PLease tell me about Radiance

[generalcindy]

First time on the RCCL line.. So excited would love to hear about the ship

[ChipLondon]

It would be really useful for your to read the many cruise reviews that can be found on the CC ship review pages. They will give you a basic understanding about how many people have found the ship and its facilities. After that you will have some more specific questions to ask, you will really enjoy this beautiful ship, especially its wonderful Solarium. Enjoy your cruise :)

 

First time on the RCCL line.. So excited would love to hear about the ship

[Basman]

The Radiance at around 90,000 tons is actually on the smaller side of the RCI fleet. It has been a few years since I've been on her, but she is probably one of the most beautiful ships out there. Not that RCI has any ugly ship anyway. Being smaller, it doesn't have the indoor promenades or the flow riders that the bigger class ships do. I've been on similar sized ships, from other lines, built around the same time and they don't hold a candle to her.

 

I always liked the Sea View cafe, the covered Solarium, and the gyro stabilized pool tables. The Windjammer Cafe is fairly large and has the option of sitting inside or outside. One of the highlights for us on our last cruise was eating at Chops. It was without question worth the money and was the best meal I've ever had on a ship.

 

Here is a link to Bart de Boer's site with ~300 pictures of her, (http://public.fotki.com/bdb36/radc/). If this doesn't get your heart racing. check your pulse.

 

Wish I was going soon,

Bob

[mpbmark]

If you've got some time on your hands, you might want to read this thread. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=575048

Pretty much everything you will want to know about the Radiance can be found here. Specific items can be found using the search function.

[The Flying Pirate]

Radiance is a very nice ship, it has the small ship feel with the amenities of the larger ships.

 

A couple of things that we really liked about the Radiance Class is the outdoor seating for the Windjammer, especially for dinner it was nice to be able to have a quiet dinner under the stars. A very cool experience.

 

The ships also have the Thermal Suite in the Spa area. This is something they charge for but it is wonderful for relaxation. It is a Steam Room, Sauna Aroma therapy room and has stone chairs that are heated. We loved it.

 

The ships also have the Chops and Portifinos which are fantastic and well worth the extra money.

[jdc2204]

The Radiance is a grand ship. The Staff and crew even better. We did a south bound cruise in Alaska 2009. Clean, Well kept. Plenty of glass. Elevator face out. Great viewing. plenty of places to relax. Don't miss 70's

night in the centrium. It is a hoot. JDC

[Cheryl H]

We were on Radiance a few years ago (and sailing again in June), but my favorite spot was in the Solarium at night...It is so relaxing to watch the elephants change color (colored lights). I hope that is still the case.

 

Also it was either the Hollywood Oddssey or the Viking Crown Lounge that we discovered was a nice quiet place to go and sit with a great view during the day. There were a couple people in there reading.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[dajulieness]

We were on Radiance a few years ago (and sailing again in June), but my favorite spot was in the Solarium at night...It is so relaxing to watch the elephants change color (colored lights). I hope that is still the case.

 

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Now I have to sit there one night with a few drinks and watch the elephants. My picture is going to end up on the front page of cruise critic lol :p

[js]

While I am not going to argue over class, it reminds me how annoyed I get, SOMETIMES, when Suite guests get concierge because they are in a suite. I can tell you on some sailings, I am paying just as much as they pay for my family but I am purchasing 2-3 balcony cabins for 4-5 people. Sometimes balconies and insides, sometimes just connecting balconies.

Sometimes, paying 2-3 balconies for 4-6 people is the same price as the cheapest suite that gets into concierge (at least it use to, ESPECIALLY when they were counting the JS).

Oh well. Thank you for letting me get that off my chest LOL :)

Also, my C&A status doesn't count 3 bookings, it just counts one since I am sailing once but still purchasing multiple cabins.

Oh well! Back to the subject of Radiance.

BTW, I just was able to change my E3 on Radiance for January 13 to Balcony Guarantee for only $777 for 4 nights. We ALWAYS purchase specific cabins since the teens are with us but we are sailing for our 20th anniversary without the kids so we are throwing caution to the wind and going with a Guarantee for that price!

[Lvs2Cruise2]

DH and I did the 10 day Mexican Riviera on Radiance last April. We LOVED it! We had our first hump cabin on deck 8 and it was spectacular. We had been on Freedom and Explorer before and we were concerned this ship would be too "small" with not enough to do. Boy were we wrong! There was plenty to do the staff was great and I would sail her again in a second!

[Mothballs]

What is this talk about class!

I am travelling on the Radiance of the Seas next year.I am descended from convicts.Will I be allowed on?:o

Regards Elaine.

[andrzej5914]

While I am not going to argue over class, it reminds me how annoyed I get, SOMETIMES, when Suite guests get concierge because they are in a suite. I can tell you on some sailings, I am paying just as much as they pay for my family but I am purchasing 2-3 balcony cabins for 4-5 people. Sometimes balconies and insides, sometimes just connecting balconies.

Sometimes, paying 2-3 balconies for 4-6 people is the same price as the cheapest suite that gets into concierge (at least it use to, ESPECIALLY when they were counting the JS).

Oh well. Thank you for letting me get that off my chest LOL :)

Also, my C&A status doesn't count 3 bookings, it just counts one since I am sailing once but still purchasing multiple cabins.

Oh well! Back to the subject of Radiance.

BTW, I just was able to change my E3 on Radiance for January 13 to Balcony Guarantee for only $777 for 4 nights. We ALWAYS purchase specific cabins since the teens are with us but we are sailing for our 20th anniversary without the kids so we are throwing caution to the wind and going with a Guarantee for that price!

 

The difference is that the suite people are paying as much as you but only for 1 room and 2 guests. You are paying for 3 rooms and have 4-5 passengers using the facilities and eating food.

[critterchick]

While I am not going to argue over class, it reminds me how annoyed I get, SOMETIMES, when Suite guests get concierge because they are in a suite. I can tell you on some sailings, I am paying just as much as they pay for my family but I am purchasing 2-3 balcony cabins for 4-5 people. Sometimes balconies and insides, sometimes just connecting balconies.

Sometimes, paying 2-3 balconies for 4-6 people is the same price as the cheapest suite that gets into concierge (at least it use to, ESPECIALLY when they were counting the JS).

Oh well. Thank you for letting me get that off my chest LOL :)

Also, my C&A status doesn't count 3 bookings, it just counts one since I am sailing once but still purchasing multiple cabins.

Oh well! Back to the subject of Radiance.

BTW, I just was able to change my E3 on Radiance for January 13 to Balcony Guarantee for only $777 for 4 nights. We ALWAYS purchase specific cabins since the teens are with us but we are sailing for our 20th anniversary without the kids so we are throwing caution to the wind and going with a Guarantee for that price!

 

Do you get FF miles in your account when you buy a ticket for somebody else? Or hotel points if you get two rooms? It's the same thing with the cruise line - each passenger gets the points for his/her sailings.

 

Now, back to the OP - I suggest that you read the thread that Mark pointed you to. That will tell you all you need to know and more.

 

My opinion: the Radiance class is the best in the fleet. We love the layout, all the places for seeing the ocean (something the Voyager and larger classes can't rival) and pretty much everything in between. We're not big fans of the main dining room, so we will dine in Portofino or Chops (the two specialty restaurants) as often as our middle class (won't tell you which end:p) budget allows.

 

Radiance herself has some plumbing issues, which have been discussed on "the thread" and she's going into drydock in the spring, hopefully to correct that problem and maybe spruce her up a bit. She's in very good shape overall, but we can all use a little help after a certain age.:)

[JennyD1]

We were on the Radiance last week and it is a beautiful ship. We booked an aft suite and had no plumbing problems, but we did see some rooms with the doors open with fans running. There were a few times when the public restrooms would be out of order and it was difficult to find one that was working. I don't recommend My Time Dining, unless you make your reservations before you sail, which to me is not My Time Dining. The first night we went at 6:30 and were told to come back at 8:30 (we were a party of 3). The head waiter then told us we needed to block a table for a specific time for the remainder of the cruise, which we did. I cruised on the Grandeur in January and found the food in the main dining room was better on that ship. I did enjoy the buffet on the Radiance for lunch, but did not care for the selection in the main dining room for dinner. In the main dining room they offered a filet mignon for an extra $15, which I did not think should have a surcharge. The aft balcony was the best.

[bplazo]

We were on the cruise the week of October 16th and I thought that the food was good in the MDR, however, my husband did not think that it was as good as previous cruises. We did eat at Chops and Portifnos for two of the nights and for lunch we did mostly the Seaview Cafe which was wonderfull. We did the WJ for breakfeast and some of the items were cold (like the waffles and french toast) but I really did not care as long as I did not have to do the dishes.

 

Great Cruise.