Driftwoodgal

Juan Diego left the ship in Juneau. He will return to the ship meeting her in Honolulu. He will be on her taking her to Australia. Gazette will fill in for him until he returns.

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This will my fifth time to have 9256 booked on the Radiance Class ships I love having a panoramic view of things, thus I book aft cabins. In fact I book my sailings around when I can get an aft if I book far enough in advance.

When you are at the glacier you can always move around the ship. You have a suggested time of arrival to the glacier, so you can stake your claim on the helipad and then retreat to your aft cabin. Saying that I took some great pictures of Hubbard calving on the port side of the ship where there is a covered deck. There wasn't anybody on that deck as people were topside on the helipad or the deck where the pool is.

If you ever do a Panama Canal cruise an aft cabin is a must. The view watching the locks close and filling up without standing in the sun is wonderful.

Will have to give you a review of Canada after we sail on the Legend.

allisons,

Great information, we leave for Vancouver in 9 days.

Really interested in your packing list. I have watched the temperatures going up and down. Really trying to not over pack on this trip. What would you say your temps were? I know it will feel colder on cloudy/rainy days, as well as Hubbard Glacier day.

I notice you had short and long sleeve T shirts. Did you layer these or did you just wear one of the other with your fleece and jacket?

Scratching my head what to throw in the suitcase. Will have long johns if needed as well as the fleece jacket and water proof jacket.

Did you need your water proof shoes that much?

Sorry you didn't make it to Hubbard Glacier, we were very fortunate in 2009 to really close.

Thanks for help.

Radiance to Alaska

Legend in Canada.....

We are on the Radiance in a few weeks. Still reading your blog, but do have a question. Thanks for sharing such great information.

You have shared some wonderful maps, did you acquire them at the ports and parks, or did you have them before your trip?

Just got off Legend, no difference at all between Diamond Lounge and Concierge lounge, food, drinks, wine and cocktails exactly the same, went into both and had a wonderful time.

Thanks so much for the information. The biggest perk will be sailng with my brother, but will be nice to have drinks with him in the evening when he books his suite.

Crown and Anchor told me Butterfly Club, thus my post here asking if there was a DL and CL.

Legend has both a Diamond Lounge and Concierge Lounge since her recent dry dock. Diamond and above level C&A are allowed into the Diamond Lounge. Suite guests and Diamond Plus and above level C&A are allowed into the Concierge Lounge.

Bob, thanks for the quick answer. I thought I had read that she had received new lounges after her fit, but the Crown and Anchor desk told me no.

We are Diamond Plus so a big yipeee we will have drinks with my brother next year. Only thing better would be a GS or RFS on the aft.:p

Booking the Legend for October 2014. My brother and SIL will probably book a GS. We will either be in a JS or D1 in the aft.

Can someone tell me if there is a Diamond Lounge and a Concierge Lounge. Talking to Crown and Anchor they mentioned the Butterfly Club.

I see by the list there is a Concierge listed as well as a Diamond listing. Are Diamond Plus allowed into the area where suite guests meet?

This is my brothers first cruise on Royal, he normally sails on Silver Sea/Crystal etc. Hoping to convert him to a Loyal to Royal.

Great review!!! Wondering if they have a piano player in the Schooner Bar with guests sintering able tosing along at night?

Cindy,

Have you seen any wildlife from the train?

Think I read that the seats on the domed car allowed you to turn them towards each other. If you were traveling with others you could visit without having to turn around. If they do turn it would be a great feature for families with kids. Is that an option?

Great photos. it all looks so fresh.

I thought the train arrived in Anchorage @ 10:25pm?

I posted we leave at 1:30 AM, I meant 1:05 AM.

The schedule reads 10:15, but I have heard that it can be a little later. After talking to a friend that lives and flies out of Anchorage, we chose to take a car. I posted the same question on the Alaska board and heard the same thing that it could be close. If we could get our luggage and a taxi very quickly we would be ok. The question is if. Apparently taxi and TSA lines can be long. Not wanting to worry about having to get out on another flight we are playing it safe.

We are checking luggage so we would need to wait until the porters get our luggage to us.

Can you tell me how much the car costs? There will be five of us so the train may be too much and the car a little cheaper.

I had a hard time getting this car booked as it was one way. After several calls direct to Hertz in Seward, I was able to book a 7 passenger mini van for $378.99 w taxes $422.52 and unlimited mileage. Their number is 907 224-4378. We will tour Girwood, Portage Glacier and the Wildlife Conservation Center on the way up to Anchorage.

One day rental for a full size car with 100 max mileage for our day trip in Seward is $79.79 with taxes $94.63.

We booked the car to Anchorage because the regularly run train doesn't leave until 6PM. We didn't feel we had enough time taking the train and making our 1:30 AM flight.

Great review Cindy!! I notice you are in a short sleeve shirt. What are your temperatures?

I booked our air reservations on Southwest in February this year for our July cruise. I booked with them to avoid luggage charges. We fly into Seattle and take a shuttle bus to Vancouver. Cost of the airline tickets is $260, shuttle $110. Return trip on Jet Blue out of Anchorage $722.00 to Austin. One bag flys free on Jet Blue as well as one carryon. Like Southwest cancellation policy that you can cancel and use your credit for a future flight one year from the date of the original booking.

#2. I have reserved Glacier Brew House in Anchorage for dinner at 8:30PM but train doesn't get in until 8. I'm thinking we will eat dinner on train and cancel reservation and go to brewery for beers only when we get there.

I had thoughts of using the train from Seward to Anchorage and then getting to the airport for a flight. Numerous people advised me that the line to get a taxi can take more than 30 minutes and getting your luggage could take some time too. We are renting a car and making the drive from Seward with a one way car rental.

Great packing list!! Wow I am impressed, hope to do half as well as you have in July. I too buy clothes and put them away for our cruise. I have evening tops that weigh only ounces. I take one pair of trousers and then just change tops and add a scarf. Have one jacket that is reversible that I can wear for formal nights, blue on one side and black on the other.

I am not sure if you have used the ships laundry before, but I would beware that things tend to shrink when they get their hands on it. On things I worry about I have used a potato chip clip to hang on the bathroom shower line. We are diamond plus so the laundry bag is the free one with our coupon... stuff and wash.

The things we have had dry cleaned have always come back in good shape.

Laughing here at your comment about your hubby. I have one that is just like him. I do the research and he ask where he is supposed to go. The thing that is nice about that...... I pick out what I want to do. :p

Great job.... on my second cup of coffee.

Amber (dear sweet co-worker of mine, who makes fun of my OCD tendencies),

 

So glad you are going with me! I will bequeath all of my Alaska knowledge, as well as the contents of THE BINDER to you when I return from my trip!

If you give her all of your information then she won't have as much fun doing the research. :D

ace1zoe2,

Really looking forward to your live review. We sail on the Radiance July 26 in 9256 :D. We have had this cabin before so we know what our view looks like.

I too am OCD when it comes to our cruises, like to budget and save when I can. Be happy to share some of the European tours we used after your review is over.

Really interested in your packing list. Are you using the dining room? I bet you explain everything as you go along.

Don't forget Deck 5 Promenade for Hubbard Glacier viewing.

Also, interested in what tours you do and what did in Skagway. We actually don't have anything planned for that day as we took the White Rail Pass tour with Dyea Dave last time. Short time in port so didn't want to do it again.

Have a wonderful time..... I am sitting back with my cup of coffee waiting to start the cruise.

It is up in the air as to the switch date for this concierge. This is not a firm date on RD.

 

In Seward the ship normally empties very early. The concierge can easily have you off by that time. You can likely just walk off in your own.

Gina,

Thank you so much for your answer. I have posted this question on the regular board as well as the Alaska board with little response. Last tour I need to get booked. Have a bad back so wasn't wanting to pull my own off. Your an angel for getting back to me. :D

I hope it is ok to post this here. I am looking at the list for the Radiance July 26, 2013 sailing. Looks like there is a switch in concierges for our sailing.

I normally don't ask the concierge to do anything for me. I do need to get off the ship early, by 7:30 AM, on August 2. The ship doesn't not offer a Kenai Fjords tour unless you are going to the airport that day or doing a return cruise to Vancouver.

For those that use the email to the CL concierge and the Diamond concierge, do you normally get a response? Diamond Plus desk tells me I can get tickets to leave early, but have read on the boards that information has been given by the Diamond Pluse desk and found it incorrect.

Needing to book my tour direct with the company, but don't want to lose my money. The tour leaves at 9 AM, the Radiance docks at 5 AM.

Any help would be appreciated.

Curious who will fill in for Juan Diego, we board the Radiance on July 26.

Was hoping to see him again.

As a cruiser that lost perks when rules changed I will never complain about a free perk in a coupon book, nor the free glass of wine or champagne. I don't drink wine or champagne, but do enjoy the discount I am given on a drink.

I am listening to the rain coming down outside of my house right now. It is free, but since we are in a severe drought it is priceless.

I guess a free item to some means more to them than it does to others.

I appreciate the coupons that are offered to me. I use some of them and others I don't. The books are offered to a wide assortment of cruisers. Thus they offer different things.

I consider the coupon booklets an extra perk. Now ask hubby if he would rather have the free drink or the chocolates on his pillow.....oh... he will get those on the Allure :D

Booked the Freedom for 2013. First time on a Freedom Class ship.

 

We have been on the Explorer 3 times, and the Mariner twice. Voyager Class'

Know the decks and my way around inside-out.

Looking at the deck Plans of a Freedom class, they don't seem all that different. All the main attractions are in the same locations. Decks appear to be the same, granted there are differences like the flow rider, etc.,,

 

Seems the Freedom class is a bigger Voyager? Am I correct?

You are correct, think voyager on steroids.:D

We didn't have any problem finding our way around in May. We too have sailed on the Voyager class several times. Freedom also has touch screens that will help navigate around the ship too. They are located near the staircases.

Rahul is replacing Willie who is on vacation in CL. Amit has gone to the Rhapsody.

 

Hope Rahul is on the ship on Feb. 10, 2013 when we sail on FR again.

Sherri,

I am not sure how often they get vacation, but I did have a very brief conversations with Rahul about when his next break would be. He mentioned on our cruise that he had gotten back from a break recently from our sailing date. So if they get one every six months you should be able to see his great smile.

I too think he is awesome!!

The CL lounge was included on May 6, 2012 sailing on the Freedom. Someone in our roll call had the cabin booked.