I chose this cruise with the help of my travel agent, mostly because I wanted to go to Alaska and because the ship is very new.
I arrived to Seattle in the early evening the night before the cruise since I have been to Seattle previously. I stayed at an airport hotel and had their shuttle return me to the terminal in the morning to get my pre-purchased cruise transfer. I found the embarkation process very overwhelming. I had to check in about 3 times just to get to the waiting area at the airport terminal. Seating option is to sit on a freezing cold cement bench until your shuttle boarding number is called. Signage is poor. The entire process is poor.
The ship is beautiful. There are many activities; however, only about half of them are included. Talk about nickel and diming. Since this was my first cruise, I couldn't help but compare it to the all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean which are a one-stop shop. Yes, it is possible to not partake of any additional activities at a cost, but sometimes there is just not anything else going on and you are on vacation, so you cave in.
Cabin was very clean. Balcony was priceless and also a highlight of the trip. The weather was very pleasant and the scenery was gorgeous. It was exciting to watch the ship arrive and depart from the ports. Unfortunately I did not see any whales or the Northern Lights but it was nice to know that the possibility was there.