This was our first cruise so we did not know what to expect. We had read a lot online and the reviews were mostly positive for the Radiance of the Seas Alaskan cruises with the exception of the first two cruises out of the recent dry dock for renovation. So we were a little nervous going in. We were a group of five ranging in age from 15 to 75 years old with the elder being in a wheel chair.

We spent a day in Seattle and a day in Vancouver prior to the cruise. In Seattle we took the ARGOS harbor tour and it was wonderful. Views of the city and of Mt. Ranier in the distance were spectacular as there was not a cloud in the sky most of the day. We stayed at the Spring Hill Suites in Renton and it was clean and relatively low cost. Vancouver was rainy but we toured some gardens near the city and can recommend the Marriott Renaissance Harbour based on our experience. It was located only a couple of blocks from Canada Place and the cab ride to the pier was under $10.

On July 8th we arrived at the pier around 11:45 am (scheduled time was noon) and we were on the ship by 12:15. The lines moved quickly and once aboard we were directed to the Windjammer for lunch while we waited for the staterooms to be prepared. Several folks in previous reviews had commented on the overcrowding in the Windjammer and having to wait for a table -- we never saw that. We always found a table for 5, no problem. Read more