Back from 6/16 Serenade

[SoccerMom#3]

We're back from our fun Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas Alaska cruise. The ship is absolutely beautiful and the scenery unbelievable. We did whale watching with Captain Larry in Juneau and did the dog sled excursion in Skagway (not on snow.) In Icy Strait we walked around and my son did the zip line which he loved.

 

I've got mounds of laundry to do but feel free to ask any questions about our trip or the Serenade. I will write a more detailed review later this week.

 

I so appreciate everyone's help on this board. I felt very prepared.

 

Elise

[VikkiGarcia]

How many kids on your sailing? How was kids program? We are sailing next summer with extended family. Kids from 16 to 3. Any insight on ship or excursions enjoyed? thanks!!

[SoccerMom#3]

How many kids on your sailing? How was kids program? We are sailing next summer with extended family. Kids from 16 to 3. Any insight on ship or excursions enjoyed? thanks!!

 

There were a fair amount of kids on the ship-not as many as on a Caribbean cruise though. Lots of extended families.

 

My 16 son said there wasn't as much to do as on a Caribbean cruise. Since it was cold, the pools were not an option even though they were open. There was a sports court where they could play basketball but someone kicked the two soccer balls over the high nets one of the first days at sea so there was not any soccer available. My son hung around with a group of about 6-8 kids his age so they had fun just being together. He said the Adventure Ocean place for the younger kids looked more fun than Fuel which was the place for 12-17 year olds.

 

Overall he had fun due to the other teens on board. There just weren't as many options as on a warm weather cruise.

[Baby-catcher]

Do you by any chance have a link to the Compasses from your cruise? I would like to see them. We will be on the Serenade on July 28th. This will be our first time to Alaska. It is my 2nd cruise and DH's first cruise. Thanks!

[benolathe]

Hello SoccerMom#3 - we were on the cruise with you. :D

 

Our 14 yo daugher and 17 yo son were with us. Overall, there were a lot more families and children than I was expecting for an Alaska cruise. My 17 yo isn't very social and spent most of his time in his cabin watching TV!! Of course, he did find the Seaview Cafe the first evening and had a nightly trek there late each night. He even asked for some extra $$ the last day so that he could give the staff in the Seaview a tip. After just a couple of days, they recognized him and knew what he wanted. LOL

 

My 14 yo daughter went to Fuel and met some other teens. After that, she spent all her evenings (after dinner) with her new friends. She said they hung out in Fuel, just explored the ship, and talked a lot. There weren't really any organized activities in Fuel. Oh wait, she did say that they got to be the DJ one evening and that was fun. She really enjoyed the time with her new friends.

 

BTW, we had absolutely wonderful weather last week. In Icy Strait Point, we all four did the ZipRider zipline. My kids said this was what they enjoyed most out of the entire trip.

 

In Skagway, my daughter and I visited a Musher's Camp (no snow) while the boys did a rockclimbing and rappelling adventure. They really enjoyed that. In the afternoon, we took the 3 hour train to the summit. That was a fabulous trip!! The scenery was breath-taking. I highly recommend the White Pass & Yukon Route railway.

 

Our last port was Juneau and we did a Pilot's Choice heli ride with TEMSCO. This is what I have been waiting for years to do - and it was INCREDIBLE!! I highly recommend this helicopter ride over the glaciers and ice field. We landed twice - once in front of the cascading Hole-in-the-Wall glacier and again at 4,300 feet above Juneau on a cliff that was 2,000 feet above Mendentall. My avatar pic is from that helicopter landing.

[alexeliz]

we will be going on the July 7 Serenade of the seas, having trouble figuring out what clothes to bring. I am also travelling with an 8 and 13 year old.

 

I appreciate any help

[SoccerMom#3]

we will be going on the July 7 Serenade of the seas, having trouble figuring out what clothes to bring. I am also travelling with an 8 and 13 year old.

 

I appreciate any help

 

As usual, I packed way too much. I wore jeans most days although I wore capris the day we boarded and the day we disembarked. I definetely needed my hat, gloves, and UnderArmour the day we were in Glacier. I also wore a hoodie and a rain jacket (not that it rained, but it was the jacket I brought.)

I also needed my gloves for whale watching just because it was cold when the boat went fast.

 

I wore a cotton sweater and either a shell, long sleeve shirt during the day on excursions and on the ship. Also I wore tennis shoes most of the time.

 

I never was cold inside the ship probably since they didn't have the AC on like they do on Caribbean sailings. For dinner I wore what I would wear on a Caribbean sailing including sleeveless dresses.

 

My 16 son wore shorts most days but he wears shorts most winter days here in Colorado. He wore a hoodie most times also. The day he did the zipline in Icy Strait, he also wore his UnderArmour sweat pants.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Elise

[SoccerMom#3]

Hi Sheila,

 

My 16 son said the same thing about Fuel-that there wasn't much going on there. Mostly he and his new friends used it as a meeting place and then explored the ship and just hung out. Their favorite thing to do was to wait for the staff to change the day on the elevator floor at about 11:30 each night :)

 

My 17 daughter stayed with me most of the time. We like the shows and Bingo and of course shopping! We also bought way too many pictures. We never won at Bingo but we had lots of fun. The shows were ok-not great-although the production show the last night was fantastic.

 

Your excursions sound great. We also went to the dog mushers camp in Skagway. What time was your tour? Ours was at 1:00.

 

My son did the zipline in Icy Strait. He said it was fun but scary. He said the best part was coming out of the clouds and seeing the water.

 

Just think only a few days ago someone was making our food and making our bed :)

[benolathe]

Sounds like SoccerMom and I dressed quite a bit alike. During the day, it was blue jeans and a comfortable shirt with 3/4 sleeves or long sleeves. Wore a zip-up hoodie when going outside. On Hubbard day and our helicopter glacier-landing day, I also wore Cuddle Duds top and bottoms. We were fine - even on the glacier. I did put my gloves on a little during Hubbard viewing and one of the glacier stops. My son wears shorts year-round and even wore them on the zipline and the glacier. The weather was just fine - in the 60's and sunny most of the time that we were in ports.

 

There were a few times that I was a bit chilly when inside the ship, but overall was very comfortable. Dressing for dinner usually meant very short sleeves, or straps, and I was always comfortable at dinner.

 

BTW, I ended up re-wearing things quite a bit. Since I may have just worn something for a short time, then I would wear it again in a couple of days.

 

The cruise was very nice and relaxing. I agree that the shows weren't really great. We went just three of the nights, and the last night was certainly the best. Then again, I wasn't there for the shows anyway. I really enjoyed the views from our balcony and would stand out there with the binoculars and camera for long periods of time.:D

 

We did have some wildlife sightings - whale numerous times, even though you mostly just see them spouting and an occasional hump of their back. One night, we did see some tail flipping from our balcony. Saw Bald Eagles in most areas, seals in Skagway on the way to the Mushers Camp and again from the ship, and even saw some dolphin swimming in our wake on the last evening. The dolpin surprised me! On the way down the mountain on the WPYR railroad, we saw three different bear alongside the tracks. Didn't get any good photos of the animals. You really don't have time unless you happen to have camera in hand, turned on, and ready to point. Normally, a wildlife sighting was just a very pleasant surprise - and for a very BRIEF time!

 

Our Musher's Camp was first thing in the morning, and we did the WPYR railroad in the afternoon. It actually departed at 4:30 and we missed dinner that evening. Of course, we knew this beforehand and let our tablemates and waiter know not to wait on us.

 

The ZipRider was incredible. My daughter was so worried about going down that she started crying. The worker helping to buckle her in actually gave her a tissue. ;) We talked about it before I booked the excursion and said that there was no refunds/backing out at the last minute. She ended up going down and LOVED it. It's just the anticipation of actually going down that is scary. I kept my camera out and actually took a few photos while in the air. Got a couple of really good ones of the Serenade out in the water while I was flying over ISP on the zipline. :D

 

We didn't get home until about 10:30 last night (2 hour layover in Denver) and have just relaxed and sorted through my over 1,100 pictures today! I am in the process of uploading them all to WebShots. It takes quite a while to upload. Ate so much this past week that we haven't really had much of anything today, just some snacking and a light dinner. Now tomorrow is back to the "real world" to see what has been going on at work for the past week and a half. (We spent two days pre-cruise in Vancouver).

[cew2]

My husband and I are going on the Serande on July 14. We are so excited ! How close did you get to hubbard Glacier I have been reading that they were not able to get real close!Also wer the waters pretty calm for you? And where did you stay and do in Vancouver We are going out 1 Day before! I can Not wait!Thanks for all the great info. I almost forgot we are doing the "land " Dog sledding as well! Was it any good?

[SoccerMom#3]

My husband and I are going on the Serande on July 14. We are so excited ! How close did you get to hubbard Glacier I have been reading that they were not able to get real close!Also wer the waters pretty calm for you? And where did you stay and do in Vancouver We are going out 1 Day before! I can Not wait!Thanks for all the great info. I almost forgot we are doing the "land " Dog sledding as well! Was it any good?

 

You are right about Hubbard Glacier. We were not able to get real close since there was so much ice in front of it. It was still so impressive though. Waters were calm for the entire cruise.

 

We stayed at the Westin Bayshore for two days prior to our cruise. It is a beautiful hotel and very close to Stanley Park which we walked through to get to the Aquarium.

 

The land dog sledding was fun. My guess is it would be better on snow but I am way too much of a chicken to go on a helicoptor to get to the dog sledding on snow :) The dogs we saw and petted were lots of fun. Also a dog musher gave us a talk about what he does as a dog musher which was quite interesting. Saw tons of dogs!

 

You will have a great time!

[Misswissa]

Was there a place in the ship terminal to buy water and liquor to take on the ship?

[Dlinkous]

Do they turn the ship back and forth at Hubbard glacier so that both sides get good views?

[cew2]

Thanks for the info it was all the answers! Thanks!

[benolathe]

My husband and I are going on the Serande on July 14. We are so excited ! How close did you get to hubbard Glacier I have been reading that they were not able to get real close!Also wer the waters pretty calm for you? And where did you stay and do in Vancouver We are going out 1 Day before! I can Not wait!Thanks for all the great info. I almost forgot we are doing the "land " Dog sledding as well! Was it any good?

 

As SoccerMom said, our sailing was not able to get very close to Hubbard. However, it was still an incredible site. The best viewing is from the heli-pad or the front of Deck 12. However, both areas were extremely crowded and no one was giving up their prime spot next to the railing. When we saw that the ship was starting to turn, we went to our balcony (Starboard) and had a fabulous view for quite some time before turning to leave the area. No, the captain did not turn the ship around so that the Port side had the same extended view as Starboard.

 

The dog sledding was okay, and something that my daughter had requested to do. I probably wouldn't do it again on the dry land, but she enjoyed it. The ride was very short. The musher talk was interesting and it was also fun to watch how excited the dogs got when some were being "chosen" to run. They ALL wanted to go. :)

[SoccerMom#3]

Was there a place in the ship terminal to buy water and liquor to take on the ship?

 

 

I don't remembe a place at the ship terminal to buy water and liquor but I wasn't looking for it either so they may have a place. I remember a little stand to buy binoculars. The pier is in an industrial area so there aren't shops around it.

[Irish_freckles]

How formal is formal night and are there one or two?

For other nights would a long sleeve dress in darker colors work and nice pants and top.

 

How much time did your ship spend in front the Hubbard Glacier?

 

Sailing Aug. 11th with my Mom who will be doing dialysis onboard.

 

Thanks.

[SoccerMom#3]

How formal is formal night and are there one or two?

For other nights would a long sleeve dress in darker colors work and nice pants and top.

 

How much time did your ship spend in front the Hubbard Glacier?

 

Sailing Aug. 11th with my Mom who will be doing dialysis onboard.

 

Thanks.

 

There are two formal nights-Sunday and Thursday. Sunday seemed more formal than Thursday. Your outfits for the other nights would be just fine.

 

We were at Hubbard Glacier for a few hours and then we had to leave so other ships could get in there.

 

You will have a great time.

[journey2sun]

My husband and I are going on the Serande on July 14. We are so excited ! How close did you get to hubbard Glacier I have been reading that they were not able to get real close!Also wer the waters pretty calm for you? And where did you stay and do in Vancouver We are going out 1 Day before! I can Not wait!Thanks for all the great info. I almost forgot we are doing the "land " Dog sledding as well! Was it any good?

 

My Mom, daughter (7) and I were also on the June 16th Serenade of the Seas cruise. We flew to Vancouver a day early and stayed at the Westin Bayshore. Although this hotel was very pricey, I chose it because of its close proximity to Stanley Park. It was an easy walk over to the Vancouver Aquarium which IMO is a must see particularly if you have children. It's small enough to do in a few hours and has marine life not commonly seen in aquariums (beluga whales!). Also in Stanley Park is a totem pole area within walking distance. There is a walking and biking trail that circles the entire park which is large but a certain section of it was closed due to severe wind damage from a Dec. 2006 storm which blew down a large number of old growth trees. There are also horse drawn carriage rides around the park and a bus shuttle which wasn't running quite yet. I'd definitely recommend a trip to Stanley Park.

I also wanted to recommend the Dog Sled Discovery Camp excursion through the ship. I was leary of booking it through the ship but it was fantastic. We did this in Juneau - on land, not the glacier trip. A musher gave a very informative talk, there were puppies to cuddle and the actual sled ride was a highlight of our trip (which had many I might add). If you love dogs, this is a great opportunity to experience the sled dogs first hand.

[journey2sun]

My Mom, daughter (7) and I were also on the June 16th Serenade of the Seas cruise. We flew to Vancouver a day early and stayed at the Westin Bayshore. Although this hotel was very pricey, I chose it because of its close proximity to Stanley Park. It was an easy walk over to the Vancouver Aquarium which IMO is a must see particularly if you have children. It's small enough to do in a few hours and has marine life not commonly seen in aquariums (beluga whales!). Also in Stanley Park is a totem pole area within walking distance. There is a walking and biking trail that circles the entire park which is large but a certain section of it was closed due to severe wind damage from a Dec. 2006 storm which blew down a large number of old growth trees. There are also horse drawn carriage rides around the park and a bus shuttle which wasn't running quite yet. I'd definitely recommend a trip to Stanley Park.

I also wanted to recommend the Dog Sled Discovery Camp excursion through the ship. I was leary of booking it through the ship but it was fantastic. We did this in Juneau - on land, not the glacier trip. A musher gave a very informative talk, there were puppies to cuddle and the actual sled ride was a highlight of our trip (which had many I might add). If you love dogs, this is a great opportunity to experience the sled dogs first hand.

 

Also forgot to mention an independent trip I booked with Chilkoot Tours in Skagway. It was a 7 hour van trip into the Yukon which made numerous stops - had lunch at Caribou Crossing and went to Emerald Lake which has been mentioned many times on these boards. It was absolutely beautiful. Different shades of green, serene and peaceful. Caribou Crossing was also fun. We had lunch in a covered wagon (with about a million mosquitoes) and there were sled dogs, a fantastic wildlife museum and gift store (of course). We saw a bear on the way back, in fact, it walked right out in the middle of the road. One of the border agents mentioned that a grizzly bear and her two cubs were seen very close to the border crossing station that day and suggested we keep a close eye out.

[journey2sun]

You are right about Hubbard Glacier. We were not able to get real close since there was so much ice in front of it. It was still so impressive though. Waters were calm for the entire cruise.

 

We stayed at the Westin Bayshore for two days prior to our cruise. It is a beautiful hotel and very close to Stanley Park which we walked through to get to the Aquarium.

 

The land dog sledding was fun. My guess is it would be better on snow but I am way too much of a chicken to go on a helicoptor to get to the dog sledding on snow :) The dogs we saw and petted were lots of fun. Also a dog musher gave us a talk about what he does as a dog musher which was quite interesting. Saw tons of dogs!

 

You will have a great time!

 

Elise,

Sounds like we were probably at the same places at the same time - just didn't realize it. I KNOW this will not be my last trip to Alaska. I will definitely go again, hopefully doing a land tour as well. Glad you had a great time!