Cruise Ship Review

The first of a new class of ship for Royal Caribbean (middle of the road between the 142,000-ton Voyager-class and the 78,491-ton Vision of the Seas) Radiance of the Seas is a classy, savvy lady. She incorporates the best features of her predecessors: the variety of activity and entertainment options of the Voyager-class (like rock climbing), the sleek profile of the Sovereign-class, and the global itineraries and wealth of windows, glass doors, and canopies of the Vision-class. Plus some surprises of her own: like the first self-leveling pool tables at sea. RCI's loyal following will feel right at home in this ship and all ocean lovers will welcome her spectacular use of glass (half the ship's exterior is glass) including outside elevators spanning 12 decks first seen at sea on sister line Celebrity's Millennium-class vessels.

Public Rooms

If these glass walls could talk… Wait, they can! And they speak volumes as they reveal the beauty of Alaska, the Southern Caribbean, and other destinations. Glass is the dramatic, defining element of the elegant public rooms throughout the vessel including floor-to-ceiling windows in the nine-deck Centrum atrium, ShipShape Spa, Solarium, Seaview Cafe, the Colony Club (secondary, multi-purpose lounge), the Windjammer Café, Portofino, and Chops Grill (alternative restaurants), the Schooner and Champagne Bars, Viking Crown Lounge, upper level of the Cascades dining room (the lower level has large windows), and the Concierge Club. So literally every time you turn your head, you are very likely to see the sea. The heart of the vessel is The Centrum, an RCI signature feature, a dramatic, airy atrium decorated in light tones of sand, coral, and aqua, and spilling with greenery, a waterfall, and a colossal abstract sculpture (part of the $6 million-plus art collection onboard).

Intimate spaces include the restful library, reminiscent of a traditional English study; Books, Books & Coffee, a book retail outlet featuring some 200 titles and serving them up along with cappuccino, pastries, and pizza. The Champagne Bar and Lobby Bar, both with a capacity for 50 guests, are perfect spots for a cocktail before dinner. Other public areas include Royal Caribbean Online (the Internet center with 12 stations) and the nautically-inspired Schooner Bar (hey, is that the scent of real gunpowder in its antechamber decorated with cannons and galleon art? Yep!). The Viking Crown Lounge, another RCI hallmark, is perched 11 decks above the sea with two nightclubs: the Starquest, a futuristic dance club with a revolving bar; and the Hollywood Odyssey, a more intimate, relaxed lounge, featuring Hollywood memorabilia--including a Bob Hope commemorative plate and Lucille Ball's makeup mirror. Scoreboard is a baseball-themed sports bar. Like on other RCI ships, there are no self-service launderettes; laundry/dry cleaning is available.

Dining

The main dining room, Cascades, is an elegant, two-level restaurant featuring a grand staircase, impressive columns, and true to its name, a cascading waterfall. Two smaller dining rooms, Breakers and Tides, perfect for private parties, adjoin Cascades. The food was delicious, particularly the escargot in drawn butter, broiled Norwegian salmon, and the lobster tail in a citrus sauce. Service by the smiling international staff was attentive. Breakfast and lunch are open seating; dinner is served in two seatings. ShipShape selections (less than 30 percent of calories from fat) and vegetarian dishes are offered for lunch and dinner. The gazpacho Andaluz and Alaska King Salmon (ShipShape selections) and vegetarian choices like gnocchi with coriander pesto sauce make staying on a regimen easy. Alternative restaurants include Chops Grill serving premium steaks, chops, and other grilled entrees from an open kitchen; and Portofino, an upscale Euro-Italian restaurant with a décor inspired in Tuscany and Italian specialties. Reservations are required for Chops Grill and Portofino (fee is $20 per person at each). A casual, no reservations, no-fee dinner alternative is served in the Windjammer Café where breakfast and lunch are also served buffet-style with a choice of indoor and outdoor seating. The Seaview Café offers fast food with no reservations or fees. Complimentary 24-hour room service is available including egg dishes for breakfast.

Cabins

Of the 1,050 cabins, 813 are outside and more than 71 percent of those have balconies which makes Radiance of the Seas the veranda champ among RCI ships. The most lavish accommodation is the Royal Suite--a palatial 1,034.55 square feet with 172.23 square feet of balcony and such amenities as baby grand piano, wet bar, and entertainment center with 42-inch flat screen TV, stereo and VCR, and bath with whirlpool, bidet, and steam shower. Good middle-of-the-road choices in a balcony cabin are Categories E1, E2, and E3 measuring 179 square feet with a 41 square-foot balcony. These are situated on Decks 7, 8, 9 and 10 with the ones on Deck 10 closest to the pools and other outdoor amenities. Bottom of the barrel accommodations are Category Q--these are inside cabins measuring 166 square feet. All cabins have Internet ports. Wheelchair-accessible cabins are available in a variety of categories.

Entertainment

The three-level Aurora Theatre is themed to the Arctic--the sculptured balconies, sidewalls, and parterre divisions resembling glacial landscapes, and its dazzling stage curtain inspired in the Aurora Borealis. Sightlines are excellent for revues like Rockin' in Paradise, a special-effects-rich tropical music explosion. The Aurora, however, is the tip of the iceberg in after-dark entertainment options. In the Hollywood Odyssey nightclub, comedians, jazz ensembles, pianists, and vocalists take turns entertaining. Other evening pursuits include movies in the Cinema, dancing the night away in the Starquest disco; an interactive game based on the sports game called the Pennant Race in Scoreboard; a game of pool in the Bombay Billiard Club (one of the lounges in The Colony Club, with its high-tech self-leveling pool tables); and piano in the Schooner Bar or Singapore Sling's with its floor-to-ceiling windows with great views aft. The Casino Royale, with a French art nouveau design, features 211 slot machines and tables for blackjack, craps, and roulette.

Fitness & Recreation

Destined to become one of the most popular spots on the ship, the African-themed Solarium boasts three life-sized stone elephants, a waterfall, greenery, and stone relief art panels depicting gazelles and antelopes. The Solarium's raised pool (featuring a counter current) two whirlpools, and relaxation areas are covered by a retractable glass roof. A bar and pizzeria are located within the Solarium. The 15,500 square-foot ocean view ShipShape Spa is divided into three sections: beauty and health center with 12 treatment rooms including Rasul and thermal suite (fee is $15 for a half-hour); aerobics area with mirrored wall and wood-suspended aerobics floor; and the gym with 18 treadmills, 10 Reebok Recumbent Cycles, eight Reebok Body Peaks, four Reebok Ridge Rocker Cycles, four Reebok Body Treks, free weights, and multiple benches. There is a stereo sound system and television monitors throughout. An array of fitness activities including stretching and aerobics classes, aquadynamics, and sports tourneys are scheduled. Other challenges await at the rock-climbing wall, rising 200 feet above the sea with five separate climbing tracks. A Sports Club & Country Club has golf simulators, ping-pong, a basketball court, and deck games; and there is a nine-hole miniature golf course and a jogging track (6.3 times around equals one mile).

Children's Programs

Free, supervised activities for children 3 to 17 are featured (offered by age group: 3-5 years, 6-8 years, 9-12 years, and 13-17) in age-appropriate activity centers. Facilities include a Computer Lab, outdoor area, play stations with video games, and Adventure Beach with splash pools and a water slide. Kids earn coupons for participation in activities that can be redeemed for gifts. Children's menu with games and crayons, not to mention kids' favorites like pizza, burgers, and macaroni and cheese are also featured. Group babysitting is available for $4/hour per child; in-stateroom sitting, booked through the Guest Relations Desk at least 24 hours in advance, is $8/hour for one or two children in the same family or $10/hour for three children in the same family. Teens have their own coffeehouse/disco with flat-screen televisions and soda bar.

Gratuities

CI suggests $3.50 per person per day to the waiter; the same to the cabin steward; and $2 per person, per day to the waiter's assistant.

Dress Code

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