Radiance Southbound - June 24 to July 1 w/pre-cruise land - Trip Report

[dstein]

Thanks for your review. We're sailing the same itinerary in a few weeks. Do you happen to remember the order of the menus in the MDR?

I was about to confidently reply with an ordering, but the more I think about it the less reliable I think my memory is. I thought we followed the standard 7d plan (Mojo, Saffron, Pimento, ****ake, Jasmine, Basil, Pomodoro)...but less certain now

 

For SURE, 1st two nights were Mojo and Saffron and last night was Pomodoro.

 

For SURE, night 5 (formal) included lobster, which suggests it was Jasmine

 

Beyond that, however, it is hazy. (I thought that the Cruise Compass gave the menu names for each night, but not the case.)

 

I'm not sure we actually had ****ake at all. I recall thinking that one of the nights wasn't one of the "standard seven", as it felt like something we hadn't see on our Oasis cruise a few years ago.

 

....amusing how the website decided that one of those menu names isn't safe to print. Maybe that's why I don't recall it. Perhaps Royal got word that CC won't print it out cleanly and they gave up on using that menu! :)

[island lady]

Was really fun to read your review. You did a remarkable job with the set up.

Very much enjoyed it and thank you for sharing! :)

 

We are back onboard one of our favorite ships next week, doing the Alaska route

once again from Seward, but this time....we don't have to suffer the pain of

disembarkation at Vancouver.....we are staying on for the return to Seward.

Doing Goldstar class on the Coastal round trip also. ;)

 

Our cabin? The same as we had four years ago, which we will be in for

both the southbound and the northbound route. I think you know it well

9256. :D

Edited July 30, 2016 by island lady

[JenP]

I was about to confidently reply with an ordering, but the more I think about it the less reliable I think my memory is. I thought we followed the standard 7d plan (Mojo, Saffron, Pimento, ****ake, Jasmine, Basil, Pomodoro)...but less certain now

 

For SURE, 1st two nights were Mojo and Saffron and last night was Pomodoro.

 

For SURE, night 5 (formal) included lobster, which suggests it was Jasmine

 

Beyond that, however, it is hazy. (I thought that the Cruise Compass gave the menu names for each night, but not the case.)

 

I'm not sure we actually had ****ake at all. I recall thinking that one of the nights wasn't one of the "standard seven", as it felt like something we hadn't see on our Oasis cruise a few years ago.

 

....amusing how the website decided that one of those menu names isn't safe to print. Maybe that's why I don't recall it. Perhaps Royal got word that CC won't print it out cleanly and they gave up on using that menu! :)

 

Thanks. Looks like I may have made the correct choice in deciding when to do a bit of specialty dining!

[fletch5727]

Thanks for the detailed review! I'm the designated planner for our Alaska cruise next year and it's been very helpful.

 

One quick question - your blog post says that there is a link to your spreadsheet, but I can't seem to find it. Is there a way that I could get a copy of your spreadsheet form?

 

Thanks, Jean

 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[Miamia65]

Thanks for the detailed review! I'm the designated planner for our Alaska cruise next year and it's been very helpful.

 

One quick question - your blog post says that there is a link to your spreadsheet, but I can't seem to find it. Is there a way that I could get a copy of your spreadsheet form?

 

Thanks, Jean

 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

Jean

 

Here is a link to the spreadsheet, its saved in the blog....

 

https://app.box.com/s/cwmcw9c829w7bimigzexf3do84n5hws9

[lag9122]

Thanks so much for your review .

[dstein]

Our cabin? The same as we had four years ago, which we will be in for

both the southbound and the northbound route. I think you know it well

9256. :D

This was our first try in an aft. Even though it was a bit damp the first few days, and even though we only got a couple of really solid hours sitting outside...it was still worth it.

 

I get the sense that on warm weather cruises you can enjoy hours outside, soaking up the sun and solitude. In Alaska you may not get as much balcony time depending on the weather...but when you do get it the narrow Inside Passage ensures that you get both the quiet wake as well as tremendous scenery off to either side. (And, if like us you have companions in nearby port cabins the ability to run back and forth during Hubbard Glacier day is AWESOME!)

 

Have a great trip - now that we've been to Alaska we finally "get it" when it comes to why folks would want to do a B2B! :)

[dstein]

Thanks for the detailed review! I'm the designated planner for our Alaska cruise next year and it's been very helpful.

 

One quick question - your blog post says that there is a link to your spreadsheet, but I can't seem to find it. Is there a way that I could get a copy of your spreadsheet form?

I see that someone else gave the direct link to the sheet a few replies earlier. If that's still giving you trouble let me know and we'll figure something else out!

 

Have a fantastic time on your trip. Would love to read about your experiences next year.

[island lady]

This was our first try in an aft. Even though it was a bit damp the first few days, and even though we only got a couple of really solid hours sitting outside...it was still worth it.

 

I get the sense that on warm weather cruises you can enjoy hours outside, soaking up the sun and solitude. In Alaska you may not get as much balcony time depending on the weather...but when you do get it the narrow Inside Passage ensures that you get both the quiet wake as well as tremendous scenery off to either side. (And, if like us you have companions in nearby port cabins the ability to run back and forth during Hubbard Glacier day is AWESOME!)

 

Have a great trip - now that we've been to Alaska we finally "get it" when it comes to why folks would want to do a B2B! :)

 

Yup, the hook set firmly in place on that one southbound we did four years ago! ;)

Looking forward to not getting off the ship in Vancouver this time!

 

I have a favorite screen saver of the DH sitting at our table on our huge balcony with a bottle of red and some "happy-tisers" we got from room service, all set up just before we turned to leave Hubbard Glacier. We had full view of the calving glacier all the way out, with no sharing of the rail with anyone for views! :D

 

In Skagway, the weather was so warm and sunny, the DH broke out his swimsuit and enjoyed the rays

on our balcony with that beautiful view of the harbor! :)

Edited August 1, 2016 by island lady

[island lady]

Watching the Radiance come into Juneau harbor, along with NCL

on the live webcam.

 

Sun Princess tendered off with NCL waiting to come past her. Looks

like they took someone off the Sun Princess in a life boat. Hope they

are OK.

[wnycruisefam66]

Thanks very much for your detailed and informative blog! I just booked the NCL Sun for June 2018 for myself, husband & 17 yr. old son (at time of cruise). Let the planning commence! I so wish we had a large family group to travel with. Such fun memories you have! I have saved your blog as we will visit the same ports, with the exception of Icy Strait. Our cruise will have a day cruising Glacier Bay instead. We're also planning some extra time to visit Denali. Thanks again for all of your hard work!

[dstein]

Thanks very much for your detailed and informative blog! I just booked the NCL Sun for June 2018 for myself, husband & 17 yr. old son (at time of cruise). Let the planning commence! I so wish we had a large family group to travel with. Such fun memories you have! I have saved your blog as we will visit the same ports, with the exception of Icy Strait. Our cruise will have a day cruising Glacier Bay instead. We're also planning some extra time to visit Denali. Thanks again for all of your hard work!

Thanks for the kind words. We're now seven months removed from our trip but the memories will last forever. As noted in my write-up, I don't think you're missing much by not visiting ISP, and most of my family would agree. I haven't been to Glacier Bay, but have seen lots of folks here rave about it.

 

Have a great trip in 2018!

[NancyIL]

Thank you for a fabulous trip report! I am also a planner, but I am not even close to being in your league - as I use spiral notebooks for jotting down my trip ideas and plans! :D

 

I agree with you that there isn't a lot to do in Icy Strait Point. That's why I went whale watching there in 2011, and will do so again on my Radiance southbound cruise this May.