Just returned from Radiance, 9/16/06 pacific coastal - review (long)

[IMNiles]

Day 7 Fri - At sea

 

I think all cruises should end with a relaxing day at sea. After a week or more of port-hopping, it's really nice to have that last day to unwind and make sure you don't return home more exhausted than when you left. Of course, sea days don't sell cruises -- ports do. With the possible exception of "sailing the inside passage" you just don't see cruise lines advertising the time spent at sea. Yet, as far as I'm concerned this is one of the prime reasons for going -- to get away. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy visiting exotic ports of call, but I think an ideal ratio for me would be one sea day for every two port days. The subtle motion of the ship, the seemingly endless expanses of water when you look out the window, and the blissful lack of cell phone ringers (with every third person having a private phone conversion at a volume that is anything but). Despite the fact that I often work while at sea, I do not see the addition of cell phone service to many ships as a positive development. The utter disconnectedness is the very reason I go, but I suppose it won't be long before I witness someone having a phone conversation during dinner in the dining room. Perhaps we can just have a single room or lounge where it's ok to talk, and everywhere else we just pretend the phones don't work. :)

 

But I forget myself- this is not a rant against cell phones, it's a cruise review! Thankfully, this cruise was generally unspoiled by the ravages of modern communications. I chose this cruise on purpose because I needed to be able to work, and the regular access to US and Canadian ports (with the attendant communications options) was critical to achieving that. I even managed to pick up a wireless data signal from shore a few times as we sailed, which was handy since my data service is much cheaper than that offered by the ship. I must admit, though, having to pay .30 a minute or more certainly forces an economy of communication that I generally do not observe (witness the length of this review!). I realize there's something vaguely hypocritical about my using my wireless and not wanting anyone else to, but the key difference here is that I didn't want to TALK. I was just using the net. :)

 

The final day is generally the time when you discover all the things you have forgotten to do. As you walk around the ship you realize that you never did climb the rock wall, visit the gym, or eat at the Seaview Cafe (The cafe is always busier towards the end of the cruise as people discover it). The seven books you brought to read are still nestled comfortably on the bookshelf in your cabin - untouched. A bit of panic sets in as you start to imagine the chaos that will likely await you when you return home. Take a deep breath. Order a drink. It's not over yet. The spa is still advertising openings and discounts, and apparently the gift shops have found a stash of old Alaska souvenirs and are selling them off at a discount. There are activities going on everywhere, and don't forget - today is the last chance bingo!

 

By this last day, you've gotten to know quite a number of people on the ship. You're surprised at the number of times you greet people in the corridors and public spaces, especially considering that it was pretty much just a mass of strangers a week ago. Like the last day of the school year, there's a lot of address and phone number collecting going on, and the onboard sales pitches are coming to a frenzied climax (FINAL ART AUCTION! LAST CHANCE JACKPOT MUST GO BINGO!). There's no yearbook, but there is a noticeable surge in traffic at the photo studio, as people search for themselves in the sea of smiling portraits ("how do I know which one is ours?" (grin) ). You don't even notice how easily you navigate the ship now - your map sits mostly unused in your back pocket while you confidently point a confused looking couple towards the Country Club for the baggo tournament (deck 12 aft, and where have THEY been all week to not know that?).

 

The centrum is abuzz today. Everyone is out and about, and there are back-to-back activities taking place in the centrum bar - napkin folding, towel folding, salsa dance lessons - you name it. I have no time for any of this, though. Not only do I have a day's work to get finished, I also have to attend a pair of gatherings for the finalists in the Karaoke Idol competition. The first is an opportunity for our "fan clubs" to make signs cheering us on. Not having been warned that we needed to sail with our fan clubs, Ally and I opted to make signs for each other (it's a little creepy to make a sign for yourself, don't you think?) There was one competitor who clearly outshined us all in this department - it seems her entire extended family was there making signs for her. Thankfully, everybody got along fine, and there were no brawls over glitter and glue sticks.

 

Next we recorded our little "intro" videos, decided the running order, and Ally and I even managed to practice a bit with the piano in Hollywood Odyssey before it was time to head down to the final jackpot bingo. Bingo runs throughout the week, and the last game of each round is the "jackpot" round, played as a "blackout" game (you must get every number on the card). On every day but the last, though, there is a limit to how many numbers they will call, and if nobody wins the jackpot by then, it is not awarded and rolls forward ("snowballs") to the next round. On some cruises, I've seen the jackpot go right away and have them start a new one, on others it goes midweek. Most often, though, I suspect it snowballs to the final round. On the last day, it becomes the "jackpot must go!" round. Numbers will be called until someone wins. On this day, the jackpot was approaching $6000, so we didn't want to miss it. Alas, although LadyLawyer got close enough to stand up once or twice (within one number), none of us won.

 

The final night of the cruise is also traditionally "tip night" in the dining room. A few days ago, most cabin stewards began placing tip envelopes and tipping guides on guest beds, or if you preferred, you could fill out a form to have the standard gratuities charged to your seapass card (in this case, pre-printed vouchers would be delivered along with your envelopes so you still had something to give out). I get a chuckle out of the fact that no matter how buried the tipping guides get in my piles of junk in the room, they always seem to magically make their way to the top by the end of the day. No doubt the cabin steward is sending a not-so-subtle message, but at least on my account she had nothing to worry about. There are those who chafe at the notion of expected gratuities, particularly when they have paid (sometimes a great deal) for what they expected to be a fairly inclusive vacation. Some even go so far as to skip dinner on the last night to be spared the "requirement" to tip the waitstaff, which I personally think is in very bad taste. While I agree that the practice of separate gratuities does tend to obscure the 'total cost' of the vacation, I am firmly in the camp that this is not optional - these people work very hard and I am sure that placing this power in our hands is part of the 'magic formula' that keeps the service levels so high on most cruise ships. This, however, is not a polemic on the subject of cruiseline tipping. I'll leave that debate for another time.

 

The line at the purser's desk is immense. Our seapass statements had quietly appeared in our cabins today, so I'm sure a fair number of people were trying to establish how they bought $800 worth of umbrella drinks, and the rest were no doubt getting cash for their tip envelopes. The staff behind the counter looked a bit harried, but nobody was shouting, so I guess that's a good sign. I had a few casino chips still clinking around in my pocket, so I changed those out at the Casino cage and used that cash for my envelopes. I have never had service bad enough that I thought I had to actually go below the suggested tip amount. Typically I use that as a starting baseline, and go up from there based on my experiences during the week. Sometimes I will also make a point to visit my favorite bartender(s) on this day, and give them an extra tip as well. On this trip, I rated my cabin steward "very good," so she got a 50% bonus over her standard gratuity. I have gone higher than that in the past, but on this trip I did not feel the personal connection with her that I have on past trips. That lack of first-day introduction really kind of set the tone for the week. While she was always friendly when I met her in the hall, I just didn't feel like I got to know her like I usually do. I couldn't find her to give it to her personally, so I left it on the bed where she would find it when she turned it down.

 

As you might expect, the dining staff was out in force tonight. Many people say that this is often the first time they meet their headwaiter, which is a shame. I must admit that although that is often the case for me, on this trip he was a welcome daily presence, and for the first time ever I felt compelled to tip him more than the standard amount. Our waitstaff also got "bonuses," both for the generally high level of service, and for their tireless efforts to entertain us, particularly on the night when I dined alone. Interestingly, we had a fairly hard time hunting down our assistant waiter at the end of the evening. Typically, they are always close at hand on tip night, and although he was certainly present during dinner, he was nowhere to be found afterwards, so I ended up asking our waiter to pass on his envelope to him.

 

Tonight was also the farewell show, with "comedy juggler" Mark Angelo, but I did not attend. I spent that time in my cabin packing, since I knew I would be otherwise occupied later in the evening. The only activity on the agenda for me tonight was the Karaoke Idol finals. Perhaps I'm confusing it with the guest talent show on Carnival, but I got the feeling that Karaoke was scheduled very late this trip. It was not uncommon for it to be scheduled at or after 11pm, which I'm sure was too late for some people, particularly if they had spent all day on shore. I don't know if this was deliberate, or if the venues were simply in use until that time. Even the final was not scheduled until 10:45, in the main Aurora Theater.

 

Many people who are not karaoke fans, for whatever reason, still attend the finals - the level of talent is often very high, and the variety of different performers can make for a very diverting evening. To be honest, I never really turned around in my seat to see how many people were there, and once you're onstage, you can't really see much past all the lights, so I have no idea how well attended it was on this night. In addition to the finalists, there were several additional performances selected by the cruise staff as "wild cards." While they were not competing per se, the staff found them entertaining enough that they brought them back to perform again. Among these wildcards were the crowd-pleasing "shameless" Dan and Jim, who along with our very own LadyLawyer, AllyLaw, and Bella acting as backup dancers, performed "Proud Mary" at intermission. All of the finalists brought their "A" game, and the onboard entertainment staff acted as judges and selected two winners - one male and one female. I did not win, but the winning performances were outstanding, and I had a great evening. Each of the finalists got a small trophy to take home, and the winner a bottle of champagne and a bag of RCCL swag. I'm sure I speak for all of the contestants when I say how much we appreciated the folks who came out to cheer us all on, especially if they were not performing themselves.

 

It was very late by the time the show was over, and after saying our final goodbyes, we turned in for the night. The casino was of course still open, but I had already lost my limit, so regretfully passed it by and went straight to bed. Tomorrow, after all, was going to be a long travel day.

[IMNiles]

DAY 8 Sat - arrive Los Angeles/San Pedro

 

We're almost there, folks! I realize this was more of a travelogue than a review, but I must say I enjoyed writing it almost as much as I enjoyed experiencing it the first time around! I strongly recommend keeping a travel diary - it acts as a great remembrance in the future, and it's an invaluable reference if you decide to compose a travelogue after the fact (also recommended). What a great way to extend that vacation feeling!

 

Colored luggage tags were allocated pretty much top-down the day before. After suites and diamonds, it was higher decks first, and those of us in relative-steerage deck 3 were much later. I got up around 6:45am so I had time to shower, pack my small bag, and have some breakfast before disembarking. I'll spare you the details of my morning ritual and skip straight to the sad moment, around 7:30, when I left my room for the last time, bags in tow. They asked us to clear our rooms by 8, and I figured I wouldn't want to race back down 11 decks to fetch my bags, so I took them with me. Now normally I have a strict "no elevator" rule when cruising (got to work off all those buffets!), but I really didn't feel like humping my luggage up 8 double flights of steps so I joined the throngs waiting for an elevator up (why is it that even though I arrive first, I am always the one squeezing into the elevator last?). The buffet was busy but not mobbed, and I had no trouble finding a table in the cafe veranda, a little-used annex around the corner to the left from the entrance (nobody ever notices it's there, so there's always a table available).

 

I considered staying there until my color was called (they say breakfast ends at 8:30, and it was still only around 8), but this being my first platinum cruise I was determined to use the platinum "lounge" which was in the dining room on deck 5. Frankly, I would have been better off staying where I was. The dining room was full of people squeezing in around tables with their luggage, just like the buffet, except here we had to go get our coffee instead of having it refilled by those nice people with drink carts. I suppose it does have the benefit of being on the same deck as debarkation, though I still stood in a line that stretched from the port side exit all the way through the photo studio, through the shops, past the centrum, across and nearly into the starboard side dining room entrance. Not that it matters much - I'm good at standing in lines, so it was no problem. I kept looking for a box for my guest survey, but finally gave up and handed it to a smiling crewmember at the exit (actually, she was on the entertainment staff, I remembered meeting her on shore, and she remembered meeting me, which is always nice). It turns out the box was literally the very last thing you saw, right before you stuck your card in the hole and stepped down from your vacation and back into the very real world of the San Pedro Pier.

 

This is where I bet early debarkation would have really helped me. What a mess. It started out simply enough - my luggage was waiting right there in plain view, and was very easy to find (the bags were lined up by tag color). I thought "hey, this is great!". I handed my customs form to a disinterested agent (who did not ask to see my ID or passport) and stepped out, blinking, into the Los Angeles sun. That's when I was faced with the true reality of disembarkation. It was madness. There were little clutches of people everywhere, circling protectively around their luggage as if a pride of lions was stalking them, while the alpha male went hunting for transportation. The few lucky people who had local friends or prearranged unmarked cars were able to escape, but the rest of us were locked in a deathmatch for whatever marked transport dared enter the fray. I should point out, in all fairness, that those who purchased the RCCL transfer to LAX had it pretty easy. Unfortunately, RCCL offered no options for those of us flying from Long Beach.

 

After standing in what I was assured was a cab line for 20 minutes or so, I was informed that no, actually, there was a soft spoken guy waaaaayyy up at the front taking names (who knew?) and that since cabs were arriving in small groups of 2 and 3, it would be a very long time before he got through the list. I wandered up, but he was surrounded by a group of shouting people and it just seemed like too much so I headed over to the airport shuttles. This was an absolute mob scene. There were people waving confirmation numbers and shouting into cellphones, and a bunch of hapless shuttle drivers trying to keep the peace. A few of them really went out of their way to calm people down, and worked to place singles and doubles where there was room. Having made a reservation ahead of time made absolutely no difference whatsoever. There was no on-site coordinator (there was apparently one at the Princess Pier) so it was pretty much a free-for-all. The people with the reservations were the ones complaining the loudest, and I can't say I blame them. Some of them were elderly or had mobility problems, and they were understandably peeved that their planning ahead did them no good.

 

It was plain that the vast majority of people were travelling to LAX, but I found a few heading to Long Beach, and we started to gather on the curb trying to reach some kind of critical mass to compete against the throngs headed to LAX. One of our number was very assertive, and cornered a supershuttle driver right after he arrived, announced that he had a reservation (this much was true) and 9 people all going to Long Beach (his original reservation was only for 6, so this was a bit of a white lie, but he had since adopted three more of us since the shuttle holds 9). The driver agreed to take us, and we even got the "dedicated van" rate of $91 for all of us so it was just a hair over $10 per person to get to LGB. Needless to say, we tipped generously, and I offered to buy our fearless leader a drink when we got to the airport (he graciously tried to decline, but he deserved it!). The ride to LGB was uneventful. Total time elapsed from debarkation to arrival at the Long Beach airport (which is about 15 minutes away from the pier) - approximately one hour and forty-five minutes. The lesson I learned - book the transfer, prearrange a rental car to be delivered to the pier, debark early before the crowds, or arrange some other kind of unmarked transport that somebody else cannot co-opt. I was very glad that I had a late flight and didn't have too much stress over whether I was going to make it.

 

My suggestion to the cruise line and/or pier authority - create an orderly cab and/or van line that is clearly marked and roped off so that people can just claim transport in the order they get into line. For vans, have a coordinator on-site to ensure that reservations are honored, and that the whole affair isn't just a giant free-for-all.

 

I love the Long Beach Airport. It's just a tiny little thing - you can shout from one end to the other without actually having to raise your voice much - and it has managed to maintain that feel of stepping back at least twenty years when air travel wasn't nearly so unpleasant as it is today. I still had a couple hours to kill to I went upstairs to the restaurant/bar to relax, and was disturbed to find that I actually had to PAY for my meal! Shocking. The hallways upstairs are filled with aviation-themed historical photographs, so it's a diverting place to spend a few minutes if you have them to spare.

 

The rest, as they say, is history. The flight home was uneventful, and I arrived safely with all my luggage and a head full of memories that I have just now, nearly three weeks later, managed to commit to (digital) paper. Thanks for riding along with me and helping me relive this lovely week.

 

Summary:

 

Ship : The ship was in typically fine condition, no more than the usual wear and tear, and constant cleaning and repairs in evidence. During this week they were re-lacquering the outside deck railings and replacing balcony glass. Radiance is a great balance of large-ship amenities and small-ship personality. It's easy to see why so many people love her.

 

Staff : Captain Lokling was great, as was Pierce the (temporary) Cruise Director. As a rule, the staff handled what could have been a very unpleasant "code red" health situation with aplomb. The bar staff was typically friendly, though the pool bar guys were a bit surly - perhaps due to the fact that the weather tended to limit their business. The dining staff was excellent as usual. Negatives include the whole experience with the wine corkage fees - not just the rule, but the poor way it was communicated and the (lack of) staff response to my complaints. The "cookie cop" in cafe lattetudes also deserves mention as an unwelcome keeper of petty rules. I'm afraid I have to award the "most unhelpful staff member" award, though, to Soledad, the Loyalty Ambassador/Future Cruise Consultant.

 

Itinerary : Just what the doctor ordered. Something different from your standard Caribbean itinerary, a nice long night in San Francsico, and a couple of sea days to rest up.

 

Embarkation/Debarkation : Generally a mess. Can't say if this is due to the fact that this was a repo cruise or if it was always like that.

 

Would I do it again? Absolutely.

 

 

Cheers, and happy sailing!

[BabySam99]

Reading your wonderful review has added to my already jubilate excitement. I can't wait to sail Radiance. I leave in a few weeks. Thanks for your review! :)

[ladylawyer]

Dan, that was great! I'm tempted to co-opt your Review and claim it as mine! ;) I love your writing style ... I can hear your voice, as I read along.

 

It was lovely traveling with you. I hope that we have the opportunity to share a dining table again, someday. Bon voyage for your future sailings! ~ Lorna

[happy cruzer]

Very excellent. I really enjoyed this review. Especially your description of your time in San Francisco. I have cruised out of there once and agree it really is a manageable city with alot of diverse things to experience.

 

Thank you.

[Guest allylaw]

I think the only 'bad' thing we had was the completely inexplicable Lobster "bisque"

 

I did a little research, and please remember that I'm no Julia Child, but I distinctly know that most Lobster Bisque recipes are cream-based, and sometimes have a little tomato puree or tomato paste thrown in for color, giving the soup a pinkish or slightly salmon color...

 

Here is the recipe I found for a true Lobster Bisque...the swill that RCCL is calling Lobster Bisque should be retired...hint hint

 

2 whole lobsters, cooked 1 medium onion 2 cups heavy cream 1/2 cup water 1 stalk celery 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon whole cloves 2 tablespoons sherry wine salt black pepper nutmeg 1 egg yolk, beaten 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

 

**You can get rid of the egg and use the traditional flour for thickening...the egg makes this low carb**

 

1. Remove meat from cooked lobsters and reserve shells.
   
2. Stud onion all over with whole cloves.
   
3. Break up lobster shells and place in soup kettle with water, onion, celery, and bay leaf.
   
4. Simmer 45 minutes.
   
5. While the broth is simmering, make the lemon butter: Let butter come to room temperature.
   
6. Mix lemon extract into butter then refrigerate until ready to serve.
   
7. Strain broth through sieve into a clean soup pot.
   
8. Add lobster meat and sherry to the strained broth and season to taste with salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg.
   
9. Bring the broth back to a simmer over low heat until lobster is heated through.
   
10. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk.
    
11. Whisk the cream and 1/2 cup of the soup broth into beaten egg yolk; Pour mixture gradually into remaining soup mixture and heat 1-2 minutes longer.
    
12. Pour into soup bowls and top each with 1/2 Tbsp lemon butter.
    
13. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve.

[Bargeo]

Wow.....great review. Enjoyed every minute.....felt like I was cruising along with you.

[Bella930]

Dan, I so enjoyed your review. It was like a "chapter book" and I kept checking to see when the next installment was ready! Lorna, I had the same idea and wondered if I could "borrow" Dan's review. But then I realized he kept referring to how he worked on his vacation and I most definatly did not do that! Ally, you are so funny (in a good way of course)! I am glad you were able to prove that RCI was misadvertising the "swill" that they were calling lobster bisque! I had such a good time with all of you, I hope our paths cross again some day! In the meantime, happy sailing... Cindy

[Ginny Ray]

Oh Dan, what a wonderful writer you are....I so enjoyed reliving the Radiance cruise through your eyes.....It is surprising that we did not do any of the same things while ashore in the various ports....

Must add re the Cookie Cop....When I moaned a bit that I so looked forward to the afternoon pastries onboard Celebrity ships....he relented and gave me a delicious scone....gratis....!!

 

I think that anyone can ask for a white disembarkation tag (for early off)as long as you wheel your own luggage off....as Diamond we turned in our pink tags and asked for white, even tho we checked our bags....

We were no. 5 & 6 off ship and our son was not due until 9 AM...so we had to wait for him by the curb...

 

Thank you Lorna for giving me this site to read..

Ginny

[roughd]

Hey Dan, that was some good readin'. Nice to be able to relive some of the fun. Great job on the Karaoke, you were definitely one of the high-quality singers! Wanted to chime in with a few of the things I enjoyed the most. The basketball court was a lot of fun, especially being on deck 12 when the ship was rockin'! Some of the court has warped and lifted from the weather, so there's some serious dead spots, but still fun. Got on a great team for the 3 on 3 competition, with a younger guy that was a good shot and an older gentleman from Japan named Takeshi, he said he was a coach there. We took the gold! Then Takeshi and another guy tied for 1st in the hot shots game, and I got the silver! That plus my oscar from Karaoke (one of the un-judged wildcards, I really didn't mean to invite myself into the show!) meant some good bling to bring home to the kids. Played some pingpong on deck, at first I was worried that it would be too windy, but the tables are kind of sheltered from the wind, quite fun. Never did get to try the self-leveling pool tables.

 

I think we probably enjoyed Astoria the most of the ports, I imagine SF would have been more fun if we had wanted to spend the money to really do it right. I had a nice time in Nanaimo on Sunday just finding a sports bar and watching football with all the Seahawks fans. I was dumbfounded that I couldn't get any football on the ship. The sportsbar is a waste if they can't show any sports on it! seemed like everytime i went thru there it was on CNN, should call it the Newsbar :confused:.

 

We had the opposite experience with our Room Attendant. She came in right away after we got in, introduced herself, Patricia. I asked her where she was from and she said Peru. It was great because I served a 2 year church mission in Peru about 20 years ago, my spanish is still pretty good. She was just delightful, very attentive, seemed to be in the corridor almost everytime we came and went, always telling us she hoped we were having a good time. I even called her in one day when DW was sleeping and I found a tv program about Peru. She was tickled about that.

 

We had such a great time on this cruise, with all the activities and great food, but it was always a thrill for me to just go out on deck and watch the ocean, especially at night. I enjoyed the cool temperatures, glad it didn't rain more than it did. I went out a couple of times at night onto the heli-pad, it was darker there than most deck areas, and with the clear skies I was amazed at the view of the stars. Reminded me of clear nights in the mountains, away from the city. The milky way was a thick ribbon all the way down into the sea, beautiful!! For me as a 1st time cruiser, I think the biggest impression was just how friendly everyone was. It really helped us feel comfortable. DW was even more impressed with the cruise than I was, which was a bit of a surprise for me. Can't wait to do it again!!

 

Don

[ladylawyer]

Don, it was great to meet you and Elaine! Folks, this man will make you cry with his "El Paso." Beautiful voice, for sure. You should have been part of the "real" competition, for sure!

 

I didn't realize this was your first cruise. Aren't you so glad that you found Cruise Critic, before you left? I hope this isn't your last cruise. Hope to see you on board, someday! ~ Lorna

[NormBailey]

Dan,

 

Thanks for the wonderful writeup. Do you have a blog? It would be well worth reading, I'm sure.

 

For those who would like to see three of the videos from the Karaoke Superstar finals that Dan mentioned, you can click on the following link.

 

Click for Karaoke Superstar

 

Unfortunately, I'm still a couple of days away from having Dan's performance uploaded as well as the "Black Velvet" special addition performance. Soon. I promise.

[IMNiles]

Dan,

 

Thanks for the wonderful writeup. Do you have a blog? It would be well worth reading, I'm sure.

 

Unfortunately, I'm still a couple of days away from having Dan's performance uploaded as well as the "Black Velvet" special addition performance. Soon. I promise.

 

I'm not sure if I want to see that video or not, lol. I have a video of myself from a Carnival cruise talent show, and I definitely felt a lot better about the performance before I saw the video. :) On Carnival, the talent show is much earlier in the cruise, so I got to see myself in heavy rotation on the cruise-in-review channel. It was like MTV, without the bare midriffs. OK, it wasn't at all like MTV.

 

Do I have a blog? Technically yes. I say technically because while I do actually have a blog page set up, it is completely devoid of any content. I have this habit of starting stories and not finishing them, particularly travelogues. It was only the fact that I knew people were reading this one that kept me going to the end :) At my old website (at least 6 years out of date and inaccessible except by direct link - http://www.newts.com/dan/ ) I have at least two travelogues that I started but never finished. I think the last time I updated that page was 1999. Always the best of intentions...