As we have just finished most of our packing, time for some final thoughts on the cruise.
Wonderful staff. Some of the best I have encountered on over 60 cruises and all the major lines. Great service in Club Orange and the Crow's Nest. The concierge in Neptune Lounge was so helpful.
Some very good food, especially at the Pinnacle Grill. We ate all other dinners at Club Orange. While the food was generally good, I was hoping for a slightly more elevated experience in that venue. The Gala night menus didn't "wow" me. Neither had a lobster starter or main which I thought was odd.
The entertainment is a mixture of good and bad. Some very good live music with the BB King band and the dueling pianos. Didn't spend any time in Rolling Stone Rock Room but I heard the band and they sounded very good.
The shows on World Stage were almost all interpretive dance shows from a single dance company. Perhaps that is what the key demographic on this cruise wants to see, but it wasn't for me. Would have been nice to mix in some other types of musical shows. They did have a great BBC Planet Earth show which was amazing.
The ship is in great shape for being six years old. It looked the same as I remember when I sailed in the inaugural season in July 2016.
We upgraded to the Elite beverage package. It was worth it to me since there were several wines I
liked that weren't in the $11 price range. I also liked having unlimited canned waters. I probably drank at least five a day and usually brought one back to the cabin each night. The cocktail program is strong and each bar has a unique menu of special cocktails to try. Makes it fun to put together your own bar crawl.
Having the Neptune Suite was definitely worth it for this sailing. We spent a lot of the scenic cruising time out on the large balcony. On Glacier Bay day, the concierge arranged an afternoon tea which we enjoyed there. I don't think I would need that suite for all sailings but it really enhanced this Alaska sailing.
The Navigator app could be frustrating at times but I found myself using it more as the cruise went on. And the ability to mobile order from NY Pizza and Dive In was so helpful and a great timesaver. We would order while having cocktails at Crow's Nest then run down to pick up and being back to the bar to eat.
Overall a great cruise. Definitely will consider this ship class for our next Alaska sailing.
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