We booked our cruise directly through Royal Caribbean's website. We scheduled our arrival in Anchorage the day before sailing and had a great dinner at the Glacier Brewhouse. We stayed at the Sheraton Anchorage, which was a bit removed from the heart of downtown, but was still walkable. We had several choices to get to Seward to meet the ship and opted for a company called "Alaskan Leopard Comedy Tours." The minibus picked us up at our hotel and made three stops along the way including one at the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge just outside Girdwood. The refuge cares for animals that are injured. There we saw black and brown bears, moose, elk, and a bald eagle. The minibus was decorated inside to resemble a log cabin and a video that played throughout the trip was very informative although the comedy produced a lot of groans! Our driver was very courteous and friendly. Each of my kids received a small stuffed bald eagle as a little gift.

The Radiance of the Seas was waiting for us at Seward. Although not scheduled to receive passengers until 1pm, they were ready for us at 12pm and we quickly boarded the ship without any inconvenience. Lunch was being served on board in the Windjammer Cafe. The pools were open and we lamented the fact that we hadn't brought our swimsuits in our carry-on's but by the time lunch was over and we went to check out our stateroom, our bags were already there. Regardless, we chose to go back into Seward to visit the Alaska Sealife Center, a lovely aquarium. Although it's quite a walk from the ship to the center, there is a free motorized trolly that circles Seward and picks up right at the dock. One of the town's pastors drove the trolley and provided commentary as we moved through town.

The ship was incredibly clean for being seven years old. There always seemed to be some maintenance activity going - steam cleaning around the pool, sanding and staining teak, etc. Handwipes were available just about everywhere and banisters and railings were constantly being wiped down. The light-colored wood throughout the ship along with its chrome accents and fixtures were always kept clean and sparkling. The glass throughout the ship was perfect for a voyage to Alaska. Even while waiting for the glass elevators the doorways for those elevators were made of glass so one could look through the doorways on to the ocean. Read more