Radiance of the Seas Review

4.0 / 5.0
1,235 reviews

Amazing trip

Review for Alaska Cruise on Radiance of the Seas
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KYTOAK
First Time Cruiser • Age 60s

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Sail Date: May 2008
Cabin: Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Traveled with children

First, we are a family of 3 (12 year old son). First real cruise and first time to Alaska. We booked through our travel agent who suggested RCI based on what we really wanted to do and see. All air reservations were done through RCI as well We did cruise tour 19 which starts in Anchorage. We arrived at 2 in the afternoon and were met by the RCI people who took us to the Marriott and we immediately started exploring the city. The Ulu factory and the coastal trail, etc. It is a fun town to walk around in and it helps that it doesn't get dark until midnight. We ate dinner at Orso which was pricey but the food was great. The next morning we drove on to Denali. . The scenery is spectacular but there were not enough stops to take pictures We spent the night in the Grande Denali Lodge The view was great but the lodge itself was not so great looking like it was slapped together in a hurry but it was adequate for our needs. Their buffet breakfast was incredibly expensive for what it was. In the morning we were off to the Natural History Tour which was just a little taste of what the park is. We saw caribou, Dall sheep, moose, hare, ptarmigan but no bears and of course again amazing scenery. Spring was just a little late so things were just starting. After that we were off to Talkeetna. This is a very unusual place. The Talkeetna Alaska Lodge was very nice with incredible views of the mountain which did finally put in appearance and we watched the sun set over it at 11:30 pm. We also booked a flightseeing tour with glacier landing independently with Talkeetna Air Taxi. I am not a good flyer but this was the most amazing thing we did. Words and pictures cannot describe it. The next morning we were off to board Radiance in Seward. Again driving down the Kenai Peninsula was spectacular scenery but no stops for pictures. There were lines for embarkation but they moved fairly quickly and we were on board by 4pm. Our luggage did not arrive until after 9pm. We were on deck 10 cabin 1088 port side aft with a balcony. It was a nice cabin and was adequate for out needs. We explored the ship and found some nice places to sit and do whatever. We were somewhat limited having a twelve year old with us and they have a midnight curfew and are not welcomed in bars after 10pm we didn't want to leave him in the cabin alone. He did participate in some of the teen events but they grouped 12-17 year olds together and he was somewhat intimidated by the older kids. We very much enjoyed Hubbard Glacier. We got close enough to see it fairly well. In Juneau we went up the Mt Roberts Tram. There was still a lot of snow on the ground so the trails were closed but the view was nice. We also took one of the buses out to Mendenhall Glacier where we took our time looking around. .We heard the glacier calve but did not see it. Next stop was Skagway where we rented a car from Avis and drove to the Yukon in Canada. It was foggy and light rain when we started out but once we crossed White Pass the weather and the drive was absolutely beautiful. We went as far as Emerald Lake taking our time and lots of pictures. It was on this drive we saw our only bear as well all the other major wildlife. The whole trip took us about 5 hours leaving us time to still explore Skagway. Next stop was Icy Strait Point. Here we did a whale watch tour booked through RCI. This was incredible. There were many humpbacks some with calves. There was one whale that breached not once but FOUR times right in front of us. We also saw sea lions and porpoises Next stop was Ketchikan where we went on the Bering Sea Crab fisherman's tour. They showed us how they fish for a variety of different things but the highlight was definitely the king crabs. They also showed us eagles like we had never dreamed possible. We also walked and shopped a little taking in Creek Street and looking at the totem poles. In all the ports you have to look to get away from the "same old things" when shopping. That got very old very fast. Our worst weather was coming down the inside passage of Canada. It rained the whole time spoiling the scenery. We only ate in the Windjammer since we were always busy doing something at our 6pm dinner seating time. The food was good but got somewhat repetitive. It was convenient as it was just one flight of stairs above us. We had room service one morning and it was very speedy. Our cabin attendant was good, seeing that we had everything we needed and of course we had the whole collection of towel animals which our son enjoyed. The entertainment was OK. Our son enjoyed the juggler/comedian. The singer we left 10 minutes into the performance. The shows seemed to draw the older crowd. We tried the pools one time. The outdoor pool was warmer than the indoor (which they limit kid time in) but the air temperature outside was too cold. For us this trip was about where we were going - ALASKA- and not necessarily the cruise. We feel like we got to see and do some amazing things and it would be nice to do it again and see and do some different amazing things

Cabin Review

Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony

Cabin D1

Fairly quiet most of the time. Some noise from Windjammer. Nice protected balcony. Tiny shower.

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