Carnival Victory being sunshined to Carnival Radiance

[Aquahound]

On 10/16/2018 at 10:54 AM, cfr70 said:

I don't know why they choose a name that's already used by Royal Caribbean. I think it will only cause confusion. It's not like there's a shortage of other words to use. 

I don't really care one way or the other, but I have often wondered why some of the cruise lines copy each other with names.  

[jimbo5544]

31 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

I don't really care one way or the other, but I have often wondered why some of the cruise lines copy each other with names.  

S

 

31 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

I don't really care one way or the other, but I have often wondered why some of the cruise lines copy each other with names.  

I was going to say strange noone reused Titanic but I see that is taken again as well.  

[jsglow]

23 hours ago, jasong38501 said:

 

When I read the press release about this being the final phase of their $2 billion fleet enhancements it has me wondering about Carnival Miracle. She still hasn't received any of the Funship 2.0 upgrades. She is the only ship in the fleet other than Splendor (who will be in dry dock next year) not to receive these upgrades. Combine that with the fact that she is the only ship without any sailings past Feb 2020 and I feel like something is up with her. I am hoping there will be a big dry dock announced around that time and she will be brought up to date with the other ships. But I am not sure why they haven't did that already.

I suspect that Miracle is going to get the Legend upgrade at that same west coast drydock in early 2020.  I've been told by my PVP that she's going to be doing Hawaii runs in 2021 so an upgrade makes sense with her long term place in the fleet.

[v3cruiser]

Love the victory. Had our Honeymoon cruise out of san Juan. Perfect ship for that port with the spanish themed lido. Will certainly miss the Emerald green atrium if they change it up.  Glad they will be adding a steakhouse!

[boomhower]

8 hours ago, jsglow said:

I suspect that Miracle is going to get the Legend upgrade at that same west coast drydock in early 2020.  I've been told by my PVP that she's going to be doing Hawaii runs in 2021 so an upgrade makes sense with her long term place in the fleet.

 

It's a no brainer that she will get the upgrades, just a matter of when.  Ship has another decade if not two in it before she's scrapped. 

[schazzy]

21 hours ago, jsglow said:

I suspect that Miracle is going to get the Legend upgrade at that same west coast drydock in early 2020.  I've been told by my PVP that she's going to be doing Hawaii runs in 2021 so an upgrade makes sense with her long term place in the fleet.

I'm thinking Freeport for drydock, her last cruise is beginning of February and it brings her from San Diego to Miami.

 

 

[trvlgirlmq]

While looking at other ports that might have Victory/Radiance I found Legend in Gibraltar listed as a passenger cruise.  No idea what this means just passing on.

 

[maryann2]

20 minutes ago, trvlgirlmq said:

While looking at other ports that might have Victory/Radiance I found Legend in Gibraltar listed as a passenger cruise.  No idea what this means just passing on.

 

Now that's interesting.  Could be a TA. Could be a Med. cruise.

Thanks for posting.

[trvlgirlmq]

Another clue to some Med cruises.

 

Listed on May 29, 2020 in Palma de Mallorca for 1 call (coming from Barcelona and going to Valencia).

 

http://www.portsdebalears.com/en/buques-en-puerto

[ProgRockCruiser]

On 10/16/2018 at 11:09 AM, jsglow said:

Exciting news.  Anyone have any deck plans yet?

Slightly old thread, brought to life by the availability of actual bookings, starting in Nov 2020 out of Port Canaveral and April 2020 from Spain, on the renamed ship now.

 

Still no deck plans for Radiance; I had to compare cabin locations using the old Victory layouts.

Edited November 13, 2018 by ProgRockCruiser

[ProgRockCruiser]

Deck plans now available:

 

https://www.carnival.com/common/CCLUS/ships/ship/htmlDeckplans.aspx?&shipCode=RD&icid=icp_explr_shp_radiance_11132018_lp_deckplans

 

Aft section of Promenade Deck (5) is now cabins - goodbye to piano bar (edit: moved, not gone), Jazz lounge and Aft lounge!  Club Arctic now Red Frog Pub (and the shifted piano bar), Casino area revamped.

 

Deck 4 also revamped a lot - Ionian Club now Limelight Lounge, fwd dining room upper level split for Steakhouse, and this is the lowest level of the Show lounge.

 

Deck 3 fwd now cabins where Show Lounge was, and lower level of fwd restaurant now has an area for Chef's Table.

 

Probably other changes too.  Did not find the new Shaq chicken joint, though...

 

EDIT: yep, other changes include Camp Ocean where there was open deck opposite the Serenity area, condensing the Mini-golf area and adding Sports Square stuff, changes to cabins on decks 10 and 11 (Cloud 9 spa area on deck 11), new waterworks.

 

I'm not familiar with what Sunshine looked prior to "upgrade", but I assume this is similar.

Edited November 13, 2018 by ProgRockCruiser
clarify/corrections

[NCTribeFan]

No big Serenity deck like on Sunshine?  Bummer.  Just booked the TA from Barcelona to NYC!

 

Haven't been on Victory since early 2009 and there was no Serenity deck then at all.  In fact, the Radiance Serenity looks like 1/2 the space on the  Sun deck is replaced Camp Ocean portside.  Boo! 

 

Oh well.  Can't have everything!  I like some of the other changes.

 

And there's going to be a Pig & Anchor and still have a Red Frog Pub?   Looks to me like the piano bar is where the Ocean Plaza should be.   Interesting.

[ProgRockCruiser]

@NCTribeFan, yeah, I updated my post to reflect that the Piano bar moved, didn't disappear.

 

I am suspicious, based on the description given for Shaq's new Big Chicken, that it is going to replace the Blue Iguana Cantina, since Big Chicken will also be serving "breakfast featuring classics like a three-cheese omelet, chicken biscuits, and biscuit and egg".

 

I have a cabin on hold for a cruise on Radiance, may switch it around since there are different cabin layouts, or may just keep it if my wife is happy.

[NCTribeFan]

No!  I love Blue Iguana Cantina.  Love the huevos rancheros for breakfast.

 

But it's not like I'll go hungry, right? 😄

[PhillyFan33579]

3 hours ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

@NCTribeFan, yeah, I updated my post to reflect that the Piano bar moved, didn't disappear.

 

I am suspicious, based on the description given for Shaq's new Big Chicken, that it is going to replace the Blue Iguana Cantina, since Big Chicken will also be serving "breakfast featuring classics like a three-cheese omelet, chicken biscuits, and biscuit and egg".

 

I have a cabin on hold for a cruise on Radiance, may switch it around since there are different cabin layouts, or may just keep it if my wife is happy.

 

Like you said, my guess is Blue Iguana is going to be replaced by Big Chicken.  There doesn’t appear to be any unused location on Lido per the current deck plans. I know I am in the minority, but I prefer Blue Iguana to Guy’s Burgers. After hitting the atrium bar for an hour or two after embarkation, we always head to the Blue Iguana, unless we are on a ship with Guy’s BBQ. 

[shof515]

7 minutes ago, fyree39 said:

I think my favorite cruise ever was the Vista out of NYC. I'd consider the Radiance out of NYC just so we have a good excuse to visit that part of the country again. 

 

i agree. I am doing a similar cruise next year on the Sunrise in June. I am surprised they not doing any of those itinerary again or a round trip journey cruise out of NYC. 

 

Kinda a bummer 2019 has two good choices for a round trip Journey cruise out of NYC and there is no round trip journey cruises in 2020. 

[jsglow]

I think that Carnival would have excluded Blue Iguana from its initial marketing blast if it were to be eliminated.  There's zero chance that they would have made that mistake.  Here's my bet.  Shaq's Chicken goes on the Starboard side of deck 10 opposite where Guy's BBQ is currently shown on the Port side.  They'll just roll that out when they have more to say.  Count on it on other ships as well. 

[NCTribeFan]

I'm not a fan of Guy's Burgers, either.  Burgers are overly charred and over done.  Right after embarkation is the only time I've had one that was good.

 

Ate at Pig & Anchor one day on the Horizon TA.  It was SO COLD out there, but once back inside (ate near the bar), the food was pretty good.  At least the sausages were.  The BBQ wasn't as good, but I'm spoiled by what we have in the Carolinas.  Nice thing about that location is the brewery is right there, so I washed it down with a flight of beer.

 

With the Radiance location, it will be on a different deck from the Pub altogether (and several decks higher), and if it's cold out, where are you supposed to eat?  Carry it down a deck and eat inside Lido, I guess.

 

Putting the chicken place on the starboard side of the ship on Panorama makes sense.

[Jamman54]

My guess is that Big Chicken will replace Chopsticks when the Victory is transformed into the Radiance.  

[pyropoodle]

I just booked the august 10 2020 out of NYC to Cuba yesterday, and it looks like a lot of decks/ sections are already selling out.  not sure if that is blocked off by carnival people for their use so I just can't see it or if this will  really be a popular cruise.  no matter, I've got my room being prepped for me as we speak, around 654 days from now :) and I am very excited.

 

I had really, really, really wanted to be on a new ship in 2020, but i'll take refurb and a quick trip to the port over dealing with flights and hotels since I'm getting an extra sea day AND cuba. 

Edited November 14, 2018 by pyropoodle

[ProgRockCruiser]

48 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

My guess is that Big Chicken will replace Chopsticks when the Victory is transformed into the Radiance.  

Hmm, looking at the "Explore Radiance" page on Carnival's website, Chopsticks and Blue Iguana are listed in the Dining Options.

 

I'm starting to agree with @jsglow that it will be in a location not yet drawn on their deck plans.  Opposite side from Guy's Pig & Anchor does make sense.

 

And we have booked a cruise in Dec 2020 on Radiance - Southern Caribbean.  It doesn't visit Curacao, which is too bad...

 

When I repeated what we had booked to my wife, she said "What?  Dec 2020?  I thought it was Dec 2019!  We better book something for Dec 2019 then!"

[ProgRockCruiser]

14 minutes ago, pyropoodle said:

I just booked the august 10 2020 out of NYC to Cuba yesterday, and it looks like a lot of decks/ sections are already selling out.  not sure if that is blocked off by carnival people for their use so I just can't see it or if this will  really be a popular cruise. 

Indeed, the selection of rooms when we booked was minimal for the cabin type we wanted - I don't know if that is because they reserved a bunch for TAs, or it just started to fill up right away with bookings (or holds) because it is the only S Carib cruise from Canaveral to be scheduled after April 2019.  We would have preferred a slightly different cabin, but we'll survive...  

[pyropoodle]

8 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

Indeed, the selection of rooms when we booked was minimal for the cabin type we wanted - I don't know if that is because they reserved a bunch for TAs, or it just started to fill up right away with bookings (or holds) because it is the only S Carib cruise from Canaveral to be scheduled after April 2019.  We would have preferred a slightly different cabin, but we'll survive...  

 

 

I booked through a PVP at carnival and I love her so told her to BOLO that room that I really wanted, juuuuust in case it was block type situation, but she was pretty confident in saying that it's just a popular cruise.   we'll see.  now just waiting for the roll call to start.

[jsglow]

6 minutes ago, fyree39 said:

I'm trying to get on board (see what I did there?) these refurbished, reimagined, renamed Carnival ships.  I'm having trouble with the idea of passing off an older ship as a new one and charging "new ship" prices.  

 

Two things.  We sailed both Destiny and Sunshine.  And we LOVED what they did to her in the conversion.  The only thing that I specifically recall from the old Destiny days was the corrugated cooper wall covering in the stairwells.  For all intents and purposes, she was a totally new ship to us.  Second, they didn't price Sunshine like she was a new build such as Horizon.  She was routinely modestly lower on comparable itineraries.

 

I'm optimistic about both Sunrise and Radiance.  And I'm particularly happy that Radiance is essentially taking Sunshine's duty station in Port Canaveral.  

[Jamman54]

40 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

Hmm, looking at the "Explore Radiance" page on Carnival's website, Chopsticks and Blue Iguana are listed in the Dining Options.

 

I'm starting to agree with @jsglow that it will be in a location not yet drawn on their deck plans.  Opposite side from Guy's Pig & Anchor does make sense.

 

Chopsticks could be moved to part of the buffet line like it is on the Pride, though creating a new area up on Deck 10 would work as well. Bottom line is that no matter where it winds up, it's good to know that no venues will be lost to accommodate Big Chicken.