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Alaska Cruise Reviews: Empress of the North

August 2003

Empress of the North departing Seattle.

We had been on large ships and thoroughly enjoy the pampering and luxury. For Alaska we decided we wanted to see glaciers up close and bears from our ship so we decided to go the small ship route. Linda gave us information, which led us Empress of the North. It was a simple decision as we are not the eco adventure type people, we want our luxury and pampering and a small ship.

We sailed from Seattle to Juneau. The ship reminded us of a homey southern inn. Our cabin was more like a hotel room; we even had a rocking chair on our balcony. We visited some of our friends cabins and they all seemed to be decorated a little differently, different colors and furniture and all as beautiful as ours. We were very happy and surprised at the quality of the accommodations compared to other cruise ships like Holland America.

Our fellow passengers were mostly retired, age range from 65-75 I would say, not really sure about this. There was a young couple on their honeymoon; I couldn't figure that one out. Most people like us had traveled quite a bit and it was their first time to Alaska, just like us. Sailing was smooth and we got a lot of attention wherever we went, as the ship is new and very unique looking.

The Romano Dining Room aboard Empress of the North.

Food was delicious in the Romano Dining Room as well as the Calliope Bar & Grille where my husband would over indulge on their homemade soups and chili. We had entertainment during the evening and lectures from the historians on board during the day when we were sailing. When in port we had shore excursions that were arranged by the ship. One of our favorites was the Archangel Dancers in Sitka.

Due to the small size we were able to get into Fjords and up close to the Glaciers more than the large Princess and Holland America ships. Alaska was as beautiful as we had heard and we loved our experience. Having the luxury of a large cruise ship and the smallness of our ship really served our purpose. This was not an inexpensive trip, but we felt it was wonderful value for price. Having all the shore excursions included was a nice feature as well as the size and décor of our cabin. We highly recommend this cruise to your clients.

Linda, we thank you for all your help and information, YOU ARE GREAT.

Dotty Morgrasam
Westport, CT