Lizk Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 We are planning to book an Alaskan cruise for June 2017 for our family of four, with kids age 13 and 10. Both Explorer and Radiance are sailing Alaska then. Which would you pick? And would you choose based on the ship itself or on the itenerary? Thanks for your help! MNatoshaMt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 I would pick Explorer for the greater range in onboard activities for the kids. AGSLC5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGSLC5 Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 I would pick Explorer for the same reason Matt said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lvscruzn Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 Hi there Lizk! and welcome. My husband and I recently booked our Alaskan trip for August 2017. We chose Radiance and based it on the itinerary. We are doing 4 days land first then going from Alaska to Vancouver for a total of 11 nights. I have found that when reading different threads on which ship to go on it is usually divided about 50/50 on an answer. We went on one ship that a lot of individuals recommended and we ended up liking a different one in the same class better. So we just find an Itinerary, find a date and see what ship goes on the date we want the book! Good luck! :rolleyes: Jerel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerel Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 Me and my better half were wondering the same thing. Id rather do the Radiance ship wise but that would mean a one way trip, either Vancouver to Alaska or vise versa. Unfortunately flights in and out of Alaska are expensive and take many connecting flights. So although the itinerary and ship is preferred with the Radiance route, we will probably pick the Explorer route based on flights. Plus I'm a sucker for visiting baseball stadiums and this would give me that opertunity in Seattle. Lvscruzn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 What are you wanting out of an Alaska cruise? You really can't compare the two as they are completely different itineraries. If you want to minimize travel expenses and just see some of the inside passage, the Explorer is the ship for you. If you want to see the most of Alaska, then Radiance is the only choice. Todd, DaveWithHat, Jerel and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asutisna Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 My kids are 14 and 15, and I spent a lot of time going back and forth on the same question. The Explorer looks amazing, but the itinerary not as much. One thing I discovered in my research is that the solarium pool on the explorer is not covered and using the pool will be somewhat important to us. The Radiance's solarium pool is completely glass covered making it usable even in cold weather. And while it is adults only, they will open it for kids during certain hours when weather makes the other pools unusable. Both have great arcades, rock climbing walls, and mini-golf. We ended up booking a fabulous itinerary on the May 17, 2017 sailing for 9 nights on the Radiance. The rates are amazing right now, and I was able to get 2 connecting cabins. Good luck making your decision. I am sure whichever you choose, you will have a wonderful time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 Keep in mind that the Radiance has an arcade, mini golf, and rock climbing, too. Depending on when you're going, weather may be less of a concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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