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Not bad, but wouldn't do again... by
Richard from Southern California Sailing date: Aug 2010Pros: Hubbard Glacier, Ketchikan, Icy Strait, Friendly Staff Cons: Overpriced excursions, So-so food, Constant sales pitches, Constant Gratuities The ship was extremely clean. Facilities were always in tip-top shape. The elevators were usually overcrowded mid-ship and required sometimes lengthy waits. Better to use the forward elevators. I found the pools were a bit too frequently closed. Ship QualitySee overall comments. Generally the ship was in excellent condition, well-maintained, very clean, and easy to get around (except for the elevator wait). Disappointing was that on arrival at the ship, no map was handed out with a plan of the facilities which made the initial day rather disorienting. Dining/FoodI booked through Orbitz and was only offered the late dining service. Waiting to dine until 8:30 was a hassle and so I frequently ate at the cafe's buffet which was anytime dining. The meals I had at the main restaurant were fairly so-so. I would certainly not rate them as being "fine dining" unless you are used to eating at The Olive Garden; then maybe it is fine dining. The "formal" and "formal casual" nights were irritating. I travel light, carry-on only. Packing away a suit, particularly for a cruise to Alaska seemed pointless. The setting was nice but I requested a small table and got instead a table of 8.
The cafe buffet had a nice spread of options, from Indian to Mongolian, comfort to Thai. I had breakfast and lunch there, unless eating onshore, and often dinner, too. I found the food at the buffet just as good as the main dining food...and a lot more options...and no wait for the plates to arrive. Again, the food is buffet food and was usually so-so. Stateroom QualityWe had an inside stateroom assigned to us by the cruise line. The room was small but certainly manageable. The staff cleaned the room twice a day, towels were always present, the bed turned down at night, our mess nicely re-arranged. Very functional. HOWEVER, we had a room on the 3rd level, right below the orchestra pit for the theater. So it was guaranteed that twice a night the room would pound with vibrations...and sometimes past midnight. The bass was ear-splitting and reached painful levels. At minimum it was annoying and at its worst it was deadly. Avoid this area of the ship when booking!!!! And for some reason in port the 4th level stunk to high heaven. Perhaps they were pumping out the sewage? Ship Staff QualityAlways very nice. Always very friendly. Answered all questions. Took care of all problems. Always a smile. VERY nice. Being from L.A., this made me instantly suspicious. Are people really this friendly? Is it just for the expected gratuity? Whatever...go with the flow. Nice people. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe theater shows were atrocious and amateurish. The casino staff just seemed depressing. I never thought I would miss Vegas; they made me miss Vegas. Cheesy always seemed to be the key word. If you're constantly drunk or just used to watching cows graze, well then this is probably a blast. The constant sales pitches were incredibly aggravating. Most lectures and demonstrations were about what jewelry to buy, rather than information about Alaska or its Native culture. Everything was always about buy buy buy. They take constant pictures of you virtually everyday...and then try to sell them to you for $20 apiece. Whatever you paid for the cruise, take hundreds more with you to pay for all these "services."
The excursions were generally not that great. Very pricey and often quite short. Most of the time allotted for these tours is actually time waiting for a bus or time on the bus itself. Better to book onshore when you arrive...cheaper and widely available.  
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Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), AlaskaA very small town of Native Americans. I liked it. The visitor center was small but nice. Had the chowder and chili. Not bad. Walked around a bit. I avoided the "world's longest zipline" but others said they really enjoyed it. Did the wildlife hike here. Really not much of a hike at all, but the local guides were wonderful, funny, and clearly passionate about their culture. And we saw three grizzlies in a matter of moments, two with cubs. So though the actually excursion didn't last all that long, it was well worth it and one of my favorites.
Don't Miss: Go see a grizzly bear! Juneau, AlaskaThe town itself wasn't that great. Great chocolate shop, though, on the main strip. Also you must eat at Tracy's Crab Shack! It really is a shack. And pricey. But the bisque is out of this world and the crab legs unbelievable. Best part of Juneau. Went on the Mendenhall rafting trip here. Sort of a waste of time. You don't really get to see the glacier at all up close, and most of the trip was through basically residential areas. Only a couple of small rapids.
Don't Miss: Tracey's Crab Shack!!!! Best food in Alaska... Ketchikan, AlaskaThe historic downtown was nice. Again, a plethora of the same old tourist shops with all the blingy jewelry that one sees at every stop (and on the ship, too). But the salmon were running through the stream located in the middle of town. Amazing to watch. More shops to wander than most of the towns on the cruise. Did the canoe/hike excursion here. Not really worth it. The canoeing covered a small part of a lake. The hike was maybe twenty yards. I wished I had done something else instead. I see that the 4-wheelers here each had their own jeep...or maybe a whale watching tour. This wasn't good at all.
Don't Miss: The old downtown section and the salmon run Skagway, AlaskaNice main street, though almost all of the shops are the same tourist shops you see at every port selling the same stuff over and over again. The Xmas store had some nice baubles, though, that make good gifts. There is a sweet shop on a side street that is sort of counter-culture and has cupcakes. Superb cupcakes. Did the 4-wheel excursion here. Was okay, but almost no chance to stop and take pictures of amazing scenery. Very depressing and pissed off a number of people. And you'll have to share your jeep with strangers and change drivers in order to give everyone a chance. That was not expected.
Don't Miss: The cupcakes at the sweet shop next to the bakery 13 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
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  Best cruise vacation ever by
Tim S. from Salida CA Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: We were treated like royalty, all of the crew treated us like we were VIP's Cons: When it ended. It has been quite a while since I have taken a cruise, but it seemed as if the whole process of boarding the ship and leaving the ship was much more streamlined and simple.
We loved the way we were treated and all of the activities on the ship. We are already starting to plan our next cruise, the only problem is deciding what cruise to choose. Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom QualityWe had a junior suite that was nicer than many hotels I have stayed in. Ship Staff QualityThe entire crew was wonderful, and within a day the stateroom attendent and wait staff all knew us by name and made us feel like they had known us for years. Entertainment & ActivitiesTruely top knotch 11 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Excellent Staff. by
Cindy from Lincoln, NE Sailing date: Feb 2007Pros: Overall decor makes ship comfortable. Each and every one of the staff went out of their way to make sure you had everything you needed and/or wanted. No one was too busy to help out. Very friendly staff. The captain was the best hands on captain. You saw him everywhere. Watching a show, in the dining room talking to people. We had a great sense of humor. You looked forward to hearing his talk everyday. Entertainment & Activities
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Key West, Florida
George Town, Grand CaymanGrand Cayman too small.
While anchored outside of Grand Cayman waiting to tender in we noticed 8 other ships also anchored. Too many people for a small island at the same time. No room on sidewalk to walk no room in stores no room anywhere. Wished I had stayed onboard.
Montego Bay, Jamaica
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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This ship is awesome. by
Cali from CA Sailing date: Jan 2007Pros: The billiards game room and day spa. This ship is awesome. The staff is very attentive to your needs and even goes the extra mile to make the experience that much better. The different activities offered on the ship was numerous and certainly keeps everyone occupied while out to sea. The food was incredible along with the service of the staff. Our waiter, assistant waiter, bartenders, and state room attendant did an outstanding job with adding to our experience. Entertainment & ActivitiesActivities: The fitness area is huge, and other activities such as rock climbing, miniature golf, billiards, ping pong, and a day spa was very convenient and entertaining to have on board.
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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What an experience. Great! by
Arturo F. from Los Angeles, CA Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: The cruise, our first, went far beyond our expectations. The crew and staff were exceptionally organized, courteous, helpful and competent. Cons: The connection to our hotel after the last excursion was poorly executed and not as described. The cruise, our first, far exceeded our expectations. There was no part that wasn't up with the best service ever received. From the convenient boarding, the stateroom accommodations and service, the varieties of food and service, the cleanlinmess of the all parts of the ship, the locations we stopped at, the excursions and the coutesies of all staff members made this a most memorable experience. Ship QualityOur overall imoressions say it all. Dining/FoodThe quality and different types of food experiences offered all eating desires, whether a snak, a casual meal, a formal meal or just coffee. Stateroom QualityOur stateroom our home for a week was immaculately attended to always with a smile and courtesy. The folded towel animals were the humor that made it fun to return each night to see what was welcoming us. delightful. Ship Staff QualityWe have never experienced such competent organization and willingness to help with consistant courtesy. Entertainment & ActivitiesThere was no age group, gender or personality left out. Children's ProgramsWhile not travelling with children, it was obvious that all possible activities were considered.
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Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), AlaskaThe Icy Strait port city of Hoonan was very interesting and showed the resiliency of its small community by responding to their lost fishing trade by building for tourism. They are a proud people and will succeed.
Don't Miss: The bear search and nature walk is fantastic. Juneau, AlaskaThe small amount of rain did not take away from the awe of this phenomenom and the Park Ranger's talk was very informational. The salmon bake was good but not a "must see".
Don't Miss: Mendenhall Glacier Ketchikan, AlaskaThe history of this small town is interesting and shows the community pride.
Don't Miss: The Potlatch Totem Park and the carver's talk is inspirational. Skagway, AlaskaThe train ride was one of the highlights of the trip. to think that this was built when they didn't have the technology they now have, is almost incredible.
Don't Miss: The White Pass Railway train ride. 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Honeymoon Cruise by
A Traveler from Boston, MA Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: Food Cons: Entertainment The ship is clean, the service is good, the food is excellent. The shops are a bit small. This ship has lots of nice area's where you can sit and chatt or play cards, look out the window, read a good book. The entertainment is good, just not the best I have ever seen. Ship QualityI love the outlay of this line of ships. Dining/Food
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Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), AlaskaThey only take in one ship a day, so it was nice not to be crowded.
Don't Miss: The zip line, Awesome! Juneau, Alaska
Ketchikan, Alaska
Skagway, AlaskaDon't Miss: Don't miss the salmon run. It is free! 5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Relaxing & Informative! by
Sondra B. from Fredonia, AZ Sailing date: Aug 2012Pros: the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff Cons: feeling a little like herded cattle - although I suppose it's to be expected with so many guests in one place :) The Radiance of the Seas was beautiful! It had nearly every accomodation you could ask for & everything was within a short walking distance (even if you took the stairs instead of one of the 7 elevators). The staff was warm & welcoming - everything was planned & prepared like magic! A wonderful, relaxing experience. We look forward to going on another cruise! Ship QualityArtwork was everywhere: stairways, hallways, staterooms, dining rooms, everywhere! There was even an art auciton. Dining/FoodThere was food available somewhere on the ship during all waking hours (& hours when most guests were sleeping). Lots of variety to choose from! Stateroom QualityEverything we needed. Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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a good cruise by
Hartmut W. from Tucson, AZ Sailing date: Oct 2009Pros: the ship itself Cons: has some problems with out bathroom (odor) we had a good and relaxing cruise. We were surprised how much alcohol was consumed on this ship by its passengers. The pool areas were noisy and too crowded. Ship Quality
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Stateroom Qualityexcept for bathroom and too small shower Ship Staff Quality
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4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Ship Review by
Laura from Missouri Sailing date: Apr 2006Pros: This was not my first cruise but I felt the opulence of the ship was fabulous, and the excitement of sharing this experience with my sister, who had never been on a cruise before.
Entertainment & Activities
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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my second cruise by
Tricia O'H. from oklahoma city oklahoma Sailing date: Apr 2010Pros: so much to do! Cons: art sales are a bit sneaky Radiance was older than my first experience on the Seranade, and it showed. Stateroom areas, like mine on the 8th floor, smelled musty. Not as 'elegant.' Ship Quality
Dining/FoodI wanted to eat at my convenience so checked "my time." Didnt know this would cause me to be charged for dining room tipping even though I never ate there. Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Qualityboth of my cruises had the hardest working stateroom staff, and most everyone working on the ship were so friendly. Entertainment & Activities
Children's Programs
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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