Bit of a blog - Radiance of the Seas – Alaska Cruisetour – July/August 2010

[NorbertsNiece]

Hi everyone,

 

Am sat in the BA lounge at Vancouver airport.

Will write up about today when I get back home tomorrow or soon after ;)

 

Yesterday's events follows.

 

Would just like to thank everyone for their kind comments. I've really enjoyed keeping a 'diary' and Darran has promised to read it when we get back to remind me of anything I've forgotten.

 

I'm quite overwhelmed at the amount of views this has had.....

 

I've just uploaded more pics to the Facebook link and will spend some time now labelling them. At least the internet is free here!

[NorbertsNiece]

Had a poorly morning; went back to bed after breakfast. I did manage a trip into the solarium to check it out; there was a sale of clothing outside on deck and there was a Moose jacket at half price (yeah right) that I felt tempted by but honestly I thought I had better start packing to see if there’s any space in the cases.

 

Anyway, Darran recalls me feeling the same on the last sea day last year….. will have to re read that blog and see if I made a note of that. Poorly enough to miss the Galley tour which is sad. I so don’t want to miss lunch in Portofino having created such a fuss about this that I haul myself out of bed, jump onto the scooter and head off to the schooner bar. Have a read of my book about mutiny on board cruise ships (not finished the first tale which is about Voyager of the Seas) and then lunch. As we passed Chops I asked to see their menu and it’s the same as Portofino:

 

Appetizers :

Gratinatd Portobello mushroom

Garlic bread, Balsamic glaze and baby rocket lettuce

Or

Risotto Al Gamberetti

Sauteed prawns in creamy Arborio rice, scented with saffron and garnished with fried onion

Insalata

Chef’s salad

Entrée

Lasagna

Minced beef layered with sheet pasta and served with tomato sauce

Pan seared cat fish

Accompanied with scallops potatoes, garden vegetables and served with lemon beurre blanc

New York Sirloin Steak

8oz sirloin steak served with creamy mash potatoes, baby vegetable andgreen pepper corn sauce

Dessert sampler

Tiramisu, chocolate triangle and mixed berries

 

Lunch was very nice though I didn't like the coating on the New York Strip Steak. The Canadian Pilot pulled right up beside us and boarded as we ate, to direct us down the Inside Passage.

 

Flame me now.

I am sitting in the room…. Have the air con set to medium as it can’t be switched off. The doors to the balcony are open. I can hear the sound of the wake and the neighbours chatting….. bliss.

 

Now I’ll tell you how I came to be in this disastrous situation….or can you guess? Clue : room service have just delivered. Yeap. Guest services and our bill. Over an hour this time….OVER AN HOUR….. trying to get it sorted. We miss Totem Poles. We miss entering a strait. We miss wonderful Captain Bjorn and his stories and description of what and where and how. I could scream. How on earth can one have that kind of a conversation with someone when you have Rosario Strings playing ‘Papa Can You Hear Me?’ right behind you. Tears? No problem.

 

We miss the talk about : An Englishman 51 years at Sea – given by the Food & Bevarages Manager. We miss a talk by the Canadian Royal Mounties. No fun for me today. I have to go back to GS in over an hour to have it sorted…finally… what are the odds eh?

 

But I have hot chocolate and a cheese plate and the sun and the wake and the possibility of Orcas. There’s a balcony with my name on. BBL.

 

Round 2. I have packed. Darran has picked up some zzzzzzzz on the balcony. So it’s time to check out the resolution to my CC situation. Please don’t go thinking it was resolved. I have to ask for the GS agent who asked me to return…. Please note my sensitivity at not naming and shaming any of them here….. GS want me to return after dinner. I said ‘I don’t think so, I want this resolved now.’ He says that he can do no more, that the matter has been decided by someone in Finance. So I say : get me the person in Finance then. And out he comes. Condescending little *****. Calls me darling. Seriously. I’m in a scooter and he’s talking to me like I’m an idiot. He also touched my leg!! Ewwwwwwwwwww. He says he can’t help me any further. So we play ping pong for a bit. Eventually I get my way. I’m a Taurean. I think he's a Weasel. I get cash out of the ATM, RCCL covers the dispensing charge and the charge levied by my CC co. Sorted.

 

Final dinner in the dining room. We have eaten 3 full meals today. I cut down on portion sizes but cannot resist Key Lime Pie. Distribute our envelopes with a bit extra inside..... GS have cleaned me out; no Casino for me tonight. :mad:

 

As we are going to bed we are aware that the ship is barely moving. The loudspeaker comes on and we can hear a conversation to do with having arrived early and not docking until morning. We are slowly going around in a circle. Watch the compass on Channel 40.

[negc]

OK smartypants. We had a visit to the Casino last night..... and left lighter than we went in.... the only thing lighter about this cruise ;)

 

Sorry about that, Linda.;) After I hit for reasonably good payouts three nights in a row, they must have gone in and tightened the slots up. Whatever I came away with, they decided to recoup from you.:D

Hard to believe your long-anticipated cruise tour is now suddenly over but thanks for taking so many of us along on your adventure and for allowing me to relive our Alaska experience. We had dinner tonight with a couple of friends who were on our trip and they said it was without a doubt the best vacation experience they can recall.

[Beach4me]

Thanks for the great blog! And, thanks for the info on lunch in Portofino/Chops. While it looks good, I'm thinking that for a few bucks more, I'll just do dinner there instead. You're info has been incredibly helpful in our planning process. (Is it really less than 4 weeks until we sail?! YEAH!!!!)

 

Looking forward to your final thoughts and pics upon your return home. Safe travels!

[AF-1]

Great blog. I enjoyed reading the entire weeks worth of entertainment.

[NorbertsNiece]

Our meeting time was set for 8am. So we had plenty of time for breakfast (no eggs) before heading for Deck 5 where they had wheelchair assist.

 

Whilst I think about it let me tell you where I am sitting. It’s called Alice Lake. It’s very warm. Wonderful sun. This is one peaceful place. There is a roped of area for swimming…. Sounds of children laughing wafting over the breeze. People picnicking, sunbathing. Surrounded by forest. A BBQ is being prepared for us as I type.

 

Back to debark. Actually fairly stress free. A wheel chair assist arrives and I am wheeled off through border control answering the usual boring questions. Our luggage hasn’t arrived yet but it does inevitably and we head out to meet up with our tour guides : Larry (Ladi?) with his wife Marta and friend Antonia. We are being driven in 3 SUVs, 4 guests to a vehicle; our luggage is easily stored in the boot/trunk. The description provided by RCCL was to the effect that we would be driving ourselves. I am so grateful that we’re not. In fact the guides didn’t know that that was how the trip was being sold. I have given them the Explorations! sheet I had with me for reference. (am back home and have found their website).

 

We are with another couple who also need an airport drop off. This is a whole day trip with an hour in Whistler. We were driven through Robson Street in Vancouver and stopped for a few minutes in Stanley Park to see the Totems. Larry in the lead SUV is providing a commentary via 2 way radio. Our next stop is Shannon Falls. Stunning. And now we have a BBQ being prepared for us. A wonderful way to wind down after the past 2 weeks. Completely stress free.

 

We then head off to Whistler which is in the throes of a bike festival.... BMX or something on 2 wheels. Place is packed to overflowing and is buzzing with vitality. It's very warm. I get an ice cream and Darran a Starbucks. We are in town for one short hour. We stop at a couple of overlooks on the way back down the mountain.

 

Flight home is uneventful. Didn't have the energy to explore Vancouver duty free. Barely slept. Took nearly an hour to get assistance off the plane at Heathrow. Not impressed with BAA this time.

 

DD1 and her DH meet us at the airport. When we open the door to the house DD3 is here with or dog and cat...they have fetched them from the kennels for us!!! We then have a wonderful home cooked salmon and peach tatin and if I dare say so equal if not better than a lot of the meals we ate on board......

 

Will get back with link to more pics in the next few days.

 

Stay well and happy cruising to all.

[little britain]

What room # did you have - that is exactly the room I want for this same trip on Radiance?!

Thanks for sharing your trip with us. Welcome home to the rain!

[NorbertsNiece]

What room # did you have - that is exactly the room I want for this same trip on Radiance?!

Thanks for sharing your trip with us. Welcome home to the rain!

 

I'm back with the sneezes and shivers unfortunately.

That'll be room 9256 :)

[BILL-WI]

.....

PS Try this link to my cell phone pics (one or two of Darran's included) I've not had a chance to label a lot of them yet : http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=467622&id=617355351&l=f3c082f6f1

 

The photos on Facebook are wonderful! I love the photo of the ship! Thanks for sharing your trip with all of us...it is spectacular!:):)

 

BILL

[ddean52]

Linda, the pictures and narrative were immensely pleasurable! Alice and I can't thank you enough!! So I will;) :eek:ask you again what elements of the cruise were you disappointed with?Please do not fllame:cool::cool:

Dean:cool:

[NorbertsNiece]

Hi Dean,

 

No need for a flame suit.

 

I was disappointed at how my problem with the credit card was dealt with. By now you will realise that communication isn't a problem for me. RCCL processes made this an arduous situation to resolve.

 

Nothing about the itinerary disappointed me at all. An Alaska itinerary is a tremendous opportunity for a big city dweller to experience a totally different way of life. The people we met on shore and on board were just incredible without exception. I encountered wonderful kindnesses on a personal level too.

 

The ship is beautiful. My lack of stamina prevented me from enjoying the range of activities listed in the Compass. So I guess I was disappointed at my own inadequacies, nothing ship related. I was saddened by others disappointment in the ongoing plumbing issues experienced on decks 9 and10 (I met people from both decks who experienced issues). RCCL's inability to resolve this is shameful.

 

On board shopping seemed to be very well organised though I would have bought non RCCL Alaska clothing had they sold any of quality (T shirts for example). On shore we were limited by time and my inability to get about. Pretty much had to shop in the nearest shop to the ship. In Anchorage we had the wheelchair on shore which meant we could go further afield. I wish I had shopped more there.

 

Food. Have to confess that I found the quality of MDR food not how I remember it. I have seldom left food on my plate on previous cruises. Don't get me wrong. I understand the logistics involved in catering for thousands but I missed seasoning and depth of flavour. The duck, for example,was dry. Darran said I should have returned food. I wanted to chill and not have that kind of conversation. I'm not too hard to please generally.

 

Hotels. The landtour part means that you are reliant on the venue to provide the environment as unless there is a shuttle you are stuck. I wanted to be out in the community a bit more. At Sophie Station they provided free coffee in the lobby which was lovely; the other hotels did not live up to this facility.

 

 

Nothing above impacted in my overall enjoyment of this itinerary. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Let me know if there's another aspect you would like me to comment on.

 

[KeywestK]

LINDA.....Thank you for your phenomal commentaries of your adventures in Alaska....surely a trip of a lifetime. Also loved your pics on Facebook.

 

I agree with your comment about RCI's inability to resolve the plumbing issues on Radiance. We were on her in March, and had some minor problems in our cabin (8088), but knew of other more severe problems on board during our sailing. Absolutely shameful for it to go on for so long--almost a year now in total.

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

LINDA.....Thank you for your phenomal commentaries of your adventures in Alaska....surely a trip of a lifetime. Also loved your pics on Facebook.

 

I agree with your comment about RCI's inability to resolve the plumbing issues on Radiance. We were on her in March, and had some minor problems in our cabin (8088), but knew of other more severe problems on board during our sailing. Absolutely shameful for it to go on for so long--almost a year now in total.

 

I hope they fix the problem before November next year! We are in 8086.

[MJN]

Linda,

Your descriptions of everything were wonderful. Sorry you had so much trouble getting around during your cruise/tour. I enjoyed seeing the link to your facebook page and will continue to follow things as you complete the rest of your follow up. Hope your DH gets his pics up as well. Would like more information on the tours you used outside of the ones RCCL provided. Especially how to contact "Fishes" and the floatplane etc. Would like to check into using them ourselves next July when we do our adventure in Alaska. If you could list them and their contact information that would be very much appreciated. Hopefully Radiance will have it's plumbing issues repaired by next July. We will be on the 10th floor ourselves and hope not to have to deal with those kind of issues. :(

Thanks again Linda, it's been fun! :)

[negc]

Linda,

Hopefully Radiance will have it's plumbing issues repaired by next July. We will be on the 10th floor ourselves and hope not to have to deal with those kind of issues. :(

I think it is highly unlikely that you will have to deal with those issues next July. We were part of a group of 17 on the June 11th sailing and not one person in our group experienced any plumbing problems nor did we hear any complaints from fellow passengers. Problems can arise on any ship at any time and we have been on several cruises where sporadic and minor plumbing problems have occurred. None lasted more than a few hours and were quickly dealt with by the maintenance staff. Overall it appears that the frequent problems reported on Radiance several months back have pretty much been dealt with.:) The Radiance of the Seas is an extremely beautiful ship that you should be looking forward to sailing.

[KeywestK]

I hope they fix the problem before November next year! We are in 8086.

 

Our friends were in 8086 in March and they had some minor plumbing issues as well. If all the problems aren't resolved by November of next year, then RCI had bigger problems than toilets that don't flush and some rusty water!:confused:

[NorbertsNiece]

 

MJN:

 

Juneau : North Star Trekking : info@northstartrekking.com

 

Skagway : Dyea Dave : dyeadave@msn.com

 

Icy Strait Point : F.I.S.H.E.S : fishes@hughes.net

 

Ketchikan : Island Wings : reservations@islandwings.com

Shona does the bookings. Michelle, the pilot, won't forget Darran in a hurry!

 

[Lynne95]

Linda, you painted a lovely trip, warts and all! I understand your disappointment with spending you last day dealing with GS! I would have been livid too! The last day of a cruise is sad enough, and dealing with all that CC mess and exchange , not to mention lack of wellness, did make me sad for you. But it looks like it ended on a nice note, and your family there to welcome you home must have been delighful!

 

Welcome home, my friend!

 

Did you book another cruise while on boad??????

[NorbertsNiece]

Linda, you painted a lovely trip, warts and all! I understand your disappointment with spending you last day dealing with GS! I would have been livid too! The last day of a cruise is sad enough, and dealing with all that CC mess and exchange , not to mention lack of wellness, did make me sad for you. But it looks like it ended on a nice note, and your family there to welcome you home must have been delighful!

 

Welcome home, my friend!

 

Did you book another cruise while on boad??????

 

Nope. Already have one for next year in the pipeline ;). As cancellation policies for us Brits are stringent there's no point in booking on board imo.

[Beach4me]

I was saddened by others disappointment in the ongoing plumbing issues experienced on decks 9 and10 (I met people from both decks who experienced issues). RCCL's inability to resolve this is shameful.

 

 

Hmmm. I found this interesting. It is the first I've heard of plumbing problems since late June/early July. I thought they had this issue taken care of.

 

Do you know which areas of decks 9 & 10 were affected?

[NorbertsNiece]

Hmmm. I found this interesting. It is the first I've heard of plumbing problems since late June/early July. I thought they had this issue taken care of.

 

Do you know which areas of decks 9 & 10 were affected?

 

Port side, aft. The smell was inescapable

[Beach4me]

Port side, aft. The smell was inescapable

 

Thanks for the info! I'm port side, forward. Hope there are no problems anywhere on our voyage.

[MJN]

Thank you so much Linda, appreciate that info. We will check them out! Rest up and hope your health improves soon. :) MJN

[NorbertsNiece]

Thank you so much Linda, appreciate that info. We will check them out! Rest up and hope your health improves soon. :) MJN

 

Thank you :D

 

Have a wonderful time in the S Caribbean!

[kath00]

Hmmm. I found this interesting. It is the first I've heard of plumbing problems since late June/early July. I thought they had this issue taken care of.

 

Do you know which areas of decks 9 & 10 were affected?

 

I too am concerned about this. Everyone on CC minimizes this but it would really ruin a vacation for me. We are supposed to be on the Ultimate Alaska cruise on deck 10 in a suite. Not happy at all....

 

Katherine