NeonD7

If you want to do "touristy" things, there is always Ron Jon's if you head south on A1A.  If you have most of the day to spend, you could visit Kennedy Space Center, there are nice exhibits and a bus ride that takes you all over the center.  There area  couple of nice seafood restaurants at the port (Rusty's, Grills, etc).  Lots of people like visiting the Cape Canaveral Pier.  
I assume you will be taking the Oasis out - I'm jealous!!  I live close by there, from Merritt Island we can see the Oasis sticking up on Port Canaveral skyline......

There were definitely some changes we noticed since our last cruise!!  My wife and I boarded the Enchantment last Friday at Port Canaveral.  I didn't notice if there was a D+ line through security, as we blazed through using the Suite line.  Once through that, we went to the Suite line at the counter, which was next to the D+ line.  Turns out we didn't even need to go to the counter - since we had uploaded recent photos when we did our online check in (totally different than it used to be - but it is quick and easy now!!) and the sign & sail form we printed out at home allowed us to directly board the ship.  The room keys they used to give you at the counter are now waiting for you on your cabin door, which you can get to at 1:30.  It was a little eerie having the room keys stuck on the door, but since your luggage isn't in the room, nobody could gain anything by swiping them.
That new process really did expedite the boarding process.  Kudos to RC for doing some thing new!  It was weird boarding the ship without our sea passes in hand, but total time from drop off to walking on the ship was about five minutes. 

I've been on two Southbound Radiance Alaska cruises out of Seward.  Of all our cruises, these two were hands down our favorite.  It is a long trip from Florida, but worth it.  My wife and I fly into Anchorage a day early, stay at the recommended hotel there, and in the morning they collect your luggage downstairs and truck it down to Seward.  Sure beats lugging it around!!  The first time (2013) we took the three hour bus ride from Anchorage to Seward, it departs from that same hotel so its very convenient.  We thought it was some of the best scenery ever (compared to flat, hot, and boring Florida) and the bus driver did a fantastic narration of all the landmarks.  The older couple seated next to us laughed at us as we were wide eyed and taking pictures of the "mountains" we drove by as we exited Anchorage, they said "This must be your first time here, right?"  They said don't worry about those mountains, the good ones were coming up later in the trip.  Boy were they right!!
The second cruise (2016) we dropped off our luggage and then took the shuttle over to the train station located next to the airport.  We then had an AWESOME five hour glass domed train ride down to Seward - each car has two attendants serving food and drinks.  The train would slow down and the conductor would also point out things of interest along the way (moose, bears, etc).  We were seated at a four top table and had a very nice couple we shared the table with.  The first hour or so, the train parallels the path the bus took, but after that it veers off into the mountains for HOURS of stunning scenery.  What a great way to start your voyage!  You step off the train right at the pier and walk a short distance to the Royal Caribbean building where they check your ID and then you board the ship.  
Regarding the differences in itineraries, if you take the Serenade, you would miss out on Icy Straight and Hubbard Glacier.  We really love Icy Straight, there is some nice hiking and scenery, although its becoming very "touristy".  Both give you Skagway, which has the White Pass train tour that is a MUST to take.  
The ships are both the same class of ship (Radiance class) and will give you roughly the same on board experience.  I was on the Serenade last month out of Boston for a Fall Foliage cruise.  The outside of the ship was looking a little tired, rusty, and in need of painting, but inside, both ships are well maintained with identical layout.  
So...my vote is the South bound cruise.  But either way, you can't lose!

Enjoy the Enchantment - we love that ship!!  We are so glad it is back local to us and the Majesty is gone.  The new terminal at Port Canaveral (10 minutes from my front door) is really nice and is much more efficient at getting people checked in.  For a ship the size of the Enchantment, check in using the "general" line isn't too bad.  It looks worse than it is, waiting through the security line out front takes the most time.  Once you get through that, the line upstairs to the counter moves really quick because they have a huge number of check in agents working.  On an Oasis class ship, unless your Diamond or a suite guest, it takes a LOT longer to get those thousands of extra passengers checked in......
My wife and I are counting down until Dec 14th when we will be going out on the Enchantment.  ?  We have been on a lot of Royal Caribbean ships and still feel that the Chops restaurant on the Enchantment is the best in the fleet, topped only by 150 Central Park restaurant on the Oasis.  

I've been on two Southbound Radiance Alaska cruises out of Seward.  Of all our cruises, these two were hands down our favorite.  It is a long trip from Florida, but worth it.  My wife and I fly into Anchorage a day early, stay at the recommended hotel there, and in the morning they collect your luggage downstairs and truck it down to Seward.  Sure beats lugging it around!!  The first time (2013) we took the three hour bus ride from Anchorage to Seward, it departs from that same hotel so its very convenient.  We thought it was some of the best scenery ever (compared to flat, hot, and boring Florida) and the bus driver did a fantastic narration of all the landmarks.  The older couple seated next to us laughed at us as we were wide eyed and taking pictures of the "mountains" we drove by as we exited Anchorage, they said "This must be your first time here, right?"  They said don't worry about those mountains, the good ones were coming up later in the trip.  Boy were they right!!
The second cruise (2016) we dropped off our luggage and then took the shuttle over to the train station located next to the airport.  We then had an AWESOME five hour glass domed train ride down to Seward - each car has two attendants serving food and drinks.  The train would slow down and the conductor would also point out things of interest along the way (moose, bears, etc).  We were seated at a four top table and had a very nice couple we shared the table with.  The first hour or so, the train parallels the path the bus took, but after that it veers off into the mountains for HOURS of stunning scenery.  What a great way to start your voyage!  You step off the train right at the pier and walk a short distance to the Royal Caribbean building where they check your ID and then you board the ship.  
Regarding the differences in itineraries, if you take the Serenade, you would miss out on Icy Straight and Hubbard Glacier.  We really love Icy Straight, there is some nice hiking and scenery, although its becoming very "touristy".  Both give you Skagway, which has the White Pass train tour that is a MUST to take.  
The ships are both the same class of ship (Radiance class) and will give you roughly the same on board experience.  I was on the Serenade last month out of Boston for a Fall Foliage cruise.  The outside of the ship was looking a little tired, rusty, and in need of painting, but inside, both ships are well maintained with identical layout.  
So...my vote is the South bound cruise.  But either way, you can't lose!

They are the same class of ship (Radiance Class) so differences between them are trivial.
The real difference is Serenade will do a roundtrip 7-nighters, whereas Radiance will do one-way 7-night sailings. So with Radiance, you either have to fly to/from Alaska or do a 14 night back to back cruise in order to complete a roundtrip.  The advantage of Radiance, is you see much more of Alaska via more stops.

Based only on itinerary as I've never been on Sereade.
Radiance - Icy Strait Pointe and Hubbard were highlights of our Alaska cruise.

I'm so glad I checked this message board earlier today!  My wife and I just got off the phone with a Royal Caribbean booking agent - we snagged a Grand Suite on the May 22nd 2020 southbound Alaska sailing!  We love going early in the season to get the coldest possible weather (and its a little cheaper).  As Floridians, cold weather is a novelty for us so we enjoy it when we can.
This will be our third time on the Radiance, we absolutely LOVE that ship.  We were on its sister ship, the Serenade, last month out of Boston and it was nice to be on a familiar ship.  We are already booked on a round trip Alaska cruise out of Seattle for next year on the Ovation, so we get a different glacier and a few other stops.  
Now the LONG wait begins......  Pssssst.  Is it 2020 yet???  

I am finding this survey is asking me to make an impossible decision!  I'll gladly sail any RC ship - although I'll hesitate to step back on the Majesty.  It doesn't offer Chops or a few other options the rest of the fleet offers.  Some people seem to favor either a small or large ship, but I love the Enchantment as much as I love the Oasis.  So.... I'll have to sit this survey out.  ?  

My wife and I love the Enchantment - we really enjoy sailing three night weekend cruises when we want to get away for a weekend.  It doesn't feel really small and it has a very nice Chops restaurant, unlike the smaller Majesty.  We also love the big ships like the Oasis and Freedom.  If its your fist cruise, your doing it right, start with the smaller ships and then work your way up.  I saw people mention the Radiance class ships, also a nice size, my wife and I have done two week long cruises in Alaska on the Radiance and loved every minute.  I think the Radiance has one of the best windjammers in the fleet.  

Alaska is my wife and I's favorite place to cruise!!  What route did you take?  Both times we flew into Anchorage and sailed out of Seward on the Radiance of the Seas on the southern route to Vancouver.  The first time we took the bus to Seward and thought that was the coolest bus ride ever.  The second time we took the train to Seward and were speechless - BEST TRAIN RIDE EVER!!  Sitting at a four top table in a glass topped train car with two very nice attendants serving food and drinks the entire time was an incredible experience.  It was hard to believe it was a five hour ride, it went by so fast.
Next June we will be sailing the round trip route out of Seattle on the Ovation, it has a slightly different itinerary so we can experience a few different stops.  We look forward to your review!

Alaska is my wife and I's favorite place to cruise!!  What route did you take?  Both times we flew into Anchorage and sailed out of Seward on the Radiance of the Seas on the southern route to Vancouver.  The first time we took the bus to Seward and thought that was the coolest bus ride ever.  The second time we took the train to Seward and were speechless - BEST TRAIN RIDE EVER!!  Sitting at a four top table in a glass topped train car with two very nice attendants serving food and drinks the entire time was an incredible experience.  It was hard to believe it was a five hour ride, it went by so fast.
Next June we will be sailing the round trip route out of Seattle on the Ovation, it has a slightly different itinerary so we can experience a few different stops.  We look forward to your review!

I'm having a bit of a time getting my C&A account straightened out since the website "upgrade".  In my opinion, its a raging dumpster fire.  After the Majesty cruise last month, my wife's points bumped from 133 to 139.  Mine didn't.  I finally checked my 20 year old son's account and his was at 139 (he has been on a total of one cruise with RC...lol).  The cruise showed up in my past history, but the points went to him!!!  I'm curious to find out where the points go from the Oasis cruise we just got back from yesterday, that will add another 14.
I've tried MULTIPLE phone calls and they all say my "reciprocal" status is at 139 (because of my wife) even though my points show at 133 on my RC login page.  They can't tell my why my son's jumped to 139 then.  I'm very frustrated.  My son is 20 and doesn't live with us anymore, but his page shows more than mine.  Very frustrated.  I thought once they turned 18 the reciprocal status stopped.  Either way, he will be diamond for the Mariner cruise we are taking him on next February for his 21'st birthday.  We got him a JS for him and his longtime girlfriend.  
So..... moral of the story - no clue why he continues to accumulate reciprocal C&A points even though he is 20..... 

Similarly, i received a call once to upgrade from a JS to a 1br Aquatheater Suite for $300 total about 2 weeks before sailing.  Jumped at the opportunity.

My wife and I were on the Oasis last April and will be on it again next month.  Although bigger isn't better, we loved it and have been looking forward to going out on it again!  I'm sorry your family had a bad experience..... I do know mileage may vary!  
We had a crown loft, our attendant was top notch.  We saw her a lot in the hall, and she was always friendly and greeted us by name.  I'll assume the staff up there is hand picked, but my folks and sister just returned from an Oasis cruise last month and had great room stewards in their regular balcony cabins. There are definitely a ton of people on that ship, but the sheer size of that ship and amount of things going on in different places helps disperse crowds.  A few times some areas can get a little crowded, but there were choke points even on the Majesty cruise I returned from last weekend.  That certainly isn't a big ship, so there will always be some areas that get congested no matter what ship you are on.   I've had bad experiences with "My Time Dining" on every ship I've tried it on.  I feel its a bad system.  I like a set Main Dining time - after the first night, you go right to your table, no waiting, and you get the same servers who get to know what you like.  And of course reservation for Chops & Izumies break up the dining monotony on a long voyage.   I totally agree with you -  I've been noticing the quality of the food has been circling the drain for many years and it does disappoint me.  Last year we only went to the Windjammer on the Oasis twice.  I'll be honest, the Coast Kitchen had us spoiled!!  Last weekend's lunch offerings on the Majesty WindJammer was a dumpster fire.  Thank God they had a nice roast beef I was able to fill up on as not much else was edible.   All of my interactions with RC staff has been great, my wife and I have been very happy with how we have been treated.  With the exception of the NextCruise guy who repeatedly passed rancid gas the entire time we were helping a friend book a cruise, we have had great experiences.  We treat the RC employees respectfully and its reciprocated.  On the other hand, I've seen some arrogant Pinnacle's showing their rear, snapping their fingers and pounding on the bar - act like a spoiled brat, get treated like one.....   Anyway, hopefully next month's Oasis cruise will be as good (or better) than last years.  :-)  

My wife and I were on the Oasis last April and will be on it again next month.  Although bigger isn't better, we loved it and have been looking forward to going out on it again!  I'm sorry your family had a bad experience..... I do know mileage may vary!  
We had a crown loft, our attendant was top notch.  We saw her a lot in the hall, and she was always friendly and greeted us by name.  I'll assume the staff up there is hand picked, but my folks and sister just returned from an Oasis cruise last month and had great room stewards in their regular balcony cabins. There are definitely a ton of people on that ship, but the sheer size of that ship and amount of things going on in different places helps disperse crowds.  A few times some areas can get a little crowded, but there were choke points even on the Majesty cruise I returned from last weekend.  That certainly isn't a big ship, so there will always be some areas that get congested no matter what ship you are on.   I've had bad experiences with "My Time Dining" on every ship I've tried it on.  I feel its a bad system.  I like a set Main Dining time - after the first night, you go right to your table, no waiting, and you get the same servers who get to know what you like.  And of course reservation for Chops & Izumies break up the dining monotony on a long voyage.   I totally agree with you -  I've been noticing the quality of the food has been circling the drain for many years and it does disappoint me.  Last year we only went to the Windjammer on the Oasis twice.  I'll be honest, the Coast Kitchen had us spoiled!!  Last weekend's lunch offerings on the Majesty WindJammer was a dumpster fire.  Thank God they had a nice roast beef I was able to fill up on as not much else was edible.   All of my interactions with RC staff has been great, my wife and I have been very happy with how we have been treated.  With the exception of the NextCruise guy who repeatedly passed rancid gas the entire time we were helping a friend book a cruise, we have had great experiences.  We treat the RC employees respectfully and its reciprocated.  On the other hand, I've seen some arrogant Pinnacle's showing their rear, snapping their fingers and pounding on the bar - act like a spoiled brat, get treated like one.....   Anyway, hopefully next month's Oasis cruise will be as good (or better) than last years.  :-)  

I just stepped off the Majesty this morning and I'll share my experiences:
It is definitely an old, small ship, and it had been eight years since my last time on a Sovereign class.  Not sure how it looked going into the refurb last month, but there was new carpet everywhere (along with the "new carpet" smell) and all the outside surfaces seemed to be freshly painted.  Everything worked, we didn’t see anything broken on the ship.  We didn’t notice any of the sewer smells that others had written about, so they must have fixed that during the plumbing work in dry dock.  It was also very clean.  We were in Owners Suite 1020, which was in great shape, although the mattress was very thin and uncomfortable.  
The Windjammer food area is the dinkiest I’ve ever seen, very little variety is offered.  Ironically, the seating area is very spacious, which is the exact opposite of the Enchantment (always hard to find a place to sit).  Thankfully, they had a carved roast beef every day that was pretty good.  The food in the main dining room was mediocre and it was fairly cramped with tables very close to each other.  Our servers were very nice and our stateroom attendant Jose was wonderful, one of the friendliest we have ever had.  There was a ventriloquist show Saturday night, but we didn’t make it to that. 
The Diamond lounge was the front half of the Viking crown lounge on deck 14, it wasn’t closed off with a separate door, but they did check your sea pass card if you ordered anything.  The staff working the lounge were not very attentive, we would go long stretches without seeing anyone.  They also had a penchant to lie to our face.... My wife and I big wine fans.  We have been to a million wine tastings, and have a pretty well tuned taste buds.  So when we requested a glass of Cabernet, both evenings we were given a glass of Cabernet.  And the second glass they gave us both nights was Merlot.  They looked us in the eye and swore up and down it was from the same bottle, but in what altered universe does a wine go from being reddish color to purple and from dry to sweet in 20 minutes??  That first night we both took a sip of the second glass, looked at each other and said "this is a Merlot".  Oh well.  At least it was free.  Speaking of drinks, the lady working the Schooner bar was excellent.  Everyone was onshore in Coco Cay that day, so she was happy to have someone there to talk to, and she mixed us up some extra strong drinks.  
We had very smooth sailing, the seas were calm and the temps were perfect so I have no idea how well that ship would handle in rougher weather.  We got into Nassau at noon on Saturday and were in the close berth right next to the gate.  It can be a long walk if your ship is in the 4th berth.  Sunday we tendered at Coco Cay, but didn’t go ashore.  We had expected more of the new pier to have been completed, but it only looks like they had sunk about 15 pilings.  Not very much after this many months under construction! 
All in all, we had a great time, we had low expectations going in, so we didn’t have any surprises.  It was a nice weekend trip and we were happy how smoothly everything went!  My wife and  I have now sailed on all three of the Sovereign class vessels.   We are now counting down the days until next month's Oasis trip!  

I know you have already made your decision on  choosing the ATS, but now in the back of your mind you will always wonder if you made the right decision.  My recommendation is to book another cruise later in the year in a crown loft.  :-)  
My wife and I sailed on the Oasis last year in a crown loft and are doing it again in a few months.  We have never tried an ATS, but after having such an awesome time up in the "penthouse" of the ship, we never looked back.  We LOVED the breathtaking views from the huge balcony up on the 17th floor, we had a side facing cabin so it was nice and private.  We also used the coastal kitchen a lot, and the concierge lounge was there as well.  We found the crown loft the perfect place to call our home for seven nights.  

I know you have already made your decision on  choosing the ATS, but now in the back of your mind you will always wonder if you made the right decision.  My recommendation is to book another cruise later in the year in a crown loft.  :-)  
My wife and I sailed on the Oasis last year in a crown loft and are doing it again in a few months.  We have never tried an ATS, but after having such an awesome time up in the "penthouse" of the ship, we never looked back.  We LOVED the breathtaking views from the huge balcony up on the 17th floor, we had a side facing cabin so it was nice and private.  We also used the coastal kitchen a lot, and the concierge lounge was there as well.  We found the crown loft the perfect place to call our home for seven nights.  

As you can see in my signature, my wife and I have seven eight cruises on the books as we steadily inch our way to Diamond Plus.  :-)   Getting very close now!
In late 2019 when the Mariner makes Port Canaveral its home, we plan on taking that ship for three day weekends on an every other month basis.  

Yet another reason to book a Grand Suite or above and get complimentary VOOM for the entire cruise!  :-)  It is very easy to get spoiled that way.....  Of course I'm sure that cost if factored into the price of the booking.......

I feel your pain.... my wife and I have seven cruises lined up on the books.  I look at the calendar and its like watching paint dry as I'm waiting for the cruises to finally get here!!  

We three!!! Actually we have 10.

Only 4 booked for me....but the years not over yet!

OMG! ME TOO!!! LOL