I have wanted to cruise Alaska for a while and this cruise was arranged for us after a fortnight in an RV touring the Canadian Rockies. The flight from Vancouver to Anchorage, hotel and train were all arranged through Princess and went smoothly. We were first to arrive at Whittier and had to wait for check-in to open so were quickly on board and luggage delivered quickly. Our first impressions of the ship were good - loved the elegant decor (not glitzy). We had an outside obstructed view but could see over the lifeboat and when we were at the glaciers we went out on deck. Found the bed to be very comfortable and although the bathroom had a few shabby areas, overall not as bad as I expected having read earlier reviews.

We ate in the Portofino dining room each night and mostly the food was good. Husband had fish one night which was a little dry and a slightly chewy steak but generally it was okay (only got petit fours one night - another cutback?)

Captain Micele Tuvo was great and really added to the cruise with his friendly banter and informative messages including when he woke us all at 5 am so we could see the Northern Lights. He got the ship as close as possible to the glaciers and we were the first cruise ship this year to see the John Hopkins Glacier. Read more