Alaska 7/30 RCL-Radiance-Help w/ports pls

[Snickers015]

Hi,

My whole family (16 of us - 8 adults / 8 kids ) are going on the ALaska Cruise in July 30, 7 day on the Radiance. We are all pretty active and love to be adventurous. I am becoming overwhelmed and do not know what we should do at the ports.

My questions are:

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Also should we pre-book the trips thru the cruiseline or is it cheaper to find other vendors?

Also if you think vendors is the way do go I would love to get any recommendations.

Any tips for traveling on the Radiance in Alaska?

 

We are coming into Vancouver a day early, any recommendations for transfers from airport to hotel, and to ship?

 

I am on my way to the library to get some tour books, so hopefully that will help too. Thanks so very much, any help will be appreciated.:D

[Budget Queen]

don't even consider thinking you are all going to do "group" touring. :) I suggest you look over shore excursion lists and NARROW down your interests. Split up according to touring preferences. There is no point in "me" listing my favorites if you have no interest, or it's outside of your budget. There are 100's of Alaska tours tour choose from.

 

Repost for specific information.

 

Either way, ship or independent- I always recommend having all plans and reservations in place before you go.

 

For independent vendor recommendation, you need to know What tours, first.

[Ashland]

Each to their own..but I will say some of your family might enjoy the Lumberjack show and/or the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's excursion in Ketchikan ..just a couple of suggestions to consider since you asked. These are things you can book with the cruiseline or by yourself, just google them....Enjoy what ever you decide to do..you will all love Alaska !!!

 

BTW: You will love the Radiance and northbound is my favorite...Did you consider the cruiseline contracted Train Transfers from Seward to Anchorage..this was one of the highlights of our cruise..Leaves Seward right next to the ship about 8:00am and goes directly to the door of Anchorage airport about 11:30am..google Grandview Train Alaska for info..but you must arrange this with RCI and have a flight leaving no earlier than 1:30pm....

[mrsraggy]

Hi,

 

We had a large group and did the duck tour in Ketchikan. You can book online or get tickets at the dock. Very fun!

 

In Skagway, we all hiked up to Dewey Lake and took some great pictures of different members of our party peeking out of the moon window of a very remote outhouse. Then we had pizza somewhere in town. Cheap, fun day.

 

In Juneau, we hiked up to the top of Mt. Roberts , did the tour thing and then rose the tram down. If you spend five bucks at the top on drinks or souvenirs, the trip down is free. The State museum is also a very good stop. Lots of hands-on stuff for the kids.

 

Have a wonderful trip!!

[domno]

3 of us just returned from Radience and had a great time. I'm an experienced cruiser and didn't think any of the tours would book quickly excect the heli ride to the glacier/dog sledding - so we booked that one months before our cruise. The moment we boarded we headed for the shore excursions desk and found the Whales, Wildlife, Bear tour in Icy Straits was already booked. Disappointing so we did the Bear tour (saw no bear) and the Whale tour saw tons of whales.

 

So here's what we did and have no regrets:

 

Juneau - Heli ride/dog sledding - our favorite (also took tram to top and visited an eagle being rehabbed and did a short hike)

Skagway - Eagle Preserve Rafting Quest (also toured Red Onion Brothel)(previous tour did dog sledding on land and train ride)

Ketchican - Jeep ride/Canoe adventure (very bumpy but fun) (previous cruise I've done the Eagles Nest, Totems, Lighthouse tour which was GREAT!)

Icy Straits - Bear tour - no bear but a nice tour.

 

Because you have so many with different interests/capabilities you all need to look at the tours on line ahead of time and decide who is interested in what. We opted for the ship tours as you are guarenteed if you can't make it back to the ship by the time it sails they have to get you there.

[kellygirl15]

Snickers015,

My DD and I are also on this cruise. It is indeed overwhelming, there is just so much to see and do. Search some of the other threads, lots of ideas and reviews of the different ports and tours. It guess it will also depend on the ages of your kids. Please head over to the Roll Call section and join our thread. With only 3 weeks left, I think the thread should pick up. Also, please register your group for the Meet and Mingle, that should be enough to put us over the top!!

Jo-Anna

[goinmobile68]

We booked the Misty Fjords flight seeing through RC & it was pricy but worth every cent-spectacular views! TIP-if you're looking for local info on wildlife, plants, etc, take it with you-there is nothing on the ship.

[Budget Queen]

We booked the Misty Fjords flight seeing through RC & it was pricy but worth every cent-spectacular views! TIP-if you're looking for local info on wildlife, plants, etc, take it with you-there is nothing on the ship.

 

An alternative, is to book direct with vendors. There can be longer tours, and some savings. Also a big feature, is, many allow you off the plane and on ground. Unless there has been a change this year, none of the cruise contracted flights allow this.

[MercedMike]

There are soooooo many excursion possibilities in Alaska. The tours I like might bore you, and the ones you like might kill me! You just have to do your research, read the descriptions carefully, and find the one that is right for YOU!

 

I am a guy who likes to have my ducks in a row. Almost always we book months in advance and I carry a folder with all our excursion information in it. This may be ship's excursions, arrangements for independent vendors, or maps and bus schedules on occasion. All of these work well, depending on what YOU want to do and what YOU need.

 

Radiance is an absolutely beautiful ship. You are going to love her!!

 

For some excursions that we have enjoyed, check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/alaskaexcursions.html. YMMV.

[Snickers015]

Thanks for that info on the Train..looks wonderful, we already changed the bus to the train..looks worth the $20 pp.

[Snickers015]

I know that some of us want to include the zip line adventures, does any have a preference on which stop would be best to do this?

[Snickers015]

I cannot find the roll call RCL - Alaska 7/30 Radiance - am I searching incorrectly?

[runner5]

We are also on that ship. We have booked the following:

Ketichkan - zip line canopy (using the coupon buy one get one free)

Icy Strait - whale watching

Juneau - Tempsco glacier landing (again using the coupon)

Skagway - Glacier Point Wilderness Safari

 

We booked everything independent. This board has been unbelievably helpful!!! We have a group of ten traveling, but not everyone is doing everything.

[jjlasolas]

Runner5-we are also on the Radiance 7/30, debating on excursions. You mentioned use of coupons? Where and how can I find these coupons?

[runner5]

Toursaver book - google it. It costs $99 you can look at the coupons online to see if it is worth it to you. Zipliine is 189 pp so I bought two books (it is buy one get one free). When you use this book you have to book directly with the vendor.

[SJpaul]

If you like to Kayak ( but be prepared to still go in the rain, they provide you with raingear) we did the Mendenhall glacier self kayak tour with Above and Beyond. On the lake for 3 hours, gert to kayak around the cunks of ice that fell off the glacier.

 

Also did the Bear creek Zipline- loved it. I was afraid of heights but did it anyway, they were so helpful.

 

Renta a car and drive to Emeraldlake if you are itno pretty drive and scenery.

 

RADIANCE is very beautiful, and we had a group of 8. Did soem things together, and some things jus thte four of us. Thatis the beauty of a cruise, do what you want and meet for dinner.

[MercedMike]

Toursaver book - google it. It costs $99 you can look at the coupons online to see if it is worth it to you. Zipliine is 189 pp so I bought two books (it is buy one get one free). When you use this book you have to book directly with the vendor.

 

Be a bit careful. There have been reports that some vendors allot limited spaces to Toursaver customers, and that if you try to book with a Toursaver coupon there might not be space available. Check it out carefully.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[kellygirl15]

Snickers015, Jjlasolas and Runner05

The roll call for our sailing is on the second page of the Radiance Roll Call page. Please register for the Meet and Mingle, right now we do not have the 25 needed to have a RCI host one.

I am getting more excited by the day. I have scheduled tours with Dyea Dave and F.I.S.H.S but leaving most everything else until we see what the weather is like. We are also on cruisetour #17, so will be staying for another 5 days.

It has been so hot in Chicago the last week or two, I am looking forward to some cooler weather!!!

Jo-Anna

[Snookum]

We did the zip line in ISP which is the longest in the world. It was around $99pp but loads of fun, we all loved it.:)

[runner5]

kellygirl15, we are also flying out of chicago, when are you leaving?

[kellygirl15]

We are flying out of O'Hare and into Vancouver on Thursday morning around 8. We usually try to fly out a day early for cruises. You just never know what the weather will be and I always worry about flight delays and missing the ship!! We are staying at one of the Marriott's not far from the port, using points.

Are you in the city also?

[runner5]

We live in Glen Ellyn the other family we are traveling with are in Barrington, we are on the 5:15 flight but there is still an 8:00 flight if something bad was to happen to this flight :) and this way our husbands can still work a half day. Where are you on the ship? Do you have kids? My kids are 12,13,13 all boys, the other family has a boy and girl in college and a 13 year old girl.

[kellygirl15]

Our kids are grown, so won't be with us. Though I did try to get a cabin for my daughter last week, she is a lawyer and one of her trials got postponed until the fall. They said the ship was full with a waiting list!!! We have a balcony on Deck 7 on the hump.

I am looking forward to spending a day in Vancouver. We were there years ago for the World's Fair when the kids were little. The Pacific Northwest is beautiful part of the country. What a great trip for your sons!!! They will have quite the stories to tell when they go back to school in the fall.

[runner5]

kellygirl, if you want to email me directly my email is livingstonfamily@att.net. I am not enjoying this packing. I can't believe there is a waiting list. Guess it will be crowed. Also I tried to book with Fishes but they were already booked by in April, I think it is funny that someone from Chicago is one of the groups that were already booked. :)