Great staff, great destination, ship needs attention

Radiance of the Seas Cruise Review to Alaska - Gulf of Alaska

HoustonGirl

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 46

Overall rating:

3 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Alaska Hubbard Glacier Northbound (Vancouver To Seward)

Sail date: May 20, 2016

Ship: Radiance of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 7532

Traveled as: Family (young children)

Reviewed: 8 years ago

Review summary

The Inside passage cruise was a wonderful trip. The RCL staff was the best on any cruise that I have been on. The Radiance needs updating.

The staff were quick to learn our names and very fun to interact with. I think they were the best staff ever!

The rooms were smaller than my two previous cruises in the same class. The furniture showed wear. There was no weather-protected swim area for kids, only for adults and the kids splash area was on the windiest part of the ship! The food was mixed. There were some exceptional dishes, but there seemed to be a lot of repetition and french fries were everywhere. I would have preferred more vegetables and more variety in fruit. The same fruit was every day. The desserts were very bland - pudding, jello, bland.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

There were items of prepared food that were excellently prepared. But there was a lot of food that was heated right out of a box, it seemed, like the tater tots, fries, sausages, hotdogs that were everywhere. It is good to have these basics for picky eaters, but they took up too much space that could have been used for more veggie dishes. The fruit offering was always cantelope, honeydew, watermelon and pineapple. Some additions of berries would have added a lot of variety. There was also a lot of space taken by whole fruits of apples, pears and bananas which we enjoyed, but they did not need to be everywhere. An example - Oatmeal was served with brown sugar and cinnamon. If it was served with the addition of pecans, a fresh berry (blueberry, strawberry) it would have felt special instead of institutional.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

More variety would have been nice.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

The line up did not sound interesting. we did not attend any.

Children's Programs

1 out of 5

There were a lot of kids in a small space. The hours between infants and young kids were opposite making it hard to have time without kids. Staff was nice, though.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Freddie, from the Cascades and Windjammer dining rooms was amazing with us and with the kids. He really took time to interact and served beautifully. There were other dining staff, such as the hand sanitizer guy in Cascades that were fun and attentive. Our cabin steward, MacBeth, was excellent. Daughter #2 was quarantined and he took excellent care of us in a tough time. The ship medical staff made her feel better about her illness and provided excellent care.

Ship Quality

1 out of 5

The ship is definitely older. The halls were narrow making it hard to navigate. The chairs in windjammer and our room were wobbly. Floor in bathroom was 'soft'. Our room was smaller than anticipated, but the balcony was larger than anticipated.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

The room was clean, but the chair was wobbly. The bathroom floor had a soft spot in it. The room was smaller than anticipated. It just felt old.