Chicago, U.S Rockies By Rail & Alaskan Explorer from Seattle, 3 August 2026 (14 nights)

Service was good, but the weather could have been better. Prefer summer time cruises, but this was a winter cruise.

Bit underwhelmed by times and space in venues. With the exception of guest services the staff were excellent. Stateroom tired but kept spick and span by our room attendant.

Apart from Guest Relations, the ship’s crew were wonderful and nothing was too much trouble. Our Signature Suite was very comfortable and it was lovely having a bath and a kettle. The food in the Dining room and specialty restaurants was very good and my gluten allergy was catered for by ordering my meal the night before. There were very few g/f choices in the Lido and a mad scramble for tables so we tried to avoid it as much as possible. The ship was extremely cold. Men were wearing quilted jackets to dinner and I needed my thermals. Many people complained, but they refused to adjust it. The entertainment in the theatre was poor, even the pianist said she had never played on a ship without an orchestra before and had to use a backing track. The Rolling Stone was a nice venue and the group were good, but so loud that you had to stand outside to enjoy it. We enjoyed the Crows Nest Bar for morning coffee and pre dinner drinks. The Best of Seoul excursion was very good, but the Kagoshima view of the volcano trip was a waste of time as we had a better view sailing in. Embarkation and disembarkation were very well organised and we liked the fact you could choose your time to get off the ship with your own cases if you wanted or outside your stateroom before midnight if you wanted them taken off for you. Lastly, if you suffer from sea sickness, this isn’t the ship for you. We suffered very rough seas and could feel every motion.

We loved the fact that the ship was refurbished last year, not huge, and the food was exceptional. The excursions were well organised but expensive. Staff onboard in the restaurant and bars were helpful and friendly. The Dressy evenings were more casual than we would have liked. Very few male guests were wearing dinner suits. We had a suite and it was spacious and had lots of storage. It’s a pity that you can’t have an iron in your cabin. Or a laundry room where you can do your own ironing rather than having to pay.