Blackshears,
I see from your profile you are live in NW AR. I live south of Little Rock. My husband and I took our first cruise on the Mercury in 1998 to the western Carribean, and got hooked on cruising. Since 2000, we have cruised Alaska 5 times, and will probably go back again this summer. It is so beautiful there, and always something different every time we go. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. I will try to answer any questions you might have.