I loved this cruise. The Ruby is not a brand-new ship, but it looked great and I never felt like there were cosmetic issues with the ship. We had booked a regular balcony and were upgraded to a premium balcony just a couple days before sailing. The extra space is all balcony and it was lovely! We slept with the door open every night, listening to the waves. For an Alaska cruise, I highly recommend a balcony room if you can swing it.
Our Cruise Director, Matt O'Brien, and his entire staff were so much fun. I loved the game shows and other similar activities. The North To Alaska program brought in some wonderful and interesting speakers. There was a Captain of fishing and crabbing boats and my favorite was Libby Riddles! What a thrill to see her in person and hear her speak. There was so much to do that we couldn't do everything that we wanted. I found the service on-board to be exceptional. Everyone I encountered was friendly and helpful. Being nice to them goes a long way. What I noticed most on this cruise is that those with a good attitude had a much better time than those who kept seeing the dust on the vase, rather that the flowers.
Our cabin was always clean and comfortable. I traveled with my Mom, so we had twin beds and plenty of room for all our stuff (neither of us packs light). We were close to the forward elevators. The extra space on the balcony was nice. Just for information, the entire balcony isn't covered.
Pier 91 in Seattle is very efficient with embarkation.
We had gorgeous weather and got to see the glacier calve. Couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Fun and pretty town to wander. Take the funicular up to Cape Fox Lodge.