Dug720
See the line where the sky meets the sea?
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2012
Just off the Radiance of the Seas this morning after an absolutely GLORIOUS southbound Alaska cruise! (Seriously... who comes back from Alaska slightly sunburned?? This girl!) I'll try to get pictures up once I'm home (I'm in Vancouver tonight and Seattle tomorrow night before a red-eye home), but wanted to go ahead and get my thoughts out now.
To set the stage, this was my sixth cruise overall having previously cruised on the Emerald Seas back in the early 80s, the Disney Dream twice, the Disney Fantasy once, and having done Alaska RT from Seattle on Holland America's ms Westerdam last year. Disney tends to be my cruiseline of choice, but I was super excited to go on Royal Caribbean having heard good things about it, especially the Radiance and all its glass for Alaska. I was not a fan of Holland-America at all, so RCCL definitely beat them.
How would the Radiance fare against Disney? Well...
More background...
I was cruising as part of the Great Alaskan Running Cruise - something organized by my running coach and her husband. They've been doing this for a while, and I went with them last year on HAL. They opted to change to RCCL at least for this year to try it out as the itinerary gave us MUCH more flexibility in scheduling runs and excursions due to significantly more time in port. They have done a Caribbean Running Cruise on RCCL for years, so they decided to try it for Alaska - and it was a hit and it's happening again next year (possibly without me - I'll explain that later).
* Getting to the port and embarkation...
I opted for the bus from Anchorage to Seward - they put those of us from my group on one bus, which was fun and it felt like our running cruise was starting already. The ride was fun, and for a good bit of it we paralleled the train tracks, so for a good bit we had the same views. Once we got to Seward we were directed into the small terminal, but it wasn't crowded, probably thanks to the way they scheduled the busses at various intervals. I showed all my documents, got my SeaPass card, and headed onto the ship.
I walked right on. I already knew that only Disney has the announcement fanfare, so that ddn't bug me. It did get backed up as we entered as the kids' club people were set up right at the entryway to get kids banded and signed up, and getting past them was a challenge if there was a family with multiple kids (as there was when I boarded). I would prefer to see them have that registration elsewhere just to keep things flowing smoothly as we boarded, but it wasn't a dealbreaker for me.
As it was after 1, the cabins were ready, so I headed there to put my stuff (I actually had everything in carry-on bags!) before exploring.
*Just a note, if you opt for the train, you are required to check everything save a smallish backpack and purse as there is no storage on the train.
Verdict: Pretty much a draw between RCCL and Disney for ease of the check-in process. A slight edge for Disney because a) I'm sappy enough to like the intro and walking into the big atrium and b) there wasn't the logjam created by anything once you're in.
* Cabin...
Last year I'd splurged on a balcony, and found that I skipped a lot of the group socializing and so forth to "get my money's worth", so this year I decided to go budget and get an inside cabin. I have never had an inside cabin before, so honestly I wasn't sure how it would go.
Bottom line, I was 100% fine in there! I did use the bridge-view channel on the TV the first couple of nights, but after that I didn't bother as I didn't need it. They have used mirrors very well to make the cabin seem larger. Yes, I was traveling solo, but I had more than enough storage.
I didn't have a problem with the shower or curtain - it was long enough it folded into the bottom of the shower, so there was no leakage issues. I also didn't find it to be clingy. Yes, the shower is small, but I didn't have any problems with it.
I had the beds pushed together, and they don't seem to have any kind of strap to hold them together nor do they have the thing HAL put between the mattresses to alleviate the dip and separation between the mattresses. I woke up the first morning with my arm and leg sliding down between the two mattresses. I went to guest services, and they sent a note to the deck supervisor to "put another covering on it and make sure it's tight" - it was a little better the next nights, but I did with they had that thing that sits in the dip. I don't know if requesting an egg-crate would alleviate that or not (anyone know for future reference?). I figured out that sleeping diagonally seemed to work ok - again, being solo that was an option. I'm not sure what I'd do if I was part of a couple. But overall it wasn't a dealbreaker either.
My cabin steward was great - I had three towel animals (she said they only do them every other day because of the time involved) - a frog, a monkey, and the most adorable seal ever! She was always super friendly whenever I saw her.
Verdict: A slight edge to Disney because of the non-split beds and the split bathrooms. But I was not unhappy with my RCCL stateroom.
* Dining...
I went to the Windjammer for lunch pretty much every day. Overall I liked the variety of foods offered, even if they could have been a bit hotter. I did find myself missing chicken fingers - I don't eat them all the time, but I do like having that option on a cruise. But I never went hungry, so it's all good. I was also fine with the breakfast options when I went there (we had private breakfasts on the mornings we had races so we could eat while we were briefed and before disembarking together).
We had fixed seating at the first seating for our group. We had 9-10 tables among our group and we were rotated between them during the cruise. The servers were great - my first one was super careful of my peanut sensitivity, so whenever we had an option of where to sit, I chose his tables. The others were all great too. I missed Disney's rotational dining a little, but overall I was very happy with the food. There was only one night I resorted to the "always available" menu (Classics I think they call it) for my entrée. I absolutely fell in love with their chilled soups - so much that one night my server brought out a big bowl of the soup for me for dessert without me even asking!
One of the couples in our group who I sat with a few times are vegan, and they always had specially prepared dishes. The first couple of nights our head server would give them options, but they were so pleased with what the chef was doing, by the third night they said "Just surprise us!" and always raved about it.
Oh, and yes, the cheesecake pops are SOOOOOOOOO addictive!!!! They always ran out by mid-afternoon.
Drink-wise I didn't get a package - I will probably do some form of one the next time I cruise RCCL (did I give something away there??) just for ease of keeping track of money. When I did get a mixed drink, it did not seem to be skimpy on the alcohol as has been occasionally reported here. It helped not having a package with me trying to kick the soda habit, but having the option without the extra charge is nice. A package would be an extra charge, yes, but I wouldn't have to budget every splurge drink I wanted.
Verdict: Pretty much an even draw.
* The ship...
I had prepared myself for some wear and tear based on some recent reviews here, but overall I found the Radiance to be in great shape. Yes, there were a couple of places where a section of carpet had obviously been replaced as the color and pattern were slightly off, but I'd rather see that than worn carpet. They were constantly revarnishing the railings and doing other little things here and there.
I liked the Centrum area, but it could feel cramped when lots of people were in there.
I LOVED all the glass elevators and all the glass around the ship in general.
I liked both pool areas - used them both at different times (yes, it was actually warm enough to be in the outdoor pool in Alaska!).
The various clubs were nice - we tended to hang out in Starquest after dinner except the night when there was a private event going on. But they were all cool.
I am not a fan of casinos, so I could have done without that, but overall the smoke seemed to be well-contained as it didn't carry-over that much into other areas.
The shopping was ok - it could get crazy crowded when they had stuff in the hallway, but it was never impossible to get through.
Pictures... I do like Disney's way of doing them - both viewable electronically and putting them in folders where you can see all your pictures together in one place and they aren't out for you and anyone to search for.
I did miss the full promenade, but I knew going in that wasn't there, so it wasn't a surprise. I did fall in love with the helipad, which was open most of the time.
It took me a little while to get oriented while we were docked in Seward (longer than anticipated - I'll explain in a moment) as the hallways lack Disney's assist of the map embedded in the carpet where north = forward, south = aft, west = port, and east = starboard. BUT I loved the interactive screens at the Radiance's elevators and the ship orientation models at the elevators in the Centrum elevator area.
Verdict: An even draw. Honestly this surprised me, but the more I explored the Radiance, the more I fell in love with her. Yes, I miss some of the Disney touches, but the Radiance is a beautiful ship.
* Talking about itinerary - this is not a comparison as I've not done Alaska on Disney. Just trying to go through everything.
We were scheduled to leave Seward at 8pm. We knew there was some delay as our people who rode the train were delayed getting to dinner. They said they had stopped to take on some 200 more passengers because there had been a bad wreck on the highway between Anchorage and Seward. Last we heard there was one fatality at the scene and at least three people were airlifted. We found out at the Muster Drill that there were some 800 more passengers on busses that were stuck until the road re-opened. The anticipated arrival time was about midnight at that point. During Muster Captain Goran informed us that due to our late departure, we would not be able to sail in to see the Hubbard Glacier due to traffic and light issues. Disappointing, but as we all reminded each other, we were alive and ok, and that was what mattered. I don't know if anyone fussed and got any credit - I certainly didn't nor did anyone in our group. These things happen. Captain Goran told us there would be a Muster Drill for those people once they were onboard. We would not have to attend. Around 2am, we did hear the announcement that all passengers who had not been aboard at 7:30 were to report to the Aurora Theatre, so there was no sounding of the alarm, which was nice for us as I'm sure it was for the residents of Seward. We set sail around 2:45am.
We did miss seeing the glacier, but we all made the best of it.
Juneau was great - we were there a LONG time, probably over 12 hours. I opted not to do excursions proper this time, but I caught the shuttle out to the Mendenhall Glacier and enjoyed that. Even saw a two-year-old bear cub attempting to catch salmon in the creek!
Skagway was new for me. After we had a scavenger hunt race, we had free time. I hiked up to Lower Lake - VERY steep and rocky, but the lake is gorgeous - and walked around Skagway for a while.
Icy Straight Point was interesting. There is not a ton to do there without an excursion, but I suspect that may change when they get their pier built so more ships can put it on the itinerary. It's charming, and taking the $5 shuttle into Hoonah was worth it - there is an eagle nest that has been there for 5 years. I got to see both adult eagles who live in it! My friends who did whale watching there had FANTASTIC experiences. And we got to watch a pod (or two) of whales playing in the water. It is a tender port right now, but the tendering was no problem.
Ketchikan was like I remembered it. We do a run out at Ward Lake, which is absolutely gorgeous, but something exclusive to our group. I made it a point to hit Ketchikandies for some chocolate! YUM!!!
Our day in the inside passage was the only "Alaska" day we had - rainy and cold and foggy all day long. That was the one time I felt the fullness of the ship as there was no real option for being outside so everyone was milling about inside. But it was not unbearable.
Sailing into Vancouver was beautiful!
* Entertainment
For me, this one goes to Disney. I don't do comedians or illusionists, but the one production show I went to was... well, a friend who left partway through the third number bought me a drink as "hazard pay" for making it all the way through. Don't get me wrongs - the singers were good, and the dancers were good. It was the "storyline" of "City of Dreams". Granted, Amy did warn us that it really didn't make sense in her introduction, but... I can't believe they couldn't hire someone to write a decent storyline about the concept they had (a couple in love in various cities). And the costuming was...well, it was. I fully admit I am totally spoiled to Disney's entertainment. BUT, I'm not calling this a break-point because it is not required that you go to the shows. They are easily avoided if you don't want to see them.
Verdict: Disney by a landslide. (With the closing caveat.)
There were a couple of little things that surprised me being used to Disney's way of doing things. I'm very much accustomed to the Cruise Director being in whites - Dress Whites for formal and semi-formal nights - rather than dresses/suits. A little thing, true, but it does make a difference to me in the way I see them. I like the formality of the uniform.
Also - let me be clear, I am not anti-tattoo as I have a couple myself. BUT I do very much like and respect Disney's policy of no visible tattoos. (My CM sister has a tat on her foot, but she has theatrical cover-up she puts on whenever she has to wear dress shoes.) Due to the no uniform for the CD, Amy's ankle tat was very visible - as was a good sized one on one of the dancer's shoulders(now THAT being exposed is shocking for me to see on a dancer regardless of where they are performing - I know several who have them, but again, theatrical cover-up is used if they are in a costume that exposes that section of skin). Again, not a breaking-point, but it's something I noticed, and once I saw it, that was ALL I could see simply because I'm accustomed to a different policy regarding them.
The overall verdict?
I was very happy on RCCL! Disney will probably still be my first choice for most things simply because I'm a Disney girl, but I would not NOT consider RCCL. Especially the smaller class ships like the Radiance class. I am NOT sold on the big behemoths as I like feeling like I'm on a ship when I'm cruising, and I don't need all the bells and whistles like diving shows, ice rinks, Broadway shows, etc. But who knows... I may give one a try sometime.
I AM going to be on the Brilliance next summer for the Mediterranean-Venice cruise!! Booked the 7/1 cruise while onboard - this time a front-facing ocean view cabin!! Super excited!!! (And pending what some money we get as retro-pay looks like, I may well be on this Great Alaskan Running Cruise again next year!! Definitely in 2017!!)
To set the stage, this was my sixth cruise overall having previously cruised on the Emerald Seas back in the early 80s, the Disney Dream twice, the Disney Fantasy once, and having done Alaska RT from Seattle on Holland America's ms Westerdam last year. Disney tends to be my cruiseline of choice, but I was super excited to go on Royal Caribbean having heard good things about it, especially the Radiance and all its glass for Alaska. I was not a fan of Holland-America at all, so RCCL definitely beat them.
How would the Radiance fare against Disney? Well...More background...
I was cruising as part of the Great Alaskan Running Cruise - something organized by my running coach and her husband. They've been doing this for a while, and I went with them last year on HAL. They opted to change to RCCL at least for this year to try it out as the itinerary gave us MUCH more flexibility in scheduling runs and excursions due to significantly more time in port. They have done a Caribbean Running Cruise on RCCL for years, so they decided to try it for Alaska - and it was a hit and it's happening again next year (possibly without me - I'll explain that later).
* Getting to the port and embarkation...
I opted for the bus from Anchorage to Seward - they put those of us from my group on one bus, which was fun and it felt like our running cruise was starting already. The ride was fun, and for a good bit of it we paralleled the train tracks, so for a good bit we had the same views. Once we got to Seward we were directed into the small terminal, but it wasn't crowded, probably thanks to the way they scheduled the busses at various intervals. I showed all my documents, got my SeaPass card, and headed onto the ship.
I walked right on. I already knew that only Disney has the announcement fanfare, so that ddn't bug me. It did get backed up as we entered as the kids' club people were set up right at the entryway to get kids banded and signed up, and getting past them was a challenge if there was a family with multiple kids (as there was when I boarded). I would prefer to see them have that registration elsewhere just to keep things flowing smoothly as we boarded, but it wasn't a dealbreaker for me.
As it was after 1, the cabins were ready, so I headed there to put my stuff (I actually had everything in carry-on bags!) before exploring.
*Just a note, if you opt for the train, you are required to check everything save a smallish backpack and purse as there is no storage on the train.
Verdict: Pretty much a draw between RCCL and Disney for ease of the check-in process. A slight edge for Disney because a) I'm sappy enough to like the intro and walking into the big atrium and b) there wasn't the logjam created by anything once you're in.
* Cabin...
Last year I'd splurged on a balcony, and found that I skipped a lot of the group socializing and so forth to "get my money's worth", so this year I decided to go budget and get an inside cabin. I have never had an inside cabin before, so honestly I wasn't sure how it would go.
Bottom line, I was 100% fine in there! I did use the bridge-view channel on the TV the first couple of nights, but after that I didn't bother as I didn't need it. They have used mirrors very well to make the cabin seem larger. Yes, I was traveling solo, but I had more than enough storage.
I didn't have a problem with the shower or curtain - it was long enough it folded into the bottom of the shower, so there was no leakage issues. I also didn't find it to be clingy. Yes, the shower is small, but I didn't have any problems with it.
I had the beds pushed together, and they don't seem to have any kind of strap to hold them together nor do they have the thing HAL put between the mattresses to alleviate the dip and separation between the mattresses. I woke up the first morning with my arm and leg sliding down between the two mattresses. I went to guest services, and they sent a note to the deck supervisor to "put another covering on it and make sure it's tight" - it was a little better the next nights, but I did with they had that thing that sits in the dip. I don't know if requesting an egg-crate would alleviate that or not (anyone know for future reference?). I figured out that sleeping diagonally seemed to work ok - again, being solo that was an option. I'm not sure what I'd do if I was part of a couple. But overall it wasn't a dealbreaker either.
My cabin steward was great - I had three towel animals (she said they only do them every other day because of the time involved) - a frog, a monkey, and the most adorable seal ever! She was always super friendly whenever I saw her.
Verdict: A slight edge to Disney because of the non-split beds and the split bathrooms. But I was not unhappy with my RCCL stateroom.
* Dining...
I went to the Windjammer for lunch pretty much every day. Overall I liked the variety of foods offered, even if they could have been a bit hotter. I did find myself missing chicken fingers - I don't eat them all the time, but I do like having that option on a cruise. But I never went hungry, so it's all good. I was also fine with the breakfast options when I went there (we had private breakfasts on the mornings we had races so we could eat while we were briefed and before disembarking together).
We had fixed seating at the first seating for our group. We had 9-10 tables among our group and we were rotated between them during the cruise. The servers were great - my first one was super careful of my peanut sensitivity, so whenever we had an option of where to sit, I chose his tables. The others were all great too. I missed Disney's rotational dining a little, but overall I was very happy with the food. There was only one night I resorted to the "always available" menu (Classics I think they call it) for my entrée. I absolutely fell in love with their chilled soups - so much that one night my server brought out a big bowl of the soup for me for dessert without me even asking!
One of the couples in our group who I sat with a few times are vegan, and they always had specially prepared dishes. The first couple of nights our head server would give them options, but they were so pleased with what the chef was doing, by the third night they said "Just surprise us!" and always raved about it.
Oh, and yes, the cheesecake pops are SOOOOOOOOO addictive!!!! They always ran out by mid-afternoon.
Drink-wise I didn't get a package - I will probably do some form of one the next time I cruise RCCL (did I give something away there??) just for ease of keeping track of money. When I did get a mixed drink, it did not seem to be skimpy on the alcohol as has been occasionally reported here. It helped not having a package with me trying to kick the soda habit, but having the option without the extra charge is nice. A package would be an extra charge, yes, but I wouldn't have to budget every splurge drink I wanted.
Verdict: Pretty much an even draw.
* The ship...
I had prepared myself for some wear and tear based on some recent reviews here, but overall I found the Radiance to be in great shape. Yes, there were a couple of places where a section of carpet had obviously been replaced as the color and pattern were slightly off, but I'd rather see that than worn carpet. They were constantly revarnishing the railings and doing other little things here and there.
I liked the Centrum area, but it could feel cramped when lots of people were in there.
I LOVED all the glass elevators and all the glass around the ship in general.
I liked both pool areas - used them both at different times (yes, it was actually warm enough to be in the outdoor pool in Alaska!).
The various clubs were nice - we tended to hang out in Starquest after dinner except the night when there was a private event going on. But they were all cool.
I am not a fan of casinos, so I could have done without that, but overall the smoke seemed to be well-contained as it didn't carry-over that much into other areas.
The shopping was ok - it could get crazy crowded when they had stuff in the hallway, but it was never impossible to get through.
Pictures... I do like Disney's way of doing them - both viewable electronically and putting them in folders where you can see all your pictures together in one place and they aren't out for you and anyone to search for.
I did miss the full promenade, but I knew going in that wasn't there, so it wasn't a surprise. I did fall in love with the helipad, which was open most of the time.
It took me a little while to get oriented while we were docked in Seward (longer than anticipated - I'll explain in a moment) as the hallways lack Disney's assist of the map embedded in the carpet where north = forward, south = aft, west = port, and east = starboard. BUT I loved the interactive screens at the Radiance's elevators and the ship orientation models at the elevators in the Centrum elevator area.
Verdict: An even draw. Honestly this surprised me, but the more I explored the Radiance, the more I fell in love with her. Yes, I miss some of the Disney touches, but the Radiance is a beautiful ship.
* Talking about itinerary - this is not a comparison as I've not done Alaska on Disney. Just trying to go through everything.
We were scheduled to leave Seward at 8pm. We knew there was some delay as our people who rode the train were delayed getting to dinner. They said they had stopped to take on some 200 more passengers because there had been a bad wreck on the highway between Anchorage and Seward. Last we heard there was one fatality at the scene and at least three people were airlifted. We found out at the Muster Drill that there were some 800 more passengers on busses that were stuck until the road re-opened. The anticipated arrival time was about midnight at that point. During Muster Captain Goran informed us that due to our late departure, we would not be able to sail in to see the Hubbard Glacier due to traffic and light issues. Disappointing, but as we all reminded each other, we were alive and ok, and that was what mattered. I don't know if anyone fussed and got any credit - I certainly didn't nor did anyone in our group. These things happen. Captain Goran told us there would be a Muster Drill for those people once they were onboard. We would not have to attend. Around 2am, we did hear the announcement that all passengers who had not been aboard at 7:30 were to report to the Aurora Theatre, so there was no sounding of the alarm, which was nice for us as I'm sure it was for the residents of Seward. We set sail around 2:45am.
We did miss seeing the glacier, but we all made the best of it.
Juneau was great - we were there a LONG time, probably over 12 hours. I opted not to do excursions proper this time, but I caught the shuttle out to the Mendenhall Glacier and enjoyed that. Even saw a two-year-old bear cub attempting to catch salmon in the creek!
Skagway was new for me. After we had a scavenger hunt race, we had free time. I hiked up to Lower Lake - VERY steep and rocky, but the lake is gorgeous - and walked around Skagway for a while.
Icy Straight Point was interesting. There is not a ton to do there without an excursion, but I suspect that may change when they get their pier built so more ships can put it on the itinerary. It's charming, and taking the $5 shuttle into Hoonah was worth it - there is an eagle nest that has been there for 5 years. I got to see both adult eagles who live in it! My friends who did whale watching there had FANTASTIC experiences. And we got to watch a pod (or two) of whales playing in the water. It is a tender port right now, but the tendering was no problem.
Ketchikan was like I remembered it. We do a run out at Ward Lake, which is absolutely gorgeous, but something exclusive to our group. I made it a point to hit Ketchikandies for some chocolate! YUM!!!
Our day in the inside passage was the only "Alaska" day we had - rainy and cold and foggy all day long. That was the one time I felt the fullness of the ship as there was no real option for being outside so everyone was milling about inside. But it was not unbearable.
Sailing into Vancouver was beautiful!
* Entertainment
For me, this one goes to Disney. I don't do comedians or illusionists, but the one production show I went to was... well, a friend who left partway through the third number bought me a drink as "hazard pay" for making it all the way through. Don't get me wrongs - the singers were good, and the dancers were good. It was the "storyline" of "City of Dreams". Granted, Amy did warn us that it really didn't make sense in her introduction, but... I can't believe they couldn't hire someone to write a decent storyline about the concept they had (a couple in love in various cities). And the costuming was...well, it was. I fully admit I am totally spoiled to Disney's entertainment. BUT, I'm not calling this a break-point because it is not required that you go to the shows. They are easily avoided if you don't want to see them.
Verdict: Disney by a landslide. (With the closing caveat.)
There were a couple of little things that surprised me being used to Disney's way of doing things. I'm very much accustomed to the Cruise Director being in whites - Dress Whites for formal and semi-formal nights - rather than dresses/suits. A little thing, true, but it does make a difference to me in the way I see them. I like the formality of the uniform.
Also - let me be clear, I am not anti-tattoo as I have a couple myself. BUT I do very much like and respect Disney's policy of no visible tattoos. (My CM sister has a tat on her foot, but she has theatrical cover-up she puts on whenever she has to wear dress shoes.) Due to the no uniform for the CD, Amy's ankle tat was very visible - as was a good sized one on one of the dancer's shoulders(now THAT being exposed is shocking for me to see on a dancer regardless of where they are performing - I know several who have them, but again, theatrical cover-up is used if they are in a costume that exposes that section of skin). Again, not a breaking-point, but it's something I noticed, and once I saw it, that was ALL I could see simply because I'm accustomed to a different policy regarding them.
The overall verdict?
I was very happy on RCCL! Disney will probably still be my first choice for most things simply because I'm a Disney girl, but I would not NOT consider RCCL. Especially the smaller class ships like the Radiance class. I am NOT sold on the big behemoths as I like feeling like I'm on a ship when I'm cruising, and I don't need all the bells and whistles like diving shows, ice rinks, Broadway shows, etc. But who knows... I may give one a try sometime.
I AM going to be on the Brilliance next summer for the Mediterranean-Venice cruise!! Booked the 7/1 cruise while onboard - this time a front-facing ocean view cabin!! Super excited!!! (And pending what some money we get as retro-pay looks like, I may well be on this Great Alaskan Running Cruise again next year!! Definitely in 2017!!)
