We chose this cruise for the departure port and itinerary, but I wouldn’t change anything. The ship is older and doesn’t have all the wizz bang features of the new ships, but that’s not why you cruise to Alaska. I didn’t notice any maintenance issues or problems with cleanliness. No funny sewerage smells or problems with air conditioning. Our stateroom was always clean and very comfortable. The size was not massive, but more than enough considering the amount of time we spent outside our cabin. Overall the crew were very friendly and efficient. I agree with some of the comments about the buffet, but if you choose carefully you can still have a good meal every time. If you time your meals correctly there are virtually no queues and we always found a table. Remember there is another seating area towards the back of the ship on both sides. We chose traditional dining for dinner and were able to get a table for two after requesting it on the embarkation day. We had to share for the first night, but had our own table for the rest of the cruise. The menu is adequate and again with careful choices you can have a lovely meal every night. The Crown Grill was excellent. Great food and service. Alaska was amazing! We even saw the Northern Lights (on the departure out of Haines and only for about fifteen minutes). I would happily cruise on the Grand Princess again. We’re already planning to repeat this cruise with our kids in a couple of years.