Ask Me About Awful RCI Radiance Cruise In Alaska

[cruisenfever]

I am so sorry you had some really bad issues to deal with. We are booked to sail on the Radiance 9/12/08 and you are not the only one that has complaints about RCI. I am very concerned about our upcoming cruise.

If you don't mind I do have a couple of questions,

 

The dress code..was it followed or was it more relaxed, what was the majority dressed in for formal? casual? and any other night? Women and Men?

 

The food in the Wind Jammer? Bad? Really bad?

 

Cleanliness of the ship?

 

Food in the dining room? Did they have Lobster,

shrimp, crab?

 

Do you remember the price of a mixed drink and the foo foo drinks?

 

What was the pool like? Cold ?

Thank you for your time

Jennifer, I don't know if the OP will be back, but I might be able to answer some of your questions since we did the exact cruise you are doing last September.

 

Since your cruise is a repo cruise...........you will have 3 formal nights. The first being the first sea day, the second being somewhere in the middle and the third being the second to last sea day. You will find all types of outfits being worn...........from very formal.........to semi formal.........to almost smart casual to casual. There is no dress code...........the suggested attire for the evening can be found in the Daily Compass.

 

The OP did not like the food in the WJ. Having been on Radiance 8 times, I can tell you that it is your typical buffet food. We love to have breakfast in the mornings there because there is an egg station where you can have made to order omelets or have your eggs made the way you like them.

 

I would recommend that you also try the SeaView Cafe located above the WJ on Deck 12. It is opened for lunch on sea days at noon and when you are in port it opens at 3. Times are listed in the Daily Compass There you can have made to order items off the menu. Great sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, fries, onion rings, salads and soup served in a wonderful bread bowl. There is also the Solarium Cafe that makes wonderful made to order crepes.

 

We have always found the ship to be clean. Radiance is the oldest in her class...........but to me that means that she has the most character. The crew is wonderful and you will always hear them say "my pleasure" when you ask them for something.

 

As far as lobster, I do not know if they serve it anymore. You will have shrimp cocktail and they do serve an entree that includes shrimp and they do serve a crab cake for an appetizer. You also have your choice of Portofino's or Chops which are two amazing Specialty Restaurants and worth the additional charge.

 

Since you are on a 14 day repo cruise..........you will have 14 different menus. You will probably have the same menu for the first week as the OP had..........but the second week will be different.

 

As far as the pool goes..............Radiance has a wonderful Solarium pool that is enclosed so that it can be used on days when the weather outside is chilly. When we sailed last September, the temps the first week were chilly so the outdoor pool was not used much. The second week, the weather warmed up as we headed south..........so there was more activity in the pool.

 

I'm sorry that I can't answer your question on drinks.

 

We will be embarking the ship as you are disembarking as we are doing the cruise to Hawaii. Please remember to layer, layer, layer.........bring a light weight fleece jacket...........a waterproof rain coat and wear sensible shoes while in port.............and you should be good to go.

 

I do hope that you have a wonderful cruise. Please do not let the negative reports that you have been reading ruin your cruise for you. You must remember it's always different strokes for different folks.

 

You always get back what you give out..............so a smile and a thank you might make all the difference in the world.

[mdeane]

I will just add my two cents worth....we just returned from the Radiance SB on Sunday. It was a WONDERFUL cruise. We were on deck 10 and I NEVER had any unpleasant smell in all the cruises we have done. We are diamond members with RCI so we are not new to cruising.

 

Yes, the weather was wet...rained every day but we were prepared for it. The rain did not hamper us at all. Most of the wildlife really does not care if it rains....so just enjoy. We took a helicopter to a glacier to do the real dog sledding which was fantastic. Went with a small operation so we had lots of time and attention. Also went whale watching and saw ocras and humpbacks. We did a float plane to the Anan Creek bear watch in Ketchikan which was undescribeable. Many, many bears and cubs catching salmon.

 

The ship was in good condition. We loved the violinist who played in the centrum. He was fabulous. We also thought the entertainment was improved over other ship shows. I do enjoy the voyager for the ice show. I missed that. The WJ food was quite good we thought. But I am not a picky eater at all and love to try different things. No complaints. In fact, the captains wife is the manager of the WJ. All the crew were extremely friendly and helpful. I did keep thanking them for working so hard so we could have such a great vacation.

 

We had our two oldest grandchildren with us (12 &14) and they had a great time. Lots of teens onboard who they enjoyed getting to know. Sorry but I cannot understand the op complete dislike of everything because for me any day on a cruise is a good day.

[gweedo]

:) I found this thread to be interesting to read. We returned from a cruisetour on the Radiance(SB) in June. It was fabulous! As to the weather, we had a drizzle on the last day at sea. I had done research and packed the raingear but didn't use it until I got home.(fixing fence) We thought the food was good, entertainment good etc. My sister had some plumbing problems and they were fixed after numerous attempts. We had balcony rooms(7th deck) port side and did not notice a smell. We have only been on 3 cruises and have never experienced the 'smell.' The only complaint we had was the people at the guest relations desk. I can't help but believe they were new. They basically knew nothing and would refer to other people. Our room steward was also new and tried very hard to please. His only negative was the lack of towel animals during the cruise. We had 4 . The land tour part was well run and very well organized. We saved for our 2 week trip of a 'lifetime' and it was well worth the wait. Of course now we want to go back!! Alaska is awesome and the Radiance is a beautiful ship. If we had the time and the $?????:rolleyes: I hope the OP has the time and ability to try visiting Alaska again.

[cruisenfever]

IMHO, since this was the OPs first cruise...........her expectations were very high...........and when they were not met.........then everything became negative to her.

[judynorth]

IMHO, since this was the OPs first cruise...........her expectations were very high...........and when they were not met.........then everything became negative to her.

 

I can identify with that. Our first cruise was a disaster or it would have been. Fortunately, we met another couple who were seasoned cruisers. They helped us put the whole experience in perspective and we wound up having a good time despite all the problems. I am forever grateful to them. We have enjoyed every cruise since then and sometimes when things go wrong we just go with the flow. Having a positive attitude goes a long way toward getting past little (or even big) glitches. I can understand the huge disappointment when everything seems to be going wrong though. AFter planning and then spending a lot of $$$ on a trip that you never expect to repeat, it is hard to accept that things aren't ideal. Most seasoned cruisers that I have talked to admit that they have had less than perfect cruises at times but they know that it isn't the norm. However, if it is your first cruise you have nothing to compare it to. That bad experience becomes what cruising is like for you. I am so glad that I didn't let our bad experience spoil cruising for us. Now we LOVE it!

[Itzhotstang]

Sorry about your trip. We were on Celebrity and I never noticed a sewer smell except when in port and only in a hallway, never in our bathroom. We had rain too but I researched and expected and packed for rain. We did have 2 sunny days but I considered that a treat. I will go again because it was so beatuiful and there are other things I want to do in the different ports. I would suggest you try again too but maybe a different line.

[Chat Noir]

If we'd've let our first Alaskan cruise deter us from returning, we would have missed out on 2 incredible vacations.

 

However, I'd recommend anyone who has been displeased with a particular cruiseline/ship to not let that alone color your thinking with regard to Alaska. Give it another try on another line. You might be surprised at how easily a sailing that goes right can almost make you forget how awful the one was that went wrong.:)

 

For those that are unhappy about the rain... all I can say, cruising Alaska may not be your dream vacation. Plan on rain... after all, it is Alaska!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our recent and first cruise ever RCI Radiance, Seward to Vancouver was a disaster. Sewer odor in bathroom and balcony entire trip. Couldnt get fixed, couldnt get moved. Staff largely indifferent. Service poor in general, food mediocre. Watch out for new and unpublished 'convenience' charges when you use seapass to get $$ in casino. They havent worked out kinks in My Time dining -not a great experience. They lost some luggage, apparently they cant get bags from point a to b without issue. Windjammer not very good. Entertainment? None to speak of - very amatuer-ish and underwhelming. Couple bright spots: BearCreek fly-in fly-fishing excursion(Juneau)...worth every penny - saw dozens of bald eagles, seals, whales - caught lots of fish. Portofino restaurant on ship very good (Chops, so-so). Some (few and far between) cruise staff were very friendly and attentive. Ketchikan crab excursion good if you like dungeness crab. Seward Windsong lodge is a rip off and they tried to put us in a room that had spoiled meat in fridge - the bell staff couldnt even stand being in the room. Skip it, and its NYC price @ over $300/nite. Sealife cneter behind the scenes tour was good - basically they describe their succusseful animal and marine life rescue and return work. Orso in Anchorage was good, the Aurora show at the city center nearby had potential but was disappointing. 26 Glacier Cruise in Prince William Sound - saw maybe 3 glaciers due to fog and rain - didnt go into some arms as couldnt even see shore. Be advised that your booked excursions do not cancel for weather. Before you go - on any line - do realize SE Alaska is a RAIN FORREST. It rained each day, never saw the sun or the stars.

(We did homework for almost 9 months - and still had issues. Too bad as it is an awe inspiring place.)

 

So sorry that your Alaskan cruise and vacation wasn't up to your expectations.

We also had very bad weather in May. This has been a bad year for Alaskan -- weather wise -- worse since 1971. As for tours -- that is standard on all lines -- they go no matter what the weather. And this is true for other parts of the world were you may cruise. The weather has to be REALY bad before a tour is cancelled and usually it is the tour company that makes that decision.

HAL has been charging $$ whenever you use your ID card in the casino for quite a few years now -- not new.

[lovetocruise99]

I am so sorry you had some really bad issues to deal with. We are booked to sail on the Radiance 9/12/08 and you are not the only one that has complaints about RCI. I am very concerned about our upcoming cruise.

If you don't mind I do have a couple of questions,

The dress code..was it followed or was it more relaxed, what was the majority dressed in for formal? casual? and any other night? Women and Men?

 

The food in the Wind Jammer? Bad? Really bad?

 

Cleanliness of the ship?

 

Food in the dining room? Did they have Lobster,

shrimp, crab?

 

Do you remember the price of a mixed drink and the foo foo drinks?

 

What was the pool like? Cold ?

Thank you for your time

 

I was on this cruise in Mid-June. I'll try to answer a few of your questions. The ship was very clean and beautiful. The interior of Radiance is a much higher quality than the larger Voyager class ships. We ate in the Windjammer every night and the food quality was okay. Every night they offer an Indian station, a Mongolian beef or chicken station (I ate this almost every night. It was very good!), a sushi station, a pasta station and a station offering a carved meat with vegetable dishes. There isn't the variety you'll find on a Voyager class ship because it's a smaller buffet. The breakfast and lunch buffets were both very good, with omelet stations, etc.

 

They offered lobster one night in the dining room and I believe a couple of shrimp dishes. I don't know about crab. The dress code seemed more relaxed for the Alaska cruise though most people dressed up for formal night. I believe the mixed drinks run between $6-$8 dollars. They have a bartender who does a show the last day in the atrium. He is fabulous! They should have him headlining a show in my opinion.

 

As for the pool, forget about the regular pool. There is no way I would go in that pool. Way too cold!! The solarium pool seemed to attract quite a few people because they keep the water and the air heated well in there.

 

Have a great time!

[Budget Queen]

Didn't mean to sound like it's Alaska's "fault" for anything. Only meant that we could not afford to do this trip again since it was very expensive. Alaska was awe-inspiring (rain or shine) and would never hesitate to recommend the trip to anyone. We had a terrible on-board experience and nothing more.

 

Also, to the poster who suggested we "research" our trip and find a way to get things corrected on board before we leave: We "researched" this trip for the better part of 10 months. As for finding a way to get things corrected on board, (begining from day 1 on board & in no particular order) room steward, maintenance, head of maintenance, director of hospitality, uncountable telephone calls, customer relations desk... shall I go on?

 

This is definately a terrible ship experience. I am sorry.

 

Alaska can be gone to with many cost savings. Perhaps, you will consider it again, hopefully???

[TITISSA]

There is no dry season in Alaska.............but that's not saying that the week you select won't be sunny and dry.

 

We have been told the best month to go is July.

 

The concierge during our cruise told us the best months to do Alaska are April, May and June because they are considered "dry Season". The lady had been with HAL doing Alaska for quite some time. I'm sure she knows what she's talking about.

[jenniferluvs2cruise]

Jennifer, I don't know if the OP will be back, but I might be able to answer some of your questions since we did the exact cruise you are doing last September.

 

Since your cruise is a repo cruise...........you will have 3 formal nights. The first being the first sea day, the second being somewhere in the middle and the third being the second to last sea day. You will find all types of outfits being worn...........from very formal.........to semi formal.........to almost smart casual to casual. There is no dress code...........the suggested attire for the evening can be found in the Daily Compass.

 

The OP did not like the food in the WJ. Having been on Radiance 8 times, I can tell you that it is your typical buffet food. We love to have breakfast in the mornings there because there is an egg station where you can have made to order omelets or have your eggs made the way you like them.

 

I would recommend that you also try the SeaView Cafe located above the WJ on Deck 12. It is opened for lunch on sea days at noon and when you are in port it opens at 3. Times are listed in the Daily Compass There you can have made to order items off the menu. Great sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, fries, onion rings, salads and soup served in a wonderful bread bowl. There is also the Solarium Cafe that makes wonderful made to order crepes.

 

We have always found the ship to be clean. Radiance is the oldest in her class...........but to me that means that she has the most character. The crew is wonderful and you will always hear them say "my pleasure" when you ask them for something.

 

As far as lobster, I do not know if they serve it anymore. You will have shrimp cocktail and they do serve an entree that includes shrimp and they do serve a crab cake for an appetizer. You also have your choice of Portofino's or Chops which are two amazing Specialty Restaurants and worth the additional charge.

 

Since you are on a 14 day repo cruise..........you will have 14 different menus. You will probably have the same menu for the first week as the OP had..........but the second week will be different.

 

As far as the pool goes..............Radiance has a wonderful Solarium pool that is enclosed so that it can be used on days when the weather outside is chilly. When we sailed last September, the temps the first week were chilly so the outdoor pool was not used much. The second week, the weather warmed up as we headed south..........so there was more activity in the pool.

 

I'm sorry that I can't answer your question on drinks.

 

We will be embarking the ship as you are disembarking as we are doing the cruise to Hawaii. Please remember to layer, layer, layer.........bring a light weight fleece jacket...........a waterproof rain coat and wear sensible shoes while in port.............and you should be good to go.

 

I do hope that you have a wonderful cruise. Please do not let the negative reports that you have been reading ruin your cruise for you. You must remember it's always different strokes for different folks.

 

You always get back what you give out..............so a smile and a thank you might make all the difference in the world.

 

Thank you so much for all of your information what a gem you are. This will help me out so much,and I guess I need to sign up for my cruise on here to meet the people I'll be sailing with.

[jenniferluvs2cruise]

I was on this cruise in Mid-June. I'll try to answer a few of your questions. The ship was very clean and beautiful. The interior of Radiance is a much higher quality than the larger Voyager class ships. We ate in the Windjammer every night and the food quality was okay. Every night they offer an Indian station, a Mongolian beef or chicken station (I ate this almost every night. It was very good!), a sushi station, a pasta station and a station offering a carved meat with vegetable dishes. There isn't the variety you'll find on a Voyager class ship because it's a smaller buffet. The breakfast and lunch buffets were both very good, with omelet stations, etc.

 

They offered lobster one night in the dining room and I believe a couple of shrimp dishes. I don't know about crab. The dress code seemed more relaxed for the Alaska cruise though most people dressed up for formal night. I believe the mixed drinks run between $6-$8 dollars. They have a bartender who does a show the last day in the atrium. He is fabulous! They should have him headlining a show in my opinion.

 

As for the pool, forget about the regular pool. There is no way I would go in that pool. Way too cold!! The solarium pool seemed to attract quite a few people because they keep the water and the air heated well in there.

 

Have a great time!

 

Thank you, we are trying to decide if we want to take part in the formal nights or book in the other restaurants. If we booked early on the RCCL site for these places I would need to know for sure what nights are the formal nights. I know the first and last one but the one in the middle has me stumped. I called RCCL and they couldn't give me an exact date.

[CruisinRoxy]

I will just add my two cents worth....we just returned from the Radiance SB on Sunday. It was a WONDERFUL cruise. We were on deck 10 and I NEVER had any unpleasant smell in all the cruises we have done. We are diamond members with RCI so we are not new to cruising.

 

Yes, the weather was wet...rained every day but we were prepared for it. The rain did not hamper us at all. Most of the wildlife really does not care if it rains....so just enjoy. We took a helicopter to a glacier to do the real dog sledding which was fantastic. Went with a small operation so we had lots of time and attention. Also went whale watching and saw ocras and humpbacks. We did a float plane to the Anan Creek bear watch in Ketchikan which was undescribeable. Many, many bears and cubs catching salmon.

 

 

The ship was in good condition. We loved the violinist who played in the centrum. He was fabulous. We also thought the entertainment was improved over other ship shows. I do enjoy the voyager for the ice show. I missed that. The WJ food was quite good we thought. But I am not a picky eater at all and love to try different things. No complaints. In fact, the captains wife is the manager of the WJ. All the crew were extremely friendly and helpful. I did keep thanking them for working so hard so we could have such a great vacation.

 

We had our two oldest grandchildren with us (12 &14) and they had a great time. Lots of teens onboard who they enjoyed getting to know. Sorry but I cannot understand the op complete dislike of everything because for me any day on a cruise is a good day.

 

 

Hey, mdeane, Welcome Back

We spoke way before you left and I am very glad you had a good time. Would you mind elaborating a little on your excursions?

What company did you use to do the heli / dog sled. My DH dearly wants to try this, but is it really worth the exorbitant $$?

Also, who did you use for the whale watching?

And did you use Island Wings for Anan bear watching? We are going with Michelle for the Misty Fjords.

I suppose you can consider yourselves lucky that your excursions were not cancelled due to poor weather, even though it rained.

Also, what cabin did you stay in and how was the view?

Your grandkids must have had a phenomenal time with many wonderful memories to cherish.

Thanks so much!

[judynorth]

Thank you, we are trying to decide if we want to take part in the formal nights or book in the other restaurants. If we booked early on the RCCL site for these places I would need to know for sure what nights are the formal nights. I know the first and last one but the one in the middle has me stumped. I called RCCL and they couldn't give me an exact date.

 

Generally the formal dress guidelines are for all restaurants except the buffet. That was the case on our one RCCL cruise and also on both Princess and HAL.

[cruisenfever]

Thank you so much for all of your information what a gem you are. This will help me out so much,and I guess I need to sign up for my cruise on here to meet the people I'll be sailing with.

You will be sailing with friends of ours............Daryl and Dave and Marilyn and Bob. Please check out your roll call.............you will learn so much information.

 

Generally the formal dress guidelines are for all restaurants except the buffet. That was the case on our one RCCL cruise and also on both Princess and HAL.

Chops and Portofino's are always smart casual no matter what night it is.

[Yukon]

The concierge during our cruise told us the best months to do Alaska are April, May and June because they are considered "dry Season". The lady had been with HAL doing Alaska for quite some time. I'm sure she knows what she's talking about.

 

Actually she has NO IDEA what she's talking about. April is just plain nasty, as the few people who have taken a late-April cruise can attest (ask BQ among others here).

[Mission Viejo Marilyn]

Jenniferluvs2cruise....comeon over to the Radiance Alaska Cruise thread so we can talk....:D

We did this Ultimate Alaska cruise on the Radiance last year and had none of the problems that are talked about at the beginning of this thread. We loved it so much we are doing it again this year.

 

Marilyn and Bob (friends of Patti)

[jenniferluvs2cruise]

Jenniferluvs2cruise....comeon over to the Radiance Alaska Cruise thread so we can talk....:D

We did this Ultimate Alaska cruise on the Radiance last year and had none of the problems that are talked about at the beginning of this thread. We loved it so much we are doing it again this year.

 

Marilyn and Bob (friends of Patti)

 

 

We're goin next year:o but I've been lurking on your boards and have learned so much. We wish we were goin this year :( but we have to wait another year. Thank you though and I hope all of you post when you return so that I can ask a lot of questions;) .

[bottom-dragger]

Actually she has NO IDEA what she's talking about. April is just plain nasty, as the few people who have taken a late-April cruise can attest (ask BQ among others here).

 

mrs. bottom-dragger and i always leave the southeast in april. she stresses about who is going to watch over her tomato sprouts but...... only october is worse.

[Budget Queen]

Actually she has NO IDEA what she's talking about. April is just plain nasty, as the few people who have taken a late-April cruise can attest (ask BQ among others here).

 

I'm with you Murray. :)

 

Another, "expert" who doesn't know what they are talking about. We both know, look at Mid May or later, if you want the best chance of weather. (I'm on a May 30 sailing next year!!).

 

My late April/early May trip, had 6 out of 7 days of cold rain. Many unhappy passengers, but not me, was a free trip, that I knew what to expect and was well prepared!!!!!

[mochuck]

If you check the historic Alaska port weather averages ( http://www.youralaskacruise.com/cruise-weather.html ) you'll see why late May and early June is better.

 

Hey Yukon, I just checked that site and the temperatures in Alaska in July are about the same if not cooler than our winter temperatures in Sydney - which is also July. So I guess I'll just take my usual winter clothes.

[acud]

As the original poster, my intent was to describe our experience for others. Sincere thanks to those who appreciated a candid report or shared a similar experience.To those of you who replied more smuggly, we are duly impressed w/your worldliness & tolerance of all things mediocre, wet and smelly. We did many months of research...on these boards & elsewhere, and in fact I am the person who caused a multiple page feeding frenzy by posting the 2-hour cheap rate in Anchorage @ Homewood Suites....$72 per couple in full, for 2 nites, 2 bedroom suite, breakfast & lite dinner included! We were fully aware that the weather would be iffy and wet. We had excellent experience fishing and the fish did not care that it was raining! We paid a lot of money for the 26 Glacier Cruise in PWS - and hope to inform families w/children that this is a big expense for a 4-hour 'maybe we'll see some glaciers' boat ride. We wished for better weather, but it didnt stop us. We were prepared - including layering and raingear. No amount of research and no amount of air freshener took care of the fact that our bathroom & deck were intolerable. As to our attitude onboard, we are friendly, please-and-thank-you, respectful people who prepaid gratuities and tipped generously on top of them to those who earned them. We were polite and smiling until after the 4th day, when we still had not yet gotten resolution. Finally, we loved Alaska and its vast breathtaking beauty and the people we met on land. Eagles, whales, seals, etc were plentiful. It is an awesome and humbling place and we would go back in a heartbeat...but the time and money spent on RCCL, that week, on that ship - was for us a big waste of hard earned money. We would classify it as pedestrian and mediocre on all accounts -at best. If you are looking for a great on-board experience, we did not have one. Caveat Emptor.

[NancyIL]

We did many months of research...on these boards & elsewhere, and in fact I am the person who caused a multiple page feeding frenzy by posting the 2-hour cheap rate in Anchorage @ Homewood Suites....$72 per couple in full, for 2 nites, 2 bedroom suite, breakfast & lite dinner included!

 

I am using the free internet at the Homewood Suites in Anchorage right now, due to your thread about the $72 rate on the 2 bedroom suites - so I thank you for posting that info! We stayed here for 5 nigths after our cruise ended, then 2 nights in the Denali area, then back to Anchorage and Homewood Suites for our last night - and we're flying out in a few hours.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed Alaska in spite of the weather, and I'm sorry you had a bad experience on Radiance of the Seas.

[LizC]

Can you please tell me your cabin number I am quite worried we leave in a few weeks. I am going through chemo and smells greatly effect me.

 

We are on deck 10.