msc poesia Archives - Northern Viking Explorer

October 2, 2026October 2, 2026

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise Day 5: Dawes Glacier & Juneau Trolley to Mendenhall Glacier 🚢

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise Dawes Glacier, Juneau & Mendenhall Glacier Day 5 Vlog

Day 5 of our 7-night Alaska cruise aboard the MSC Poesia was one of those days that felt like we packed two completely different Alaska adventures into one. We started the morning sailing through the dramatic scenery of Endicott Arm toward Dawes Glacier, then spent the afternoon in Juneau on a trolley excursion out to Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls.

Watch our full Day 5 MSC Poesia Alaska cruise vlog here:

🧊 Sailing Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier

We were up early as the MSC Poesia made its way through Endicott Arm. The morning started out cloudy and a little foggy, but the scenery was beautiful, with steep mountains dropping into turquoise water, waterfalls along the cliffs, and icebergs floating around the ship.

As we got closer to Dawes Glacier, we headed to some of the forward outdoor viewing areas and listened to the ship’s naturalist provide information about the glacier and the surrounding area. The weather changed constantly, with rain, clouds, and even some sunshine breaking through, but it almost added to the atmosphere.

We ended up getting to within roughly two and a half miles of Dawes Glacier, which was one of the closer views we’ve had during our visits to the area. Between the glacier, icebergs, waterfalls, seals, and towering mountains around us, it was an incredible way to start the day.

Dawes Glacier viewed from MSC Poesia while sailing through Endicott Arm, Alaska. — Our view of Dawes Glacier from aboard MSC Poesia as we sailed through Endicott Arm.

☕ Brunch & a Little Time Aboard MSC Poesia

After heading away from Dawes Glacier, we warmed up and went to Le Fontaine Restaurant for brunch. There was a special brunch menu that morning with a mix of breakfast and lunch choices, which was perfect after spending so much time outside.

We also checked out MasterChef at Sea in the theater before getting ready for our afternoon arrival in Juneau. By then, it really did feel like we had already experienced a full day, and we hadn’t even reached port yet.

🚋 Juneau Trolley to Mendenhall Glacier

When we arrived in Juneau, the MSC Poesia was tendering passengers ashore before moving to the dock later in the afternoon. It did take us quite a while to reach shore, so if you are booking a private excursion on a tender day, we would definitely recommend leaving plenty of extra time.

Our excursion for the afternoon was the Mendenhall Glacier Shuttle Tour with Juneau Tours. We met near the Goldbelt Tram and boarded one of their trolley-style buses for a narrated drive through Juneau and out toward Mendenhall Glacier.

Along the way, our guide pointed out some of Juneau’s well-known sights, surrounding mountains, and other interesting spots around the city while sharing information about the area. It was a fun way to see more of Juneau while making our way to the glacier.

🔗 Book the Mendenhall Glacier Shuttle Tour with Juneau Tours:
https://www.juneautours.com/

Juneau Tours trolley used for our Mendenhall Glacier Shuttle Tour in Juneau, Alaska. — Our Juneau Tours trolley took us through downtown Juneau and out to Mendenhall Glacier.

🏔️ Mendenhall Glacier & Nugget Falls

Once we arrived at Mendenhall Glacier, we had about two hours to explore. We started at the visitor center, where there are some fantastic views overlooking Mendenhall Lake and the glacier.

From there, we walked the trail out to Nugget Falls. The trail is fairly flat and easy to follow, and the waterfall at the end is impressive. Standing near the falls, you can really feel and hear the power of the water, with Mendenhall Lake and the glacier nearby.

On the way back, we stopped at some of the viewpoints closer to the visitor center for more views of Mendenhall Glacier before it was time to meet our trolley for the ride back to Juneau.

Mendenhall Glacier and Mendenhall Lake viewed near the visitor center in Juneau, Alaska. — A beautiful view of Mendenhall Glacier and Mendenhall Lake during our afternoon excursion in Juneau.

🌅 Back Aboard the MSC Poesia

We made it back to the ship in time for a beautiful evening sail away from Juneau. Since we had missed our normal main dining room time, we grabbed a late dinner at the buffet and then enjoyed some of the evening entertainment, including the Silent Disco and comedy in Teatro Carlo Felice.

It was a long day, but a fantastic one. Seeing Dawes Glacier in the morning and Mendenhall Glacier in the afternoon made Day 5 feel especially memorable, and the trolley excursion gave us a fun way to see more of Juneau along the way.

If you’re planning an MSC Poesia Alaska cruise, visiting Dawes Glacier, or looking for a Mendenhall Glacier excursion in Juneau, we hope our experience helps with your own Alaska cruise planning.

Watch the full Day 5 vlog here:

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise Day 4: Icy Strait Point & So Many Whales 🐋

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise: Icy Strait Point & So Many Whales 🐋 Day 4 Vlog 🚢

Day 4 of our 7-night Alaska cruise aboard the MSC Poesia brought us to Icy Strait Point, Alaska, and this ended up being one of the most memorable days of the entire cruise. We had a relaxed morning aboard the ship before heading ashore, with plenty of time to explore since we weren’t due back onboard until later in the evening.

Exploring Icy Strait Point

We started by making our way toward the historic cannery area, stopping to explore the shops, displays, and old equipment along the way. Even if shopping isn’t your thing, the cannery is worth walking through. There is a lot of history here, along with information about Alaska, salmon fishing, and the area’s past.

Icy Strait Museum and historic cannery building at Icy Strait Point, Alaska. — The historic cannery area at Icy Strait Point is filled with shops, displays, and information about the area’s fishing history.

Then came the biggest surprise of the day. As we stepped outside near the cannery, we spotted a large group of humpback whales incredibly close to shore. Several surfaced together, and before long people were following them along the beach as they made their way toward the MSC Poesia. We weren’t expecting anything like this, and it quickly became one of the best whale experiences we’ve ever had in Alaska.

Humpback whales swimming close to shore at Icy Strait Point, Alaska. — One of the highlights of our day was watching a group of humpback whales incredibly close to shore at Icy Strait Point.

Mini Doughnuts & the Hoonah Sea Walk

After all that excitement, we stopped at Lil’ Gen’s Mini-Doughnuts and tried the salted caramel and snickerdoodle flavours. They were served warm and fresh, and the proceeds help support the local community, which made the stop even better.

Lil’ Gen’s Mini-Doughnuts stand at Icy Strait Point, Alaska. — We stopped at Lil’ Gen’s Mini-Doughnuts for some freshly made treats while exploring Icy Strait Point.

From there, we headed out along the Hoonah Veterans Memorial Sea Walk. It’s a beautiful waterfront walk even if you don’t plan on continuing all the way into Hoonah. We spotted a family of deer and enjoyed the scenery, but somehow the whales weren’t finished with us yet. A little later, we saw what appeared to be the same group of humpbacks coming back in the opposite direction, which had us hurrying along the shoreline trying to catch another look.

Nature Trail & Transporter Gondola

Later in the afternoon, we explored some of the trails near the ship and made our way through the rainforest toward Wilderness Landing. There are signs throughout the nature trail with information about the local environment and wildlife, including plenty of reminders that this is bear country.

We eventually reached the other cruise landing area and took the free Transporter Gondola back toward Ocean Landing. It’s a fun and easy way to travel between the two sides of Icy Strait Point, and by later in the afternoon the line was quite short.

Back Aboard the MSC Poesia

Back aboard the MSC Poesia, we cleaned up and headed to dinner at Il Palladio Restaurant before finishing the evening with the Total Divas production show in Teatro Carlo Felice. The show featured familiar music, lots of singing and dancing, colourful costumes, and plenty of energy from the performers.

Total Divas production show with singers and dancers performing aboard MSC Poesia. — We finished the evening with the colorful Total Divas production show in Teatro Carlo Felice aboard MSC Poesia.

Looking back, Icy Strait Point was one of those days where everything seemed to come together. We enjoyed the cannery, waterfront, trails, gondola, wildlife, and of course the incredible humpback whales right from shore. We went into the day expecting a relaxing visit to one of our favourite Alaska ports and ended up with one of the biggest highlights of the cruise.

Tomorrow, we’ll sail through Endicott Arm to view Dawes Glacier before making our way to Juneau for the afternoon.

Watch our full Day 4 MSC Poesia Alaska cruise vlog here: https://youtu.be/48vefC9Lvno

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise Day 3: Exploring Ketchikan & Creek Street 🚢

Day 3 of our 7-night Alaska cruise aboard the MSC Poesia brought us to our first port of call, Ketchikan, Alaska. Ketchikan is known for its rain, but we ended up with an absolutely beautiful sunny day, which made it perfect for exploring on foot.

After breakfast and coffee aboard the ship, we headed ashore and spent most of the day simply walking around town. Ketchikan is one of our favorite Alaska cruise ports, and if you choose not to do an excursion, there is still so much to see within walking distance of the cruise docks.

Watch our full Day 3 MSC Poesia Alaska cruise vlog here: https://youtu.be/RJ1kKnUGL6U

🚢 Exploring Downtown Ketchikan

We were docked close to downtown, making it easy to start exploring almost immediately. Several other ships were in port that day, including Anthem of the Seas and Queen Elizabeth, so Ketchikan was definitely busy.

One of our first stops was the Knob Hill Overlook, located above the tunnel near Front Street. There are quite a few stairs to reach it, but the views over the harbor, downtown Ketchikan, and the cruise ships make it worth the climb.

Downtown Ketchikan, Alaska with Anthem of the Seas docked at the cruise port on a sunny day. — A beautiful sunny view over downtown Ketchikan with Anthem of the Seas docked along the waterfront.

From there, we continued walking through some of the streets above downtown before making our way toward the salmon ladder and Married Man’s Trail.

🐟 Salmon Ladder & Married Man’s Trail

The Ketchikan Salmon Ladder is an easy stop to add while exploring the area, especially during salmon season. We could see plenty of fish in the creek during our visit.

Ketchikan salmon ladder with visitors watching salmon in the creek near Married Man’s Trail. — The salmon ladder in Ketchikan is a beautiful short walk from the downtown area and Creek Street.

From the salmon ladder, we followed Married Man’s Trail toward Creek Street. The trail and surrounding boardwalks were very busy that day, but it is a scenic walk and a fun way to approach one of Ketchikan’s most famous areas.

🏘️ Walking Creek Street

We always enjoy visiting Creek Street, and this visit didn’t disappoint. We walked along the wooden boardwalk, browsed some of the shops, and spent plenty of time looking down into the creek.

Historic Creek Street boardwalk in Ketchikan, Alaska on a sunny day. — Exploring the historic Creek Street boardwalk during our day in Ketchikan, Alaska.

One of the fun things about Creek Street is that you never really know what you might see. During our visit we spotted lots of salmon and even watched a seal swimming around looking for an easy meal. We also saw a bald eagle later in the day.

The funicular up to Cape Fox Lodge was closed for maintenance during our visit, but there was still plenty to explore around Creek Street and the surrounding waterfront.

🌊 Walking the Ketchikan Waterfront

After Creek Street, we continued toward Thomas Basin and the viewing platform, walked along the waterfront, and then made our way back through downtown Ketchikan.

There are lots of signs throughout town explaining the local history, salmon, boats, and other parts of life in Ketchikan, which makes simply walking around a lot more interesting.

Eventually, we made our way back toward the ship and the large eagle sculpture near the tunnel, which was right around the area where the MSC Poesia was docked.

Eagle sculpture near the tunnel and cruise dock in downtown Ketchikan, Alaska. — The large eagle sculpture near the tunnel was just a short walk from where the MSC Poesia docked in Ketchikan.

After a late lunch aboard the ship, we actually headed back into town again for another walk. This time we tackled one of the very steep hills above downtown before taking a more gradual route back toward the waterfront. It was a good way to get some exercise after lunch and enjoy a little more of Ketchikan before leaving port.

🌅 Back Aboard MSC Poesia

Sail away from Ketchikan was beautiful. The sunshine continued as we left the dock and sailed past the mountains, trees, islands, and other ships making their way out of port.

That evening, we enjoyed dinner at Il Palladio Restaurant before heading to Teatro Carlo Felice for the Mother Nature production show. The show featured plenty of dancing and acrobatics, with the aerial performances and other acrobatic acts being some of the highlights for us.

Acrobatic performers during the Mother Nature production show in Teatro Carlo Felice aboard MSC Poesia. — The Mother Nature production show aboard MSC Poesia featured impressive acrobatics, aerial performances, dancing, and dramatic stage effects.

Ketchikan ended up being a fantastic first port day of our Alaska cruise. We had great weather, spotted some wildlife, walked a lot of the downtown area, and once again remembered why this is one of our favorite Alaska cruise ports.

Next up, the MSC Poesia takes us to Icy Strait Point, Alaska.

Watch our full Day 3 vlog here: https://youtu.be/RJ1kKnUGL6U

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise Day 2: Sea Day & Gala Night 🚢

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise: Sea Day & Gala Night - Day 2 Vlog

Day 2 of our 7-night Alaska cruise aboard the MSC Poesia was our first full sea day as we continued north toward Alaska.

The morning actually started out beautiful. We had sunshine, fairly calm seas, and some great views outside. As the day went on, though, the ocean started getting a little rougher. The pool water was sloshing back and forth, and we even noticed seasickness bags appearing near some of the stairways.

We had plenty planned for the day, including breakfast in the main dining room, Alaska enrichment talks, some time relaxing around the ship, and of course Gala Night aboard MSC Poesia.

Watch our full Day 2 MSC Poesia Alaska cruise vlog here:

☕ Breakfast at Le Fontaine Restaurant

There were two main breakfast options that morning. The Villa Pompeiana Buffet was open from 6:00 until 11:00, while sit-down breakfast was available at Le Fontaine Restaurant from 7:30 until 9:30.

We decided to give Le Fontaine a try and arrived right around 7:30. It was already fairly busy, and by the time we left around 8:30 there was a lineup of people waiting to get in.

We asked for a table for two and ended up with a nice spot beside the window.

Some of the breakfast items we tried included the smoothie bowl with yogurt, banana, kiwi, and pineapple, steel-cut oatmeal, an omelette, French toast with bacon, and the All American Breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausage, and hash browns.

There were also pastries and plenty of coffee, so it was a nice relaxed way to start our first full sea day.

🐋 Learning More About Alaska

After breakfast, we grabbed our coffee mugs and headed to Teatro Carlo Felice for the morning’s Alaska enrichment presentation.

The first talk was called North to Alaska and covered a little bit of everything we might experience during the cruise, including whales, wildlife, forests, fish, culture, and the different areas we would be visiting.

We especially enjoyed the information about the whales. One of the whales shown during the presentation appeared to be the same well-known whale we had seen on a previous Alaska whale-watching excursion, which was pretty neat to see again.

Alaska enrichment presentation aboard MSC Poesia with information about Icy Strait Point, wildlife, excursions, and things to do in port. — One of the Alaska enrichment presentations aboard MSC Poesia helped us learn more about the ports, wildlife, excursions, and things to see during our cruise.

Right after that was the Cruise and Travel Show, which went through the different ports and some of the excursions that were still available.

If you’re sailing on the MSC Poesia and are interested in the excursions, it may be worth showing up a little early because they also handed out raffle tickets and gave away an excursion for each port during the presentation.

There were more Alaska presentations happening later in the day as well, including one called Glaciers, Volcanoes, and Wildlife, so there were plenty of opportunities to learn more about Alaska while we were at sea.

🌮 Lunch at the Villa Pompeiana Buffet

By lunchtime, we were ready to head back to the Villa Pompeiana Buffet.

There was a good selection of the usual buffet options, including burgers, hot dogs, fries, breads, deli meats, cheeses, and salads. We also found a Mexican station that looked pretty good, so that ended up being part of our lunch.

The weather had changed again by this point. It had been sunny, then cloudy, and suddenly the sunshine was back, although the ship was still rocking quite a bit.

After lunch, we figured we should probably walk some of it off.

🚶 Walking Around Deck 14

Above the main pool area on Deck 14, there is space that MSC lists as a power walking track.

It isn’t really marked like a traditional running track, and parts of it can occasionally be obstructed, but it is still a great area to walk around, get some steps in, and enjoy the views.

We spent some time walking around before deciding that the rest of the afternoon was going to be a little more relaxing.

🛁 Hot Tubs, Our Aft Balcony & Ice Cream

There were lots of activities happening around the ship that afternoon, but we decided to take things a little slower.

We headed to the hot tubs and ended up sitting there for about an hour while chatting with some other passengers. The hot tubs aren’t particularly large, so they fill up pretty quickly, but it was a really nice way to spend part of the afternoon.

After that, we came back to our cabin and spent some time sitting on our aft balcony.

We were really enjoying having that view from the back of the ship. The sun was shining and it was a great place to sit and watch the ocean, even though the seas were getting fairly rocky.

By this point, the motion of the ship was definitely becoming more noticeable, so some seasickness medication came in handy.

We also spent some time walking around the main public decks and discovered the soft-serve ice cream station outside the buffet. They had chocolate, vanilla, and swirl, with either waffle cones or cups.

Needless to say, that was a pretty good discovery.

✨ Getting Ready for Gala Night

That evening was Gala Night aboard the MSC Poesia, so we headed back to the cabin, got dressed up, and made our way to Il Palladio Restaurant on Deck 6.

One thing we noticed was that there was a really wide range of clothing around the ship.

We saw some men in suits, others wearing shirts and ties or collared shirts, and plenty of people dressed more casually. We even spotted one tuxedo. There were also some beautiful formal dresses, but you definitely didn’t have to dress extremely formal to take part in Gala Night.

It was really a mix of everything.

🥩 Gala Night Dinner at Il Palladio

Because we had the same assigned table every evening, we didn’t need to wait for anyone to seat us. We could simply walk into the dining room and head straight to our table.

There were quite a few tempting choices on the Gala Night menu.

For starters, we tried the lobster bisque, Alaska smoked salmon dip, and Caesar salad.

For our main courses, we both ordered the filet mignon with truffle-flavoured whipped potatoes, asparagus, and mushroom demi-glace.

We also ordered the Duo of Broiled Lobster Tail and Jumbo Shrimp to share. It came with asparagus and risotto and gave us a chance to try both the steak and seafood options from the Gala Night menu.

Duo of Broiled Lobster Tail and Jumbo Shrimp served during Gala Night aboard MSC Poesia. — We ordered the Duo of Broiled Lobster Tail and Jumbo Shrimp to share during Gala Night at Il Palladio Restaurant.

For dessert, we tried the Royal Cake, a rich dark chocolate mousse with crunchy praline and vanilla anglaise, along with the classic Baked Alaska.

It turned out to be a really enjoyable Gala Night dinner and one of the meals we had been looking forward to trying.

🎭 Club Disco at Teatro Carlo Felice

After dinner, we headed back to Teatro Carlo Felice for the evening production show.

The show was called Club Disco, but the evening started with the captain and senior officers presentation.

For roughly the first 15 minutes, the cruise director introduced the captain and some of the senior officers, along with a few interesting facts about what goes on behind the scenes aboard the ship.

Then the Club Disco production started.

Club Disco production show with singers and dancers performing in Teatro Carlo Felice aboard MSC Poesia. — The Club Disco production show brought colourful costumes, singing, dancing, and acrobatics to Teatro Carlo Felice during Gala Night.

The show had a fun 1970s theme with lots of singing, dancing, colourful costumes, and some acrobatics mixed in.

One of our favourite parts involved a performer using a large ring on stage. There were a few moments during the performance that definitely got a reaction from the audience.

The Club Disco portion lasted around half an hour and made for a fun way to finish off Gala Night.

🎺 Big Band at Sea

We weren’t quite finished with the entertainment yet.

After leaving the theater, we headed toward the lounge at the back of Deck 7 where Big Band at Sea was performing again.

We had seen some of the musicians the night before, but this time there was also a vocalist performing with them.

Between the brass instruments, vocals, and classic big-band style, it was a really nice place to sit and enjoy some live music before calling it a night.

There was plenty of other entertainment happening around the ship as well, including a saxophone player performing in the atrium.

🚢 Final Thoughts on Day 2

Our first full sea day aboard the MSC Poesia ended up having a little bit of everything.

We learned more about Alaska during the enrichment talks, tried breakfast at Le Fontaine, spent some time walking around the ship, relaxed in the hot tubs, enjoyed our aft balcony, found some afternoon ice cream, and finished everything off with Gala Night, dinner, a production show, and live music.

It was a great sea day, but we were especially excited about what was coming next.

Day 3 would take us to our first Alaska port of the cruise, Ketchikan.

Watch our full Day 2 MSC Poesia Alaska cruise vlog here: https://youtu.be/1A8VdAmL7_k

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise Day 1: Sail Away from Seattle 🚢

MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise: Sail Away from Seattle - Day 1 Vlog

Our next Alaska adventure begins aboard the MSC Poesia! Join us for Day 1 of our 7-night Alaska cruise as we board the ship in Seattle, explore some of the public spaces, check out our aft balcony cabin, enjoy sail away, and experience our first evening onboard.

This sailing takes us to Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Victoria, and scenic cruising through Endicott Arm toward Dawes Glacier. But first, it was time to get settled in and start exploring the MSC Poesia.

🎥 Watch our complete Day 1 vlog here:
https://youtu.be/QOROOzXwsRs

🚢 Boarding & Exploring the MSC Poesia

After making our way through the Seattle cruise terminal, boarding went smoothly and we were excited to finally step aboard. We started exploring some of the ship’s public spaces, including the colorful atrium, Zebra Bar, theater, and upper decks.

One of our first stops was the Lido Deck pool area. There are two outdoor pools, several small elevated whirlpools, a kids splash area, a stage, and plenty of loungers. We had beautiful weather in Seattle, which made it a great place to start getting familiar with the ship.

MSC Poesia outdoor pool deck with swimming pool, elevated whirlpools, loungers, and stage area. — Exploring the outdoor pools and elevated whirlpools on the MSC Poesia shortly after boarding in Seattle.

🍕 Lunch at the Villa Pompeiana Buffet

Once we had explored for a while, it was time for lunch at the Villa Pompeiana Buffet on Deck 13.

There was a wide selection to choose from, including pizza, pasta, roast beef, salads, curries, ramen, fruit, desserts, and plenty more. We also discovered outdoor seating at the back of the buffet with views over the aft of the ship.

That location turned out to be especially convenient because our cabin was only two decks below via the outdoor aft staircase.

🛏️ Our Aft Balcony Cabin 11250

Our home for the week was Aft Balcony Stateroom 11250 on Deck 11, located right at the back of the MSC Poesia. This was our first time staying in an aft-facing balcony cabin, so we were especially excited about the views we would get throughout our Alaska cruise.

The room itself was on the smaller side, but we found the layout comfortable and there was a good amount of storage throughout the cabin. It included a king-size bed that could be separated into twins, nightstands with drawers, a vanity with several charging options, a TV, mini bar, closet space, and a compact bathroom.

Of course, the highlight was the aft-facing balcony. It was angled and not particularly wide, but it gave us a completely different view from a traditional balcony on the side of the ship. We were really looking forward to sitting out there and watching the wake as we sailed toward Alaska.

MSC Poesia aft balcony cabin 11250 on Deck 11 with king-size bed, seating area, and balcony. — Our aft balcony cabin, Stateroom 11250 on Deck 11, would be home for our 7-night Alaska cruise.

We also have a complete tour of this cabin here: https://youtu.be/2zU-h8ofhwY

🌊 Sail Away from Seattle

After settling into our cabin, it was time to head outside for sail away from Seattle. The weather was absolutely beautiful, with blue skies, sunshine, and great views as the MSC Poesia pulled away from the city and began the journey north toward Alaska.

The pool deck quickly came to life with music, dancing, and passengers gathering outside to celebrate the start of the cruise. Between the skyline views, the warm weather, and the energy around the ship, it was a fantastic way to begin our 7-night Alaska adventure.

Passengers dancing during the MSC Poesia sail away party on the outdoor pool deck. — The sail away party gets underway on the MSC Poesia as we begin our Alaska cruise from Seattle.

🍽️ Dinner at Il Palladio

For our first dinner onboard, we headed to Il Palladio Restaurant on Deck 6.

We were happy to have been assigned a table for two, and because we had the early 5:00 p.m. seating, the dining room was especially quiet that evening. It made for a relaxed start to the cruise before we headed out for the evening entertainment.

🎭 Welcome Aboard Show & Evening Entertainment

Our first night included the Welcome Aboard Show in the main theater. It was designed as a preview of the entertainment coming throughout the week, with singing, dancing, comedy, and other performances.

Afterward, we checked out Big Band at Sea, featuring a full live band with brass instruments and vocals. It was a relaxing way to finish a busy first day aboard the MSC Poesia.

MSC Poesia Welcome Aboard Show featuring the Big Band sampler performance in the main theater. — The Welcome Aboard Show on MSC Poesia included a Big Band sampler, giving us a preview of some of the entertainment offered during the cruise.

⭐ A Great Start to Our MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise

Day 1 gave us a great introduction to the MSC Poesia. We explored the ship, enjoyed the pools and buffet, settled into our aft balcony cabin, experienced a beautiful sail away from Seattle, and finished the evening with dinner and live entertainment.

Next up is a full sea day as we continue north toward Alaska!

🎥 Watch MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise: Sail Away from Seattle – Day 1 Vlog
https://youtu.be/QOROOzXwsRs

10 Questions Before Sailing MSC Poesia (Answered!) 🚢

Planning a cruise on the MSC Poesia and wondering what to expect before you sail? We had plenty of questions before boarding our 7-night Alaska cruise, so we put together this video answering 10 of the things we wanted to know most.

From dropping off our bags and finding the right outlets to dining, pool hours, tendering in Juneau, Victoria, entertainment, and some surprisingly quiet viewing spots around the ship, here are a few of the things we learned during our sailing.

🎥 Watch the full video here:
https://youtu.be/S4vWBFd5_Sg

MSC Poesia docked at Icy Strait Point, Alaska during our 7-night Alaska cruise. — The MSC Poesia docked at Icy Strait Point, Alaska during our 7-night sailing from Seattle.

🧳 Could We Drop Off Our Bags in Our Cabin Right Away?

One of our first questions was whether we would need to carry our bags around until the cabins were officially ready. After boarding, we checked with Guest Services and were happy to learn that we could drop our bags off in the cabin and then leave again until the room was ready.

That made embarkation day much easier, especially when you want to start exploring the ship without carrying everything with you.

🔌 What Outlets Are in the MSC Poesia Cabins?

Our aft balcony cabin had a good selection of charging options, although almost all of them were concentrated around the vanity.

We had two North American outlets, European outlets, USB-A and USB-C charging ports. There were no dedicated outlets on both sides of the bed, which is something we always like to know before sailing.

North American and European electrical outlets with USB-A and USB-C charging ports in an MSC Poesia cabin. — Our MSC Poesia cabin included North American and European outlets along with USB-A and USB-C charging ports.

🍽️ What Complimentary Food Is Available?

For complimentary meals, we used the buffet and the main dining rooms. The buffet served breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night snacks, and we especially appreciated the 24-hour beverage station.

The main dining rooms were also included and offered breakfast, lunch, and dinner at different times throughout our sailing.

We had originally been assigned a 7:15 p.m. dinner at a group table. After speaking with the dining staff, we were fortunate to be moved to a 5:00 p.m. dining time with a table for two. Changes are based on availability, but it was definitely worth asking.

🏊 Pool & Hot Tub Hours

This one surprised us. On our sailing, the outdoor pools were open from 8:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m., while the whirlpools were open from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Those were some of the earliest hot tub closing times we have experienced on a cruise, so it is worth checking the schedule if evening hot tubs are part of your cruise routine.

🚶 Is There a Walking Track?

Sort of!

There are outdoor areas where you can walk, including Deck 7, but you cannot walk completely around the ship there. Up on Deck 14, there is an area MSC identifies as a power walking track, although there were no painted track markings during our sailing and the area can sometimes be obstructed.

⚓ Our Juneau Tender Experience

We had a private excursion booked in Juneau and thought we had left plenty of time to get ashore. Unfortunately, the tender process took much longer than expected and we arrived onshore around 10 minutes after our excursion was scheduled to leave.

Thankfully, our excursion company was able to rearrange things for us, but others were dealing with the same problem. If your MSC Poesia sailing tenders in Juneau and you have a private excursion, we would definitely allow as much extra time as possible.

Is 4 Hours in Victoria Worth Getting Off the Ship?

For us, absolutely.

Our stop was scheduled from 7:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. Even with the limited time, we enjoyed walking toward Fisherman’s Wharf and downtown Victoria, seeing the Parliament Buildings and the Empress Hotel, and simply enjoying the beautiful city.

We would recommend getting in line early to leave the ship so you can make the most of those four hours.

Welcome to Victoria Canada sign at the cruise terminal during our MSC Poesia Alaska cruise. — Even with only four hours in Victoria, we were glad we got off the MSC Poesia and explored the city.

💃 What’s the Difference Between the Two Dirty Dancing Shows?

MSC Poesia offered two very different Dirty Dancing experiences during our sailing.

Dirty Dancing in Concert featured the full movie along with a live band and production performers appearing during the musical and dance portions.

Later, Dirty Dancing: The Celebration was more like a traditional cruise production show, with live music, singing, and dancing but without the movie playing behind it.

They were different enough that we were glad we experienced both.

🌊 Are There Any Hidden Viewing Spots on MSC Poesia?

This was one of our favorite discoveries.

At the front of the ship on Decks 9, 10, 11, and 14, you can walk past the cabins and through the doors at the end of the hallway to reach small forward-facing outdoor viewing areas. Some have seating or more overhead coverage than others, and they can be wonderfully quiet.

There are also outdoor staircases and viewing areas around the aft of the ship, including spaces near the back of the buffet. These became some of our favorite places to enjoy the scenery without the crowds.

Scenic Alaska fjord and glacier views from a forward outdoor viewing area aboard MSC Poesia. — One of the quieter forward viewing areas aboard MSC Poesia gave us incredible scenery during glacier day.

⭐ 10 MSC Poesia Questions Answered

These were some of the questions we had before sailing, and several of the answers genuinely surprised us. If you are already booked on the MSC Poesia or researching the ship before choosing your cruise, we hope our experience helps make your planning a little easier.

🎥 Watch 10 Questions Before Sailing MSC Poesia (Answered!)
https://youtu.be/S4vWBFd5_Sg

🧊 Sailing Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier

☕ Brunch & a Little Time Aboard MSC Poesia

🚋 Juneau Trolley to Mendenhall Glacier

🏔️ Mendenhall Glacier & Nugget Falls

🌅 Back Aboard the MSC Poesia

More MSC Poesia Articles & Videos 🚢

Exploring Icy Strait Point

Mini Doughnuts & the Hoonah Sea Walk

Nature Trail & Transporter Gondola

Back Aboard the MSC Poesia

More MSC Poesia Articles & Videos 🚢

🚢 Exploring Downtown Ketchikan

🐟 Salmon Ladder & Married Man’s Trail

🏘️ Walking Creek Street

🌊 Walking the Ketchikan Waterfront

🌅 Back Aboard MSC Poesia

More MSC Poesia Articles & Videos 🚢

☕ Breakfast at Le Fontaine Restaurant

🐋 Learning More About Alaska

🌮 Lunch at the Villa Pompeiana Buffet

🚶 Walking Around Deck 14

🛁 Hot Tubs, Our Aft Balcony & Ice Cream

✨ Getting Ready for Gala Night

🥩 Gala Night Dinner at Il Palladio

🎭 Club Disco at Teatro Carlo Felice

🎺 Big Band at Sea

🚢 Final Thoughts on Day 2

More MSC Poesia Articles & Videos 🚢

🚢 Boarding & Exploring the MSC Poesia

🍕 Lunch at the Villa Pompeiana Buffet

🛏️ Our Aft Balcony Cabin 11250

🌊 Sail Away from Seattle

🍽️ Dinner at Il Palladio

🎭 Welcome Aboard Show & Evening Entertainment

⭐ A Great Start to Our MSC Poesia Alaska Cruise

More MSC Poesia Videos 🚢

🧳 Could We Drop Off Our Bags in Our Cabin Right Away?

🔌 What Outlets Are in the MSC Poesia Cabins?

🍽️ What Complimentary Food Is Available?

🏊 Pool & Hot Tub Hours

🚶 Is There a Walking Track?

⚓ Our Juneau Tender Experience

Is 4 Hours in Victoria Worth Getting Off the Ship?

💃 What’s the Difference Between the Two Dirty Dancing Shows?

🌊 Are There Any Hidden Viewing Spots on MSC Poesia?

⭐ 10 MSC Poesia Questions Answered