We had never been to this area before and worried that it might be too hot or smoky in the summer, but we had good breezes throughout, with minimal smoke and the entire ship is cooled perfectly. Our room was larger than most of the big cruise lines, and we enjoyed the smaller ship with about 130 passengers onboard. All were friendly and warm and we liked sitting with new people at any table and at any time during the meal hours. We especially appreciated the plentiful seafood and beautifully cooked shellfish options at almost every meal, with the addition of a good wine selection at lunch and dinner. Servers are young and often new, but they are cheerful and eager to help in any way. Most of the excursions are complementary, and there is usually enough time to walk near the ship along nice river-side paths. Multnomah Falls is beautiful and we loved Astoria, with a great Maritime Museum next to the ship, as well as the fresh ocean breezes on the Coast. Mt. St. Helen's was far more interesting than we'd thought and the videos on the bus ride were fascinating and helpful en route. Evening entertainment came with popcorn and an open bar, and was always enjoyable but not so long that we couldn't get to bed at a reasonable hour. The onboard speaker was also more informative that we would have thought, and brought the rich history, like Lewis and Clark, to life for all who attended. We were surprised that the onboard art classes were so entertaining and approachable for all skill levels. The artists were very encouraging and we learned a lot in just one week. We had great chats with both passengers and got to know some of the servers quite well. The onboard entertainers had a great variety of music and lovely harmonies, and we also loved a local musician who came on with a fun and entertaining night of 'Cowboy Songs (not something we thought we'd love but we did!) and impressive guitar skills. One person who kept everything organized was the friendly and efficient 'Olivia' - always available for excursion questions, changes, timely announcements (and mixing an excellent drink at the bar!). We look forward to our next ACL cruise!