This was our second cruise to Alaska, the first time 7 years ago on the Celebrity Summit. Because we'd been there before, we were less interested in exploring the ports' shopping meccas and more into the adventure excursions. In that regard, we were not disappointed!

As far as the Radiance and RCL, I must say I wasn't that impressed. I found the onboard entertainment and activity offerings lacking, compared to our Celebrity cruise or our two Norweigan Cruise Line's offerings in Hawaii. I was really disappointed that RCL doesn't have any type of welcome party as you board the ship. Being greeted by the crew with a flute of champagne was a real nice touch on NCL and set the tone for a "special" cruise.

THE DISH ON DINING: Something has to be done with the dining situation. We chose the late dinner seating and asked to be seated at a "large" table. We were really looking forward to meeting new people. Unfortunately, four of the eight people at our table never showed ... and the other couple was habitually 15-30 minutes late each evening. A look around the dining room showed that we were not alone in the situation. I don't know if the other guests at our table opted for "My time dining" once onboard, or just went to the Windjammer each night, but the end result is not fair to those of us who were hoping for an opportunity to meet new people and share our days over the evening meal. I suppose we could have switched to "My Time Dining" as well, but felt guilty doing that to the other couple. This also seems extremely unfair to the staff as well. Read more