Radiance of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

The ship was clean and neat. Staff could be seen at all hours cleaning and picking up. It is a great ship for a cruise.

This was both our first trip to Alaska and our first cruise ever! We were highly impressed with the knowledge of our tour guide on the land portion of our trip. The itinerary that Royal Caribbean had planned for us was superb. We particularly loved the ride on the Alaskan Railroad and the Resurrection Bay Boat Cruise. Twelve of us traveled together and I had my doubts to begin with if it would all go smoothly. Royal Caribbean made everything run like clockwork. Everything was extremely well organized and planned. It was like a dream come true. As I tell our friends, the accommodations were not five-star, but instead 10-star hotels, lodges, and resorts, including the extra day we stayed in Vancouver, BC. Our particular favorite was the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge where the Lodge was so gorgeous and we got to see the full view of Mt. McKinley from their patio! Outstanding! We loved how we did not have to handle our baggage from the time we put it on the conveyor belt at Cleveland Hopkins until we took it off the baggage conveyor on our return to Cleveland. Everything ran on time; there were not any unexpected delays or disappointments. While on the ship we saw lots of different wildlife, aquatic life, many glaciers, and breath-taking scenery. The ship entertainment was always first-class with a wide variety of talent and quality performances. We would do it again in a hearbeat!

Radiance of the Seas - Alaska Sail date 7-22-06 First cruise ever, hopefully not the last. Ship was beautifully decorated and staterooms were just the right size. We enjoyed the balcony and the privacy to view the ocean by ourselves as well as up on deck. The daily planners were placed in your stateroom every night and with so much to choise from it was really never overcrowded to any activity or show. We truly enjoyed a vacation thanks to the staff of Adventure Ocean. The children activity staff onboard. Our child got plenty of friends and activities that fitted his style and there was time for mom and dad to relax as well. The entire staff onboard treated you as Royalty and room service was a great feature for us.

Beautiful classy looking ship. Everything looks well maintained. Tendering handled well, no huge lines. A bit to much emphasis on jewelery and art sales.

Ship was very nice.

Our 3rd cruise on Radiance of the Seas, and the best one yet. From our cabin, to the ship's captain and crew, to entertainment, food, and decor, everything was superb.

The ship was so clean and well kept. The staff was wonderful and seemed to really enjoy their job. All the public areas were spotless. the porter service was awsome. Those cute little towel creatures were the kids favorite part of the day...seeing what was the "new" friend for the day. Oh yes and the shopping on board was terrific. GREAT prices. EMMA was our jewerly salesperson and she was a delight.

Loved the ship. Was on the ship a while ago and loved the size and layout. The food was fantastic, especially the restaurant that we paid a little extra to eat at. Would go on this ship again any time.

Coastal cruises of just a day or so were the dairy queen curl for Pacific NW cruisers. This was our first short trip - but we've just booked a slew of others. Almost like day trips. Our first and last trip on the Radiance. Not because there was anything wrong with it - we just moved on.

Southern Caribbean 2/2002 for our first cruise. We traveled with another couple and the 4 of us had a very good time. The ship was incredible; too beautiful for words. The woodwork, marble, glass, fixtures all were awesome. Extremely clean. Guests of other ships were also impressed by seeing the Radiance sitting in port. Friendly stateroom attendants provided excellent service and really aimed to please; all employees were courteous and helpful. Food was abundant, variety of interesting choices; presentation was always excellent. Windjammer had good variety and tasty food; could always count on finding plenty of food that we liked, regardless of the time we ate breakfast OR lunch OR afternoon snack. Some of Cascades, main dining room dinner food was too spicy, (but replacement meal quickly delivered) and service was a little slow (we had 2nd seating); Cascades food was good BUT not relaxed fine dining food. Only tried one of the specialty restaurants (Portfinos) which was truly FINE DINING; food was good but that was our only day of "motion sickness," so we did not enjoy as much as otherwise would have. Main dining room was a bit noisy. Recreation was varied; evening shows in theatre seemed short; needed more shows after 2nd dinner seating. New musical show was very good; we saw the debut show. Leaving and returning to ship in each port was very smooth. There were about 300 children on our ship but hardly ever seen or heard === WHAT A PLUS!!!We enjoyed it so much we do plan to cruise again -- after our wallet recovers from the ShipShape expenses!! This was truly a modern state-of-the-art facility. We chose to pamper ourselves at this facility vs. buying trinkets and dust-collecting-souvenirs on the islands and this was a very COSTLY expense! Disembarking process was well-organized and happened quickly. Many guests chose to wait in the theatre while the cruise director had "question and answer talk show." It was more comfortable than sitting in hallway or waiting by elevtors.The ship had some THEME nights (60/70's, Island/Caribbean, Western, etc.) and I wish we had known that ahead of time. Also DID NOT know to attend the first night activities so we felt like we missed information that would have been helpful in our planning. Recommend touring the ShipShape center on the first day and take advantage of discounts and premiums offered for booking the first day.Talked with passengers of other cruise lines. All of them thought this ship was very beautiful and many thought it above other ship standards. However, we were told that some of ship activities that had a cost to participate on this ship DID not have a cost on other ships. Would recommend clarifying that if there are certain activities (e.g. rock climbing, yoga classes, etc.) you want to utilize.Email me if you have specific questions I could answer. Mention CRUISE REVIEW in the subject line.Thanks!fsucpa@prodigy.net

AFTER BEING ON FIVE (5) OTHER CRUISES PRIOR TO THIS ONE , I WOULD HAVE TO RATE THIS ONE THE BEST THUS FAR.WE WERE IMPRESSED BY THE DECOR, VARIOUS FORMS OF ART, THE LAY OUT OF THE SHIP AND THE FRIENDLINESS OF THE CREW, INCLUDING THE CAPTIAN WHO WOULD OCCASIONALLY SHOW UP AND HAVE DINNER WITH AS MANY PASSENGERS AS POSSIBLE. HE WOULD ALSO ENTERTAIN US BY SINGING SONGS OF LOVE IN HIS DEEP BARRITONE VOICE.THIS, AND OTHER SERVICES, APPEARED TO BE TOP NOTCH. I WOULD RECCOMMEND THE RADIANCE OF THE SEAS AS YOUR NEXT SHIP TO SET SAIL ON.

This was my first ever cruise so I have nothing to compare with. Embarkation from Vancouver was very smooth although I had a small problem with my cruise card and had to wait 20 minutes with a few other people. First impression was what a beautiful ship,and how young everyone was. The average age of the 2,358 passengers was about 45 and there were about 360 kids.Very international. Food was very good ,especially in the Windjammer,and the service was first class.The entertainment was as good as it gets!! Lots of room on the outside decks and there is a bar and music for everyone from classical to country to rock'n roll. Always something to do. O.k. how about the negatives.....our cabin seemed a tad small(third floor inside),the temperature on the ship was a little warm for us guys with our suits and crowded elevators, but us being in our thirties it was nothing to take the stairs.And that darn cruise card,way too easy to spend with so be carefull with it. Highlights of the cruise besides the scenery,was Ketchikan,(ladies save your shopping for there)and Gordon, our cruise director, had us laughing our guts out every day,and of course the people,everyone was very nice. Overall, it was a great experience and would gladly take the Radiance of the Seas again. P.S. don't forget your sunglasses for the dining room, you'll need them!

This is my eighth cruise and my second on this ship. I traveled on this ship with my husband in April in preparation for a family group trip October 5th.My husband and I found the ship the most lovely we had traveled on but that the service and food were not up to par with some of the other cruises. The October cruise found the service vastly improved but the food still not up to par.The last cruise I took was with 12 adults and 12 children. The children's program is superb. The children all had a wonderful time from the eight-year-old to the 16-year-old.Embarkation went smoothly but I would like to warn all traveling with children not your own to take a permission slip from BOTH parents stating you may take them on the cruise. This needs to be notarized. It does not matter if you are the grandparents or related or not.Getting off is, as always, boring and long. They did have the cruise director in the theatre answering questions and helping you kill time. But I still wish they had things for the children to do and entertainment for the guests during departure and the much needed drinks that are always lacking during departures.The rooms were great! I had a balcony room on 10th floor and I loved it. The cabin stewards were great at their job.If I were to take a cruise with children again, I would again choose this cruise. They have pools for kids, a rock wall to climb and minature golf, plus much more for the kids to do.My two major disappointments were that my aunt was to have a balcony cabin and this cruise was for her and she did not get a balcony cabin. She has cancer and will probably not sail again. Also, we were a group of 24 and 18 of us were seated at two tables next to each other and the last six were seated some ways away with three strangers. I tried to get both of these problems fixed, but to no avail and this disappointed me very much. I decided then and there if I were to take a group on a cruise again it would not be with this line.If you have any specific questions about this cruise, feel free to e-mail me and I will respond.CSch012052@aol.comI have traveled on five different cruise lines. This ranks number two out of those lines because one line is now out of business, otherwise it would have ranked 3rd.

First of all, the itinerary was too jam- packed. One less port of call would be nice. We found we were always rushing to get to a beach and back or rushing to get to our excursion and not much time to relax. Secondly, this is the third cruise we've been on and the food was good but the table we were seated at was at the very back of the dining room and we could see the service stairs and hear all the kitchen noise, etc., as well as being seated next to a table with 8 children under seven-years-old with no adult to keep their noise level down. So we moved to another table where we found a family with three small six-year-olds. I guess we were in the family section. The ship was beautiful and the cabins were lovely, but our teenagers were less than excited by the teen facilities. The disco, "Optix," was so small, they could barely turn around let alone dance, and the teen pool was, in fact, a kiddie pool with tons of toddlers in it. The directors made-up for the poor facilities and eventually they met up with other kids their age and didn't need to have a gathering place. They just marauded around the decks. The service in the dining room was O.K. but having been on two previous cruises we knew what to expect. The fact that they even made the waiters hawk their wares (selling engraved bottles of wine after dinner), was a little bit much! The fitness facility was great, lots of treadmills and machines, however, there could have been a few more aeorbic type classes, ones that didn't cost $10 to participate in. I guess they were training a new group of dancers, so they only performed on the last night, so other than the commedians, the entertainment was kind of trashy. Many people walked out of the performances, so I'm not overstating my complaints. I guess, all in all, this wasn't the best cruise ship for us. It appeared to be great for people with small children and the eldery. So if you fit into either category, you'll love this ship.

Having taken 62 cruises, 39 of them with RCI, I stand to be counted. This is the best company in the world for cruising. I am about to sail on Radiance of the Seas.Of course, there are niggling problems as it is a floating hotel. In all my times traveling with this company I could never honestly say I would not return. You should travel on some of the ships out of Europe, wow!Whatever you paid for your voyage, it is sometimes worth more than twice as much. You soon discover this when you disembark, don't you?

Radiance is not only beautiful inside and out, but the crew is wonderful. Our waiter and assistant waiter were personable, beautiful people. Salutations always from all staff. Food was excellent, only wish we had more shrimp and lobster dishes. Service was superb and always courteous. Entertainment in the Aurora Theater was always a treat. Embarkation was almost flawless, but disembarkation was too slow. We have been on two other cruises and this was by far the best. Thank you captain and crew of the Radiance of the Seas!!

I have cruised twice before to the Bahamas on a much smaller ship. This was my first experience on a large vessel and my first experience with Royal Caribbean. My mother and I went on the 2 night cruise to nowhere April 4th - April 6th. As we approached the ship on the day of embarkation, my mouth fell open. I could not believe my eyes. The ship was absolutely gorgeous. The overall experience was great. I loved the idea of not having to carry money or travelers checks. The idea of the onboard credit card was EXCELLENT. My mom & I have been talking about the trip for 3 months. My husband and I are planning another short cruise this coming fall. Unfortunately, Radiance is not offering cruises to nowhere for the remainder of 2001. Hopefully, something will be offered on one of the newer ships like Brilliance of the Seas. GOOD JOB ROYAL CARIBBEAN!

I just went on the preview 3 night voyage of the Radiance of the Sea, and we went to Nassau and just sailed around. This boat is amazing, large, and the food is great. The downside is the service which in time will get better as the workers learn to work with each other. If you go on this boat you must get a balcony room. Man is it worth it. The entertainment in the theater is great. We had a ventriliquist who was world famous and he was hilarious. If ya have kids you should enroll them in the programs they have. In they have computer games and there is a crew member to look after them all day. The childrens pool has a waterslide, and next to that there is a basketball place, no it is not a court, but there is one hoop with alot of room in the lot. The mainframe is really cool and for the lazy people there is elevators. This boat has 13 floors and can be nauseating when at the top and look down. I would reccomend this boat but you should wait for a few months to let them get there act together so you can have a plesent voyage. That is about all I can think of right now so you should really think about going on this boat it is a real trip.

This was our first cruise experience. Prior to leaving there was a mix-up with my reservation and I was disappointed in the way it was resolved, but it was too late to reserve something else as this was a surprise gift. Once we were on our cruise, things got brighter. Embarkation was excellent as well as disembarkation. The best mass produced food anywhere. Only the breakfasts lacked variety. Diverse ports of call. Service was very good, but had room for improvement. This cruise was my gift to my husband for our 25th Anniversary. Had I not purchased the Romance Package, there would not have been any acknowledgement of this, unlike I was told by my cruise counselor. It would have been nice for us and anyone else celebrating a special occasion to be made to feel special. Also, the stateroom was smaller than expected, but we got used to it. Wished we could spent more time at the ports of call and less time on the ship. Other than what has been stated, it was a fantastic vacation. I would recommend this ship to anyone and would travel on it again myself.

I did a one night Pre-Inagural sailing and having been on several other cruises, and this ship turns up the WOW factor by several notches. Some points: self Leveling Gyroscopically controled pool tables actually move to counteract to movement of the ship. African themed solarium, The colony club (a very Nautically themed expansion of the card room concept), Internet access in every stateroom. This ship takes the key features of their Voyager and vision class to give you the best of both worlds. This is a really pretty ship, designed to bring the outdoors in. With more glass per capita than any other ship afloat, they do this well. All in all this is a ship you must see to believe. it is truly a magnificent vessel. If you need more info, or want some digital pictures, contact:Winston LaltooMytravelco.com's Cruises Only branch Winston@1-800-Cruises EXT 77923.