A visit to Alaska on the Serenade of the Seas

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Entering the Endicott Arm on our way to Dawes Glacier.

Caroline has cruised to Alaska 10+ times. This was my first trip. A couple of decades ago, I had a conference in Fairbanks. When the conference ended, I took a bush plane just north of the Arctic Circle and visited a wolf trapper, but that was it. I think it was in Wiseman, population 12. I bought a hat.

For this trip on the Royal Caribbean ship Serenade of the Seas, we flew to Vancouver, British Columbia, explored for 3 days, then boarded the Serenade for a 7 day cruise in August, 2026.

In Vancouver, the highlight was cycling around Stanley Park. In fact, it was so fun, we did it twice!





We also found the Gastown Steam Clock, the world's first steam-powered clock!

Then, embarkation day! 


 


This being our first time aboard the Serenade, we spent day 1 exploring the ship. I got to meet Captain Carlos and Robert, the hotel director!


Day 2, I started off with a morning in the gym. The exercise area on the Serenade is large and clean. It's also sparsely populated at 6 in the morning. And, if you are on the treadmill, you'll probably see a whale or two!


This was our first time in a cabin (8088) with a Pullman-style bed that lowers from the ceiling, for our grandson. And we had an extra large balcony to give us more space. However, the wooden railing in the balcony was exactly at eye level, so whale watching was an aerobic activity as you hunched down or stood up! Our cabin was the first cabin in the passageway to a long line of rooms, so there was always traffic. Unfortunately, it was also the first room removed from the Centrum on deck 4, a popular game and entertainment area. The ship actually closed a fire door at night to keep the noise level down to a reasonable level.




The Centrum on deck 4, as seen from deck 8 just outside our door, with a dance exercise class.

Throughout the cruise, the singers and dancers were fantastic. I was actually surprised they weren't on larger, newer ships, as the evening performances were of very high quality. Encore!




Art on the ship, as with most cruise lines, was varied and striking.



 


Some issues were very obvious if you've been on newer ships.  There was no hand-washing station as you entered the Windjammer buffet, only an optional squirt of hand sanitizer. And there were no automatic door openers in the public restrooms, just manual handles. ADA aside, that can't be good for sanitation. And who was in charge of urinal placement?!



Sitka was our first stop. We had a party of 9, ranging in age from 11 months to 72 years, so we knew we were going to be relaxed at the various ports.









Then we had a morning to sail into Endicott Arm and see Dawes Glacier.  That was a disappointment. It was a brief glimpse at a distant glacier. I mean, brief. The ship arrived, turned around, and left. And distant. See for yourself if you can even spot a glacier!



This is the photo featured on the RC website. I mean... really? Big disappointment.



The afternoon and evening was reserved for a stop in Juneau. We had planned to walk to Mendenhall Glacier, but the week before the glacial dam below the glacier had collapsed, making the area not passible. We knew this, which was why seeing Dawes Glacier was high on my list. So, we walked around.






We didn't arrive in Ketchikan until the next afternoon, so we had some time to play on the ship.



Who buys the art on this ship?











We left Alaska and headed for Prince Rupert Sound, British Columbia. There is a nice hiking trail and a number of museums near the port.






There was a final day at sea then we left the ship. We look the subway to the airport... pretty easy, even if one of us got on the wrong train! (He got off at the next stop and waited for us).

Overall, We enjoyed our time on the Serenade. Alaska? I really didn't feel like I had a good sampling of Alaska with this cruise. No real glacier viewing, only 1 bald eagle, and in the ports you were surrounded by 2,000 - 12,000 other cruisers, depending on the number of ships docked... not an authentic experience unless you beelined it on a trail out of town. I really enjoyed seeing the spawning salmon, and the occasional whale sighting was always exciting, although not unique to Alaska. The next time I visit (and I hope there is a next time), I'll be careful to let the destinations select my particular cruise.







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