Radisson Navigator

I have just booked a cruise for my birthday celebration next September on an Alaska cruise. I love the warm water cruises, but have finally broken down to go north. I would like to know if anyone can comment on the Navigator or tell me what the weather would be like the first two weeks in September. I realize its the end of the season, but I wanted to do something special and everyone on my last cruise said this was probably the best ship afloat at the moment.....but this was coming from non "family" members.

[Dave]

HAVE BEEN ON RADISSON DIAMOND FOR BACK TO BACK CARIBBEAN CRUISE. SERVICE GREAT ,FOOD FINE, COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER, BUT DEFINATLY 6 STARS, I CELEBRATE MY BIRTHDAY IN SEPT AT SEA ALSO BUT ALWAYS GO CARIBBEAN AS I LIVED IN ST THOMAS FOR 3 YEARS AND OWN A CONDO THERE. WOULD SAIL RADISSON AGAIN BUT LOVE HOLLAND AMERICA.
SEPT ALASKA IS OVERCAST AND IN THE 50'S FOR A HIGH FROM WHAT OTHERS HAVE TOLD ME. HAVE A GREAT TIME.

When are your birthdays in September? Mine is also in September on the 18th. We should all get together and go sometime to celebrate !

Don't worry about the weather - from Vancouver [my home] through to Skagway, it's much the same from mid-May to late-Sept: variable. Sun, cloud, rain. We''ve cruised Alaska in May, June, August and September and have decided that any time is a good time.

Thank you for the comments.
I have decided to take the day before option and stay at the Pan Pacific Hotel. Can you tell me whether there are gay restaurants in the area close to this hotel. I thought I might check out the "family life" in town but not make it a late evening.
If you have any suggestions on how to spend a really short time in Vancouver, I would appreciate it greatly

Sorry to take so long to spot your reply!

The quickest way to get a sense of what's available in Vancouver is to check the website of the Gay & Lesbian Business Assoc. here, at www.glba.org

Vancouver has a very large high-rise residential district surrounding downtown, that includes a large portion of the gay/lesbian community. Downtown therefore does not "die" at night as in so many North American cities, and mostly remains very safe. Vancouver is also blessed with large numbers of very good restaurants serving just about any kind of food you might want. The fail-safe guide for visitors is a book called Northwest Best Places - covers food and lodging and key sightes for BC, Ore and Wash.

In addition to restaurant listings in the glba directory, if you are looking for very good food and at least gay-friendly, here are some other suggestions. All are in the downtown/West End area, so accessible by a short cab ride from your hotel.
Raintree - walking distance from the Pan Pacific; BC west coast cuisine
Rain City Grill - English Bay; west coast, excellent wine list
Cafe de Paris - West End, French bistro
Fish House in Stanley Park

With just a day or so here, you'll want to stroll along the West End's retail streets - Robson, Denman and Davie. Stanley Park is world-famous and worth a visit.

The good thing about Vancouver is that it is like an Alaska cruise - there's so much that one trip leads inevitably to the next.