-Our cabin D737 was great. So nice to have a large cabin on a cruise. We were completely aft which I worried about having to walk too far, but it wasn’t bad and the view was amazing. I have to say for 2 people my husband and I agreed the suite wasn’t necessary. However , we did love the perks from the suite. The nightly canopees were too fancy for us, so we didn’t order anymore. Liked the daily fruit. We told our steward exactly what we wanted in the fruit delivery. Also asked for ice and bottled water every evening. Food- this was the biggest disappointment. My husband and are are not fancy eaters. That’s one reason I chose Princess. My last princess cruise I found the food constantly good and not too fancy. This time the food was mediocre to tasteless. The buffet had a large variety but the food was wasn’t good. I did love the breakfast buffett. I had French toast, bacon, fruit, oatmeal everyday. We did order room service breakfast a few days and I still went up to the buffet for more. For lunch we ate in the Club Class dining room. That was very nice for lunch. I had a hamburger from Salty Dog Grill by the pool (different from the Salty Dog Grill Cafe that you pay for) it was okay. Crown Grill for dinner was worth it. Service and food were excellent. We ate in the dining room for dinner 2x . Again the food and service was good. Horizon Buffett has a lot of variety, but the food wasn’t good. Entertainment- the magician was excellent. The big production the second to the last night was great. My husband and I didn’t find the comedian funny at all, we left early. My husband enjoyed the lounge singers each night. We did the deluxe ship tour $ 150 per person. We loved it. Very interesting and a great swag bag. Skagway zip lining at Grizzly Fallswas fantastic. Glacier Bay was disappointing . Not Princess’s fault. I visited it years ago, there were not really any impressive views. I kept telling my husband just wait. Then the announcement came on that we were leaving. I couldn’t believe that was all. Overall, we won’t be sailing Princess anytime soon. We plan on trying another company. Keep in mind, these are just our opinions. I’m sure people loved the food and entertainment. I’ll answer any questions you may have about the Ruby or having a suite . Read Less

Holland America was recommended but we chose Princess instead, never again. Horizon buffet had mediocre food at times, other times it was very good. Staff ignored our needs much of our dining time, had to bus our table, find silverware and drinks. Other times they were ok. Anytime dining in the Da Vinci and Michelangelo was fantastic. Food was great. Excursions were OK, Ketchikan was very short. White Pass Railway was great! Fishing in Juneau was great also. Room service was great and timely every morning. Most of the on board staff had poor English speech and understanding of what we would say. Shipboard announcements were mostly not understandable and couldn’t be heard in our cabin. Our only other cruise was with Carnival in the Caribbean and we had virtually none of these issues. Our next cruise will be investigated more closely. While your experience with Princess may vary I will certainly not chose this line for another cruise. Read Less

We went on this very 1st cruise as a family (2 parents in their 50's & 3 adult children in their 20's in a separate room). I picked this ship and itinerary after hours of researching the best option for us. I knew I really wanted to be on a smallish ship that could get close to Hubbard Glacier and take us thru Granite Bay (Captain Todd McBain did a fantastic job getting us within 1/4 mile to Hubbard), with full day stops at the ports in Alaska and a balance of enjoyable entertainment for us adults and adult kids. We were not dissappointed. My husband and I especially enjoyed the shows - Encore, Bayou, Cheasa, Comedian, (not magician though as his show was a bit corny) & going to the game shows put on my cruise ship staff. My kids especially enjoyed the games, such as egg drop in the atrium and ping pong contests, trivia, and the other staff led evening shows. The staff was very energetic and our steward, Benjamin Venida, was extremely personable and attentive. We also enjoyed soaking in the hot tub while overlooking the scenic glaciers, watching movies under the stars with blankets they provided for warmth, and my daughters liked reading books in the quiet library. We liked our Anytime Dining experience and the ability to make reservations day of. When we requested seating by the window, we were kindly accommodated and ended up having a regular table (32) which was in the corner by the window. We really enjoyed the lobster and filet mignon especially when we were able to apply our dining credit to the special menu when Sabitini's was booked. We also at in the Bayou Dining rooms which was very nice as well and our waiter was excellent. The food/dessert was generally tasty. The Baked Alaska parade on the last night was fun and we enjoyed hearing the staff sing Happy B-day/Anniversary to guests as well as the taste of the creme brulee - yum! We regularly ate breakfast in the Horizon Buffet which was a great location at the top of the ship with windows surrounding it. The waiters came around asking if we would like beverages. My husband and son ate pizza at the pizzaria. They said the pizza was too hot and the cheese melted quite a bit and it tasted better when it was cold. We also ate lunch at the Grill by the pool area.The seafood chowder was tasty. I felt bad for the poor girl at the ice cream shop who seemed overworked and under appreciated but access to ice cream at anytime was a nice feature. We stayed in an inside stateroom on the Carribe deck (10th floor) in room C517 which I would highly recommend since it is sandwiched between two other stateroom decks. It was quiet, close to muster stations, mid ship so didn't feel much movement. Positivities Loved the enthusiasm of the staff and warm personalities. The atrium was very pretty. Seating near the windows during meal times - lovely. Getting so close to the glaciers. Meeting such friendly guests. Cleanliness. Great shows. I really liked this ship and the open decks, including semi-private one on the Caribbe floor. It never felt really crowded. Everyone was helpful and friendly. Very relaxing and enjoyable experience. Will definetely cruise with Princess again, and specifically Coral due to the size and layout of ship. Some suggestions: We would love to get all the daily Patters (schedules for each day) at the beginning of the cruise instead of day by day so we could plan our dinners (had anytime dining) and entertainment in advance. In addition, we were told in advance that formal nights are sea days, yet were surprised (as were others seated at our table that night) when we learned fairly last minute that the 2nd formal night was the evening we ported in Juneau. My daughter eats a gluten & dairy free diet. The chefs were kind enough to come out to give her recommendations in the dining rooms and she really liked their gluten free bread. Edible options in the Horizon Buffet were not clearly marked. They did not have almond milk that she knew of nor gluten free cereal. We would have liked signage for gluten free and dairy free items and it would be great if they had almond milk and gluten free bread/cereal available. For us, some food, such as eggs and biscuits, were overcooked but they had a good variety of options. My 3 adult kids shared a separate room. The top bunk bed was uncomfortable for my daughter. It was hard for 2 of the 3 to watch tv since the location of the tv was blocked from view though they did not really spend much time in their rooms at all. Perhaps a moveable mount could help. I felt that the pillows were a bit too squishy and my husband and myself in our room and we kept sinking toward the middle of the queen bed though it was generally comfortable. Benjamin Venida was a terrific, personable, and attentive steward. He was cheerful, called us by name, wished us a great day and good evening regularly, and even gave my son a few extra candies which was appreciated. He kept our room very clean. I wrote him a note and wanted to leave a tip and thank him personally, but I didn't seen him the day we disembarked and felt uncomfortable leaving it in my room since the door was ajar. My suggestion: Give thank you notes and tip if you choose when you see your steward; don't wait until the last day. The cruise director (John/aka Mr. Energy) was hilarious. We really enjoyed the staff led gameshows, etc. The big shows were excellent. The comedian was funny, (we would have loved to see his 2nd show but our dinner reservations could not be changed and we didn't know they were going to overlap) but we did not care for the magician show which felt corny. Sales The coupons, sales, and credits were helpful and encouraged me to buy merchandise. I really liked the free gift from Etsy of my pretty silver anchor necklase. A wonderful rememberance of a lovely cruise experience. Photos I wish the photos were less expensive and we could alter the size and have a cheaper package option (less than $150 minimum). They were good quality photos though. Casino We had fun playing Bingo one afternoon. Spa I did not use the spa, but my son did. Wish I could have let him use my credit as it was pricey for his service. Art: I went to the auction, which was fun but went long (it would be great if they could tell you how long it will be since we had to leave early for the wine tasting). My son got art work at a good price but the cost to ship it and time it takes to arrive is a bit pricey and long. Disembark As first time cruisers, this part was confusing to us. The elevators were full and carrying luggage downstairs dangerous. I think I would better plan ahead next time by leaving our large luggage outside our room. Excursions They were wonderful ports. I didn't appreciate that some shops, in particular jewelry shops, had people standing outside trying to convince us to come in and visit. Some ship excursions seemed very rushed - for example, covering too much ground in not enough time, so we booked some excursions on our own. Skagway: We walked off the port and over the creek bridge into town. We saw a man catch a huge fish. We also attended the '98 Show in the Saloon which was fun and ate lunch at the brewery - the beer garden provided excellent views. My daughter did rock climbing/rapelling, while the rest of us took the van up and bike ride down the mountain. A great active scenic option to sitting on a train. Juneau. We bought tickets at the St. Robert's tram (short walk) with a AAA discount at 8am. Were some of the first to board the tram and hike at the top. Definetly hike to the cross and windsock if you have time. Views are spectacular. Afterward, we called a taxi to meet us at the Red Dog Saloon. She drove us to Mendenhall Glacier where we visited the visitor center and walked the paved trail to beautiful Nugget Falls. Our driver on the way back stopped to buy us some lemonade from kids at a stand. Off the clock. They both provided great stories of the culture and of living there as locals. Finally, we ate at the Red Dog Saloon. Had to have the 'Duck Fart' shot which was fun and tasty. Ketchikan: We all had booked excursions in Ketchikan and were very stressed about making it back in time since the time changed and was scheduled to disembark 45 mins. earlier than originally told. This was a tendered location. I wish Ketchikan port stay was longer so it could have been more enjoyable. We walked through town, saw the salmon in the river. My daughters went on the kayak excursion and me - the group canoe and rainforest trip on the lake. (The clam chowder was excellent!) My husband and son went salmon fishing with Baranoff. My husband caught three - son, none. A couple with them gave them their catch and they were all shipped home. We are eating some fillets for dinner tonight. Read Less