Aron_Ross

I find it easier, and frequently cheaper, to book a round trip flight rather than 2 one way flights from different airports.  

Radiance does round trip Vancouver, which is easier to manage than ovations Vancouver to Seattle. 
Better than either one would be a one way Vancouver to Seward.

I would pick Radiance for the ship and views, and ability to get in a bit closer to the glaciers.
I would pick Ovation for the Sitka stop. I love Sitka!

@SolariumSnoozer Wow what an in depth review.  Sorry to hear the ship wasn’t the greatest.  Thank you for your input and sharing those awesome photos! 
I appreciate everyone's thoughts and input.  Seems like no matter what you do, or which ship one sails on, Alaska is one amazing place!  I would love to sail on a Quantum class ship, and wish it could do that same itinerary as the May 11th Radiance sailing.  It would be an interesting comparison, especially since I will be sailing on Harmony (1st Oasis Class sailing) this coming November..... 69 days to go!!
 

We just had a live blog from Radiance on an Alaska cruise: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/category/category/radiance-of-the-seas-live-blog

There is one in May 2023 that is eight nights, round-trip Vancouver. It’s a unique itinerary, not the normal north or south bound.

Thought I would add my two cents:
Got off Radiance of the Seas on August 26 (turns out right as Jenna got on). The cruise was a 7 day southbound cruise from Seward to Vancouver. This was my 12th cruise on Royal Caribbean but my first time in Alaska.  Main takeaway:
As cruises go, this was our worst Royal cruise ever However, it had no effect on our vacation. Alaska was fantastic and I WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN. What was wrong with the cruise:
Wifi and internet were awful.  I knew the internet would be slow so I only purchased surf and stream for one device and shared it with my wife.  None of our devices would stay on WiFi.  We were constantly having to rejoin the WiFi network and if we wanted internet we would have to log into our account over and over again.  At times, we couldn’t even use the WiFi to look at the menus.  There was also no WiFi in our stateroom, we had to leave the stateroom to do anything. It was beyond frustrating. The bartenders were awful. Every drink we ordered was half to three quarters full and not prepared well. We were using our diamond drinks, so we didn’t complain too much but it was an issue. i am guessing that the crew was very inexperienced. There were way too many little forgetful errors.  Received clean towels but no wash clothes, items ordered at dinner were never delivered, etc.  Little things like this happen on every cruise but this just seemed to happen multiple times a day.  It did not appear to be the crew’s lack of effort or caring either.  The crew worked hard and when you asked or reminded them about something they appeared genuinely.apologetic and reacted immediately.  The entertainment was awful, we found time to attend 2 shows but never went back. Bottom line, the cruise experience was not up to the Royal standard we have come to expect. in May 2023, I would not expect an improvement in WiFi, internet access or entertainment but I would expect a different crew and hopefully one with more experience.
Why didn’t it matter? Because you are in Alaska.  We weren’t on the ship that much, it really was just a place to sleep and eat and you really don’t have to count on the ship for entertainment or activities. At the end of most days we were so tired we would prepare for the next and go to  sleep. The sights are unbelievable, everyone says the pictures don’t do it justice and they are correct. I believe you should pick the cruise that permits you to accomplish the things you want to do and see in Alaska. 
Why did we pick Radiance? We wanted to do a land portion first, including Denali and we wanted to take the Alaskan railroad. The Seward to Vancouver cruise completed our itinerary perfectly.
Our ports are the same as yours but the same excursion in May are likely to be different than in August. Not better or worse just different.
We stopped in Juneau and our excursion was a whale watching tour and then a short hike to Mendenhall Glacier. I highly recommend this excursion.

In Skagway we.took a canoe ride to Davidson glacier.

 
In Icy Strait Point we went on a Spasski River bear and wildlife search.

 
Finally in Ketchikan, we went on a Misty Fjord flight seeing tour.


Happy to answer any questions.

I've only been on a few cruises but I'm excited for Radiance. We no longer have kids traveling with us & we are planning on busy days in Alaska. I think it's big enough for this trip for sure. We are traveling with others who have never cruised before so they won't have anything to compare it to. 

I notice a lot of people seem to dislike Radiance.  Personally, I enjoy her, but that's neither here nor there.
If you take a Radiance class ship, come prepared.  These ships were built to fit through the original locks of the Panama Canal.  This makes it much smaller than most other Royal ships and they simply don't have room for all of the bells and whistles.
Which leads me to another point.  If the original Panama Canal is on your bucket list, do it quick.  There's no telling how much longer Royal, or its competitors, are going to keep these aging ships!  Once they are gone, it will be very difficult to see the original canal.

Alaska was wonderful.  We did the 4 day land option to Denali then picked up Radiance of the Sea at Seward, arriving at Vancouver in July, 2022.  We would do it again in a minute.  We loved the land portion and the ports in Alaska.  I do agree that Radiance was a bit of a disappointment.  It was an older ship, fewer entertainment and dining options.  We took a family cruise in July, 2019, round trip leaving from Seattle on Ovation to Alaska and liked the ship much better but had fewer ports.  We really liked Ketchikan that was unavailable on the round trip cruise.
Either the one way or round trip was a wonderful trip.  Enjoy Alaska!

Yes, I am originally from NYC myself but made the move to NJ almost 25 years ago. Ironically I've never taken a cruise from here. I've done 1 out of Florida and 2 out of Puerto Rico. Alaska is definitely a big deal, I hate to fly and I'm already nervous about it! I love planning vacations though. 
Aruba & Curacao are both amazing, I've been to both of them twice. Curacao was so fun to just walk around town on our own and explore. We did a beach excursion through the ship in the morning, went back and had lunch on the ship then toured Curacao. We had drinks at that place by the Queen Emma Bridge and just watched it for like an hour before heading back to the ship.
We did Trikes Aruba and toured the island in the morning then spent the day at the beach & had a fabulous dinner at Barefoot Aruba.  
You will love it there!

I did the northbound cruise on Radiance back in June. Great cruise.  My advice:
1. Take this cruise because you want to see Alaska.  Radiance is a beautiful ship, but doesn't have the floating amusement park activities that larger ships have.
2. Plan your excursions carefully.  All of the towns are walkable,  but there's lots to see outside of town.
3. Keep you eyes open while on the ship. Whale, dolphin and other wildlife sightings are common from the ship.
4. Don't forget Seward as a place worthy of a day or 2. Kenai Fjords national park is there and offers boat tours, visits to the exit glacier and hiking to the ice fields. The Alaska railroad starts in Seward as well.

No worries thanks for the update!  Good to know and I probably won't be doing it on my next cruise.  We have 150 Central Park, Chops, Wonderland and lunch at Jaime's already picked out.  

Great!! Have fun! 🙂

Jenna!!..Well hi there,  
Of course, I read every bit of your recent blog and loved it!  There was so much insight and I almost felt like I was there with you.  And yes the May 11th sailing is the one I will probably book tomorrow with MEI.  I have been going back and forth on which sailing looked the best and that one seems to be the winner.  I would love to do a Quantum class ship and Seattle is a little easier, but my girlfriend keeps reminding me that we are going for the itinerary and not the ship.  And as I stated in the thread, I am very impressed with Radiance for an older ship.  We also have never been to Vancouver, so we plan on at least two days there and then sail away.
Thank you for responding and your advice on that sailing.  I agree with everything you wrote.  I think I will be booking it for sure! 

My in-laws are diamond plus and so we chose Royal to be able to go with them. We’ve been on Disney and found it to be absolutely atrocious. 

Any questions?  
Also, chase it with a couple warm bottles of Sake.....you'll need pictures like me to remember the meal, too.  

Fixed a sentence in my earlier post.  
 
The change is an update from “table” to “Italian kitchen”.  Though most people still use the old terms. 
 
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/category/category/giovannis-italian-kitchen
 
Expect a standard menu at Giovanni’s. The new places have lighter tile and more family style look.  

Yes, but that may not be automatic.  You would have to call C&A and link the two together as a relationship.
 
Each individual in the cabin will get the discounts based on their C&A status.  The only thing that doesn't get duplicated sometimes is the crystal blocks at the 140 and subsequent 70 point milestones.

@Aron_Ross I don’t think you shared if you had previously tried any of the venues on other ships but you did mention that you have not tried Wonderland.  Wonderland is usually pretty decent (3 different ships) from our view, but you typically have to be a little open to new experiences.  
FWIW, We liked the Hibachi on Harmony.  150 was one of our favorites on Wonder but was more average to us on Harmony .  (Another couple from the SF area said it disappointed.). Jamie’s has been one of our favorites on every ship that we have been on that has one.  
Your plan looks good but I think as long as you go into each with an open mind you will be pleased.  Once you start setting expectations you might not be as happy.  
Happy planning and enjoy your cruise.

Loved 150 on Symphony. Now my favorite place for dinner. Until the next cruise at least.

Ha ha!  My wife is not really interested in Wonderland, but I would like us to try it once.  We have seen a few videos on YouTube and she is not impressed.  I am the more adventurous eater.  I would LOVE to do the Chef's Table but that would certainly be a waste of money for her.  She said I should do it without her.  I don't think I can fit it in with our 3 night pkg, Jaime's lunch and all the other free food.  Next cruise perhaps.

Hibachi is only dinner; they will have Sushi and Saki and the regular sushi offerings during lunch at Izumi's.

Thank you all for your input much appreciated! One of the reasons Izumi may not appeal to us is that we live in Los Angeles, where there is a ton of great Asian food. Let me also add that we paid for lunch at Jamie‘s Italian. We considered the dining package, but we do like the main dining room and The Windjammer, so it didn’t seem worth it.  It’s an eight night cruise to the southern Caribbean and I’m hoping there will be a lobster night.  
By the way, still dreaming about the unlimited lamb shanks on Freedom in the WJ!!

T-Minus 12 Days 
I must admit, I’m quite envious when I hear about people booking over the water cabanas at Perfect Day at Coco Cay, or eating at Coastal Kitchen, or emailing back and forth with their Genie because unless I find a magic lamp on St. Kitts, I’m not getting a Genie. How I wish I could book a suite, I mean who doesn’t want to stay in the owner’s suite with all the space, all the amenities, and a bidet, I will miss having a bidet, but since I’m on a tight budget, my rump and I will rough it in a balcony room. Like many Americans, I live from paycheck to four days before the next paycheck. Being a cheapskate comes naturally to me. Some might even say it’s a gift. Okay, okay, no one calls it a gift, especially my wife.
Here I will chronicle our seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruise on Harmony of the Seas while attempting to save as much money as possible without compromising on having fun.
I pre-booked our cruise, the deluxe drink package, internet package, and two excursions. I rushed to book the cruise instead of taking the time to try to get the best deal possible; although, I’m pleased with our deal. The reason for rushing the booking was the sale was set to expire in 1 hours and 52 minutes and I didn’t want to miss out. Little did I know that this is the sale that never ends, it goes on and on my friends. I suspect that this current sale and all the extensions date back to the day when Noah chartered the Ark of the Seas from Royal Caribbean during the Great Flood. I think I might have been bamboozled by the threat of the sale ending.
I booked all the add-ons we wanted; repricing, cancelling, and rebooking when the prices dropped. We saved on the internet package by booking one internet package with two devices instead of two individual packages. Originally, I booked the deluxe drink package for $77.99 per person/per day. My wallet wept that day. I cancelled and rebooked when the price dropped to $72.99 pp/pd. And did it once again when the price dropped to $65.99 pp/pd. My wallet no longer weeps uncontrollably, but it does whimper from time to time, not to mention, my liver is not so pleased either.
 
I’m not going to go all Ebenezer Scrooge to the point we don’t enjoy ourselves, but we are not going to spend freely like the Real Housewives of the Seas. This is our first cruise in what seems like forever and that’s a might long time, but I’m here to tell you, there’s something else, the barometer. A world of measuring how we can save on future cruses, such as the four-day Catalina and Ensenada cruise we have booked in November. The November cruise we will be thriftier. 
There are a few things I won’t skimp on and they are as follows:
1.      Gratuities. We prepaid our gratuities, but I plan on tipping above and beyond, because I may be a cheapskate, but I’m not an A-hole. Well, I may be an A-hole, but I’m not the kind of A-hole that would screw over someone else on tips just to save a few bucks.
2.      My wife made it clear that she wants something special from the ship. I plugged the words “something special” into my husband/wife translator and it comes back as jewelry.
3.      Souvenirs for the grandkids. I am thinking of something loud and obnoxious; payback is a…, well you know.   
4.      And finally, I will not lie, cheat, or scheme to get something for free. For example, if we eat at a specialty restaurant, I won’t lie to the waitstaff telling them there’s a toe in my risotto (or would it be risot-toe) just to get a free meal. Even if my risotto has a toe in it, I hate confrontation, so I’ll probably keep quite while eating around it. I’m almost certain that quality control on the Harmony of the Seas is good enough to catch a stray toe in the food being served, at least I hope so.
I will be updating a few times leading up to our cruise with my observations on the preparations and then once we board I will live blog our experience.