Very Long Review - Radiance of the Seas NB 5/27/06

[TeeBuccs]

***Beware - VERY DETAILED & LONG REVIEW***

 

My husband and I (mid - late 30's) just returned from our much anticipated 11-day cruisetour. We selected RCCL northbound inside passage - package #10 sailing May 27, 2006 from British Vancouver, Canada. The itineary included: Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Icy Strait Point, and Hubbard Glacier. The land portion included Anchorage, 2 nights in Denali, and the last in Fairbanks. Please note, all comments below are only our observations. I hope that this review will be entertaining and provide a little insight for other "first time" Alaskan cruisers.

 

DAY 1 - ARRIVAL IN VANCOUVER & SETTING SAIL

We elected RCCL to make our air arrangements from Virginia and as such, we were booked to arrive in Canada the same day of the ships sailing. We checked three bags (two suitcases and a duffle for shoes and coats). Upon arrival in Vancouver there appeared to be two options for getting through customs. If you are sailing the same day as your arrival into Canada, you can use the "US Direct" expedited option if you've tagged your bags with your cruise ship room tags prior to checking them at your home airport. If you forgot to tag them ahead of time, you must go through the normal customs process - expect to wait at least an hour in the long lines.

 

Once through customs, it is off to retreive your baggage. It seems our luck held true yet again, and we soon discovered that a piece of our checked baggage was missing. (Apparently it never left Dulles with the rest of our bags.) Although we were concerned, it is apparent that the RCI folks here are familiar with lost bags and they were helpful in assisting us. The airport requires you to file a special "lost bag" claim form with customs (obtained from your airlines' baggage center) that allows your bag once located to be cleared by customs and sent along to your ship. In our case, the missing bag managed to make the ship prior to sailing thanks to the helpful staff at the pier who kept an eye out for it (Thanks Sean!) Once you arrive at the pier to check in, there is an additional security screening (x-ray station just like at the airport) and another customs check point, so be sure to keep your passport handy. When sailing from Canada you will in fact re-enter the U.S. but checking in with U.S. customs just prior to boarding the ship.

 

Our cabin (#1536) was a Grand Suite (starboard side). This room was absolutely beautiful and will spoil us forever. The GS category qualified us for "concierge" service which includes such perks as: preferred tender tickets, reservation services, free munchies and drinks daily from 5:30 - 8:30pm as well as a daily continental breakfast in the concierge club located on deck 10. This service was a pleasant perk as it provided us with a private room where we could meet fellow cruisers and have a cocktail before dinner each evening. Additionally the concierge was able to show us dinner menus for the entire week, enabling us to decide which evening to forgo the dining room experience and eat at Chops - one of the two speciality restaurants on board.

 

On a side note, we opted to purchase the "cyber cabin" internet option. You can obtain this at the passenger services desk - cost is $100 for the week. You are required to also pay a $50 refundable deposit for the special telephone cord - which needs to be returned the last evening of your sailing. Beware: the internet service is nice to use from your room but it is SLOW (28k). If you plan on uploading photos to the web etc... plan on spending a great deal of time doing so. We mainly used it to communicate with home since cellular service is extremely spotty and to confirm reservations and arrangements with private tour companies.

Note: Prior to departure from the port, all passengers are required to participate in the standard muster drill (emergency life jacket exercise.) The crew appeared to be organized and this drill was conducted in a timely, efficient manner instead of the usual 25-30 minute exercise of standing at your life station in your oranage, uncomfortable life vest. Shortly thereafter we set said and the early dinner seating began (6PM).

 

DAY 2 - DAY AT SEA

Got up early and headed to the gym for a workout. Not many folks around and plenty of equipment to share. Ate breakfast at the Windjammer Cafe on deck #11. The food is pretty good considering it is made in mass quantity. (The fresh fruit was a daily favorite as well as the made to order egg station in the back of the cafe.)

 

Around 11AM we were notified by the captain via PA system that there was a medical emergency on board and the ship was turning back towards Vancouver which would delay our arrival in Juneau by at least 5 hours. YOu could hear the audible sigh around the ship and see passengers scramble about, concerned about their scheduled land excursions. Although extremely disappointing, one can only assume that a delay of this sort is an urgent matter, so everone understood. LESSON LEARNED: Be prepared. Think through your options and have a "back up" plan for each port in case you are not able to participate in your excursion. Since the median age of the typical Alaskan cruiser appears to be a little older than other itineraries I have been on, I assume such emergencies are always a possiblity.

 

Good news for all on board came shortly around 1:30PM as captain Loekling (who by himself is extremely entertaining and fun) annouced the Canadian Coast Guard was in route via helicopter to air lift the patient. This was a win/win situation as the patient could receive medical attention sooner (we later heard it was his appendix), but also the ship could now make its first port faster. As expected in this unusual situation, most of the passengers crowded onto the top decks and the enclosed gymnasium to watch this evacuation process. We were curious to watch the helicopter maneuver (a "behind the scenes" type of experience) - it was not intended to be an intrusion of the patient's privacy. After several approaches over 20 minutes,the helicopter finally managed to navigate the wind and maneuver the patient into the rescue basket. As soon as they departed, the ship promptly turned back around and booked towards Juneau.

 

This evening was the first of two formal evenings on board. Most men wore dark suits and ladies had gowns, dresses or nice slacks with tops. No one went over the top and there were only a few men in tuxes. Formal photos were taken of each couple at their dining table as well as at various backdrops set up around the centrum area. (All photos are available for purchase in the photo gallery throughout the cruise). Although we did not attend many of the on board shows/entertainment, there was a particular band by he name of Santino & Blackjax that played in the Centrum post dinner (and also the Colony Club) several times throught the cruise. I personally found them to be quite good and enjoyed their performances in the Centrum. I would recommend catching them play if you can - they put on a good show.

 

If nothing else, a day at sea offers a good opportunity to spend some quality time in the casino. We were no exception to the rule. I found the dealers very patient at teaching us new games such as Craps and enjoyed experimenting. Throughout the cruise we heard of several folks winning $ at slot machines, but I am not a big gambler so our occassional betting was considered to be just a form of entertainment. However, watch out for Grahm at the blackjack table - he is armed with a charming smile, cute accent and a great personality that helps distract you from the fact that the house is winning! Well, most of the time anyway - after dealing us four blackjacks in a row - how could you not have fun!

 

 

DAY 3 - ARRIVAL IN JUNEAU (SCHEDULED PORT 12:30 - 5:30PM) - ACTUALLY HOURS IN PORT 2:30PM - 7:00PM

 

Another morning at the gym, followed by lunch. This port however is where the glitches from the first sailing of the season became obvious. Juneau is a "tender" port where smaller enclosed boats ("tenders") take approximately 150 passengers to shore at a time. Prior to arriving at all ports, guests were told to obtain a numbered tender ticket. (Since we were a suite, we were given a #1 tender ticket). Our expectation based upon the information diseminated, was that tender tickets were to be called in the order that folks would disembark the ship. (#1, then #2, etc...) Since we had scheduled an independent land tour ourselves and were arriving late, we were understandibly anxious to get off the ship. Unforatuntely after arriving on Deck 2 for tendering, we were told that the ship was experiencing issues with a gangway that would prevent folks from departing for at least another hour. Upon walking to the opposite end of the ship (the second tender area) we discovered that in fact, passengers with RCI scheduled excursions were being tendered to shore this entire time while all other passengers were having to wait. So much for the tender ticket # process. Fortunately however we explained our situation to a crew member who was compassionate, and he assisted us with getting off the ship in a timely manner. I don't know the name of this gentlemen but he saved the day for us and in the process saved himself a big headache as I would have "exploded" on someone shortly!

 

All in all, Juneau is a beautiful port and I am saddened that many passengers were unable to enjoy it. I have heard stories that those folks with tender ticket numbers 10- 13 weren't even called to disembark until around 4:30 - 5pm. Many decided to stay on board for dinner and forgo going ashore. I know glitches can always happen, but I do wish everyone could have experienced this great place.

 

Once off ship my husband rushed to find a cab and race to the Juneau International airport. (We later learned it is International since one flight a day arrives from Canada.) What a great, hassle free little airport. With the sun shining we met our pilot, Butch, from Alaska Fly 'N Fish (http://www.alaskabyair.com/sitemap.html) for a float plane trip to Anan/Pack Creek (part of Admirality Island) for a bear watching excursion. While researching excursions many months ago, many posters on cruise critics indicated that May is "too early in the season to see bears", but we found this advice to not be completely accurate. After speaking with BUtch and Sarah (the owners of Alaska Fly 'N Fish) several times while planning this trip, I felt comfortable with their knowledge and exerpience with locating wildlife. Although there are never any guarantees you will see wild animials in Alaska, I had a good feeling. Nearly 1/2 hour into the flight we managed to spot at least 6 brown bears from the air along with breathtaking views of the Chilkoot mountain range and Mendenall glacier. Upon landing at Anan Creek and wadding to shore, we anchored the plane and were greeted by a bald eagle nested in a tree along the shoreline. The three of us walked 1/2 mile down the rocky beach to a natural viewing area where we sat and observed several bears from approximately 25-35 feet. "Patches", one of the recognized and known brown bears in the area, was out grazing with one of her cubs. They noticed us and went back to foragining, letting us linger for as long as we wanted, observing them and taking photographs. Butch also spied a big black bear hovering along the woods - obviously much shier and not comfortable coming out into the open.

 

On the return flight we once again were able to view Mendenhall Glacier, our ship, and the entire city of Juneau. This flight was breathtaking and the landings incredibly smooth! An investment well made!

Upon return cab ride to the downtown area we rejoined the other cruise ship passengers (5 ships in port that afternoon). As expected trinket and tee-shirt stores lined the streets. We opted to stop in for an appetizer and drink at the Red Dog Saloon - worth walking in to check out the decor if nothing else. All said and done - Juneau is a great port.

 

DAY 4 - ARRIVAL IN SKAGWAY (6:30AM - 8:30PM)

This was our second port of arrival and we docked smoothly. We opted to rent a vehicle ourselves from Sourdough Rentals on 6th Street and drive the Klondike Hwy.into the Canadian Yukon. (NOTE: Sourdough Rentals came through for us - decent small 4-speed pick up truck ready and waiting for us, but we did meet another couple along the highway who's vehicle broke down. Once notified, Sourdough did send someone out to assist them.) Using Murray's guide (http://www.explorenorth.com/library/roads/sklondike-photos1.html) to navigate the highway you don't miss a thing - thanks Murray!

 

It is a straight forward drive, the road is in good condition with a few minor gravel portions, and the scenery is spectacular with several pull offs from the road for photo opportunities. Along the drive we saw breathtaking views (both wintery looking tundra giving way to the green lush, summery looking areas), bears strolling along the highway, dall sheep, deep blue lakes, views of the Skagway train, etc... We drove to Emerald Lake (approxmiately 60 some miles one way) taking our time (we left around 8am and returned around 2pm). Be sure not to miss CarCross, a small Canadian town with a quaint general store serving great ice cream and sodas. Shortly outside of the actual town of CarCross is the most bizzare little desert- I wouldn't have believed it existed if I hadn't seen it for myself. Emerald lake did not disappoint and lived up to its reputation as one of the prettiest spots imaginable. On the return trip a brief stop was made at Caribou Crossing to sneak a peek at the husky puppies.

 

Once back in Skagway we re-filled the rental car up with gas (there is only one fuel center in town - at the time it was $3.25/gallon). We were scheduled to do a Pilot's Choice Glacier Landing at 3pm so we decided to walk the boardwalk streets in Skagway back to the ship's pier. The town of Skagway has an very old, quaint historical feel. It is actually a very cool little place and we liked it alot. Of course no trip is complete without popping in for a quick look around at the Red Onion Saloon - the original building is entact and used to be a brothel. It had its own sort of charm and the girls who work there are deffinately fun natured.

 

The Pilot's Choice Glacier trip was amazing. OUr helicopter landed on a flat glacier where our group walked around about 1/2 hour. There were 5 passengers on board along with the pilot and plenty of room for all (3 in front, three in back). Temsco who conducts the tour outfitted everyone with special boots that go on over your shoes - they worked amazing well on the terrain. Walking around and exploring crevasses, blue ponds of glacial water, etc.. was breathtaking. No one else was anywhere in site, it was just the 6 of us! The second landing was on a flat ledge on the side of a mountain. The snow was easily 1.5 feet deep off the path and several minor snowball fights broke out! The view was awe inspiring and once again worth the money. Temsco did a great job of making sure you didn't feel you were part of a cattle car. (Of course we were there during "off peak" season).

 

DAY 5 - ARRIVAL IN SITKA (9:00AM - 5:00PM)

The day began again at the gym followed by breakfast. Then it was time to tender to Sitka from the ship. Immediately you could tell this is a quaint little fishing town. We hurried ashore to find a cab to drive us to the raptor center to visit with eagles, owls, hawks and other large birds. The actual size of the eagles was impressive (from the ship you could see them perched in the trees but they appear like white golf balls). Here up close, they were magnificent and you had the opportunity to learn quite a bit about all of the species. I highly recommend a visit here. Walking the adjacent trail through the rain forest we stumbled upon a creek whee along the opposite shore (approximately 10 feet) was a wild eagle perched in a tree. He "possed" for us for quite some time. On the way back to town we were able to visit the enterance to the totem pole park but had to hurry back to the pier to make our sportfishing tour.

 

Booked through the ship, we were pleasantly surprised by number of boats available and waiting for the fishing excursion. There were approximately 36 folks signed up for the 4 hr. excursion and 9 fishing boats. We were fortunate to get Captain Keith Grabe and his first mate, Sierra (his dog). The dog would bark when a fish was on the line and was just as excited as those actually fishing - it was quite cute. With four of us on board, we each took turns manning the rods - 2 at a time. Within our first hour we had caught 3 king salmon (each at least 20lbs) and managed to finish our 1/2 day trip with a total of 6 king salmon. Of course we were thrilled to have them cleaned, cut, flash frozen and shipped home for only $2.50/lb. The local salmon was so tasty, and we can't wait to dig in at home. (On a side note, our fish arrived at our house on exactly the day we were promised).

 

On an interesting note, our captain turned out to be an artist as well and while on board we saw many of his watercolors. He artwork is featured at several galleries in Juneau and Icy Strait so we were we able to locate a piece we loved and purchase it. He is quite talented as both an artist and fisherman, and as the guy on the pier told us - Keith is a "fish killer." While other boats returned with 1-2 salmon or an occassional red snapper, we brought in the most salmon and had a blast!

 

Instead of eating in the ships dinning room, we previously had made reservations earlier in the week to eat at Chops. This is one of the two speciality restaurants on board that cost an additional $20/pp. I was skeptical why anyone would want to pay MORE $ to eat on a ship where all meals are pre-paid but decided to try it. Now I am a believer! The meal was amazing and the service top notch. I had a king crab cake appetizer, a tomato & mozzarella salad, 7oz. filet, baked potato, and for dessert the most amazing Mississippi mud pie I have EVER had! It was time to roll me home. In fact I was so content, this was the first evening I decided to turn in early to relax, happy and content.

 

DAY 6 - ICY STRAIT (7:00AM - 5:00PM)

This morning we went staright from the ship's tender to another boat for a whale and mammal watching excursion. This trip was scheduled through RCI so no doubt it was on a larger boat with approximately 150 folks. Despite the number of people, the crowd was manageable. There were a few folks that refussed to move for others to get photos, but for the most part everyone was cooperative. During this trip we spotted numerous harbor seals and sea otters along with at least 15 whales. we were even forunate enought to see a whale breach - something we understand is not always a common sight. Be fast on the photo trigger however if you want to catch a shot of the whales as they surface and dive.

 

After this excursion we returned to the dock and set out to discover this little town. From what I can tell, RCI has invested money along with this town to restore and convert what used to be an old fish cannery and processing plant into a tourist attraction in this little waterfront town. Once inside there are 6-7 businesses ranging from artwork to jewerly and tee-shirts. The Artic Spirit appears to be true Alaskan made products however several pieces of the glass jewerly I looked at here, turned up in both Denali and Anchorage for less money. This is a neat, small little town none-the-less. After walking through the stores for a bit we opted to walk a few of the trails that lead to the beach and the restaurants. Rather than remain with the crowd to eat lunch we decided to find the real "downtown" Hoonah and see if we could find a local "meal." After a $6 cab ride (since the free shuttle was broken) we discovered this truly is a tiny town. Downtown consisted of two to three restaurants, a grocery store, and one gift shop. I had heard about the Office Bar and their $14 whole dungeness crabs but learned they are not in season until closer to July. The Office Bar did however offer us some free homemade chowder which was a pleasant treat.

 

Rather than catching a cab back to the pier, we opted to walk the 1.5 miles (we could walk off all the food we'd been eating and board and kill some of the 3 hours we still had in port). Along the way we met some folks who summer at ISP and had a chance to visit with them and their dog, Ford. It was nice to speak to some locals and get their perspective. EVERYONE is so friendly here! The walk was scenic with rock formations hanging above the road precariously - this fact made us all the more curious why there was a porta-potty immediately underneath the formation. (Interesting placement if you ask me...ha-ha) Walking along the edge of the paved street we also noticed several bear tracks in the dried mud and had heard rumors just that morning as we pulled into town a brown bear had been spotted close to town and locals had to run it off. We re-boarded the ship early and relaxed for the first time without having to be anywhere at a particular time. This was a nice break.

 

This was also the second formal night of the cruise and again everyone looked nice. We did see more and more folks dressed more casually this time around as the end of the cruise neared. This was lobster night in the dining room and the wait staff were quite prepared for everyone to order a second lobster. Quite tasty.

 

 

DAY 7 - SAIL INTO HUBBARD GLACIER

I woke up early, dressed with my thermal underwear and multiple layers (including gloves and hat) and headed out for the very front of the ship on deck 5 as excited as a child on Chritmas morning. As we sailed closer towards the glacier it became quite cold. I will be the first to admit that from a distance I was rather unimpressed with what lay ahead. However, as we got closer and closer I quickly became more and more enthralled.

 

Before long the glacier wall looked gigantic and loud rumbles and clashes of thunder could be heard. Shortly after the noise, the glacier would calve and amazingly large chunks of ice would crumble down into the water. I could have watched this free show for days! Just when you thought you'd seen the largest chunk fall, another piece would go. It was quite active as the sun came out and the temps. heated up. Before anyone realized it, small tenders from the ship entered the water and rode towards the ice wall. It turns out that the captain conducted a lottery for ship staff - giving them an opportunity to have a spectacular treat and play among the icebergs. This was terrific idea, not only were the guests amuzed and get a better perspective of the actual size of the glacier, but the hard working staff were able to have some fun and experience a port for a change. (Normally almost all staff stay on board at ports for drills, prepartation, etc.) At once point I looked over the starboard side of the ship and noticed the small yellow rescue boat had been launched. There in the back of this tiny little boat were 3 to 4 folks dressed in wet suits who lept into the water for a quick swim! That had to have been incredibly cold but it was thrilling watching them have so much fun! At one point a very large ice chunk from the glacier fell into the water creating a monster wave - that is about the time the tenders darted back towards the ship to ride the wave out. What a great photo opp!

 

Alas before I knew it, we set sail all too soon from this spectacular place. As ice chunks floated by the side of the ship, the realization that this journey was coming to end sank in. The rest of the afternoon was spent packing and preparing to visit all the areas of the ship that I hadn't previously visited. After dinner Santino and Blackjax played once again in the centrum and everyone enjoyed and sang along. All bags were left in the deck hallways before midnight and we headed to the casino for some last minute gambling. By now we were acclimated with the sunlight until the wee hours of the morning and it seemed to infuse us with extra energy. I now believe that once you go to Alaska, it gets into your blood and you just want to go back!!!

 

DAY 8 - ARRIVE SEWARD

DISEMBARKATION - okay, this is where things get interesting. You are asked to leave your cabin by 8am. Of course breakfast is available in both the dining room and the Windjammer cafe. You are asked to wait in a common area until your baggage color is called to disembark. Since we were continuing on with RCT (Royal Carribean Tours) for a land portion of the trip, we expected to called early on in the process. We were told that our color - "Beige #2 would be called around 8:30am. As we waited onboard at the dock in Seward directly across from our ship a military destroyer docked. Local newspapers reported a large military exercise was being conducted in the area and this destroyer must have been re-fueling and re-stocking supplies. Observing their activity was an interesting way to kill time until we could leave the ship.

 

Finally around 9:50am our color was called. To this day I am still quite shocked that passengers with flights out of Anchorage after 3pm were allowed to disembark before those with RCT cruisetours. After awhile everyone became quite antsy to get off and go about their next leg of the journey. RCI FINALLY called our color over an hour and twenty mintues later than expected. With our next adventure ahead of us (4 days visiting inland cities) we filled onto bus #113 with our driver Wade and our tour guide, Dave. Our bags had already been loaded onto a truck and driven to the Anchorage Marriott where we would be overnighting, so no need to lug much around except our carry-on items. (A separate entry will follow for the land tour portion if interested.)

 

MISC. NOTES:

DINING ROOM; Service was good as was the food, although I felt the menu was more limited than with past RCL cruises. Perhaps this is because it is harder to get various food items in Alaskan ports, particularly where you have to tender? Our maitre'd - Mimi, was absolutely fabulous. What a charming guy who shows his personality every chance he gets. NOTE: My husband and I are big escargot fans and made a comment to him the first night sailing that we hoped we could have some each night as an appetizer. Honestly we were half joking (we would have liked them every night but weren't demanding that it be so.) To our amazement, each and every night our waiter made sure anyone at our table that wanted escargot, got them! They were FANTASTIC! Thank you to Kapil (our waiter) and Mimi!~

 

CAPTAIN RUNE LOKLING: If you have the time, do be sure to attend the captain's chat the last day of the sailing. This guy is so entertaining, you just can't get enough of him. His favoritie story is to point out the different between a ship and a boat. According to the captain, "A ship has a Norweigen officer at its command while a boat has an Italian officer." The captain was visible all over the ship, stopping by to check out the entertainment, the dining room, and every aspect of the ship he calls home. He is very personable and quite memorable!

 

TIPPING: This is the first sailing for us where you can include your tips automatically on your sail and sign card. Nice option. This must be completed before midnight on Day 6. A form is provided in your cabin. Simply calculate the $ amount of tip you wish to provide to your: room steward, head waiter, assistant waiter,and dining room maiter'd and drop off at the guest services desk. The next morning printed vouchers are delivered to your stateroom for you to distribute in evelopes to the staff.

 

BEVERAGES: For the most part, alcoholic drinks average $5.75 each and are charged to your sail & sign card. For non-drinkers intersted in a "soda card" consider how much soda you might really drink in a week as the unlimited soda card runs approx. $46 (including a 15% gratuity). You might get your moneys worth or you may want to just pay ala-carte. During meals, lemonade and iced tea are provided free of charge. (in the morning juices are provided in addition to being able to request lemonade and iced tea)

 

SECURITY: If you haven't sailed before, once you arrive at the pier and are cleared to board the ship you will approach a security station at the end of the docking ramp. Here you will insert your individual room key into the kiosk and a digital photo of you will be captured. Each time you leave the ship or re-enter it, you are required to insert your room key into the card reader of the kiosk. The security team will visually compare your digital photo to your person to ensure all passengers are accounted for properly. If you are wearing sunglasses or a baseball cap, be prepared to remove these articles for a more accurate comparison. Additionally, all packages and carry on items brought aboard in each port will be put through an x-ray machine for security purposes. This process is very smooth and takes very little time if everyone is prepared and cooperates. Any alcohol purchased in port will be marked with your cabin number and held by staff until the end of the cruise.

 

Helpful hint: If using digital camera or other items that need to be charged, back a small extension cord or surge protector. Then you can plug in multiple items at once while you sleep without worry.

 

Sorry this post was so long, but it is my hope that I can help answer questions for folks who are not as experienced. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have and I will do my best to answer. Additionally I will be posting a review of the 4 day land portion of the RCL cruisetour #10 shortly for those who may be interested.

[kyriecat]

FABULOUS! I'll be on the same cruise in September and have been dying for people to return and start posting reviews. You didn't take any of the excursions that I was interested in, but the ship information was great. Thank you.

[tapia]

Wow, great post. Thank you so much for sharing with us!

 

It seems you had a great time!

 

Do you have any pictures you can post?

 

I'd love to see the Hubbard, Juneau (better stop now) all of them :-)

[NancyIL]

Thank you for your very detailed review! I'm glad you were still able to make your excursion in Juneau, in spite of the late arrival and very slow tendering.

[outlaw1]

very nice, would like to hear about your land portion of the trip

[NancyIL]

very nice, would like to hear about your land portion of the trip

 

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