deelightfull

@notscb I agree, she is a great ship! We've done one weekend cruise on her already, and are about to do a second. For the three day weekend cruises, just Ensenada, no Catalina, so no tender. 🤷 Always an awesome weekend! 😁

It begins from the moment you get on board, but just like alcohol, you have to pay taxes in port in Long Beach. So, those sodas, before you get underway, will be like $1 a piece. 🤷 If you can wait till you sail away they'll be free. 😁

We had a room assigned, on the second floor. The $36 does not give the chance to choose your own room, just to guarantee 😉 your guaranteed interior was on an "upper floor", whatever that means.

We have a cruise on the Radiance in 30 days (whoo! 🎉). San Pedro is our "home port" so we've taken this cruise once already, and I'm sure we'll take it many more times over the coming years. Like the cheapskates (and sound sleepers) we are, we booked an interior guarantee room. Here at the 30 day mark were offered an upgrade for an "upper floor" for $36. Of you're the type of cruiser who takes a guarantee rate in the first place, is this an upgrade you'd be interested in? At that price? I mean, I know the upper floors are better, but I would have thought that if it was important enough to you, you'd have booked a fare type that allowed you to choose your room? Maybe not? 🤔 Maybe later you'd be like, really, $36 isn't too much to pay for a better room, not really. 🤷 Curious what you guys think. (Hubby was planning on getting the thermal suite anyway, loves the loungers. So we took the other upgrade offered, one for an interior spa room for $128. A higher floor, AND the thermal suite, win win!)

We got upgraded to these rooms our last Radiance cruise, over President's Day weekend. We had a teen that used the teen club so that was convenient. 😆 The teen club shuts down by midnight (and usually doesn't open till 9 am, at the earliest) so that helps, but regardless, I didn't hear them at all. Overall we liked it. If we didn't pay attention we'd end up on an elevator that didn't go all the way to our floor. 😜 So we went as high as it goes and then walk forward to find the elevators that went all the way up to our floor. 😁. As a matter of fact, while I was typing this for a note from my husband that we're being offered an upgrade for an interior spa room for our next cruise in 30 days. I think he's accepting it right now. Have Fun!! 🚢

Ooooh, I do like that shot!

Ships aren't planes, you can bring any liquid you want, in any amount, as long as you can't drink it. 😆 So being as much detergent on board as you want, in little pods or otherwise. As for whether the laundry is coin or card on the Dream, I couldn't tell you. 🤷 Somebody who knows will chime in I'm sure.

Happy to see the Radiance getting some review attention. We're west coasters and have done the the three night weekend cruise once in February and I'm looking forward to going back in June. It's just so fun and such a great value!

The best part about line dances is that you don't have to know them. 😁 You follow either the dj/cruise or the people that do know them (or both 😆). But you could introduce her to the CONCEPT of line dancing. When we were on the Panorama in December they had dance lessons during the day on sea days but those lessons got REALLY crowded. 🤷 Maybe your ship will have a better space for them. But during the deck parties the DJ or the cruise director will call the dance. They also sometimes get modified to better fit in a crowded deck. Have fun!

Last Dec we were NOT in a suite, we checked in as early as possible, had the 11am check in time and boarding group B04.... 🤷

I live in California and a "re-usable" plastic bags that are 10 cents here fit nicely inside the NCL laundry bag to reinforce it. Laundry was a concern for me last summer when we (family of three) were on the Dawn. Despite my best efforts, I'm not the neatest, and we travel carry on only. Our trip was 10 days, not as long as yours, but long enough that I wanted to be able re-wear clothing, and for me, that means laundry. What ended up working best was little packets of laundry detergent meant for the sink. They're small enough that i can pack several in a carry-on liquids bag. I also packed for us mostly clothing that was quick dry. A couple times during our trip I did laundry in the sink, underwear, tee-shirts, and a pair of nylon-ish hiking pants. My first priority for the NCL laundry bag was the pants that weren't quick-dry hiking pants: jeans and sweats. I think we got like three pairs of tightly rolled pants in that bag and a couple tees for each member of the family. I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much fit, after worrying about it. I mean it didn't handle a weeks worth of laundry for 3 people, not even close. But it was plenty. BTW, the laundry comes back in a nicely folded stack, not creamed in the bag like it left. 😁

The worst! 😆

Hmmm....I can't remember if that's right, (I know my 15 year old signs himself into the teen club on a piece of paper, NOT with his card) but even so, an adult would still have to be there to sign her in and out. Even at Carnival, 5 year olds can't sign themselves out. 😁 (9? 11? Regardless, it's not 5) So it wouldn't matter, mom or dad still have the card in their possession. But when it's time to get off the ship at port they're very insistent that everyone hold their own card while scanning off and on the ship, for about 15 seconds, and then it gets handed back to the responsible adult.

10 years ago I went cruising with a 5 y.o. Now he's 15! I'm trying to remember, but I don't think there's ever a reason for the 5 y.o. to hold their own sign and sail card, except for the 15 seconds it takes to sign on and off the ship each time. The rest of the time it's with Mom (or Dad). I presume you'd rather your friends can't walk into your room freely? I honestly don't know if they can remove the capability to unlock a certain room door. I'm interested to hear the answer. Also interested to hear why the child is booked into your room. Some sort of discount available only to you and not their parents is my guess. But I'm curious!

I can't comment on the singles scene on a cruise vs land, but I as for exploring via floating hotel vs land based one, a port heavy cruise makes a good compromise between hubby and I. He wants to pack as many different places into one vacation as possible and I really dislike transferring between hotels in the middle of a vacation. So, a port heavy European cruise is a good compromise. I minimize the packing and unpacking, he gets to see multiple countries. It is only a quick taste of each place, for sure. So, one bite each of 8 desserts? Or four bites each of two desserts? or just savor one decadent slice of New York cheesecake? 😆 What a wonderful thing to have options!

My bad, my brain tends to file things under first letter and then jumble.... Danish of course, not Dutch... (But they both start with D 🤣🤣)

We are a family of three and used public transportation (the light rail) to get from the airport to the hotel and used public transportation again from the hotel to the Dawn at dock. The transportation from the hotel to the cruise dock was a bus, and it was nearly empty. When we boarded with luggage, the driver asked (in Dutch and then in English) if we were going on a cruise. When we said we were he made sure we got off at the right spot for the Dawn. 😁 It was a short walk from the bus stop to the ship. Google maps knew which train route to take from the airport to the hotel and which bus to take from the hotel to the ship. None of us speak any Dutch, but everyone we encountered in the tourist zones spoke English.

Which week is this? Overnight in Cabo isn't the usual route for the Panorama, but maybe they had to adjust one week?

Bakersfield! Proud BHS Graduate, class of '94. We now live in Riverside, so close-ish. We were on the Panorama last December and had a great (but crowded) time. I look forward to following your trip.

When our family of three travels alone we travel in one room, but when grandma comes, the kid sleeps with her. So, I can tell you with confidence, the cruise line will have no issues with it. Once you get on board the customer service desk can give you a "door only" key for the other door, if you'd like one.

Try the kids club! It's mostly free (Late night hours cost extra. I can't remember how young it starts) Enjoy the adventure. Enjoy the fact that when aboard the ship you don't have to schlep EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, because your room with all the baby gear, etc is not too far away. 💕

We were talking to a waiter in Porta Vallarta in a restaurant that advertised accepting the princess medallion. He says he's not thrilled about it, because if he rings someone up with the medallion, his tip percentage goes down. 🫤 But better a small tip than no customer at all. 🤷 All credit card companies take a percentage, but it seems Princess takes a bigger one.

😁 Is fun to surprise the kiddos isn't! So far, so good. 🤞

Virgin Sunrise (since mostly just pop/juice and a splash of grenadine). That's what it was! Very yummy!!

Cartoon-y pirate? Mermaid? Popeye the Sailor Man and Olive Oil?