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My Dad retire after 60+ years of working. This was his retirement cruise. He had a blast.

Post cruise - we rented a car which was very convenient at the pier. We rented with Alamo - slight glitch with how much they charged - make sure that they charge the rate you got when you put in for the car! They straightened it out when I called them when we returned the car. If you plan to rent a car, do it before the cruise - there were no cars available if you didn't reserve one. We drove from Vancouver to Seattle - about 4 hours with customs and a stop for lunch in Bellingham. We stayed on the north side of Seattle (Shoreline) because I got a room with points at Holiday Inn Express. We went to the Space Needle and Chihuly Gardens and then took the monorail over to check out the the Public Market at Pike's. I had the biggest halibut fish & chips at Lowell's! We had a 3rd night to figure out where to go so we checked out Whidbey Island. We looked into Victoria but couldn't get reservations on the ferries so took a Ferry to Whidbey Island where we had a great breakfast in Langley before heading to the north end of the island - a beautiful drive! - where we stayed at the Wildwood Farm Bed & Breakfast. They have about 50 horses on the farm and offer horseback riding. I couldn't talk my wife into riding but I had a great time during my hour trail ride after a delicious breakfast. When I was finished we had time to get freshened up before getting in the car to head for the airport in Vancouver for our red-eye home. We stopped at the Granville Public Market in Vancouver for some shopping and lunch before heading to the airport. This was the best vacation we've ever had alone since it was the first vacation in 30 years without children! We love our kids but it was nice to have just the two of us for an extended period. We enjoyed it so much that we were going to book another Alaska cruise next summer and take a couple of the kids (17 & 20) but they have zero interest. Instead we booked a couple staterooms on the Brilliance at Christmas going to Cozumel and Grand Cayman (12/29-1/3). Thanks again to all those that provide such great information here so that it took away all the anxiety of a first cruise and helped us make the best of our time while on vacation. Happy Cruising! Ken

Yikes ! Hoping you did not get sick. Nothing worse. Well, yes, there is something worse - being sick and NOT being on a cruise is worse.

I appreciate that. I try to be in the moment - which is why I keep forgetting to take pictures- and try to be thankful. Everyone is so nice and for the most part bend over backwards to make you happy, I can’t get too upset about anything.

Day 3 was a Sea Day. My routine is to get a soy latte, wake up a bit and meet friends at gym. After gym was pool day from 8:25 to 2pm with a break for breakfast. Some moodiness from one of us so stayed away. Breakfast at Windjammer and lunch at Park Cafe. A lot of drinks all day but again spaced out so I rarely felt anything. Dinner the last two nights has been surprisingly good. Beef tenderloin was like butter, i was shocked how good. Bolognese was pretty good. Weather has been funky, can feel the boat now for a full day. I don’t mind it though last night getting a glass of wine at Vintages then trying to walk to meet everyone on 15 was a little interesting. today is St. Thomas. My throat is a little funky so skipping gym. Will walk the track in a few then we have All Inclusive St John’s snorkel and beach. Hoping I’m just tired.

3 day over a weekend when college is on break. I once did a B2B on Carnival out of Long Beach, CA. 4 night followed by 3 night, not during any official college break. 3 night was over the weekend. Distinct difference in clientele from the moment they stepped on board for the 2nd leg. Right out of a movie... "Dude!", "Bro!", "Dude!", "Bro!" (drunk girl vomits on pool bar). And that well before muster. I'm doing Mariner in September but chose the 4 night during the week cruise, more to avoid a ton of kids on the weekend. NCL Sky is a booze cruise because they have included booze. There is no equivalent on Royal so it's more a matter of timing.

Day 7 - Cruising Inside Passage. Scenery on this part of the voyage was incredible! Whales spotted; dall porpoises swimming towards the boat and riding the wake of the ship. Took time out to jump in the blackjack tournament and didn't make it past the first round BUT jumped on another table and won back the $100 I lost the first night plus a little more. The highlight was when the ship made a hard right turn and everyone looked at each other. We missed the captain's announcement that this was going to happen. If the boat rolled just a little more, all of the dealer's chips would have ended up in our laps! We had our final dinner in the Cascades - again delicious after the final show in auditorium. This was the only night we had to wait for a table - about 20 minutes - but the whale appearing outside the window in the dining room was great! Always be on watch in Alaska!

Day 6 - Ketchikan. We didn't have a lot of time in port so we took the duck boat ride around town and in the water in hopes of getting a good overview of Ketchikan. The duck boat was ok. I enjoyed it, my wife not so much. We had lunch at The Fish House before heading back to the ship. The halibut fish & ships were worth the wait. Back on board we caught the show which was really good - Chinese gent performing the act of face/mask changes followed by some magic and a balancing act which was really good. We had dinner at Cascades again that was really good.....

Day 5 - Icy Strait Point/Hoonah. There were a lot of mixed reviews of this stop. We really liked it because (a) our excursions were good and (b) it's a relatively new port and still pretty underdeveloped as far as towns go. No hospital, small population (K-12 school has 110 kids), quite a few Tlingit people there as they "own" the area (or something like that). I went birdwatching for 2 hours. Kassie took us off the beaten path to the only farm on the island where they have about 20 head of cattle. We saw lots of bald eagles and I ticked off a few birds that would never make it to the east coast. But birding in Alaska is hard with all the spruce/pine trees - they are really thick and small bird just get lost in them. Learned from Kassie that pregnant women usually leave for Juneau 3 weeks before their due date so they can deliver in a hospital. One reason why she and her husband have not started a family yet. My wife did the Wild Alaska Kitchne where she learned how to cook salmon and halibut and got a good deal on a case of canned sockeye salmon that happened to arrive today. She can't wait to make salmon burgers, dip, etc! It was an early departure for Ketchikan so we had dinner in the Cascades Dining Room which was delicious. We missed the Piano Man show...... Belted Kingisher and a pair of bald eagles on/near a nest Timber Tiger aka red squirrel 3 sitka deer runnign ahead of the car....

Day 3 - Juneau. Arrived in port on time. Weather weas overcast and a bit chilly. We dressed in layers for our excursion for got whale watching and Mendenhall glacier (see initial post for exact excursion). We boarded the bus at the pier for a short ride (15-20 mins) to the dock where the whale watching boat was. Driver provided lots of info about Juneau and had to throw in the Sarah Palin line when we went past the the governor's mansion. (Must have heard that one a dozen times). Many bald eagles in the area and seen from the bus. Once on the boat it was a bit chilly as we stayed outside on the deck. We saw 3 different whales as well as sea lions, a sea otter, the Herbert glacier (my father-in-law's name!). Over all the boat ride was good although we only saw 1 whale "tale" and none jumping. From the pier dock we took the same bus over to Mendenhall glacier. it's about a 10-15 minute walk from the bus to the the viewing point for the glacier. Got some nice pictures and then my wife went to the visitor center while I walked the trail over to a beautiful waterfall. We got back to downtown Juneau around 2:30 and met up with my sister-in-law and her husband for crab legs at Tracy's. I also had the chowder and the root beer on tap, all of which was delicious. After lunch my brother-in-law were going to take the tram up to the top but it wasn't running :-(. Se we walked around Juneau before heading back to the ship and watched all the planes coming in and out between the cruise ships. One in particular looked like he was playing "chicken" with the Explorer of the Seas as it was headed right for it at take off and banked right before reaching the ship. We had dinner at the Windjammer this night - not bad - and then went to the show with the Radiance of the Seas dancers which was good. Whale watching boat from back of upper deck enclosed. There was a 3rd completely open deck. That's not me in the picture Whale fins. I missed the tale. Should have videoed! Herbert Glacier Seal Lions on the bouy that wouldn't let the pup up. Mendhenhall glacier and waterfall Biggest crab legs we've ever seen at Tracy's Explorer of the Seas next to us in Juneau!

or maybe my Solarium attendant was too easy-going. Here's a photo of me:

I can't remember when this is. I want to say around Christmas? We're booked on Freedom at the end of March and I want to catch the 30% off sale as it's their biggest discount of the year. Last year I saved over $800 on our Oasis cruise when I called to make final payment, the rep said the fares had dropped and gave me a refund!

Last year it was around November/December. Then they ran it again for the WOW sale in the new year.

Bless you, my son.

More worried about the ramen and potstickers. My girls will be 15. the two things they do are eat and complain. ?

I knew about the complimentary food. We always embark before lunch. I paid my homage to Matt by having a kummelwick sandwich (or two) and washing it down with a lava flow (or three).

Wow - what a nice gift!

@Sweety such a great picture!! which one is you?? Your Dad MUST be thinking about booking more cruises!! What a beautiful family

I had heard of similar comments with respect to panning for gold excursions at any Alaskan port. Ironic as I think about it. The original gold rush in 1897 was largely over-blown, over-hyped and over-stated with very few winners but a whole lot of people who were misled and lost everything. Alaska excursions involving gold in some cases continue to maintain that phenomena 120 years later.

I have heard the the 4 nighters (during the week) are more calm compared to the 3 night weekend ones. The exception being March (spring break). We booked a 4-night sailing for Mariner next month. I was slightly concerned about that but not too much anymore. I can report on it in about a month.

Playa Mia has a rather large beach area plus the water park although Matt is right about the mediocre food. You can snorkel right off the beach area (not very good snorkeling but there are underwater statues that attract some fish to the area) and they have the inflatables in the ocean. There are also slides, a basic pool and a younger kid area. You can also rent jet skis, kayaks, etc. Service is good, food is mediocre, clean bathrooms, and showers. It is crowded but it is huge so people are able to spread out and there isn't really a wait to do anything. Haven't been to Paradise Beach. We've been to Playa Mia three times but would probably try Mr. Sanchos next time we go to Cozumel.

Avoid 3-4 night Bahamas cruises in March if booze cruises aren't your thing, In my experience they're full of spring breakers. Most 7 day+ cruises are fine, this isn't Carnival after all.

I Love Grandeur and Senerade.

Radiance class was the first thing that entered my head but I was seeking some clarification before going there. I really like them and have future bookings on all of them at the moment.

Great advice from Twangster. We are in our early 70’s and don’t go for all the bells and whistles of the new ships unless we are traveling with our grandchildren. Personally we love the Radiance Class ships having sailed on The Radiance, Serenade and booked on our third Jewel for 12 night Mediterranean. They're large enough but not overwhelming. Maybe your TA can direct you to an itinerany on one of these beautiful ships from the early 2000’s. I know the Jewel has been refurbished. Not sure about the others

The core cruise experience across Royal Caribbean's fleet is similar and you can certainly have a relaxing cruise on any of them. I often recommend some of the newer ships to new cruisers simply because new cruisers may not be fully aware of everything a Royal Caribbean cruise can offer. Relaxation is a big part of it, but did you know some ships have Broadway shows, zip lines, enrichment lectures, water slides, fine dining opportunities, jazz clubs, and more? Odds are one or more of those items may have piqued your interest and that is something you would be interested in doing in addition to relaxing. Here's a blog post that outlines itinerary recommendations for first time cruisers. I think it might be a good starting point for you: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2016/01/04/royal-caribbean-itinerary-recommendations-first-time-cruisers

In my 50's as well. Where to start? All ships? Seriously I enjoy many different ships and the variety and differences between them. This is where a good travel agent can come in handy. They know the right questions to ask and can guide you. Itinerary will play a big hand in this. Do you like the idea of many sea days where you can relax and enjoy each other's company by a pool or with a good book on a lounger? Are you seeking a port intensive cruise with lots of different places to explore together? Time of year will make a difference as well. Peak times often include months when school is out and more families cruise. Off-peak can mean fewer kids on board. Newer ships will have more whiz bang features like zip lines or bumper cars on board. Those are fun without a doubt but ships a few years old that don't have all that stuff are great for relaxing. The larger ships including Freedom class have Broadway style shows on them. The ships before those still have great entertainment but not full Broadway shows. How important is entertainment in the evenings?

I agree with you that this nonsense with the website has gone on WAAAYTOOO long. I hate that I cannot see the reservation confirmation any longer (although, most of my bookings are with a TA and I could never see them for the TA bookings anyway) and I hate that I can no longer go directly to the AirtoSea site to check international flights. I hate that I cannot get from the logged-in My Cruises to the check-in section (you now must go through Already Booked without being logged in, which is utterly RIDICULOUS). The new website is WAAAY worse than the old one and still contains so many glitches that it is utterly frustrating. This level of inefficiency does not give one a sense of confidence in the company, overall. In this day and age there is just no excuse.

You are the best! Thanks to you and this board I have a good feel for my Majesty cruise in Aug and looking forward to it.

On my last cruise on Harmony, I was at the pool at around 8 am on a sea day and planned on staying at the pool most of the day. I had my laptop to get some work done, my headphones, a book, and my drink package. So I was set for the long haul. I found a decent spot for my wife and I, although there were not many available at 8 am. The two chairs next to us had towels and sandals on them, much like the pictures above. Other than a few trips to the bathroom, I never left my area (I skipped lunch). At around 3 pm two older people finally showed up to those chairs, picked up their towels and shoes, and left. They didn't even sit in the chairs. These were in a shaded area, so pretty prime real estate. I wanted to say something to them, but I was so stunned that by the time I got over my shock they were gone. I do not understand how people can be that rude. I pray that karma comes around on people like that.

Correct

As soon as the ship exits the Port Canaveral channel, then are in the Atlantic.

Port Canaveral is about 2 feet (almost literally) from the Atlantic ... they go basically due East down the channel and are out in the Atlantic before you even realize you are in motion.

Great blog! Thanks for coming back and updating it. Were you on deck leaving Juneau? Perhaps I captured your from Explorer as you sailed past. Here is Radiance leaving Juneau that night:

I bought a face mask for snorkeling! We tried it out a few days ago at a local beach. It was awesome. I have never been snorkeling before. Now we are ready for some snorkeling in the Bahamas! The face masks makes it easy!

Next time I blog, I will show a pic of what I pack for tea. I drink "normal" tea and herbal. But I only drink organic, which is why I pack my own. And even then, the brand matters. Even I think that I am ridiculous. ? The good thing is that tea weighs barely anything, and I have a 9 year old who can (is forced) to carry it in her carry on. That is her "fee" for the free cruise. ?

I'm hoping it does expand to other ships. If you want to dress up, dress up. If you don't, then don't. Takes all the hurt feelings away when some guests choose not to dress up as much as others think they should.

And did I tell you my freezer is broken?? LOL Trying to still go with the flow my friend!!?

great photo! love the shirts !

Terrible. Hopefully Royal will cancel this excursion and stop using this tour operator. Even if the husband went without being given the instruction to, that possibility shouldn't be allowed to occur and that is the zip line operator's error.

I'm guessing you mean the gratuities that I just saw are not included when you choose those packages? Yup, that would definitely add a pretty penny at $17.80 pp/pd for two Ultimate Packages, plus another $1.59 pp/pd for the kids' soda packages (which they'd get as minors), plus $16.80 pp (not per night!) for the four specialty dining packages. $338.66 isn't chump change, but it's still a lot less than the $1,456 I had calculated out on Royal. Speaking of which -- I just realized that calculation did not include the 18% gratuities -- actual cost is $1,850 after adding grats and switching to four 4-night dining packages instead of two. Yikes! Still a $1,500+ savings over Royal (before wifi packages) if I went with NCL. C'mon @Matt, announce those 2020 group cruises already! I got decisions to make here! ?

I love going with the flow in life and cruising. My husband tells me all the time, I have the islander peace of mind. I say in life flow on.

I hope Adventure or a Quantum class ship stays in Cape Liberty for a while for two selfish reasons: 1) I have yet to lose my Quantum class virginity and 2) I may be looking at a Bermuda sailing in the future ?

Notable mentions for Day 2: one of us had to go to doc for anti biotics. Expensive but he already felt better by night time. A few of us went to Sorrentos - we are all from NY/NYC - no complaints. It did the job. No, not the best but not the worst!

Pretty much did what I said I would for the day. Spent a while by the pool, went in, drank and read. walked the track for a bit after lunch at Izumi. Loved it and worth the extra $$. Had a hair appt for 5pm- they had a great deal onboard for $69. Wash, blowout, some treatments called Red Carpet. I was very excited to not do my hair for formal night. Unfortunately they overbooked and I had to cancel after 20 mins of waiting. When I made the appt I made it clear I had to leave by 545 for dinner- still needed to throw on the slightest bit of makeup and change in my dress. The lady took a color appt before me so there was no time. That means I had to run back to my room and wash, dry hair and still get ready. Not happy. Made it to formal night dinner on time but needed a few to relax. (I have a lot of hair) after dinner we went to Vintages for a few glasses of wine (I still had OBC so I tried some very nice and expensive ones that my package would my fully cover. Later we went to the smoking deck for cigars and chill. (None for me). The breeze was lovely. Left around 10:30 for casino. Overall beautiful day, still a little pissed about hair but that ruined nothing except the time I had to get ready.

Cruise compass out of order since one wouldn’t post initially. We made it on the ship easily. Shuttle from hotel was 10:30, we were on ship by 11:30. It could’ve been quicker but we had to wait for people. Braved Windjammer for lunch. Got to my room. On third drink. Drink package already worth it.

Lots of new content on my Royal Caribbean blog guys! Let me know what you think! https://www.chriswongvlogs.com/work-on-a-cruise-ship-uk

If you want to see a comedy show just go the Windjammer everyday. That is one of the best people watching venues around. You won`t be disappointed. No reservations required.

@CHRIS WONG VLOGS meet @twangster...our resident photographer, Mr. Knowledgeable, and climbing the C&A ladder probably faster than anyone else here! ?