We went on this particular cruise with this particular cruise line because our son was recently hired as a crew member, and this was the last Alaska cruise we'd be able to take with our son on board. So the destination, Alaska, was our decision, but the ship and dates were determined by our son. He's a dancer with the production cast, and the entertainment was GREAT, first class every night--singers, dancers, tribute artists, hilarious comedy and a world-famous acrobatic team! Wow and double wow! The house bands were showcases in and of themselves as well. And Cruise Director Vincent is a superstar of energy, personality and talent all rolled into one!!

The food was very good--the buffet was great, but too few tables for two and too many half-empty larger tables in the Garden Cafe, so it was often a hassle getting seated. The Indigo and Summer Palace dining rooms were VERY nice--elegant feeling, great waitstaff, delicious food and reasonable portions. The public areas are large and welcoming, but the chair seating everywhere is terrible--uncomfortable chairs arranged in ways that didn't make any sense and were difficult to rearrange.

We had an inside cabin, which was all we could afford, and it was really quite fine. It was too cold to take advantage of a balcony on this cruise anyway, but a window would have been nice--maybe next time. Crew members everywhere were uniformly friendly and helpful, and as our cruise progressed and more crew learned that we were the parents of one of them, we really became part of their family. Read more