.png){kind=logo}
Why Royal Caribbean Chose the Radiance Class for Alaska
Royal Caribbean is famous for its mega-ships — the Oasis class, the Icon class, ships that carry 5,000–7,000 passengers and have roller coasters and waterparks on the top deck. None of those ships go to Alaska.
Alaska requires a different kind of ship. The ports are smaller, the fjords are narrower, and the experience is about the landscape outside the ship, not the amenities inside it. Royal Caribbean understood this when it designed the Radiance class in the late 1990s — ships with more glass, better observation decks, and a design philosophy that treats the scenery as the primary attraction.
The Radiance of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas are the right ships for Alaska. They're not the biggest or the most feature-rich ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet, but they're the best ships for the Inside Passage.
The Radiance-Class Design
The Radiance class has more glass than any other cruise ship class in service. The Viking Crown Lounge at the top of the ship is a 360-degree observation lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows. The Centrum — the central atrium — has glass elevators that look out over the ocean. The Solarium (adults-only pool area) has a retractable glass roof.
On a sea day in Tracy Arm Fjord, with 3,000-foot granite walls on both sides and icebergs in the water, the Radiance class's glass-forward design makes the difference between watching Alaska and being in Alaska.
The Itineraries
Royal Caribbean operates 7-night Inside Passage itineraries from Seattle, calling at Juneau, Skagway, Endicott Arm (Tracy Arm Fjord), and Victoria, BC. The itinerary is similar to Princess and Holland America's standard Alaska program, with one key difference: Royal Caribbean does Tracy Arm Fjord instead of Glacier Bay.
Tracy Arm is narrower and more dramatic than Glacier Bay — the fjord walls are closer, the icebergs are denser, and the twin Sawyer Glaciers at the head of the fjord are visible from the ship's bow. The tradeoff is that Glacier Bay has more wildlife and a park ranger narration that Tracy Arm lacks.
For travelers who have done Glacier Bay on Princess or Holland America, Tracy Arm on Royal Caribbean is a genuinely different experience worth seeking out.
Shore Excursions
Royal Caribbean's Alaska shore excursion program is the most adventure-focused of the major lines. The Juneau helicopter glacier tour includes exclusive access to a new landing zone on the Juneau Icefield — a site that's not available through other lines or independent operators.
The Skagway zip line tour is the most dramatic in Alaska — a series of zip lines through the rainforest above the White Pass, with views of the Lynn Canal. The whale watching tours in Frederick Sound are operated by the same captains who run the best independent tours.
The Bottom Line
Royal Caribbean's Alaska program is smaller than Princess or Holland America's, but the Radiance-class ships are the best-designed vessels for scenic cruising in the mainstream market. The glass-forward design, the Tracy Arm Fjord itinerary, and the adventure shore excursion program make Royal Caribbean the right choice for active travelers who want a smaller ship and a different perspective on the Inside Passage.
If you've done Alaska on Princess, do it again on Royal Caribbean. The Tracy Arm experience is worth the repeat trip.