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I will stick with Carnival from here on out. Ports were great, ship was not

Radiance of the Seas Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 19

Overall rating:

3.2 out of 5
Verified Review
Radiance of the Seas

7 Night Northbound Alaska & Hubbard Glacier (Vancouver To Seward)

Sail date: August 25, 2023

Ship: Radiance of the Seas

Cabin number: 8616

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

We enjoyed the ports and breathtaking views. It definitely is a trip of a lifetime. I will never go on RCCL again but I will definitely try again on Carnival.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Very quick and easy. Had help due to scooter being placed in room instead of dock

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
Main dining room was great. Had the best filet mignon I ever had there. Not paying extra for specialty restaurants. Stupid concept. Buffet was the same every day. Food wasn't always fresh but it was ok.

Onboard Activities

1 out of 5
Hot tubs were always packed. Not alot to do on board otherwise. Casino was tight. Centrum area always packed when entertainment there.

Entertainment

2 out of 5
Didn't see many tbh

Children's Programs

no kids with us

Service and Staff

1 out of 5
This is a mixed bag of ratings. Guest Services sucked especially after a 'chemical' was released and affected me and about 20 others on board. Turned out to be bear spray, a prohibited item because it is a WEAPON. Guest services was not helpful or willing to tell us the truth about the incident and was kept under tight wraps. We had to seek out answers, which still didn't amount to much. Our stateroom steward was ok. Wasn't really wowed. The room was cleaned daily and 3x on the cruise we had towel animals. We never really saw him except the 1st and last day. The dining room staff was exceptional. We had a wonderful waiter and headwaiter who really went out of their way to make our dining experience fantastic.

Ship Quality

1 out of 5
Ship was very run down looking. Balconies barely had stain left on them. The common areas were clean but windows were always dirty. Not once did they have someone clean them during the cruise, before or after. It was difficult to get good pictures because of it.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
It was acceptable. Didn't see our room steward much. We told him to clean when we were at dinner after 7pm and every day he came in the room around 12. Balcony showed age of the ship and wear and tear

Ship tip

Don't.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Vancouver (Canada Place), British Columbia

5 out of 5
Stayed there the day before the cruise. Go visit Granville Island! The food there is fantastic. Do not stay at the Hotel at the Waldorf. Poor service, room wasn't ready, no one there when we arrived and the doors were locked due to rampant homeless population.
Thumbs Up

Juneau, Alaska

5 out of 5

Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska

5 out of 5
I had no expectations as I knew nothing about Icy Strait Point. The morning was super foggy so I thought our day would be ruined. Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong! This was my favorite port of all of them! Get the pass for the gondolas to the top! The views are breathtaking and it was bright and sunny up there despite the thick fog. You can see Glacier Bay National Park as well as the Juneau icefields from up there!
Thumbs Up

Sitka, Alaska

5 out of 5
Beautiful place. Went to the Fortress of the Bears, it was very educational and fun to watch the bears playing from the viewing platform. We renewed our vows at St. Peter's by the Sea Episcopal Church. It was lovely and Reverend Julie's ceremony was beautiful. Make sure you email or call prior to going to make sure she is available!
Thumbs Up

Skagway, Alaska

5 out of 5
Amazing views and the air is so fresh near the summit! Summit Lake is beautiful. Plenty of waterfalls. Liarsville is a great excursion for gold panning and a salmon bake!
Thumbs Up

Cruise Hubbard Glacier

5 out of 5
Breath taking. Best pictures were from our balcony. We saw chubby seals laying on one of the ice floes as passed by.
Thumbs Up

Disembarkation

1 out of 5
Late and slow. We paid for the Key program and were in the middle group to leave
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8 Comments

grard    1 year ago

I have to say that it should not matter what size ship your on, you are paying a fortune for an “ahhh!” Experience let alone vacation to remember. I recently had a bad experience on Carnival Paradise. Guest services pretty much told me it was my fault for booking a balcony with a king bed and pull-down bunk for my 74yr mom. SMH. I had to ask for trundle and they brought me a bed on the floor that would be good for a 10 yr old. I asked for compensation and that’s when they told me it was my fault for booking that room. As if I knew! SMH
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lumberjackoff    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing your experience.
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TampAGS    1 year ago

Sorry you did not like the ship. Be aware, though, that the experience on a smaller ship like Radiance vs. one of Royal's larger, newer ships would be vastly different.
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willwork4cruz    1 year ago

It’s definitely an older ship and probably due for a dry dock but you can always research that before you book so you won’t be disappointed. Sounds like a great cabin steward. I don’t think guests should be able to tell crew what hours they should do their job. RC cleans only once a day so as long as it’s done sometime during the day. Always OK to make a polite request but I wouldn’t expect a steward to change schedule around. Maybe he is sleeping at 7 pm.
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cruising2004    1 year ago

Glad you had a wonderful time in Alaska. Sorry the ship was not up to par.
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Dumfy75    1 year ago

Genuine question, why do some people find towel animals so vital, is it just me that doesn’t rate them as important to my cruise? Your steward made sure your room was clean every day and the dining room staff were exceptional but you rate service as one star?
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javawoody    1 year ago

Thanks for the review
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Gwbigdog    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us
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