The intergenerational Regular Family take a Brilliant cruise to Alaska - Brilliance OTS May 12-19 2024

[Mrs. Regular]

Greetings, RC Blog friends! It's me, Mrs. Regular, back again for another blog. This year we are leaving the Regular kiddos at home and making it an extended family affair! Follow along for preparations, travel, and semi-live updates from the Brilliance of the Seas!

Background Info

Picture it... Sicily, 1929... Just kidding. I'm in my Golden Girls era so I often channel Sofia when I begin telling a story. Picture it... my living room, November 2022. Alaska 2024 deployment would be announced and bookings opened within a few days. We already had cruised in the Mediterranean, cruised from NYC down to the Bahamas, and were booked for summer 2023 on the Mariner of the Seas for my 40th birthday. Generally we are a "one cruise at a time" kind of family but something struck me about the 2024 Alaska deployment that just felt.... right. Like it was the exact right time for Mr. Regular and I do book something for ourselves. A treat. A reprieve. Alaska has been on our bucket list for a long time and at first glance when bookings became available, the price was pretty good. I knew I couldn't just book something without speaking with him first, so I laid out all the benefits and trade-offs (small ship! leaving from Vancouver! Aft balcony! I just got a pretty sizable raise so I will foot the bill! He saw no tradeoffs, lol), and got his ok to contact the travel agent. YES! It was so early in the deployment I got to hand pick our room and with over 600 days to go, we started planning and researching.

Eventually, our other extended family (mainly our parents) caught wind of our plans. We scheduled a mid-May itinerary for a few reasons, one of the best being our kids wouldn't be able to go. I know, we are Regular mean parents. But also because the likelihood of the ship being overrun by school kids would be lower. We love kids, we have two, we have kids in our family and extended friends group. There's nothing wrong with kids. But, we loved our experience cruising during a non-break time. The last two cruises we've taken have been with our kids during school breaks and they have been vastly different experiences. Not bad, but different. We wanted to return to those non-break vibes. But this time in Alaska. Anyway, our parents wanted to tag along and we were ok with that. Getting my sister to come rounds out our merry group of 6!

The Intergenerational Regular Family Tree

Me, Mrs. Regular. 40 years old. Working at a university full time and full time PhD student. I am finishing up coursework and successfully defended my proposal last month. This itinerary falls over the one break I have between spring and summer terms. I have been on 3 RC cruises and will reach Emerald on this cruise.

Husband, Mr. Regular. 45 years old. Working at the same university and teaches snow sports on the side. He is bummed there will be no skiing or snowboarding while visiting Vancouver or Alaska. Has been on the same cruises as me and will reach Emerald.

Regular Mom. My mother! 70 years young. Doesn't travel much, retired 3rd grade teacher. Has always wanted to go to Alaska. Will be her first cruise.

Regular Sister. My sis! My best friend. 38 years old, never cruised before. Just there to show up and have fun!

Regular Father-in-Law. Mr. Regular's dad. 79 years old, has cruised once before from FL. Certified renaissance man, he is an acrobatic pilot, flight instructor, motorcycle racer, and welder. Ran a multi-million dollar business but never earned a bachelor's degree. He is just so cool.

Regular Mother-in Law. Mr. Regular's mom. 84 years old, has cruised once before from FL. Recovering from a mild stroke in January, she is a remarkable person. She's improved so much in 4 months mobility and speech wise. She's still sharp as a tack but just a little slower than before. In her 80's but acts not a day over 60. 

Why are we "regular people"?

My username and the name of my cruise blogs came out of an observation that post-COVID restart, most people in the RC Blogs were taking their "revenge" travel trips and there was a run for a while of suites only travel blogs. No shade to the "suite snobs" out there or to those who are blessed enough to cruise frequently at the premium of a suite. But, while I am still fairly new to cruising I wanted to read more from perspectives that didn't go for all the extras or bells and whistles. Thus, "regular people cruising" was born! Not only do we not tend to travel in suites with the amenities, we also don't splurge on other luxuries like drink packages, unlimited dining, spa treatments, a lot of excursions, etc. Now, this will change a little bit this trip because I think Alaska affords some special opportunities.

Our Itinerary

My in-laws are flying in on their own schedule, but mom, Husband, Sis, and I are all traveling together from NJ on a direct flight to Vancouver on the 11th. Crossing fingers for smooth travels! We are all staying at the Sheraton downtown and will get brunch on the 12th before heading to Canada place to board our ship!

Day 1 - Vancouver

Day 2 - Inside Passage/At Sea

Day 3 - Sitka in the afternoon. No plans other than walking around port and maybe going to the totem poles

Day 4 -Juneau. Mom, Sis, Husband and I have the dog musher's camp excursion in the morning. Regular in-laws may or may not get off the ship, much will depend on how MIL is doing. She can do activities in small bursts but then needs time to sleep and recover. We will be done at the camp by 1 but the ship is in port until 7 p.m. so I am sure some sub-group of us will explore Juneau a bit. This night Husband and I have date night at Chops.

Day 5 - Haines. We all have the White Pass Railroad excursion booked through RC. Most looking forward to this one!

Day 6 - Tracey Arm and glacier viewing/At Sea

Day 7 - Inside Passage/At sea

Day 8 - Vancouver. The Regular In-Laws are staying at a hotel on Vancouver Island to relax for a few days and traveling home later in the week. The rest of us have a red-eye back to NJ. We will look into storing luggage somewhere and taking a tour around Vancouver before heading to the airport.

Next Update: Packing! Packing! Packing!

[JohnK6404]

Have a great time!  

[Sweety]

I love Alaska. You are going to be for a treat. Love the dog musher's excursion. Hubby always warn me, "We are not buying a husky." They are so cute. Wait until you see the eagles and whales. Beautiful. I will be following.

[melmar02]

We loved Alaska (even with the kids). I think it would be magical without them though, and you are in for a treat!

[OCSC Mike]

15 hours ago, Mrs. Regular said:

Alaska has been on our bucket list for a long time

I never even considered Alaska but my wife did and spent a year planning (with an outside company) what turned out to be a bucket list type extravagant 18-day land/sea trip in 2018. It cost a small fortune (especially given that we normally just drive to PC for 7N's in the Caribbean in an interior) but it was the best trip we've ever taken. I've been thanking her for making me go ever since. Enjoy!

[skywalk640]

Alaska is amazing, went in 2017 and it's still my favorite vacation/cruise. The White Pass Railroad is a great excursion, definitely one of the highlights for my family. Enjoy this trip!

[Ampurp85]

I am doing my first Alaskan cruise this Sept on Quantum. I too normally cruise regular. We are in Interior VB and have excursions planned for 3/4 ports. So, I am looking forward to this blog. 

[Mrs. Regular]

On 4/25/2024 at 4:06 PM, Ampurp85 said:

I am doing my first Alaskan cruise this Sept on Quantum. I too normally cruise regular. We are in Interior VB and have excursions planned for 3/4 ports. So, I am looking forward to this blog. 

I've sailed on the Anthem before so if you have any Q class questions, let me know. I'm so excited to explore the ports!

On 4/25/2024 at 12:52 PM, skywalk640 said:

Alaska is amazing, went in 2017 and it's still my favorite vacation/cruise. The White Pass Railroad is a great excursion, definitely one of the highlights for my family. Enjoy this trip!

We are so excited for that one, and even though we dock in Haines there is time to explore Skagway a bit before getting the ferry back.

On 4/25/2024 at 9:42 AM, OCSC Mike said:

I never even considered Alaska but my wife did and spent a year planning (with an outside company) what turned out to be a bucket list type extravagant 18-day land/sea trip in 2018. It cost a small fortune (especially given that we normally just drive to PC for 7N's in the Caribbean in an interior) but it was the best trip we've ever taken. I've been thanking her for making me go ever since. Enjoy!

Sounds incredible. I wish we were able to take more time to do a land and sea situation. Hopefully next time!

On 4/25/2024 at 9:33 AM, melmar02 said:

We loved Alaska (even with the kids). I think it would be magical without them though, and you are in for a treat!

With our without our kids we always have a great time cruising!

On 4/25/2024 at 1:47 AM, Sweety said:

I love Alaska. You are going to be for a treat. Love the dog musher's excursion. Hubby always warn me, "We are not buying a husky." They are so cute. Wait until you see the eagles and whales. Beautiful. I will be following.

We LOVE dogs and I am so excited to get to cuddle puppies. I admire Huskers from a distance, we are Lab people. Still work but a lot less maintenance! 

On 4/24/2024 at 11:21 PM, JohnK6404 said:

Have a great time!  

Thank you!

[Mrs. Regular]

Packing! Packing! Packing!

Thanks to the internet, I've found a ton of helpful information about preparing for an Alaska cruise. Between RCB and YouTube, there's so much out there. If there's one thing to remember, it's that layers are key. Here in the northeast, we are no strangers to varying weather conditions from March to May (and sometimes June)! My drawers are a mix of sweaters, fleece, light weight blouses, and cardigans. So, all of that will be coming with me, hahahah! I just returned from a long weekend at Disney World, so much of my travel toiletries and bits and bobs are already in the carryon suitcase. We will be checking 3 bags and using carryons and backpacks for onboard the plane.

So far, here is the list!

Clothing - for all weather! Jeans, leggings, sweaters, "fancy" dresses for formal night and Chops, swimwear for hot tub time, gym clothes

Outerwear - for all weather, but mostly chilly! I plan to bring a puffy vest, base layer, fleece jacket, water proof outer shell, knit hat, gloves, sneakers, sunglasses, and waterproof hiking shoes.

Games, books, etc, for sea days. We are on northeast time and with the sunlight going from 4:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., we anticipate being awake a lot this week and needing something to do in addition to gazing at the incredible scenery.

Alaska or cruise specific items - binoculars, bonine, hand warmers, magnetic hooks, cruise lanyards, luggage tag holders, reusable water bottles, bottles of wine (bought in Vancouver)

Anything else you would recommend adding to the list? I'm going to get a start on packing over the weekend. 11 days to go!

[OCSC Mike]

13 minutes ago, Mrs. Regular said:

water proof outer shell

Dunno if it's important based on your listed excursions (or if this is included under the above) but we found froggtogg waterproof pants very useful... however we also did 10 days on land pre-cruise, a glacier hike, dog sledding up on a mountain glacier, etc. so we used them more for being on the ice/snow than for rain, although they worked for both of course. They fit right over your jeans/hiking shoes.

[DDaley]

On 5/1/2024 at 6:03 AM, Mrs. Regular said:

I admire Huskers from a distance, we are Lab people. Still work but a lot less maintenance! 

I gotta say, my step Husky is the best dog I’ve ever owned and he seriously doesn’t take a lot of maintenance! He gets groomed 3 times a year and otherwise I brush him randomly (maybe like every 3 months?) when he looks a little fluffy. He is the calmest and sweetest boy. On walks everyone is barking and going absolutely apes%&* when they see us and we just trot right by smiling! 

Your Alaskan packing list sounds perfect! Happy to see binoculars made the cut, I spied on a treetop filled with 4 eagles with mine! If you can squeeze a mini one in, I’d recommend an umbrella too. 

[Mrs. Regular]

On 5/1/2024 at 9:32 AM, OCSC Mike said:

Dunno if it's important based on your listed excursions (or if this is included under the above) but we found froggtogg waterproof pants very useful... however we also did 10 days on land pre-cruise, a glacier hike, dog sledding up on a mountain glacier, etc. so we used them more for being on the ice/snow than for rain, although they worked for both of course. They fit right over your jeans/hiking shoes.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll keep an eye on it and run down to EMS just in case. We are now adding a bike and hike in Sitka and it could or could not rain at all, just depends. 

On 5/3/2024 at 12:54 PM, DDaley said:

I gotta say, my step Husky is the best dog I’ve ever owned and he seriously doesn’t take a lot of maintenance! He gets groomed 3 times a year and otherwise I brush him randomly (maybe like every 3 months?) when he looks a little fluffy. He is the calmest and sweetest boy. On walks everyone is barking and going absolutely apes%&* when they see us and we just trot right by smiling! 

Your Alaskan packing list sounds perfect! Happy to see binoculars made the cut, I spied on a treetop filled with 4 eagles with mine! If you can squeeze a mini one in, I’d recommend an umbrella too. 

I hear you on the grooming, my lab gets a bath and nails once a month but she sheds from December to July, and then from August to November LOL! 

We do have umbrellas!

[Mrs. Regular]

BIG NEWS! we get to add "visit the next cruise desk" to my embarkation day agenda. Last night I somehow convinced Mr. Reg to book a Symphony 7 Night Bahamas and Perfect Day out of NJ. Don't ask me how, don't ask me why, just ask me when, lol. I think it's because when pricing a 5-day Disney trip vs. a 4 night Utopia cruise vs not flying anywhere and doing 7 nights on Symphony, the money spoke for itself! I'm letting my Disney AP lapse since I don't anticipate being able to go much over the next year (I logged 17 days on my current AP but my circumstances, sadly, are changing). I still need to look a little closely at when the current promotion expires and if a different promotion takes effect on Sunday and if it's better or not as great. If it's not as great, getting $100 or whatever in onboard credit (that's usually what you get for a balcony) and a reduce deposit at Next Cruise is not really worth waiting for and I'll just ask my TA to book it before we go. We are looking at September 22-29, so I know it's a bit of a calculated risk weather wise with hurricane season but honestly we aren't in it for the itinerary as we've done it before and been to Perfect Day twice. It's all about that ship for me. Do they still give a gift for booking at Next Cruise on embarkation day?

Anyway, back to the cruise at hand (one cruise at a time, as my TA likes to say!). We are t-minus 6 days! The packing has started, the last minute bookings have been made, planning for pre-embarkation brunch in Vancouver is solidified, and the weather is looking pretty ok for traveling on Saturday (so far). Photos of packing and suitcases and backpacks, etc. to come later this week. Of course our daughter is moving out of college early now so she needs allllll the suitcases  and I told her she must empty our brand new one no later than Thursday. Mama needs to get packin!

[skywalk640]

5 hours ago, Mrs. Regular said:

BIG NEWS! we get to add "visit the next cruise desk" to my embarkation day agenda. Last night I somehow convinced Mr. Reg to book a Symphony 7 Night Bahamas and Perfect Day out of NJ. Don't ask me how, don't ask me why, just ask me when, lol. I think it's because when pricing a 5-day Disney trip vs. a 4 night Utopia cruise vs not flying anywhere and doing 7 nights on Symphony, the money spoke for itself! I'm letting my Disney AP lapse since I don't anticipate being able to go much over the next year (I logged 17 days on my current AP but my circumstances, sadly, are changing). I still need to look a little closely at when the current promotion expires and if a different promotion takes effect on Sunday and if it's better or not as great. If it's not as great, getting $100 or whatever in onboard credit (that's usually what you get for a balcony) and a reduce deposit at Next Cruise is not really worth waiting for and I'll just ask my TA to book it before we go. We are looking at September 22-29, so I know it's a bit of a calculated risk weather wise with hurricane season but honestly we aren't in it for the itinerary as we've done it before and been to Perfect Day twice. It's all about that ship for me. Do they still give a gift for booking at Next Cruise on embarkation day?

Anyway, back to the cruise at hand (one cruise at a time, as my TA likes to say!). We are t-minus 6 days! The packing has started, the last minute bookings have been made, planning for pre-embarkation brunch in Vancouver is solidified, and the weather is looking pretty ok for traveling on Saturday (so far). Photos of packing and suitcases and backpacks, etc. to come later this week. Of course our daughter is moving out of college early now so she needs allllll the suitcases  and I told her she must empty our brand new one no later than Thursday. Mama needs to get packin!

Being able to drive to the port and not having to fly is such a gamechanger, especially with how inconsistent flights have become. It's not just the money, but the peace of mind that makes it an appealing option even with more limited itineraries. Good luck with packing!

[Mrs. Regular]

17 hours ago, skywalk640 said:

Being able to drive to the port and not having to fly is such a gamechanger, especially with how inconsistent flights have become. It's not just the money, but the peace of mind that makes it an appealing option even with more limited itineraries. Good luck with packing!

AMEN TO THAT! 

[Mrs. Regular]

Just a little over 24 hours to go before we board our plane from NJ to Vancouver! Weather in the NE is terrible today but it looks like everything should be clearing up tomorrow. My travel anxiety will continue to be high until wheels are down in Vancouver but oh well. That's what cocktails are for, right?

We are packing away! It seems like we can get by with 1 checked bag, 1 rollaboard, and 2 backpacks between Mr. Regular and me. I keep reminding my mom, who has never packed light in her life, that her checked bag can't weigh over 50 pounds and she keeps buying bigger and bigger suitcases  but that will be her problem to have a bag check tomorrow, I guess.

Can't wait to add another mug and magnet to the collection!

I have a long list of housework, errands, and chores to tackle today. Oh, and doing my full time job too. Will check in from travel tomorrow!

[Mrs. Regular]

Good morning from Vancouver! Long travel day yesterday so I decided to go to bed and post an update when the jet lag set in. Ultimately, we all made it, but we did not get off to a good start. Here's what happened:

The morning started off fine. Mr. Regular and I got up and packed the car. As we were about to get going to pick up my mom, my FIL called. This normally wouldn't be cause for concern except for the fact he and MIL were supposed to be on an airplane at the time. Sadly, he was calling because they missed their flight. Apparently they made it to bag drop just fine, but FIL grossly underestimated the amount of time it would take to get through security at 5 a.m. on a Saturday morning. We love him, but the hubris of a private pilot flying commercial is tough to fight. Luckily they were rebooked but that meant instead of landing in Vancouver at noon local time they were now going to arrive at 9 p.m. local time. They decided to stay at the airport in the lounge until their next flight and they did land in Vancouver right on time last night.

Meanwhile, I was losing my mind in the car because I hate the drive to NYC. We regularly drive to NYC but usually not on such a high stakes deadline like the only direct flight across the continent. We left with 6 hours to spare but the drive to Newark was awful. It usually is but I think my anxiety was just so heightened. I am so glad we aren't flying to our next cruise, lol. We made it to Newark two hours before boarding. We parked at the exact opposite end of the airport so it took about 25 minutes to get to the terminal and luckily bag drop and security were very slow. We got to our gate area with 30 minutes to spare, which is not my preferred arrival time but it all worked out. 

Smiling through the stress.

Our flight was smooth and uneventful, we landed in Vancouver and decided to rent a car instead of coordinating multiple ride shares and we wanted to return to the airport later to pick up the in-laws. After such a long and stressful day for them, we wanted to make it as easy as possible to get to the hotel. We went through customs, picked up our luggage, got the car, and checked into our hotel. We are at the Wall Centre Sheraton downtown. Highly recommend this place, it's very nice and the location is fantastic. We are LOVING the city of Vancouver and I wish we could have come out a day or two earlier to explore more. It's beautiful here. We ate a delicious dinner at Earl's Test Kitchen, then went back to collect the in-laws after they arrived. After a quick stop at wine store to get our carryon wines, we collapsed into bed. 

I expected jet lag to have me up at 3 a.m. local time but the events of the travel day helped me stay asleep until about 5:30. Now all we have to do is look forward to boarding the ship in a few hours!

Here are some views of the descent into Vancouver, with Tahoma (Mt. Rainier) in the distance. Next stop, Brilliance!

[Sweety]

Have an awesome cruise. An Alaskan cruise is one of my favorite cruise.

[WAAAYTOOO]

UGH.  Flying across the country is hard enough without the added stress of one of your party missing their flight !  Your FIL should know better !!  Glad you made it without incident.

[Mrs. Regular]

Greetings from Canada Place! Embarkation was a long winding road but we all made it on. My MIL got a wheelchair and the lovely port staff fast tracked her and my FIL through security, customs, check in and they are comfortably hanging out in their stateroom while we are enjoying Windjammie lunch from the back dining area watching the sea planes go by. It’s the most beautiful day in Vancouver!

Our aft balcony room is ready and waiting for us! See ya for sail away!

[Mrs. Regular]

A bonus surprise, kettle with instant coffee, tea, and all the fixings in regular staterooms. What a treat!

 

we are in aft balcony on deck 8. The ship is showing her age but the crew couldn’t be lovelier and friendlier!

[Mrs. Regular]

4 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

UGH.  Flying across the country is hard enough without the added stress of one of your party missing their flight !  Your FIL should know better !!  Glad you made it without incident.

I think he felt the worst out of all of us. Lessons were learned that day!

[Mrs. Regular]

Good morning from the inside passage. Cloudy/overcast when I got up but it’s clearing up. Last night we went up to the Starquest lounge to take in the views and then passed out because, jet lag. 
 

My sister and I went to the gym this morning, she took a nice but uninspiring yoga class and I did my own workout with dumbbells and then a treadmill walk. We are spending this sea day hanging out and taking it easy, probably doing some trivia and taking in the views. It’s formal night and the first production show Now and Forever. I’m always here for a Broadway review show!

[Mrs. Regular]

Good morning from the Windjammie! Unfortunately in cold weather climates the seating area inside is too small for a nearly full ship if you get here any time after 7:30 a.m. You have to stalk and hover for an empty table or take your plate outside or to another area of the ship. 
 

Several of us are suffering from tummy discomfort due to jet lag and general adjustment to cruise food. Overall the food has been fine but we are only in the morning on day 3 and we are already getting tired of it. Luckily we have opportunity to eat in port the next three days. No one is going hungry or complaining. If you went to college in the US any time after 1995 you may be familiar with the buffet style dining halls that are often billed as “all you care to enjoy.” I usually refer to it as “more than you care to enjoy” and that’s where we’re at. Paired with some increased rocking and rolling I think we are all ready to get into port this afternoon!

We will arrive in Sitka around 12:30. My sister, Mr. Regular, and I have the bike and hike scheduled and our parents are going to hang around town.

[Mrs. Regular]

Had a great day in Sitka! The bike and hike was a great time, we recommend this but only if you have zero mobility challenges and can manage a 21 speed road bike with long but gentle uphill climbs and a two mile hike on uneven gravel trails. You do not need a lot of biking experience but you should be comfortable with cycling outside next to sporadic traffic. It was a fantastic way to learn about Sitka history and the ecology of the island.

Our bus dropped us off downtown and we walked to the totem park, then shopped for our traditional magnet souvenir at a charming artisan boutique. We caught one of the last shuttles back to the pier. We were too late for our dinner time so we took a chance on the Windjammie and were pleasantly surprised by the quality. Lunch has not been the best there but dinner was much better. Depending on how long we are in Juneau today we may or may not make it back to the MDR. I might make the effort because it’s the Italy menu, which is one of my favorites.

 

my mom went on her own tour she booked at the port that was essentially a three hour highlights tour. It stopped at the raptor center, fortress of the bear, totem park, and drove around the island. She loved it and thought it was worth the money, about $100. My in-laws stayed on the ship to rest and they plan to go to the glacier today in Juneau. Last nights entertainment was a very fun performer who had been on AGT and after I found the perfect espresso martini before bed. Super smooth waters and no rain but overcast skies this morning as we sail into Juneau.

[Mrs. Regular]

Just pulled up to the dock in Haines and it is the most incredible day!

But first, yesterday Juneau was soggy good fun! Mom, sister, husband and I did the sled dog musher’s camp in the morning. We had a great time and learned all about the history of dog sledding and the Ididerod. It rained off and on the whole day but it didn’t impede the fun at all. There weren’t any puppies, we were a little early in the season and the mama dog won’t give birth to her litter for another week yet. But we did get to meet the dog team that pulled our sled. They love running and then cuddling.

our excursion brought us back downtown around 11:30 am and we got a nice lunch at Hangar on the Wharf. It was much quieter and we got a table immediately than if we had gone to the Red Dog or Tracy’s Crab. Afterward we walked around town and eventually did go to Red Dog Saloon for a duck fart. We shopped for some souvenirs and then mom and sister decided to book a shuttle over to the glacier. Husband and I met up with the in-laws after their glacier tour and salmon bake at Alaska Brew Pub for some good IPAs. FIL is not happy with the beer selection onboard even though I warned him before we left. So he was in dire need of hops. We went back to the ship and got dinner at the Windjammer, which was again very good. I read my book and enjoyed some wine on the balcony and the clouds finally parted. We watched sail out as the sun went down.

We have the white pass summit excursion booked today and we have the most amazing weather, finally!

[Mrs. Regular]

It was an absolutely stunner of a day in Haines/Skagway. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. Now we have two cruising days before docking back in Vancouver. Tomorrow Tracy Arm and (hopefully) glacier, then back down the inside passage.

[Ampurp85]

The weather looks great and you are right. The views are stunning .

[Mrs. Regular]

Got very lucky with another amazing day for our glacier viewing! We started down the Tracy Arm fjord around 6 a.m. and reached the glacier near 8. Couldn’t have begged for a better experience! 

[Mrs. Regular]

Disembarked in Vancouver. We had two very chill days at sea. Mr. Reg and I enjoyed a dinner at Chops, we took in the views from our balcony, did some trivia, played games, and relaxed. Now waiting for my in-laws to disembark, they are in the last group and couldn’t do luggage self-assist with us. MIL is having a tough morning with mobility. They are staying at a hotel on Vancouver Island the rest of this week.

my mom, sister, husband and I will go to the aquarium this morning and then shop around and eat a meal before we need to get to the airport. We used the GreyLine and WestCoast luggage storage at the port to stash our large suitcases for the day. Highly recommend this and prepaying the night before from the ship (we had an internet package) so to skip the long line to buy the storage.

we have had a fantastic week! I’ll post an update with more pictures and final thoughts/observations soon. 

[Mrs. Regular]

Phew. We are home! I never like a red-eye, and this was no exception. Tack on a 3.5 hour drive home and then dashing to our son's first post-season baseball playoff game and we were TOAST by 9 p.m. ET. I managed to make a small dinner, do 2 loads of laundry, and clean up all the dog hair that accumulated over the week before passing out. I usually struggle with jet lag on day 2 after coming home but today hasn't been that bad. My sister is feeling a lot of land sickness, though. Mr. Regular is usually a little woozy for a week after disembarking, too. 

Anyhow, here are some wrap up observations and final thoughts on our Brilliance of the Seas Alaska cruise. Like with most opinions, these are mine. They may not be yours. They may align with your previous experience and worldview, they may not. And that's all ok. Please avoid slamming mine for slamming's sake, though here on RCB there's so much less of that than of FB or other sites.

The Itinerary

We picked this itinerary because it went to Alaska, lol. It also aligned well with the timing of my super short break from school and earlier in a shoulder season made the price point such that we could afford the aft balcony room we had. If I could change anything it would have been trading the stop in Sitka for Ketchikan but only because the photos I've seen of Ketchikan are so cool. We would also re-think sailing out of Vancouver. While we really enjoyed the city, traveling in and out of Canada so much and having to clear customs multiple times was draining on my aging parents. Next time we will probably aim for Seattle for ease of travel. 

The Ship

This ship is showing her age. She needs some major updates, new furniture, replacement mattresses, new fixtures, and pluming. Our bathroom smelled like our septic tank most of the time and no air freshener would make enough of an impact. Sometimes I could smell it in the aft hallways. Common areas of the ship are a bit run down, furniture is really showing wear and tear. However, it is SPOTLESS. Crew are cleaning all the time and take a lot of pride in making the best out of what they have to work with. I don't mind a small ship, but I did find myself missing some of the amenities of the larger ships in the fleet this cruise. We did spend a lot of time on our balcony as a result, so I guess that's a positive!

The Crew

The crew on the Brilliance are absolutely outstanding. One of the other benefits of a small ship is you get to know the crew on a human level because they aren't stretched as thin as on larger ships. We have sailed the Rhapsody, Mariner, and Anthem and this crew was the best since our Rhapsody cruise. We feel strongly crew are not there to cater to our every whim or be at our beck and call. Crew are humans with interests, families, and inner lives and deserve to be treated as such, so we like to get to know them and have conversations and build rapport. The only other ship we've had an opportunity to do that on was Rhapsody. I understand that not every crew member appreciates that so your mileage may vary. Anyway, our room steward and dining team were absolutely fantastic. We had some dietary needs and allergies in our party and the wait staff made sure everyone was accommodated and could enjoy meals in an equitable way every night. The entertainment crew are a small but mighty team of only three people to run all the events onboard. The cruise director is a friendly guy but I usually don't connect well the the CDs, I usually like to interact with the activities staff much more. We were so pleased with all the service we received this sailing!

Other Guests and use of space

There were under 200 children onboard, and they were mostly littles and elementary aged kids. We noticed maybe 4 teenagers the whole sailing. A mix of nationalities like most other cruises I've been on, but a very noticeably high concentration of Aussies onboard. We met many who were on a land tour in the USA and Canada before boarding the ship. Since this isn't a fun-in-the-sun style cruise, there were no chair hog issues on the pool deck and most people in the Solarium were great about not saving a chair and disappearing for hours. The ship was pretty full but it was fairly easy to get a seat at a show 15 minutes before curtain, but closer to the start time some shows got quite full. The Windjammie at breakfast was the only space that was very difficult to navigate. In cold weather, there simply is not enough indoor seating for everyone that wants to eat between 8 and 10 a.m. Several mornings we made plates to go and ate on another deck inside or in our staterooms. If the weather is nice enough later in the summer there is outdoor seating to the back of the Jammie which will help. But if it's raining or under 60 degrees f, you will struggle at peak times for seating. 

The entertainment & activities

A tradeoff to a small ship is an equally smaller number of things to do on a sea day or evening after being in port. Alaska is a port heavy itinerary and we were struggling with the jet lag so we only caught 3 of the evening headliner shows. We walked out of the "comedian" on night 5. He was not very engaging to us. The ship orchestra, singers, and dancers are all very talented people but the material they have to work with is not good. The Broadway review show had some good numbers in it but they did 3 songs from The Full Monty, which hasn't aged well at all as a show. It was popular when Brilliance launched and it hasn't been updated since. The Center Stage show, which is a similar variety hour style review, was much better. But my favorite thing to see on a ship is the crew flag parade. I LOVE this event! They do it in the Centrum and the crew come out to represent their countries, culture, and people. I always get very moved while watching it. We also participated in some trivia and name that tune games, and listened to some of the bands in Schooner Bar and the Centrum. We enjoyed the piano and violin duo and Blackjack Band very much. When we weren't at an activity you could usually find us on our balconies, because even though the ship may be light on activities, an Alaska cruise IS part of the entertainment just watching the inside passage go by or spotting whales and other marine life swimming near the ship.

The ports & excursions

We decided to book our excursions through Royal via the cruise planner for convenience sake. Since I had booked our rooms so early, there was nothing to book excursion wise until about 8 or so months before the cruise. I was able to take advantage of the lowest prices before they got outrageous. If I hadn't, I think we would have done more on our own or with a 3rd party. In Sitka we did the Bike and Hike, which was so fun despite the rain. In Juneau we went to the sled dog run. And we had ample time to explore Sitka and Juneau after the excursions, which was nice. We didn't have time to explore Skagway at all, which we were unhappy with. That excursion was from Haines. We docked, then took a ferry to Skagway, boarded the train at the port, took the train up the pass and then returned to downtown where we only had 30 minutes before we were required to get on the shuttle to the port to get the ferry back to Haines. The excursion was billed as 7 hours with more free time in Skagway than we got, which was disappointing because we had picked out places to visit and eat in town. We asked if we could get a later ferry and were emphatically told no, mostly due to capacity on the ferry that runs between Skagway and Haines. I appreciate not displacing full time residents and locals, but I wish the amount of time in Skagway had been better communicated beforehand. There were many from our ship on this excursion that were also expressing displeasure to the guide. It wasn't the guide's fault, but they bore the brunt of everyone's disappointment. We had some unexpected free time in Haines, where there wasn't that much to do other than eating a very late lunch. It was a nice meal but we would have much rather been in Skagway. Our glacier viewing day was spectacular! While not a port or excursion it was a truly remarkable way to spend a morning.

The Food and Drink

Food on this cruise was ok. It wasn't bad, but not much to write home about. I've felt ambivalent to "meh" about the updated menus. There were benefits and tradeoffs to the change last year, one benefit being a more streamlined experience and tradeoff being loss of variety and lower quality in the dining room. We tried the Windjammer for all three meals over the course of the week and I was pleasantly surprised at how good dinner was. Even though Windjammie dinner menus aren't much different from selections in the MDR, it's nice to have the additional options of the pizza, salad bar, other desserts, and soft serv if we wanted it. I missed getting to the MDR in time to get the Italy menu so I went up to the buffet and sampled almost everything anyway and had extra desserts! I ordered room service breakfast twice. The first was the free continental items like croissants, coffee, and fruits. The other time was hot breakfast of an omlette, bacon, hashbrowns, coffee, and toast. Both times were fine but I wish the hot breakfast was included like it used to be when the restart was happening. It wasn't worth the delivery fee. Bar service was fine, some bartenders were better than others but overall met our needs. We had refreshment packages and carried on 4 bottles of wine plus ordered wine and cheese delivery to our rooms through Royal. We ordered cocktails a la carte and spent waaaaay less than a deluxe beverage package would have but Alaska vibes are very different from Caribbean vibes. 

Final thoughts

Would we go to Alaska again? YES!

Would we do some things differently next time? Also yes.

What would we do differently? If we could have traveled to Vancouver earlier than the day before the cruise, we should have done that to help us adjust to the jet lag. We would have also thought about mobility and accessibility needs more after MIL's stroke. We were caught unaware about how much disembarkation would be hard for her and there were only 5 wheelchairs available that could only be operated by staff so the wait to disembark was excruciatingly long. 

Would we sail on the Brilliance of the Seas again? Unlikely. This is no shade or a knock on the crew or the ship itself. There was nothing terrible about our experience. But, I think if we were to do Alaska again I would advocate for either sailing from Seattle on a more modern ship or even think about a different cruise line from Vancouver that may be visiting other ports.

 

Please post questions if I can help with your future Alaska cruise or sailing on the Brilliance from other ports of call!

[WAAAYTOOO]

Absolutely awesome blog and review.  Thank you !