Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I never discovered any "reviews" before my wife and I embarked on our very first cruise. Again, fortunately, and based on conversations with fellow travellers waiting for overdue airline (United Air Line) connections in the Vancouver airport, we made the best choice going with Royal Caribbean.

Some may find this review trivial or too detailed, but frankly, I wish I'd seen something like this before our cruise. It would have taken some of the uncertainty away.

Arrival

After a one and a half hour late arrival in Seattle via Delta Airlines (a direct flight that got diverted to Omaha for extra fuel), we were met at the boarding gate by an RCL employee bearing a sign. She collected everyone from the flight off to the side and we followed her, like the "pied piper" through the throngs of people to the baggage area. We identified our luggage (it had a special light blue Rhapsody of the Seas sticker) that we hadn't seen since boarding in Cincinnati, and it was put on a luggage carrier. We again followed her to the transportation area where we were given a box lunch and a bus number. We didn't have a chance to sit down when our bus was called and we got off on a 3 hour trip to Vancouver Pier. The luggage was handled for us with no worry. We reached the Ship at 4:15 for a 5:00 departure. Missed the Life Boat drill, but not the ship as several people did. They were flown to Juneau where they joined the cruise.

I think that the next cruise will include an extra night at the departure city just so we don't have to worry about connections and will start the cruise fresh and ready to go (plus you can eat lunch on the ship). A small investment for a greater piece of mind.

Vancouver

The bus drops you at the Vancouver departure area, and you are sent to a counter where you present your boarding tickets and identification. The counter person asks for a Credit card which he puts into a computer terminal. You receive a credit card for the ship which is your room key, boarding pass and charge card for the entire cruise. Each room has a safe and you can just put your money there and not worry about it until you go ashore. You just don't need it...anything you want to purchase on the ship goes on the card, and you can play in the Casino using your shipcard. The young man asked if I'd like him to hold my credit card, but being a bit skeptical, I declined. He then asked if "this wasn't the shortest checkin I'd ever had"...and I did have to agree. Out another door to a photographer from the ship. They took a pic after 12 hours on a plane and a three hour bus trip, (not what you'd call the BEST photo op) and we moved onto the ramp. The first thing that transfixes you is the immensity of the Ship. Ten decks high, 915 feet long, it's all you can do to take it all in. Entering the Ship, employees welcome you, ask your stateroom number and send you off in the correct direction. Employees are also stragetically placed at major intersections to help you find your room.

The Ship

The ship is beautiful. A floating city. Dining areas, two pools, three lounges, a night club at the top of the ship, boutiques, camera store and Photo Gallery, a theatre (Broadway Melodies), Card Room, Library, Internet Center, Study, Solarium (indoor pool), fitness room, shuffleboard and minature golf areas, jogging track (4 times around = 1 mile) and a Casino.
The center of the ship, the Centrum, is dominated by a hanging sculpture that runs from Deck 5 up to Deck 9. There are overlooking balconies, easy chairs, glass enclosed elevators and even a fountain. During the evening and late afternoon, three piece bands, or ensembles, play and you can dance on a small dance floor next to the Champagne Bar where you can get Champagne and Caviar.

Each evening, you get a copy of the "Compass" which details what is happening aboard the next day, with a card containing scheduled times. There is enough to do onboard that you never really have to get off. Exercises, games, bingo, dance lessons, dancing, shuffleboard, minature golf, Library (books have to be checked in by Friday noon), Casino (wear your Tuxedo, play Roulette and pretend you're James Bond...) and on and on and on. Each evening there is a show in the Broadway Melodies theatre. Two nights were by the ships dance cast, one night was B.J. Thomas, (we ran into him in the Gift Shop one evening - a very nice person), there were comedians and a really good pair of juggler/comedians.

They do two shows nightly, so both the early and late diners can attend. The seats have drink holders built in and there is bar service.

The photographic staff is always busy snapping pics around the ship. They also offer "formal" poses with different backgrounds. The pictures are offered for sale ($9.95 to $20.00) in the Photo Gallery. You can pick what you like and what you don't you just drop in a slot. They also do up some postcards and take pics as you get off the ship at various ports. The shops (camera/film, liquor, a boutique, jewelry, glass/china, clothing) are duty free and open only while the ship is cruising), as is the casino. The shops also have periodic sales on various items.

Even with a full complement of passengers and crew, it didn't feel crowded. Lines were mostly non-existant and there was a suprising mix of ethnic groups. Everyone was friendly and the crew was most helpful with whatever you needed. The Pursuer's Desk was available 24 hours for any problems that might arise. They also cash travellers checks but only one personal check per cruise.

Easy chairs abounded everywhere you could find a window. Bar service was available all around the ship. You could sit and watch the scenery, or read ,talk (or in my case grab an occasional little "nappie")...whatever you wanted.

Dining

The main dining area, is two levels with an open central area and is called the Edelweiss Room. Seating for the dinner meal is always with the same people. We were put at a table for four at the early seating (recommended if you are not a "night owl") with a very nice couple from Nebraska.It was a good match since both of the ladies were teachers. Planned do you think?? The selection was very good. You could choose from 3 appetizers, 3 soups (usually one was a cold soup), two salads, 4 entrees, and three desserts. If you didn't particularly like the offered entrees, you also had the choice of three alacarte entrees. If you didn't like what you ordered, you could get a completely different selection. Unfortunately, the table was in the back corner, and didn't have window access, so we missed seeing whales one evening. The second time during that same dinner that "whale" was called, we got there to see a person walking down the deck with a sign that said "whale"....:0)

The table waiter, Depak, from India was great! We also had an assistant table waiter, a wine steward and a bar waiter. Depak was a bit hurt the one night I opened my own napkin so that only happened one night. It was always "Sir" or "Madame" and the food was superb. My wife who is diabetic, also got a sugar-free dessert each night. I do wish they would make more than one choice available for diabetics. One warning, the coffee is strong!

Other dining was available in the Windjammer and the Solarium. The Windjammer, deck 9 forward, served all three meals just in case you didn't want to go the main dining room (especially on Formal Dinner nights (2)). They also had a simply incredible number of dessert selections for lunch and dinner. Breakfast and Lunch in the main room was "festival" seating so you didn't know where or with whom you would sit. The Windjammer was buffet style and we ate most breakfasts and lunches there. A very nice buffet setup. The room was forward with windows all the way around. You could just sit and enjoy the view while eating.

The Solarium (very "Egyptian" in decor) was the indoor pool and served hot dogs, burgers, fries and drinks during the lunch hour.
One night was the Captain's Buffet. All the table decorations were made from vegetables and there were ice sculptures. They opened the main dining room at 11:30PM for 45 minutes to allow you to take pictures, closed for 15 minutes to rearrange the furniture and opened again at 12:30pm to allow you to "browse" the buffet.

Overall, the food was superior with no complaints from either of us. Steak, Lobster, Prime Rib, Salmon, several other types of fish, pasta, and just about anything else you can ever imagine were available.

While in Alaskan waters, they served a very good Alaskan Lager. Alcoholic beverages and sodas were extra, but coffee, and a suprising selection of teas were always available. We didn't try room service, so I can't comment on that.

We were more than happy with the food service.

Tours

You can sign up ahead of the actual cruise for shoreside excursions, (RCL sends you a booklet and signup sheet ahead of departure) and I would recommend that. I'd also say not to do more than one per stop, especially if you want to spend any time looking around the towns. After debarking, the tour guides meet you at the pier with the ever present signs and direct you from there. All of the tours we took had a bus waiting, except for the White Pass and Yukon River Rail Road ride in Skagway, and we got off the ship and went directly to the train which had backed onto the pier. At each stop, the Cruise director lets you know about tours and their status. All of the chopper rides were cancelled when we got to Juneau. I'd recommend booking a ride in Skagway, since the weather is usually better there. You can sign up for excursions on the ship, but the lines are rather long (the one exception to lines...poor planning since you can do it all ahead of time). If you can't get a tour, you don't get charged.
All of the piers were within easy walking distance of the towns, and after all the food you eat, you might want to condsider taking the chance to exercise a bit.

Juneau: lots of overcast and enough rain to cancel the chopper rides. We took the Juneau Wildlife Cruise out of Aku bay and saw humpback whales, dolphins, seals, and eagles. Their cruise boat was plenty big, had a upper deck and provided snacks (the salmon pate' was super) and drinks. We had to "tender" off of the Rhapsody (use the ships lifeboats to get into shore) because there wasn't enough dock space available. The boats held 144 and were covered. An interesting experience.

Skagway: the Yukon Pass and White River R.R. is a very nice trip up into the mountains. This is the original narrow gauge line built for the gold rush. Lots of history and beautiful scenery. A recommend. I 've also been told that the Stowaway Cafe is a great place to catch a meal. Be prepared for lines though, as you can picture what an influx of 2-3000 people can do to a waterfront area.

Also took the gold panning and history trip. Interesting lecture and got to pan for gold (about $1.50 worth) but a nice interlude.You get so little you have to suck it out of the pan with an eyedropper. Once is enough though.

Haines: just around the corner from Skagway, we went on the Chilkat Eagle Preserve trip. A bus ride to the Museum with a very informative talk and lots of stuffed animals and a raft of Eagles in various poses. Then onto the preserve where we saw several eagles and some Mountain Goats. A nice walk on a trail out to the river. The tour guide told us that only one ship at a time was allowed to dock at Haines because the town is so small (only about 600 year round residents). I later checked other Cruise line itineraries, and it looks like RCL is the only one to stop there. We were there later in the evening and managed to see some beautiful mountains (that's a plane in the upper left) and the sun beginning to set.

Hubbard Glacier: What a sight....6 miles wide, 3-400 feet high and beautiful. We got pretty close and the Captain shifted the ship so both sides got a good look. The rescue boat was put out just in case. We saw the glacier "calving" while we were there.
Just as a thought, you should get to the rail early, or find a not-so-obvious spot (the deck area in the Library is a good one) to view the Glacier. It gets very crowded, and people being people (and sometimes rude), don't want to give up their "good" spot so someone else can take a picture without heads in it. Be patient, the Captain will turn the ship so both sides get a view (something else we didn't know ahead of time). Anywhere on the rail you can find a spot will be good. We didn't realize right away the ship would be turned and were a bit "put off" by those already at the rail.

Ketchikan: Save your shopping for this town. Lots of nice stores and the prices aren't too bad. A.J., the "shopping Queen" from the ship had arranged several "deals" with some of the stores. Coupons, "loss leaders" and things like that. We didn't get the tour we wanted here, so spent the time shopping...Good prices on Diamonds and Gold if you want it...said to be comparable to prices in the Caribbean and a lot of the same stores. The Scanlon Gallery is very nice. We purchased a limited edition print by a local artist and they shipped it home for us. Arrived 4 days after we did, so I guess the Postal service isn't too bad from there. The fur stores are also great places. The coats were fabulous.
Also take in the Lumberjack Show, a really interesting hour with history and some comedy, log-rolling, climbing, chopping and some serious log cutting (two-man saw vs. chainsaw)You have to see it to find out who wins!

Clothing and the weather: I'd recommend more "cooler weather" clothing than hot weather clothing. We saw lows of 52 and highs of 65 (in Late July), with lots of overcast and lots of rain. Raincoats (not umbrellas-I hate them because they take up more than their share of space) are required. Sweat shirts with hoods, gloves and some kind of hat. Better to "layer" your clothes as much as possible. The Inside Passage is very wet. Juneau gets 120+ inches of rain a year. We didn't see the sun until Monday afternoon on the Wildlife cruise. You can go here and check the weather for any Alaskan city as well as access historical data.

Cameras: we took a Pentax 35mm and an Advantix. The Advantix is just great for panoramic shots, and the 35mm is fine for others, but please, make sure you take a "long" lens (300mm at least) for those faraway Eagle pictures. Nothing worse than showing someone a pic and having to say "see that little white spot? That's an Eagle".

Tipping
Tipping is done on the last day of the cruise. Envelopes are provided for your waiter, assistant waiter, head waiter and cabin steward. The tipping guidelines are suggested, but of course, you can choose to tip what you like.

Overall, it was probably the best vacation we have had. No parking, driving, hotel, food worries. Get on the Ship and enjoy yourself! We are DEFINITELY planning on another trip!