First RCL Cruise

Item: Radiance of the Seas
Rating: 3.4
Author: tdrodwell

Radiance of the Seas Cruise Review

tdrodwell

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 13

Overall rating:

3.4 out of 5

5 Night Western Caribbean (Tampa Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 15, 2024

Ship: Radiance of the Seas

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 3 months ago

Review summary

Overall a step up from Carnival. More things to do than NCL. Average food.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Very smooth and quick embarkation process. Onboard very quickly

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Schooner Bar

5 out of 5

Great service and well mixed drinks. Philip the server was extremely friendly and prompt with service

Windjammer Marketplace

3 out of 5

Overall average buffet food. The food we tried was generally hot but didn't have a lot of seasoning. We were impressed with the crab cakes however as they were very flavorful. Boneless pork ribs were dried out and not worth getting. Breakfast was also a little bland. We do like the fact that a crew member fixes the soft serve ice cream for you thus minimizing waste you sometimes see on other cruise lines.

Cascades Dining Room

4 out of 5

Overall very nice service. Food was well prepared though breakfast choices seem to lack seasoning. First night we attended was French night. Beef tenderloin was very tender and to my desired doneness. French onion soup was molten lava hot but tasty. Asparagus a bit chewy. Breakfast/brunch there was average. Ordered French toast once and it was barely warm when served.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Attended trivia several times. Due to noise levels in the Schooner Bar it was sometimes hard to hear the questions.

Solarium

4 out of 5

Had sandwiches at the Park Cafe. Very good service. Roast beef was tasty though a little chewy. Tuna sandwich was delicious as was the tomato and cheese sandwich . Second time sandwich had a soggy bottom bread due to sitting at deli for so long.

Casino Royale

2 out of 5

Extremely crowded casino. Barely enough room to negotiate a very narrow mobility scooter through the area. Very smokey from cigarettes also. First night slot machines were not paying out. Watched several other people lose repeatedly with no payouts.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Aurora Theater

4 out of 5

Saw Explosion from Argentina. A unique show of dance and drums. Piano Man performance was rather "lacking".

Children's Programs

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Due to the limited aisle space in the casino, traveling forward and aft on deck six was challenging. Poor ventilation in the casino resulted in heavy cigarette smoke throughout and even down the halls both ways.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

Overall nice but shows signs of wear and tear. Desk drawers show wear along top edges. Tile floor in bathroom is missing some grout. All electrical outlets are on the opposite side cabin from bed. Plugs near nightstand would have been nice. Mattress is ok.

Ship tip

Wear earplugs at night. Lots of rattles, thumps and bangs while trying to sleep

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

3 out of 5

Cozumel, Mexico

3 out of 5

Tampa, Florida

3 out of 5

Disembarkation

4 out of 5

Fairly smooth debarkation despite a slight problem with ship's elevators not working but issue was quickly resolved. The one downside was we left from terminal 3 but returned terminal 6. This resulted in a lengthy walk back to the parking deck. The only way there was by walking along the vehicle driving lanes to get out to Chanelside Dr. This is not a safe way to get passengers back to their cars

Traveler Photos

7 Comments

Other reviews of this sailing

Good Cruise, could have been better.

Amazing and relaxing cruise