Alaska on the Ruby Princess 9/23-9/30

 

This was the only picture we got

This is a cool pic! Love the water colors.

Really enjoying your trip report so far! I noticed in many of the pictures you are wearing your Hunter boots - did you find those sufficient for getting around while staying comfortable? Did you feel hiking shoes were necessary or would have helped for your trip? Looking forward to the rest of your trip report!

Hi! I loved my Hunters! However, I wouldn't recommend them if you plan to do excursions that require a lot of walking. I loved them for the ones we did, especially since it rained in the majority of our ports. I mostly brought them along because I live in Las Vegas and don't get many chances to wear them ;). I did have one day (in Juneau) that they were a little uncomfortable due to the socks I wore that day. Luckily, we were just on the whale watching boat so it barely affected me. Make sure to break them in if you choose to bring a pair along!

Sorry, everyone, for keeping you waiting for the rest. I remember reading reviews this summer and checking every day to see if there was a new post. Now I realize that it is much harder to finish these than I previously thought.

Also, not sure why some of the pictures won't post... I went to edit those posts but can't figure it out. Luckily, none of the pictures seem too be too important for the review :)

Day 6: Ketchikan

So... this is where our trip kind of took a turn for the worse. I apologize in advance for doom and gloom you're about to read. Part of the reason it has taken me so long to finish this review is because the last couple days didn't turn out how we expected.

We woke up early (common trend on this cruise). We were both excited for Ketchikan-- me because of the cute little town, my DH due to Alaskan Bush People, and both of us because we were most looking forward to the day's excursion. We had been planning our seaplane excursion with Island Wings for the past year. It was the first excursion we booked and the most expensive by far. We packed up our necessities and went down a couple levels to get off the ship. I will say that we never had much of a wait to get off and Princess did a great job of making it orderly and quick.

We made our way to the famous Ketchikan rain gauge where we were instructed to meet our tour guide. We had received an email the week before that, due to unforeseen events, we were going to be going up with Randy instead of Michelle. I was a little disappointed but quickly got over it... we were just excited to see Alaska by air!

We got there early so my DH took pictures and I took shelter under the visitor center's awning. It was definitely raining hard!

We waited around a bit but started to get concerned since no one else was there and we didn't see anyone holding up a sign. About 5 minutes before we were supposed to meet our tour, a women came out and stood talking to a man. I wandered over thinking I might be able to hear if they were also on our tour. I heard the woman mention that she was waiting for two customers. I went over and asked if she was with Island Wings. It turned out to be Shona. I quickly motioned for my DH to come over.

Unfortunately, Shona gave us the bad news that the cloud cover wouldn't allow us to go up after all. She stated that it wasn't due to safety reasons but due to not being able to give us a good tour of the area due to low visibility. I was appreciative that they would cancel (and refund our money) since we wouldn't be able to see the fjords. She told us to go with the man she was talking to and he could help us find something else.

While I appreciated that she cancelled the tour and came to meet us, I felt like her attitude put a damper on the interaction. It felt like she was putting the blame on us for making her come meet us. I guess she had tried to call but my phone never registered a missed call and she didn't leave a voicemail. She also didn't make an effort to apologize... she just stated it was cancelled and that was it. It wasn't until I asked that she gave a reason and offered to refund us. She also rolled her eyes at one point. Then, instead of offering advice on things for us to do instead, she quickly pushed us onto another guy and quickly left. As of today, we still haven't received our refund. I'm glad I'm writing this because it is reminding me to call tomorrow to ask about it. I would still recommend Island Wings because I do appreciate that they would cancel if the weather would impact the tour and I have heard such great things from others. I just wish the interaction would have been friendlier.

So we walked with the guy into the visitor's center. It turned out that that's where the different tours are offered. He was very pushy and came off like a salesman (I never got his name or else I would advise against working with him). When we declined an expensive tour, he looked at us in disgust and shook his head like we were cheap. He also talked bad about the other tour operators that were by our boat and said that his was the only good tour.

Already disappointed by our cancelled excursion, we were not in the mood to be bossed around so we said we would find our own tour. I'm glad we did because I looked up reviews later for the tour he was pushing us to go on and they were not good.

We decided to walk around a bit and gather our thoughts on what to do for the day. As we were walking, we came across a store that offered tickets for the Duck Tour. We at least wanted a bit of a tour of the town and figured most other things would be cancelled due to the rain. Plus, it was fairly inexpensive so we could save money and use our refunded seaplane money for another vacation.

The next tour was leaving in about 10 minutes so we made our way to the duck boat (stationed by the Ruby). It was covered from the rain and there were blankets on each seat... I thought that was a nice touch. There weren't many people on the tour so we ended up each getting our own row so we could each have window seats.

The tour started by picking up people from the other ship and then we made our way through town. The driver and the guide were very funny and made the tour. The guide made jokes and also gave a history of Ketchikan as we drove through. I wish I could remember their names! The salmon were just about dying out while we were there. It was pretty sad to see them dying as they attempted to swim. Later we saw dead fish along the banks.

We drove to the water and then just boated around the harbor. It was pretty anticlimactic. I'm glad the guide was funny because otherwise we would have just sat looking at the town from the water (something we could've done from our ship). The boat dropped us back in town and that was that. Would I recommend this tour? Hmm... I would say yes, if you have nothing else planned and want a brief history and introduction to the town. If you are hoping for a tour to see sights you wouldn't get just by walking around then I would skip it. The driver and guide made it worth it and it was interesting to hear about their lives in Alaska.

We felt pretty crummy by the time we got back to town. The rain was never-ending and had gotten worse while we were on our tour. There were tons of people just walking around and barely any room on the sidewalk (I'm assuming people either didn't go on tours or theirs were also cancelled).

The only souvenir that I really wanted (other than ornaments) on this trip was a wooden bear puzzle that someone had posted on this forum. We made our way to the gift shop that sold it. Unfortunately, the puzzle was sold out. So we just walked around town a bit (until we were too drenched to enjoy it) and then went back toward the ship.

I wanted to salvage the day a little bit so I suggested we grab a bite to eat before getting back on the ship. We chose a restaurant on the way back to the ship. I wish we hadn't. We both ordered the crab grilled cheese sandwiches. We waited for a bit and finally one of the sandwiches came out. The waitress realized she only put in one order. So I let my DH eat and waited for mine. Mine finally came out and tasted a little funky but I was so hungry I ate it anyway (anyone notice any foreshadowing?). We went back to the ship and gladly took off our rain gear and decided to relax until dinner.

Day 6: Ketchikan continued:While we were on our tour, my mom and stepdad went on their own. They had arranged a walking tour through Princess. My mom raved about it. She said she learned so much and the rain really wasn't a problem for them. I think she enjoyed this tour the most (other than the Harv & Marv one).

I'm happy my mom had a good time on the tour because when she got back to the ship, she found out that her flight back home for the upcoming Saturday had been cancelled. She had to spend the afternoon trying to figuring out other options with spotty cell phone service and slow internet.

By the time we were back on the boat, I definitely felt a little under the weather. My DH decided to take a quick nap and I sat outside and watched us sail away from Ketchikan (and Alaska!). I had mixed feelings... I was sad to have the Alaska portion over but also relieved to be out of the rain with Victoria to look forward to (sunny weather in the forecast!).

It was formal night so we started getting ready (early dinner meant we also need to be ready earlier). I started feeling really sick while getting ready. I didn't want to miss the formal night and figured I could always come back to my room if I got too nauseous. We didn't even take pictures so you can tell that I was not feeling my best. At this point, I knew I was feeling this way due to the grilled crab sandwich at lunch.

My mom had told me that the previous night, while we were celebrating our anniversary in the Crown Grill, one of our waiters came by and asked where we were. My mom said we were at CG and he told her that he had a surprise for us. She reassured him that we could be coming tonight (Thursday). Needless to say, she was not about to let me go back to my room once I started feeling even worse at dinner.

I ordered the main course (lobster and prawns) but declined an appetizer or soup. And I wasn't able to even try my main course. I just felt miserable by this point and wanted it to be over. The rest of my table raved about the lobster so I'm so disappointed I wasn't able to eat any.

Our waiters were so nice and brought us a cake for our anniversary. They also sang for us. It was one thing that made me feel a little better!

I cannot rave enough about the servers in the main dining room. We still miss them!

I ended up going back up to our room and my DH went to the show alone. I'm sorry to admit I don't even know what the show was or how it was. I think he enjoyed it and I'm glad he got to experience one more night of fun.

Quick note, even though I knew my stomach issues were related to my lunch, I was very careful to keep my germs (just in case) to myself. I didn't touch the handrails or elevator button and didn't touch silverware or plates at dinner. I also used hand sanitizer and washed my hands whenever I was by a bathroom. I did not want to potentially spread anything to others, even though I knew it was my grilled crab sandwich.

Day 7: Victoria

We actually slept in a bit this day due to not having any plans until later. We went to the buffet for breakfast (I didn't eat anything due to still feeling a little funky from the night before). Then we went back to our room to pack. Packing was quick and easy.

We decided to set our luggage out to be picked up the next day and found out we were in the pink group (to get off at 9:30). My mom and stepdad decided to walk off with their luggage so they were planning to get off at 7:30. They had decided to rent a car to drive back home instead of fly so they wanted to get an early start. Our plane didn't leave until 7:30 on Saturday so we didn't want to get off at 7:30 with a whole day ahead of us.

To be honest, today was just a rest day for us. Neither of us can remember anything we did other than hung out in the room. It was sunny and beautiful out. The highlight of the day was whale watching from our balcony. We heard our neighbors shouting about whales and so we went out to our balcony. There were at least a dozen whales leaping and showing their tails. It was pretty spectacular. Unfortunately, they were too far away for my camera to get a picture and my DH had already packed away his camera.

I ordered room service for lunch. I got a chef's salad, tea, and a slice of cake. It was good and it was so nice to eat in the comfort of our room. We brought dollar bills along to tip but we did not order room service as much as I had thought we would.

We went to the dining room for dinner. It was supposed to be open seating due to being in Victoria that night but we were lucky enough to get our same table and servers. What a wonderful last dinner! Of course, we can't remember what we ate this last night. I'm sorry, guys, I really should have written this stuff down. Those last couple days were kind of a blur. I do remember that we had the baked Alaska with the waiter parade. It was so fun! Like I said, a great way to end our dining experience on the ship.

However (warning: more doom and gloom), we were met with an unexpected and unwanted surprise announcement over dinner. The captain came on the sound system and told us that we would not be going to Victoria as planned. Even though the weather was sunny and no clouds outside of the Victoria harbor, he said that the harbor had a terrible storm that made it unsafe to port. There were audible gasps across the dining room. We were so disappointed. But, what could we do?

My mom and stepdad went back to their rooms and we wandered around to try to figure out what to do. We expected them to put on a show or something but instead they played reruns of movies in the theater and did a few more trivia activities in the bars.

We had fun at the trivia activities. We participated in a couple games, including: close-up items trivia, myth or truth one, musical numbers, and then we went to another one but left pretty soon after it started since it was already late by the time it started.

Overall, not a fantastic day. The whales were amazing (keep your eyes out while you're sailing back south from Alaska) and the last dinner in the dining room was great. The trivia was good but did not make up for missing Victoria.

Luckily, we had booked our excursion for Victoria through Princess (the only Princess one we did). It was the horse drawn trolley tour of Victoria. We just got our refund a couple weeks ago. It was such an easy process to get refunded through a cruise ship rather than having to figure it out later. It makes me reconsider paying a little extra through the cruise line. Especially since we still haven't been paid back from Island Wings.

Day 8: Disembarkment

I woke up very early. I wasn't feeling well and I was worried about potentially being actually stomach-sick rather than just suffering from food poisoning. I actually ended up calling the passenger service desk and asked if I should get off the ship as soon as possible or if I should go to the medical wing when it opened so I wouldn't pass around any sickness. They were so nice and told me that I was welcome to disembark at 7:30 when we arrived in Seattle. I called my mom and told her that I would be getting off with them. My DH would stay behind to collect our bags and then meet up with me. Luckily for us, my sister currently lives in Boston but has a condo in Seattle. She sent her friend over with a spare set of keys and my mom and stepdad agreed to drive me there in their rental car.

Disembarkment was way easier than I thought it would be. We gathered on deck 7 and quickly were off the ship and through customs. Unfortunately, I realized after I got off the ship that I had packed my DH's passport with mine (since the original plan was for us to disembark together). Customs told me that he would not be allowed to get off without a passport so he had to come get it. And then, once he was off the ship, he was not allowed back on. So my poor DH had to get off the ship, come get his passport, and then hang out around customs until 8:45 when our bags were ready to go. He is the best and I'm so thankful to have him.

My mom, stepdad, and I made our way to the rental car area and then rode the shuttle to the downtown garage. I believe they used Enterprise. The check out was easy and we were soon on our way to my sister's condo. I immediately went in and fell asleep. My DH took an Uber from the pier and also took a nap. When I woke up I realized that we were so over this vacation and it was worth whatever price to get home earlier. I called Alaska Airlines and the customer service rep could not have been nicer. For $50 we were able to change our flight and were leaving 5 hours earlier than expected.

We took an Uber to the airport and it was easy getting through security. The plane ride was uneventful and finally we were home. Never had we been so happy to be in the Vegas heat. We were home by the time our original flight would have been taking off and we soon received word from my mom that they also made it home. We all breathed a sigh of relief.

I'll post some final thoughts tomorrow. Including: pros/cons of September cruising, packing tips, and other miscellaneous words of advice.

What a fantastic review - thank you. We sailed 2 days after you - 25th Sept - from Vancouver and we had the complete opposite to you. We had rain in Juneau and then after that the weather got better and better. Skagway was amazing full sunshine and blue sky - we took the train up and then a Van - we went up to Emerald Lake and back down the road - really good. That night and for the next 2 nights we saw the northern lights too.

Glacier bay we woke up to fog - but that literally passed one minute later to a stunning cloudless day. To top that day off we saw humpbacks 'bubble netting'. Ketchikan the weather was good - we grabbed a tour by the port where we were hoping to see bear but we didn't and the driver seemed to drive round in circles the full time - we ate at the inn by the port and have to say the food was good - it was not my favourite port - the smell of the rotting salmon on creek street was awful. I am so sorry that you were ill. Victoria was a highlight for us - the weather was amazing and we grabbed a whale watching tour -saw loads and we loved victoria. We then went on to Astoria and finally San Francisco - as it was the last cruise of the season. Just goes to show that 2 days later what a difference it can be.

Thank you so much for the fabulous cruise review! I am sorry to hear about your experience with Island Wings. It is one thing to have them cancel due to weather which I understand but there is no reason for them to be rude to you and it concerns me that you still have not been reimbursed.

We are booked with Michell and Island Wings July 2018 and it is a rather expensive excursion I will be devastated if it doesn't pan out! Looking forward to your final thoughts of your overall experience!

Thanks for this review! I'm planning an Alaskan cruise with my parents as well! I've selected the Ruby because a round trip works better for us, and the recent low reviews have made me nervous!

Thanks for a great review. Well done.

We did our first Alaska cruise in September of 2007 (on the 19th or so) round trip San Francisco, so 11 days. In Canada, we hit a huge storm, port of Sitka - missed. We then had rain every day, except the last port day in Victoria.

We originally planned the Misty Fjords sightseeing through Princess but cancelled it after there were two fatal crashes that season. I did at one team email Island Wings but they never replied.

Our helicopter ride to the top of Mendenhall Glacier was cancelled due to rain. So, September weather can be dicey.

Finally updating this, sorry about the wait. So some last thoughts about our Alaska cruise...

Pros:

• Fall is beautiful at the end of September (if it isn't pouring!). I loved seeing the fall colors, especially in the Yukon. Juneau also had some fall colors that were gorgeous
  
• The crew on the Ruby were phenomenal. We will never forget our steward and waiters from the dining room.
  
• The bed was comfortable and the room was spacious enough for our needs
  
• We loved having a balcony
  
• It was amazing to see Glacier Bay and all the sea animals
  
• Harv and Marv's Whale Watching was probably my favorite excursion
  
• Renting a car from Avis for the Yukon was easy and it was fun going at our own pace
  
• We had great weather in Seattle and Juneau
  
• The ports were fairly quiet since there were only 1-2 boats docked with us at each port. I cannot imagine ports during busy season because I felt like Ketchikan was populated to the max when we were there
  
• Souvenirs were on sale since we were the last boat of the season
  
• We were sailing out of Alaska when pods of whales were also leaving and it was AMAZING (unforgettable!) to have them swim alongside the boat
  
• I really enjoyed the food. My DH and I agree that doing the traditional dining with my parents was the highlight of the ship
  

Cons:

• Weather was terrible for the last few days of our cruise
  
• Victoria got cancelled due to the weather
  
• Our seaplane excursion got cancelled due to the weather
  
• Everyone that I went with got sick (my mom and stepdad with pneumonia, my DH with a cold, and me with some stomach stuff). Talking to other people on the ship, it seemed like everyone was sick.
  
• Glacier Bay was beautiful but we didn't get to see very much further out because of the fog
  
• Alaska (at least the inside passage) is not as beautiful as any of us (in my party) were expecting. I had too high of expectations of the beauty and wish I would've been more realistic.
  

Things I wish I had known beforehand:

• The ports are very geared to tourists. They do not seem very authentic and there are the same stores in every ports (SO MANY jewelry stores). I would not recommend going to just enjoy a port. I would definitely do an excursion at each port
  
• I had heard about the bad weather at the end of September but I was hopeful that we would either have nice weather or that the bad wouldn't be so bad. Well, it was bad. If I were to ever go back, I would go in July or August. I know that people will tell you that you can have bad weather anytime you go and that you can have good weather in September. However, why even take the chance? Spend the extra money and get better chances of sunny weather
  
• Many things are shut down at the end of September. Carcross was closed for the season in the Yukon, stores in ports were shut down. Plus, you could tell that employers were just ready to be done. Many of the souvenirs were either sold out or we got the bottom of the barrel (broken ornaments, scratched magnets, leftover clothing sizes)
  
• I would not pay more for the speciality restaurants. It wasn't that much extra and the food was good, but I really enjoyed the main dining room and didn't feel like it was a necessary splurge.
  
• Definitely dress up for formal nights. It makes it so much more fun!
  
• Make back-up plans for if weather cancels your excursions. Ketchikan and Victoria were the worst days of our cruise due to cancellations. I wish we would've planned ahead a little better.
  
• Do not overplan. I know this advice will fall on deaf-ears since you're on a cruise-planning website. However, I feel like I way, way, way overplanned. It caused me to have high expectations that weren't met. Try to relax about planning and expect things to go wrong.
  
• I was expecting so much more from our naturalist onboard. He was a major disappointment for me. The park rangers at Glacier Bay were fabulous though.
  
• Would I go on another Alaskan cruise? Maybe but probably not. I don't know if I am a cruising person and I'm not sure I would take the chance to get rained-out again. I will definitely go back to Alaska though. I don't regret going and I'm glad I experienced an Alaska cruise.
  

Let me know if you have any questions. I hope my review wasn't too negative; I just want to be realistic and present a different view of the cruise than we usually read on these sites. I do have enjoyable memories from the cruise and I'm glad I went. The first half of the trip was great!

What a fantastic review - thank you. We sailed 2 days after you - 25th Sept - from Vancouver and we had the complete opposite to you. We had rain in Juneau and then after that the weather got better and better. Skagway was amazing full sunshine and blue sky - we took the train up and then a Van - we went up to Emerald Lake and back down the road - really good. That night and for the next 2 nights we saw the northern lights too.

Glacier bay we woke up to fog - but that literally passed one minute later to a stunning cloudless day. To top that day off we saw humpbacks 'bubble netting'. Ketchikan the weather was good - we grabbed a tour by the port where we were hoping to see bear but we didn't and the driver seemed to drive round in circles the full time - we ate at the inn by the port and have to say the food was good - it was not my favourite port - the smell of the rotting salmon on creek street was awful. I am so sorry that you were ill. Victoria was a highlight for us - the weather was amazing and we grabbed a whale watching tour -saw loads and we loved victoria. We then went on to Astoria and finally San Francisco - as it was the last cruise of the season. Just goes to show that 2 days later what a difference it can be.

I'm so glad you had a wonderful cruise!! The weather the week before us and the week after was great. We missed out ;p. Yours is a good perspective for other travelers though!

Thank you so much for the fabulous cruise review! I am sorry to hear about your experience with Island Wings. It is one thing to have them cancel due to weather which I understand but there is no reason for them to be rude to you and it concerns me that you still have not been reimbursed.

We are booked with Michell and Island Wings July 2018 and it is a rather expensive excursion I will be devastated if it doesn't pan out! Looking forward to your final thoughts of your overall experience!

Unfortunately, we still haven't been reimbursed. However, Michelle did contact me last week asking for my address (though I have given it to them before) so I am hopeful the check is coming soon. Hopefully it works out for you! I've heard great things and I wish we could've gone!

Thanks for this review! I'm planning an Alaskan cruise with my parents as well! I've selected the Ruby because a round trip works better for us, and the recent low reviews have made me nervous!

I loved the Ruby!! I loved the crew members, food, and the boat overall. I think you will love it!

Thanks for a great review. Well done.

 

We did our first Alaska cruise in September of 2007 (on the 19th or so) round trip San Francisco, so 11 days. In Canada, we hit a huge storm, port of Sitka - missed. We then had rain every day, except the last port day in Victoria.

 

We originally planned the Misty Fjords sightseeing through Princess but cancelled it after there were two fatal crashes that season. I did at one team email Island Wings but they never replied.

 

Our helicopter ride to the top of Mendenhall Glacier was cancelled due to rain. So, September weather can be dicey.

Ugh, sounds like you had a similar experience as us. September can definitely be dicey, I would choose the summer months if I had to do it again.

Finally updating this, sorry about the wait. So some last thoughts about our Alaska cruise...

 

Pros:

• Fall is beautiful at the end of September (if it isn't pouring!). I loved seeing the fall colors, especially in the Yukon. Juneau also had some fall colors that were gorgeous
  
• The crew on the Ruby were phenomenal. We will never forget our steward and waiters from the dining room.
  
• The bed was comfortable and the room was spacious enough for our needs
  
• We loved having a balcony
  
• It was amazing to see Glacier Bay and all the sea animals
  
• Harv and Marv's Whale Watching was probably my favorite excursion
  
• Renting a car from Avis for the Yukon was easy and it was fun going at our own pace
  
• We had great weather in Seattle and Juneau
  
• The ports were fairly quiet since there were only 1-2 boats docked with us at each port. I cannot imagine ports during busy season because I felt like Ketchikan was populated to the max when we were there
  
• Souvenirs were on sale since we were the last boat of the season
  
• We were sailing out of Alaska when pods of whales were also leaving and it was AMAZING (unforgettable!) to have them swim alongside the boat
  
• I really enjoyed the food. My DH and I agree that doing the traditional dining with my parents was the highlight of the ship
  

Cons:

• Weather was terrible for the last few days of our cruise
  
• Victoria got cancelled due to the weather
  
• Our seaplane excursion got cancelled due to the weather
  
• Everyone that I went with got sick (my mom and stepdad with pneumonia, my DH with a cold, and me with some stomach stuff). Talking to other people on the ship, it seemed like everyone was sick.
  
• Glacier Bay was beautiful but we didn't get to see very much further out because of the fog
  
• Alaska (at least the inside passage) is not as beautiful as any of us (in my party) were expecting. I had too high of expectations of the beauty and wish I would've been more realistic.
  

Things I wish I had known beforehand:

• The ports are very geared to tourists. They do not seem very authentic and there are the same stores in every ports (SO MANY jewelry stores). I would not recommend going to just enjoy a port. I would definitely do an excursion at each port
  
• I had heard about the bad weather at the end of September but I was hopeful that we would either have nice weather or that the bad wouldn't be so bad. Well, it was bad. If I were to ever go back, I would go in July or August. I know that people will tell you that you can have bad weather anytime you go and that you can have good weather in September. However, why even take the chance? Spend the extra money and get better chances of sunny weather
  
• Many things are shut down at the end of September. Carcross was closed for the season in the Yukon, stores in ports were shut down. Plus, you could tell that employers were just ready to be done. Many of the souvenirs were either sold out or we got the bottom of the barrel (broken ornaments, scratched magnets, leftover clothing sizes)
  
• I would not pay more for the speciality restaurants. It wasn't that much extra and the food was good, but I really enjoyed the main dining room and didn't feel like it was a necessary splurge.
  
• Definitely dress up for formal nights. It makes it so much more fun!
  
• Make back-up plans for if weather cancels your excursions. Ketchikan and Victoria were the worst days of our cruise due to cancellations. I wish we would've planned ahead a little better.
  
• Do not overplan. I know this advice will fall on deaf-ears since you're on a cruise-planning website. However, I feel like I way, way, way overplanned. It caused me to have high expectations that weren't met. Try to relax about planning and expect things to go wrong.
  
• I was expecting so much more from our naturalist onboard. He was a major disappointment for me. The park rangers at Glacier Bay were fabulous though.
  
• Would I go on another Alaskan cruise? Maybe but probably not. I don't know if I am a cruising person and I'm not sure I would take the chance to get rained-out again. I will definitely go back to Alaska though. I don't regret going and I'm glad I experienced an Alaska cruise.
  

Let me know if you have any questions. I hope my review wasn't too negative; I just want to be realistic and present a different view of the cruise than we usually read on these sites. I do have enjoyable memories from the cruise and I'm glad I went. The first half of the trip was great!

Great review! Could you tell me the names of your MDR waiters? Do you remember your table #? Were you by a window? We're sailing the Ruby on December 9th and will try to get your waiters:cool:

thanks so much!