Don't be scared of a cold cruise!

Radiance of the Seas Cruise Review to Alaska - Gulf of Alaska

blundergirl

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Reviews: 8

Helpful Votes: 193

Overall rating:

5 out of 5

7 Night Alaska Hubbard Glacier Southbound (Seward To Vancouver)

Sail date: May 22, 2015

Ship: Radiance of the Seas

Cabin type: Oceanview

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 9 years ago

Review summary

I am usually a Caribbean or warm cruiser - there is nothing quite like the feeling of a warm sun glowing down on your skin while you sip a pina colada on the lido deck! So I was quite skeptical when my spouse suggested that we take an Alaskan cruise. What's fun about wearing your coat all week in May? Yech! Thankfully, I turned out to be quite wrong in my apprehensions. The weather was mild all week, so jeans and sweatshirts sufficed for clothes (or tights/skirts and long sleeved blouses with a light jacket if you wanted to dress it up) and it was quite invigorating to cuddle close on the deck with my sweetie, holding a hot cocoa and watching as we sailed quite close to some breathtaking glaciers. The ports of call were thick with Native American culture instead of the usual islander, and rather than dolphins and sting rays, we spied bald eagles, whales, and moose.

Oh, and the Solarium was open 24 hours a day too, so I managed to catch a few rays too!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Not the most impressive food I've encountered on a cruise, though the galley tour was pretty awesome.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

If you like trivia, it was OK. There wasn't a great variety of activities due to so many port days.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Children's Programs

5 out of 5

N/A no kids! But I didn't see any kids all week either so they must have done a great job keeping them busy!

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

The crew and staff learned our names in the first day and used them all week. How they managed that with 3,000 cruisers I'll never know...

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

We messed up - for this cruise you really want to splurge on a balcony!!! The views were incredible!

Ship tip

Spend the extra money on a balcony and order room service! It is tough to find window seats in the Windjammer. (On the Alaska cruise,) try using the hot tub during the ice carving demo after the glacier day. The water is warm though the air is cold and you get the best seat in the house!

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Seward (Anchorage), Alaska

5 out of 5

Take the train ride! It's 5 hours of stunning views and the best day to see them!

Thumbs Up 0

Cruise Hubbard Glacier

5 out of 5

Indescribable. Get a hot cocoa and enjoy the view...don't worry if you're not facing the glacier, the ship turns 360 degrees in the water.

Thumbs Up 0

Juneau, Alaska

3 out of 5

Got food poisoning from the Imperial Saloon. Beware! :)

Thumbs Up 0

Skagway, Alaska

5 out of 5

We took in the saloon show for giggles. Actually really fun and interactive!

Thumbs Up 0

Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska

5 out of 5

The zip line is cool but the one in Ketchikan is supposed to be better, I hear? I don't know, we hiked the forest (recommended! Spotted an Eagle!) and did some whale watching at the pier.

Thumbs Up 0

Ketchikan, Alaska

3 out of 5

A bit disappointing if you don't do an excursion. Same type of shops you've seen all week.

Thumbs Up 0

Cruise Inside Passage, Alaska

3 out of 5

If you've never tried the art auction, give it a go! It's surprisingly educational!

Thumbs Up 0

Vancouver (Canada Place), British Columbia

3 out of 5

Spent exactly 1 hour in Canada transferring from the boat to the airport. At least the bus driver gave us a verbal tour of what we were looking at!