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About Your Ship: Radiance of the Seas

17 Night Transpacific





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Departs Honolulu aboard Royal Caribbean – Radiance of the Seas

Sailing Date(s): September 23, 2013


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	Average Radiance of the Seas Rating



	SORT BY: Most Recent \| Positive \| Negative \| Helpful < Previous 10 \| 11 - 20 of 44 \| Next 10 >
	Overall Rating: About the Reviewer: Age: 30 - 49 Cruise Experience: First cruise Traveler Type: Couple Stateroom Type: Inside Not bad, but wouldn't do again... by Richard from Southern California Sailing date: Aug 2010 Pros: Hubbard Glacier, Ketchikan, Icy Strait, Friendly Staff Cons: Overpriced excursions, So-so food, Constant sales pitches, Constant Gratuities The ship was extremely clean. Facilities were always in tip-top shape. The elevators were usually overcrowded mid-ship and required sometimes lengthy waits. Better to use the forward elevators. I found the pools were a bit too frequently closed. Ship Details: Ship Quality See overall comments. Generally the ship was in excellent condition, well-maintained, very clean, and easy to get around (except for the elevator wait). Disappointing was that on arrival at the ship, no map was handed out with a plan of the facilities which made the initial day rather disorienting. Dining/Food I booked through Orbitz and was only offered the late dining service. Waiting to dine until 8:30 was a hassle and so I frequently ate at the cafe's buffet which was anytime dining. The meals I had at the main restaurant were fairly so-so. I would certainly not rate them as being "fine dining" unless you are used to eating at The Olive Garden; then maybe it is fine dining. The "formal" and "formal casual" nights were irritating. I travel light, carry-on only. Packing away a suit, particularly for a cruise to Alaska seemed pointless. The setting was nice but I requested a small table and got instead a table of 8. The cafe buffet had a nice spread of options, from Indian to Mongolian, comfort to Thai. I had breakfast and lunch there, unless eating onshore, and often dinner, too. I found the food at the buffet just as good as the main dining food...and a lot more options...and no wait for the plates to arrive. Again, the food is buffet food and was usually so-so. Stateroom Quality We had an inside stateroom assigned to us by the cruise line. The room was small but certainly manageable. The staff cleaned the room twice a day, towels were always present, the bed turned down at night, our mess nicely re-arranged. Very functional. HOWEVER, we had a room on the 3rd level, right below the orchestra pit for the theater. So it was guaranteed that twice a night the room would pound with vibrations...and sometimes past midnight. The bass was ear-splitting and reached painful levels. At minimum it was annoying and at its worst it was deadly. Avoid this area of the ship when booking!!!! And for some reason in port the 4th level stunk to high heaven. Perhaps they were pumping out the sewage? Ship Staff Quality Always very nice. Always very friendly. Answered all questions. Took care of all problems. Always a smile. VERY nice. Being from L.A., this made me instantly suspicious. Are people really this friendly? Is it just for the expected gratuity? Whatever...go with the flow. Nice people. Entertainment & Activities The theater shows were atrocious and amateurish. The casino staff just seemed depressing. I never thought I would miss Vegas; they made me miss Vegas. Cheesy always seemed to be the key word. If you're constantly drunk or just used to watching cows graze, well then this is probably a blast. The constant sales pitches were incredibly aggravating. Most lectures and demonstrations were about what jewelry to buy, rather than information about Alaska or its Native culture. Everything was always about buy buy buy. They take constant pictures of you virtually everyday...and then try to sell them to you for $20 apiece. Whatever you paid for the cruise, take hundreds more with you to pay for all these "services." The excursions were generally not that great. Very pricey and often quite short. Most of the time allotted for these tours is actually time waiting for a bus or time on the bus itself. Better to book onshore when you arrive...cheaper and widely available. Read this user's port of call reviews: Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Ketchikan, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska Collapse List of Ports Ports of Call: Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska A very small town of Native Americans. I liked it. The visitor center was small but nice. Had the chowder and chili. Not bad. Walked around a bit. I avoided the "world's longest zipline" but others said they really enjoyed it. Did the wildlife hike here. Really not much of a hike at all, but the local guides were wonderful, funny, and clearly passionate about their culture. And we saw three grizzlies in a matter of moments, two with cubs. So though the actually excursion didn't last all that long, it was well worth it and one of my favorites. Don't Miss: Go see a grizzly bear! Juneau, Alaska The town itself wasn't that great. Great chocolate shop, though, on the main strip. Also you must eat at Tracy's Crab Shack! It really is a shack. And pricey. But the bisque is out of this world and the crab legs unbelievable. Best part of Juneau. Went on the Mendenhall rafting trip here. Sort of a waste of time. You don't really get to see the glacier at all up close, and most of the trip was through basically residential areas. Only a couple of small rapids. Don't Miss: Tracey's Crab Shack!!!! Best food in Alaska... Ketchikan, Alaska The historic downtown was nice. Again, a plethora of the same old tourist shops with all the blingy jewelry that one sees at every stop (and on the ship, too). But the salmon were running through the stream located in the middle of town. Amazing to watch. More shops to wander than most of the towns on the cruise. Did the canoe/hike excursion here. Not really worth it. The canoeing covered a small part of a lake. The hike was maybe twenty yards. I wished I had done something else instead. I see that the 4-wheelers here each had their own jeep...or maybe a whale watching tour. This wasn't good at all. Don't Miss: The old downtown section and the salmon run Skagway, Alaska Nice main street, though almost all of the shops are the same tourist shops you see at every port selling the same stuff over and over again. The Xmas store had some nice baubles, though, that make good gifts. There is a sweet shop on a side street that is sort of counter-culture and has cupcakes. Superb cupcakes. Did the 4-wheel excursion here. Was okay, but almost no chance to stop and take pictures of amazing scenery. Very depressing and pissed off a number of people. And you'll have to share your jeep with strangers and change drivers in order to give everyone a chance. That was not expected. Don't Miss: The cupcakes at the sweet shop next to the bakery 13 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Did you find this review helpful? Overall Rating: About the Reviewer: Age: 50 - 65 Traveler Type: Singles/friends Stateroom Type: Balcony my second cruise by Tricia O'H. from oklahoma city oklahoma Sailing date: Apr 2010 Pros: so much to do! Cons: art sales are a bit sneaky Radiance was older than my first experience on the Seranade, and it showed. Stateroom areas, like mine on the 8th floor, smelled musty. Not as 'elegant.' Ship Details: Ship Quality Dining/Food I wanted to eat at my convenience so checked "my time." Didnt know this would cause me to be charged for dining room tipping even though I never ate there. Stateroom Quality Ship Staff Quality both of my cruises had the hardest working stateroom staff, and most everyone working on the ship were so friendly. Entertainment & Activities Children's Programs 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you find this review helpful? Overall Rating: About the Reviewer: Age: 50 - 65 Cruise Experience: 2 - 3 cruises Traveler Type: Couple Stateroom Type: Suite Best cruise vacation ever by Tim S. from Salida CA Sailing date: Oct 2009 Pros: We were treated like royalty, all of the crew treated us like we were VIP's Cons: When it ended. It has been quite a while since I have taken a cruise, but it seemed as if the whole process of boarding the ship and leaving the ship was much more streamlined and simple. We loved the way we were treated and all of the activities on the ship. We are already starting to plan our next cruise, the only problem is deciding what cruise to choose. Ship Details: Ship Quality Dining/Food Stateroom Quality We had a junior suite that was nicer than many hotels I have stayed in. Ship Staff Quality The entire crew was wonderful, and within a day the stateroom attendent and wait staff all knew us by name and made us feel like they had known us for years. Entertainment & Activities Truely top knotch 11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Did you find this review helpful? Overall Rating: About the Reviewer: Age: 65+ Cruise Experience: First cruise Traveler Type: Group Stateroom Type: Balcony I sailed on the Radiance of the Seas by A Traveler from Pueblo, Co. Sailing date: Oct 2009 Pros: The ship was so clean and beautiful. It was my first cruise and I was amazed at the wonderful food and all the handy bars. Loved everything about it. Cons: Can't think of a thing I didn't like except the little bit of water on the floor from the shower and it was managable. We had a group of seventeen people on our cruise. It was my first cruise and I was surprised at the size of the rooms. I roomed with my sister-in-law and we had plenty of room to move around. We had a balcony , which is the best way to go as for me. Loved watching the ship come into and away from docks. The ship was beautiful and very clean. Food was fantastic and service great. It was so fun going to our room at night and finding the cute animals made from towels. I would recommend this cruise line to any of my friends. Ship Details: Ship Quality Dining/Food Stateroom Quality Ship Staff Quality Entertainment & Activities 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you find this review helpful? Overall Rating: About the Reviewer: Age: 65+ Cruise Experience: 7+ cruises Traveler Type: Couple Stateroom Type: Oceanview a good cruise by Hartmut W. from Tucson, AZ Sailing date: Oct 2009 Pros: the ship itself Cons: has some problems with out bathroom (odor) we had a good and relaxing cruise. We were surprised how much alcohol was consumed on this ship by its passengers. The pool areas were noisy and too crowded. Ship Details: Ship Quality Dining/Food Stateroom Quality except for bathroom and too small shower Ship Staff Quality Entertainment & Activities 4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you find this review helpful? Overall Rating: About the Reviewer: Age: 18 - 29 Cruise Experience: 2 - 3 cruises Traveler Type: Family w/older children Stateroom Type: Inside Great overall experience by A Traveler from St. Louis, MO Sailing date: Sep 2009 Pros: The staff!!! They made the trip fantastic and the ship was beautiful Cons: The ports of call were not my favorite The ship was beautiful and had a lot to offer to every type of traveler. I cannot compliment the staff enough. They were so friendly and helpful and took care of my every need with pleasure. They truly made the trip special. Our stateroom exceeded expectation (we went with the cheapest and weren't expecting much) The food in the main dining room was superb, I thought the buffet could use a bit of improvement, but overall not bad. The town of Ensenada wasn't super impressive and Cabo San Lucas was nice, but not quite as fantastic as I was expecting. I wish that the pools could have been a little bigger, the were very crowded on both of our days at sea, but I really enjoyed the solarium, it was very pretty and relaxing, actually my favorite area of the ship. So, overall I highly recommended this ship and the Radiance of the Seas, but maybe with different stops along the way. Ship Details: Ship Quality Dining/Food Stateroom Quality Ship Staff Quality I loved our stateroom attendant and our wait staff. The really added a lot to our trip. Entertainment & Activities 4 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Did you find this review helpful? Overall Rating: About the Reviewer: Age: 50 - 65 Cruise Experience: 7+ cruises Traveler Type: Couple Stateroom Type: Oceanview Honeymoon Cruise by A Traveler from Boston, MA Sailing date: Aug 2009 Pros: Food Cons: Entertainment The ship is clean, the service is good, the food is excellent. The shops are a bit small. This ship has lots of nice area's where you can sit and chatt or play cards, look out the window, read a good book. The entertainment is good, just not the best I have ever seen. Ship Details: Ship Quality I love the outlay of this line of ships. Dining/Food Stateroom Quality Ship Staff Quality Entertainment & Activities Read this user's port of call reviews: Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Ketchikan, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska Collapse List of Ports Ports of Call: Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska They only take in one ship a day, so it was nice not to be crowded. Don't Miss: The zip line, Awesome! Juneau, Alaska Ketchikan, Alaska Skagway, Alaska Don't Miss: Don't miss the salmon run. It is free! 5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Did you find this review helpful? Overall Rating: About the Reviewer: Age: 65+ Cruise Experience: First cruise Traveler Type: Couple Stateroom Type: Balcony What an experience. Great! by Arturo F. from Los Angeles, CA Sailing date: Aug 2009 Pros: The cruise, our first, went far beyond our expectations. The crew and staff were exceptionally organized, courteous, helpful and competent. Cons: The connection to our hotel after the last excursion was poorly executed and not as described. The cruise, our first, far exceeded our expectations. There was no part that wasn't up with the best service ever received. From the convenient boarding, the stateroom accommodations and service, the varieties of food and service, the cleanlinmess of the all parts of the ship, the locations we stopped at, the excursions and the coutesies of all staff members made this a most memorable experience. Ship Details: Ship Quality Our overall imoressions say it all. Dining/Food The quality and different types of food experiences offered all eating desires, whether a snak, a casual meal, a formal meal or just coffee. Stateroom Quality Our stateroom our home for a week was immaculately attended to always with a smile and courtesy. The folded towel animals were the humor that made it fun to return each night to see what was welcoming us. delightful. Ship Staff Quality We have never experienced such competent organization and willingness to help with consistant courtesy. Entertainment & Activities There was no age group, gender or personality left out. Children's Programs While not travelling with children, it was obvious that all possible activities were considered. Read this user's port of call reviews: Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Ketchikan, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska Collapse List of Ports Ports of Call: Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska The Icy Strait port city of Hoonan was very interesting and showed the resiliency of its small community by responding to their lost fishing trade by building for tourism. They are a proud people and will succeed. Don't Miss: The bear search and nature walk is fantastic. Juneau, Alaska The small amount of rain did not take away from the awe of this phenomenom and the Park Ranger's talk was very informational. The salmon bake was good but not a "must see". Don't Miss: Mendenhall Glacier Ketchikan, Alaska The history of this small town is interesting and shows the community pride. Don't Miss: The Potlatch Totem Park and the carver's talk is inspirational. Skagway, Alaska The train ride was one of the highlights of the trip. to think that this was built when they didn't have the technology they now have, is almost incredible. Don't Miss: The White Pass Railway train ride. 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Did you find this review helpful? Overall Rating: About the Reviewer: Age: 30 - 49 Cruise Experience: First cruise Traveler Type: Family w/older children Stateroom Type: Balcony Nice Getaway by A Traveler from Odon, IN Sailing date: Jun 2009 Pros: Variety of Food Cons: The coffee was awful The ship was in excellent condition and always kept clean. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Ship Details: Ship Quality Dining/Food The food was excellent with the exception of the coffee. It was bitter and extremely strong. I would have preferred a cold brew coffee in order to avoid the bitterness and you could add hot water to suit your preferred strength. Stateroom Quality I wish there could have been two overhead bunks instead of just one. With the foldout bed, it was difficult walking over it in order to get to the bathroom - especially in the middle of the night. Ship Staff Quality The ship's staff was always friendly and helpful. Entertainment & Activities Since we traveled as a family, I would have like to have seen more entertainment that was geared to families with teenagers. Children's Programs Activities seemed to be geared toward younger children. Read this user's port of call reviews: Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Ketchikan, Alaska; Skagway, Alaska Collapse List of Ports Ports of Call: Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska This was the best stop. Although there weren't sufficient bike rentals available, we were able to hike, visit the fish cannery museum and ride the zip line. Don't Miss: Zip Line Juneau, Alaska Too geared toward shopping and not enough family adventures at reasonable prices. Ketchikan, Alaska Better assortment of family activities at this location. Although there were plenty of shopping possibilities, there were also other things to do at reasonable prices. Don't Miss: The Lumberjack show. Skagway, Alaska Too geared toward shopping and not enough family adventures at reasonable prices. 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you find this review helpful? Overall Rating: About the Reviewer: Age: 18 - 29 Cruise Experience: First cruise Traveler Type: Singles/friends Ship Review by Katie from NY, US Sailing date: Apr 2007 Ship Details: Entertainment & Activities Read this user's port of call reviews: Cozumel, Mexico; Key West, Florida; George Town, Grand Cayman; Montego Bay, Jamaica Collapse List of Ports Ports of Call: Cozumel, Mexico Key West, Florida George Town, Grand Cayman Montego Bay, Jamaica 6 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Did you find this review helpful?
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