Beautiful, educational, relaxing cruise (except rainy Ketchikan and horrible internet access)
Radiance of the Seas Cruise Review to Alaska - Gulf of Alaska
7 Night Alaska Hubbard Glacier Southbound (Seward To Vancouver)
Sail date: September 02, 2016
Ship: Radiance of the Seas
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: 7585
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 8 years ago
Review summary
We decided to try an interior room; worked out fine. The room was quiet and comfortable and we didn't miss the port hole but perhaps some day we might consider a balcony room. The food was usually very good onboard, with only one or two instances of "average" food. The crew was courteous and helpful, dispensing hand cleaner at every opportunity, and thus I think that helped us stay healthy and rested throughout the cruise. The glacier experiences, the Alaskan Railroad trips, and the beautiful scenery were the highlights of the trip and made it well worth the expense (except for a few notable exceptions):
A. I would have liked the activities to warn us more about the "sometimes HUGE potential for rain", especially at ports-of-call like Ketchikan that receive 180 inches of rain every year. If we had known about that, we would not have scheduled kayaking in Ketchikan; we decided NOT to get drenched in the cold downpour, and instead sat that one out, wasting the $140 fees for that activity;
B. The internet access onboard was close to NON-EXISTENT, so I regret paying for that as well; neither my partner nor I could depend on getting to the internet reliably, so next time we will not waste the $240 for that service, but instead will perform whatever internet posting we want to do at ports of call;
C. The room was clean and well-appointed, but the restroom always had an unpleasant "septic-system" smell; the maintenance men basically said that was "normal".
D. I do not understand how overweight people manage to shower in the tiny shower, but that might be common to other cruise lines as well. We did OK since we were fairly trim, but I still bumped my elbows while showering.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
We loved - highly recommend - the Crab Cracker Seafood Bar in Ketchikan AK, a little hidden and thus without the huge lines that the more prominent seafood places had. Also for rainy Ketchikan, have umbrellas, wool socks and water-resistant boots available even for just walking around town.
Ports of call
Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska
Vancouver (Canada Place), British Columbia
Traveler Photos
