June 12th to June 19th, 2009 (updated April 14, 2013)
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| Dave and Gloria |
In June of
2009, I went with the Melians to Alaska to celebrate Dave and Gloria’s
50th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of David and Denise, their son and
daughter-in-law. Along for the celebration were Dave and Gloria’s
daughter Kathleen Zadikian, her sons Alec and Lucas, David’s daughter Sarah,
Adel and Fran Montasir, Jim Melian and… me! We left (most of us) on
June 12th or a few days before in some cases (Dave, Gloria and Jim,
& David and Denise went on a cruise-tour to Denali National Park for
several days before we all boarded the ship at Seward on June 12th).
The Itinerary: if
it’s Saturday, it must be…
Friday
6/12/09: Phoenix to Anchorage on Alaska Airlines
We had to
get to the airport by about 4:30 am or so – so I picked up Fran and Adel
Montasir who would be traveling with me at 4:15 am. We parked my truck at an
off-airport lot and their van took us to Terminal 2. My carry-on was
given “special” treatment and my electronics snooped through, poked and
prodded, etc. The lady also gave my Vick’s Vapo-Rub some special
consideration, taking a sample and testing it to see if it was some kind of
incendiary device.
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| My ride to Alaska |
Finally, I
was able to move on to the gate and waited to board the plane for
Seattle. We took off to the east and the route took us over
Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, St George, Ely and I could see Mt Rainier to port as
we approached Seattle, circled and landed to the north. I talked
with my seat-row mates quite a bit – a couple who would be cruising almost the same
route on the Ryndam as we would on RCCL's Radiance of the Seas. Nice folks –
and we had the same flights home so we promised to compare notes on our
experiences afterward. I gave them my window seat as I often prefer
the aisle these days. Between Phoenix
and Seattle I watched a movie on my new DVD player – "The Ladykillers"
with Tom Hanks. The flight out of Seattle to Anchorage was also pretty smooth and at times I could see the heavily snow-clad mountain peaks along the Inside
Passage and the SE Alaska coastline that we would be cruising in the next few
days.
No second movie
though – the batteries in my player are only good for about one
film. We approached Anchorage from east to west and did a downwind
south of the field, circling around on a base-leg over the Cook
Inlet. I hate landings in 737s – it always feels like you are going
to be thrown through the cockpit windows as the plane falls
apart. Just seems to be the nature of the thing. Maybe
because I always sit in the rear, I don’t know. At Anchorage, we
collected our bags and the Royal Caribbean staff directed us to a waiting area
where we waited a few minutes for the coach to take us to Seward.
Anchorage to Seward (motorcoach)
The motor
coach took us to Seward on the… Seward Highway! Now there’s a
surprise! Our driver was a little “talky” but nice enough – some of his humor
was lost on the crowd because many of the passengers (foreigners) did not
understand American idioms. I wondered if he knew why not many were
laughing.
The road
follows the Turnagain Arm, a fjord, around to its end then curves around to the
west and up over the Kenai Range; I think that’s the name of the mountains
there. The scenery is gorgeous Alaska right out of National
Geographic, alpine, ice and snow-streaked mountain sides, the Portage Glacier
off to the east and the rather still and shallow waters of Turnagain Arm
reflecting the light to the west. Turnagain Arm has one of the most active
“bore” tides in the world but it wasn’t active when we rode by, so I missed
that bit of excitement. The driver talked of how dangerous that
water is – it has so much silt in it that it is similar to quick sand – and
many have died when they got mired and all efforts to free them failed (while
that fast-moving tide was racing in). There were some very sad stories.
Once past
the end of the fjord, we climbed up into the mountains (up and over and down to
Seward) and saw lots of tumbling creeks and lakes. There are some
ghost towns along the way. The ride was a bit long in a “stately”
bus, especially since we were anxious to get to the ship – but it was very
beautiful. My only complaint on this 127 mile ride was the driver
stopped to take a break – he probably needed it but the rest of us didn’t! Along
the way, I saw one Dall sheep up on the slope above the bus – and also a small
group of bison. It was
kind of a surprise to see bison in
Alaska.
As we
approached Seward along the shoreline of Resurrection Bay, we could see the two
cruise ships docked – the Radiance of the Seas and the Ryndam (Holland
America Line). Weather along the way that afternoon was a bit misty
at times – it never opened up and poured but there were a few
sprinkles. The entire week we had excellent weather in that regard –
it never got cold or rainy in any uncomfortable degree. I thought it
was perfect.
Friday 6/12: Embark Radiance of
the Seas at Seward
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| Radiance of the Seas at Seward, AK |
Getting off
the bus, we went through the embarkation process in fairly normal
fashion. I can’t say it was quick – but it was done fairly
efficiently considering they had 2,500 passengers to
process. Probably the biggest hold-up was security and even that
moved steadily. No complaints. Once we turned our bags
over to RCCL staff at Anchorage Airport, we didn’t have to handle them again
until we arrived in our staterooms. So that was a plus.
Once onboard
the ship, my first thought was dinner. But I checked out my quarters
(very, very nice), met my stateroom attendant (Marcia) and tried to contact
Dave. We played phone tag – but the Melians were not yet aboard. Once they
arrived, we decided we’d all meet for dinner – I believe it was the regular
seating in the main dining room at 6 pm. I do remember that first
meal was prime rib – and it was one of the better ones that week. A
few minutes before 9 pm – still in daylight – the ship moved itself away from
the pier and we followed the Ryndam at a good distance down Resurrection Bay
and out into the Gulf of Alaska. The waters in the bay were rippled
but calm and the Gulf wasn’t bad either. I don’t remember how
early I turned in – but I found a book in the ship’s library I wanted to read
and before long, I turned over, shut out the lights and went to sleep.
Friday 6/12: Overnight cruise to
Yakutat Bay and Hubbard Glacier
How strange
it is to wake up at 2:30 AM and be in daylight… At these
latitudes, it just doesn’t get dark in June. How unusual for an
Arizona boy to encounter the midnight sun for the first time! I
didn’t really sleep very well – probably also due to the excitement of being on
the cruise of a lifetime. Although for me, there may be more than just one... I am already planning more
Alaska adventures – and my thought is that someday if I have the opportunity –
I may just move there. I still haven’t seen the Aurora Borealis.
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| Hubbard Glacier |
Saturday
6/13: Hubbard Glacier
The Melians
and I did not have breakfast together too many times during the cruise – but we
did that first morning. Afterward, I can’t remember too much of what
I did until we got into Yakutat Bay in the early afternoon. Most of
the time when I had nothing planned, I walked around on the top decks, took
pictures, wandered through the shops and facilities on board, etc.
As we
entered and sailed through Yakutat Bay, I took photos of the mountains
surrounding the bay and more as we sailed around very slowly in front of the
glacier. This was one of those places that is so beautiful that you
continually snap photos -- a couple don't seem to be enough when you round the
next bend and the view seems to be a bit different -- but you end up with 3,447
photos of almost the same thing. Of course with a digital
camera (rather than expensive film) that really isn't a problem, is
it? The Ryndam was just ahead of us and I took many photos of that ship as
well.
The water in
the bay is full of silt – glacial effluent is gray-brown in color and appears
to be watery mud. The glacier is constantly moving into the sea
(it is one of the few remaining advancing glaciers in the world), so the bay
is a huge ice field. The ships have to be careful about how close
they get to the glacier’s face, as the ice is constantly breaking off and
falling into the sea as gravity takes its toll and the ice loses its base on
land.
Glacial ice
is bright
sky blue in color – caused by
hundreds of years of glacial compression (the compression "bends" the
ice and causes the light to refract a certain way). As the ice breaks off
the face, you hear a thunderous roar or clap, and then tons of ice slide down
like an avalanche into the water. I was surprised (and a bit
disappointed) that it wasn’t “bergs” or huge chunks falling into the sea – but
it was more like millions of smaller pieces sliding into the
water. Still, it was an awesome experience to be so close and
witness such natural power.
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| Rescue Boat and Intrepid Staff |
The ship’s
cruise director and his sidekick ventured off into the ice in the ship’s
“rescue boat” and filmed an episode of their daily show. They said
they even went for a swim (I didn't see it) – in survival suits obviously – or
they’d have been dead within seconds in that icy water. I was asked
later by people on the Ryndam… “what were they doing out in the little
boat? Did someone fall overboard?” Holland-America’s
cruise directors are just not as adventurous as RCCL’s!
After a
couple of hours, we slowly turned away and sailed back out toward the Gulf of
Alaska. Our ship sailed down the south side of Yakutat Bay and the
Ryndam sailed along the north shore, pretty much neck and neck. I
got some pretty photos from the top deck as we sailed together out of the bay. That
was the last we saw of Ryndam for a day – she went to Sitka while we went to
Juneau and then both ships spent the third day (Monday) at Skagway. (Oh man, I want to go to Sitka too!)
As we
departed the bay, it was dinnertime. Supper was always a
Melian-group affair in the main dining room. I don’t think there was
any night that any of us chose any other option for dinner. Our table's "waiter" was
an elegant young woman from the Philippines named Eloisa Mendoza and her
assistant was Gabriela. I believe Gabriela may have been from
India. Both gave us excellent service each night.
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| Eloisa and Gabriela |
Of course I
tried to joke around with both of them and give them a “hard
time.” They were always good-natured about it (of course they were,
that’s their JOB). They would remember any special requests that
each person had – and would bring those same things at each meal
afterward. It was kind of funny – I ordered some extra vegetables
the first or second night – and every night thereafter, Eloisa made sure I got
extra vegetables. But I didn’t want extra vegetables every time! I
ordered a glass of milk one evening with my chocolate cake – and Gabriela
brought me milk the next night too. They tried so hard to remember
everything, which is great if you think about it. If I
sailed on the Radiance again – I wouldn’t be unhappy to have these same servers
again. They were a delight.
After
dinner, most of the group went to the evening show – I am not too
“enthusiastic” about that kind of entertainment – in fact,
I loathe it – so I wandered around looking for other things to
do. The one night I went to the main show, I got a headache and left
before it was even half over. This may have been the night I tried the movie
theater at 10 pm – but that didn’t work out because of some overly
“exuberant” teens. They were nice enough kids – just noisy -- and I
am an old fuddy-duddy.
As we
enjoyed the evening on board the ship, it steadily made its way down the Gulf
of Alaska and through Icy Strait on the way to Juneau. I finally
relaxed in my cabin and read a little in the library book – First Heroes;
the Story of the Doolittle Raid -- I never did get it read
until after I got back home again. I drifted off to sleep, and
when I awoke on Sunday morning, the ship was in Stephens Passage and
approaching the Gastineau Channel on its final miles into Juneau for a port
call. I showered and had breakfast – my first excursion was going to
be whale-watching in the waters around Juneau.
Sunday 6/14/09: Docked at Juneau,
AK.
I got off
the ship among the first passengers I think – my excursion group was supposed
to meet on the pier. I quickly found my bus and boarded to wait
for the others to arrive. The bus was full by the time departure
rolled around. We drove north out of town which doesn’t take long
as Juneau is really very small – more a town than a city. The whale-watching boats leave from Auke Bay a few miles north. Our driver
pointed out the local attractions – including a quick glimpse of Mendenhall
Glacier off to our right. It was about fifteen miles to the marina. Onboard the whale-watching boat, we headed out into the Stephens Passage and Lynn
Canal off Admiralty Island. We saw quite a few whales and other sea
life as well – Steller Sea Lions, a few seals, even some eagles.
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| Juneau |
The boat
would stop when a whale was spotted and we’d drift around watching them dive and
surface. One pod was fishing cooperatively – (called) bubble net
fishing – the whales dive down deep as a group and then trap fish in a circle
of bubbles from below. As the whales come up under the fish trapped
by the bubble “net,” they simply open their mouths and swallow them all as they
surface! You could see the fish trying to escape by jumping up
out of the water ahead of the whales; I don't think too many escaped this way though. This fishing is directed by one lead whale – usually a
dominant female according to the naturalist on board with us; she also said she
had never seen this behavior before, even though it was historically
well known, so we were very lucky to witness it. It was thought it
was a behavior the whales had “lost” until just a couple of years ago when it
was finally observed again.
One
memorable scene photographed on this morning was a "buoy-condominium;" off
Juneau, we passed by a buoy with sea lions congregating on the bottom deck near
the water and an eagle perched on the top. It was high-density marine
housing! I had this scene put on my Mastercard for a time when I got
home.
Back on the
ship afterwards, I had lunch in the Windjammer buffet and then hit the town
again for a ride on the Mt. Roberts tramway and some shopping. I
really didn’t plan to do anything more than window shop but you know
how that goes… The tram ride takes only a few minutes –
and there is a visitor center at the top, a little nature area and a conservation group has a “rescued” eagle in a cabin nearby. The bird
cannot be released because of some injuries it received a few years back.
I saw a
porcupine trying to sleep in the bushes (only the second one I have ever seen), bought some postcards, gave
the clerk trouble about not knowing who the Indians were that were pictured in
some photos on the walls, and talked to Gloria, Fran, Jim and Adel who had come
up the mountain a tram or two before mine. The view from the top was spectacular and sweeping –
Juneau’s situation is very picturesque. I took photos in all
directions.
After my
tram-ride back down, I looked through a salmon packing and selling facility next to the Tramway
and then walked back toward the ship to a dockside tourist-trap
store. They had a rain jacket on sale for $20! I picked
it up, put it down, picked it up… I just couldn’t bring myself to do
it. I put it back, decided NOT to buy it… walked across the store,
saw another one (better color) and still only $20. I mean, how can
you go wrong? It seemed like it would not only be warm, but of
good quality otherwise. So, despite having no room in the suitcase,
and trying to save money not spend it, I bought it. Haven’t worn it yet, but it
WAS ONLY $20! I am such a mark.
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| Leaving Juneau |
Sunday 6/14: Overnight
cruise to Skagway
Watching the
Radiance back away from a dock is fascinating – 90,000 tons of ship the size of
an aircraft carrier moves on its own with no assistance from tugs – with
seemingly precise inch-by-inch control. The Rhapsody of the Seas was also in
Juneau, along with the Zaandam. Rhapsody left first and I watched her
as she sidled away from her pier and then moved off down the Gastineau
Channel. A few minutes later, we did the same and I could see
Rhapsody way ahead of us as we rounded the point into Stephens Passage and
moved north into the Lynn Canal toward Skagway (can you see Rhapsody in the photo?). It was dinnertime and then,
even though it was a bit chilly, I walked around on top and watched the scenery
before turning in fairly early – my excursion in Skagway was another early
one. This was one of my favorite evenings of the cruise -- the beauty of the
surroundings and the still serenity of the waters and our progress through them
was simply magical, tranquil and peaceful. It was hard to tear myself away from the railing and
go inside as it got dark.
These ships
plan their speed so you arrive at the next port precisely when scheduled – in
most cases the distance between these ports could have been covered much quicker
than we actually did.
Monday 6/15: Docked at Skagway
My
excursion, a bicycle tour down from White Pass, didn’t have that many
participants – but there were a few from the other ships in port with us
(Rhapsody, a Princess, and Ryndam). So we clambered into the van,
which is pulling a trailer with the bicycles on it – and we drive off to get
the others from their ships. The guides are two cute young ladies,
about college-age, and our driver also is very personable. Their
enthusiasm was contagious, although I am most resistant to that sort
of thing early in the morning. We cruised through town, them
talking and answering questions about their summer life there with the bicycle
tour company. We drive to the top of White Pass – about 15 or 20
miles altogether – and at the top they unload the bicycles and we pick one that
suits us. Everyone gets a helmet – and they have gloves too if we want
to use them. I do. It seems a bit chilly.
We get the
safety briefing and learn what the hand signals they will use
mean. One girl leads us, the other follows behind to help keep the
stragglers together and we head down the mountain with
the Sockeye Cycle Company! After riding the brakes for several
miles, I wonder, how long do these bicycle brake pads last on the very steep and
fifteen mile long White Pass? How many Sockeye Bicycle Tour riders
are killed each year when these brake pads fail? I’m just saying… She says
they are replaced every couple of weeks. I am not convinced. But,
we do make it to the first rest break with no lives lost; the breaks are planned at some very nice
look-out points which we share with many others who are in buses and cars – not
as intrepid as us bike riders for sure. I definitely feel
superior today. My south-end, however, is starting to get a bit
numb, but the ride and the scenery are both exhilarating.
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| We ride bikes down a mountain. |
We arrive at the USA border station. We have been riding back and
forth across the US/Canadian border on this rather snaky highway –
but there is only one station. They are used to the bike (and
probably other) tours, so the lead girl talks with them a moment or two and
then we are waved through without checks. We stop beyond the gate
for water and restroom, which I definitely need by now; then, on down the
mountain. I wish we could go just a little faster – the girls keep
our speeds low because some of the riders are very shaky and
wobbly. I don’t want to race down the mountain, but just a
little faster would be fun. As we get lower, there are a couple of
short up-hills and I almost die. How can I
get that out of breath that quickly? Anyway, the
uphills are mercifully short.
I am starting to flag as we ride into Skagway – not tire so much
maybe but I am getting a little saddle sore. I sit sideways or a
little off-center for a distance to make it “wear” on something else for a
change. Finally, we wind through Skagway and our tour is
over. I discover I have greased my pants leg on the chain – so I
walk next door to a clothing shop and buy a pair of good work
pants. I will see if the ship’s laundry can get out the grease on my
jeans when I get back (although I never did). I just wrapped them in
a plastic sack, and washed them myself when I got back
home. Unfortunately, I also bought two t-shirts that I couldn’t
resist. Where am I going to pack all this stuff for the ride
home? First a rain jacket, now three more pieces of clothing.
Now I walk
back to the ship, taking some photos along the way. The ship’s
lifeboat crews are practicing in the water beside the ship – and it is getting
a little misty or rainy. I have lunch – and then try to walk back
into Skagway to explore a little. On the dock, I change my mind as
it seems like it is going to rain a bit more. I guess that leaves me
something to do next time I go to Skagway. So, instead I watch from
the top as the helicopters and airplanes fly around, and eventually, just
before we sailed, an Alaskan ferry (Columbia) arrives and docks near
us. Rhapsody leaves first (again). And then we sail too.
Monday 6/15: Overnight cruise to
Icy Strait Point then...
Tuesday 6/16: Anchored off
Icy Strait Point and Hoonah
Icy Strait
Point is on Chichigof Island and is the home of some of Alaska’s Tlingit people. I
thought these were an Athabaskan people – but have found out they are
not. Don’t know if someone taught that wrong, or if I just was not
remembering the teaching correctly. Anyway, after breakfast, I
waited in the theater for my group to get aboard the tender for the trip
ashore. No pier here at Hoonah. They only allow one
cruise ship there at a time, so their facilities and tours are not overwhelmed.
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| Tender |
After
tendering ashore, I inquire about my bear-watching tour then have a seat to
wait for the appointed time. At about 0800, my tour escort Paula
leads us to our school bus and we head out to the back-country behind the town
to a place where soon, I'm told, bears will be hanging out, catching and eating all the
salmon they can see. Not today though, unfortunately. I
wonder if these people knew the bears were not out yet, but take our money
anyway? The thought, at least, crossed my mind. I don’t
know if any other tours today saw bears. Along with each bear watching
group goes a man with a big-bore rifle; he stays out of sight so as not to
upset the tourists… but we know he’s right there
somewhere, just in case.
The land was
beautiful – and while we waited for bears to come we talked
quietly. Paula tells us why she enjoys life there so
much. Finally, we ride back to Hoonah and I tender back out to the ship for lunch. I come
back ashore for a cooking class after lunch. This was about the only
excursion that did not meet my expectations – although if I had read a little
closer (or understood better) I probably would have realized it would not be my
ideal.
First, the
leader showed how to filet a salmon, and later, a halibut. Not
something I will ever do, unfortunately, since I buy my fish already filleted. Then, we were to grill our
fish and have lunch. Most of what they were eating, I wouldn't,
ever. I don’t care for salmon – I was hoping for the halibut and/or
crab, etc. But not much of the show was devoted to
those. The leader (a local fishwife) was very good, interesting and
friendly; it just wasn't “my” topic. So I left before it
was over – and didn't eat either; I did try to be respectful while leaving, just so you know; I didn't feel like the problem was theirs. Next time, I am doing the ZIPLINE. Hoo-ah!
Tuesday 6/16: Overnight cruise to
Ketchikan
This was the
evening we had our celebration. We all met in formal attire for
dinner in the dining room (well, as close to "formal" as I ever get), and after dinner we posed for a group photo on the ship’s main
staircase (think Titanic’s Grand Staircase). We were at that time sailing along
the Chatham Strait past Admiralty and Baranof Islands – with gorgeous snow-capped
and rugged mountains on both sides. After dinner and the festivities,
I spent a lot of time top-side trying to get some decent photographs.
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| Ketchikan, AK |
Wednesday 6/17: Docked at
Ketchikan
I had no
excursions planned for Ketchikan – I did get off the boat and walk around town
with Dave and Jim for a short time. After lunch, back on board, I
hung around and watched the activities on the water around the area – fishing
boats and others, and lots of float-planes flying on and off the water, until it was time to sail again.
Wednesday 6/17: Overnight
cruise traversing Hecate Strait then...
Thursday 6/18: Hecate Strait
and Inside Passage
This was the
“at-sea” day. In the early morning, I was still in bed in the soft
light and I saw another ship approaching and passing us – it was a
classic-looking cruise ship of Holland America – I cannot remember
now exactly which one. It was headed north as we were cruising
south. Later in the afternoon, we were passed by (among others) an
ocean-going tug. I snapped a few shots of that as it approached and
charged on past. The Alaska State ferry Columbia also cruised near us for quite
some time, both of us heading south.
In early evening,
we entered the Inside Passage. This was a disappointment – most of
that very beautiful stretch of water and its scenery slipped past in the
dark. On this route, there is no way to see everything on
one trip – there isn’t a “throwaway” section of it anywhere -- and the ship does not stop at night. It’s
all beautiful, but you miss the night-time portions. I stayed up on the top of the ship as long as I could
see anything at all.
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| The Inside Passage |
Thursday
6/18: Overnight through the Inside Passage
Friday 6/19: Early morning to
Vancouver and flight home via Seattle
Getting off
is always an ordeal – but tolerable. Once you realize what is involved, what
the routine is, you simply plan to be
patient, knowing that no matter what happens you will be getting off the ship
within a certain amount of time. I packed my bags the night before, tagged
them and put them in the hallway for the crew as requested. In
the morning, I had a quick breakfast and looked around at Vancouver and the
harbor for a time until it was my appointed time to queue up for the
disembarkation process. We got a bus ride to the airport – and
cleared U.S. customs there instead of in Seattle. That made things a
bit smoother. From Vancouver to Seattle was a short hop in a (Horizon Air)
Q400 – and then Alaska Airlines again non-stop to Phoenix. I
upgraded to first class – only the second time in my life I’ve ever done
that. It’s usually not worth the extra money, but Alaska upgraded me for $50. I figured what the heck.
Shipboard Experiences
I didn’t
sleep-in much along the way – there was too much to do, even if that just meant relaxing. Later in the
week, I didn’t get up quite as early as I hadn’t planned any shore excursions in
Ketchikan (on Wednesday), and on Thursday 6/18 we were not docked, but running
between Ketchikan and Vancouver in the Hecate Straits, Queen Charlotte Strait
and Sound and the Inside Passage. Most mornings, I got up,
showered and went to breakfast, leaving a “make-up room” tag on the door so Ms.
Marcia could get mine done early.
Although I
shared breakfast with my cruising companions once or twice, most days our
differing schedules precluded that. I ate breakfast once in the Cascades
dining room, but having to share my breakfast table with strangers is not ever my
first choice, so most days I ate at the Windjammer buffet. For the
first several days, I tended to over-eat as I think most do on cruise ships, where the food and your consumption of it is unlimited. But by the last couple of days I started
self-controlling a bit better and cut back – and did some walking around the
top deck – I actually lost 3 pounds in the last two days aboard
ship. I even surprised me and felt great doing it.
Eat less, walk more, lose weight and feel better!
On Sunday,
Monday and Tuesday, I had early morning shore
excursions – so I had to eat in a hurry and get out
there. Wednesday and Thursday, as I said, I stayed aboard the ship a
bit later and so was able to relax a little more. I usually returned
to the ship for lunch – and if I had no afternoon excursion I hung about the
top deck taking pictures of wherever we were at the time – Juneau, Skagway, Icy
Strait Point and Ketchikan.
Dinner was always with the Melian
family at our table (#509) in the Cascades dining room where Eloisa and
Gabriela catered to our every whim. Their service was
pretty wonderful, all things considered. In the evenings, I
roamed about the ship, checked out the shops and the photo galleries, visited with Dave and generally relaxed and enjoyed
myself. I tried to read that book I found in the ship’s library but
never got too far into it. I finally gave up and just checked it out of
the local library when I returned home.
The first
few days – the midnight sun kept
things illuminated all night long. It never got darker than
twilight. I wanted to, but did not see the Northern
Lights. I have to say that despite the novelty, it was hard to sleep
with daylight twenty-four hours a day. As we got further south, that
particular treat ended and it was dark from about 10 pm or so on (and I slept
better too).
Things on the ship I really
liked:
Walking
around on the top deck, looking at the beautiful Alaskan topography and
seascapes; the towel critters my cabin attendant Marcia made each evening when
she’d turn down the bed; the cabin attendants all along my hallway on Deck 3
saying hello whenever they’d see you – and it never seemed false or forced; the
steam room; the hot tubs; the presentation by the retired RCMP Mounty, Mr.
Michael Glas (he spoke on Sitting Bull and his tenure in Canada after the
Little Bighorn, so that was right up my alley).
 |
| Cabin Critter |
Cabin
My cabin on
Deck 3, port side, number 3134, was beautiful – nicer than most motel rooms
I’ve stayed in. Marcia, the attendant (or steward) made sure things
were always ship-shape. The water pressure wasn’t strong, but I suspect that
is by design to conserve water since it is a precious commodity
aboard a ship at sea. I had a beautiful round port-hole-like picture
window – and I was just above water level so I could look out and see what
was happening with the sea at any time. I don’t like inside cabins
nearly as much. You cannot be outside all the time… The
bed was snug, soft and comfy – the linens were very, very nice…
Food
The food was
remarkable considering the ships culinary staff feeds 2500 people three times
each day… plus. It isn’t 5-star, but I sure never went
hungry. They even served lobster one evening. One
disappointment was the one steak I had – smothered in a
too-strong Béarnaise sauce and a bit too tough. I didn’t
order one again, although Jim had a well-done sirloin almost every single meal
and was very happy to do so. Breakfast in the buffet was usually
scrambled eggs, of course, hash browns a la Burger King, some fruit… one
morning I tried the biscuits and gravy – not more than once
though. It just wasn’t that good. I usually had a healthy
pile of very sinful bacon though.
Breakfast was one meal where it was easy to
cut back on quantities – the buffet fare was almost uniformly good but I feel
better with a lighter breakfast so I learned to take it easy and stopped
sooner (than I did at other meals perhaps). I tried different things
for lunch – probably the best was some mushroom or chicken soup and a small
section of “wrap” one afternoon. They typically had some type of
carved meat – ham one day, pork one day, once lamb. I never did eat
at a restaurant off the ship – which was one way to save money since I had already
paid for the privilege of eating onboard. I ate a meal from room
service once and I ate at the Seaview Café, I think twice – it was the
burger, dog and clam chowder venue onboard the Radiance, but it was later removed and replaced during
the Radiance’s refurbishing in 2011. I don't know what Radiance has now instead.
Amenities/Activities
Steam Room – I discovered the steam
room about four or five days into the cruise. Dave took me there and we roasted and
simmered for a time. I thought it might help open up my head a
little, as I had been afflicted by some inner ear congestion for several
weeks. I really liked the steam room – and we almost always had it
to ourselves. I think no one else knows it is there.
 |
| The Pool Deck |
Hot tub – harder to get to
yourself; there were two on the pool deck and one in the Solarium. I soaked in
these once or twice I think. I never got into the pool, although the
water appeared to be nicely heated and steamy. This is important
when you are steaming in the vicinity of glaciers.
Shows – I guess I will never
be a show-kind-of-guy. It’s like live Lawrence Welk -- just not for
me. I went to one show that featured a comedian – and I didn’t even
like his show. Why do something on vacation that you don’t
enjoy? Dave tried to get me back in there several times – but I was
a fuddy-duddy and flat refused. I know what I like – and what I
don’t.
Presentations – the Mounty’s presentation
was at least interesting and even if he was a bit unpolished as a
speaker, I really enjoyed his talk. I offered to write some
additional information about Sitting Bull for him and send it to
him. He doesn’t have the typical cop-bravado; perhaps that is
because he is a polite Canadian.
Casino – I wasted zero-time and
zero-dollars in the ship’s casino. The coupon booklet that came with
my Crown and Anchor membership had a free spin of a $3 Slot – and I stopped by
just exactly long enough to throw that into the machine and lose
it. Then I split. That's not how I feel about Royal
Caribbean's casinos -- it's how I feel about casinos, period.
Theater – I went to the movie
theater once – to see "Get Smart" at about 10 pm one
evening. The only others in attendance were
teenagers. And they were noisy little
buggers. So I did not stay. I also closed the door rather
firmly as I left to show evidence of my displeasure – but I doubt they even
noticed. I did want to see one film they were showing on
Alaska – but I never could get the timing right – it always seemed to be showing
when I was doing something else more important – like visiting, or eating.
Miniature Golf – I played the little 9-hole course
once. It was pretty basic although that doesn’t mean easy – it just wasn't
too imaginative in design. Most of the difficulty was in uneven
surfaces.
Ports of Call
Seward was simply the embarkation
point. On my tight schedule, there was no opportunity to check out
the town or its highlights. It sits at the base of a coastal hill –
on one side of the end of Resurrection Bay. It’s a scenic area – but
not as pretty as some of the other stops we made later.
Hubbard Glacier – Gorgeous, remote and
primitive. You’re definitely out there when you
visit this place.
Juneau – totally isolated from
road transportation. The only way in is by boat or air. Juneau is in a
very scenic location – perhaps the prettiest of all the settled places we
stopped.
Skagway – I liked the rustic nature
of Skagway and in hind-sight would have liked to have spent more time there and less at
Hoonah. I didn’t have enough time to walk around and see the town
and more than any other port, I would have liked to there. I had a
walk around town pre-planned, with a visit to the cemetery, but I got rained out.
Icy Strait Point and Hoonah
/ Tendering -- An ok day
all things considered, it would have been much better if I had
actually seen bears on
my bear watching expedition. I’ll bet folks who did the
zip-line had more fun than me… Tendering ashore means getting off the
ship onto a smaller boat – and that takes you to the shore-side
dock. This was the only port where we used the tenders – and the
crew actually practiced their maneuvering the day before while the ship was
docked at Skagway.
Ketchikan – a beautiful little
fishing town where I’d probably like to live. I wonder if they need
a bakery?
Excursions
Whale Watching – Good. Whales catching fish! (no Orcas, though).
Mt Roberts Tramway – Good, very scenic.
Bike Ride – Great
fun! Sore butt.
Bear Search – Nice morning – great
guide. No bears showed up. They
are never guaranteed – but I wonder what the percentage is?
Culinary Extravaganza – would have been great if
I had been interested in the program or enthusiastic about salmon. My mistake, not theirs.
The Ship
GTV Radiance
of the Seas was magnificent. You might ask, what is “GTV?” I
believe it stands for Gas Turbine Vessel. Radiance and her
sisters are powered by twin GE turbine engines of the same basic type used
to loft DC-10 jumbo jets (adapted of course for marine propulsion
usage). Using these engines to power a ship was first tried by the
Navy – to propel ships that needed to accelerate and stop quickly – destroyers or frigates, for example. So the Radiance of the Seas is
like a 90,000 ton sports car. It’s fast, it’s maneuverable. Like most modern cruise ships, the screws are mounted in “pods” that swivel to
direct their thrust and there are thrusters on the bow-sides as
well. Radiance of the Seas is driven
through the seas by two eighteen-foot propellers; the ship is “stabilized,” which
means that it has devices that help it ride smoothly in rough
seas. I’m not sure how well that system works – it never really got
rough during the seven days of my cruise. But I rarely felt
the ship roll and never felt any yawing whatsoever, so perhaps it works really
well.
·
Parking… Unlike some
ships, Radiance probably never needs assistance from tugs or the like to
get in and out of tight places. It docks and undocks with
unbelievable precision – without a bump or a grind along the
way. The entire ship can move broadside at one or two inches per
hour. It’s awesome and fascinating to watch.
·
Dimensions (how big is it?) Radiance
of the Seas is 962 feet long, displaces 90,090 tons (almost 1½ times more than
Titanic!), is 106 feet across and towers 173 feet above the waterline on a calm
day. That's a big boat! She can cruise at 28 mph, but doesn’t
usually go quite that fast – I rarely saw our speed much above 21 or 22 knots
(25 mph). Many times we were moseying along at 13 or 15 knots (17
mph). The ship can accommodate about 2,500 souls. The
elevators however, can only accommodate about ¼ of that number… a
particular sore point with me. By the way, don’t you
just love people who shove their way into a crowded elevator whether
there is room or not, or push in before those getting off have a chance to do so? So many people have no manners whatsoever.
The weather (June 2009)
- No rain
(well, not much anyway)
- Visibility
excellent, not much fog or low clouds.
- Temps were
comfortable – cold near the glacier, tolerable daytime, nights chilly.
- Mid-June
2009 was a GREAT time for an Alaska cruise.
Lessons learned about cruising on
this trip…
- Don’t take
so many clothes
- Make
your own flight reservations, but use the cruiseline's transfers
- Control
the intake of food
- Exercise
every day
Highlights
(other than simply the joy of
being on an Alaska cruise...)
- Dining
Room Staff (Eloisa and Gabriela)
- Cabin
Attendant (Marcia)
- Skagway
Bike Ride
- Whales
- Hubbard
Glacier (was awesome)
- Pilot boat
rendezvous (we picked up a pilot for the Inside Passage).
Disappointments - (keep in mind,
"disappointment" is a relative term...)
- No bears came calling
- Cooking
demo/excursion (the specific focus was just not my thing).
 |
| How I got home... |
Wrapping it up...
My time
aboard the Radiance of the Seas was a delight -- the adventure of it
all, being with my friends, the scenery... I hope to experience
Alaska again, if I am once again lucky. Some folks find every little
thing to complain about; I have sailed with Royal Caribbean four times
and each was an enjoyable experience, given the limitations of
cruising with a multitude of people accompanying you. All things
considered, I'd definitely cruise again and it will most likely be
on a Royal Caribbean vessel. While I think RCCL has a lot of class and
runs a quality operation, I do not have the same level of confidence
in some of the other cruise lines.
When I wrote this, it was two years since the cruise -- and I was jones'n for
another one right then. My friends were cruising the Caribbean. So I
relived my adventure by posting this... and I think I will start planning my
next cruise right now.
 |
| Dave |
In memory of
my best friend, Dave Melian, who passed from this life on
September 12, 2012. He lived his faith every day. I will never forget the many good times we had together and our nearly 50 years of friendship. He was simply the
best.
