7 days DIY on land then Radiance southbound. 6/2/17 - 6/17/17

Great review and super photos. I know you posted doing this yourself in our M&M thread. We did the RCI tour/cruise 6B so we kinda paralleled your trip a bit. You definitely did more things than we did and got some amazing photos. We also did the Chena River Cruise and the Kenai Fjord trip and both were things we least expected to get anything out of and turned out to be two of the best excursions.

I agree with you on the ship and Captain Trym. Both amazing. I thought it was interesting that you got a shot of a seal on an ice flow heading to Hubbard glacier. I didn't see any this time and I was looking. I must have been looking at the wrong time or something.

I also did a review which included our RCI pre cruise tour. Hope to catch you again on another sailing.

Lastly- I completely agree. I've been telling everyone that asks, this has to be on everyone's bucket list.

Erika

birdylady and cruiseguy1016 in the same thread, it's like worlds colliding as we're deciding between DIY and the RC pretour (although we'd be doing 7B) and have sought info/advice from both of you. Thanks again btw.

That said, DW is doing so much research (sometimes I think she keeps forgetting we'll be on Oasis next week) that she found a 3rd option... She's been in contact with a company that arranges more all-inclusive pretours (basically, a DIY by letting them help plan a somewhat custom personalized pretour). This seems like a potentially good alternative for us since I'm not totally comfortable with a full DIY like cruiseguy but DW would like to do a few more things than RC offers.

Hopefully this company will come up with an affordable pretour that provides the best of both worlds for us.

birdylady and cruiseguy1016 in the same thread, it's like worlds colliding as we're deciding between DIY and the RC pretour (although we'd be doing 7B) and have sought info/advice from both of you. Thanks again btw.

 

That said, DW is doing so much research (sometimes I think she keeps forgetting we'll be on Oasis next week) that she found a 3rd option... She's been in contact with a company that arranges more all-inclusive pretours (basically, a DIY by letting them help plan a somewhat custom personalized pretour). This seems like a potentially good alternative for us since I'm not totally comfortable with a full DIY like cruiseguy but DW would like to do a few more things than RC offers.

 

Hopefully this company will come up with an affordable pretour that provides the best of both worlds for us.

Mike - We looked at a couple private tour companies also but I don't remember which ones. I also don't remember how their prices compared to RCI's or our DIY. While they included some of the things we wanted to do, they didn't include everything we wanted. It sounds like our comfort level for the DIY was higher than yours is. Don't let me talk you into doing something you're not comfortable with. You need to stay within your comfort zone so that stress doesn't wreck your vacation.

Mike - We looked at a couple private tour companies also but I don't remember which ones. I also don't remember how their prices compared to RCI's or our DIY. While they included some of the things we wanted to do, they didn't include everything we wanted. It sounds like our comfort level for the DIY was higher than yours is. Don't let me talk you into doing something you're not comfortable with. You need to stay within your comfort zone so that stress doesn't wreck your vacation.

No worries, zero chance I will do anything that would stress me out. Your DIY comfort level is undoubtedly higher than mine and we have essentially ruled out a total DIY. That said, your info is still incredibly useful and appreciated.

My wife has pretty much settled on one private tour company who can't give us a quote b/c their 2018 pricing isn't available yet but they have assured her they can customize things as much as we want in terms of nights, cities, lodging, transportation, activities, etc. My guess is that unless the price is prohibitive or they are not as fully customizable as they claim, they've taken the lead over RC. And this is where your reviews and advice remain just as helpful as if we were doing the full DIY route. We won't be doing it ourselves but we'd be designing it ourselves which is just about the same thing minus the long car rental and perhaps googling for random restaurants on the fly.

EXCELLENT review and BEAUTIFUL pictures!

We booked our land and sea through RC last April 2016 when they were offering buy one get one half price for the August 4, 2017 sailing. The total with taxes, fees, port expenses, and travel insurance came to $7957.00. We have cabin 8048 and our friends 8046. This will be our second Alaskan cruise and our friend's first. We also purchased the alcohol package with Voom for $54/day.

Did you pre-book the shows you wanted to see prior to sailing? I've logged onto RC but cannot locate where to book the shows. We were able to book Chops, as our friend is celebrating his 60th birthday. We are now in the process of deciding on which excursions we want to do.

Thank you again for your review!

Karen

[quote name=kgm0612;53477120

Did you pre-book the shows you wanted to see prior to sailing? I've logged onto RC but cannot locate where to book the shows. We were able to book Chops' date=' as our friend is celebrating his 60th birthday. We are now in the process of deciding on which excursions we want to do.

Thank you again for your review!

Karen[/quote]

I'm not OP, but we just did this last month. Radiance doesn't offer pre-book entertainment options. I think only Oasis class and maybe Anthem class offer that.

Enjoy your trip. It was AMAZING!

Erika

Birdylady (Erika)

Thank you!! I almost called RC to ask them why I couldn't reserve shows online. I didn't realize the online booking wasn't fleet-wide!

Excellent review Ken! Thanks.

We are just starting to plan our 3rd Alaska cruise (also originally the one trip of a lifetime back in 2013!) for 2019. Taking my DD and her hubs and maybe their youngest. Unfortunately, none of us can sacrifice enough time to do the land part...so just another cruise for us all. I agree, there is nothing like Alaska!!:hearteyes:

If and when you plan your next one, do consider booking an aft on the day they release the Alaska itinerary...I can't tell you how much difference it can make. We had afts on both Radiance and Celebrity Solstice. You see so much more. We spent every afternoon out on deck with our afternoon goodies and drinks.

Also, we decided to do Celebrity again just on account of Cafe Al Bacio. Such a must for coffee/pastry lovers in Alaska's climate...mmmmmmm. The key to success is the weather and one must accept whatever Alaska schedules for ones cruise. Thank the Lord, we had sun on both cruises (September last cruise of the season on both) it would've made your photos of Emerald Lake spectacular.

Your wonderful review with pics has really gotten my blood rushing for our next one! Again, Thx!

Thank you for inspiring me to move Alaska up the list. I loved your land travel itinerary and your photographs were amazing.

Excellent review Ken! Thanks.

 

We are just starting to plan our 3rd Alaska cruise (also originally the one trip of a lifetime back in 2013!) for 2019. Taking my DD and her hubs and maybe their youngest. Unfortunately, none of us can sacrifice enough time to do the land part...so just another cruise for us all. I agree, there is nothing like Alaska!!:hearteyes:

 

If and when you plan your next one, do consider booking an aft on the day they release the Alaska itinerary...I can't tell you how much difference it can make. We had afts on both Radiance and Celebrity Solstice. You see so much more. We spent every afternoon out on deck with our afternoon goodies and drinks.

 

Also, we decided to do Celebrity again just on account of Cafe Al Bacio. Such a must for coffee/pastry lovers in Alaska's climate...mmmmmmm. The key to success is the weather and one must accept whatever Alaska schedules for ones cruise. Thank the Lord, we had sun on both cruises (September last cruise of the season on both) it would've made your photos of Emerald Lake spectacular.

 

Your wonderful review with pics has really gotten my blood rushing for our next one! Again, Thx!

We've had corner afts on a couple of our Caribbean cruises and loved them. We looked for their availability on Radiance but, three days after bookings opened, they were gone. When we booked, we were looking for four cabins next to each other so we had fewer options.

Thank you for inspiring me to move Alaska up the list. I loved your land travel itinerary and your photographs were amazing.

I've been telling people that if they can only go for a week, I recommend doing a land tour over a cruise. Maybe it was because the weather was so good or maybe it was the flightseeing tour of Denali but I enjoyed our time on land more than I did our time on the cruise.

I've been telling people that if they can only go for a week, I recommend doing a land tour over a cruise. Maybe it was because the weather was so good or maybe it was the flightseeing tour of Denali but I enjoyed our time on land more than I did our time on the cruise.

Alaska was my wife's idea and she's almost fully in charge of the research/plans for our June 22, 2018 southbound trip. She's coming up with so many pre-cruise land tour things she wants to do that she's in the process of working with a 3rd party company to design a customized land tour. The original plan was to do a 6-day pre-tour through RC... now I think my wife wants to make it 10-days. :eek:

Don't get me wrong, from checking in with her (this company won't have specific 2018 prices/options for another 4-6 weeks), I know how much there is to do and we're not planning to return anytime soon so it makes sense... but so does not breaking the bank.

Random question since so many knowledgeable Alaska cruisers are posting in this thread... I'm well versed in the Diamond Lounge dress code for Oasis (just went twice in the past 6 weeks). Are jeans OK for all nights including formal on Radiance?

Random question since so many knowledgeable Alaska cruisers are posting in this thread... I'm well versed in the Diamond Lounge dress code for Oasis (just went twice in the past 6 weeks). Are jeans OK for all nights including formal on Radiance?

Attire on our cruise was very relaxed. There were a lot of people wearing jeans in the dining room, even on formal nights. While I did see a few women wearing gowns on formal night, I don't recall seeing a man wearing a tuxedo.

Attire on our cruise was very relaxed. There were a lot of people wearing jeans in the dining room, even on formal nights. While I did see a few women wearing gowns on formal night, I don't recall seeing a man wearing a tuxedo.

Thanks, that probably means it's OK for the Diamond Lounge. Sorry if I was unclear; I was specifically asking about the DL rather than the MDR.

Thanks, that probably means it's OK for the Diamond Lounge. Sorry if I was unclear; I was specifically asking about the DL rather than the MDR.

Sorry, I can't answer about the DL. We won't be Diamond :( until after our cruise next spring so I was not allowed into the Diamond lounge.

Sorry, I can't answer about the DL. We won't be Diamond :( until after our cruise next spring so I was not allowed into the Diamond lounge.

No worries, you're almost there... and I'm sure I'll find out in the next 11 months. :)

I debated on whether or not I would buy the alcohol package while on the cruise. In the months before our departure, the package was available for $55/day. At that price, I wasn’t sure I would drink enough to make it worthwhile. A couple weeks before departure they offered a discounted package with Voom internet and the alcohol package for $54/day. I decided this package was worth the expense. I cannot leave work totally behind when I go away so I needed internet access to stay in touch with work from time to time while on the ship. I was going to buy the Voom package anyway but when they bundled it with the alcohol package, it made my decision easy. I got the internet access I needed and I was able to drink enough to feel I got my money’s worth. J

Thanks very much for the great trip report. In 3 weeks we are heading to Fairbanks and are also working our way down to Seward to board the Radiance. We are in Fairbanks for a couple of nights and then head on to Denali for three nights, then one night in Girdwood before going to Anchorage and lastly staying in Seward one night before our cruise. We have booked with Alaska Train, making our way south by train and are taking some of the same tours you did. Lots of great info for us!

We have also booked the drink package with the Voom as it was a decent price. I figure with a couple of specialty coffees a day in addition to some pop, water and adult beverages, we would get our money's worth out of it.

Excellent review and photos. Thank you!

Yes excellent review, thanks for sharing. In the same boat here with older kids that can't take 2 weeks to do both land and cruise so we opted for the cruise as they love to do that. It took years for everyone to convince me to cruise Alaska as i am a warm weather kind of cruiser but after spending months planning this trip, I am so excited. We leave on the Radiance of the Seas on Aug 25 Northbound out of Vancouver. I have to admit with so many things to do, it was overwhelming to plan all the excursions and by far the most difficult one to date. I do all the bookings and I usually stay away from the cruise ones to save money. With a party of five i need to get my money's worth so it's great to get ideas and recommendations from these boards. I have a feeling this won't be our only trip to Alaska, too much to do in so little time!

Thank you Ken for such a great detailed review. We are sailing this friday on the Radiance and you answered many of my lingering questions. I was concerned about not being able to book entertainment on the ship...does this mean we still have to reserve once on board or are the venues open to all who show up? And what was the entertainment line-up if you don't mind me asking. Thank you for all the valuable information...I made lots of notes!

Thank you Ken for such a great detailed review. We are sailing this friday on the Radiance and you answered many of my lingering questions. I was concerned about not being able to book entertainment on the ship...does this mean we still have to reserve once on board or are the venues open to all who show up? And what was the entertainment line-up if you don't mind me asking. Thank you for all the valuable information...I made lots of notes!

There is no pre-booking of the shows on Radiance. The theater will accommodate everyone that shows up. There are two shows a night, one for the people with early dining and one for the people with late dining. As for the performers themselves, there was a comedian and an impersonator but I can't remember either of their names. Both were decent but not the greatest. Our cruise was June 9th - 16th and it was the final cruise for that group of Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers. They were good, I'm sure you would have enjoyed seeing them. I don't know how the new group will do. We spent time every night in the Quill and Compass Pub. There was a guitar player in there named John Winters. He was very good. If he's still on the ship, I recommend lending an ear.

There is no pre-booking of the shows on Radiance. The theater will accommodate everyone that shows up. There are two shows a night, one for the people with early dining and one for the people with late dining. As for the performers themselves, there was a comedian and an impersonator but I can't remember either of their names. Both were decent but not the greatest. Our cruise was June 9th - 16th and it was the final cruise for that group of Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers. They were good, I'm sure you would have enjoyed seeing them. I don't know how the new group will do. We spent time every night in the Quill and Compass Pub. There was a guitar player in there named John Winters. He was very good. If he's still on the ship, I recommend lending an ear.

Thank you again for the great advice. I know I shouldn't have been preoccupied with entertainment as the scenery will be the star of the show but on the Harmony the shows were just fantastic and I wanted to see at least one while in Alaska. I like your idea of the Pub and guitarist as well. I too am going to keep a log of our trip . Originally it was just to keep the memories before they start to get fuzzy. But after reading your review, maybe I'll be able to help future cruisers as well. Thank you so much for all the insight.

Thank you again for the great advice. I know I shouldn't have been preoccupied with entertainment as the scenery will be the star of the show but on the Harmony the shows were just fantastic and I wanted to see at least one while in Alaska. I like your idea of the Pub and guitarist as well. I too am going to keep a log of our trip . Originally it was just to keep the memories before they start to get fuzzy. But after reading your review, maybe I'll be able to help future cruisers as well. Thank you so much for all the insight.

I got so much information for our trip from the people on Cruise Critic that I felt I needed to pay it forward. My intention was to pass on as much as I could so that others might be able to have as great a vacation as we had. I'm somewhat humbled by the responses I've gotten but I'm glad I've been able to help others plan their Alaskan adventure.

I got so much information for our trip from the people on Cruise Critic that I felt I needed to pay it forward. My intention was to pass on as much as I could so that others might be able to have as great a vacation as we had. I'm somewhat humbled by the responses I've gotten but I'm glad I've been able to help others plan their Alaskan adventure.

In all my research for our trip, I somehow did not find this site til yesterday. How much easier the planning would have been if I had found it 6 months ago. But in one day, I found so much and most of it was from you! Your modesty is touching and your recommendations are well noted in my little cruise book !