The last day of our 7 night Alaska cruise is a day at sea, and it was supposed to include a visit to the Hubbard Glacier.
Unfortunately, the day didn’t go as we had hoped, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t without some fun moments!
I purposely woke up early this morning to prepare for today’s scenic cruise around the Hubbard Glacier, one of the main highlights of this cruise itinerary. Many Alaska cruise itineraries not only include full days in port, but also glacier tours from the sea.
Passengers do not disembark the ship on scenic cruise days. Instead, the ship completes a full 360-degree rotation near the glacier, allowing passengers to enjoy unobstructed views of the landscape no matter where they are on the ship.
When I came out around 7:30, however, the weather was a concern. Visibility was extremely low and the winds were strong. Because approaching a glacier requires careful navigation around narrow passages and icebergs, it is important to have stable weather before making the approach.
My Glacier Scenic Day at Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier was affected by bad weather last year, and we could only see the glacier from very far away before turning back. Remembering this, I was skeptical that we would manage to approach the Hubbard Glacier given the weather conditions.
Sure enough, the captain came on the loudspeaker to announce that unfortunately we couldn’t make it to the Hubbard Glacier.
With that, Radiance of the Seas turned around and began the journey to Seward across the Gulf of Alaska.
Afternoon on the high seas
While I was of course disappointed that we weren’t able to witness the beauty of the Hubbard Glacier, safety is of the utmost importance, especially when navigating through dangerous passages in Alaska.
I spent the rest of the morning trying to get some work done at the Viking Crown Lounge, but when we entered the open waters of the Gulf of Alaska, things got worse!
After 12 cruises, I have never had seasickness until today. Even when cruising the choppy waters of the Bay of Biscay in Spain or in high winds on my cruise to Alaska last year, I always felt great.
Today, however, I felt bad all afternoon! After a trip to the Windjammer for lunch, I realized that I didn’t feel well at all when I couldn’t finish my plate.
Reeham, who was also feeling ill, and I sought refuge in our cabin where we hoped lying down in bed and taking a nap would help.
Medication for motion sickness and eating a green apple helped a bit, but every time I got up I felt nauseous.
To make this blog more interesting than sleeping in my cabin, I managed to attend an event this afternoon: Captain’s Corner!
Captain’s Corner is a question and answer session with the captain of the ship where you can ask him all your questions about the ship, the itinerary, the daily life on board, the navigation of the ship, etc.
I found it really fascinating and was able to learn about the outriggers of the ship, what the deck looks like, how much fuel is used on a cruise ship, etc. I definitely plan to attend more of them on future cruises.
After Captain’s Corner, I returned to my cabin to sleep from my motion sickness.
After another hour or two of trying to feel better, I thought it was worth trying to see how I felt in another area of the ship. Our cabin is located far forward, so it is subject to more movement.
When I went up to the Diamond Lounge, which is located more in the middle of the ship, I felt much better. Phew! It certainly wasn’t fun and I’m thankful I don’t get seasick on a cruise.
After a snack and a ginger ale at the Diamond Lounge, I strolled to the upper pool deck. The ship was going up and down, and I was surprised at the amount of movement I felt, as the weather didn’t look too bad outside.
I also made a quick stop at the casino, where I put my $6 free play money to the test. Unfortunately I didn’t win today and was in and out in less than 5 minutes!
Evening on board
I returned to the Diamond Lounge to relax for a while before making a stop at the Viking Crown Lounge. I hung out in the lounge (called Starquest on Radiance of the Seas) every night, and made friends with two of the bartenders, Ari and Manuel.
I had good timing because when I entered the lounge, Manuel was giving a cocktail demonstration! I enjoyed a fruity sangria while chatting with both of them for about an hour.
I had a great time this week meeting and connecting with so many crew members! I enjoyed talking with Dionata, the Diamond Concierge, Manuel and Ari, and my cabin attendant throughout the week.
Special thanks to my cabin attendant, Vevir from the Philippines, for being a reader of the Royal Caribbean blog! He has been working on Royal Caribbean ships all over the world for years, from Japan to New Zealand, the Caribbean and Alaska!
After the Viking Crown lounge, a late dinner was held in the main dining room. Reeham and I almost missed the dining room every night because we got so busy chatting and we kept losing track of time.
The main dining room was really great as usual, and the late night seating service was really quick!
The rest of the evening was devoted to packing (boo!) because tomorrow is unfortunately the day of the landing!
Tomorrow we disembark the ship in Seward, Alaska and take a bus to Anchorage. I wish I had more time to spend a few days in interior Alaska before heading home, but there’s always next time!
Thank you for following my Radiance of the Seas cruise this week! It was a fantastic week overall and I’m always happy to sail such a beautiful place. I’ve learned that my favorite cruise itineraries are ones where I can see mountain scenery outside the ship every day.
Stay tuned for a full review of my Alaska cruise next week AND a full tour of the Radiance of the Seas ship on the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube channel!
