At the moment is the second day of my 7-night Alaska cruise on Radiance of the Seas and we’re having fun with a sea day as we journey from Vancouver to Alaska’s Inside Passage.
This morning I attempted to do one thing I very hardly ever do: sleep in! I am a morning particular person and love having a quiet ship to myself within the early hours of the day, however I positively wanted to compensate for sleep after two busy days of journey.
That being stated, I awoke this morning to the alarm somebody set at 8AM within the room subsequent to me! That is positively a primary on a Royal Caribbean ship.
We ate breakfast on the outside seating space within the Windjammer. As a result of the outside seating on the buffet is simply discovered on just a few Royal Caribbean ships, I am attempting to reap the benefits of it as a lot as I can.
Facet observe: If you have not tried French toast topped with whipped cream and chocolate morsels from the Windjammer, you are lacking out!
The climate was fairly dreary at present, so Reeham and I frolicked close to the home windows on the champagne bar and seemed for whales. Sadly we didn’t see any, though some passengers talked about they noticed just a few whales from the ship earlier within the day!
The second day of an Alaska cruise heading north from Seattle or Vancouver is a sea day in additional open waters, so it’s the least scenic day of the cruise itinerary. In my view, you possibly can’t go mistaken with a panoramic ocean view, however I am positively desirous to see Alaska’s mountain landscapes tomorrow!
A soothing afternoon
Lunch within the Major Eating Room is accessible on sea days, and with at present’s chilly climate and stress-free environment, having a pleasant sit-down lunch appeared like the right approach to begin the afternoon.
We began the meal with salads and had butternut squash risotto for the primary course, which far exceeded my expectations. It might not be essentially the most interesting dish on the market from a visible standpoint… however the risotto was the most effective programs I’ve had within the Major Eating Room but!
After lunch, I made a decision to expertise one of many distinctive options discovered solely on Radiance Class ships, the Cinema!
Radiance Class ships have a complimentary movie show onboard, and I cherished it! Whereas different ships present motion pictures within the theater or on the pool deck, watching a film in a cinema is a a lot better environment. I am hoping to go to the cinema just a few extra instances on this cruise because it makes for an ideal chilly climate exercise.
Every day has a distinct film taking part in, and there are showtimes roughly each 3 hours in the course of the day. The one factor lacking was popcorn!
Following the film was a spherical of Buddies trivia at Schooner Bar. Schooner Bar on Radiance of the Seas is large! It was packed all through the day… a bit too crowded for my liking! When the climate is so chilly outdoors, the indoor areas at all times really feel far more crowded.
We additionally stumbled throughout the Quill & Compass Pub. I did not even notice there was a pub on Radiance of the Seas till I stumbled throughout it, because it’s tucked in a bizarre location between the on line casino and theater. The pub is dimly lit and with out home windows, which does not completely match the theme of the Radiance Class!
The subsequent two hours or so have been spent stress-free in our stateroom. I have never spent a lot time in any respect in our cabin as a result of there are such a lot of different good locations to hang around onboard. I am proud of the choice to guide an inside stateroom as an alternative of a balcony contemplating we have spent minimal time within the cabin.
Night onboard
As a result of we had eaten within the Major Eating Room for lunch, we determined to dine on the Windjammer for dinner. Tonight’s dinner theme was Mediterranean and it was actually spectacular! From hummus to falafel, pita, fish, and baba ghanoush, I actually loved the meal.
I feel the Windjammer is completely underrated for dinner in comparison with the Major Eating Room. I really are inclined to choose the buffet due to the big selection of choices out there and specialty cuisines from all over the world every evening.
The Windjammer was eerily empty tonight! I’ve by no means seen so few individuals there for dinner, however I suppose most company went to formal evening within the Major Eating Room.
Following dinner, I went for a stroll a number of instances across the outside Promenade deck. The climate had not improved a lot all through the day, though I used to be grateful for calm waters.
The wind was insane at any time when I lapped across the helicopter pad! I at all times really feel just like the crew members within the bridge are trying down and laughing on the passengers loopy sufficient to enterprise to the helipad with 20mph winds.
My final cease for the evening was to the Aurora Theater for the manufacturing present of Piano Man. I normally keep away from exhibits within the theater (apart from Broadway exhibits) as I really feel they’re hardly ever geared towards my age demographic, however I made a decision to offer it a attempt.
The present had singing and dancing to the tunes of Elton John, Billy Joel, and Barry Manilow. The performers have been proficient and the music was actually catchy, however I can not seem to get within the exhibits within the theater as a lot as reside music elsewhere onboard or the extra distinctive exhibits present in venues like Studio B and the AquaTheater on different Royal Caribbean ships.
The present ended round 9:15 and I headed again to my stateroom to complete this weblog earlier than calling it an evening. As I went to mattress, I seen the ship rocking far more than earlier within the day. Fortunately we’ll be within the Inside Passage tomorrow the place we should always (hopefully) encounter calmer seas!
Tomorrow we arrive in Juneau at 1PM and I’m trying ahead to the primary day of exploring Alaska!
