In some reviews we read, people complained about everything from the condition of the boat to the food. First of all, you picked an older, smaller boat so stop complaining about its condition. Of course there is a little rust here and there and it's not all pristine like a new ship. Next time spring for the brand new boat if that's what you're looking for. Second, why would you ever complain about the food? You are not at a 5-star restaurant. You are on a cruise ship and they are feeding thousands of passengers. Taking that into consideration, I'd say that the food is pretty damned good. If you wanted 7 nights of luxury dining, take a culinary vacation next time, not a cruise. The breakfast and lunch buffets had an excellent selection of foods that were always fresh and it was meticulously maintained. We only had dinner in the main dining room so I can't comment on the buffet dinner, but we talked to other passengers who quite enjoyed it and said there were some selections that were the same as in the main dining room. Next to last night on cruise was Maine lobster tail night!!! Mmmmmmm. Rooms were clean, had tons of storage and cubbies. All staff was awesome!!!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
quick and easy
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We ate in the main dining room and at the buffet. Food was 4-star cruise ship food (we weren't at the Capital Grill people).
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The games weren't as fun or at convenient times like on other Royal Caribbean cruises I have been on. Bingo was a ridiculous price. They say they are "giving" away a cruise, but in actuality, the exorbitant fees everyone paid for the cards more than paid for their cruise giveaway. They had some different talks relating to Alaska which was a nice change of pace. We attended Diane and John's talk about Skagway and also one of Mountie Dave's talks.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The Eagles tribute band was a great idea. Have never been on a cruise with a tribute band before. Loved it! The comedian was just ok, the stage show performances...snoozefest. As far as musical entertainment around the ship...definitely not up to RC standards that we have enjoyed on other RC cruises. Beth and James were boring...all their songs sounded the same. Beta 4 had a lead singer who had to look at the words to every song so it was like watching Karaoke with a really good singer. The string duo was ok. Jack in the Quill and Compass was the most enjoyable on the ship. Didn't listen to DJ music so can't comment.
Children's Programs
Did not have children with us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Cascade dining staff was outstanding. Room steward was excellent. All ship personnel were friendly and personable.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
I like a smaller, more intimate boat so I was ok with it's layout and more compact areas. I like that they used the Centrum for a variety of activities, including Zumba. There are only forward and mid-ship elevators so it was sometimes a bit of a challenge trying to get an elevator mid-ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Loved our balcony cabin. It had a very generously sized balcony that was right over the edge of the boat. Other balcony rooms on deck 7 had much smaller balconies and they were set back and did not have as good views. Our steward kept our room clean and there were black-out curtains which is important on an Alaskan cruise when it is only "night" for about 4-5 hours, and even then, it's not truly dark. Lots of little cubbies and storage space! Beds are NOT comfortable though. Pretty hard. Would have been nice to have a lounge chair on balcony!
Ship tip
If you're choosing a balcony, select your room very carefully. Not all balcony rooms are created equal!!! Awful cigarette smoke wafting up to balconies from deck 5 where they allow smoking. GRRRRRRRR!!!!!
boarded here. Lots of see and do before getting on the ship. Come in at least a couple of days before the cruise to see it all (Stanley Park, Whistler Mtn., museums, walking, etc.)
Cute port. But also if you walk just a little bit, you can get beyond the touristy stuff and see what life is really like. First, do the Lumberjack Show (a little hokey, but entertaining and really neat to see all the techniques that lumberjacks use). From there we recommend the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center which you walked past on the way to the Lumberjack Show. After that, walk the Married Man's trail STARTING at Creek St. & Stedman so you can enjoy all the little locally owned boutiques on Creek. It ends by a salmon jumping spot. We try to steer clear of the tourist stores and only spend money only at shops that directly impact the local economy!
Boat docks about 2 miles outside of Hoonah at Icy Strait Point. Visit the rocky beach near the boat at low tide. Cannery is also cool...fun way to utilize an old building and keep the history alive (even if it is filled with tourist stuff). If you truly want to appreciate Alaska small town life, take the $5 bus ride into town and walk around. Watch the totem pole being worked on, talk to the locals, visit the brew pub, and appreciate the slow pace of a remote Alaskan fishing village.
Get off the beaten path and enjoy the real Juneau. Visit the old bars that have been there 100 years. Visit the state house (free tours available), hike up the hilly streets! Visit the variety of memorials around town. And don't miss Mendenhall Glacier. While you're there, don't get lazy...take the mile walk to the waterfall and glacier. You'll be glad you did! It really does only take 22 minutes and I am out of shape. Fit people can easily do the walk in under 20. Don't book a boat tour. We got our bus through M&M tours. Buses run all day, every half-hour, and only $45. Spend the time walking to the glacier, going into the visitor center, and watching their 15 minute film. Word to the wise...go EARLY!!!! This port has between 5-7 boats every day and the glacier gets busy!
Loved the historical recreation of this town. Also took a minute to get off of Broadway and get a glimpse of a real street in Skagway. Went to a small museum on Spring St. at 7th. Highly recommend the Quickie Brothel Tour. So much fun and we learned a lot! 2 breweries in town (the one on 4th has food).
Could not have been quicker or easier. We were given disembarkation group #4 and were off the boat by 7:30 and claimed our luggage immediately. Best disembarkation I've ever had on a cruise ship.
I loved your very thorough and very POSITIVE review. My cup is also always full and it is so refreshing to read a review such as yours. The last time I was on Alaskan inside passage was Sep 2001 on the Celebrity Mercury from Seward to Vancouver. Yes we were on our 4th day day of the cruise when 9/11 occurred. After reading your comments I have pulled out all the photos from and videos of the Alaskan trip and now I am ready to book another. Thank you so much.
Great review. We took the Radiance to Alaska in 2017 and loved it. We thought it was the perfect size for Alaska. The itinerary is great and the scenery and excursions kept us busy where we didn’t need much onboard entertainment. I also agree with your comments about the food. I see lots of complaints on all lines about the food choices and quality. It’s not gourmet cuisine, but I have always found interesting options at every meal and never had anything inedible as some mention. If someone can’t find something to eat on a cruise ship, then they are way too picky to cruise.
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