This was the third Alaska cruise we've taken. It was to be a prelude to our connection through to Hawai'i. The day before the cruise, RCCL notified us our Hawai'i leg was cancelled. Apparently, the Jones act prohibits foreign flagged vessels from departing from, and arriving to, a US port. It didn't matter it was 2 cruises with a stop in Vancouver... They wouldn't let us go. So... Alaska was all we had.
I would do it again. The more we visit, the more we find we want to see the next time.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The Windjammer was good... was less than excited by offerings in MDR. My wife and I turned back a couple of entrees.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Only shopped and visited casino. It was in the 50's and overcast so not much pool time.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Only heard centrum music in passing. Did spend an evening in the Schooner bar... piano player wasn't amazing.
Children's Programs
Too old to play with the other kids.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Stateroom attendant was awesome. Dining room staff were as well. They whipped up my favorite... savory bites... each night we dined in MDR.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Not much to say. there was a lot of room for a junior suite... Only curiosity was the angle of the commode. It was at a 45° angle from the wall... If long legged, it was impossible to sit straight on...
Cabin was clean and our attendant was marvelous.
We got in late. Had a chance to visit the distillery and one shop close to port. I wish we'd had more time there. There is a fort I'd like to visit and outings that I'd like to book. It was a Monday night and the place was pretty much shut down. We could have taken the free shuttle into town but heard there were just a couple of bars open at that hour.
I had a chance to talk to the guy in the info booth. He said he'd visited Miami to ask RCL to add Haines to the itinerary. This was just a taste pending the add in a couple of years. I hope they do add it.
This may sound harsh but, with the addition of the gondola to the top of the mountain, it's looking more commercial... kiinda losing its "outpost" feel. The ride to the top was great... with great views. Once you're up there, there's not much to do... unless you have the tram or zip line...
We booked a bus ride to the airport. It was different this time.. having cruisers wait in their staterooms until called. It made a mess at the elevator and I miss the continental B'fast
I think I understand. The cruise wasn't canceled, you were just not allowed to sail on the cruise. The rule is that if you board a ship in a US port like Seward and debark in a US port like Honolulu, you must visit a DISTANT foreign port in between. Vancouver is not distant enough. This Act that was written long before pleasure cruises existed and really needs to be updated. This rule helps no one.
What do you mean they canceled the cruise to Hawaii? The Radiance is halfway there now. Do you mean there are no passengers on the Radiance right now? I was on the same ship you were and the crew talked a lot about going to Hawaii next. It looked like people were ready to embark as we were debarking.
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