Land & Sea. RC Radiance of The Seas Southbound Review

Saturday, July 29, 2017Departed RI for Seattle prior to starting our land tour.

Myself (55), husband (56), and our two friends (55 & 60)

We stayed at the Hampton Inn South Center. $129 per night plus taxes. Free shuttle to and from the airport, Light Rail Station, mall & area restaurants.

Hotel was very clean and offered coffee/tea & fruit 24-hours a day. They provided a free breakfast buffet which had a variety of hot & cold items. Outdoor pool & jacuzzi, and a self-service laundry $1.50 each machine. Bed and pillows were very comfortable.

The shuttle dropped us off at the Light Rail Station a few minutes from the hotel. $3.00 one way, $6.00 round trip or you can buy a day pass, which I believe costs $8.00. It took less than 25 minutes to get to downtown. We arrived shortly before 5pm and walked around the Pike Place area before heading towards the waterfront.

We ended up eating at the Crab Pot. My husband and I had eaten here before and our friends wanted to try it. I ordered the Colossal Burger with Cheese $13, my friend had the Mahi Mahi Tacos $13, and our husbands ordered The Alaskan at $52 each. Food and service was very good.

Once you arrive back at the Light Rail Station, you call the hotel and the shuttle picks you up within 5-10 minutes.

Sunday, July 30, 2017.

Seattle

We ate breakfast before heading back to downtown. When we arrived at Pikes Place last night, the shops were starting to close so we went back this morning and walked around.

We booked the 3-hour Seattle Tour ($69.00 w/tax) and was picked up at the Chocolate Box, a block from Pikes Marketplace. We thought the tour was very informative. We got off at the Space Needle, which was the tours last stop and walked around the area.

We made our way back to the area of Pikes and ate dinner at Kell's Irish Pub on Post Alley. The Kell's Bookie NY Steak ($28) and the Shepherd's Pie ($17) were delicious! The owner's Mom let my husband pick out a tee-shirt when we mentioned it was his birthday. As we left to head back to the light rail, Kell's was starting to get packed. They also have a small outdoor patio area.

Monday, July 31, 2017

Departing Seattle for Fairbanks.

Forgot to mention that the weather in Seattle was warm and sunny.

We flew Alaskan Airlines to Fairbanks. 4 hours & 16 minute flight. Flight and crew were excellent. Fairbanks is also one hour behind Seattle time. Temperature on Monday was 84*, Sunny, with a sunset time of 10:58pm!

We were met at Fairbanks Airport by the staff of Royal Caribbean and were put on the motor coach for a short ride to our hotel, Pike's Waterfront Lodge. There we met with our Tour Director, Shauna, and was given information and additional excursion options for the land portion of our tour. The hotel was very quaint. Our room was located on the second floor facing the waterfront. The bed was comfortable. There's a gift shop, restaurant and an ice cream area inside the hotel.

We opted to walk next door to Pike's Landing Restaurant. Food was good, although a bit pricey. You are not able to choose how you want your burger cooked. They all are cooked medium well, as per Alaska Health Laws, per told to us by our waiter Jeremy.

Tuesday, August 1st

Fairbanks

72* & cloudy to start the first day of our land tour. Sunset 10:56pm

We ate the breakfast buffet in the hotel restaurant. $12.95 for continental and $18.95 for full buffet. Food items were typical of a buffet.

We met our tour director, Shawna, and our Driver, Dana, at 8:30am and was driven to the Gold Dredge #8 Tour. We were given a brief history of the dredge and then boarded a small train to the gold panning area. This tour lasted approximately 2hours.

We then got on the motor coach and were taken to downtown Fairbanks to spend some time on our own. We walked over to the famous Big Daddy's BBQ, as seen on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives. The ribs, burnt brisket ends, and nachos were excellent. I highly recommend you have a bite to eat here!

From 2pm -5pm we took a Riverboat Discovery Cruise, which was part of our land tour. Very relaxing and informative.

We took a shuttle ($15per person RT) from the hotel to the North Pole to see the Santa Claus House, which is just a very big gift shop. We ate again next door at Pike's Landing for dinner.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Fairbanks to Denali, via Wilderness Express

Our luggage had to be placed outside our room by 6am.

We loaded the motor coach and departed for the train at 7:30 sharp.

We boarded the train at 8 and departed at 8:15.

The train offers several hot breakfast options in the dining car ranging from pancakes ($13) to egg dishes ($13-$15) and only take credit cards. Along the way we were given a talk on the areas we were traveling through as well as Denali itself.

We arrived in Denali at 12:15, boarded the motor coach and stopped at the Denali Visitor's Center to walk around for an hour and a half. Afterwards, we were driven downtown to walk around for another hour and a half.

By 4pm we arrived at our hotel, Denali Park Village. This hotel is very nice with many common areas to hang around in. Our tour group was put in building 800-B, rooms 818-835. The rooms were very nice, beds comfortable, but have NO air conditioners or refrigerators.

We attended the Cabin Nite Dinner Theatre on the property. $75 per person. The show was cute, food was very good (family style BBQ ribs, salmon, corn, mashed potatoes, baked beans) but we thought the price was a bit high.

Early to bed for we have to be on the bus at 7:30am for our Tundra Wilderness Tour.

Forgot to mention that Pike's Waterfront Lodge has a self-service laundry room. $3.00 to wash & $3.00 to dry.

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Denali Park Village

Breakfast was on our own. I opted for just having coffee while the others went to the breakfast buffet in the lodge. $21.00 per person. The Lodge has a gift shop, coffee shop, restaurant and a bar area.

We boarded a bus outside of the Lodge for our Tundra Wilderness Tour at 7:30. Our driver, Allen, was very knowledgeable about Denali National Park. We saw Caribou, Dall Sheep, a Mama bear and her cub, and a Moose on our way out of Denali. The tour was approximately 8 hours long and we were provided with a snack box and waters. Some people ordered a box lunch ($16) from the coffee shop in the lodge the day before and picked it up that morning before we left.

We were dropped off at 5pm and grabbed a bite to eat in the restaurant. Besides ordering from the menu, they offer an all-you-can eat buffet, which includes ONE piece of prime rib, for $35 per person. We all ordered off the menu. Crab Mac & Cheese ($25) was very good as was the burger ($18) that came with fries.

The hotel has a laundry room on the second floor of building 700, and it's FREE. They sell laundry detergent in the gift shop. There is also an iron and ironing board for use.

Overall, I thought this hotel was very nice. Internet was very spotty.

Friday, August 3, 2017Denali to Seward

Our luggage had to be outside our room by 6am. We boarded the motor coach and headed out at 7:30, arriving in downtown Anchorage at 12:30. We asked a group of local Army recruits if they could suggest a place to eat. They all recommended 49th State Brewing Company about a 5 minute walk from where we were dropped off. We ordered Nachos ($14), Handmade Pretzel ($9.50), Denali Cheesesteak Sandwich with fries ($17), and a side Caesar salad ($7.50). The food was excellent, as was the service. We sat inside, however, they have an outdoor patio facing the water.

We left Anchorage shortly after 2pm for the two hour drive to Seward. Because there was an accident on the two lane road to Seward, our bus driver took us to a couple site seeing areas to kill an hour. We arrived at the ship at 5:30. It took approximately 15 minutes to check in and we headed right to our cabins to drop off our carry-on's. We then headed to the pool bar for our first drink of the night.

Suggested Gratuities for our Tour Director, Shawna, is $5.00 per person/day. We gave her a little extra because she was fantastic. Our bus driver, Dana, $4.00 per person/day. He was great too!

Our luggage had not arrived before our 8pm dinner time so we wore the clothes we had had on all day. We were seated at table 559 on the upper level of Cascades Dining Room.

Welcome Aboard Show was at 9:45pm in the Aurora Theatre located on decks 5 & 6. The show was okay. We headed to the Piano Bar with music by Danny Burgess. He was very good.

Our luggage had been delivered sometime after we left for dinner.

We were in Cabin 8048 and our steward was Kerve. Ice buckets are only provided if asked for. There is a refrigerator but it is no longer "stocked" as a mini bar. Robes are no longer provided for use but Kerve was kind enough to bring me one. The only outside TV channel for news was CNN.

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Hubbard Glacier

The day was warm and sunny and Hubbard Glacier was spectacular.

First Formal Night and Captain's Welcome Onboard Reception

Show: Piano Man, a tribute to the music of Billy Joel, Sir Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Harold Arlen & Barry Manilow. 6:30 & 8:30pm

Late Night Adult Comedy starring Kivi Rogers. 10:15pm.

We had reservations at Chops Grille. Well worth the $35 per person. The food was amazing along with the service.

Drink of the Day: Captain Colins $8

Martini of the Day: James Bond $10

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Juneau

Sunny & warm!

We did the Mendenhall Glacier & Salmon Bake $95.75 booked through RC prior to cruising. We loved the glacier and the area it was in. Lots of hiking trails. We went across the street to see the salmon and saw a female grizzly bear below the boardwalk. She had just finished eating some salmon and was bedding down under a tree. The female Ranger said she had given birth to two cubs last year and she was not aggressive. We watched her for 20/30 minutes before boarding the bus to the Salmon Bake. We could have passed on the Salmon Bake. They offered clam chowder upon arriving and the buffet consisted of a salad with salmon bits, rice pilaf, Cole slaw, chicken thighs with cheese, baked beans, corn bread and salmon. They had a beverage station with water and lemonade and a cash bar.

Entertainment tonight was two movies in Aurora Theatre. Beauty & The Beast at 7pm and Kong, Skull Island at 9:30pm.

The 70's Disco Inferno Dance Party started at 8:45 in the Centrum. This was a huge hit and was crowded.

Drink of the Day: Margarita Azul $8.00

Martini of the Day: French Martini $10.00

Monday, August 7, 2017

Skagway

Warm & Sunny again today.

Tour: White Pass Railroad & Alaskan Dog Sled Experience, $189, 5 hours total. Loved the train ride and scenery and our narrator on the train gave informative details throughout the ride. My husband particularly enjoyed the dog sled experience, seeing how he was a former K-9 handler/trainer. They showed you the equipment needed for both the rider and the dogs during the Iditarod race. During the off seasons, they train the dogs by having them pull a four wheeler. We were able to hold some of the puppies that were born 8 weeks prior.

Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 at 6:45pm

Headliner Show: The Dangerous Comedy of Wilde & James at 9:45pm

Drink of the Day: Port Side Punch, $8.00

Martini of the Day: Brandy Alexander, $10.00

Day 5: Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Icy Strait Point

Again, Warm & Sunny

No excursions booked, however, we wish we had. There isn't much to do on your own here except look in a few gift shops, or grab a drink or a bite to eat at one of the 3 restaurants. We had a drink at the Duck Point Smokehouse and walked around the Cannery Museum.

Several people we talked to once onboard the ship either did the Worlds Largest Ziprider, a 1,330 vertical drop or the Whale Watching Excursion.

Second Formal Night

Headliner Show: The Comedy & Singing Impressions of Johnathan Clark at 6:30 & 8:30pm in the Aurora Theatre.

Followed by the Love & Marriage Show at 10pm and

Late Night Adult Comedy starring Tom McTigue at 10:30pm

Drink of the Day: Woo Woo, $8.00

Martini of the Day: Coco Nuts, $10.00

Day 6: Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Ketchikan

Mid-70's, Warm & Sunny

We chose the Alaska's First City Highlights/Lumberjack Show, which consisted of a small tour of the City and a visit to Saxman Native Village, 3-hours total, $59.75 per person. We really enjoyed the Lumberjack Show (USA side beat the Canadian side), but were bored at the Village.

Afterwards we did some souvenir shopping in town before heading back to the ship to grab a late lunch.

Show: City of Dreams, 6:30 & 8:30pm

Rock on! Centrum Dance Party, 10pm

Drink of the Day: Citrus Cooler, $8.00

Martini of the Day: Belvedere Pink Cosmo

Clocks were set ahead one hour before going to bed.

Day 7: Thursday, August 10, 2017

Cruising Inside Passage

Warm & Sunny

Lots of sales running in the shops today.

Afternoon Show: Headin' for the Future, a tribute to the music of Neil Diamond. 2:30pm.

Farewell Show, 7:15pm

Late Night Adult Comedy starring Tom McTigue, 9:45pm

Drink of the Day: Starboard Madras, $8.00

Martini of the Day: Apple Tini, $10.00

Enjoying your trip report.

Keith

Thanks for the review. Which cruisetour was this? Was it 4B?

Yes, this was the 11 night Wilderness Frontier Explorer Cruise Tour #4B.

My final remarks regarding the land tour:

If you're going to do a land tour, definitely do it BEFORE the cruise. You are up early and constantly on the go! Once you get on the ship, you can relax!

Our package did not include any meals and food is expensive in Alaska. On average, we spent $200 or more a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Gratuities: Besides tipping our tour director and bus driver when we arrived at the ship, we also tipped the drivers on all the tours we took, usually $5.00 per couple.

Weather: We were fortunate and had beautiful warm weather. It drizzled the morning we were leaving for our Denali Wilderness Tour and a few pop up showers later in the day.

Packing: We packed everything from shorts and t-shirts to rain gear, jogging suits, jeans, sweatshirts, etc, and didn't wear half of what we packed. Each hotel had self service laundry facilities so my suggestion is to pick up some liquid travel detergents and do a load of laundry your last night in that hotel.

Yes, this was the 11 night Wilderness Frontier Explorer Cruise Tour #4B.

Do you have the list of excursions that you can book for the cruisetour? Could you possibly scan and post that if you have it? I have seen the list from other cruisetours but you are the first 4B review I have seen for this season. Thanks so much for all your information. We are flying in early for a few days prior to the cruisetour, so your laundry information is very helpful!

My final remarks regarding Radiance of the Seas:

The ship was very clean and for the most part, the staff was very friendly.

Food: We ate breakfast and some lunches in the Windjammer Cafe. We thought the food was above average. The Park Cafe has great salads and a variety of small sandwiches. The food in Cascades Dining Room was above average also. Our waiter, Worawit (Wit), and his assistant, Abdur, provided excellent service. Our usual drinks were waiting for us when we sat down for dinner each night.

If you're gluten-free, as is our friend, there were many items to choose from. At lunch, the Windjammer had an entire section of gluten free items. On the menus in Cascade, items were marked with the gluten free symbol so you can order accordingly. They do have GF pasta, you just have to specify to your waiter when ordering.

Chops Grille: Excellent! Well worth paying the extra $35 per person.

Alcoholic Beverages: 3 of the 4 of us purchased the package which also came with free Voom for $54/day. Mostly every drink is a measured pour. Gone are the days when the bartenders free poured the alcohol and the drinks were strong. All the bartenders at the Pool Bar were great. We tipped them $1 or $2 in cash and after the second day they were asking if I wanted my Jack & diet in a larger glass, rather than the smaller one.

Voom: I had read different reviews regarding internet service on the ship. We had no problems with Voom at all. We thought it was very quick for the most part.

Shows/ Entertainment: We would score this AVERAGE. The one show we truly enjoyed was the tribute to Neil Diamond. Being a smaller ship, there are no big show productions as there are on Allure & Oasis.

Cabins 8048/8046: We loved the location. No complaints with our room.

Behind the Scenes Tour: $89/person. We always wanted to do this and finally did this time around. Unfortunately, it was quite foggy Thursday morning so we couldn't tour the bridge. We were credited half per person for the inconvenience. It's amazing what goes on in the laundry room and galley that the passengers are not aware of.

Departing in Vancouver: We had luggage tag #12 with an estimated departure time of 9:20. They were running 10/15 minutes behind but things went well. We collected our luggage and proceeded to customs where they just collected your slip and waved you on. We walked 5 minutes to the rail and got on the 10:16 train to the airport. $4.10 one way. Once at the airport we jumped on the shuttle to our hotel, the Pacific Gateway.

Do you have the list of excursions that you can book for the cruisetour? Could you possibly scan and post that if you have it? I have seen the list from other cruisetours but you are the first 4B review I have seen for this season. Thanks so much for all your information. We are flying in early for a few days prior to the cruisetour, so your laundry information is very helpful!

You don't get to choose the excursions on the land tour, they are already chosen for you. The 11night Wilderness Frontier Tour includes The Gold Dredge #8, Riverboat Discovery, Wilderness Express to Denali, and the Tundra Wilderness Tour. However, once you meet with your tour director the first night you arrive, you have the option of booking additional excursions for that city at an additional price.

As far as laundry goes.......don't overpack. We did laundry our last night in Seattle, Fairbanks and Denali. I purchased liquid Tide packets at Walmart (.99) and brought along Bounce Fabric Sheets.

You don't get to choose the excursions on the land tour, they are already chosen for you. The 11night Wilderness Frontier Tour includes The Gold Dredge #8, Riverboat Discovery, Wilderness Express to Denali, and the Tundra Wilderness Tour. However, once you meet with your tour director the first night you arrive, you have the option of booking additional excursions for that city at an additional price.

 

As far as laundry goes.......don't overpack. We did laundry our last night in Seattle, Fairbanks and Denali. I purchased liquid Tide packets at Walmart (.99) and brought along Bounce Fabric Sheets.

The optional excursion list is what I am looking for, I have seen it for other tours but not 4B. We might book things privately if they don't offer what we are looking for.

I'm sorry, but I don't have the list of optional tours. :')