LandlockedInKY

Welcome Aboard A Taste of France (formal) A Taste of the USA A Taste of Italy Royal Night (formal) A Taste of Asia Bon Voyage

It’s been surprisingly more comfortable than I’d feared. With a sweater and rain jacket I’ve been comfortable so far. Waterproof shoes and good wool socks (Darn Tough gets my money) are a must to stay comfortable. We bought some for my wife. Never assume a dry morning will stay that way.

Sorry to disappoint, but we decided not to pay for WiFi - both because we forgot to book it more than 72 hours before boarding and because not having it helps us disconnect from work. We were able to get within two miles of the face of Hubbard for a brief time before weather forced us back out. As expected the outside sailing across the Gulf of Alaska is rough. We were sailing into 50+ mph headwinds. Cruising into Gastineau Channel now for our Juneau stop. Weather is a comfortable 50° with light rain expected. Docking at AJ which is a bit disappointing. Food has largely avoided huge disappointments, but MDR hasn’t been fantastic, either. Fairly terrible service last night (wine ordered at beginning of meal didn’t come until halfway through entree). cruisecompass.pdf

Marek it is!

At 3:00 boarding, start to finish took maybe 10 minutes. I like this speed!

She’s here!

Transportation options weren’t plentiful off the train, so we walked to our hotel 0.7 miles away. Wasn’t terrible, but lots of gravel on the sidewalks, so I wouldn’t recommend it, either. Grabbed a quick bite at Firebrand BBQ. It was good, and I’m not one to quickly give praise to barbecue joints. Shuttle arrived and off we went to Exit Glacier. Driver said 2-2.5 hours. We thought we took our time and enjoyed the scenery and were done in 1:17. Nice hike that would’ve been better without the snow in the bottoms, but not a huge hike, either. There is a much longer trail up to the ice field, but it wasn’t open yet. Neither was the visitors center, but they were there training staff, so any day now. It rained all day, but after dinner and drinks, the rain stopped, there were some breaks in the clouds, and Seward gave us quite a late night performance. Today’s plan includes Alaska Sea Life Center, lunch, and boarding.

After a very short night at our hotel, we’re checking in for the (non cruise chartered) train. Wayfinding signage isn’t great, but you line up to check your baggage before going in the depot to retrieve your boarding pass. Have your hotel information handy if overnighting in Seward - some hotels will pick up from the depot. Very crowded, but there is a coffee stand and gift shop inside.

We are taking the train from Anchorage to Seward, but a day early so we can spend more time in Seward - including Exit Glacier.

I am, but not in that particular boarding house. Glad you got it sorted out timely!

Have had a lot of questions I didn't see answered elsewhere, so I'm going to give a go at live updates from our upcoming voyage. I'll try to upload daily compass and menus as they come, but what other questions do you have that I can report back on? MDR menus not shared yet, but assuming they will mirror WJ offerings: Day 1: All American Classics Day 2: Savor La France (Formal Night) Day 3: A Taste of Tex Mex Day 4: Mangia, Mangia! (Italian) Day 5: Your Flavor Passport to China (Formal Night - should be Royal Night in MDR?) Day 6: Flavors of India (Boy Voyage in MDR?) Day 7: Meal in the Med (Greek) We normally don't do specialty dining, but I'll report on those if we do, along with discounts offered on boarding day. We fly out in two days!

I was wondering this about my upcoming Alaska cruise on Radiance (was wondering about themed nights as well - some have all white or tropical nights, e.g.). It's absolutely buried in the app, but on the middle page, below the cartoon of the ship, you can click on the "Hints and tips" box, which will open daily info, including suggested dress code all the way at the bottom of each day. FYI - 7 nt SB Radiance has two formal nights, no themed.