This was my first cruise overall and first trip to Alaska also.
Overall the cruise was poor, I thought. The ship is really showing its age, the buffet was basically 1 step above school cafeteria food and the complimentary dining locations were only a little better. Our cabin steward was very good. The pre-cruise hotel was adequate but there was a lot of confusion over how the pier transfer would take place. The shore excursions went okay but there was no shuttle to return us to the ship in Ketchikan, meaning we had to hustle back on foot in the rain to make it by all aboard time. Disembarkation was a mess. Our luggage tag color was not called until approximate 35 minutes after the scheduled time and one of the zippers on my suitcase was broken when I retrieved my bag from inside the terminal. The airport transfer went smoothly.
The Bridge viewing area was nice, but it was a bummer that the only time we were able to access the bow was when we cruised into the Endicot Arm to see Dawe’s Glacier. The on-board entertainment was hit or miss. Some performers were good, others not so much. We bought the ultimate beverage package...found it weird that they would not give us a can of soda, they used plastic cups and poured from can into cups. Items in the refrigerator in the cabin were not covered by beverage package. Wait times for restaurants weren’t bad, except the last night.
The cabin was very small but adequate. The bathroom was cramped. There was only 2 power outlets in the cabin itself: one for the tv, and the other at the desk. The beds were neither bad nor good.
The embarkation process was slow and complicated. Long lines, very strict beverage policies.