The Trip of a Lifetime to Alaska – Land and Sea – Trip Report - COMLETE!! 4/13/12 - Page 21 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Day 7 – Friday July 1st – Seward and boarding the Radiance of the Seas! Part 2
We got to the port and I thought I was losing my mind again. I couldn’t find our passports (they were around my neck in my PassPorter pouch), and then I lost something else. I think they lady behind the counter thought I was nuts! Anyhoo, it was a breeze to get on the ship. There was hardly anyone in the terminal (which was an old dingy warehouse). We showed our passports and our Setsail printout (from RCCL). She handed us our Seapass cards (KTTW cards). Then it was thru security, and then you walked out of the building and had your pick of ships (just kidding). There was another ship there, so you had to know your ship! I think it was raining by now. Once up the gangway, they put your seapass card into a machine and took your picture, and then there was a photographer outside taking welcome aboard pictures. Then you were on your own! (no big greeting like Disney does).
I think we headed up to the Windjammer on Deck 11 to get some food. It was a buffet. We found a seat and got some food. I had bought the soda package for Matt and the kids for the trip, so they showed their cards and were able to get drinks. I just lived on iced tea and water. Once our tummies were full we headed to the room and surprise, our bags were there already (like I said, best $10 every spent)! We brought everything into the room, and I started unpacking. There was a lovely gift from Marisa so I had a glass of that! Matt decided he was going to go back to the hotel and use their free wifi in the lobby, as somehow last night his internet connection got all discombobulated and he was going to call his work’s IT dept to see if they could get it squared away (of course they couldn’t). So the kids and I set off to explore the ship. There was hardly anyone around. Not sure if it was because it was still early (probably around 2 or 3 and the ship didn’t sail until 9 PM) or because it was raining.
The other ship at the port
We stopped on the way back to the room at Café Latitudes (which is basically Starbucks but you can’t use a Starbucks card there). I got a Tazo tea, and the kids got hot chocolates. You have to pay for the drinks but the food is free (of course they didn’t want any food)!
I think Matt was back by the time we got to the stateroom again. I continued to put things away, then we went up on deck to play another round of mini golf and to register Matt and the kids for the rock climbing wall. You register once, and then they “punch” your seapass card so the next time you go, they know you have already filled out the paperwork. Alexa went up the wall this time.
We went back to the room, and I took Colin to the registration for the kids club. He stayed about 45 minutes, as they were playing soccer in the back room, which of course is his favorite. They weren’t open tonight, it was just orientation, so we left after that and got ready for dinner. Alexa decided she didn’t want to go to the “teen” club. She just turned 12 in May, and was feeling a bit uncomfortable (intimidated) being in the same room as kids who were 17, so she never ended up going, which was fine. She’s also very introverted, so that doesn’t help!
We had late seating (8:30) which ended up working out great. There was a mad rush for the dining room and it took us a good 15 minutes to get in there, but we discovered our table was right next to the entrance/exit. It ended up being fine. Thankfully we were at our own table of 4. Our server was Joao from India, and our assistant server was Victor (I think he was from Ecuador or South America). Tonight’s dinner was the Welcome Aboard menu. Matt and I had the prime rib, Alexa had sea bass (she was quite the eater on the cruise) and Colin had pizza and fruit (no surprise there)!
After dinner (sorry no pics) we were exhausted, so it was back to the stateroom and to bed!
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Sorry about the pictures not rotating correctly! I rotated them before I uploaded them, and they're still wrong. Then if I rotate them on Photobucket, they're still wrong! I give up!
Looks like you had the ship to yourselves! How do the staterooms compare with DCL? Too bad they didn't have an appropriate age-group club for Alexa. I don't know many 12-year-olds who would be comfortable hanging out with unknown older teens!
Looks like you had the ship to yourselves! How do the staterooms compare with DCL? Too bad they didn't have an appropriate age-group club for Alexa. I don't know many 12-year-olds who would be comfortable hanging out with unknown older teens!
I thought I took pictures of the stateroom but I guess not!
Anyhoo, they were small. We were in a E2 cabin, and I'm pretty sure if was about 175 square feet. Give or take. No split bath like Disney. The shower stall was actually very narrow, IMO. The balcony was probably about the same size. I believe the bed was King sized though, so I'd have to give a plus to RC on that one. There was a bed that came out of the ceiling over the king bed, and then the chair/loveseat folded out into a bed as well. Storagewise, there was a lot of shelving in the closets plus more above the TV and then on both sides of the desk. I'd say more than Disney. Problem was we had so many clothes from touring a week before that it was still tight (since it wasn't t-shirts and shorts but jeans, sweatshirts, etc.).
Thank, Marnie. Yes, packing for a northern trip is a much more bulky proposition than an all warm-weather one! With the bulky jackets, mittens, hiking boots for four, that's a lot to store in a stateroom. The ship looks really nice.
Oh I can't wait to hear more about the cruise portion of your trip! It sounds like the boarding and first day were a bit cumbersome, but that it all worked out in the end!
I'm getting caught up again....I just can't believe the spectacular pictures that you got and I'm sure everything is even more beautiful in person!! It looks like the kids had fun your first day on the ship despite the rain!
It's too bad about Alexa not using the teen club, 12 really is a bit young to be in there. When we cruised one of my DD's was 16 and the other 18 (which is too old for the teen club) so they didn't use it either as the younger didn't want to go without her sister.
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Anyhoo, it was a breeze to get on the ship. There was hardly anyone in the terminal (which was an old dingy warehouse). We showed our passports and our Setsail printout (from RCCL). She handed us our Seapass cards (KTTW cards). Then it was thru security, and then you walked out of the building and had your pick of ships (just kidding). There was another ship there, so you had to know your ship! 
I think it was raining by now. Once up the gangway, they put your seapass card into a machine and took your picture, and then there was a photographer outside taking welcome aboard pictures. Then you were on your own! (no big greeting like Disney does).
so I had a glass of that! 
I rotated them before I uploaded them, and they're still wrong. Then if I rotate them on Photobucket, they're still wrong! 
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