Not What I Expected

Item: Radiance of the Seas
Rating: 3.4
Author: Nelipot

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

Nelipot

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 37

Overall rating:

3.4 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Alaska Hubbard Glacier Northbound (Vancouver To Seward)

Sail date: May 18, 2018

Ship: Radiance of the Seas

Cabin number: 9614

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

The cruise staff do not tell you while you are booking (or even later), that the weather may be miserable nor do they let you know that a lot of places are still closed due to snow in May and up to mid June where everything is open and the salmon are running. It would have been nice to know this. Land/sea tour does not give you enough time to review your cruise on Royal Caribbean as they only give you about 5 days to review after the end of the cruise. Juneau is very spread out geographically. Be aware that the whale watching tours keep you at least 100 yards away and so you will need binoculars and zoom lens. Overall, not happy with the lack of information given for planning and spending thousands of dollars.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Food, people management and attentive staff are far inferior as other Royal Carribbean ships.

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5

This ship is not made for cold weather. Yet the movies were being played by the swimming pool in the cold & rain.

Entertainment

2 out of 5

Service and Staff

2 out of 5

Staff at conceirge and room stewards were outstanding but the dining staff lacked good service.

Ship Quality

2 out of 5

Outside pools closed and children allowed in covered adult area.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

Ship tip

Book your cruise the last week in June to first week in August. Otherwise miserable weather and everything else partially opened. Miss a lot until at least mid June.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Vancouver (Canada Place), British Columbia

5 out of 5

Shedule a day of sightseeing here as it is beautiful.

Thumbs Up 2

Ketchikan, Alaska

4 out of 5

Excursion in the rain. Bring rain gear.

Thumbs Up 4

Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska

4 out of 5

Seen the whales (over 100-150 yards away) and the grizzly bears. Rain also.

Thumbs Up 1

Juneau, Alaska

4 out of 5

Hardly any electronics near the ship so don't forget anything. Rain here also.

Thumbs Up 0

Skagway, Alaska

5 out of 5

Excursion to Yukon in Canada was really nice. 4 climates to encounter and beautiful scenery.

Thumbs Up 8

Disembarkation

4 out of 5

7 Comments

FunKyTravela 6 years ago

There are many forums where you can ask questions and find out the best time to do these tours that suits your expectations. Why would anyone discourage you from booking ?

Thumbs Up 1

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funboomer47 6 years ago

Excursions and climate.

Thumbs Up 0

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funboomer47 6 years ago

Research before you go. We all research our cruise, ports and excursipns.

Thumbs Up 2

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nanou 6 years ago

You should do a minimum of research before any trip especially to a country/culture you are not familiar with. Alaska is a cold and rainy place even in june. No matter the place you should always try to be prepared for any kind of weather. Researching is part of the pleasure of travelling! 😁

Thumbs Up 3

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PsychoAndBarb 6 years ago

That’s 100 yards away while under power. Our tour had to kill the engines because the whales came to close and he couldn’t restart them till they left

Thumbs Up 1

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yoopergirl 6 years ago

100 yards away from whales is actually quite close. Had you done some research you would know about the possibility of bad weather.

Thumbs Up 4

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onlysail 6 years ago

So you did no research your self.

Thumbs Up 5

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Other reviews of this sailing

Great Alaskan cruise