Radiance OTS - Ultimate Alaska - Sept 11, 2009

[Andros]

Welcome back Larry. Sounds as if you had a nice time. We let our CC's cool off a couple years ago. We cut them up! :p

 

Sure wish more folks would join us here. Looks as if we had a couple more family members join the other thread but did not think to look here. I mean, it took several days for me to even remember it was here. :o Anyhow, I am sure a good time will be had by all no matter what.

 

Still no planning done yet. Maybe in a few weeks once I get done with my cooking classes. Then a long hot summer awaiting our cool days in Alaska.

 

Hope David is doing OK as well. It has been about a week since he has posted.

 

Have a good weekend and hope to hear from you guys again soon.

 

Tony

[Andros]

The start of a new week and one less week before sail away. :) Looking forward to the trip and will start doing some research soon. Have about 2-3 more classes and can then shift my attention to ports and what to do. :confused:

 

Hope you Larry, and you David, are doing well.

 

Have a great week and hope to hear from you soon.

[vivavino]

Things are fine here.

 

You saw my note about excursions... for this trip I decided not to do any of the real expensive trips, like helicopters. There are many of the towns that are very easy to walk around. And you can't possibly get lost - the ship towers about the town and is visible from everywhere.

 

A busy week... but just got my notice for the July 3 final payment.

:-)

 

Take good care.

David.

[Rusty311]

One step closer to the cruise. Have a few shore excursions booked - decided I to fly in the day of the cruise. Leave ONT at 6 AM and arrive in Vancouver at 11:15. Allows me to work on Thursday and only take 11 vacation days for the trip.

 

It seems prices are staying the same for the cruise - cabins are available.

 

Summer is going very fast and September 11 will be here before we know it.

 

HAVE A GREAT 4TH

 

Larry

[Andros]

Hey Larry, Good to hear from you. I also looked for price drops but they were 100 bucks more for our category. We will just stick with what we have. Final payment has been made and a few excursions. Other than that we will just soak up the atmosphere in most of the other ports. We have friends in San Fran and San Diego so we are pretty set for those ports.

 

Will be going to my sis's for a 4th party but probably will not stay too long.

 

Hope you too have a safe and happy 4th. :)

 

Tony

[vivavino]

Greetings -

I'm a bit surprised out little GLBT board has been so quiet - I would expect the itinerary to be more popular.

 

But it will be terrific - two weeks on board - I can't wait.

 

I'll get into Vancouver on the 9th, and have two nights there. I got the Sutton Place Hotel via PriceLine for $98/night, so that's already paid for.

 

I hope everyone is having a good holiday weekend.

David

[Rusty311]

Hello - Hi to Tony and David.

 

Sorry I have been absent from this line - but the summer has been busy.

 

Last week end pulled the plug on my car and traded. Wanted to keep the car forever, becase I loved it (rumors of me being incapable of a relationship are unture) but it had it's visit to the shop (day spa for cars) and then turned on the check engine light because it wanted to go back. It's there permanently now. Replaced with a younger model.

 

How was everyones fourth? I am watching my neighbors cats - so parked on his balcony and watched the frieworks display at the Los Angeles County Fair Grounds. Had dinner with neighbors - and did not have to be in traffic.

 

Two weeks on the ship will be great. David - I am orgainzing pictures and reviewed the pictures for the Radiance Caribbean Cruise in December, 2006. Your friend Vicki was also on the cruise - I had an aft balcony cabin. Reviewed the pictures and the ship is very nice. Ran across a picture of a naked man on my balcony when we were in Nassau - I had aready quit drinking so can't claim I was in a blackout. Remember the crazy captain - kisses, kisses...

 

A great week to everyone!

 

Larry

[Rusty311]

Hello group - is everyone still going?

 

I swithed to any time dining. I did anytime dining on Princess, Holland America and Carnival and it worked well. This will be my first time on Royal.

 

I believe the days will be long - and any time dining will allow me to eat when I want. It will be strange to have dinner when it's light out side. It will be easy to join up with other My Time diners.

 

The count down continues - less than two months.

 

Larry

[Andros]

Hey Larry, yeah we are still going. Hope you are liking your new car.

 

We had a fairly nice 4th at my sis's house. My BIL put me in charge of the grill as soon as I got there. Sure would have been nice had he asked. :( All in all we had a good time though.

 

Things have been kind of hectic at work for Gregg (they are moving their department around). I have been doing my usual taking care of the house and trying to help out with my sis's 5 kids. I just got back from a 3 day run down there and ready to pull my hair out. Am I ready for Sept. to get here? I think you know the answer. :D

 

Other than getting some odds and ends info and planning done we both are ready to go. Well and of course the packing and all that goes with getting that stuff together. No worries, plenty of time! LOL!

 

We are use to the traditional main dining. I know they have that anytime option, but we always ask for second seating. That has always allowed us to go into ports, enjoy the day and give us plenty of time to re-coupe and get cleaned up before dinner. We may look into what the anytime dining is all about and try it next time.

 

Glad you are well and will check in again soon.

[Rusty311]

Tony and Gregg - good to hear form you.

 

You are on scheduled dining - we can meet up for optional or casual dining sometimes - and there's always lunch / breakfast. On the seven day Solstice David and I were on in December - we had a table of four and only had all four at the table twice in the seven days. David and I did optional dining three times and still missed one of the dining experiences offered. Once night in main, the other couple went to Blu - so it was the two of us.

 

I am looking forward to a relaxing cruise - and spa appointments. Hope they have males working in the spa. Radiance has the covered pool for adults - and big hot tubs in that area. I seem to remember a crepe cafe in that area.

 

The prices seem to be holding - the special prices being offered today are higher than what I booked at. Maybe we are in for upgrades. I'm always on the fully booked cruises.

 

Played all day yesterday - so have to get some chores done today.

 

Have fun

 

Larry

[Rusty311]

I received my electronic docs. They were correct - correct cabin, anytime dining, prepaid gratuties, correct booked tours - so now what to pack. The lugage tags are a problem with electronic docs. I might be able to do carry on if I only have the one roller bag and a carry on. Packing for this trip might be light. Buy some Alaska sweat shirts on sale for warmth - and I am not sure about packing the tux. We will have three formal nights - and several semi formal, so a sport coat is required too. I plan on using the laundery services on boardl. Changing clothes twice a day (or more) just the socks and underwear can fill a suit case.

 

Booked a February cruise on the Radiance. Good deal on a ten day Mexico RT from Dan Diego over the week of President's Day holiday. Diamond C & A members get a $300 cabin discount on a balcony or suite, so the price was very good. I might have some of the same crew in February as we have in September.

 

Have to straighten up the condo - the clening lady is coming today. If she puts things away, I never find them.

 

Have fun

 

Larry

[Andros]

Hi Larry, Been busy working on a painting project. I think they are all done with the move in Gregg's dept. at work. I have not even had the time to get registered for our online docs/set sail pass. Is that what you were referring too? As far as the formal nights. I don't plan on being too formal. My friend Hugh has told me that Alaskan cruises are a tad more laid back than others. I will bring my suit jacket(one) but that will be it. I don't think they are going to turn me away if I am not dressed to the nines. Congrats on the Feb. booking. Sounds like fun. You are probably right in saying that trip will have a lot of the same staff on it. Those poor people don't get much of a break at all. What, 3 months out of the year off? Must be nice to have a cleaning lady! :cool: I would be the same way though, have a need to know where everything is so when I need it I can find it.

 

Will talk again soon. Hi David, are you lurking? LOL :p

[vivavino]

Hi guys -

Yep - I'm still around, and very much looking forward to the trip.

I think I may be convinced on the no-tux option.... I'll still bring two checked bags, though - more room for souvenirs. :-)

 

It's been a challenging summer, so I am very much looking forward to the trip.... it can't get here soon enough.

 

David.

[bjainaz]

You're in for a treat!

 

We left AZ on 7/16 and flew to Vancouver to stay overnight one day before embarking. Nice city! If you shop Davie Street, steer clear of "State of Mind" mens clothing. The owner, Linda K. is a nut case and will cuss you out!

 

We boarded on 7/17 and spent the first day and a half at seas.

 

7/18 - At sea...I got a little sea-sick!

7/19 - Ketchikan: Cute city, lots of shopping and tours, although we didn't book any ahead of time. Mostly shopped.

7/20 - Juneau: Booked the "Bike and Tram Elevation Elation" tour...highly recommended. The bike ride was first-class! Tyler and Terri were our guides. The Tram ride up Mt. Roberts was cool and provided a great view of Juneau. At the top we had our pic taken and laid over a shot of Sarah Palin with my fingers above her head. Needless to say it will be used as this years Christmas card. Ha!

7/21 - Skagway: Ah Skagway! Love this little city of 850 people. Lovely!!! We booked the "Golden Glassblowing" tour at Jewell Gardens. A truly magnificent experience. We were one of 2 couples so we got to make 2 pieces each with Charlotte and Carrie. Two really great people.

7/22 - Icy Strait Point: Booked whale watching and boy did we see a lot of whales. Not only on the tour but right from the ship that morning and evening. WOW!

7/23 - Woke up at Hubbard Glacier. Really great experience and although it is only between 6am and 10am...don't miss a second of it. The rest of the day was at sea.

7/24 - Disembarkation...then a motor coach ride to Anchorage Int'l. Airport.

 

The ship is magnificent!!! Lot's of glass and great views. The entertainment is so-so. We booked "My Time Dining" and had the pleasure of having Cana as our waiter with her asst. waiter, Carlos (he's a "cutie"). Both first-class people. Try and get them...if you can!!! The head waiter "B" is a really good guy! We were on deck 8 (room 8114) and had Anthony as our SR attendant. Great guy and does some great "towel" art...his accent is very hard which makes him a little hard to understand at times but a great guy!

 

The food at Windjammer is okay. If you don't dine in the dining room and want some fresh food go to the Sea View Cafe. Not a huge variety but it is fresh cooked and they also have a bar there. Avoiding the cold air on board is easy...spend some time in the Solarium. Nice and quiet!

 

The stateroom was nice and I recommend a balcony. My only complaint is the overly-friendly shower curtain.

 

I did not want to leave...eventually I went kicking and screaming...j/k!

 

Anyway, have a blast...we certainly did!

 

BJ and Jamie, Arizona

[bjainaz]

We opted for dark suits and fit in very nicely...often times feeling over-dressed. But it was fabulous nonetheless.

 

I dare you to find souvenirs in Alaska (that don't cost and arm and a leg) that were NOT made in either China or Indonesia. The most beautiful stuff was made by the locals, but more expensive. There is a kiosk in ISP with jewely made right there. Some rally great stuff at a good price. We stayed in Anchorage one night after the cruise and almost everything we saw in the stores on our journey could be found in the gift shop at the Marriott Downtown in Anchorage. Ha!

[bjainaz]

Hello group - is everyone still going?

 

I swithed to any time dining. I did anytime dining on Princess, Holland America and Carnival and it worked well. This will be my first time on Royal.

 

I believe the days will be long - and any time dining will allow me to eat when I want. It will be strange to have dinner when it's light out side. It will be easy to join up with other My Time diners.

 

The count down continues - less than two months.

 

Larry

 

 

Word of warning...our first night on board we almost missed the last available time for mytime dining (9:30) because we didn't realize it was so late. It did not get dark until 10 and it really plays with your mind.

[Rusty311]

BJ and Jamie - thanks for the review. I don't think I will pack my tux - just a couple of sport coats. You mentioned you felt overdressed in your dark suits. I think things are going more casual everywhere - except maybe Cunard. I was on the ship in November, 2006 and we had a crazy captian that made the funniest announcements at noon.

 

I have thought about what it will be like having dinner when it is light outside. And anytime dining - you can get the same waiter if you request it? Did you book your time early in the day, or just show up?

 

Sea view cafe - where is it? Is it the cafe in the solarium?

 

I am ready for two weeks - the ports are great, but i really like being on the water, haveing liesurely days.

 

Did you use the spa? Do they have males giving massages. It varies from ship to ship.

 

Have fun

 

Larry

[Andros]

Thanks for the review. Sounds as if you had a great time. We have been on Brilliance twice and love that class ship. Also loved the Sea View Cafe with their sandwich and pizza selections.

 

Larry, it(SVC) is at the aft of the ship, top deck if I remember right. Also, as I said a couple post ago, dress wise things will be more casual because it is more of a wilderness type cruise. As I said on the other thread, wear what you want. Will finish up my painting project today thank God. Been a real PITA. Got home last night and they left a message that my tamale/sangria class had been canceled. Maybe they will offer it again in Oct sometime. If not I will just take some other course. Anyhow, if I don't get back have a great weekend. You too David! Nice to hear from you both. The days are slipping by real quick. :cool:

[Andros]

Saw that you posted on the other thread. We are not use to or know nothing about the new dining thing. We actually enjoy getting to know our table mates during the cruise. I could deal better with the switching around of dining mates better than Gregg. We do however go to the dining room for breakfast and lunch during the cruise where that is common. We will just have to see how things are when we get on the ship and go from there. Hope you had a good time at Disney and will talk at you later. Tony

[Rusty311]

I am getting excited about the trip. A co worker just came back from a week on Princess - and she was very disappointed. Said it could have been her travel mates - a boy friend and his 13 year old son in a Mini Suite with two televisions mostly on different stations. I had a mini last year on Golden Princess and the cabin is not big enough for two TVs - the remote kept screwing up both tvs and could not keep them on the same station. Westher report is it was cool - and you do not ever use the outside pool.

 

I am going very casual on this trip. No tux - will take two sport coats - and maybe only a couple of ties. Need to buy a new book - and plan on using the spa and relax. Anxious to see if the balcony can be used.

 

Off to dinner - Have fun and the count down continues

 

Larry

[Rusty311]

Good Morning

 

Reading the posts on the other line - but a lot of noise to page through

Tony - nice post. I bought new luggage a while back at Macy's. I have a card with them - and it's like cocane. They send $10 off if I charge $50 - then extra 20% over the already sale price - and when I bought my luggage - I got an extra 20% customer appreciation discount if i came back the next day for pick up when the extra discount was offered. Ended up paying less than $70 for $300 Delsey bags. Bought the whole set. Planning of a medium size suitcase and the roller carry on for this cruise. Only two bags and should be able to carry off in San Diego at end of cruise.

 

We will have to do some breakfasts / lunchs in the dining room together. I like being served.

 

have fun - good luck with the house hunting - I wish I wasn't already tied up in mine as this is agreat time to buy in California if you are not already in one. They have the first time home buyers credit that is a great deal for anyone not already in a house.

 

Larry

[Andros]

Hey Larry, breakfast and lunches sound good.

 

Trying to stay sane while doing this house hunting. It can be very unnerving.

 

Other than packing and deciding what we are going to do about Canadian monies we are all set to go. I posted a link to another thread on the other roll call. It was this cute couple that basically did the northbound route of our cruise back in May I believe. I have to agree about all the noise over there. I am usually much more active in roll calls. I think I rather like this much more by just sitting back, letting them yack, and pop in with a hello and plans from time to time. I would have been here more often if it was more active. Just you, David, and us here. With a full ship you know there are more family aboard than just us.

 

 

Whatever the case, looking forward to meeting you. You too David wherever you may be? Talk to you again soon, Tony

[vivavino]

howdy -

Yes, I'm still around.

I've had a mess of medical stuff (hoping to get good "we're done with you" news today) and a car accident, so it's been far more drama than I usually have.

 

Quite ready for this cruise - just a few weeks to go. Larry has convinced me to do the non-tux option for this trip, so I need to do some shopping this week/weekend. I doubt I'll get it all into one checked and one carryon, but we'll see.

 

I got a call from United; they've rearranged my flights, but I'll still have two nights in Vancouver before the cruise - I got a good deal on PriceLine at the Sutton Place.

 

See you all soon!

 

David.

[Andros]

Hey David, Nice to hear from you.

 

Sorry about the car accident and the added drama. No one needs either one of those things. Hope you are on the mend and you get an all clear from the docs.

 

United called us as well with changes. They weren't big ones, just a flight # and a few minutes here and there. We will be on 7289 from here to O'hare then onto Vancouver via 0345. We are so ready to get on that plane. No vacation at all last year. :eek:

 

As far as formal wear you may see me in a suit jacket once. LOL! Usually they have a formal night on the night of the Captain welcome back party. That will be the night. Otherwise it will most likely be a shirt and tie for me when needed. My buddy in San Diego has been to Alaska several times and said the dress code is pretty informal given it is an Alaskan cruise. Packing is going to be somewhat of a chore given all the different climates and the length of time we will be gone. 19 days is quite a long time to pack for. If need be, we can get laundry done onboard and also do wash when we get to San Diego.

 

Well need to go and will chat again soon. Tony

[Rusty311]

I bought milk today that does not expire until Sept 2 - so I know I'm close to the cruise.

 

Last night - my neighbor is a concert promoter - so he had a show in the restored Fox theater - on the next block from the condo. I am still hearing Crickets - great show - Ghostland Observatory - Stardeath and White Dwarfs (outstanding lazer display) and The Flaming Lips... Unbelieveable. Good thing we were in the only reserved seats - center balcony - wing back chairs - the entire main floor was standing, no seats in the theater. It is flexable seating - and for the opening of the restored theater, tables and chairs and sit down for 500 people. Life is full of surprises - but as I said, my ears are still ringing. Can't wait until Cake next week.

 

Las Vegas Sunday - Tuesday next week - through Carnival Cruise line, I got an offer from Palazzo Hotel and booked three free nights. All rooms are suites and 740 square feet or bigger. Vegas traffic is down - so they have great offers - I'm just not used to FREE.

 

I am trying for one suitcase and one carry on roller bag. Only one or two sport coats - one will be black untra suede so will work for formal night - and looks good with jeans. Maybe only one or two pair of shorts - swim suit - and the rest are dockers with mostly long sleve shirts. I will use the on board laundry - and you will still see the same outfits repeated.

 

Here is to a relaxing cruise - better check my Horrizon flights to see if they have been rearranged. I am leaving ONT at 6 AM and due to arrive in Vancouver at 11:15 - so should not be a problem getting to the ship.

 

Have Fun

 

Larry