Rhapsody, Alaska inside passage, May 30-June 6

[alfaeric]

For a one line summary- what an amazing cruise! Of the many cruises we have been on, this was on of the best we've ever been on.

 

We stayed at a hotel in downtown Seattle, which was really nice, since we were able to take a monrning run from our hotel to the ships and back. Being an incredible day- sun, sun, and more cool sun- we got to see both the Rhapsody and the Celebrity Millenium docked during the morning run.

 

And that seemed to help our timing as well- while I've recently read a few complaints about boarding, we didn't have any of those issues. Between the run and eating breakfast, we arrived at the port at nearly 12:30pm- so the crowd were much lighter, and we were able to get on the ship quite quickly. Since it was also near when the rooms were ready, it was a short wait until we went to the cabin and unpacked (we carried all of our luggage on).

 

Which was the first view of the incredible cabin 8096- this is a corner aft Junior Suite- and IMHO, the cabin to have on an Alaskain cruise- but I'll get into that as we progress. In short- a MASSIVE balcony.

 

We headed off to the Windjammer, which was kind of hecktic, and not well supplied that day- turned out that the ship got a surprise inspection that day. Whcih is good- to keep them all on their toes. But it resulted in kind of hecktic service as they were trying to please both customers and health inspectors.

 

Most of the time, we go to the sailaway party, but this time we did not- we just went back to the cabin, got some extra blankets, and laid out on our balcony for a few hours. Man, oh, man, what a view. Seattle is great, but in addition to that, the passage to the sea is very spectactular. Mountains to the west in the Olympia National Park. HUGE.

 

Dinner that night, we took advantage of BOGO, and dined at Giovannis. Not sure why they get a bad wrap, but we really enjoyed the food. No need to be specific, since we all know taste is subjective. The other nice thing here- it's on the port side of the ship, which is the same side as the national park! INCREDIBLE views of mountains. Good thing we were still on eastern time, as we were among the first seated at 6pm (and we were starving). Either Giovanni's or Chops would be a great thing to do on sail away day.

 

The one "bad" thing about the aft cabins- if you are sensitive to vibration, the cabins may be a problem. We are not- and slept really well, even when the light was in the room early. I know people complain about the light leakage, but we opened the curtains all the way, so we could see out all the time. Having the sun slowly wake you at 6am isn't a big deal when your body thinks that is still 9am.

 

Next day was at sea, we worked out in the morning, and saw a lot of whale spouts- they were still on their way to Alaska from the winter locations. pretty cool. We had heard a few people mention dolphins, but we didn't see them. that was also the day of the M&M, and that was great to put faces to virtual names. And my rule of meeting kept coming true- once you meet someone, you will see them on the ship all over the place.

 

So much to do on the ship that by the time we got to dinner- the only night we ate at the MDR, and it was the first formal night, I thought the M&M was the day before! :eek::p This vacation is going well when you think that, IMHO.

 

Day 3 was in Juneau- where we did a whale watch + a Mendehall Glacier hike. Great tour- it was a small group in a nice boat. I think we only saw 3 actual whales, but we did spend a lot of time watching them. Very, very cool. I'm sure later in the year when more are around, it gets better. The hike was pretty easy, and very interesting- it starts in the forest, which looks old with the moss hanging from tress- but it's really quite young, starting so fresh on bare rocks left by the glacier. We ended up on the lake that is at the base of the glacier- and what a great view of it. It was our first up that close, and we really loved it. Our tour ended with them dropping us in town (our option), where we wandered around before heading back to the ship.

 

Day 4- Skagway- we had nothing planned, but just a run. And it turned into a day of letting the local suggest stuff to do. Just over 2 miles into the run, we ran into the garden/glass blowing location. Having read that one needs a shuttle to get there, as it's out of town, that was kind of a shock. You CAN walk there. Yes, walk. It's flat. While there, the cashier suggested that we run to the next road, turn left, run up the hill to the overlook- thank you so much! We were up at a turnout that was part of tours. So we were two runners among a bunch of busses and people looking out. Pretty cool.

 

Back to the gardens for lunch and some light shopping, and that netted us a couple of more suggestions- a hike that hits Suprise Cove- which is a trail that starts at the end of the runway; and a suggestion to eat at the Harbor House. Both of which we did, and both of which we were very, very happy with the suggestions.

 

If we go back, we may try the hiking trails up the mountain right next to the ships, or we may take the train, or we may rent a car and go to Canada. Skagway may be a small town, but there is a TON of stuff to do.

 

A quick side note- the day before, we got an annoucement that was last outside annoucement before leaving Alaskain waters. Pretty cool idea for noise pollution. On the other hand, heliocopter tours are very common, and quite loud. Both Juneau and Skagway- they were very, very common and very loud. Hmmmm..... Voices bad, thumping heliocopters ok..... If you say so, Alaska.

 

Day 5 was supposed to be the Tracy Arm Fjord. Supposed to be. We had met the captain (really nice guy, BTW) and heard him talk a few times, where he had hinted that we may not do that. Instead going up the alternate route to the Dawes (sp?) Glacier. Turns out that we did, and it was the best thing ever!!!!! We got woken up by an early delivery of our breakfast, but that annoyance turned quickly into thanks when we saw the scenery that we were passing. Breakfast was on our cold balcony outside, and totally worth it. Before too long, the ship stopped, and started rotating around, and we got to see the glacier. WOW. Like really WOW. We rotated twice before the captain did an early annoucement (this was 7:20am) to all the cabains suggesting they wake up and see this. He rotated one more time, then, before slowly leaving.

 

This is where that corner aft balcony really showed it's stuff. We were out there for at least 5.5 HOURS. Moving from one side to the other, looking at things from all angles as best we could. What an amazing platform to see some incredible views. As far as I can tell, there are four aft, corner cabins. Get one if you can. Absolutely worth having the balcony. Sure, you could go up to decks 9 and 10 to see what we did. But IMHO, having our own space was totally worth it.

 

Day 6 at sea- we got to tour the Bridge and the galley. Great time.

 

Day 7 was Victoria BC. Again, all we planned on doing was a touring run. I should point out that running is part of our "health plan" but it's also a way of touring places- we get to see things that many do not, since they drive by them quickly, or miss the locations all together. We stopped at some cool rocky areas, where we could see the evidence of the ancient glaciers; we saw a few bays, including one that was the main beach of the area; we toured the downtown area, etc. After finishing, we cleaned up and headed back to the Empress Hotel for afternoon tea, and a very relaxing stroll back to the ship.

 

The trip was blessed with quite good weather- mostly calm seas, and not much rain (some in Skagway). Victoria and Seattle days were just awesome.

 

Entertainment was really good- this was our first Visions class ship with the arieal show- and it was really cool to see that. The show in the theater were typical qualty- if you like it, you'll very much enjoy it. We liked them.

 

Food- besides the one MDR and Giovannis, we ate at Izumi for the first time. Lets put it this way- it won't be the last by a long shot. Great time. Other than that, we are fortunate enough to snack light at the lounges- to avoid stuffing ourselves silly.

 

Ship- the Rhapsody- she's in great shape! I was expecting it to be almost the same as the Enchantment, but it's not. Just enough to know it's the same class, and just enough not to know she is a unique ship. We have her booked on a trip in 2015 already (just by chance), and we now very much look forward to travelling on her again. Great ship. (FWIW, we've sailed on all the classes...)

 

All in all, for as many cruises we have been on, this was one of the best. To the point that when the same niece graduates from college (HS graduation was the reason we went), we will probably do the same cruise.

[bigmanpw]

Awesome review! Some of the posts had me nervous about the mixed reviews. We are booked in cabin 8596 (the other corner) in August. Do you have a couple of cabin/balcony pictures that you can post? Also how was debarking for you guys? We have an 11:30 flight back to the East Coast. I have seen mixed reviews about long cab lines, etc. Thanks!

[Anzura]

I'll be on Rhapsody in 4 weeks!! Thanks for the review. Can you tell me how people were dressed on formal night and other evenings. I really despise dressing up but I'm doing it and I feel super formal! I'm a jean and sweatshirt person, so this is hard for me. Thanks!

 

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Forums mobile app

[alfaeric]

Awesome review! Some of the posts had me nervous about the mixed reviews. We are booked in cabin 8596 (the other corner) in August. Do you have a couple of cabin/balcony pictures that you can post? Also how was debarking for you guys? We have an 11:30 flight back to the East Coast. I have seen mixed reviews about long cab lines, etc. Thanks!

 

Looking at the pictures I took- I didn't do one of the cabin or balcony. Even if I did, the picture could not wrap around the side of the ship like it did.... It's pretty amazing. You will love it.

 

Disembarking was kind of a mess- two ships are getting off at the same time really doesn't help. Since we were looking for a specific ride to a rental, we (thankfully) had a single ride choice.

 

You should be able to make an 11:30 flight- even with the chaos, we picked up the car at 9:30am and headed out. So getting to the airport should not be a problem. If you can self depart, and you don't mind being super early, you may want to try that.

[alfaeric]

I'll be on Rhapsody in 4 weeks!! Thanks for the review. Can you tell me how people were dressed on formal night and other evenings. I really despise dressing up but I'm doing it and I feel super formal! I'm a jean and sweatshirt person, so this is hard for me. Thanks!

 

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Forums mobile app

 

We like dressing up, so I didn't pay that much attention to how many others did. I'm sure that the cool weather did prevent others from bringing a lot of dressy clothing.

 

I just had a black jacket and black slacks with a shirt+tie. Keeping it simple.

[Meem47]

Thanks for the review...getting nervous about the reviews as well. Leaving in 9 days!!!! Great info on Skagawy bc hubby and I haven't decided what to do...we love to do what the locals suggest as well!

[Kokomo91165]

Do you know if the Captain ever hosted a captains table?

[Hoopster95]

For a one line summary- what an amazing cruise! Of the many cruises we have been on, this was on of the best we've ever been on. All in all, for as many cruises we have been on, this was one of the best.

 

Thank you for this great review! Nice to hear Rhapsody ship & crew are top notch... brings back great memories. I too have been surprised by my cruises on the smaller Vision Class ships, very memorable and all of them superb so far. Your cabin must've been utterly incredible that morning in the Glacier!! If you have photos please post :)

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report, glad you had such a good time!

[Clarea]

Do you know if the Captain ever hosted a captains table?

Captain Rob did on our Rhapsody Alaska cruise.

[alfaeric]

Do you know if the Captain ever hosted a captains table?

 

Yes, he did on the first formal night (Day 2, Saturday). And, like Bob just posted, it was Captain Rob hosting the table and not an alternate officer.

[blondemafia]

Thanks for the review...getting nervous about the reviews as well. Leaving in 9 days!!!! Great info on Skagawy bc hubby and I haven't decided what to do...we love to do what the locals suggest as well!

 

Meem,

 

Have your checked out our roll call? I am on that sailing as well and can't remember if I saw your name there. I also have a link posted there if you'd like to sign up for out Meet and Mingle :o See you on board soon!

[hoden1]

How was the weather? Leaving this week and it's my first cruise and not sure how to pack clothes??

[mr walker]

Thanks for the review - glad you enjoyed. We are doing the last Alaskan cruise of the season on Rhapsody - Aug 29th from Seattle.

 

Your running will not be for us though - our cruise rules are no 4 letter words - hike, bike, walk (long)... etc are all out for us :D

 

Less than 64 days until we depart Sydney for Vancouver for our self-drive Rockies pre-tour:D At the end of our trip (Oct 3) we will have had 59 nights all up on Rhapsody, so you can see she is our favourite.

 

Happy cruising.

[PudgiPoo]

Do they have Wi-Fi available in cabins? Do you have any idea what packages they offer and the cost?

[alfaeric]

How was the weather? Leaving this week and it's my first cruise and not sure how to pack clothes??

 

For our trip, cool- Fairbanks and Skagway were in the low 60's, high 50's, and the glacier view seemed to be more like the low 50's. But we needed to watch the weahter forcast right up until the last moment. Plus, layers were a good thing- keep the packing pretty light, and still were warm.

 

Do they have Wi-Fi available in cabins? Do you have any idea what packages they offer and the cost?

 

I don't know. I didn't check on connecting while on the ship. I suspect that the interent may be a little problematic, as we lost cable service just as we got into the inside passage to Juneau.

[tapdancemom]

For a one line summary- what an amazing cruise! Of the many cruises we have been on, this was on of the best we've ever been on.

 

We stayed at a hotel in downtown Seattle, which was really nice, since we were able to take a monrning run from our hotel to the ships and back. Being an incredible day- sun, sun, and more cool sun- we got to see both the Rhapsody and the Celebrity Millenium docked during the morning run.

 

And that seemed to help our timing as well- while I've recently read a few complaints about boarding, we didn't have any of those issues. Between the run and eating breakfast, we arrived at the port at nearly 12:30pm- so the crowd were much lighter, and we were able to get on the ship quite quickly. Since it was also near when the rooms were ready, it was a short wait until we went to the cabin and unpacked (we carried all of our luggage on).

 

Which was the first view of the incredible cabin 8096- this is a corner aft Junior Suite- and IMHO, the cabin to have on an Alaskain cruise- but I'll get into that as we progress. In short- a MASSIVE balcony.

 

We headed off to the Windjammer, which was kind of hecktic, and not well supplied that day- turned out that the ship got a surprise inspection that day. Whcih is good- to keep them all on their toes. But it resulted in kind of hecktic service as they were trying to please both customers and health inspectors.

 

Most of the time, we go to the sailaway party, but this time we did not- we just went back to the cabin, got some extra blankets, and laid out on our balcony for a few hours. Man, oh, man, what a view. Seattle is great, but in addition to that, the passage to the sea is very spectactular. Mountains to the west in the Olympia National Park. HUGE.

 

Dinner that night, we took advantage of BOGO, and dined at Giovannis. Not sure why they get a bad wrap, but we really enjoyed the food. No need to be specific, since we all know taste is subjective. The other nice thing here- it's on the port side of the ship, which is the same side as the national park! INCREDIBLE views of mountains. Good thing we were still on eastern time, as we were among the first seated at 6pm (and we were starving). Either Giovanni's or Chops would be a great thing to do on sail away day.

 

The one "bad" thing about the aft cabins- if you are sensitive to vibration, the cabins may be a problem. We are not- and slept really well, even when the light was in the room early. I know people complain about the light leakage, but we opened the curtains all the way, so we could see out all the time. Having the sun slowly wake you at 6am isn't a big deal when your body thinks that is still 9am.

 

Next day was at sea, we worked out in the morning, and saw a lot of whale spouts- they were still on their way to Alaska from the winter locations. pretty cool. We had heard a few people mention dolphins, but we didn't see them. that was also the day of the M&M, and that was great to put faces to virtual names. And my rule of meeting kept coming true- once you meet someone, you will see them on the ship all over the place.

 

So much to do on the ship that by the time we got to dinner- the only night we ate at the MDR, and it was the first formal night, I thought the M&M was the day before! :eek::p This vacation is going well when you think that, IMHO.

 

Day 3 was in Juneau- where we did a whale watch + a Mendehall Glacier hike. Great tour- it was a small group in a nice boat. I think we only saw 3 actual whales, but we did spend a lot of time watching them. Very, very cool. I'm sure later in the year when more are around, it gets better. The hike was pretty easy, and very interesting- it starts in the forest, which looks old with the moss hanging from tress- but it's really quite young, starting so fresh on bare rocks left by the glacier. We ended up on the lake that is at the base of the glacier- and what a great view of it. It was our first up that close, and we really loved it. Our tour ended with them dropping us in town (our option), where we wandered around before heading back to the ship.

 

Day 4- Skagway- we had nothing planned, but just a run. And it turned into a day of letting the local suggest stuff to do. Just over 2 miles into the run, we ran into the garden/glass blowing location. Having read that one needs a shuttle to get there, as it's out of town, that was kind of a shock. You CAN walk there. Yes, walk. It's flat. While there, the cashier suggested that we run to the next road, turn left, run up the hill to the overlook- thank you so much! We were up at a turnout that was part of tours. So we were two runners among a bunch of busses and people looking out. Pretty cool.

 

Back to the gardens for lunch and some light shopping, and that netted us a couple of more suggestions- a hike that hits Suprise Cove- which is a trail that starts at the end of the runway; and a suggestion to eat at the Harbor House. Both of which we did, and both of which we were very, very happy with the suggestions.

 

If we go back, we may try the hiking trails up the mountain right next to the ships, or we may take the train, or we may rent a car and go to Canada. Skagway may be a small town, but there is a TON of stuff to do.

 

A quick side note- the day before, we got an annoucement that was last outside annoucement before leaving Alaskain waters. Pretty cool idea for noise pollution. On the other hand, heliocopter tours are very common, and quite loud. Both Juneau and Skagway- they were very, very common and very loud. Hmmmm..... Voices bad, thumping heliocopters ok..... If you say so, Alaska.

 

Day 5 was supposed to be the Tracy Arm Fjord. Supposed to be. We had met the captain (really nice guy, BTW) and heard him talk a few times, where he had hinted that we may not do that. Instead going up the alternate route to the Dawes (sp?) Glacier. Turns out that we did, and it was the best thing ever!!!!! We got woken up by an early delivery of our breakfast, but that annoyance turned quickly into thanks when we saw the scenery that we were passing. Breakfast was on our cold balcony outside, and totally worth it. Before too long, the ship stopped, and started rotating around, and we got to see the glacier. WOW. Like really WOW. We rotated twice before the captain did an early annoucement (this was 7:20am) to all the cabains suggesting they wake up and see this. He rotated one more time, then, before slowly leaving.

 

This is where that corner aft balcony really showed it's stuff. We were out there for at least 5.5 HOURS. Moving from one side to the other, looking at things from all angles as best we could. What an amazing platform to see some incredible views. As far as I can tell, there are four aft, corner cabins. Get one if you can. Absolutely worth having the balcony. Sure, you could go up to decks 9 and 10 to see what we did. But IMHO, having our own space was totally worth it.

 

Day 6 at sea- we got to tour the Bridge and the galley. Great time.

 

Day 7 was Victoria BC. Again, all we planned on doing was a touring run. I should point out that running is part of our "health plan" but it's also a way of touring places- we get to see things that many do not, since they drive by them quickly, or miss the locations all together. We stopped at some cool rocky areas, where we could see the evidence of the ancient glaciers; we saw a few bays, including one that was the main beach of the area; we toured the downtown area, etc. After finishing, we cleaned up and headed back to the Empress Hotel for afternoon tea, and a very relaxing stroll back to the ship.

 

The trip was blessed with quite good weather- mostly calm seas, and not much rain (some in Skagway). Victoria and Seattle days were just awesome.

 

Entertainment was really good- this was our first Visions class ship with the arieal show- and it was really cool to see that. The show in the theater were typical qualty- if you like it, you'll very much enjoy it. We liked them.

 

Food- besides the one MDR and Giovannis, we ate at Izumi for the first time. Lets put it this way- it won't be the last by a long shot. Great time. Other than that, we are fortunate enough to snack light at the lounges- to avoid stuffing ourselves silly.

 

Ship- the Rhapsody- she's in great shape! I was expecting it to be almost the same as the Enchantment, but it's not. Just enough to know it's the same class, and just enough not to know she is a unique ship. We have her booked on a trip in 2015 already (just by chance), and we now very much look forward to travelling on her again. Great ship. (FWIW, we've sailed on all the classes...)

 

All in all, for as many cruises we have been on, this was one of the best. To the point that when the same niece graduates from college (HS graduation was the reason we went), we will probably do the same cruise.

 

Did you make advanced reservations for Giovanni's on the first night because you know about the BOGO? Or did you decide when you got onboard? Thanks.

[LBumb]

great job

[alfaeric]

Did you make advanced reservations for Giovanni's on the first night because you know about the BOGO? Or did you decide when you got onboard? Thanks.

 

No, we never do. I've never seen any restaurant full on the first night, which seems to be the reason the BOGO coupon exists in the first place. Which, for this trip, is kind of shocking, given the view....

 

The closest we've done was let a consierge make a reservation when we were staying in a GS. But never pre-pay with a reservation- read too many difficulties getting a refund for the free dish.

[Susie51]

I was on Rhapsody in 1998 and loved our Alaskan cruise. Glad to hear she is in great shape.

 

I'm out of the loop. What is Izumi like and is there a charge to eat there? Where is it located?

[alfaeric]

I was on Rhapsody in 1998 and loved our Alaskan cruise. Glad to hear she is in great shape.

 

I'm out of the loop. What is Izumi like and is there a charge to eat there? Where is it located?

 

Izumi is basically a sushi place. But somewhat americanized. There is a small cover charge, and each dish has a price. On the Rhapsody, it's up on the back side of the Viking Crown Lounge- it faces the top of the solarium. I know they are placed in various spots on ships that have them.

[Clarea]

I was on Rhapsody in 1998 and loved our Alaskan cruise. Glad to hear she is in great shape.

 

I'm out of the loop. What is Izumi like and is there a charge to eat there? Where is it located?

Izumi menu starts at post 69:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2045766&page=4

Edited June 16, 2014 by clarea

[SydGirl2]

Thanks for your trip report! We're going on the Rhapsody at the end of August. Regarding your time in Juneau, did you do a ship's excursion or a private trip for whale watching and the glacier? I think the ship arrives in Juneau at midday and leaves at 10pm so I guess we would have enough time to do both but I think I read somewhere that the last public bus back from the glacier leaves at 5 so maybe I should look into excursions run by the ship.

[tapdancemom]

No, we never do. I've never seen any restaurant full on the first night, which seems to be the reason the BOGO coupon exists in the first place. Which, for this trip, is kind of shocking, given the view....

 

The closest we've done was let a consierge make a reservation when we were staying in a GS. But never pre-pay with a reservation- read too many difficulties getting a refund for the free dish.

 

Thanks for the info. Where is it located?

[Susie51]

Thank you for info and link.