Our first Norwegian cruise but it will not be the last. the refitted Jewel was a pleasure, the sky lounge, multiple bars and sitting areas allowed us to view Alaska as we sailed by and hang out as a multi-generational family. The entertainment was outstanding, especially Ana and Vlad and the Circus Bijou. The food was great, plenty f choice in the buffet, the Irish bar had a great selection as did the Chin Chin Asian restaurant but e mainly ate in the Tsar's main dining room where Alex and team, the special diets co-ordinator made my cruise. Eating out with severe allergies and food restrictions can be a nerve-racking operation with limited choices and constant fears of cross-contamination. Not so on the Jewel. Every day Alex and team brought menus, from whichever restaurant I wanted for me to pre-select, then they and the chef created my food, brought special items (the gluten-free breads were the best I've ever had), the smoked salmon benedict and cinnamon french toast for breakfast were outstanding and every dining experience a delight. Thank you so much. PS Alaska was amazing too. Read Less

One and done, complied with bucket list and 7k poorer. I upgraded, I thought to a larger cabin facing but it turned out to be a basic hotel room size, bed hard as a rock couch hard as a rock but it was my first time so maybe my expectations were too high. And also the Wi-Fi that I paid for sucks so bad that nobody should buy it, just do without. I know it’s a satellite-based Wi-Fi but they shouldn’t try to sell it if it doesn’t work. The room TV was nice except it didn’t work unless you want to watch commercials for people trying to sell you watches, diamonds and artwork, up selling everything on the ship when I see there’s not much to look at when on the high seas. Crew was very friendly and the excursions made the trip. If I had to do it again I’d fly to Ketchikan and use that as my base of operations. The people of Alaska make it a great place to visit. Read Less

I chose the cruise because it departs from Vancouver from our home town, cost is extremely high for what's it's worth. Wifi is expensive and unreliable, dining room and buffet menu selection is poor and limited and almost all meat is overcooked, sitting area is also limited and spread out, only one section of buffet, if you can't find a table close by (which most likely is occupied), you have to walked three blocks to get to the food station, very poor design, should at least put the buffet in the center, only a few items of food with displayed with limited selection and quantity. Hot noodles was served with three to four string of noodles (why bother) almost all customers asks for 3-4 portions Salad varieties is so terrible and only couple of bottle thousand island and French dressing Fruit varieties is poor and limited. mostly not quite ready, maybe worry they would go bad? I lost weight at the cruise by doing and eating nothing. I feel totally ripped off and no one anywhere to complain We were denied access to the theatre because I was pushing a stroller, claimed that the hall is full and yet they allowed someone else to walk in and invite them to stand at the back. Read Less

This cruise had all the right stuff for a nice cruise to Alaska. The ship was beautiful and recently refurbished. The food was good, especially in the dining room. The crew and staff were excellent. But next time, we'll pick a suite. The cabins were really small. Our cabin steward was excellent and very helpful. Unfortunately, we also got to use the medical services aboard ship. Absolutely amazing is all I can say! My husband got very very sick and needed to be airlifted to a larger port of call. The ship's customer service did everything we needed to have done. The housekeeping department and port agent were stellar. The time we did spend on the ship while he was healthy was very very good. The cruise itself, being on a Monday ensured a very relaxed itinerary with very few other ships in port. Norwegian is a good cruise line for all ages. Read Less

My wife, daughter and I have cruised three times on Norwegian, twice with Royal Caribbean and once with MSC and we looked forward to this trip to the beside the shores of Alaska and BC. The cruise overall was wonderful! My wife generously upgraded our balcony room to a Haven suite as a birthday gift. We've had suites before on RC and MSC, but this one was significantly larger including a separate second bedroom / bathroom for our seven year old. The Haven itself is fantastic. Haven areas are on the restricted decks (14 and 15) and include private dining for breakfast and lunch in Moderno, a covered pool/hot-tub that is nice and warm on the coldest/windiest of Alaskan days, a private area on top of the ship (on deck 15) where you can enjoy 360 degree views, butler service, a dedicated concierge, priority seating in the theater, priority embarkation and debarkation, etc. Truly awesome! We were very spoiled for the week! Overall, this is the way to see the coastline. There are some places where it just makes sense to go by ship. Norway (which we did on MSC after Norwegian canceled our cruise without explanation) and Alaska glacier areas are two examples. We spent innumerable hours watching gorgeous scenery out of our balcony with hours and hours going by with no sight of humans. Spectacular! OK, but onto the cruise stuff you guys might care to read about. First, service. We were pretty segregated the whole trip, so we didn't interact much in the public areas of the ship with the exception of listening to music in a bar or two. Our cabin steward, butler (Loy) and concierge (John) were all great. We asked a lot from John during the trip and he was intelligent, helpful and fully understood the context of what his guests would want. In our experience, not many crew members (especially non-native English speakers) are very good at getting the nuances of American culture even after a decade or more working on ships. John just "got it" and made our cruise much better that it would have been without his assistance. Such staff are worth attracting to the ship because they can accomplish more than a dozen 'newbs' can. We spent a bit of time chatting with the General Manager as well, who I think has one of the coolest jobs. OK, so all-in-all the service we received was great. Public service, I really can't say one way or the other albeit we ran into a couple service staff that would randomly bring up how they had toddlers at home that they only got to see every 8 months. We have run into this story many times before (always from SouthEast Asian staff) and I'm cool with it as long as it doesn't sound like a pity story in an effort to get additional gratuity. If we have been speaking with you frequently and we ask, fine, but don't bring it up out of the blue, please people. It's odd. Music: We had a Spanish guitarist that was quite talented and my daughter danced (mostly alone) for at least an hour. We didn't get much in the way of jazz which was surprising for a cruise full of retirees. The show band did a bit and were quite good. None of the other musicians did much for us. There was a Phillipino group singing pop tunes which was pretty awful, but there were enough people watching so at least some people thought it was OK. At least there wasn't a Calypso band on board. Entertainment: We thought it was surprisingly good. Generally the shows don't do much for us. We saw a hypnotist that we had seen before in the Canary Islands, a couple shows with the main dance/musicians, a smart comedian (geared to older age audiences) and a couple shows that were "Cirque" themed. The Cirque stuff was the best. The rest were quite good as well. Cabin: Mostly covered above, but overall it was excellent. Some of the tiles on the bathroom floor were loose and there was an odd frame thing around the master bath toilet flushing button, but the rest was in good shape and very clean. Specialty Dining: We didn't eat in any non-specialty restaurants this trip unless you count having sushi and other stuff at Chin Chin. Everything cost extra in the specialty dining, of course, but we were surprised by how much more expensive it was as compared to Norweigan's prior cover-charge approach. The prices were comparable to what I would expect to pay for a similar restaurant at home, which didn't take into account what we weren't eating at the main dining room / buffet, etc. I am fine with paying 'a la carte, but at least make the pricing reasonable, folks! Perhaps that was why many of the restaurants looked pretty empty at least at the early-ish times were were eating. OK, for the details; Chin Chin: the cheapest of the bunch as most of the food is free. The food was quite good quality and our service there was excellent. It was a bit loud and crowded, but that's fully understandable. We got the last available table which was by the entrance to Teppanyaki, so my daughter got to watch the show (again). The show band was playing for part of dinner downstairs, so that was pleasurable. The sushi from Sushi was excellent. In retrospect, I would have repeated this place more than once. La Cucina: Any Italian would lose their mind in this place. The food was 'meh', albeit the pasta dish we had was prepared perfectly. Italian cuisine must consist of the freshest seasonal ingredients, and the rule is to not screw up the great ingredients by overcooking or over-embellishing. I got the Osso Bucco and was sadly disappointed. It was of poor quality, not prepared well, not flavorful, and didn't even come with the marrow fork. I asked for one and the (Filipino) staff had no clue what I was talking about. Who serves Osso Bucco without a marrow fork?! Not anyone that has familiarity with Italian cuisine. Anyway, I viewed this as a symptom of not hiring more people that are familiar with the cuisines and service expected from a restaurant of that theme. C'mon Norwegian, stop hiring 90% of your staff from the Philippines just because they are cheap and can't sue foreign countries. We know what you are doing! Teppanyaki: This is a typical cheap Japanese steak house. Sit around the grill and get a little show. Service was poor, the food was fine, and the "Japanese chef" was almost as good as you'd find in a comparable place back home. Le Bistro: Good food, good service, somewhat limited menu, and a nice view out the windows (we were eating while passing whales which was really cool). Cagney's: This was the best restaurant in our opinion. The steaks and veal were excellent. The sides were priced separately and were quite expensive but tiny portions. What the heck? Very good service from our favorite server. The sommelier however was really irritating and had no clue what he was doing. He showed up at our table like Lenny and Squiggy arriving at Laverne and Shirley's apartment with a loud "Hello!". He then proceeded to open and pour our wine, but poured my glass and then my wife's. The rules are simple people: The one who orders the wine is asked to taste. Then you serve it to the oldest woman down to the youngest and then the men. Oh and he poured massive pours. What the heck? I was visibly irritated and made a comment to our server. I'm sure anyone server on the ship could have served the wine properly. Why this guy couldn't is a mystery, but I ran into him again at Moderno. This time he obnoxiously pretended to speak Spanish (he was Filipino) and was desperate to point me to a bottle. (I can choose my own wine, thank you very much!) I later complained about his boorish behavior to John, our concierge who relayed it to the head sommelier. Moderno: We ate here for breakfast and lunch every day as we were in the Haven. Service was excellent and the food quality was good, but the menu never changed over the seven days. We mentioned it to the General Manager, but he didn't think it was an issue except on longer cruises. For dinner it is a Brazilian steakhouse that gets its food from the kitchen in Cagney's. The food quality was good, but some of the staff didn't understand the whole 'red card means stop, green card means go' thing. Its basic rules for a Brazillian steakhouse people. The servers bringing the meat should know this. Beverages: Good, but overpriced. Oh, I forgot to mention that we selected a beverage package as one of our free incentives for booking the cruise in the first place, but when my wife upgraded to a Haven Suite, they took this benefit away without telling us. It became a whole two days of trying to sort it out through our concierge, who ended up losing that battle on our behalf. They charge a lot for drinks on this ship. A typical mixed drink was $11+ and a can of soda was $3.50. The drink packages are really expensive too. After a day or two we figured out that we'd never drink enough to make the package worthwhile even at the high prices, so we just paid for what we wanted. We bought bottles of wine every night (which were reasonably priced), so at least that was fine. Fitness Center: They have a whole room full of nice bikes that they only allow to be used when there is a spin class. The rest of the bikes were awful, my wife tells me. I used the treadmill once, which was fine, then I started running on the track on deck 13 instead which involves frequently asking people to move when they are blocking the track. Shore Excursions: We did our own for the most part. We took a helicopter flight and landed on a glacier, we took a cool train ride into Yukon territory (that one was cruise arranged), we kayaked with sea lions, seals and humpback whales, and we did a sled-dog training event. All were awesome and the ones we arranged were cheaper than the ship excursions, but they were still pricey. That said, all were worth it! Why This is Our Last Large Ship Cruise: We just learned how much these ships pollute the air. One cruise line in its European cruises pollutes MORE than every car in Europe combined. What the heck?! It turns out that they could "scrub" the exhaust, but then it just dumps sulfuric acid into the ocean directly. It appears that having your hotel / restaurants move around with you everywhere is wasteful. Who knew? Anyway, we'll just do more fly and drive trips which albeit bad, have much less of a carbon impact than a big ship. Time to go nuclear, folks! Read Less

I went on this cruise to see the glaciers in Juno. It was absolutely breathtaking! The services in general on the cruise was wonderful. And the food at the restaurants were very tasty. The shows were spectacular. I also met some sweet and friendly people on board, including a couple of Australian sisters named Robyn and Jennifer, a nurse name Warren and his wife Shannon, an Irish couple named Dominic and Yvonne. My only regret is that I did not exchange my contact information with them. I don’t know how, But I hope to get in touch with them again. Maybe one of them will give me, Harry Potter, a shout. Overall, this was a fun cruise with lots of activities for our ages. I Will go on this cruise again because Norwegian was so good to guests with vision and mobility disabilities. This is important because my father has two bad knees and I have low vision. Clin729@gmail.com Read Less

I chose this Cruise along with my fellow friends. ( Choir and Ukelele Groups. ) I was able to utilize my Scooter on-board and that allowed myself to enjoy every adventure and opportunity offered. I had a Wheelchair accessible Cabin and it was just perfect. Room for my scooter and plenty of room left for every other need we may have had. The cabin was lovely and the care given every day to keep it clean and lovely was without any doubt, exemplary. The ship was beautiful and at all times well kept and clean and enjoyable to be aboard. The staff were absolutely magnificent.......always pleasant, helpful, thoughtful and very attentive. ( Always a Smile and a Hello. Some made a point of trying to remember your name.) Every need that one could have was met and More. The excursions offered were many and covered so many different interests. There was something for Everyone who may have wanted an adventure in Port. The activities and entertainment onboard were top of the line and very enjoyable. ( The only suggestion that I would like to make is to reduce the cost of the Bingo Games so that more people could participate and perhaps there should be more games than just 3 and larger prizes.) The help getting onto and off of the ship was just great. The staff knew what they were doing and made it very easy for all the passengers to follow the directions and get to the correct place and any help that may have been required was provided. This was my first cruise but it certainly will not be my last.......I am excited and can hardly wait to do it again. Thank you for a wonderful adventure! Read Less

Embarkation took a long time as it seemed all 2380 passengers arrived within a 30-minute window so the queues took well over an hour to check in. Luggage arrived to our stateroom promptly though (just after we boarded), which was amazing. The ship is quite nice but does have a few rust spots here and there even though it was just refurbished late 2018. The staff are excellent overall - special mention goes to Najat from the cruise director's team. She was amazing, very friendly and welcoming. She was chosen to host the LGBT+ meetups, and she was awesome. She's a straight ally, and seemed to love joking around with us gay guys. We made sure to give her an extra gratuity at the end of our cruise to show our appreciation for her welcome. We reserved a balcony cabin, and were lucky to be assigned an oversized wheelchair accessible room - fantastic! The walk-in shower was great and there was lots of space. Lots of storage cubby holes, in-room safe, minibar/fridge (we didn't use it), etc, etc. Condition of the cabin was very good too, although the sofa looked a little worn already. Bed was nice & comfy, and we slept quite well. Restaurants were very good. The Garden Cafe buffet is decent, but feels very busy and like feeding livestock (hehe). We ate in 3 specialty restaurants - Le Select (a very nice French style restaurant), Moderno (a so-so Brazilian steakhouse - it could have been better), and Cagney's (an excellent American style steakhouse). The main dining rooms Azura and Tsar's Palace were very good too - although the food could be a bit hotter in Tsar's Palace. Heating the plates before service would help, but I also understand that on a ship there are limitations. We saw 3 different shows while on board, and they were all excellent. It still boggles my mind that a cruise ship can have a huge theatre on board. This has been our first ever ocean cruise (we only did 1 other when we traveled to China, on the Yangtze River), but we'll definitely be back to Norwegian. Read Less

This cruise was recommended to me by United Cruises once I told them I was interested in an Alaska cruise. i was given several choices, but I was interested in doing SE Alaska because years ago I had done a different Alaska cruise which took me to Sitka, Valdez and ended up in Anchorage where I got to see Delani National Park, which was quite a treat for the senses. Everything was really nice onboard except the food. I found it to be very average in every sense. I never ate anything that mesmerized me. I guess Norwegian has to cut corners somewhere. Otherwise, the cruise was very enjoyable. The entertainment was OK. The highlight of the entertainment for me was the winner of American idol 12 season, a lady whose last name was Glover. She was amazingly good and she performed flawlessly to the delight of the entire theater which gave her a standing ovation. Read Less

I was a bit worried about a "cold weather" cruise because I'd never experienced one. Surprise! The weather did not in any way interfere with our great time and wonderful experiences. We saw the Northern Lights!!! The scenery was incredible and so very much to see. We dressed in layers for the weather but other than that, an a tiny bit of rain in Juneau, the weather was never mentioned, discussed or thought about. All port stops were extraordinary. My favorite, of all three which are favorites, was Ketchikan. Ketchikan was the most picturesque village we saw. I very much enjoyed the entertainment on board; especially the Cirque du Bijou (I think that's the correct name). Those folks were simply amazing. Our dining experiences were are pretty okay. I did not care for Chin Chin at all. We waited thirty minutes to be seated and then an additional thirty minutes to order. Our food order was incomplete and very bland. We did not mention the incomplete order because we didn't want to waste any more time. Just not my favorite at all. We were very fond of O'Sheehan's Grill & Pub. There were always friendly staff and guests around to visit with. Service was perfect. Great cruise! Read Less

This was our sixth cruise to Alaska, all on Holland America ships. People, I know ask “Why Alaska? Why Holland America? Why the same cruise?” I’ll answer the last question first, “Because we can, because it is the most convenient cruise to take from our home, and because we can afford it”. The Alaska cruise is always a lovely cruise, the scenery cannot be beat, and yes you may encounter some rain, but it still can be a marvelous experience. Why Holland America? Well there aren’t too many surprises on their ships, we have traveled on three different ones, and comments about aging vessels really don’t make a lot of sense, they are all well maintained. For the doubters, every ship will have occasional problems, toilets, and a/c malfunctions, but you will get those on any ship in any fleet. We found that Holland America prides itself on service. On the three ships, we’ve sailed the crews seem to be a happy crew. A smile and a greeting will always get a positive result on a Holland America ship. Something we’d been told and found out for ourselves, once the crew gets to know you, they always call you by your name. When they only know you for a seven-day cruise, I find this amazing. You can be way down the hall, and they’ll call out to you. Thank you Holland America for your hiring system. The dining facilities aboard ship, from the Main Dining Room to the buffet and even the Dive-In, are exceptional and there’s always something to please the palate. Now in fairness, I must admit I haven’t sailed on any other cruise line, yet, so my submission may be tainted. We have found the food service to be well above par, regardless of the venue. We have found a home in the Ocean Bar, and it’s not surprising as do many of our fellow cruisers. The bartenders and wait staff can’t seem to do enough for you. Happy Hour is always packed. And again the crew call you by name, which is even more surprising due to the number of passengers they deal with. Each cruise for us has been different, different ships, different cabins, but the service has always been exceptional. On this trip, we were offered a paid upgrade to a suite. It is larger than the oceanview and balcony that we have had in the past. There is plenty of storage space and the bathrooms had two sinks, a jet tub, and a shower stall. The suite was furnished with a most comfortable queen-sized bed, sofa and two chairs. A large widescreen TV had a multitude of options from ship activities, dining options, live TV and movies. There is little to want for in these cabins, they provide a very relaxed comfort zone. The Westerdam is a beautiful ship, the design is marvelous, there is so much to see and do on the ship. In reading some of the reviews on Cruise Critic I sometimes wonder at some of the negative comments from cruisers that were on the ship I was on, where we actually on the same ship? Throughout the ship is works of art, it's like being in a floating museum. On Deck 1, below the atrium, there are even picture frames that you can use to make your own photo portrait. The ship has plenty of elevators but there are also stairs, to wear off the pounds collected in the dining venues, plus the Promenade deck which is covered and allows you to walk around the outside of the ship. When I hear that there is little to do onboard I wonder where these folks may be. Entertainment abounds, music from classical to blues and jazz to modern pop, plus shows in the main theater nightly. There is a small casino. During the day the ship’s activities are for everyone, take your choice - it seems endless. There is lots to do aboard ship. And when we dock, there is a myriad of shore excursions. The highlight of any Alaska cruise is the time spent looking at glaciers. Usually, this includes several hours in Glacier Bay. On this trip, we encountered a different and most marvelous glacier experience. We traveled up Tracy Arm to the Sawyer Glacier. What makes this cruise so special is getting to the Glacier requires sailing up a narrow passageway, through ice flows. Streams flow down the mountainsides making the whole trip an exciting passage. The ice flows are not large, but much larger than those we’ve experienced in Glacier Bay. It is said if you’ve never cruised to Alaska, you need to see Glacier Bay. Once you’ve seen Glacier Bay, you need to see Tracy Arm, you will never experience a more wonderful site. Read Less

I enjoyed my cruise! I particularly enjoyed the lincoln center stage and the walking track. I really enjoyed walking around the deck as it was good exercise after the big meals. I didn't find the entertainment that great other then the lincoln center stage although I heard one of the comedians was quite good - i'm not interested in comedians. The dance number was good but at the billboard singing event they did the singers were horrible. I found there were a lot of talks during the day to keep me busy but the scenery was the main attraction for most days. One example of a talk was on the Pacific Giants (whales) that was good. There was a naturalist on board and I attended one of her talks on salmon. She also held wildlife sighting sessions, although I didn't attend that. There was a really good Alaska in Concert show where they had a film of alaska accompanied by the musicians of BB Kings and Lincoln Stage. The food was good. I preferred the main dining room to the buffet. There was a seafood night in the buffet though on the ketchikan day that was good. I particularly liked the steak and lobster tail on the second gala night although unfortunately it was rough that night leaving ketchikan and I couldn't completely enjoy it. I was a solo traveller but I found everyone friendly at the dining room. The only tour I did was a rail/bus excursion by Chilkoot charters in Skagway and it was nice it only had 24 people on the bus instead of the 60 provided by cruise lines. Make sure you sit on the right if you are going up to Fraser on the bus as you will have better scenery. Note the bow is open on the Glacier Bay day and the inside passage day. Luckily we had a nice day for Glacier Bay. Note that while overall we had good weather, september has 3 times the rain as May or June. So you are taking your chances in September that you will have good weather - I lucked out. Some people complain of Noordam looking worn but that didn't bother me. I thought it looked nice. I liked being on what felt like a small intimate cruise ship - lots of nooks and crannys to sit in. Disembarkation went really smoothly as I chose to carry my own bags. My only complaint was if i'd know I would have a more leisurely breakfast! Overall, a great first cruise. If cruises weren't so expensive for singles, I would cruise again but as it is I would have to be picky about prices to choose Holland America again. Read Less

We sailed Sept 22-29th 2019 and had a positive travel experience made so by the excellent serving staff throughout the ship, in our cabin (thank you Ricki and Ahmad), and dining service (thank you Ari Komang Joseph Izebb and Sudika table 311). Among ourselves, we commented daily on how hard working and pleasant all the ship’s staff were. We ate breakfast and dinner in the dining room, and used the Lido Market and Lido Dive In for lunch. We chose a wine package so that we could enjoy a bottle of wine with dinner. This was much more reasonable in price than any of the drink packages. Any cocktails we wanted were purchased a la carte. Embarkation was a long but necessary process, again with excellent staff and lots of helpful agents to answer our questions. Disembarkation was extremely smooth. Well done Westerdam! We arranged tours in Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan through Holland America. The tours were a little pricey for what was offered. They were pretty basic. Again the staff assisting with the tours and security check in. Our only complaint is Westerdam’s outrageous charge for internet and bottled water in the room. Westerdam, you’re taking advantage of a captive market by charging these exorbitant fees! Read Less

We wanted to experience the suite life on a cruise. Golden is among the ships with the cheapest suites (the window suites) and a short cruise (4 days) is among the cheapest types of cruises. YES I'm frugal but still enjoy cruising. Everything on board was fabulous (this was our 6th cruise). Staff and the ship were great. We had the champagne welcome, the afternoon tea, in room canapes and fruit bowl. We had the free bar set up and I managed to swap it out for the stuff I prefer. The menu and staff in the Club Class dining room were great. We entered when we wanted and NO WAIT. We had a choice of tables. A couple of dinners we shared tables with other couples. Nice people and great conversation. A couple of meals we had just the two of us. We also had the mimosa breakfast in the Crown Grill. Different menu but all good food and staff. I especially enjoyed the Bircher muesli with mixed berries. Of course I have a few grumbles. Starting with US Customs. A 3 hour wait. They know they had 3 ships leaving, they could have put on more staff. At least the Cruise Terminal staff were efficient and had seating arranged so I was only standing for two 20 minute sessions with seating in between. When we finally got to customs, we ran our passports through a scanner, got our tickets, handed them to the agent and walked through. Three hour wait for an automated scan. And you can't do anything about the rain in Ketchikan. We were smart and brought rain coats. In the gift shops people were scrambling for cheap disposable rain coats. We docked at pier 4. As far from the tourist part of town as you can get. I wanted to visit Creek Street. There was a free shuttle with a line up but I couldn't be bother to wait in the rain and then walk about. We hit a couple of gift shops and went back on board for lunch. Read Less

This was a back to back cruise at the end of the Alaska season for the Golden Princess. We left Vancouver for Ketchikan, back to Vancouver, then sailed on to Victoria and San Francisco in a second 3 day cruise. End of season cruises are the best! After spending months on the Alaska run, the crew was heading to Hawaii and then on to Australia and they were in high spirits. The entertainment crew was able to shed their Alaska lumberjack costumes for Hawaiian shirts. Because these were short cruises (4 day and then 3 day) the schedule was packed with activities. It was a delightful experience on this lovely ship. The Golden is an older ship with a passenger capacity under 3000. It has been refurbished and was in really excellent condition even after months on the family-packed Alaska itinerary. It has a lovely atrium around which there are numerous restaurants and bars. The lower floor Vines is a favorite and this one did not disappoint with an excellent selection of wines and superior service. Don't miss the wine and chocolate pairing. This level also has the International Cafe that offers a selection of included sandwiches, soup, salads and desserts in addition to a full bar and coffees. Upstairs is Crooners bar that was always busy and featured a good piano player. From Crooners, one wanders toward the back of the ship to the Explorers Lounge with a stage and frequent entertainment then the Wheelhouse bar for quieter enjoyment and finally on to the Vista Lounge. Centrally located are the Italian Restaurant and Steak House that are available for a small additional charge. Not being red meat fans, we chose the Italian restaurant and found the food and service to be excellent, well worth the extra charge. This ship had a really excellent wine list and we were able to enjoy a favorite bottle of Central California red wine with our dinner at a very reasonable price. For daily dining, we always choose seated dining at a large table. The crew has a talent for seating a together a group of compatible people and this trip was no exception. The food and service were excellent and so was the company. I can't say enough for the entertainment and activities. The entertainment staff went above and beyond. There was daily Zumba and tai chi plus trivia and an ever changing schedule of challenges ranging from Passenger Feud to Moose Racing to an egg drop that challenged passengers to create a device that would prevent a raw egg from breaking when dropped from two stories up to the atrium floor. I came home with a nice Princess water bottle and wine bottle stopper for participating and I had a great time doing it. On both legs the captain sponsored a champagne waterfall in the atrium with ample champagne for the passengers. The pool deck is inviting and was not crowded. This ship has an open pool area and also a covered pool that was more used in the cool and wet Alaska weather we encountered. There was simply too much fun to be had below decks for us to make much use of it. Service was excellent across the board. It always amazes that crew can remember you and your preferences with ever changing passengers. This ship was especially good. Our dining room waiter worked in the anytime dining room for breakfast and lunch and always came over to say hello. The bartenders in Vines and Skywalkers remembered us and our drink preferences and were always ready with beverages and conversation. Our cabin attendants were excellent. Even though we did not select these cruises for the ports and shore excursions, Vancouver proved to be better than we could possibly have expected. We did a Fraser Valley Wine Tour that was really excellent. Who knew? These Canadian wines are not readily available in the US and they are excellent. We also very much enjoyed Granville Island where we did a brief pre-cruise stay. Overall, this was an absolutely terrific week and we look forward to doing it again next year! Read Less

The embarkation was terrible it took 41/2 hours to get us all aboard. There were three cruise ships, 9,000 people boarding at the same time. Lots of people saying they have never experienced such a wait and would never do this cruise again. Definately put me off going on a Princess cruise again. Ended up leaving an hour late! The food was mediocre, and please when you do an Italian dish, look it up as it was was not made properly. Our room was cold and a shower would be better then a bath as people with certain disabilities find it hard to climb in. Otherwise the entertainment was great, but the casino could have more of a variety of slot machines. Ship is very clean and so is the restaurant. When making milkshakes straws are used NOT spoons. The staff were excellent and very helpful. The advertising for Effee needs to be toned down a lot. On the whole I had fun. Read Less

We sailed on the Mariner twice in Alaska. I must admit I am a cruise writer and went on her to write a review. She was my sixth RSSC cruise and I've loved them all. Why? Because Regent has style. It's chic, but not pretentious. The dress code is comfortable chic and easy to abide by. Most of the food is exceptional. We always have found the service tops. Sure there hasn't been a lot of night time shows, but they are adding some. Doesn't bother us as we rarely go to ship shows. Having done hundreds of cruises we realize that the entertainment is often sub par. There are exceptions. But hey, we're transplanted New Yorkers and used to top performances on Broadway,etc. Whenever we sail on RSSC we don't want to get off and that's saying a lot. I never cared for the Canyon Ranch Spa and was happy to learn they've replace it with a Serene Wellness Spa. But I do use the steam bath and fitness center often. I love the all-inclusive fare which is really what it says, too. The free wines however could be improved upon they are fairly inexpensive labels. Read Less

Staff excellent- nothing was too much trouble for them. All equally good. Food really good, with service too match. Cabin was also excellent. Plenty of on board activities on on shore excursions for those who wanted them. 10 out of 10 in all respects - would definitely book this ship again - if we do I hope they have the same staff. We did not use all the facilities, but those we did use were very good. There were plenty of places to have a drink or a coffee, or a snack. We were watching from our balcony when one person was late in returning from an on shore trip - but the ship waited for her and the staff were helpful in getting them on board even after the gangway had been taken up earlier! I hope we get the chance to rebook the Coral Princess - that would be my first choice. Read Less

Here's how we would (and do) compare Regent to Oceania. The ship was lovely, our cabin was spacious, and the walk-in closet was more than sufficient. In addition, the service was very good, albeit not quite up to what we have come to expect on Oceania. The showroom and shows were every bit as good as Oceania. The entertainment director, Andy, was the best we have ever had and we met some really nice couples, whom we hope to hear from in the not too distant future. Now, the reason we will not go back to Regent any time soon. The food was inconsistent, ranging from usually just OK to downright it had to be sent back, and even after that, the replacement was only 50% good, starting with two lamb chops ordered medium-rare. one of us had overly salted meals, mostly in the main dining room, one of which was almost inedible, but she did not send it back because she was eating very little. She found other meals too salty, as well. Finally, in our favorite restaurant, the Italian, where we did not need reservations and where we ate 4 times, the 4th time the meal surprisingly was almost incredibly over-cooked. It seems the only restaurant of the four (including the main dining room) that could cook meat as ordered was Prime 7, the steak restaurant. Read Less

My second cruise on the Coral, this time in a balcony A610. A great location with covered balcony allowing us to step out even in the rain and not get our feet wet! This cabin was on the port side, a fantastic location to view the glaciers. Embankment was smooth and efficient. Sailaway was under sunny skies for a 7 day Alaska cruise-last of the season. We had the beverage package, gratuity and OBC as perks for this sailing. Very convenient for all drinks including specialty coffees and bottled water. Was very wet and stormy in Juneau, Skagway was phenomenal as was Glacier Bay. We were unable to dock in Ketchikan which was very disappointing. Activities on board were great but many overlapping so had to choose. Could have had more variety in entertainment comedian twice ventriloquist twice and on show was the Piano bar Don Juan show. Great show. Read Less

We picked this cruise to see Alaska, especially the inside passage and Ketchikan. Although scheduled, the cruise skipped both. That was extremely disappointing. Princess did nothing to make up for it. The staff were excellent, friendly and efficient, especially in the bars and restaurants. The food varied from good to poor, but there was a lot of it. The drink “packages” were overpriced, I don’t recommend them. The room service menu was surprisingly limited. The Coral Princess ship was nice. We had taken this cruise before on other ships, and the ports and shore excursions were excellent, but on this cruise we took no excursions primarily because of the bad weather. Embarkation was easy and quick, but disembarkation was a nightmare. Customs was easy, baggage collection was easy, but the line to get a taxi took two and a half hours! Standing in the cold with 2,000 of my best friends for that length of time was miserable. Overall, of ~20 cruises I’ve taken, this was the poorest. Good luck. Read Less

We've always wanted to visit Alaska and I'm so glad we chose Celebrity to take us there! We embarked in Vancouver (lovely city) and went to Hubbard Glacier, Icy Straight, Juneau and Ketchikan. The Eclipse is a beautiful ship; very elegant and spotlessly clean. Service was exceptional all around. We ate at Moonlight Sonata (main dining room), Ocean View Cafe (buffet), and Cafe el Bacio all were great! We had mixed reviews at Tuscan Grill. I enjoyed my meal, but my husband ordered steak and he hated it. The steak was the only bad item we had all week. Our favorite was Sushi on 5, we ate there twice and loved every item we were served. We didn't go to any shows, but we were never bored. Plenty of bars with great drinks and lots of little places to meet people or just have a quiet moment alone. The ship only felt crowded in the Ocean View Cafe during peak hours. Embarkation and disembarking were tough, with long lines. We've had similar experiences on other cruises. Overall, it was an amazing cruise and we can't wait for our next Celebrity adventure. Read Less

Chose this cruise because we wanted to see Hubbard Glacier and we did! Went with friends who had never sailed on Celebrity. They were very impressed. We had been on Eclipse before and knew what to expect. We had done the other Alaska cruise on Celerity, but different itinerary. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. Could not have asked for a nicer crew. Everything was well kept and service outstanding. Our stateroom attendant was fantastic and everything was very well kept. We had a table for four early seating and were treated like royalty. Can’t say enough how efficient everyone we encountered was and they were exceptional. Food was very good. The Captains Club hostess, Rose and Fabio were so amazing. The Concierge class stateroom is a very nice enhancement to make the cruise special. Will definitely book another cruise on Eclipse. Love the Persian Garden!1077 We enjoyed everyone that we encountered. Read Less

Amazing cruise! The food was some of the best we've ever had. The 24/7 access to caviar and champagne was one of the many decadent perks on this cruise. The Patio Earth & Ocean restaurant was our personal favorite. The food and ambiance was consistently fantastic, and it was always our first choice for dinner. It was the perfect addition for those wanting a more relaxed, yet refined dining experience. The suites were spacious and meticulously cleaned, and the balcony provided a serene environment to take in the stunning Alaskan scenery and glaciers. Cruising Tracy Arm and Icy Strait Point provided some of the best whale watching and glacier views. Throughout the entire trip the staff went above and beyond to accommodate any request. The customer service surpassed our expectations! Staying on this ship felt more like a massive private yacht than a cruise line. I highly recommend to anyone wanting a luxury cruise. We will be cruising with Seabourn again. . Read Less

We decided about 18 months ago to take a trip for our 15th anniversary and we went with close friends who were married the same year. We are 2 couples ranging in age from mid-40's to early 50's, We selected Holland America because of their history cruising in Alaska.We also liked the idea of a smaller, quieter ship. While we are not seniors we tend to go to bed early and don't need the night life that some other ships provide. We booked 18 months in advance and selected an aft balcony and our friends chose a port-side signature suite. Just before final payment the prices dropped considerably so we contacted the travel agent. Because of the promo we booked under they wouldn't credit us with the difference but they offered to upgrade us to Neptune Suites which we happily accepted. We ended up on Deck 6 port side and our friends were on Deck 7 starboard. Embarkation - I had heard that embarkation can sometimes be long waits at Port of Vancouver. We arrived around 10:45 and we were on the ship by 11:20 with no wait at any point of the process. Very smooth. Cabin - we were in 6064 and our friends had 7051 and we were all happy with the accommodations. The room stewards were so friendly and attentive. Our friends were directly across from the Neptune Lounge and we were one floor below which I honestly didn't mind. Neptune Lounge - the concierges Carina and Kristine were both lovely, welcoming and helpful. We didn't really use their services much except to cancel a pre-paid dinner and make one dining reservation but they were always happy to answer questions. Having access to tea/coffee and snacks was a nice bonus. I would often wander up there early in the morning to grab a tea and a croissant to bring back to the room. Lido - We went to the Lido for only 3 meals the entire cruise, mainly because it was like feeding time at the zoo! I found it chaotic, crowded and only mediocre food. Don't get me wrong, no one was going to starve and the food wasn't bad, just not good enough to make up for the atmosphere. Main Dining Room - Despite booking super early we had open dining. While we liked the flexibility of the Open dining I think it also affected the service in the dining room. We only ate dinner there 3 times and while the experience got better each time it was still not up to the level of past cruise dining experiences. I found the main dining room crowded, noisy and rushed. I felt like our waiters made no effort to connect with us, nor did their service elevate the meal in any way. Tamarind - FANTASTIC!!! We loved the food and service here so we ended up going twice. The servers were so welcoming and they memorized your names. When you saw them later in the cruise in a different location they remembered your names. So personal and lovely. Food was delicious. They even brought me a special cake for my birthday. Pinnacle - As Neptune suite guests we had access to the Pinnacle for breakfast and I have to say that was the best suite perk that we had. Breakfast choices provided a lot of variety and it was delicious. Staff in the Pinnacle were so welcoming and always remembered your requests from the day before. We also had one lunch and one dinner in the Pinnacle and they were both delicious. Excursions - We booked two different excursions through Holland America and we were happy with both. In Skagway we did the White Pass Rail to the Yukon which was a full day tour, including lunch. In Ketchikan we did the Wilderness Explorer Cruise and all-you-can-eat crab feast. Both excursions were well done. In Juneau we opted to rent a car and explore on our own. Entertainment - We visited Billboard one night. The female piano player had a beautiful voice but the man was not great. Mid-week we discovered BB Kings and we wish we had made the effort to check it out sooner because it was great. They do 3 sets every night and the place was packed! We didn't do any of the EXC talks in the main theatre as that's not our thing. We did watch the comedian Jim Short and the illusionist Leon Etienne. Both were great. They also did a variety show on the last night with both of them. We had planned to see the dancers one night but they were cancelled for their safety due to high waves and rocking ship. Disembarkation - We were in the first disembarkation group which was announced at about 7:45 am but since we didn't have a flight to catch until later in the day we had a leisurely breakfast before getting off the ship at about 8:30. From the time we scanned off the ship to when we were outside the terminal was less than 12 minutes. Super fast and efficient. Overall Impression - We found that the things people paid to upgrade (Neptune Suite, specialty dining, etc) were fantastic and provided the experience and level of service we expected of the cruise as a whole. Those things which were included (Lido, Main Dining Room, etc) were not up to par with what we were expecting. We didn't have a bad experience but our experience in the upgraded areas certainly made the cruise that much better. It's just unfortunate that we had to pay for the level of service that has been included on past cruises with other companies. Read Less