Fun family cruise! But you will spend more than you think :P

Item: Carnival Radiance
Rating: 4.2
Author: jesslaw

Carnival Radiance Cruise Review to Mexico

jesslaw

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 29

Overall rating:

4.2 out of 5

Verified Review

4 Night Catalina & Baja Mexico (Los Angeles Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 19, 2023

Ship: Carnival Radiance

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 1201

Traveled as: Family (young children)

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Overall very fun cruise! However, a lot of fun onboard seemed to require more money (deal or no deal, bingo, arcade, etc), and there was not a lot else to do. Ended up spending a lot. Wish there were more entertainment options without additional costs! Also the kids camp hours were funky, so we only ended up using them once. They were always closed in the late afternoon when it would have been ideal to use them (post lunch, pre-dinner). But everything was really fun and we had a great time!

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Smooth and easy

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Guy’s burgers were great! Main dining food not very good, surprisingly.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Enjoyed pool and jacuzzi, water slides, ropes course, and fooseball. Pool areas over crowded though as there was not a whole lot to do on ship.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Stage shows were pretty good. Performers gave their all! DJ by pool was really good.

Children's Programs

3 out of 5

My kid was bummed that they have so many video games but he had to participate in group conversation topic (royals) and wasn’t given a chance to do what he wanted.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Our steward Alberto was great! Always remembered our names. Waiters/bartenders were hit and miss.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Layout was annoying, so many dead ends! Otherwise was pretty well maintained and clean.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Room was small but layout was functional. Quiet corner of the ship. We enjoyed our room!

Ship tip

Figure out navigating the ship early! Most levels don’t go all the way from front to back of ship. Lots of dead ends.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Long Beach (Los Angeles), California

4 out of 5

Catalina Island, California

4 out of 5

Ensenada, Mexico

5 out of 5

We did horseback riding which was fantastic!

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

3 out of 5

Way too rushed. Out of room by 8:30am is kind of intense.

8 Comments

PedrozaTravel 1 year ago

I agree I wish there was more entertainment before 4 pm

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javawoody 1 year ago

Thanks for sharing

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Gwbigdog 1 year ago

Thanks for sharing

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AuntPinkie 1 year ago

Appreciate your details. Sorry you were surprised by some of the extra costs. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

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OGWonderWoman 1 year ago

Sounds like someone didn't do diligent research before taking their first cruise. Now you know what to expect in the future, so you can plan accordingly. I'm glad to hear you had a good time despite not knowing about the extra costs.

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Carnivalfoodie 1 year ago

Nice details. Thanks 😊

Thumbs Up 1

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cruising2004 1 year ago

Thank you for sharing your cruising experience. Glad all enjoyed.

Thumbs Up 1

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Itspeace4me 1 year ago

Thank you for sharing with us.

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