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Royal Caribbean's
Radiance of the Seas
May 23 - 30, 2008
Cruise Review
by
David Handrahan
Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 19:40:18 -0400 (EDT)
From: "David Handrahan" <dahandra@msn.com>
Subject: Review - Radiance of the Seas - May 23 - 30, 2008
Only one word describes the cruise experience on the Radiance and that is "Wow!".
The Radiance of the Seas has to be seen as the line's flagship for class and comfort. While it may not be as big and gaudy as the Freedom or Voyager classes, it is beyond a doubt the most comfortable and scenery-friendly ship in the stable. Many of the folks I spoke with, both passengers and RCCL crew, rated this the best they've been on.
This was my second trip to Alaska on the Radiance, my wife's first. We thought we'd take a little risk skipping the round trip from/to Vancouver that I tried last time by going on a Northbound Vancouver to Seward route. It paid off big time.
The Quarters: The cabins on the Radiance are larger than most no matter which level you choose. We sprung for a Superior Outside with a Balcony so we could take all the glory of the Inside Passage and we loved it for that as well as whale watching as the humpbacks were migrating. We had a larger than queen size bed and more than ample storage space. Our cabin attendant Anthony loved the fact that I had been to his home country of Costa Rica and he provided great service as well as extra funny towel animals that I had not seen on previous cruises. There is a safe for valuables and the room also has a hair dryer so that's one less thing you have to pack.
The Food: Have to give you a disclaimer that we may not be fully qualified to give you the most in-depth rating on the main dining room's cuisine for this trip. We skipped out on two nights out of sheer exhaustion from travel and touring and then two other nights, we went to the Chops Grille instead. For those of you that have not tried it, or think you shouldn't pay an extra $25 a person for a meal in Chops, I think you are mistaken. The individual service and attention, as well as a private table and the outstanding quality of food served there make Chops a sure not-miss and well worth the extra cost. The Windjammer on the Radiance was superior to that of other RCCL ships I'd been on with excellent service and attention to customer needs as well as variety of food. The Seaview Cafe was avoided based on previous experience; they have limited hours on their food offerings are heavy in the deep fried mode. I say this every review, if you are a soft drink person, get the $6 per person per day package which provides you with totally unlimited refills anytime, anywhere on the boat.
The Ship: The Radiance class of ships has more of a percentage of outside cabins and more glass than any other boat in the RCCL fleet and it sails to places where the visibility factor is highly desirable. It is immaculately maintained and the crew is top notch. The only issue I had with this ship is a shortage of elevators...either that or they need to speed up the ones they have. The Aurora Theater is beautiful and comfortable for shows, the atrium spectacular and the ship has more clubs and scoial areas than you can count.
Getting there: The low point of the trip. We booked our airline through RCCL and made it to the airport well ahead of time, but were surprised by the carrier (Alaska Air) which had crew issues that jeopardized our connection flight from Phoenix to Seattle so that we could make the link to Vancouver to catch the boat. There were 21 of us for the Radiance on the flight to Seattle and while Alaska Air was of little to no help, their subsidiary carrier Horizon Air came through as they held up their flight to Vancouver and rushed us through check-in so we could make the cruise. Our luggage was delivered during the lifeboat drills with all pieces arriving intact and we were off.....to sleep as we were exhausted from the stress and worry of the trip. This was one of the nights we skipped dinner.
Day 2 & 3: Cruising and Ketchikan: It goes without saying that the views of the Inside Passage from a balcony cabin on the Radiance are breathtaking, my wife Debi's term (used over and over) was "majestic". There are also plenty of spots around the ship to take in the grandeur if you have an inside cabin....that's what the Radiance class of ships was built for, maximum visibility. After cruising all of Day 2 (formal night for dinner, had to get out the tux and have photos taken with my lovely wife; she looked stunning as always), we pulled into Ketchikan for our first port. This is the place to shop. Great stuff at good prices (tax free). Negotiate hard and you'll get good deals. Attend the shopping briefing on the ship before you dock and if the RCCL shopping person is around (they are all over town when the ship is in port) use the RCCL leverage to get a great deal, especially on jewelry.
Day 4: We arrived in Juneau and hopped on a bus for our only scheduled excursion to go Whale Watching and to the Mendenhall Glacier. The tour promises you'll see at least one whale or they will refund the majority of the tour fee and we were not disappointed spotting 10 humpback whales spouting vapor and smacking their tails as they submerged. You need patience, but the tour folks know their stuff and will get you where you need to go to see the whales. The Mendenhall Glacier gets you right up close to a large receding glacier and provides you with a lot of information on what glaciers are and how they flow.
Day 5: The best day for us in a lot of ways. We arrived in Skagway and got to feel like we stepped back into the gold rush days with rustic storefronts (granted they were all selling souvenirs). The real highlight was meeting up with our daughter Mary who snagged herself a job for the season working in Skagway. We got to see the town with her as our guide. She showed us the great places to shop and took us to a show about the town's history featuring the infamous "Soapy" Smith (Debi got picked to dance the can-can with the showgirls) and we had a great meal at the Fish Company restaurant known to locals as Fishco. We arrived in Skagway the day before Mary's birthday, so we also brought and then bought her gifts. It is a great town to have fun in and a big highlight all the way around.
Day 6: We stayed on the boat and enjoyed a lazy day while at Icy Strait Point. The boat anchored and passengers could tender in via small boats to a reconstructed salmon cannery as well as a lot of nature and adventure attractions. Hard to miss, even from the boat was a very high and long zip-line that folks (braver than us) could enjoy. Debi and I walked the deck and even played miniature golf on the Radiance. We also played trivia with other passengers in the Schooner Bar with us taking both the morning and afternoon sessions with the highest scores. Second dinner at Chops as we avoided formal night #2, though we dressed up a bit. The folks at Chops remembered not only that we had been there three nights before, they remembered our names and what we had ordered....a splendid dining experience.
Day 7: A little bit of disappointment as the ice field was too thick around the Hubbard Glacier to allow us to get as close as I got last time I went. Also, it was still early in the season and the glacier was not actively calving while we were there. Based on my previous trip, this is great view and should be much better in the June-Aug timeframe. We packed up our bags and had them outside the cabin that night so they could be in place for departure in the morning. This is when a carry-on bag is required for you to place the clothes and toiletries you need on the final night/departure morning as your big suitcases are gone the night before.
Seward Surprise: I have to admit, we were not looking forward to the 2.5 hour bus ride from Seward, where the boat docks, to Anchorage to catch our flight back to Phoenix. Boy, was I ever wrong! The bus ride goes through some of the most beautiful (or as Debi would say "Majestic") scenary of the cruise. You get to see glaciers, mountain passes, wildlife....you name it. It was like (in my mind) a free mini-version of the cruise add-on trips that take a week or so and ride you through a lot of the same type of country.
The trip home: I won't end this on a sour note other than to say Alaska Airlines dropped the ball again on the return trip. I called RCCL and they noted my issues and pledged to follow-up with Alaska Air and then with me. We got back to Phoenix and started making plans for our next trip, especially if Mary works there again next summer. There is always more to see in Alaska. And, since the Radiance also goes to Hawaii as well as the Panama Canal, who knows?
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