Rain, drinks, smokes and fun on Radiance! Pictorial review, 2/10/11.

[wolfcathorse]

We had Minette too, she was very nice.

 

Yes, I was out on the heli pad when we passed under, it was very cool. Too bad it was too dark to get a good shot.

 

if you go again go up by the navigation mast. There's a set of stairs up to an observation area forward on deck 12. The lights of the ship going under light up the underneath of the bridge enough for pictures. I have good video of it.

[DarthGrady]

The Windjammer

 

Forward buffet patio

 

 

Interior

 

Food stations

 

[DarthGrady]

if you go again go up by the navigation mast. There's a set of stairs up to an observation area forward on deck 12. The lights of the ship going under light up the underneath of the bridge enough for pictures. I have good video of it.

 

Cool, thanks!

[DarthGrady]

Windjammer aft patio

 

 

 

 

At the forward end of deck 12 is the ship’s gymnasium. A wrap around observation deck is also found there with two mounted observation binoculars. The jogging track also encircles the gym and continues on to encircle to area above the pools. The Sky Bar is also perched on deck 12 overlooking the pool. Near the center of this ship is the teen and children’s rooms. The small video arcade is also located there. Adjacent to that is the basketball court and children’s pool area. The ship’s water slide snakes its way through that pool area.

Gym

 

 

[DarthGrady]

Forward observation decks

 

 

 

 

[DarthGrady]

Crown and Anchor Lounge

 

 

 

 

[DarthGrady]

Teen Club

 

 

 

Arcade

 

[DarthGrady]

Basketball half court

 

Childrens pool and slide

 

 

[DarthGrady]

At the aft end of deck 12 is the awesome Seaview Café. The table service restaurant features made to order sandwiches, soups, salads, and other dishes. I really liked it, and I ate there several times. I was dismayed to learn that it would soon be converted into a Rita’s Cantina which will have a cover charge. While I have no ill will toward pay-extra venues on ships, they should not come at the expense of free dining options.

 

 

 

[DarthGrady]

The Viking Crown Lounge is at the very top of the ship on deck 13. It has two distinct areas. The StarQuest lounge is the larger of the two and serves as the observation lounge during the day. At night it becomes the ship’s only nightclub. The other lounge is the Hollywood Odyssey cigar bar. There is a small stage set up for live music. They held several private functions and Diamond events being held there. They also have a small humidor with a few brands of cigars for sale. It was nice to have a place to enjoy cigars inside the ship. Aft of the Viking Crown Lounge on deck 13 is the rock climbing wall and mini golf course.

Hollywood Odyssey cigar lounge

 

There is another picture of me with this statue that I can't post, rum makes everything funny.

 

 

 

 

[DarthGrady]

Starquest

 

 

 

That is indeed a faux flying saucer above the dance floor, complete with exhaust gas (fog) that shoots out of the bottom while the club is going.

 

 

I overheard that this bar rotates, although I never saw it move

 

[DarthGrady]

The rock wall

 

Mini golf

 

[DarthGrady]

Day 1, Tampa:

After the incredibly fast embarkation I spent a lot of time exploring and photographing the ship. We all had a nice lunch in the Windjammer and then went to our room to drop off our carry on luggage.

We arrived at the muster drill right at the end and had to stand out there a grand total of 30 seconds. Our group then made a bee line for the Viking Crown Lounge, my favored spot for sail away. After relaxing and enjoying the sail away we had a snack at the Sea View Café. I thought their Cuban sandwiches are very good, as are the onion rings. There wasn’t a lot to do on deck since a light rain set in late in the day.

Later in the afternoon we made our way down to the Colony Club and got in a few games of self-leveling pool. The seas were pretty choppy, so the gyroscopes were working overtime. Playing pool on a moving table is different to say the least. At dinner that evening we met our awesome waiters Ozgur and Robert. We had a great dinner, and turned in early since we had to wake up so early.

At the Tampa pier

 

The Sunshine Skyway at night

 

Sorry its so dark, but this is us going under the Skyway

 

Our Emerald welcome aboard basket (fruit, peanuts, M&Ms, cheese and crackers, two cokes)

 

[Motleu]

Darth - Tremendous review and awesome pics. You really bring the ship to life! I am taking the family on the march 28th 5 day to Cozumel and Costa Maya and you really have me fired up! Thanks!

[DarthGrady]

Day 2, At Sea:

 

Our first day at sea started with a nice breakfast in the dining room. I had intended to spend some time up on the lido, but the weather would not cooperate. It stayed overcast and rainy pretty much the entire day. So we made the best of the day by getting drunk on our balcony. My friend and I enjoyed a couple cigars out there as well. In spite of the weather we had a great time. Drunks tend to want snacks, so we devoured some delicious sandwiches in the Sea View Café later in the afternoon. A long afternoon nap was in order after the merry making. That night my wife and I spent a little time in the Viking Crown Lounge.

 

Quality time on the balcony ;)

 

My old friend the Inspiration passing by

 

Night time in the Viking Crown

 

[DarthGrady]

Darth - Tremendous review and awesome pics. You really bring the ship to life! I am taking the family on the march 28th 5 day to Cozumel and Costa Maya and you really have me fired up! Thanks!

 

Thanks! You'll have a great time!

[DarthGrady]

Day 3, Cozumel:

I woke on the second morning to a view of Cozumel, Mexico. Unfortunately it was being pummeled by rain and 30 mile per hour winds. We had a nice breakfast on the Windjammer’s enclosed aft patio and waited for the rain to slack up. There were not many braving the weather heading down our pier. The Carnival Ecstasy pulled up to their pier and started letting guests off. I was surprised how many were making their way off.

Once the rain slacked up we walked down the pier and checked out the duty free shops. I have been to Cozumel many times, so I wasn’t interested in going to town. My buddy and I picked up some cigars and headed back to the ship. The wind and rain was down right nasty, so we stayed on board the rest of the day. The Solarium was packed so we tried to use the hot tubs by the main pool. The weather was just too nasty so we soon packed it in. We hung out in the Viking Crown Lounge for a bit and watched the rain and winds pelt the island. Unfortunately there were not many activities planned during the day since they expected most guests to be off on land.

I saw the juggling and comedy show in the Aurora Theater later in the evening. It was pretty funny, but one of the guys was having trouble doing the act. This was probably due to the very noticeable rocking of the ship.

Later my wife and I attended the past guest reception for Platinum Members and above in the Colony Club. It was very nice. They served free drinks and had some appetizers (wings, mini egg rolls). They also had a large assortment or chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate treats. They had the usual introduction of the ship’s staff, as well as a speech by the Captain. He mostly spoke of the Sunshine class, since they just signed the letter of intent. He did not go into any details about the features. Remarkably, after the party there were still a bunch of the coveted chocolate covered strawberries left. I wasn’t too proud to take a plate full to our Gold Member friends at dinner. As the reception was ending they had a medical emergency call to one of the cabins, more would be learned later.

After dinner we went to the Quest. While we were waiting for it to start the Captain made an announcement that we were turning around and returning to Cozumel at top speed. The person who had the medical problem earlier needed immediate care at a hospital. A helicopter evacuation was not possible so they would have to get him to land. We stayed and watched The Quest, it was hilarious as usual. We got there early so we had good seats. We didn’t get on a team, but ended up helping the team in front of us get a few points. The cruise director Dan did a good job keeping the crowd going and getting folks involved.

After The Quest we went up on deck to watch our arrival back in Cozumel. Thankfully the rain had finally stopped. We pulled up to the pier around 1 am and they soon had the gangway onto the ship. There was already an ambulance waiting on the pier with EMTs. As soon as the patient and his wife debarked they untied the ship and we took off. We were told the next morning that the man had been stabilized. They had to do over 21 knots that night to make up time, so the ride was pretty rough with all the swells.

I wake to a very rainy and windy Cozumel

 

Our leak came from under that grate beneathe the door. You can kinda make out where the carpet is wet.

 

The Ecstasy pulls up to her pier

 

 

Passengers begin to go ashore

[DarthGrady]

Anyone up for a swim. Just be careful of the rip currents.

 

 

 

 

 

I assume the Celebrity Century was originally heading for our pier, but they ended up downtown. Im guessing the 30-40 mile per hour gusts had something to do with it.

[DarthGrady]

Waiting to get through security in the rain would suck. I was glad I stayed on the ship.

 

Ecstasy follows us out of port

 

The Quest!

 

 

[DarthGrady]

More Quest

 

 

 

 

Trying to dry out our deck

 

Our own blower!

[DarthGrady]

Our return to Cozumel on the 3rd night

 

[DarthGrady]

Day 4, At Sea:

Our last full day again started in the Windjammer for breakfast on the patio. The weather had cleared up, but the wind was still strong and cold. My friend and I enjoyed cigars and drinks on my balcony. We then went for a swim in the Solarium pool. The seas were still rough, and the pool was having three foot swells. Who needs a Flowrider when there is a wave pool on deck?

Later in the day we finished off our last two cigars in the Hollywood Odyssey. We were unable to get any bar service in there, a shame since we really wanted drinks. I know the lounge isn’t technically open during the day, but many people still use it. You would think there would be a waiter that would saunter through from time to time; especially since you can’t walk a foot on the lido deck without being offered booze. They also don’t leave ash trays out during the day. This is very odd, since its one of the few places where smoking is allowed inside. We grabbed a rocks glass from behind the bar that served the purpose.

While my friend and I were enjoying our cigars, my wife took advantage of the Crown and Anchor lounge to book a cruise for us on Celebrity Eclipse. For those that have not done it, it’s a very convenient process. You get an on board credit for the cruise (based on the length), and your travel agent still gets a commission. The lounge itself is very impressive. It is an island that is situated directly above the atrium. The walkways that go to it are the supports. There is a glass window in the middle of the lounge that looks down into the middle of the atrium. Those that are not made queasy by heights are free to stand on it.

Prior to dinner we all spent a couple of hours enjoying the live music in the Schooner Bar. We had a great dinner on our last night and said our good byes to Ozgur and Robert. After dinner we watched “Prince of Persia” in the Cinema and went back to the cabins to finish packing.

 

The weather was finally nice enough to enjoy our last sunset

 

Dancing waiters on the last night (thats Robert throwing the dual peace signs)

 

 

 

Oz and Robert

 

[DarthGrady]

Some night shots on deck

 

 

 

Conga line in the lobby

 

The Country Club, which I didn't find until the last night. Couldn't have played putt-putt anyway.

 

The view down, standing on the glass floor in the Crown and Anchor Lounge

[DarthGrady]

Debarkation:

 

After a final breakfast in the Cascades Dining Room we got in line to leave the ship. The process was a little slower than embarkation, but not too much. The line to exit the ship took about 5 minutes, and there was little wait to go though customs. The whole process was about 20 minutes.

 

Conclusion:

 

Although the weather could not have been less cooperative, we still managed to have a great cruise on Radiance of the Seas. She is a beautiful ship with a great crew. I would like to cruise on her again, although I have read that Jewel of the Seas will replace her out of Tampa next season. I really wish RCI would put a year round ship there; it would be great if it is a Radiance Class ship. Some have criticized the Voyager, Freedom and Oasis classes for their lack of connection to the ocean. I can only say to those people that a Radiance Class ship is the way to go. There are precious few areas of the ship that lack a spectacular view of the outside. I now consider Radiance to be one of the nicest cruise ships I have been on.

[DarthGrady]

SPECIAL BONUS!

Here is a special treat for all of you, just for hanging in there and reading the whole review. A suite that most of us will never be able to afford. I snuck in there and took pictures before leaving the ship.

The Royal Suite on Radiance of the Seas

 

Yes, a baby grand.