Hi everyone,
Thank you Masaki, yes, my ears were ok, thank the Gods and Goddesses and the powers that be. It was a big concern.

Yes, hubby took over 1,000 pics with his digital and I will ask him when he has them all sorted to post some if I know where and how to do it (well he will have to do it, but I'll tell him to post some photos for sure).

As for cruise life, I think this is the problem for us. We really didn't want much interaction other than perhaps a small chat with people about their shore excursions and Alaska.

We did chat with staff whenever possible and they were absolutely fantastic. Hubby and I both think the service on the Mariner was above and beyond excellent way past a 10.
I got to know a few and a little about them. Since we were not around the ship much it was hard to chat with a lot of the staff.

My hubby was absolutey miserable with the long dinners. It's just not our style I guess. With clients 2 hours is about the limit, and even when we go to a gourmet restaurant, top of the line, we are usually done in max of 1-1/2 hour.

Hubby and I really went on this cruise for Alaska. We really had very little interest in ship board life. It was a means to get us to Alaska and the Tracy Arm. One couple who asked us to join them the last night were wondeful, they too, kept mostly to themselves, knowing that the husband has to start chemo again this coming monday. They were the most delightful people and it was a joy to share a meal with them, but they too were not into long dinners and we were through in 2 hours which they were happy about as the husband tires easily.

The other couple 2 gentlemen from California, rarely spent any time with fellow PAX, they were a delight to talk to, they were so well travelled and had done many cruises on Radisson and Crystal and the Queen E. Hearing their travel experiences was a joy and a pleasure to chat with them over a drink, but they too enjoyed the pleasure of their own company and said they enjoy room service with their butler several evenings and the other evenings refused to dine with fellow PAX preferring like us to dine just the two of us.

The 2 couples both traveling with a parent on the captain's table were a lovely to talk to and they too with this exception preferrred to dine alone as I saw them always eating "alone".

We met another couple (2 younger guys) in the caviar bar and enjoyed chatting about caviar as they loved the stuff as much as I do and comparing the differences and talking about Alaska.

But the long dinners after a long day on a shore excurison was just too much and we were really not up to being social and interacting much.

The two older gentlemen from Calif said that Radisson was the best cruise line and from what I could see (even though it was our first cruise), I don't think I would venture on any other line. I think the service was fantastic, the staff great (except for the hairdresser but she is not employed by Radisson).

The food was good, I can't say it was bad, we were just not impressed with it, that I would say it "stands out", hubby thought the deserts were excellent and was impressed with them, and the 2 that I had were very good. Laundry service was fantastic, everyone of the staff could not have been nicer.

Hubby felt a lot of the PAX were quite rude and nasty, something that came as a bit of a shock to us but that didn't spoil our cruise or experience.

As I said before I left, if my ears don't bother me, I can make my phone calls, and I put my two feet on Alaskan soil, I'll be over the moon and I was.

As for cruising, I've decided that if I have to fly to get to the cruise, I won't do it. If I can get to a destination by cruise ship and no need to fly, then I will cruise, but it will be one or the other. The cruise would be a way to get from point A to point B without flying i.e., transatlantic crossing to europe.

The seas were quite rough for 3 or 4 nights according to the Captain. So much so that many people were sick and I was asked over and over if I'm sick and how I'm feeling. I really felt nothing other than the rocking and rolling, and my comment was always the same, "it's a ship, it's gonna rock and roll". The Captain thought this funny that I should not be complaining about the rough seas and expected it to "rock and roll".


To Nevilboy, perhaps we did "miss the boat", perhaps not, I think it's all a matter of what people want and expect. I had really no expectations so therefore I was not disappointed with the exception of the rudeness and the whining. I really didn't care to sit and hear all the whining over a 3-1/2 - 4 hour dinner, especially on our first night. To be pushed and shoved at the buffet lunch, came as somewhat of a shock. I really hate buffets.

I understand what y'all are saying about the pleasure of cruising, and I can fully understand why Neviboy feels we "missed the boat" good one Neviboy, love it, but for us we don't think we did. All we wanted was to be first ones off the ship to be in Alaska as much as possible. The rest of the time, yes, we basically wanted to be left alone.

A vacation is many things to many people, as one said, to each his own taste.

To stay on the ship and take part in shipboard activities would have defeated my purpose of this trip. I would never had gone for that part of the trip, it was there and just not our cup of tea.

I don't consider my trip a waste on the contrary, I got to experience something new (cruise life), I got my dream trip of my lifetime, I went to Alaska, I spent quality time with the hubby, met local and native Alaskans, and overall my trip was a huge success.

We did manage to have a couple of dances the last night and that was pleasant, but the place was practically empty.

To the people here who say that the bars are empty, I think you are right, they are busy before dinner with the canapes, and the busiest bar from what I could tell was the observation deck bar where the caviar was, but that was pre-dinner. I only went to one bar twice after dinner the last two nights and they were quite empty maybe 6 - 8 couples, and we were happy, had our dances (1 the one night) and 2 the second night, and we gone by 10:30.

I think it's great if people love to linger, as someone here said, to each his own taste, and yes I agree, and I'm not complaining, I just gave my opinion on how it was for us. I think it's great if people can enjoy cruise life and the long dinners.

The wines that were served with dinners, were excellent. We used to belong to a wine club here and we knew many of what was served and they were excellent, I was pleasantly surprised as I didn't think they would serve such nice wines complementary. But a glass or two with dinner and 2 pre-dinner cocktails was more than enough for us. I did enjoy a glass of porto with my cheese plate one evening (instead of desert) as I didn't eat much of the main course.

Hubby had the lamb in Signatures and while he said it was good, he said, he preferred my rack of lamb which to me was quite a compliment since I don't consider myself a great cook.

The lovely french girl in Signatures who served us, was great as hubby asked her to "rush it through" as he was so miserable with yet another 3 hours meal so we were finished in 2 hours.

Hubby's big complaint was not enough shore time.

If anyone is going and has not yet been to Vancouver, I highly recommend spending a couple of days or longer if possible. Vancouver is a lovely city. The food was wonderful, to us better than cruise ship food, the Pan Pacific Hotel, could not have asked for a better hotel for service and room layout. I guess I'm just not a cruise life gal, while I loved Alaska more than Vancouver, I would go live in Sitka or Juneau in a heartbeat, the hotel in Vancouver and restaurants and style of dining was way more to what I like. I guess I had the best of both, a bit of this and a bit of that.

Neviboy, you are so right, and I may give cruising another try, I would cruise to Bermuda from NY or do a transatlantic crossing, those I can see (no flying involved).

I would definitely choose Radisson again, would not even look at another line at this point.

I guess when all is said and done, I think the problem for us was we were there for Alaska and not cruise life, I did enjoy the spa on sea days (2) and the one show the Krew Kapers, was fantastic as was the pre-dinner live music with cocktails (something we enjoy very much when it's available here or in our travels).

I think if they would have had some of the "games" during the cocktail hour we would have most definitely taken part for fun, but would not miss shore time for it and am not complaining in the least.

As a final note on tipping, spa gratuities are not included. As for tipping a little extra, I had to, I would not have left the ship feeling good had I not given a little extra to my stewardess, hubby and I discussed it, and he felt it was absoultely necessary as it was to the room service guy and the one bartender. As Petlover said, it's a very personal thing and I had to.

What I was happy to see, was Radisson collected money for the people in New Orleans and the Captain had a min of silence as well. I felt really good about this, I was on a luxury trip with so much excess and over indudlgence and those poor people (I lived there for 18 months) going through a living hell. Air Canada also had a collection on the flight home which pleased me.
Amex Platin party was in the Stars nightclub if I remember and we did not go. We were sleeping, lol so can't comment on it.

I will ask hubby to post pictures if y'all will tell me how to do it.

I will post the tour ops we used as I find the info. But I think the lady/gentleman who are travel agents here, will be able to find the ops I used if I give the names/locations and make the arrangements for you.