LIVE from Radiance of the Seas...5/11 and 5/18. Alaska!

[bradpole]

It has been a long night. I dined tonight in the new Guovani's table and it was wonderful !!!

 

I think this is my new favorite RCL dining venue

[bradpole]

It has been a long night. I dined tonight in the new Guovani's table and it was wonderful !!!

 

I think this is my new favorite RCL dining venue

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This was unplanned and wonderful!! Sooooooo much better than portofino which it replaced. In my humble opinion.

 

Off to bed at the late hour of 1:30 Alaska time!

[chookie65]

This was unplanned and wonderful!! Sooooooo much better than portofino which it replaced. In my humble opinion.

 

Off to bed at the late hour of 1:30 Alaska time!

Seems like you were a bit hungry!!!!

Looks delicious.

I wish rhapsody had this restaurant but oh well!!

[RenieRaider]

Samba Grill... did you find it hot up there? Someone told me that there were no shades on the window and the sun beating in on them was uncomfortable. Your thoughts?

 

Who's your Cruise Director?

 

LOVING your review!

Did I miss your Formal Night? I'll have to go back.

 

ENJOY!!!!!!!!

[Tkaklita]

Truly enjoying your live posts!! Love the tip on using the iPad as I will be bringing mine next year, dang a whole year to wait. Keep up the great job!!

[Sparkle 123]

Thank you Brad for taking precious time out of you day to post these updates, they really are appreciated by those of us who are impatiently counting down to our cruises!

Thanks for pictures of the food from Giovannis table, we have booked a 5 night dining package and are very much looking forward to sampling all the different venues on the Radiance.Wonder if they would let us swap the samba grill for a 2nd night in Giovannis?

[RenieRaider]

It has been a long night. I dined tonight in the new Giovani's table and it was wonderful !!!

 

I think this is my new favorite RCL dining venue

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Oh My Goodness! It looks SCRUMPTIOUS!

[snowbird1]

Brad,

 

Thanks for all the great posts and the review. Like others, see some I am sailing with, I will be onboard in 2 weeks or so. Sorry to hear the moved the Art Action to the VCL.

[scrappygirl]

Brad,

Thanks for the "live" review of the ship. We leave tomorrow for Anchorage and will board the Radiance of the Seas on Friday. Enjoy the rest of your week.

Carol

[graphicguy]

Love this, Brad. Thanks so much. I've been toying with an Alaskan cruise, and this review kind of puts me over the top to book one. Thanks, again!

[gschwartz001]

I am sorry you did not enjoy Samba. My DH and I are doing the chefs table dining package on Radiance in July. I do not eat red meat or pork, but eat chicken and fish. Are there any non-meat options like shrimp at Samba? Was the only chicken option with pork wrapper?

 

Thanks for any updated info.

 

Gail

[blonde375]

Thank you Brad for taking precious time out of you day to post these updates, they really are appreciated by those of us who are impatiently counting down to our cruises!

Thanks for pictures of the food from Giovannis table, we have booked a 5 night dining package and are very much looking forward to sampling all the different venues on the Radiance.Wonder if they would let us swap the samba grill for a 2nd night in Giovannis?

 

 

I posed this same question to customer service for our 8/31 sailing and was told that substitutions were not allowed on the dinner packages.

[blonde375]

Brad, I am loving your "live" reports!!

 

Question, though, about the internet and Wi-Fi..... I swear I read somewhere that the cabins on the Radiance now had Wi-Fi. I must be mistaken from what I'm understanding from your posts. You still have to pay for internet access?

 

Thanks! Have a wonderful trip!

[BecciBoo]

Wifi in the rooms is definitely not free. You have to set up an account just to hook up and they charge by the minute or in blocks of minutes.

[rafinmd]

Technically, wifi is free. You can use it without charge to connect to royalcaribbean.com and a few other selected sites. If you want to go to the wider internet, the usual charges apply.

 

Roy

[rubrrick]

Brad, great report! I must say that you have hit some good weather, so far!

 

The Rhapsody, which stopped in Juneau, while you were in Ketchikan, had some sun in the morning, but by afternoon it was totally clouded over, then yesterday, in Skagway, it was 43 degrees (chill factor was 34) and low overcast with rain off and on all day.

 

Tomorrow when they are in Ketchikan, it is supposed to rain all day.

 

What a difference an itinerary makes!!

 

Looking forward to reading more of your "live" review as it comes in.

 

Rick

[bradpole]

This is not the post I wanted to be typing but sadly I am.

 

We are private people, so this post will be pretty general.

 

We had to leave the ship today due to a medical issue. The staff onboard and especially the port agent have been incredible during this difficult and stressful situation. I hope no one else is ever in a situation that calls for you to dial 911 on a ship. But if you do rest assured the service will be swift and attentive. Very swift! Also the port agent is here to assist the guests not admitted to the HOspital, even providing a couple free car rides!

 

Details are still in flux but it looks unlikely that we will be onboard for the second week, but things Could change, if they do...and I hope they do, I'll be back to my live thread.

 

The hospital in Juneau has been great, kind, friendly people, and they even have a small building with hotel rooms for tourists (mostly ship guests they say) at a fair price with laundry facilities available just across the parking lot.

 

Once we return home, it could be a lot sooner than planned I'll still scan and post the compasses that I have, as well as the dinner menus for the cruise so far. As well as higher res pictures from the ports we did visit.

 

Also just a general thank you to the gentleman who was kind enough to help and carry one of my suitcases down the gangway for me!!! It was greatly appreciated!

(it wasn't that the ship wouldn't help but couldn't due to US rules and regulations with foreign workers "working" in the USA). Don't even get me started on US customs!! I've had my fill of them today

 

Also just a side note, not having a ship employee to help with luggage once it was on the pier reminded me of this.... The normal ship photographers that would be on the pier to take pictures aren't allowed to...some archaic US regulation (I asked one of them and the said it was a regulation). So they stand on different levels in the aft stairs and take their pictures there.

 

Until later, much later

[cruising twosome]

So sorry, hope all will be well in the end.

[snowbird1]

This is not the post I wanted to be typing but sadly I am.

 

We are private people, so this post will be pretty general.

 

We had to leave the ship today due to a medical issue. The staff onboard and especially the port agent have been incredible during this difficult and stressful situation. I hope no one else is ever in a situation that calls for you to dial 911 on a ship. But if you do rest assured the service will be swift and attentive. Very swift! Also the port agent is here to assist the guests not admitted to the HOspital, even providing a couple free car rides!

 

Details are still in flux but it looks unlikely that we will be onboard for the second week, but things Could change, if they do...and I hope they do, I'll be back to my live thread.

 

The hospital in Juneau has been great, kind, friendly people, and they even have a small building with hotel rooms for tourists (mostly ship guests they say) at a fair price with laundry facilities available just across the parking lot.

 

Once we return home, it could be a lot sooner than planned I'll still scan and post the compasses that I have, as well as the dinner menus for the cruise so far. As well as higher res pictures from the ports we did visit.

 

Also just a general thank you to the gentleman who was kind enough to help and carry one of my suitcases down the gangway for me!!! It was greatly appreciated!

(it wasn't that the ship wouldn't help but couldn't due to US rules and regulations with foreign workers "working" in the USA). Don't even get me started on US customs!! I've had my fill of them today

 

Also just a side note, not having a ship employee to help with luggage once it was on the pier reminded me of this.... The normal ship photographers that would be on the pier to take pictures aren't allowed to...some archaic US regulation (I asked one of them and the said it was a regulation). So they stand on different levels in the aft stairs and take their pictures there.

 

Until later, much later

 

Brad so very sorry to hear this. Your families health is the important thing and we all hope and pray for the best for you all. Sadly this type of thing does happen and more often than we like to see. The good news is you are right there at a US port vs. being out in the middle of nowhere. Thanks for all your posts and frankly it is amazing you took your time to post during this stressful situation.

[volunteer cruiser]

"I must down go to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying." (John Masefield) My thoughts are with you and your mother and to a future of more sea sprays and running tides.

[bradpole]

Brad so very sorry to hear this. Your families health is the important thing and we all hope and pray for the best for you all. Sadly this type of thing does happen and more often than we like to see. The good news is you are right there at a US port vs. being out in the middle of nowhere. Thanks for all your posts and frankly it is amazing you took your time to post during this stressful situation.

Thank you for your kind words. I agree we are very thankful we are in a big city like Juneau instead of yesterday in Hoonah or a transatlantic crossing!

 

Trust me I needed a distraction! Thankfully things are calm and stable...just lots and lots of waiting!

[Leslie K]

So sorry to hear of this turn of events. Hope everything turns out well for you and your mom and that you both get home safe and well, even if earlier than planned. My prayers are with you.

[DonnaK]

Oh my goodness (((hugs))) Hoping and praying that all is well.

[graphicguy]

Hi Brad....thoughts and prayers to you and yours!

[RenieRaider]

Oh Brad! Sorry to hear of your difficulties.

I will be thinking of you and your Mom and adding you in my prayers.

 

As John Lennon said, .....life is what happens while we're making other plans.... even while doing a LIVE Cruise Report.

 

Peace to you.

 

iRene