My review of Carnival Radiance:
With this being the Inaugural, we expected to experience issues, trial and error right? There were more cons this cruise than we've ever had before. However, with that being said, we still had a blast! None of the negatives are directed towards the crew whatsoever, they were all amazing as usual.
We were in cabin 7424, extended aft balcony. Our cabin was obviously ignored when it came to the renovations. From my observation the only thing updated was the thermostat and possibly wallpaper? The layout was fine, balcony was rusted and honestly had too much of a gap between the dividers and railing.
You could easily see onto your neighbors balcony. The door squeaked very loudly so our neighbors also knew when we were on our balcony. The bathroom was fine except for the plumbing issues! My goodness! I was awoken from a nap by our toilet loudly flushing itself repeatedly. Upon inspection I found out we had no water. I called our room steward who called a plumber. Within 10 minutes I heard the toilet running and found it overflowing. I opened my door to find the plumber and room steward coming out of the cabin next door and they rushed in to catch the overflow before it hit the carpet.
The plumbing was obviously an issue all over as the smell of sewage spread throughout the week. Deck 5 was very bad, was thankful to have a mask on. Some of the elevators got stuck or the buttons didn't work at all, along with Lido aft sliding glass door buttons not working from the inside, needing crew outside to open. Eventually the left side button worked.
Guy's Pig and Anchor was only open embarkation day for a couple of hours then closed the rest of the week. MDR was lacking big time. Some of the waits were horrendous with people getting wrong dishes or mine for example being cold, bland, and raw. The Steakhouse is cramped and it took 2 hours to receive our entrees causing us to miss a playlist show.
She was released from dry dock too soon. You can tell some areas weren't touched. I spoke with a crew member I shall not name. He said he boarded in October and has been staying in an unfinished cabin. There was no ceiling and he said "You can shower and use the toilet at the same time". Seems like the plumbing wasn't ready either.... The crew has had to finish the renovations themself that were not completed during dry dock.
Now, with that being said, we still had a wonderful time. These are minor things that we should except with inaugural or test cruises so we were extremely patient and still had smiles on our faces. The crew on board were so happy to be back to work and engaging with the guests.
Ryan Rose is a great Cruise Director, my favorite by far. Adelle who hosted Bingo and Trivia was so funny and delightful! Tiago from Fun Squad "the trouble maker" is a really chill guy, definitely the one to get things started. Our cabin steward Suparman was so patient and loving. Very grateful and accommodating, he brought us fresh ice every morning without asking which was lovely. He is from Bali and will never eat a meal without a ton of chilis.
Our favorite crew member was Jaime, the Heroes Bar bartender. He single handedly made this week one to remember, or to forget thanks to all the amazing drinks! We spent every night with him, he wants to open his own bar and he should. We let him make us whatever drink or shot he wanted and every drink was delicious. Go see him and tell him Sarah says to make you a Carnival or Brain Damage shot.
The ship! It was very clean, love the addition of new eateries. Shaq's Big Chicken was very good. My boyfriend had it every morning for breakfast. The Seafood Shack was ok. The wait was very long but good, would have been better if the fries were cooked. Raw potatoes were a thing this week I guess. The Lido buffet is very small compared to other ships, the smallest that I've seen. Not alot of options or cuisine variety.
Cucina Del Capitano! Yes! Highly recommend. Only $15 a person and worth it! Same concept as the steakhouse, lots of tables, and options for everyone. I recommend reserving early. We booked it for night 1 a few weeks before. Later after dinner we tried reserving another table any other day and it was completely booked. They do offer free pasta for lunch. Dinner was much better. Bonsai also was very good. A long wait but good. My boyfriend who hates sushi tried the tempura roll and ate the entire thing. Definitely recommend.
The casino was big-ish, had a good variety of slots and tables. The Lime Light Lounge/comedy club is smaller but not really a bad seat in the house. Except the 4 behind the poles. It was hard to find but it's a little hidden gem. The Liquid Lounge is big and open, comfy seats. I prefer the Miracle's theater mainly because alot of the seats had tables. Was hard to play bingo with a drink. Also very stuffy in there. Alot of us were fanning ourselves with our cards.
The layout on Radiance is by far my favorite. We love the through hallways! We did not have to get to our cabin by certain elevators or decks. We could walk all the way through from either end. The decor makes more sense unlike Inspiration if you've been on it. What were those tentacles??
The ropes course is a bonus above next to the Serenity area. 10 bars on board, 9 eateries plus 2 specialty restaurants and MDR. PYOB stations, bathrooms were always clean, and lots of activities! There is something for everyone.
Would I recommend the Carnival Radiance? Yes!. Hopefully they work out the kinks and can find a better flow. She definitely has potential. We will be back in 3 short weeks and will update after. For the great low prices we pay for AYCE and being treated like celebrities, all these small annoyances are no way a deterrent for me. Carnival knows how to party and I'll always pay my way to get there. The only thing missing was a dance club! But with the fun squad every floor is a dance floor. 😜
