Aussie Hailz's Review of South Pacific on Radiance OTS 1st April, 2014

Well G'day! Cheers for reading my review! I'm Hailey and I'm from Melbourne, Australia.

This is my first official Cruise Critic review, (I do a lot of Trip Advisor reviews).

My review is quite late, but I did write a diary as I was on the ship, so this is straight from that diary- plus a few side notes!

Ps. Please feel free to ask me any questions or give me any feedback/ comments. As I said, this is my first review on here, and I'm going on two more cruises in May, 2015 and I'd love to review those too!

Happy Reading!

As I said, I'm from Melbourne, Australia. I'm 29 years old and I'm an Auslan, (Australia sign language) interpreter. My gorgeous husband's name is Mick, and he will feature in the photos I will post with my review. (He's 32 & is an Operations Manager statewide for an American owned company, with its main office in Melbourne). Mick & I actually met because of Royal Caribbean- Lol- indirectly. I was on my second cruise in December, 2010, which happened to be on Rhapsody of the Seas, with my best friend, Nicky. We were seated every night at dinner with the same couple from Sydney. On the second night, the man asked if I was single, (I did think, "whhaaaat?! Your wife is just there Buddy!!!" ) But it turned out he thought I'd be a great match with his best mate back in Sydney & said if I met him, we would get married!

I straight away thought I

didn't need any help with my love life- I was extremely happy being single, but it was nice of him to offer up his best mate, lol. Loooooong story short, three months and a 12 hour road trip later with Nicky, I met Mick & within hours of meeting him, knew he'd be the lucky guy I'd spend the rest of my life with. (Ha ha, see what I did there?!)

Six months later, we had a cruise booked, (on Rhapsody, of course!) it was a Queensland cruise, & Mick's very first cruise. I've converted him to ship holidays and he's never looked back!

TIP NUMBER 1) Be open to being set up if you are single. This is more a life tip than a cruise tip, but I paid it forward and set up Mick's best friend and one of my bridesmaids and BOOM- they're living together now! (& yes, he moved interstate too!)

Looking forward to your review. We are from Melbourne and will be going on Radiance next month :)

As I said, I'm from Melbourne, Australia. I'm 29 years old and I'm an Auslan, (Australia sign language) interpreter. My gorgeous husband's name is Mick, and he will feature in the photos I will post with my review. (He's 32 & is an Operations Manager statewide for an American owned company, with its main office in Melbourne). Mick & I actually met because of Royal Caribbean- Lol- indirectly. I was on my second cruise in December, 2010, which happened to be on Rhapsody of the Seas, with my best friend, Nicky. We were seated every night at dinner with the same couple from Sydney. On the second night, the man asked if I was single, (I did think, "whhaaaat?! Your wife is just there Buddy!!!" ) But it turned out he thought I'd be a great match with his best mate back in Sydney & said if I met him, we would get married!

I straight away thought I

didn't need any help with my love life- I was extremely happy being single, but it was nice of him to offer up his best mate, lol. Loooooong story short, three months and a 12 hour road trip later with Nicky, I met Mick & within hours of meeting him, knew he'd be the lucky guy I'd spend the rest of my life with. (Ha ha, see what I did there?!)

 

Six months later, we had a cruise booked, (on Rhapsody, of course!) it was a Queensland cruise, & Mick's very first cruise. I've converted him to ship holidays and he's never looked back!

 

TIP NUMBER 1) Be open to being set up if you are single. This is more a life tip than a cruise tip, but I paid it forward and set up Mick's best friend and one of my bridesmaids and BOOM- they're living together now! (& yes, he moved interstate too!)

Great story, Hailey! I also met my hubby on a blind date and we just celebrated our 46th anniversary last week.

Sue

Ok... Stay tuned... We are still up to the back story...

The night before our first cruise, we were at The Blue Angel seafood restaurant in Sydney and in front of hundreds of Lobsters & a few diners, Mick proposed to me in Auslan. (He learnt that off Nicky, who I'd met at university while studying sign language!) - stick with me guys, this all ties in.

ANYWAY, (so much for a long story, short!) the next day we were on our first cruise together, as a newly engaged couple! AND WE GOT A CABIN UPGRADE TO BALCONY from Oceanview. You may think this is amazing- (& of course it was) however, now when we book a cruise, it ALWAYS has to be balcony, because Mick is a balcony snob now, and doesn't want any less...

TIP NUMBER 2) Book thru a travel agent. In Australia, I booked thru Cruise1st- their organisation isn't great, but their prices are amazing. Their customer service can be good, depending on who you go thru. Also, if you booked thru a TA- they usually get offered cabin upgrades- so that helps. ALSO- tell them it's your honeymoon. Or that it's a special celebration. This also can help with getting upgrades!

Wow- I feel like my whole life story will be explained throughout this review- I'm really sorry if it's a boring one! Ha ha!

Ok, here it is, the ACTUAL review starts now, I promise!

So- we flew Melbourne to Sydney on Virgin Airlines a few days before the cruise. My best friend was due to be married the day before we left, but her fiancé decided four weeks before their $100,000+ wedding that he actually didn't want to get married- so our holiday was well and truly needed. It was also our long awaited HONEYMOON!!! ;-)

Now- did you read that and think I'm a filthy, rotten liar, because I told you to make sure you say it's your honeymoon? It actually WAS our honeymoon, I triple promise. It wasn't directly after our wedding, but that's because Mick moved interstate to Melbourne to be with me, only 3 weeks before our wedding and he changed jobs & job industries then too.

Looking forward to your review. We are from Melbourne and will be going on Radiance next month :)

Ohhhh how exciting!!! I'm sure you'll love every moment!!!

What's your itinerary?

What cabin do you have?

Have you sailed with RCCI before? 😜✌️

great start I look forward to reading more.

When in Sydney, we stayed in a budget hotel, Ibis World Square- which turned out to be fantastic. It was only $110 per night, (had to bargain hunt for this ace deal on Agoda.com) no frills, close enough to everything that we could walk, but far enough that we weren't caught up in the hustle and bustle of it all!

Our room was small, but it had everything we needed.

When we checked in, we let them know it was our honeymoon and they sent us up a bottle of bubbly, (not even a cheapie) and a card saying, "Happy Honeymoon"! It was so sweet!!! & much appreciated.

After a toast to the cool hotel and our ever approaching cruise, we took off for a walk around to see where we would have dinner & see if there was anywhere where we could spend some money! (That wasn't hard, I could spend money anywhere!) Actually, they had vending machines in Sydney that had Havianas, yes, the thongs, flips flops, sandals, jandals, whatever you call the footwear where your toes peep out. IN A VENDING MACHINE- whaaaat?!

On a sad note, there's also a LOT of homeless people around the streets of Sydney. A lot more than in Melbourne. I found it very confronting, as a lot of them had animals with them- cue the violins- but I felt sooooo sorry for them!

After a fairly quiet night, dinner at what seemed an abandoned Chinese restaurant and a comfy sleep, Mick & I got up, and decided that we would go on a walk to Circular Quay to catch a glimpse at any cruise ships and to the Opera House, (when in Rome, err, Sydney, so to speak!) I should have worn walking shoes, but it was such amazing weather and I wore a new pair of sandals... Bad idea!

*On a side note, a lovely local man, (cue sarcasm here!), who was trying to get us to sign up for World Vision monthly payments, congratulated Mick on knocking me up. He actually didn't say it in those words, he looked at my tummy and looked at Mick & said, "Congratulations man. You must be really happy!" Mick being the sweetheart, happy go lucky, somewhat airy fairy guy that he can be, replies with, "Wow man, how did you know?" To which my jaw drops on the ground, that he's going along with this... (For the record, I WAS NOT PREGNANT!).The man replies with, "Well, it's quite obvious!"

I stand there in shock, with my chubby tummy and my silly husband. I grabbed Mick's arm and told the man that we donate money to Melbourne Pet Ambulance already & we walk off. After explaining to Mick was had just occurred, he doesn't stop laughing!!! Someone get me a drink. And by someone, I mean Michael. Now! Lol.

This is going to be a very enjoyable review - I can tell already!

We are doing NZ in 29th November have a balcony right on the start of the hump so has a deeper balcony,

We have done Legend and Voyager so relly looking forward to Radiance and your review :D

We are doing NZ in 29th November have a balcony right on the start of the hump so has a deeper balcony,

 

We have done Legend and Voyager so relly looking forward to Radiance and your review :D

NZ was my first cruise. It was amazing. So many fun things to do!!!

TIP NUMBER 3) Never wear any new shoes when you are expecting to walk for more than an hour at a time. Also, don't wear tight fitting dresses if you have a tummy that could be mistaken for a baby bump! Lol!

We had a sandwich along where the ferries & cruise ships dock and Mick came up with a brilliant idea as we were people watching... A PUB CRAWL!!! Yes!!!

So the idea was to have a one different drink, at every place on the way back to our hotel that sold alcohol. We started off strong and got through five places, (& 5 different drinks) until we realised we needed some decent food!

So, finding a nice looking bar/pub, we settled in with a cocktail, Blue illusion, before ordering food. Well- the food was just too yummy. We ordered more. & what do you know- it was happy hour for drinks! The bar man made me a JUG of a "secret, homemade cocktail" & suddenly it was 10pm & we were staggering back to our hotel.

I'll have to upload my pics desperately I think...

Meanwhile, thanks to those who have joined in to this review!

We had our first sleep in for what felt like a year, but probably truly only a couple of weeks. We skipped breakfast and walked to Town Hall, where I was about to have my first, long awaited experience at Harry De Wheels!

As Mick was a Sydney local for 10 years, I've heard all about his Harry De Wheels adventures... Especially after a few beverages and a late night out with the boys. I had heard the menu back to front, with epic descriptions of the smells, tastes and mouthfeel! (As said in an earlier post, Mick was a chef in Sydney & the Wollongong region for a number of years, so he's ALL about the food!)

For those people who have never heard of this- it's quite simply, a food van. The most scrumptious food van imaginable. Think- mushy peas and mashed potatoes on top of pie or hot beef rolls with cheese sauce and gravy... I'm salivating just thinking about it now! I'll post a pic of this, for your enjoyment as well as mine! Ha ha. Yes, I am now a Harry De Wheels lover too!!!

Lol- I meant- upload my pics separately- not desperately! Way too funny!

Sorry for the typo!!

Now, this is what you've been waiting for... Cruise Embarkation Day!!!

Day 1- SYDNEY:

I woke up super early. Actually, I'm not really sure that I actually slept. Way too excited for words. Our deck level, 8, wasn't meant to be boarding until midday- but I was totally allowed to plonk myself right next to check in and if there was a break in the line, rush up and ask if i was too early, right?

I washed my hair and straightened it. (My hair is long and very thick, so I usually don't bother). I also put on a full face of make up.

TIP NUMBER 4) Everyone gets a photo on the first day of the cruise. Not just the one as you walk in that says the cruise ship's name behind you- but on your Seapass card for security purposes too. Sooo, I always make sure I look good- even just for that very photo! It also means you don't have to do your hair again before dinner on the first night.

We packed our bags and got a taxi to the port. (5 mins in a taxi- about $10 and the guy was super nice!)

TIP NUMBER 5) Pack a "carry on" bag. When you board, you may not see your checked in luggage until up to 3pm & you'll be guaranteed that you'll want to do a few things before then. I usually put in bathers, sunscreen (because I burn just walking to the letterbox, lol), chewing gum, a camera & A PEN! When you get to the port and you have things to fill out- there's nothing worse than having to rely on someone else for a lend of their pen! Even though it is a great ice breaker.

As we walked in to Circular Quay, Mick lugging most of the heavy bags & me holding our carry on bags, we both stopped still as we looked up and saw her in all of her glory... Radiance of the Seas!!!

And wasn't she a ripper!!! Excited didn't begin to describe my feelings. I was also a tad anxious as all of my other cruises had been amazing and I didn't want this one to disappoint. We are both happy go lucky kind of people, so we knew we would have fun regardless, but you never know, and I am a bit of a stress head!

As we walked up to the ship, we had to get that cheesy selfie, ya know, the one that every person would have gotten, with them & the ship's name behind in the same pic! Lol

Oh no! It was only 10.45am- way too early!

We had a coffee right next to the boarding area- Whoa, $7 each!!!

Enough time wasting, I HAD to convince someone to let Mick & I on the ship!!!

I asked the very lovely man at check in if we could board, (even winked at him for good measure) & HE SAID YES!!!

After a click of my heels and a little squeal of excitement, (poor Mick, he was very embarrassed), we were power walking to the front of the line. (There was actually only about 4 people in total around and they were waiting for other family members so they could board together.)

As it was so very early, hardly anyone was even around, let alone getting on the ship. We showed our passports, (make sure you carry this in your carry on!), got a photo done and BOOM, we were onboard! WHAT?! That couldn't be it, could it?

We were free to run around and it was only 10.55am & we pretty much had the Radiance of the Seas to ourselves. What does one do when they find themselves in this situation?! Pretend we are rich & we have the whole ship to explore!!!

Loving your review already[emoji106] [emoji1] . Thanks for the link from sinnpu's review of Indy

TIP NUMBER 6) If you're lucky enough to get on early and no one is around, run around the ship, taking photos of yourselves looking like you're the only people onboard! Then you won't have people you don't know in your photos and you look really important! Ha ha!

The VERY first thing that we did was head to the Schooner Bar. Usually it's a lot quieter and easy to get a drink there. We were their first customers for the cruise and we met Devina, who we would end up seeing everyday, numerous times, throughout the cruise.

We started at the first drink in the cocktail book and alternated, trying each other's amazing drinks! After four drinks, and some chatting to Devina, we headed off to take photos!

TIP NUMBER 7) TIP THE BAR STAFF! If it's the only advise you take in while reading this- it will change your cruise! I learnt this tip in Vegas. Although all Americans tip, in Australia our wages are very good, so we don't usually tip, unless the service is amazing. (I say usually- of course this isn't for 100%). Also, while I'm talking about differences between Aussies & Americans, my Mum is American, (although she has spent her whole life in Aus). I've also spent time in San Diego at high school there, as well as a couple of years ago I did a HUGE road trip from LA to NYC, visiting 26 states along the way. (Just adding in this info, in case you thought I was being biased or putting my two cents in if you thought I had no idea).

So, when you first get to a bar, tip the person maybe $10-$15 (the latter if it's a longer cruise), especially if it's a bar you know you're going to be regularly. Introduce yourself to the bar person. From this point on, this new person in your life can possibly be your new best friend. They control your drinks and if you don't drink, then you can move on from this tip, but if you like to let your hair down and have a few bevvies a day, then knowing this person is ace! We found that every time we walked up to the bar, the staff we had tipped, would serve us first and make our drinks nice and strong- maybe even too strong if there's such a thing!

In Australia, there's a 30ml rule for drinks, a standard drink at a time if serving spirits to a customer. It's to help customers know their limit and keep record if they're driving afterwards. Don't need to worry about driving while on a ship... So no need to worry about getting out a measuring glass... Just the way I like! it!!!

We went all around the Radiance from bottom to top. It was AH-mazing! Very different to Rhapsody, not that Rhapsody wasn't great, it was just a different kind of great!

The African theme in the solarium was brilliant. I had thought that every ship had the same theme & layout- I was so wrong! Every new thing we went past was brilliant and we "ahhhhhh"'d at every cool thing we saw!

Some of my Radiance Highlights-

A basketball court- which did end up having a lot of teenagers playing on it til the wee hours of the morning, so I couldn't show off my Jordan skills- how disappointing! Lol

The Solarium- sooooo lovely, we actually hung out there a fair bit which isn't something we would normally do. Mick loved the food in here the best! Very healthy and alternative. I liked the food, but I preferred the Windjammer as it had lots more options & I LOVE trying new things, like grits & honey stung chicken- yummy foods that aren't offered in main stream restaurants in Australia.

Outdoor Cinema- when we went on Rhapsody, they didn't have it yet- so it was lovely to sit poolside with a drink, (of course) and watch a movie or even just see music video clips.

The gym- it looked pretty good. We preferred to walk around on the walking/running track outside- mainly to make it LOOK like we were being good. Truth be told I was just working on my tan!

The Centrum- we saw some really fun things here. Generally it was quite busy when the dancing was on, but when someone was playing a piano or there was a band on, it was lovely to walk by and hear it. The atmosphere at every corner of the ship was unique and amazing!!!