Radiance of the Seas - Vancouver to Hawaii - Sept 25/04

[westcoast1330]

My partner and I will be sailing....anyone else?

 

Paul

[Tina&James]

There are a bunch of us that are sailing with you. You can find the group at this link (I hope it works)

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=1605232&posted=1#post1605232

Tina

[DESTCRZ]

WESTCOAST1330 - you still going on this cruise . . . .my partner and I just booked it!

 

DestCRZ

[dam1050]

Hi Destcrz:

 

(I'm westcoast1330's partner)

 

Yes, we are indeed still going on this cruise. Final payment was made last week.

 

We've sailed on the Vancouver / Hawaii (or reverse) cruises several times now and just love the itinerary. This will be our 3rd time on the Radiance of the Seas on this route. Great ship and wonderful crew.

Have also done the Rhapsody of the Seas, Legend of the Seas (smaller ships) and the Statendam to Hawaii.

 

I did post to the RCI M&M board back in May (on the old CC boards), however got no acknowledgement or replies from anyone who was already on the thread there even though there was lots of banter afterwards on same thread, so I didn't write any further.

 

If you're interested in reading, I've written a couple of reviews on these Radiance trips, Eastbound Hawaii to Vancouver 2002 located at:

 

http://www.seacruisereviews.com/bycruisereview.asp?cruiseid=819

 

and Westbound from Vancouver to Hawaii last September located at:

 

http://www.seacruisereviews.com/bycruisereview.asp?cruiseid=1044

 

You can also find some pictures of last years cruise (plus others of Hawaii) at my webshots photo album location shown below.

 

Look forward to meeting you and your partner onboard !

 

Dave

[Tina&James]

Thanks for posting your pictures and review of last years cruise to Hawaii. I took the same cruise with a friend of mine and we both loved it. It was really nice to see some more pictures as well as reading your review. The Radiance is a beautiful ship and I cant wait to be on it again with my husband this time. 2 more months.

 

Tina

[dam1050]

Hi Tina:

 

Great to see another fan of the Radiance. I think many people from last year were going to rebook again.

 

Glad you enjoyed the pix and reviews! The Radiance is so beautiful -- definitely our favourite ship so far. I'm sure your husband will love it as well. It seems to get many great reviews no matter where it's sailing.

 

I see you live in Vancouver as well -- that sure makes it nice for us, just have to get down to Ballantyne Pier and no flying into the city before leaving. We're going to stay in Waikiki a few days after arrival.

 

Hope we can get together onboard !

 

Dave

[DESTCRZ]

Hi Dave - thanks for the quick response - Radiance virgins here - although have done LOTS of cruises - think this will be my 26th - 27th for my better half!!!!

 

The first two cruises we took together were on Royal Caribbean - Sun Viking and Song of America - both long gone now!!!!!

 

We are also traveling with a couple of guys from the San Francisco area - we met then about 3 years ago on the Star Princess - San Diego to YVR . . . have since done several cruises together!!!!

 

OK Dave - since you live in YVR - have a ???? for ya . . . .if I want to purchase some champagne - several bottles to take on board with me - what is the situation in Canada for purchasing alcohol???? is it available at grocery stores - or there specific stores just for selling alcohol???? . . . also, how close to Ballentyne? We will be staying at the Pan Pacific 2 nights prior.

 

Looking forward to meeting you . . . .haven't had a vacation since February when we did the Maasdam from Norfolk, Virginia . . . oh by the way - we live in West Virginia!!!!

 

DestCRZ aka Mike

[DESTCRZ]

Here is a link to some pictures from our trip with the guys from SF on the Summit last year . . . .it was one of those guy's 50th birthday and we threw him a surprise party - we were lucky to have gotten to upgrade to the penthouse so it made for a perfect location for a surprise birthday party!!!!!

 

 

http://webshots.com/search?query=thebeav7874&new=1

 

DestCRZ - aka Mike

[BEAV]

I guess I'd better chime in here!

 

We're DESTCRZ's friends from CA. As Mike said earlier we met right here on Cruise Critic in preparation for a sailing on the Star Princess. We're ALL avid cruisers, and it's nice to be in like company with all of you, Dave, Paul, Tina & James!

 

We sailed the Radiance on a short 4-nighter out of Seattle just a few weeks after 9/11. Beautiful ship! It will be nice to sail a longer voyage this time. Because the previous cruise was so short, it will still feel like we're sailing on a new and different ship.

 

We are Celebrity enthusiasts and DESTCRZ loves HAL. We are now "even" in that we've sailed HAL with DESTCRZ and they've sailed Celebrity with us! So I guess the Radiance sailing can be considered neutral territory for the four of us!

 

Dave & Paul, your photos are beautiful. Love the floral pictures!

 

Here are the photos of our most recent cruise on the Crystal Harmony to Alaska last month.

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/158594690luBdaO

[dam1050]

Radiance virgins here - although have done LOTS of cruises - think this will be my 26th - 27th for my better half!!!!

 

Wow -- you're not kidding -- that's great that you've gone on so many cruises to date !

 

As to the champagne, our liquor stores here in B.C. are mostly all Provincially controlled, other than a few beer and wine outlets. Don't think of buying any near Ballantyne Pier itself --- that's in a very bad part of town where you don't even really want to get out of the car. Just have a cab take you from Canada Place (where the Pan Pacific hotel is located) over to the Radiance at Ballantyne on Saturday afternoon. You can pick up champagne about 2 or 3 blocks from your hotel at a BC Liquor Distribution Store located in Harbour Centre (555 W. Hastings St.) (that's the one with the revolving restaurant and lookout on top) -- or if you are cabbing it there is another liquor store downtown at Thurlow and Alberni St's. (1120 Alberni St.)

 

Have you been to Vancouver before ? Feel free to drop me an email to dam1050 AT Yahoo DOT com if you've got any questions about local acivities here as well. Looking forward to meeting you all !

[dam1050]

Here is a link to some pictures from our trip with the guys from SF on the Summit last year . . . .it was one of those guy's 50th birthday and we threw him a surprise party - we were lucky to have gotten to upgrade to the penthouse so it made for a perfect location for a surprise birthday party!!!!!

http://webshots.com/search?query=thebeav7874&new=1

DestCRZ - aka Mike

 

Thanks Mike -- those are sure fantastic pictures. How spectacular that you had the penthouse suite for this cruise as well. It looks like you all had a great time.

 

We've sailed on the Infinity to Alaska and loved her, but not the Summit as yet. We're booked on Summit for next May on a 14 day coastal / Alaska trip which starts in San Diego and does Catalina Island, San Francisco, Seattle, Victoria, various Alaska ports and ends up here in Vancouver. I turn the big "Five-Oh" next year as well, so we've decided to go all out and treat ourselves to a Royal Suite for that occasion.

 

Dave

[dam1050]

I guess I'd better chime in here!

 

Dave & Paul, your photos are beautiful. Love the floral pictures!

 

Here are the photos of our most recent cruise on the Crystal Harmony to Alaska last month.

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/158594690luBdaO

 

 

Hi Beav:

 

Great to meet you ! Thanks so much for the compliment on the photos. Most of those florals are taken right here in Vancouver in Stanley Park -- there are some fantastic Rhododendron Gardens which are in full bloom in April and May --- we just love walking through and seeing the changes every day and taking some pictures of the vivid colours.

 

I think your pictures from Alaska are just terrific ! Of my 4 trips there, 3 were to Glacier Bay and only 1 to Hubbard Glacier (on the Infinity) . Unfortunately the day we were in Yakutat Bay to view, the captain was unable to get the ship anywhere near for us to be able to capture any good photos. I think your shot entitled "Hubbard # 13" is just breathtaking.

 

Never having sailed on Crystal, I'm curious as to what you thought of them in comparison to Celebrity.

 

I'm sure you're going to love the Radiance to Hawaii and looking forward to meeting up with all of you !

 

Dave

[BEAV]

You've got mail, Dave!

 

I just emailed you our Crystal review. It's sort of tailored to the Celebrity fan since we found so many here on the message boards ask for comparisons between the two.

 

Happy reading!

[dam1050]

Thanks so much Beav for the review of the Crystal Harmony.

 

I sure enjoyed reading it, and along with seeing your spectacular photos onboard, has definitely made me want to check into her upcoming itineraries as well.

 

Dave

[dam1050]

I received an email from the RCI "Xplora" robot stating our minimum party number of 25 has now been reached.

 

CONGRATULATIONS! We've met the 25-person minimum for the Royal Caribbean Cruise Critic Community Meet & Mingle you helped organize for the Radiance Of The Seas on our Saturday, Sep 25 2004 sailing. During the cruise, registered guests will receive an invitation in their stateroom

with the day, time, and location of the Meet & Mingle.

 

Dave

[dam1050]

This is the entertainment lineup I was provided with by RCI customer service rep. back in May -

 

 

Dear Mr. Maclean,

 

Thank you for your recent e-mail. The entertainment we have scheduled for your sailing is as follows:

 

EDDIE HOLMAN SINGER

SPIRIT OF POLYNESIA HAWAIIAN SPECIALITY

JONATHAN CLARK SINGER - IMPRESSIONIST

COLLEEN AUSTEN SINGER

KNUDSEN BROTHERS ACAPELLA SINGING GROUP

JUDY KOLBA SINGER-IMPRESSIONIST

DAVE & DANIA MAGICAL TRANSFORMATION

HOWIE & BERT COMEDY JUGGLERS

STEVEN SCOTT COMIC

 

This information is subject to change.

 

 

Dave

[DESTCRZ]

We saw the Knudson Brothers on the Navigator last year and they are fantastic. They only did one show on that cruise because it was a 7 day cruise - hopefully they will do more than one show on the Radiance!!!!

 

 

DestCRZ

[BEAV]

Thanks for posting the Entertainment line-up, Dave. I'm glad to see A'capella groups on RCCL. We've grown accustomed to them on Celebrity, but didn't know RCCL had them. Everyone always talks about RCCL's influence on Celebrity since they own them, but perhaps this is "reverse influence!"

 

The entertainment on Crystal was posted on their website. We ordered some tapes from some of the performers before we sailed. It was a fun "pre cruise" event that made meeting them in person all the more special once we boarded.

 

Now I've got to search out the Knudsen Brothers on the Internet!

[BEAV]

Here's the Knudsen Brother's website.

 

http://www.numaxentertainment.com/knudsenbros/events.php

 

Looks like they won't join the ship until we hit the Islands. I guess the six of us will have to perform in their place during the five days at sea! (Don't forget to pack your Vestal wig, Mike!)

[dam1050]

We saw the Knudson Brothers on the Navigator last year and they are fantastic. They only did one show on that cruise because it was a 7 day cruise - hopefully they will do more than one show on the Radiance!!!!

DestCRZ

 

Thanks for advance notice on the Knudson Bros. Always great to know beforehand of a show that's not to be missed!

 

Dave.

[dam1050]

Beav:

 

Thanks for the website for the Knudson Bros -- sure does look like will be a great show.

 

A Capella is great -- I remember way back when the Nylons (before they were popular) first came to Vancouver and performed in Malkin Bowl outdoors in Stanley Park.

 

RCI has been real good about always getting back with the entertainment lineup when questioning about a particular cruise. Many other lines will not do that, or say they don't know until the cruise. (or just don't reply period..)

 

It's amazing some of the great talent one hears on ships ... we've bought several CD's now from various artists who we only heard on cruise ship.

 

Wow - do you think they'd be ready for the lot of us performing ? LOL

 

Dave

[DESTCRZ]

OK BEAV, I'll bring the Vestal wig but that means you gotta bring the coconut tits and grass skirt for a performance of Little Lelani and Going to a Hukilau!!!!

 

DestCRZ

[dam1050]

OK BEAV, I'll bring the Vestal wig but that means you gotta bring the coconut tits and grass skirt for a performance of Little Lelani and Going to a Hukilau!!!!

DestCRZ

 

Now, that's definitely a KODAK moment !

 

Will this performance be held poolside on the Radiance during passenger talent contest, or post-cruise at Queen's Surf in Waikiki?

 

Dave

[DESTCRZ]

Being the size "person" that he is - the rule when traveling with BEAV is that all performances are held in the cabin of the person with the biggest deck!!!!

 

DestCRZ

[BEAV]

My, oh my,

 

We've gone from polite and cordial "how do you do's" to planning shows on whoever has the biggest deck (er...verandah) in a little too quick a time, don't ya think?

 

Obviously my partner and I should have been a little more selective about who we sail with..........