Live! Radiance of the Seas - Panama Canal cruise - April 8, 2024

[Jimbo]

58 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Sister ship Serenade had all her mattresses replaced for WC.   I had heard they were very, very firm.   I opted to bring a highly compressed 1.5 inch foam topper on board for our 1st quarter WC...and was so happy I did.  Well worth dragging on the extra duffle bag.  Their mattress was like a rock!!  😮 

We also found the beds very acceptable, no issues for us.

[cruiselvr04]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

 

Sister ship Serenade had all her mattresses replaced for WC.   I had heard they were very, very firm.   I opted to bring a highly compressed 1.5 inch foam topper on board for our 1st quarter WC...and was so happy I did.  Well worth dragging on the extra duffle bag.  Their mattress was like a rock!!  😮 

 Brilliance beds were hard as a rock too.  On our 46 night we spent the first 3 port days searching for a foam topper.  Found one in the little town of Napier NZ of all places.  They were discounted to $40/king so we bought 2 and slept great the rest of the trip. 

[Teeara]

We’re here!  Our Lyft driver picked us up at 9:45 (we had scheduled him for 10:00).  We were at the port by 10:00, checked in and in our waiting area by 10:08.  Fastest check in EVER for any of my RCI cruises.

[island lady]

57 minutes ago, StanleyandGus said:

😂 I think we had the same cabin (we sailed the Panama Canal in November), and I found the bed comfortable! I suppose it just goes to show how difficult it is to satisfy everyone.

 

 I do think they should have replaced one of the bathroom sinks. Every time I was brushing my teeth, I noticed the crack.

 

1550?   Really loved the cabin, and indeed the crack in the sink was strange not to have had the sink replaced, but at least it did not leak when I did my hand wash laundry.  😉 

 

Still loved having the foam topper...felt like sleeping on a cloud.  🥰

[Teeara]

1 minute ago, island lady said:

 

1550?   Really loved the cabin, and indeed the crack in the sink was strange not to have had the sink replaced, but at least it did not leak when I did my hand wash laundry.  😉 

 

Still loved having the foam topper...felt like sleeping on a cloud.  🥰

Pat, are you taking it with you for the final quarter?

[island lady]

20 minutes ago, cruiselvr04 said:

 Brilliance beds were hard as a rock too.  On our 46 night we spent the first 3 port days searching for a foam topper.  Found one in the little town of Napier NZ of all places.  They were discounted to $40/king so we bought 2 and slept great the rest of the trip. 

 

Indeed it helped for us.  Have already bought a second one to stuff into one of our duffle bags for the 4th quarter WC.  🙂  Left the last one on the bed when we left.  

 

Hope Teeara and Pam have a good mattress for their cruise!  

[island lady]

Just now, Teeara said:

Pat, are you taking it with you for the final quarter?

 

LOL...a new one yes.  Once those things are out of the compressed bags...they are huge!  No way we could have brought that back with us.   Did have to cut down to size, since those "king size" beds in the cabins are not really king size.  So I also brought a full size pair of scissors to do so,  that happily was not nabbed by security.  

 

So, another duplicate already purchased and ready to go to Barcelona with us in July for the 62 nights back to Miami.

 

I hope Radiance has nicer mattresses than whomever they contracted them for Serenade.  😮 

[island lady]

Teeara....I see you!!!   Have a fantabulous sail away.  Looks like the perfect day for it....may be a bit "gloomy" around 3 pm though.  😄  

 

https://www.porttampawebcam.com/

[ONECRUISER]

3 hours ago, StanleyandGus said:

😂 I think we had the same cabin (we sailed the Panama Canal in November), and I found the bed comfortable! I suppose it just goes to show how difficult it is to satisfy everyone.

 

 I do think they should have replaced one of the bathroom sinks. Every time I was brushing my teeth, I noticed the crack.

Agree, Beds on Serenade are no where near Firm as Pre-CV, before last time they replaced all them. Now those were Firmest Cruise Beds ever felt. Back when everyone wanted the egg crate pads.  But everyone has personal preference

[ONECRUISER]

3 hours ago, Teeara said:

We’re here!  Our Lyft driver picked us up at 9:45 (we had scheduled him for 10:00).  We were at the port by 10:00, checked in and in our waiting area by 10:08.  Fastest check in EVER for any of my RCI cruises.

Welcome aboard! Turn around for B2B went fast, think we were back on at 9:30. Was bunch Contractors on also, not sure what their Job was, I should have asked

[SuzD123]

20 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

47 years ago, I road in the back seat of a Plymouth Fury III from the Philly area to Palmer, AK (north of Anchorage).  Many stops in the mid west thru Canada.  Stayed with relatives in AK.  Did trips to Anchorage, Homer, Denali (Mt. McKinley at the time), and Fairbanks.

 

We flew home (my first airline flight - Northwest Orient 747).  Other relatives flew to AK to drive the car home.

You had me at Plymouth Fury III...Absolutely NOTHING to do with Alaska or Radiance.  But my 1st car was a '65 Fury and my 2nd was a '72.  Fun memories.  🙂

[Teeara]

3 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Indeed it helped for us.  Have already bought a second one to stuff into one of our duffle bags for the 4th quarter WC.  🙂  Left the last one on the bed when we left.  

 

Hope Teeara and Pam have a good mattress for their cruise!  

I’d be really happy if they would open the cabins.  

[KyGirlHeather]

I'm anxious to hear what you think overall about the ship.  We are scheduled for B2B in September Vancouver to Vancouver and then Vancouver to LA.  

[RobInMN]

Until someone posts more professional pics. Samsung Galaxy S20 through solar glasses.

[njkruzer]

Thank you

[njkruzer]

18 minutes ago, RobInMN said:

Until someone posts more professional pics. Samsung Galaxy S20 through solar glasses.

Where are you?

[RobInMN]

3 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

Where are you?

On Radiance (Tampa)

[island lady]

Just "gloomy" looking here on the "other coast" of Florida.  

 

Teeara....you are probably at dinner...but also going under Sunshine skyway bridge right now.  Awesome sight every time!  🙂  

[pstone1]

4 hours ago, KyGirlHeather said:

I'm anxious to hear what you think overall about the ship.  We are scheduled for B2B in September Vancouver to Vancouver and then Vancouver to LA.  

We’ll be on both of those with you!  Then staying on for the PC eastbound sailing! 

[Teeara]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

Just "gloomy" looking here on the "other coast" of Florida.  

 

Teeara....you are probably at dinner...but also going under Sunshine skyway bridge right now.  Awesome sight every time!  🙂  

I literally ran out of the dining room and up 3 flights of stairs to our cabin to get this shot 😉😁😂

 

[Teeara]

So our driver picked us up 15 minutes early and we were at Terminal 3 a few minutes before 10 a.m.

 

 

We were quickly whisked upstairs, checked in and waiting in the suites/Key area in less than 10 minutes.

 

 

We stopped to watch them add ship provisions prior to boarding the ship.

 

 

I work so I can have this view every year.

 

 

This is Pam’s first time on a Radiance class ship and my second.  We aren’t fans of smaller ships but in order to do the original locks we needed to sail on a smaller ship.  Even so, the atrium is lovely.

 

 

Standing in line at Chops to make our dinner reservations.  I came with a post-it with the dates and venues written on it.  I got everything I wanted, but I still think it’s stupid that we have to “rush for classes” in order to make specialty dining reservations.

 

 

After lunch we went for a stroll on the Promenade.

 

 

We walked to the front of the ship and found the helipad was open.

 

 

 

[island lady]

13 hours ago, Teeara said:

I literally ran out of the dining room and up 3 flights of stairs to our cabin to get this shot 😉😁😂

 

 

Excellent picture!  Thanks for sharing!

 

It is also beautiful all lit up at night, though I don't think you are returning to Tampa?   If so, that sight is around 2-2:30 am.  Gorgeous!

[island lady]

12 hours ago, Teeara said:

So our driver picked us up 15 minutes early and we were at Terminal 3 a few minutes before 10 a.m.

 

 

We were quickly whisked upstairs, checked in and waiting in the suites/Key area in less than 10 minutes.

 

 

We stopped to watch them add ship provisions prior to boarding the ship.

 

 

I work so I can have this view every year.

 

 

This is Pam’s first time on a Radiance class ship and my second.  We aren’t fans of smaller ships but in order to do the original locks we needed to sail on a smaller ship.  Even so, the atrium is lovely.

 

 

Standing in line at Chops to make our dinner reservations.  I came with a post-it with the dates and venues written on it.  I got everything I wanted, but I still think it’s stupid that we have to “rush for classes” in order to make specialty dining reservations.

 

 

After lunch we went for a stroll on the Promenade.

 

 

We walked to the front of the ship and found the helipad was open.

 

 

 

 

Great pictures!  I forgot how totally different the centrum is from Serenade and Jewel.  I like your set up on Radiance better...IMHO.  😉 

 

Another thing really different is the location of Izumi on Radiance.  

[ONECRUISER]

19 hours ago, RobInMN said:

On Radiance (Tampa)

Think I saw you doing these, didnt realize you had the protection. Nice! Watched bunch of Passengers and Crew staring at the Sun w/o any. Chatted with my Grand Daughter, she said they kept all kids inside all day. Irony is when I was also in 8th Grade(45yrs ago) the Science Teacher took us out in small Groups to learn about the Eclipse. We had Double Welding Glass and did the Paper with hole in it trick and another placed beneath. 

Edited April 9 by ONECRUISER

[ONECRUISER]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Great pictures!  I forgot how totally different the centrum is from Serenade and Jewel.  I like your set up on Radiance better...IMHO.  😉 

 

Another thing really different is the location of Izumi on Radiance.  

Agree. For being Sister Ships lot of Differences between the 4, Shower Curtains or Doors, Centrum stairs or not. And many more... 

Edited April 9 by ONECRUISER