The southbound cruise on Radiance of the Seas was great and we enjoyed the smaller ship (compared to Oasis) and the somewhat slower pace. I recommend an Alaskan cruise to see natural beauty and wildlife which is quite a contrast to Caribbean cruising. The first challenge is determining how to pack - you may not want to pack a lot of shorts and t-shirts, unless you like it cool. I highly recommend taking the Alaska Railroad train between Anchorage and Seward (not the cruise line leased trains, but direct through Alaska RR). I also recommend the excursions where you get up close to a glacier and the whales. I usually have negative comments about parts of any cruise I take, but in this case, I have nothing negative to say. The entire itinerary and process throughout went well with no disappointments.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We flew into Anchorage the day before our southbound cruise departed from Seward. On the morning of the cruise, we took the 6:45 am Alaska Railroad train to Seward. Getting to the train station from our hotel near Anchorage international airport was easy enough. The hotel requested a taxi for us; the fare was about $19. To our surprise, when we got to the train station, Alaska Railroad had a separate luggage drop for cruise passengers; we placed the cruise ship luggage tags on the bags, dropped them off, and went into the station to pick up our train tickets. The luggage was delivered by truck and waiting at our cabin door on the ship late in the afternoon. We opted for the GoldStar service on the train which included two adult beverages, free coffee, and a good breakfast. Our assigned seating was up top with 360 degree views.
I recommend considering the Alaska Railroad train between Anchorage and Seward instead of a bus; GoldStar service is a little pricey. The standard seats are reasonably priced. The train offers a "pay as you go" meal option, or bring your on food. All seating provides views of nature during the three-and-one-half hour trip.
At the Seward train station, big white shuttle buses will take you the one mile (or so) to/from the ship.
As with all Royal Caribbean cruises (in my experience, anyway) embarkation was efficient and easy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
During the cruise, we did not eat in the main dining room. I'm sure it was fine, but we had the early seating; the itinerary included several port visits with extended hours compared to Caribbean cruises. We returned to the ship after our scheduled seating time. I recommend either the late seating, or "MyTime" Dining. We ate in the WindJammer and the Park Cafe (Solarium Deck). Both were good. We did not try the specialty restaurants but did do the Galley Tour and Brunch on Day 6 of the cruise.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We did not try the activities during the cruise. This was Alaska in September and the weather was cool and rainy during the cruise. There wasn't a lot of activity on the open decks; activities available included the rock climbing wall, a small water slide, putt-putt golf, running track, etc.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
There were several options for shows or to sit and relax while listening to live music/singers. The entertainment wasn't "over the top" but was pleasant. The schedule included the typical comedian, late night adult comedy, and singers, etc. After a previous cruise on Oasis of the Seas, we appreciated the smaller crowds and laid back atmosphere,
Children's Programs
No children
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The entire staff was pleasant and helpful. Our cabin attendant was available, but not intrusive - we appreciated that.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship appeared well maintained and was clean. We enjoyed the smaller layout over the larger Oasis class. Although the ship is older, to us it appeared better decorated than the newer/larger ships.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was as expected. It was clean and comfortable. The balcony was nice and we enjoyed the views during the trip. On the southbound inside passage, our port side cabin seemed to have a view of most points of interest along the way. When we visited the Hubbard Glacier area, the starboard side had a better view initially, then the shipped turned so port was broadside to the glacier, providing us with a great view.
Ship tip
The ship is one of the smaller ones, but has everything needed for a cruise. From our cabin near the Centrum (elevators) everything was convenient. We had to walk a little to get forward to the theater and dining room areas.
Juneau was nice and offered the standard tourist gifts and souvenirs. We visited the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center. I recommend making the trip to the visitor center. There are trails to hike which include the possibility of seeing wildlife. We bought a $45 ticket which included round-trip transportation to/from the visitor center. We bought the ticket from a local tour operator (Juneau Tours, I think) which would not be our choice next time. They use old school buses which apparently were not cooled (yes, it gets warm in September in Juneau on a crowded school bus). The tickets for two of us ($90) included the $5 visitor center fee; I would suggest considering a local taxi. On the return trip, about 12 - 16 people were left standing on the overcrowded bus. In my opinion, one should not need to stand after spending $45 for a 12 mile round trip ride on an old school bus. We took the Mt Roberts tram to the top and hiked some of the trails which included scenic views and photo opportunities.
The town of Skagway includes the typical gift shops and restaurants/bars, etc. The entire town appears to be there to host cruiseline visitors and there are only about 300 full time residents. That said, we took an excellent tour from the port to Davidson Glacier. In a nutshell, we took a fairly large enclosed boat to a desolate camp; at the camp, we dressed in rubber boots, rain gear, and life jackets. After getting dressed, we were divided into 8 person groups (four groups total) and loaded into large canoes. The canoe took us about a mile across a lake where we unloaded for the half-mile walk to the glacier. We were within a few feet of the glacier and the group was given about 30 minutes to mill around and take pictures. We reversed the trip but stopped to have a sandwich and water (provided) before boarding the larger boat back to the cruise port. We did not book the excursion (Glacier Point Wilderness Safari) through the ship.
The icy strait pier is a new facility with a few large souvenir shops and restaurants just off the ship. Nearby Hoonah seems like an old-fashioned fishing village but there are a couple of very small eateries and gift shops, but not a lot, so don't get your hopes up. We booked a whale watching excursion (Icy Strait Whale Adventures) directly with the vendor prior departing for our cruise. We were met at Icy Strait by the boat's Captain and loaded onto a small bus. The bus took us over to Hoonah where the boat was docked. The boat's Captain (Duane) was great and was able to find whales even in dense fog that eventually cleared out. I have no idea how many whales we saw, but is was more than a dozen. We saw a pod of whales bubble feeding during our trip. The boat had drinks (chocolate, coffee, soft drinks, water, etc) and chips which were included.
Ketchikan is probably the nicest town we visited during the cruise. There are numerous restaurants, shops, stores, etc within walking distance of the pier. We did not schedule an excursion during the visit, but did take a small tram to the top of the hill. I'm not sure I'd do the tram again since the only thing up there is a lodge/hotel. We did a bit of walking to visit the Totem Heritage Center and a few of the stores. The city has a free shuttle that runs throughout the day, so getting around doesn't require a lot of walking if you prefer to ride.
Disembarkation was painless. We opted for the direct transfer for US citizens which included an early morning (about 8 am) bus ride directly from the pier to the Vancouver airport. Our luggage was tagged the night before we pulled into Vancouver, then transferred directly to a holding area at the airport where we picked it up the next morning to check in with the airline. After clearing Canadian Customs and the security screening process for the flight, we went through a very brief US Customs process the same as you'd typically see at a US port after a Caribbean cruise. Since we were cleared by US Customs before leaving Vancouver International Airport in Canada, we had no delays when arriving at LAX for our connecting flight.
Perfect cruise - VERY NICE! I think you were smart to do the Southbound (or Northbound) cruise as you have more glacier tome and more Alaska time compared to a round trip cruise.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
