Radiance vs. Diamond/Sapphire Princess for Alaska

[quadman]

We are planning (very late) a July/August '08 northbound Alaska cruise for a party of 10. My family of 4 (Wife and I, plus two little kids) want to book a Mini-Suite. We cruised on Jewel of the Seas in April '06 in a Junior Suite (with covered balcony) and it was perfect for us. RCI Radiance class ships seem very tough to beat, but they skip Glacier Bay, so we are looking at Princess with Mini-Suite (our friends highly recommended them for Alaska). The tradeoffs are the proven RCI Radiance class (gorgeous, great food, fun, clean, lots of glass, Windjammer Buffet (no lines)) vs. what seems to be a pretty decent ship (albeit a bit bland in design and color, and the dreaded open/uncovered Dolphin Deck balconies) with Glacier Bay.

 

Has anyone done both itineraries (RCI Radiance w/o Glacier Bay, Princess Diamond/Sapphire with)? We actually prefer a set dinner time (much easier to coordinate a table for 10 if dinner time is always set, and the Radiance class main dining rooms are spacious vs. Princess single-level dining rooms). This is our first Alaska Cruise and we don't want to miss the best glacier scenery, so would it be foolish to sacrifice Glacier Bay in order to obtain the trusted RCI ship and product? And does anyone have experience with both these lines/ship types with regard to kids' activities on an Alaska cruise? Thanks!

[My2Kitties]

Did they change the itin for next year...I was on Radiance in August and we did Glacier Bay...

Never been on Princess but Radiance was "Awesome" she is beautiful!

[Sue L]

Did they change the itin for next year...I was on Radiance in August and we did Glacier Bay...

Never been on Princess but Radiance was "Awesome" she is beautiful!

 

 

 

Jean I don't think you did Glacier bay rather Hubbard Glacier. Rccl lost is licensing rights to sail Glacier Bay some years ago.

 

 

 

To the OP, We did the Serenade to Hubbard Glacier and it was amazing. We got extremely close. Our friends were on a Princess Ship the same week and said it was OK, nothing spectacular. I couldn't get them to clarify why it was only Ok. When I showed here our pictures from Hubbard she said we saw NOTHING like that. this is still about 45-60 minutes out and we got with 200 yards

 

[GMoney]

I spent 2 weeks on Radiance in AK in September, but have never sailed with Princess there. I was very pleased with Radiance and our visit to Hubbard; we were fortunate to get very close and saw some good calving. If you've never been to either, then I'm not sure it matters whether you see Hubbard or Glacier Bay, as they are both impressive in their own way. I guess it just matters on how important the glacier stops are to you.

 

IMO, I would base my decision on overall itinerary, cost, then ship / cruiseline.

 

The only other thing I would mention is your comment on "great" food on the Radiance; the dining room food for our 14 days was average at best. But food is very subjective, and for me, not a make or break.

 

You may want to post this question on the AK boards.

 

Sue - Another great picture!

[My2Kitties]

oops! I thought when we were at Icy Strait Point we were just on the outside of Glacier Bay and from there went to Hubbard Glacier...I just figured it was Glacier Bay that we went through...my mistake!

[JJ2sail]

Loved Radiance and Hubbard Glacier!

 

[sagiv666]

We are planning (very late) a July/August '08 northbound Alaska cruise for a party of 10. My family of 4 (Wife and I, plus two little kids) want to book a Mini-Suite. We cruised on Jewel of the Seas in April '06 in a Junior Suite (with covered balcony) and it was perfect for us. RCI Radiance class ships seem very tough to beat, but they skip Glacier Bay, so we are looking at Princess with Mini-Suite (our friends highly recommended them for Alaska). The tradeoffs are the proven RCI Radiance class (gorgeous, great food, fun, clean, lots of glass, Windjammer Buffet (no lines)) vs. what seems to be a pretty decent ship (albeit a bit bland in design and color, and the dreaded open/uncovered Dolphin Deck balconies) with Glacier Bay.

 

Has anyone done both itineraries (RCI Radiance w/o Glacier Bay, Princess Diamond/Sapphire with)? We actually prefer a set dinner time (much easier to coordinate a table for 10 if dinner time is always set, and the Radiance class main dining rooms are spacious vs. Princess single-level dining rooms). This is our first Alaska Cruise and we don't want to miss the best glacier scenery, so would it be foolish to sacrifice Glacier Bay in order to obtain the trusted RCI ship and product? And does anyone have experience with both these lines/ship types with regard to kids' activities on an Alaska cruise? Thanks!

 

In September, my wife and I cruised to Alaska aboard the Radiance. We thoroughly enjoyed our balcony cabin as well as the ship and its services. I prefer fixed seating, and on the Radiance our table became a family, together with our waiters. We found the ports-of-call and the excursions we took to be wonderful, and we felt we had the best of both worlds. I never cruised on a Princess ship, but highly recommend the Alaska cruise aboard the Radiance.:D

[ligil]

Loved Radiance and Hubbard Glacier!

 

 

Me too! I sailed with Radiance in a balcony room in Sept. 2006 and went through Hubbard Glacier. I also sailed on Holland America's Amsterdam in 2004 and saw Glacier Bay there. I loved both. Just comparing Hubbard Glacier on the Radiance with Glacier Bay elsewhere, from my experience, I'd give the edge to Radiance because of the beautiful ship and the fact that they brought on a local naturalist and his daughter and they talked for a couple of hours about the glacier while we viewed it.

[riteonglor]

We did the north bound Alaskan Cruise 2 yrs ago on the Sapphire Princess. Were on the Caribe deck in a suite and it was a wonderful cruise. Would go again if I get the chance. Went in the middle of August and had great weather. About 72 degrees all 7 days, no rain at all. The ship was great, food was great and our cabin stewart was fantastic. Can't say anything but good things about the cruise and ship. Course, Alaska scenery has to be the best. I do know if you want privacy on your balcony stay off the Dolphin deck although some people don't mind it being open.

You will have a blast, I think, regardless of the cruiseline.

[sagiv666]

Me too! I sailed with Radiance in a balcony room in Sept. 2006 and went through Hubbard Glacier. I also sailed on Holland America's Amsterdam in 2004 and saw Glacier Bay there. I loved both. Just comparing Hubbard Glacier on the Radiance with Glacier Bay elsewhere, from my experience, I'd give the edge to Radiance because of the beautiful ship and the fact that they brought on a local naturalist and his daughter and they talked for a couple of hours about the glacier while we viewed it.

 

When my wife and I cruised to Alaska in September aboard the Radiance, the Captain brought us close to the Hubbard Glacier, then turned the ship so passengers on both starboard and port sides had a wonderful view. For those of us with balcony cabins, an added advantage was we could retreat into the cabin when it got too cold on the balcony, and still have a good view of the glacier. Of course, we had locals who were talking to us about the glacier.:)

[ligil]

When my wife and I cruised to Alaska in September aboard the Radiance, the Captain brought us close to the Hubbard Glacier, then turned the ship so passengers on both starboard and port sides had a wonderful view. For those of us with balcony cabins, an added advantage was we could retreat into the cabin when it got too cold on the balcony, and still have a good view of the glacier. Of course, we had locals who were talking to us about the glacier.:)

I had forgotten to mention about the captain turning the ship around so that both sides could see. I eventually left the balcony though and went to the 5th floor to watch through the big glass windows with a group of other people, after buying a latte.

You may have been on the same cruise as I was on. I was on the one from Vancouver to Seward in late September, the cruise where the norovirus broke out. I was well and hopefully you were also.

Alaska on the Radiance is a beautiful cruise! I was just back on the Radiance for 2 weeks (Hawaii) and I loved being on this beautiful ship again.

[critterchick]

The Radiance was built for Alaska - there is even a totem pole on the Sky Deck that was a gift from a Native American tribe (your trivia for the day;) ). But seriously, we've been on Radiance and Diamond, and, although I love the Diamond Princess, Radiance (or her sister the Serenade) is a much better ship for that itinerary. If you don't have a balcony cabin, you will need to find a public area for glacier viewing, and Radiance has a lot of them, both inside and outside. You'll likely have better weather than we did (we were on the same cruise as Sagiv666 and JJ2sail, Vancouver to LA via Alaska), but it's still nice to have the option to hang out in a lounge instead of outside and still have a spectacular view.

 

The Radiance also has a wonderful crew who will make your cruise a delight. Like GMoney, we found the dining room to be a disappointment, so much so that we ended up eating at the Windjammer and the specialty restaurants for all but 3 of our 14 nights onboard. We still had wonderful dining experiences, just not in the traditional setting. I think RCI has the superior options unless you just have to be able to eat in a restaurant 24/7 - the latest any place was open was 1:00 am (the Seaview Cafe). then you had to resort to room service.

 

So Radiance gets my vote!

[sagiv666]

I had forgotten to mention about the captain turning the ship around so that both sides could see. I eventually left the balcony though and went to the 5th floor to watch through the big glass windows with a group of other people, after buying a latte.

You may have been on the same cruise as I was on. I was on the one from Vancouver to Seward in late September, the cruise where the norovirus broke out. I was well and hopefully you were also.

Alaska on the Radiance is a beautiful cruise! I was just back on the Radiance for 2 weeks (Hawaii) and I loved being on this beautiful ship again.

 

We cruised to Alaska in September, but did not land in Seward. Our cruise was 14 nights, beginning in Vancouver September 14 and ending in San Pedro (LA) September 28. I know there were cruise tours where passenger scruised north, landed in Seward, then continued on land. We took a land tour independent of our cruise in the beginning of the month, spent a few days on our own in Anchorage, flew to Vancouver then spent a few days on our own before boarding the Radiance.

We cruised in 2007 -- do we have the same year? Whatever, I am glad you enjoyed yourself as much as we did. By the way, there was no viral outbreak on our cruise, but a month after this cruise finished, we took another cruise on the Norwegian Spirit (NCL) to Canada and New England.

On this cruise, the crew was obsessed with worry about passengers becoming infected and we were showered with sanitizing liquid throughout the cruise -- except when we disembarked.

Whatever, we're glad you were fine as well.:D

[jrm9999]

Have you considered the Island or Coral Princess? I believe they do the same routes as Sapphire/Diamond with Glacier Bay, but leave on a Monday instead of on the weekend. The ships are closer in size to Radiance class and IMO awesome ships. Great size. Some of the best passenger to space ratios available outside a luxury line. Never felt crowded. Great views from many locations.

[sharpie13]

I've been to Alaska twice, once on the Diamond Princess and once on Celebrity. The Radiance is the ship to be on in Alaska! The ship is gorgeous, it has the best activity program of the three lines, and most of all tons of glass for viewing Alaska in comfort. The Hubbard Glacier is incredible, and dwarfs the Sawyer Glacier in the Tracy Arm. Having cruised all three lines, I would rate Princess third, especially when it comes to Cruise Directors and friendlyness of staff. IMHO you can't go wrong with the Radiance for a family like yours.

[ligil]

We cruised to Alaska in September, but did not land in Seward. Our cruise was 14 nights, beginning in Vancouver September 14 and ending in San Pedro (LA) September 28. I know there were cruise tours where passenger scruised north, landed in Seward, then continued on land. We took a land tour independent of our cruise in the beginning of the month, spent a few days on our own in Anchorage, flew to Vancouver then spent a few days on our own before boarding the Radiance.

We cruised in 2007 -- do we have the same year? Whatever, I am glad you enjoyed yourself as much as we did. By the way, there was no viral outbreak on our cruise, but a month after this cruise finished, we took another cruise on the Norwegian Spirit (NCL) to Canada and New England.

On this cruise, the crew was obsessed with worry about passengers becoming infected and we were showered with sanitizing liquid throughout the cruise -- except when we disembarked.

Whatever, we're glad you were fine as well.:D

Sorry, I had the wrong year. My Alaska Radiance cruise was in Sept. 2006. I just returned from a Hawaii Radiance cruise as well, and it was wonderful to be on this beautiful ship again.

Your Alaska cruise sounded wonderful too.

[quadman]

This board never fails to please when it comes to cruising questions. Thank you all for your input. We are now booked on Radiance northbound from Vancouver to Seward leaving August 1, 2008! I can't wait!

 

:) :) :)

[critterchick]

Good choice! I predict that you will love it!

[ligil]

This board never fails to please when it comes to cruising questions. Thank you all for your input. We are now booked on Radiance northbound from Vancouver to Seward leaving August 1, 2008! I can't wait!

 

:) :) :)

That's the cruise I took in Sept. 2006. I believe you'll love it. Beautiful scenery on a beautiful ship.

[alexkrn46]

While I love RCCL we did our Alaskan cruise with Princess, while the ship was new and nice the service was horrible.

 

Why did we choose Princess, one it left from Seattle which is cheaper to fly into and Princess docked at most of the ports...which allows you more time on land. Alaska is amazing enjoy your cruise.