Alaska June 2007

Thanks to everyone on the Cruise Critic boards for sharing which immensely helped us make our choices for our wonderful trip to Alaska. This has to be one of the biggest assets to traveling. We began out trip a week early to enjoy an independent land tour of Alaska before our southbound cruise aboard the Radiance of the Seas. To other readers, our first flight to DFW was delayed before we had even left home-Little Rock, so be sure and not plan tight connections on such a trip and most of all, go ahead of deadlines. We did make our connection to Anchorage on the overbooked flight north, arriving as planned. Others sometimes fail to make their departure flying the day of embarkation and having to catch up on a cruise in progress. After enjoying Denali National Park, Talkeetna, Anchorage, Kenai Peninsula, and Seward, we welcomed the arrival of the Radiance.

We had taken the train to Seward the day before boarding to visit the Sea Life Center, small boat harbor and Exit Glacier. Returning to the Hotel Edgewater to gather our luggage, the staff shuttled us to the port. Embarkation process was very organized and painless, since all forms had been completed online and the preferred boarding line of Crown & Anchor Diamond membership. Many passengers had previously boarded before our 2 pm arrival. Read more