*Additional charges apply for specialty dining venues. Specialty beverages, beer, wine and soda are charged separately and are offered at current bar menu prices.
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Your itinerary
DAY 1
Flight departs
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DAY 1-2
Vancouver Hotel Stay - 2 Nights
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DAY 3
Cruise departs from Vancouver arrives at: 7 am, departs at: 5 pm
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DAY 4
Scenic Cruising - Inside Passage
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DAY 5
Ketchikan arrives at: 7 am, departs at: 4 pm
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DAY 6
Tracy Arm Fjord arrives at: 6 am, departs at: 10 am
DAY 3 - 04 Sep 2022
Time at Port: from 7 AM to 5 PM
From its architecture of ‘Vancouverism’ to the history of how it was built; Vancouver is a vibrant city full of arts and culture just waiting for you to discover all it’s hidden gems. Here you’ll be able to get stuck into a whole host of museums including Science World, the waterfront Maritime Museum and the Museum of Anthropology.
Things to do in Vancouver:
Gastown
The oldest place within Vancouver at the heart of its very origins, Gastown was set up in 1867 by John Deighton whose various stories and adventures garnered him the name of ‘Gassy Jack.’ Nowadays, you’ll find fantastic restaurants, and the famous steam-powered clock in Maple Tree Centre.
Chinatown
In Vancouver’s China Town district you can visit the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden where you can see a truly beautiful collection of plant life and ponds. There is also the Sam Kee Building which is the narrowest office building ever built, spanning barely 2 meters wide!
English Bay
English Bay is a beautiful beach that is home to outstanding high-end shops and mouth watering restaurants. There are also waterfront trails to follow if you like beach walking.
Canada Place
Canada Place is the perfect spot to start your adventures around Vancouver as it is where you’ll first step ashore from your cruise ship. Explore the pier, and be taken back by the outstanding architecture and views. At the end of the pier you’ll find the Flyover Canada attraction. From here, you can also use Canada Place as a transit hub to other places around Vancouver.
Scenic Cruising - Inside Passage
DAY 4 - 05 Sep 2022
You will be at sea on day 4 while travelling from Vancouver to Ketchikan.
Ketchikan
DAY 5 - 06 Sep 2022
Time at Port: from 7 AM to 4 PM
Ketchikan is famous for the totem heritage museum, educating sightseers about the indigenous populations’ history and culture with an unrivalled display of native totems and artefacts. For those wanting to learn about the gold rush a visit to Dolly’s House Museum and downtown Creek Street is a good comparison along with the great Alaskan lumberjack show. Nature lovers, meanwhile, can enjoy dramatic sights at nearby misty fjords national monument.
Things to do in Ketchikan:
Totem Heritage Center
Boasting one of the most extensive collections of original 19th-century totem poles salvaged from abandoned Tingit settlements. Many other original Native American artefacts are displayed here, as well as traditional arts and crafts workshops being held to keep native skills and traditions alive.
Tracy Arm Fjord
DAY 6 - 07 Sep 2022
Time at Port: from 6 AM to 10 AM
Juneau
DAY 6 - 07 Sep 2022
Time at Port: from 1 PM to 9 PM
The capital of Alaska, Juneau boasts a plethora of national parks in its surrounding area, such as Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, teaming with iconic wildlife such as salmon, bears, and bald eagles. The city of Juneau is also well worth a stop in itself with such attractions as the Alaska State Museum and iconic cable car ride for breath-taking views. Visitors will love delectable locally-sourced seafood as well as a range of other cuisines in town.
Things to do in Juneau:
Stephens Passage
Stephens Passage is a shortcut through Southeast Alaska, close by to South Juneau, therefore widely used by ships for many different reasons. Not only this, it’s a popular route for humpback whales and sea lions with plenty of opportunities to spot the mammals.
Mendenhall Glacier
Mendenhall Glacier is 13 and a half miles of towering deeply packed ice over thousands of years. Named after Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, an alumnus of Ohio State University, the glacier tours are available by cruise ship, tour bus and even helicopter.
Tongass National Park
At 17 million square acres, Tongass boasts being the largest national park on US soil. Perfect for exploring via hiking trail or the famous mount Roberts aerial tramway, Tongass National Park has it all when it comes to Alaskan landscapes and wildlife.
Tracy Arm Fjord
Located inside the area of the Tongass National Park and Named in honour of Benjamin Franklin Tracy, Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier of ice across from Stephen’s Passage is a truly breath-taking experience of nature in motion.
Inside Passage
Cruising through the inside passage of Alaska is a simply a must to see dramatic scenery of mountains, fjords and glaciers, and whales playing in the bay right by your ship, as well as stopping off at the towns of Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway.
Glacier Bay
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is a real highlight in any tour of Alaska due to its remarkable wall of ice, as well as surrounding wildlife and natural landscapes where you can see bears and eagles among the dramatic scenery.
Haines
DAY 7 - 08 Sep 2022
Time at Port: from 7 AM to 4 PM
Haines has a number of intriguing places of interest to visit during your time there such as the Hammer Museum, Sheldon Museum and Cultural Centre and the American Bald Eagle Foundation. Haines also plays home to the annual Southeast Alaska State Fair in late July.
Things to do in Haines:
Hammer Museum
You’ll never look at the simple hammer again the same way after visiting this slightly whacky museum. Telling the tale of humanity’s love affair with one of our favourite tools, from cavemen to the modern day, via extensive exhibitions of mallets, hammers, chisels and gavels from 12 cm to 22ft.
American Bald Eagle Foundation
This foundation serves to preserve the American bald eagle as well as educate people on conservation of the natural habitat. Here, guests can visit the onsite nature museum as well as see the resident eagles, falcons and owls, some of whom take part in shows.
Sitka
DAY 8 - 09 Sep 2022
Time at Port: from 6 AM to 2 PM
Formerly Novo-Arkhangelsk, Sitka has a more a Russian feel than other Alaskan towns with orthodox style buildings and churches. In fact, this was the location where Russia officially sold ‘Russian America’ to the US in 1867 to become what is now the state of Alaska. Sitka also has a deep affinity with the native Tlingit population and preserving culture, nature and history with the Sitka National Historical Park as well as bear and bird sanctuaries.
Things to do in Sitka:
Sitka National Historical Park
Famous for its numerous totem poles scattered among the trees of the scenic woodland, often with your cruise ship visible out in the bay, Sitka National Historical Park is a must for lovers of nature and indigenous history of Alaska alike, complete with woodcarving studio and experts talks.
Alaska Raptor Center
This wildlife sanctuary helps Alaska’s most beautiful birdlife such as owls, golden eagles and the iconic bald eagles as they are rescued and reared back to full rehabilitation. Here, experts give talks and educate visitors all about these impressive animals with flights displays and talks.
Fortress of the Bear
If you had tour heart set on seeing an Alaskan brown bear but didn’t manage to spot one on any tours so far, a trip to this bear sanctuary is a sure way to see some of the state’s most popular wildlife up close and personal.
St Michael's Orthodox Cathedral
The original orthodox cathedral in America, St Michael’s cathedral is a testament to Alaska’s original colonisation by Russia. With classic orthodox architecture typical of the Old Russian Empire, the cathedral displays typical triple crosses, domed roofs and interior artworks.
At Sea
DAY 9 - 10 Sep 2022
You will be at sea on day 9 while travelling from Sitka to Vancouver.
Vancouver
DAY 10 - 11 Sep 2022
Time at Port: from 7 AM to 5 PM
From its architecture of ‘Vancouverism’ to the history of how it was built; Vancouver is a vibrant city full of arts and culture just waiting for you to discover all it’s hidden gems. Here you’ll be able to get stuck into a whole host of museums including Science World, the waterfront Maritime Museum and the Museum of Anthropology.
Things to do in Vancouver:
Gastown
The oldest place within Vancouver at the heart of its very origins, Gastown was set up in 1867 by John Deighton whose various stories and adventures garnered him the name of ‘Gassy Jack.’ Nowadays, you’ll find fantastic restaurants, and the famous steam-powered clock in Maple Tree Centre.
Chinatown
In Vancouver’s China Town district you can visit the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden where you can see a truly beautiful collection of plant life and ponds. There is also the Sam Kee Building which is the narrowest office building ever built, spanning barely 2 meters wide!
English Bay
English Bay is a beautiful beach that is home to outstanding high-end shops and mouth watering restaurants. There are also waterfront trails to follow if you like beach walking.
Canada Place
Canada Place is the perfect spot to start your adventures around Vancouver as it is where you’ll first step ashore from your cruise ship. Explore the pier, and be taken back by the outstanding architecture and views. At the end of the pier you’ll find the Flyover Canada attraction. From here, you can also use Canada Place as a transit hub to other places around Vancouver.
Great ship with excellent facilities and dining options. Really enjoyed using the very well equipped gym. Stateroom very comfortable and clean. Our cabin attendant was lovely and very helpful. Entertainment exceeded our expectations. The crew were all really helpful and provided excellent customer service.
Fantastic trip, the staff are excellent for service and friendliness. At the ports we visited, it was easy to find a clean beach with lovely blue sea to swim or snorkle in.
We were initially disappointed that our sea pass card was not loaded with our drinks package. This caused a number of embarrassing occasions when we were refused drinks, it was only when I insisted on being taken to someone who could address this issue that the problem was delete with by the head waiter. Also getting meals in the restaurant at a sensible time for my grandsons was only resolved after my son in-laws intervention with the restaurant manager. After this we could only speak highly of all of the members of the crew.
The cruise was more than i expected . Royal Caribbean can be proud of themselves as the ship was wonderful and the crew were always there to help out and the ports were great but i think we arrived at them at the end of there season so there were many places closed .
Just returned from an 11 day fly cruise up the the North Cape and Fjords. The destination and Itinerary was fabulous and the reason for picking this cruise especially during early June which gave a truly land of. The midnight sun experience. Its a while since we cruised with RCI having previously sailed on the sister vessel Jewel of The Seas and the larger Independence. The ship itself is a fine sea vessel withn Yacht like lines and well thought out although it is in need of a refit in certain areas with carpets and furnishings beginning to show signs of wear. First the good points Topi the Finnish Cruise Director was perhaps the best of all we have encontered in twenty or so full cruise holidays with his unique styles and genuine involvement. If you like a ship with a covered Pool this is a big plus feature if the ship although don't expect the solarium area to have readily available loungers at busy times. RCI is losing its way in my opinion with its central atrium 70s night, as an example featuring on all three cruises we have taken with the line over the last 10'years and needs variation. Yes they have a modern innovative fleet the Serenade is not one of the latest megaships but I suspect the rip off hard sell is common accross the fleet. When I go on a cruise holiday I do not expect to be accosted to buy something wherever I move aboard the ship. The Shuttle bus transfers were poorly organised as was our shore excusion to the North Cape where coach boarding can only be described as disorganised chaos. The dining experince in the buffet restaurant at breakfast and lunch time was poor with very average service and lack of seating. There was little in the way of healthy food options offered on say P&O or Cunard . Food was also cleared away half an hour prior to published opening times and on occasion sweet trays removed before our very eyes as we walked up for deserts. Even in the main dining room where our table staff were attentive things like tea or coffee spoons did not exist which is poor. Whilst I liked the ship and the destination and must give credit to our cabin maid who really made an effort I will think long and hard before choosing RCI for a future cruise as poor customer service and a rip off attitude is not why I go cruising.
Just returned from 11 night Med cruise on Serenade of the Seas. This is our 3rd cruise (2nd with RCI). I read numerous reviews before booking our holiday, mixed good and bad. I must say that I really can't fault this ship at all. Little niggles like dining tables not cleared immediately, and a bit disorganised on first day with a few queues here and there but so what! Passengers behaviours at times are far worse than any issues with the ship. Fantastic food, great stateroom service, good entertainment and friendly staff everywhere. Lovely clean ship and a real feeling of fun onboard just typical of RCI " your on vacation ". I loved the idea of the Centrum being the focal point of the ship. This brought everyone together. We have been spoilt by cruising on Independance of the Seas previously with its west end shows, chocolates on the pillow etc etc.....but this is a much smaller ship and more friendly in my opinion. Would recommend to anyone.
This was our seventh cruise with Royal Caribbean. I have never left a review before as it's just not my thing. First, let me say our previous six cruises with Royal Caribbean have been great. However, I just couldn't let our recent experience on Serenade of the Seas pass without a review. Short and sweet of it, Serande of the Seas has endless problems. We could have overlooked the lack of activities and terrible shows along with the rude ship staff. But when the food is terrible it is impossible to make the best of it and rack it up to just a bad week. However we did a nine night with a consecutive seven day Christmas cruise back-to-back on this ship, and we couldn't get off this ship fast enough! Even the staff told us this ship had problems, so this review should not be a surprise to Royal Caribbean. It's hard to find a fault with a cruise, as its a cruise for goodness sake - make the best of it, right? Well, we failed miserably at trying to make the best of this ship. I guess it helped by us overhearing many other cruisers during our sixteen days onboard complaining about the bad quality of food, shows, and activities in that we knew we were not alone and big complainers. Wow, did I just have the put that in a review for a cruise? Long complaint short - Choose a different Royal Caribbean ship for your next cruise other than Serenade of the Seas!
Although we had a good holiday, was a bit disappointed with this ship. It was our fifth cruise, first with Royal Caribbean, and thought this cruise line was at least up there with the other big players, if not slightly bettter, but was wrong. The food was not as good as other cruise companies, the staff in dining room although very pleasant, were so slow. The excursion team were not very helpful and could not be bothered to help. The Guest Relations desk were excellent though. Then we come to the entertainment, worst I have ever encountered. No West End/Broadway type shows in theatre, like advertised on RC web site and TV adverts! On other cruises, there has always been two shows a night, for first and second dinner seating guests. There was two shows, and for second seating guests these were at 6.30pm, and first seating shows were 8.30pm, but it wasnt a problem as the shows were really rubbish.The entertainments team working in bars etc, were not at all up to scracth and mostly it was guest participation that was the entertainment, there was a couple of trio bands/singers that were ok, but just ok. Then we come to the gratuities - what is going on with these cruise ships, they charge $24/day to your account per two person cabin, then on top every single drink is charged 15%. Even the spa, the stone massage started off $149 but ended up $175 when you come to pay account, with yet again gratuity added. We are all paying part of the staff/crew wages on top of paying for cruise, why dont they just put up cost of cruise, then we would all know what the cruise is going to cost up front. I have been on Carnival Cruise which was excellent, Holland America which was excellent and twice on Thompson Cruises - whilst the staterooms were not as good as the larger cruise lines, the food and especially entertainment was excellent. Would think very hard before chosing a RC cruise again.
Just returned from a lovely cruise to Dubai and the Arabian Gulf. It was it was our first time with Royal Caribbean and we would definately consider going again with them. All the staff on board were extremely polite, friendly and eager to help. The ship was very clean and very well-equipped. The entertainment was a bit repetative, but that could be just our taste. All the meals we had on board were lovely - we didn't try any of the specialist restaurants as we were more than happy with the 'general' eateries. Drinks were quite expensive - 31 dollars for the cheapest bottle of wine so we didn't see anyone 'over the limit!'. We had pre-paid the gratuities and couldn't understand why we had to pay 15% extra for every drink we bought and then to be left an envelope in our room for our (excellent) stateroom attendant. It just seemed a bit too much. We booked two excursions - the hop on, hop off bus in Muscat and the city tour of same city which included the Mosque which was absolutely fabulous and definately worth a visit. Special thanks must go to the Tailor-made team at Iglu Cruises. Everything went according to plan including three private pick-ups/drop-offs and two nights in separate Dubai hotels- the Holiday Inn Express at Dubai Airport and the Arabian Courtyard and Spa beside the creek. Both were excellent. A great holiday all-round!
Loved the ship everything was great except the gratuities that were added on. Would have been better to add this on to the holiday price because we were not expecting to have to pay these extras.
We have just had the most amazing time on Serenade of The Seas. This was our first cruise and we really did not know what to expect, but we have now caught the bug and will definitely be cruising again. The staff were exceptional, they cannot do enough for you. We ate in the main dining room every evening, as we did not feel the need to try anywhere else as the food was so good (contrary to some reviews I have read!). Our waiter Alrick was most attentive and every evening he would give us information on the port we were visiting the next day, offering hints and tips on the best way to get around the island, etc. We drank in The Schooner Bar most evenings as we found this really relaxing and we were pleasantly surprised by the price of drinks on the ship - about the same (if not cheaper) than we would pay in the UK. We saw 3 shows - 2 by the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers, which were very good and we saw a Temptations Tribute act who were fantastic. We didn't bother seeing the comedians, as this didn't really interest us. We didn't pre-book any trips because there was nothing that we really wanted to do, so we just got off the boat and did an island highlights tour with one of the many people who are waiting when you get off the boat. We always went in one of the little mini-buses and for about $20 each you get a 2 to 3 hour trip, showing you the main points of interest, stopping for photos etc. I would definitely recommend doing this, as it is far cheaper than booking it through the ship. One thing I would recommend is that in your hand luggage you pack your swimming gear/sun lotion, as it can be quite late by the time you get your main suitcases delivered, and this means that you can take advantage of the sun/pool in the meantime. Also, I would pack something to wear that evening, as we didn't get our luggage until about 7.45pm and we had to be at the muster point safety meeting at 8.00pm and dinner at 8.30 - so it was a bit of a rush. All in all we had a fantastic time and would definitely cruise with Royal Caribbean again.
^Summer Flash Sale 50pp reduction valid for new bookings only with a minimum selling price of £1599pp - Sale ends 30th June
All offers and prices are subject to change and availability at time of enquiry. Prices are based on two passengers sharing unless otherwise stated and are subject to the Tour Operator's terms and conditions. Cabin and Flight supplements may apply. Other supplements may apply in addition to the price shown above. Flight details, timings and routing may be subject to alteration. Other tour operator charges may also apply. Any Onboard Spending money or drinks package value shown will be per cabin, again based on two sharing.
Note: On 13 January 2018, new European legislation is being adopted in the UK which as result will mean that we may change our required method of payment at our discretion, irrespective of how any deposit or prior payment was made.