Radiance of the Seas Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We approached this trip differently than most do as Alaska was never a "dream destination" for us. We were more interested in the on-board experience and I'd like to give some thoughts about the Radiance of the Seas.
Firstly, if you are crowd-averse, this is the ship for you! We sailed at full capacity and promptly dubbed it the "ghost ship". I have no idea where all the passengers were - other than during peak meal times and on the helipad on Hubbard Glacier day, we rarely ever saw many of them. Without exaggeration, we never once waited for an elevator (even on disembarkation morning), a spot in the hot tub, failed to get a good seat in the theater or had the room service phone ring busy. These were all new experiences for us. A+ for a spacious, relaxed environment.
We were also extremely surprised by the passenger demographic. We had expected "senior city" and instead found there to be very, very few elderly people on board (I only saw 1 mobility scooter all week). There also seemed to be very few children, although this could be due to great programming in Adventure Ocean. The weather also could have contributed as we did not ever see any youngsters in the kid's pool (very nice by the way), at mini-golf or on the rock wall. Most everyone appeared to be exactly like us - couples between the ages of 40 & 65.
Cabin Review
Interior Stateroom
Forward location under the Aurora Theater - may be a noise issue if you are early-to-bed. We liked the full curtains that could be used to separate the bed from the rest of the cabin.
Port Reviews
Juneau
Easy to navigate - get a car if you want to see the surrounding area, especially Mendenhall Glacier. Great fresh seafood in practically any restaurant. We heard the Whale-watchers had good luck here; better than at Icy Strait.
Seward
Very easy embarkation but getting there is a pain that includes a 2+ hour bus ride or 4 hours on the train.