Radiance of the Seas...Alaska 2016

Hi all...total newbie here. I have been reading a lot but I only have so much time, so I hope I could ask a few questions. We are in the process of booking an Alaska cruise on Radiance for next July.

1- how are the balcony rooms for a quad (two parents plus 12yo boy and 15yo girl)? My ideal is a balcony for us parents and a nearby inside for the kids but according to RC's website that is now an impossible set up (who knew people booked cruises so early!?...not me, I'm a newb as stated...) so I'm thinking I will call RCI direct or find a local agent who might have more info and be quicker about it. I had two adjoining ocean views on 24 hour hold on the 3rd deck aft (going southbound) which I thought could work but the husband really wants a balcony. And the hold is now over...boo.

2- cruisetours....for land, worth it? We hoped to be in Alaska for the 4th of July and the cruise in questions leaves the 8th. Husband has an independent streak and wants to go it on our own but I hear the cruise tours can be a good deal...mainly want to see Denali.

3-excursions...independent or on board?

4- DD and I are prone to sea sickness and neither of us have cruised. Husband has and insists we won't feel a thing. He's not prone though and doesn't quite understand...lol...scopolamine patches or other aids recommended for this cruise?

Thanks for any input and advice!

With regard to sea sickness, we have gotten relief from anything with ginger, such as ginger ale, ginger candy, ginger snap cookies, etc.

With regard to sea sickness, we have gotten relief from anything with ginger, such as ginger ale, ginger candy, ginger snap cookies, etc.

hmmmm....soda, candy, and cookies...my family likes you already. :) I have heard this about ginger but wondered if it was strong enough to really counteract. I know some friends that have used the scopolamine patches successfully but have the post-trip vertigo or one friend who had trouble reading while using it.

Two adults and two teens in a regular cabin will feel tight, but it could make for lots of good family memories. If the budget can handle it, I'd look into a Jr. Suite. It would give you a good bit more room so you won't all be in each others way.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would NOT do a JS....still not enough room for a boy and girl to sleep. Book a D balcony, and an inside for the kids....that's the best way. They can share a cabin...they do NOT need a balcony....you get a balcony and privacy. Their messes are contained in their space.

A JS is nice for 2, but your kids will have to SHARE a sofa bed...not ideal for that age! I would NEVER give either of the kids the "real" bed, and let one of the adults sleep on the sofa bed with the same=sex kid. Not on vacation...not ever.

2- cruisetours....for land, worth it? We hoped to be in Alaska for the 4th of July and the cruise in questions leaves the 8th. Husband has an independent streak and wants to go it on our own but I hear the cruise tours can be a good deal...mainly want to see Denali.

Rent an SUV and do your own cruise tour for 50% less. Make your reservations now because most of the good hotels in Denali are fully booked.

hmmmm....soda, candy, and cookies...my family likes you already. :) I have heard this about ginger but wondered if it was strong enough to really counteract. I know some friends that have used the scopolamine patches successfully but have the post-trip vertigo or one friend who had trouble reading while using it.

The patches give me a very dry mouth. I think if you feel a bit queasy, the ginger can help. However, if you are prone to severe seasickness, you probably should look for something stronger.

Hi all...total newbie here. I have been reading a lot but I only have so much time, so I hope I could ask a few questions. We are in the process of booking an Alaska cruise on Radiance for next July.

 

1- how are the balcony rooms for a quad (two parents plus 12yo boy and 15yo girl)? My ideal is a balcony for us parents and a nearby inside for the kids but according to RC's website that is now an impossible set up (who knew people booked cruises so early!?...not me, I'm a newb as stated...) so I'm thinking I will call RCI direct or find a local agent who might have more info and be quicker about it. I had two adjoining ocean views on 24 hour hold on the 3rd deck aft (going southbound) which I thought could work but the husband really wants a balcony. And the hold is now over...boo.

 

2- cruisetours....for land, worth it? We hoped to be in Alaska for the 4th of July and the cruise in questions leaves the 8th. Husband has an independent streak and wants to go it on our own but I hear the cruise tours can be a good deal...mainly want to see Denali.

 

3-excursions...independent or on board?

 

4- DD and I are prone to sea sickness and neither of us have cruised. Husband has and insists we won't feel a thing. He's not prone though and doesn't quite understand...lol...scopolamine patches or other aids recommended for this cruise?

 

Thanks for any input and advice!

If you want to be in Alaska for the Fourth of July, you could take the Northbond cruise on July 1st. And then you could do the land tour after the cruise.

Because your children are minors you cannot get a separate cabin for them. I have heard of people getting one in the husbands name and one in the wifes. There are some connecting balcony cabins. Also, the Family Ocean View cabins are quite large with a separate bedroom for the kids.

I travel solo and book my excursions independently.

Re: Seasickness - the large ships have excellent stabilizers, but you are on the ocean and there will be some movement. I use the seabands when necessary. Scopalamine and pills make me dizzy.

Are there any superior balconies with both a sofa bed and a Pullman (bunkbed) available? It's denoted by a solid diamond on the deck plans. I sleep on the sofa bed when traveling with my folks and elementary school age would be the oldest in my opinion that could comfortably share. The boy could sleep in the Pullman or vice versa.

My sister and I both suffer from motion sickness and have really good results from Bonine. You can get it at the drug store over the counter but may have to ask the pharmacist where to find it.

Are there any superior balconies with both a sofa bed and a Pullman (bunkbed) available?... .

I see a number of E1 (Deluxe) staterooms with sofa bed and pullman, but have not seen any "D" staterooms with that configuration.

We just did the 11 night cruise and land tour on Radiance in August. Here are my thoughts:

Land Tour - we started in Fairbanks (for 2 nights at Pike's Waterfront) - did the Gold Dredge & Riverboat Discovery, and took the train into Denali on the second day. Excellent all the way around.

2 Days in Denali, with a bus tour through Denali, and a train ride up the mountain. Excellent with lots of wildlife and actually got a peek of Mt. McKinley twice (only 30% of visitors get to see it once).

For a first trip to Alaska, I would recommend the Land Tour - expensive, but worth the expense as your luggage is hauled for you, and the only time you touch it is when you put it outside for the driver to pick up. Bus ride from Denali to Seward with a short lunch break in Anchorage was nice - would have preferred more time in Anchorage to sightsee.

7 Night cruise (Southbound) from Seward was excellent - great weather and loved the port stops - would do the cruise again. No rough weather at all - with mostly sunny skies and low 60's to low 80's for the entire trip.

Next time we would only do the cruise, with maybe a day or 2 on our own either in Fairbanks or Anchorage. Maybe even a Northbound from Seattle would also be a possibility. We have 26 or so cruises in the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, and Bermuda - never thought I would like Alaska - but it was a great trip. Good luck and have fun!

We had the Sofa Bed in our JS on the Serenade for our adult daughter and had to ask our room steward for an extra mattress. The sofa bed was terrible for a sofa bed. It dropped down at the bottom end which caused our daughter to sleep at a slant the first night. I would recommend going 2 rooms adjoining or across the hall from each other.

You have a lot of research ahead of you. We found Alaska takes advance planning.

We took the last NB Radiance cruise 3 yrs ago. Then the TA we booked with put us in a land tour that was with Gray Line of Alaska. It is owned by Holland America--so, we essentially had one of their land tours.

The couple we traveled with liked having the land tour. You put out your luggage and they move it for you. I feel that and the fact you do not need to make reservation with the train, etc as the only advantage. If I did it again I would do a DIY land tour. YMMV

For example, there is only one train that goes from Fairbanks to Anchorage each day. The cruise lines add their RR cars to the back. So, there is no reason you can not book a ticket for a dome car with the AK RR. [but, you would have to take your luggage to the RR station.] :rolleyes:

The land tour booked us on a short tour into Denali. [about 4 hrs] This barely get into the part. In fact, it only goes ~3 miles farther than you can drive into the park. ALL vehicle traffic into the park is run by the park service. You are much better off buying a ticket for a shuttle into the park and going farther for less money. We could not do that. We were able to exchange our ticket for a longer tour [and pay the additional cost] into the park [8 hrs]. [twice cost of park service shuttle that goes farther]

Here is a link to the Alaska port of call message board. It will be soooooo helpful for you to read the various threads. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

I did a live thread when we cruised. If you are interested this is the link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1697232

One thing nice about the Radiance itinerary is most of the cruise travel is in the calm

inside passage (less rocking and rolling).

We made the mistake (just once) doing the Seattle round trip on another ship. Too rushed and WAY too much ocean time with 10-15 foot seas...uurrppbb! :eek: :(

Though the Radiance only does one way trips, (making it nice to book a B2B! ;) ), it is really a much nicer itinerary to view more of Alaska...calmly! :)

Because your children are minors you cannot get a separate cabin for them. I have heard of people getting one in the husbands name and one in the wifes. There are some connecting balcony cabins. Also, the Family Ocean View cabins are quite large with a separate bedroom for the kids..

Fortunately this is not true. Minors may absolutely be booked in their own stateroom provided they are adjacent or directly across the hall.

The Family Ocean view rooms are great but you generally have to book a minimum of 5 in there to obtain one. The 2nd "bedroom" in the Family Oceanview is really a closet with a curtain and bunks inside. it is nice but not quite as private as a 2nd room.

In addition they have only one bathroom, not to be confused with Family Royal Suites that are two bed/bath accommodations.

As mentioned by someone else earlier a popular option is the Balcony room for the adults and an Interior for the kids, however at this late hour (for Alaskan sailings, high demand and all) those options may be very limited.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy Alaska!

Any word on the sewage smell? My husband and I really want to book this cruise, but I've read at least 6 recent posts that are very discouraging and cite that the cruise was great but the plumbing is horrible.

We just did the 11 night cruise and land tour on Radiance in August. Here are my thoughts:

Land Tour - we started in Fairbanks (for 2 nights at Pike's Waterfront) - did the Gold Dredge & Riverboat Discovery, and took the train into Denali on the second day. Excellent all the way around.

2 Days in Denali, with a bus tour through Denali, and a train ride up the mountain. Excellent with lots of wildlife and actually got a peek of Mt. McKinley twice (only 30% of visitors get to see it once).

For a first trip to Alaska, I would recommend the Land Tour - expensive, but worth the expense as your luggage is hauled for you, and the only time you touch it is when you put it outside for the driver to pick up. Bus ride from Denali to Seward with a short lunch break in Anchorage was nice - would have preferred more time in Anchorage to sightsee.

7 Night cruise (Southbound) from Seward was excellent - great weather and loved the port stops - would do the cruise again. No rough weather at all - with mostly sunny skies and low 60's to low 80's for the entire trip.

 

Next time we would only do the cruise, with maybe a day or 2 on our own either in Fairbanks or Anchorage. Maybe even a Northbound from Seattle would also be a possibility. We have 26 or so cruises in the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, and Bermuda - never thought I would like Alaska - but it was a great trip. Good luck and have fun!

I'm prone to motion sickness and we cruise at least once a year. Bonine is great for prevention as long as you follow the instructions. I also have recently discovered that I love the DoTerra Digetzen soft gels. Peppermints and gingers and Nauzene are nice if you get to that point.

Hi all...total newbie here. I have been reading a lot but I only have so much time, so I hope I could ask a few questions. We are in the process of booking an Alaska cruise on Radiance for next July.

 

1- how are the balcony rooms for a quad (two parents plus 12yo boy and 15yo girl)? My ideal is a balcony for us parents and a nearby inside for the kids but according to RC's website that is now an impossible set up (who knew people booked cruises so early!?...not me, I'm a newb as stated...) so I'm thinking I will call RCI direct or find a local agent who might have more info and be quicker about it. I had two adjoining ocean views on 24 hour hold on the 3rd deck aft (going southbound) which I thought could work but the husband really wants a balcony. And the hold is now over...boo.

 

2- cruisetours....for land, worth it? We hoped to be in Alaska for the 4th of July and the cruise in questions leaves the 8th. Husband has an independent streak and wants to go it on our own but I hear the cruise tours can be a good deal...mainly want to see Denali.

 

3-excursions...independent or on board?

 

4- DD and I are prone to sea sickness and neither of us have cruised. Husband has and insists we won't feel a thing. He's not prone though and doesn't quite understand...lol...scopolamine patches or other aids recommended for this cruise?

 

Thanks for any input and advice!

I encourage you to book the balcony, even if your finances mean that you have to stuff four people in there. I used that balcony more than on any other cruise I have taken. The cruise through the inside passage was incredible.

We opted to book the land tour through the cruiseline because I wanted to enjoy the scenery ... not be focused on the road. The roads you travel will be some of the most scenic ones you have ever been on. And you will only travel into a tiny section of that huge state, but each leg of the trip will take hours.

The main roads are good and well-paved, but I believe they were all 2-lane. Never start a leg of the trip without food and water with you. There was an accident two weeks after our cruise that shut down the Anchorage/Seward road for hours (Radiance didn't leave Seward until after midnight because hundreds of passengers were on the other side of the accident). Alaska doesn't have alternate routes. When the road is closed, there are no options.

Use the Alaska boards for your trip planning ... that and Tripadvisor. This trip involved more pre-cruise planning than I have ever experienced, but it paid off. Our trip was exactly what we wanted it to be.

And I encourage you to read a number of reviews. They will give you a feel for what other people did and you can decide if that sort of thing appeals to you as well. I'll post my link and I encourage you to seek out other reviews as well. There's a post at the top of the Alaska board with links to plenty of reviews from all of the cruiselines.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2240436

Hi all...total newbie here. I have been reading a lot but I only have so much time, so I hope I could ask a few questions. We are in the process of booking an Alaska cruise on Radiance for next July.

 

1- how are the balcony rooms for a quad (two parents plus 12yo boy and 15yo girl)? My ideal is a balcony for us parents and a nearby inside for the kids but according to RC's website that is now an impossible set up (who knew people booked cruises so early!?...not me, I'm a newb as stated...) so I'm thinking I will call RCI direct or find a local agent who might have more info and be quicker about it. I had two adjoining ocean views on 24 hour hold on the 3rd deck aft (going southbound) which I thought could work but the husband really wants a balcony. And the hold is now over...boo.

 

2- cruisetours....for land, worth it? We hoped to be in Alaska for the 4th of July and the cruise in questions leaves the 8th. Husband has an independent streak and wants to go it on our own but I hear the cruise tours can be a good deal...mainly want to see Denali.

 

3-excursions...independent or on board?

 

4- DD and I are prone to sea sickness and neither of us have cruised. Husband has and insists we won't feel a thing. He's not prone though and doesn't quite understand...lol...scopolamine patches or other aids recommended for this cruise?

 

Thanks for any input and advice!

We cruised southbound on the Radiance July 2014. We arrived in Anchorage Alaska July 1. We stayed in Seward July 2,3 and sailed July 4th. I booked our hotel in Seward and travel well in advance and I am glad I did.

The town of Seward Alaska has a HUGE event on July 4th, they have a marathon, were people run up Mount Mararthon the town population increases greatly and hotels and camp sites sell out many months ahead. We were told the crowds increase to about 40,000. Google it.

Having said that we traveled by the train from Anchorage to Seward and were booked at the Holiday Inn. I think I booked November 2013. It was also the most amazing cruise we've ever taken, we also had a balcony (E1) which we used often.

I hope this helps.

Are there any superior balconies with both a sofa bed and a Pullman (bunkbed) available? It's denoted by a solid diamond on the deck plans. I sleep on the sofa bed when traveling with my folks and elementary school age would be the oldest in my opinion that could comfortably share. The boy could sleep in the Pullman or vice versa.

 

My sister and I both suffer from motion sickness and have really good results from Bonine. You can get it at the drug store over the counter but may have to ask the pharmacist where to find it.

Does the Bonine make you sleepy like dramamine?

I encourage you to book the balcony, even if your finances mean that you have to stuff four people in there. I used that balcony more than on any other cruise I have taken. The cruise through the inside passage was incredible.

 

We opted to book the land tour through the cruiseline because I wanted to enjoy the scenery ... not be focused on the road. The roads you travel will be some of the most scenic ones you have ever been on. And you will only travel into a tiny section of that huge state, but each leg of the trip will take hours.

 

The main roads are good and well-paved, but I believe they were all 2-lane. Never start a leg of the trip without food and water with you. There was an accident two weeks after our cruise that shut down the Anchorage/Seward road for hours (Radiance didn't leave Seward until after midnight because hundreds of passengers were on the other side of the accident). Alaska doesn't have alternate routes. When the road is closed, there are no options.

 

Use the Alaska boards for your trip planning ... that and Tripadvisor. This trip involved more pre-cruise planning than I have ever experienced, but it paid off. Our trip was exactly what we wanted it to be.

 

And I encourage you to read a number of reviews. They will give you a feel for what other people did and you can decide if that sort of thing appeals to you as well. I'll post my link and I encourage you to seek out other reviews as well. There's a post at the top of the Alaska board with links to plenty of reviews from all of the cruiselines.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2240436

Emerald City I had already began reading some of your trip entries! Thanks for posting all that info... I have posted another question on the first time cruisers board regarding the room situation and the majority said the adjoining OV rooms because for this cruise (alaska) several said they felt the balcony was not worth the extra cost that it is in other destinations. Still deciding...

Thanks for all the posters here! I'm definitely looking into a DIY land tour...it's more our style...but I was not aware that things book up so early, so I will be sure to get right on that.

The cruise leaves July 8, and we are thinking of getting to Anchorage July 3. We have an old college friend that lives in Palmer that we hope to see. The other option was to go northbound and be on the ship on the 4th, but that didn't appeal as much.

I see a number of E1 (Deluxe) staterooms with sofa bed and pullman, but have not seen any "D" staterooms with that configuration.

The balcony I had a hold on did have sofa and pullman. That would be the configuration we would need, and boy it looked tight. Neither of my kids seemed to keen on sleeping on the pullman (surprisingly, I thought my boy might get a kick out of it...) once they saw the photo...

I would consider a balcony and inside across the hall but according to the website that set up is not available...not many inside rooms with an aft side entrance, so not many on the side we want to be on, and I would not be comfortable with them further away.

As mentioned before, the road from Anchorage to Seward is not the only option. The Coastal Classic Alaska Rail trip IMHO is an adventure in itself. Really beautiful views along the way. If staying at the Holiday Inn, the train will arrange to have your luggage brought straight there for you (though the Holiday Inn is actually easy walking distance from the train station). We did a 2 night at HI, enjoying some salmon fishing one day. Nice to be able to watch Radiance slide into port across the harbor early in the morning. :)

If you do try to book your minors in a cabin by themselves, I would highly recommend that you contact RCI customer service before doing so. I am quite sure that is not allowed and you may find such in the rules also. It is a liability issue.

As mentioned before, the road from Anchorage to Seward is not the only option. The Coastal Classic Alaska Rail trip IMHO is an adventure in itself. Really beautiful views along the way. If staying at the Holiday Inn, the train will arrange to have your luggage brought straight there for you (though the Holiday Inn is actually easy walking distance from the train station). We did a 2 night at HI, enjoying some salmon fishing one day. Nice to be able to watch Radiance slide into port across the harbor early in the morning. :)

 

If you do try to book your minors in a cabin by themselves, I would highly recommend that you contact RCI customer service before doing so. I am quite sure that is not allowed and you may find such in the rules also. It is a liability issue.

Noted! That sounds fabulous actually. Yes, I do have to call as I did book the cabins this morning and forgot, and put my husband and me in room 1, and unable to book room 2 with the kids since I already sent in room 1. So I booked room 2 with me and 1 kid, so I'm booked in 2 rooms and my poor daughter has no reservation...lol. I'm sure its an easy fix. I've read that you do have to have 1 adult (over 21) and 1 kid in each when booking but when you check in they'll swap it for you, arrange the correct bedding, etc. They are adjoining rooms so I suppose it's common.

Noted! That sounds fabulous actually. Yes, I do have to call as I did book the cabins this morning and forgot, and put my husband and me in room 1, and unable to book room 2 with the kids since I already sent in room 1. So I booked room 2 with me and 1 kid, so I'm booked in 2 rooms and my poor daughter has no reservation...lol. I'm sure its an easy fix. I've read that you do have to have 1 adult (over 21) and 1 kid in each when booking but when you check in they'll swap it for you, arrange the correct bedding, etc. They are adjoining rooms so I suppose it's common.

Congrats on getting the adjoining cabins! That is really the best scenario for families, other than the higher priced suites of course. And who knows...sometimes you get an upgrade to a family suite if RCI needs more cabins in your category! :)