Radiance Cruise Review: Jan 2-11, 2010 Voyage

[Sailfish]

Radiance of the Seas Cruise Review

January 2-11, 2010

 

My husband and I departed from San Diego on January 2, 2010 on a 9 night cruise to Mexico; our ports of call included Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo and Zihuatanejo. We also had a day at sea at the start of the voyage, and two at the end before returning to San Diego.

 

As you may already know, the Radiance has had a seasonal itinerary that takes it to Alaska in the summer and to Mexico in the winter. I am also aware that the ship will be heading back to the Caribbean. We had a very enjoyable cruise and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. Not every aspect of the cruise was perfect, but we didn’t have any major issues that put a damper on our vacation. And we found the ship, our accommodations, service and overall value to far exceed our expectations.

 

Ship Overview

The Radiance of the Seas is the first Radiance class ship to be built; it is slightly larger than Royal Caribbean's Vision class ships and a little smaller than Voyager class ships. Its design incorporates the best of both ships, including a solarium and lots of glass everywhere, making it perfect for Alaska as the glass provides lots of windbreaks. It also has a lot of the features that have made Voyager class ships so popular, including a rock climbing wall and two alternative restaurants. If you ask people who are familiar with the Radiance and the rest of Royal Caribbean’s fleet, they will tell you it has many Voyager class ship features minus the promenade. I can see why so many people consider the Radiance class of ships their favorite. Its interior is done in muted colors and has a very upscale feel to it. The designers did a great job incorporating all the windows – those glass elevators overlooking the water while the ship is in motion are not to be missed!

 

The Radiance was built in 2000, making it nearly 10 years old. It’s a fairly large ship, weighing in at around 90,000 tons; it can accommodate around 2500 people, though it was announced that we had about 2100 people. The ship was surprisingly well maintained and sparkling clean. We had heard about plumbing problems prior to our departure, but we did not experience any issues in our Deck 7 inside cabin – 7555.

 

Embarkation

We drove to San Diego from Northern California and spent one night with friends before the cruise. We went through check-in at 10:30am; we were among the first to check in and waited until noon to be given the okay to board the ship. Due to a large number of foreign passengers on the ship from the previous cruise, disembarkation on January 2nd took longer than normal. I asked what time they normally board the ship, and was told between 11:00am-11:30am. As a Diamond level past guest, we received “priority embarkation” so we were among the first guests to board the ship.

 

Our Stateroom

 

We booked a very inexpensive inside guarantee and got exactly what we paid for – no upgrades this cruise, but we had a comfortable cabin in a nice location! Our cabin was small, but it was tastefully decorated; our two beds were moved together and made up as a queen size bed.

 

The room had a small couch, a glass topped coffee table and a lighted vanity desk. Storage wasn't a problem, as we had two night stands, shelf storage in and around the vanity with a few drawers, as well as a divided closet with shelves and hangers. There was a minibar/refrigerator in our cabin though we never used it.

 

The bathroom came equipped with bodywash/shampoo and soap, but no conditioner. I found the stuff in the shower too harsh for my hair, but liked the scent and used it as body wash. There was a hair dryer in the vanity – it worked quite well, so I never used the one I packed. I found the storage space in the bathroom more than met our needs, and I always seem to over pack when it comes to toiletries, so I'm pretty sure you too will find the storage space adequate.

 

All in all, I really had no disappointments when it came to our stateroom – it was exactly as I had it expected it to be. We found our room very comfortable, though we spent very little time there – nothing against inside cabins, but why would we? I have become accustomed to cruising in a balcony, and not having one this time made me appreciate them all the more! I am not particularly partial to inside rooms, but made the best of it this cruise.

 

 

Public Areas of the Ship

 

The public areas of the ship such as the Aurora Theater and the Colony Club as well as the many bars around the ship, the pool areas and the dining room were tastefully decorated. The Radiance is nearly 10 years old, and with constant use, it does in places, show some wear and tear. But for the most part, it's in good repair and it's very clean. Everyone from officers, to management to custodial staff to service personnel were for the most part friendly and professional.

 

I found the main dining room to be very elegant, so it was a pleasure to have dinner there most nights. The pool decks were marginally busy during the day, but I spent very little time there – all seemed to be clean and inviting. The Solarium was nice enough, though kind of stuffy. Most our time spent on the deck (which was not all that much to begin with) was in a quiet, shady area on deck 5. The kids area with the water slide was also kept clean – quite a few youngsters could be seen having fun there during the day.

 

What Is There To Do?

 

You will find destination & shopping lectures presented by cruise staff, a fully equipped Shipshape Fitness Center with state-of-the-art gym and aerobics room, and a full service spa with sauna/steam rooms and massage. There are two swimming pools, including one with a retractable roof that never retracts (I am told) and three whirlpool spas that always seemed full. There are also a couple of “way cool” self-leveling pool tables, a sports court, a jogging track and a rock climbing wall. All in all, you will find quite a bit to keep you entertained when you are NOT in ports of call.

 

Since it was just the two of us cruising, we attend a few ballroom dance classes, but spent most of our free time (days at sea) during daylight hours relaxing with a good book or in my husband’s case, playing his travel guitar! There was a cooking demonstration on pasta preparation – something that seems to be “in vogue” these days (the one Princess did aboard the Ruby in November was much better). We didn’t do much on this cruise, but I did manage to go to the gym every morning.

 

Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle

 

I am with the opinion that the collaborative efforts of Royal Caribbean and Cruise Critic have the potential to host a fun party, but lately, they seem to fall flat. I won’t go so far as to call it a waste of time, but the party scheduled for 12:30pm in the Colony Club the first full day at sea was during lunch time, and though well attended, the venue made it hard to mingle and meet one another. People sat around in small groups, far from one another, and a hostess, who was there primarily to raffle off a few prizes, turned the gathering into an activity rather than a party.

 

To make this sort of thing successful, you have to host such an event as you would a party – allowing people to move around and to mingle – a cocktail party like atmosphere in a smaller venue is best – where people are forced to stand around rather than sit. I know others will disagree – but I host a Bon Voyage Party on every group cruise I do for Cruise Critic – it’s always structured the same way – in a small, intimate venue lasting only about an hour, ending with a champagne toast. I act as the MC, and greet everyone as they arrive – then walk around for a little while encouraging group interaction. The gals from the ship went around the group with a microphone asking everyone to introduce themselves. This sort of thing puts some people off – I attend work related conferences and this reminds me of them, so I for one couldn’t wait to get out of there.

 

I am sure the people at Cruise Critic’s Roll Call Forum were for the most part very pleasant people, but this venue for us anyway, was a turn-off. After that, I had no desire to connect with anyone from our roll call forum. A shame, since I very much appreciated all the valuable info, insight and tremendous advice I got from the folks who were there. This might not be the way it is on all ships, but the few I have attended hosted by Royal Caribbean have all been the same.

 

Formal and Informal Dining

 

A lot has been written about the food one can get on a cruise ship, and yes, you'll find plenty to eat on the Radiance of the Seas. But the quality of the food one gets today is NOT what it used to be, even if the quantity is the same. I found the dinners we ate in the formal dining to be very good, but NOT outstanding; meaning it was comparable to the quality you would expect from a mid-range restaurant. I always managed to find something I liked. Our meals were warm, but never piping hot; the service was excellent (we got very lucky as we had an awesome waiter) and special requests were accommodated cheerfully. This is NOT four star cuisine, however, the menu items were tastefully presented, and offerings included escargot, refreshing cold soups, and lobster tail and rack of lamb. Suffice it to say, everyone at our table came away having enjoyed their dinner.

 

The Windjammer Buffet is where we ate lunch most days. It was standard buffet type food; nothing out of the ordinary, but lots of fresh fruit, sandwiches and hot food items, a killer salad bar and even pizza. The Windjammer buffet was always busy, so staff was constantly refilling empty food containers with fresh items. Though I never checked, I believe the formal dining room was never open for lunch on days we were in port.

 

On the three days we were at sea, the dining room was open lunch and we made a point of eating there. The lunch menu was just okay, and the quality of the food wasn’t really any better than what you could get up at the Windjammer, in my opinion. But you didn’t have to fight the crowds, so it was more relaxing and much less stressful. They also had a huge salad bar with tons of gourmet and specialty items. I never ate dinner up at the buffet, but heard it was “just okay”; people remarked that many of the same dinner items served in the formal dining room were available in the buffet but were consistently less fresh and dried out.

 

 

 

Alternative Restaurants

 

There are two restaurants on the ship that have a cover charge – Chops $25pp and Portofino $20pp. We made arrangements to eat at both, but ended up having dinner in Chops twice. We enjoyed the food and service both times. I had the rack of lamb and fillet and my husband ordered the rib eye steak each time. The quality of the food was somewhat higher in Chops compared to the dining room; and though we very much enjoyed both meals, we probably won’t go again.

 

We pre-paid for dinner both nights online, but learned the night before that the evening we were scheduled to go to Portofino’s our reservation was cancelled due to the Mystery Theater Dinner Show. We didn’t want to go to Portofino on lobster night or the last night of the cruise, so we paid an additional $10 and went back to Chops the night we wanted to eat at Portofino’s. I was a little annoyed how the ship handled this, but it was okay.

 

Past Guest Perks

 

As a Diamond level past guest, the Portofino Restaurant was open to us for breakfast, so that’s were we went every day. Breakfast was made to order fresh, the service was outstanding and I very much enjoyed the fresh squeezed orange juice and cappuccino I ordered every day! Breakfast was by far the best dining experience we had on the cruise!

 

Diamond level past guests also received a coupon booklet, priority embarkation and access to the Diamond Lounge in the Hollywood Odyssey Bar where free wine, champagne and soft drinks are served. Significant reductions in past guest perks are a sign of the times, so I am grateful for anything we get. That was not the case with many past guests at our level we met, however. Though people seemed to be enjoying their cruise, most had many “not-so-nice” people

 

Ports of Call

 

The Mexican Riviera gets mixed reviews – it’s vastly different from what you see in the Caribbean in both culture and terrain. The beaches are more typical of what you see in California, the water not as clear, and this part of Mexico does not have that “island” atmosphere many who are used to cruising in the Caribbean enjoy. That said, there are many culture-rich opportunities available, and though the Mexican Beach Scene is definitely not Caribbean, you’ll find warm water and a gorgeous shoreline.

 

Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Zihuatanejo are very tourist friendly resort areas, with great beaches and a lot to see and do. Mazatlan is a great port for shopping and exploring the interior. Manzanillo was a disappointment – but many who scheduled tours both on the water and away from the large urban center, said this too was a nice port stop.

 

We did a cruise line tour in Cabo, Mazatlan and in Puerto Vallarta – a yacht charter in Cabo, a resort beach day in Mazatlan (just okay) and a sail boat tour in Puerto Vallarta – the best of the three. In Manzanillo and Zihuatanejo, we went scuba diving – made our own arrangements. Diving in the Pacific means limited visibility, very little coral and few fish compared to the Caribbean. As certified divers who dive every chance we get, it was an opportunity to get wet, but I won’t be diving there in the future. We didn’t dive in Cabo this trip, but that’s the only decent place to dive along the Mexican Riviera.

 

About Us

We are in our 40’s – work full time and have no kids. We enjoy scuba diving, and land based resorts; although we do enjoy cruising, it’s not the only type of vacation we take. I am by no means a cruise expert, but do appreciate the input I get online, so I am simply returning the favor!

 

Over the years, I have learned to take what people say on message boards with a grain of salt. We run into many “cruise experts” who cruise all the time – I am not one of those. We tend to cruise with friends or in a group – our focus tends to be diving. I am an experienced group leader for Cruise Critic – I do all their Scuba Cruises, but our focus is less on the cruise aspect of the trip than the diving in the ports of call.

 

We are not particularly loyal to Royal anymore, but used to be. Since our first cruise in the late 80’s, our lifestyle and tastes have evolved and changed – we continue to be active and enjoy cruising, but we have found our vacations tend to focus more on the port of call and less on the ship these days. We enjoy scuba diving and resort vacations more and find some of what made a cruise so special in the past is not part of the cruising experience today. I considered a cruise vacation not so long ago a luxury vacation – not any more. It’s a great value and one of the best ways to enjoy traveling with a group of friends.

[greeneng]

How was your disembarkation? Were there any issues or delays? Did you try to get off as early as possible/

 

We are on the Feb. 1 sailing, and I booked, I realize now, too early a flight home from San Diego. If we get off without any issues there should not be any problems. But delays will give us grief!

 

Jim

[johnlcruise]

I enjoyed reading your review. Fair and balance..

Thansk for posting.

[LBumb]

excellent review. i enjoyed reading about your cruise. thanks for taking the time to post.

[Sailfish]

How was your disembarkation? Were there any issues or delays? Did you try to get off as early as possible/

 

We are on the Feb. 1 sailing, and I booked, I realize now, too early a flight home from San Diego. If we get off without any issues there should not be any problems. But delays will give us grief!

 

Jim

 

The holiday voyage before ours took longer to disembark, but everyone was off by 11am - late for Radiance. On the final morning, we were among the first groups to disembark - people with red tags - at 8:45am. As the airport is so close, you should have no trouble making a flight departing after 10:30. Anthing before that will be hard.

[cruisenfever]

Great review Suzi. It was fair and balanced.:D

 

BTW, did you get to try the SeaView Cafe?

[Sailfish]

Got distracted:

 

Though people seemed to be enjoying their cruise, most had many “not-so-nice” people

 

This should have read:

 

Though people seemed to be enjoying their cruise, most we met in the Diamond Lounge and in Portofinos had many “not-so-nice” things to say about the Past Guest Program. In fact, I made a comment to Melissa, the Loyalty Ambassador, how many sour people we had run into, and she said she could not understand why so many past guests felt this way. She said Royal Caribbean's changes were relatively insignificant compared to what other cruise lines were up to. Because I really wasn't in the mood for a debate, I left it at that. Like I said before, I am so grateful that we still get some freebies; I was quite happy with a glass of wine!

[Sailfish]

Great review Suzi. It was fair and balanced.:D

 

BTW, did you get to try the SeaView Cafe?

 

Yes, and we very much enjoyed it when it was open. But often, it didn't open until later in the day. They served a great caesar salad with a piece of grouper that I enjoyed one afternoon. Their soups and onion rings were also excellent. I highly recommend it.

[AkKruzer]

Hi Suzi. Diane here, as in Diane and Chuck from Alaska, and the Valor Scuba Cruise a couple years ago. Thank you for the fair and balanced review of the Radiance. Chuck and I leave tomorrow for a 10-night cruise on Radiance leaving San Diego on Friday, and I was happy to read what you had to say about your and Mike's experience on her. Good to hear from you! Keep us in the scuba cruise loop. Diane

[MMastell]

Thank you for the great review. I will be boarding Radiance on Friday and I am now looking forward to it even more.

 

Thanks again,

Mike

[cruisenfever]

 

 

This should have read:

 

Though people seemed to be enjoying their cruise, most we met in the Diamond Lounge and in Portofinos had many “not-so-nice” things to say about the Past Guest Program. In fact, I made a comment to Melissa, the Loyalty Ambassador, how many sour people we had run into, and she said she could not understand why so many past guests felt this way. She said Royal Caribbean's changes were relatively insignificant compared to what other cruise lines were up to. Because I really wasn't in the mood for a debate, I left it at that. Like I said before, I am so grateful that we still get some freebies; I was quite happy with a glass of wine!

Hmmmmm, I think she's been living in a bubble to make that kind of statement!:eek::rolleyes:

[Sailfish]

Hi Suzi. Diane here, as in Diane and Chuck from Alaska, and the Valor Scuba Cruise a couple years ago. Thank you for the fair and balanced review of the Radiance. Chuck and I leave tomorrow for a 10-night cruise on Radiance leaving San Diego on Friday, and I was happy to read what you had to say about your and Mike's experience on her. Good to hear from you! Keep us in the scuba cruise loop. Diane

 

Long time no see! Bon Voyage and stay in touch!! I know you two will have a blast!

 

Suzi

[Sailfish]

Hmmmmm, I think she's been living in a bubble to make that kind of statement!:eek::rolleyes:

 

Yea, I thought so too, but I wasn't going to waste time arguing about this. I was just a little curious as to her thoughts. She seemed like a nice person.

[SASSYnLV]

How was your disembarkation? Were there any issues or delays? Did you try to get off as early as possible/

 

We are on the Feb. 1 sailing, and I booked, I realize now, too early a flight home from San Diego. If we get off without any issues there should not be any problems. But delays will give us grief!

 

Jim

I was on this sailing with a 9 am disembarkation. We were at the San Diego airport by 9:40 am. We had to make a stop at the Commuter Terminal for a couple.

There was a short line for SW outside. My flight was at 12:30 but I could have made the earlier 11:10 flight. I believe RC says you should pick a flight after 12 pm.

[jonbgd]

. a great caesar salad with a piece of grouper .

That was my GF's favorite:)

 

Thank you for your review and glad you didnt have any water issues that you were concerned with pre-cruise

[Sailfish]

That was my GF's favorite:)

 

Thank you for your review and glad you didnt have any water issues that you were concerned with pre-cruise

 

I am not joking when I say I was close to canceling this cruise! I really debated doing so since so many reports were coming in stating plumbing was a big problem. Thankfully, we experienced no such problems. I know there was a cabin down the hall closer to the computer center that did have problems, but not us.

[jonbgd]

I am not joking when I say I was close to canceling this cruise! I really debated doing so since so many reports were coming in stating plumbing was a big problem. Thankfully, we experienced no such problems. I know there was a cabin down the hall closer to the computer center that did have problems, but not us.

I had posted we did have a little on the other side in 7600 so I think it was mostly the cabins on the hump but yes was definatly aware of your apprehension

But all in all she is beautiful ship and wish she was staying around longer:(

[Sailfish]

I had posted we did have a little on the other side in 7600 so I think it was mostly the cabins on the hump but yes was definatly aware of your apprehension

But all in all she is beautiful ship and wish she was staying around longer:(

 

The ship was very nice, however, it is simply unacceptable for a ship in service to have so many plumbing issues. I am glad they finally got a handle on this.

[CherylsCaribbeanTravel]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review. It is much appreciated as I wait to board the Radiance in April :)

[cruisldy]

Suzi, was curious about your mention of Portifino being open for breakfast for the Diamond guests. We sailed the Radiance November 2,2009 for only 5 days and will be onboard again for the February 1, 2010 sailing. On the November cruise we found that the place for Diamond breakfast dining was a special part of the main dining room, just to the left of the main dining room doors. We only ate there one time as we didn't know about it earlier. Have they now changed it to Portifino's? We are diamond members and would like to take advantage of this venue.

 

Thank you for the review.

[Sailfish]

Suzi, was curious about your mention of Portifino being open for breakfast for the Diamond guests. We sailed the Radiance November 2,2009 for only 5 days and will be onboard again for the February 1, 2010 sailing. On the November cruise we found that the place for Diamond breakfast dining was a special part of the main dining room, just to the left of the main dining room doors. We only ate there one time as we didn't know about it earlier. Have they now changed it to Portifino's? We are diamond members and would like to take advantage of this venue.

 

Thank you for the review.

 

The Diamond Breakfast was served in Portofinos the 9 days we cruised aboard the Radiance - I am not aware of it ever being served elsewhere. Like with most things, I am sure the venue will depend on the numbers needing to be served. For your sake, I hope they continue to serve breakfast in Portofinos - excellent made to order breakfast with good service in an unhurried atmosphere. I can't think of a more beautiful place on the ship to eat breakfast - close-up views of the water made whale watching early in the morning possible between Cabo and Puerto Vallarta.