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Aunt Linda Sails to Alaska – Review of Radiance of the Seas Northbound from Vancouver


MisterMom
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This is my second time posting a review of one of our cruises, the Radiance of the Seas sailing north from Vancouver to Seward on 22 June 2012. I’m modeling this review off my last one of the Carnival Liberty. Please bear (bare?) with me as I like the idea of sharing our experiences with you as well as keeping memories of our fantastic family vacation.

 

We are a non-traditional family of four – two dads, Dan (me) & Derrell, and two boys, Cameron & Malik. We cruise annually, usually on Carnival but we’ve done Royal Caribbean a couple times now. This year’s cruise was very special because it was an extended family cruise. This was my Aunt Linda’s first cruise. She’s special needs and when my grandparents and father passed away, guardianship passed to me. She’s charming, loveable and says some pretty funny things every once in a while. A couple years ago, I asked her if there were any places she wanted to go since she’s nearing retirement. She said she wants to go to Alaska and “go on an African safari.” I figured a cruise to Alaska was a safer bet to see how she does on a vacation! Here’s a pic of Derrell, Aunt Linda, Cameron and me on the Mister Mom II (our boat and also my handle name on Cruise Critic).

 

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My sister’s family also accompanied us as did my dear friend of over 20 years, Lindsey, who was there as Linda’s travel companion. Here’s a group pic of us take on the Radiance.

 

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It took a while to find the time to write this review. Summertime came and went and now that fall is upon us and the Mister Mom II is sheltered for the cool months, I have some time to reflect upon our awesome experience with the Radiance and Alaska.

 

You’ll also meet our travel companion, Funship Freddy! While we are not strict Carnival cruisers (sailed the Oasis OTS last year), Freddy sails with us and keeps us out of trouble (and vice versa).

 

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Freddy was a gift to us from 2 couples who sailed the Carnival Dream with us in 2010. That’s me on the left and Derrell on the right.

 

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We all raced the “Amazing Cozumel Race,” which we won! Freddy sports the winning gold medal.

 

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My planned outline (which may change as I compose this!) –

 

1. Pre-cruise (with a not-so-ideal family “tradition”)

2. 6/22 Embarkation in Vancouver

3. 6/23 Cruising the Inside Passage (Formal night)

4. 6/24 Ketchikan (Walking tour, Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, Totem Pole Park)

5. 6/25 Icy Strait Point (Marine Mammal Tour)

6. 6/26 Juneau (Mendenhall Glacier, Dog Sledding and Mt Roberts Tramway)

7. 6/27 Skagway (Skagway Extravaganza - White Pass and Yukon Railway, Liarsville Salmon Bake, Formal Night)

8. 6/28 Cruising and the Hubbard Glacier

9. 6/29 Debarkation, Rafting the Kenai Canyon, Alaska Railroad to Anchorage

10. 6/30 Anchorage to home and closing thoughts

 

I’ll try to make some recommendations throughout my review and may have a rant or two thrown in. I’ll highlight these as I go. Also, most of my 2000+ pics were family pics, but I’ll make every effort to stick to review-related and scenery pics. There might even be some food porn thrown in!

 

Pre-cruise (with a not-so-ideal family “tradition”)

 

I booked the Radiance through our standard travel agent. I managed to get 4 balcony rooms in a row – 7162-7168. Normally, I’m a bit more thorough when choosing rooms but I booked kinda’ late and wanted to have us all close together. This is a semi-rant and recommendation. Our room was right over the stage of the Colony Club which had music until midnight. We turn in kind of early and the noise through the floor was terrible. My standard procedure and recommendation is to locate a room that has cabins above AND below them to assure quiet. Cabins on high decks can suffer through the scraping of deck chairs on the floor above them. Cabins with public spaces below them can, obviously, be noisy late nights.

 

Obligatory room pic

 

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Balcony is HUGE

 

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We flew Delta from Atlanta to Vancouver. Here’s Linda and Freddy waiting to board leg 1 of our flight.

 

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Layover in Salt Lake City. Lindsey teaches Linda how to use binoculars. (Note that Linda holds them upside down. More on that later.)

 

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Airport “charging station”

 

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Upon arrival in Vancouver, I choose to use mass transit, the Sky Train. It would have been easier to take a cab but I really like trying to experience a city as if I live there.

 

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Here’s the not-so-ideal family tradition. Several years ago, I booked a hotel near Port Canaveral before a cruise. Sadly, I had booked the hotel the following night – the day the ship actually departed! AND there was a space shuttle launch so every room was booked! We had a very sympathetic desk attendant at the hotel and he found us a room nearby. I screwed up the hotel reservation. On THIS trip, I booked a hotel at the Fairmont Waterfront. When I looked up directions to the Fairmont, we got off the Sky Train and schlepped our luggage to the Fairmont. BUT it was the Fairmont DOWNTOWN! Yuck. So we had several more blocks to lug the luggage to the correct hotel, the Fairmont Waterfront. I recommend you double- and triple-check your hotel reservation dates AND locations!

 

6/22 Embarkation

 

Our view from our room the following morning

 

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The Fairmont Waterfront is a wonderful hotel to stay if you’re boarding the Radiance at Canada Place.

 

Freddy likes the view.

 

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As my sister’s family had arrived overnight, we gathered for breakfast in the morning. The waitress recommended taking the Sea Bus across the Burrard Inlet to a nice park. I recommend doing this and killing time, especially with little ones (and Aunt Linda’s!)

 

Playground equipment

 

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Sculpture with view of the Radiance in the distance

 

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Aunt Linda tries the “pole”

 

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Panoramic view towards Canada Place and our home for the next week

 

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The Fairmont Waterfront was to deliver our luggage to the Radiance. This is a very convenient benefit. Before we knew it, it was time to board!

 

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We got through security pretty painlessly. Before we know it, I can have my traditional first drink of the cruise!

 

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And it’s time for sailaway

 

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Dinner this evening was My Time Dining in the MDR. I prefer main seatings but all of those were booked. Here is some obligatory food porn.

 

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We took Linda and Timothy (my nephew) out for soft serve, wandered the ship some and turned in early. Tomorrow is cruising.

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We spend the day touring the ship and reconnecting as a family. While the Solarium is advertised as “adults only,” there are two sessions a day designated as family time. The days in Alaska were too cold for my tastes to swim outdoors so it is wonderful to have the covered, heated Solarium to swim in with Tim.

 

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The Solarium is wonderful with the piped in bird songs, elephant decorations and Park Café food.

 

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Tim’s parents (my sister and Lee, her husband) utilize the kids’ programs pretty frequently so they could have some adult time. The Royal Caribbean kids programs were great. I recommend them.

 

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I usually book my cruises based on the ship – usually newer and bigger. The Radiance OTS is quite the opposite! However, it was refurbished in 2011 and I really couldn’t feel that it was smaller and slightly older. Royal Caribbean did a wonderful job with the design and refurb of the ship. The amount of glass and outside views from the public spaces are wonderful.

 

Centrum

 

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One of our favorite places to hang out is the Champagne Bar on deck 6. Occasionally, they’d have hot appetizers to go with our martinis.

 

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Martini menu

 

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This evening, we have dinner in the MDR again with the same fantastic staff. My sister and her husband had recently celebrated their anniversary and the dining staff bring them a special cake and sing.

 

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After dinner, Linda and Lindsey go to the Centrum to listen to music by the Upscale Trio. Linda loves the music and the lead singer who recognizes Linda every night! Linda LOVES the attention!

 

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The show in the main theater this evening is the one and only Bobby Arvon who sang the “Happy Days” theme. Linda takes a picture with him after the show.

 

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Hi everyone! Thanks for the compliments.

 

I'm going to be following this as well. Nice to see two fathers cruising with their sons. How old are your sons?

 

Cam (the smaller guy) is 17 and Malik (the refrigerator) is 16. They've lived with us for 7 and 9 years, respectively. We're going through those awkward teenage years but they're great guys!

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After the show, we return to our rooms to a gorgeous view outside. (This was taken past midnight. It never got completely dark!)

 

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We have to shoo this little guy off the bed and turn in for the evening.

 

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Great review! Keep it coming!

 

These two pictures are very striking and shows how much more daylight time you got around the summer solstice. My GF and I sailed the 8/31 sailing and it got dark much earlier. It was dark around 8.

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A quick check of the ship information channel….

 

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And we’re in

 

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We hopped off the ship for a self-guided walking tour. We started with

 

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It was quite the haul up those stairs. Aunt Linda did great!

 

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The view from the top. We made it!

 

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Even Subway is more expensive in Alaska!

 

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Freddy has to show off.

 

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The ship was so close to town we headed back there for lunch in the Windjammer. Linda took a power nap.

 

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We had tour tickets that started off with the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. It was a lot of fun! Linda has trouble smiling for the camera. I think she was nervous surrounded with all those lumberjacks.

 

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Tim won a chip of wood for our team!

 

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We headed back to the ship for drinks and dinner in Chops Grille.

 

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Get the raspberry martini. Highly recommended!

 

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The grilled tomatoes and rosemary showed up at pretty much every meal. After imbibing several raspberry martinis, we created a little rosemary “forest.”

 

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