This was our second cruise to Alaska on the Radiance and our fourteenth cruise with Royal Caribbean overall. Radiance has been our favorite ship for years, ranking higher than the popular Voyager class ships that we have sailed on. We went into this cruise with very high expectations. On some fronts, the cruise exceeded our expectations while on others, left us disappointed.

We arrived at the Port of Vancouver around 11:30am. Given that this was Radiance's first call of the season in Vancouver and the fact that it had just arrived from Hawaii, we were expecting somewhat of a wait to board. For those of you who have never sailed out of Vancouver before, the check-in terminal is in a warehouse and does not have the luxuries of Royal Caribbean's Miami pier. The check-in area also serves as the baggage claim area for those disembarking from the prior cruise. We arrived to the terminal and were surprised by the short lines and the efficiency of check-in. Less than five minutes from the time we entered the terminal building we had our SeaPasses and were on our way to board. There were some convenient little shopping booths where you can buy binoculars, in case you left yours at home, but fortunately for us, we had remembered.

It was great to be back onboard the Radiance. We headed up to Windjammer for a brief lunch before settling in our room. The honey stung chicken always proves to be one of our favorites on day one and it did not disappoint. After lunch, we walked down one deck to find our cabin, located in the aft, suite 1100. I've been a Cruise Critic member for years and know that this is one of the most highly coveted staterooms on any ship, so we booked this back in April 2007 on the first day Alaska bookings were released. I was a bit apprehensive on being all the way in the back of the ship as I feared that we would miss some of the beauty of the inside passage. From the moment we stepped foot in the cabin, our fears were put to rest. The cabin was spectacular! The room was spacious and words can't describe the size and privacy of the balcony. We were pleased indeed. Read more