In January 2002,  I, along with some friends, returned from a very memorable Southern Caribbean cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s new ship ‘Radiance of the Seas”. Since this was my 6^th cruise, (Having also sailed on Carnival, NCL, Celebrity), I approached it with a more critical eye. I have always dreamed of exploring the more exotic islands of the Caribbean, such as Barbados, St. Lucia, and Antigua and this itinerary made that possible.

Since the weather in January is uncertain here in the Midwest, we flew to San Juan a day earlier. Puerto Rico is the departure country for Southern Caribbean cruises. Upon approaching the ship the next afternoon, I was captivated. The ship was truly spectacular, but....... would she look just as great inside?

'Radiance' is RCCL’s new series of ships, which carries apprx. 2100 passengers at full capacity. The ship has a sleek profile and incorporates a wealth of windows and glass doors in her design. The many elegant public rooms throughout the vessel include floor-to-ceiling windows.  The 9-deck atrium was stunning and offered just the right blend of mellow music and atmosphere for the pre- and post dinner crowd. Although the elevators located near the atrium could have been better positioned, one had an unobstructed view of the ocean when traveling in these outside elevators.

The Radiance offers several unique cruise ship amenities such as the first ever self-leveling pool tables at sea, a putt-putt golf course and full size-climbing wall. The Voyager series of ships, such as the ‘Explorer of the Seas’ actually have ice-rinks – if you can believe that!

Our delectable meals were served in the elegant, ‘Cascades’ restaurant featuring a grand staircase, impressive columns, and a cascading waterfall. Some of my fellow shipmates, who had never cruised before, were overwhelmed by the menu choices. They didn’t believe me when I told them they could order anything on the menu or everything if they so desired….. and in double portions – of course they put me to the test on that one.  The variety of steak dinners and many vegetarian choices were favorites. A casual, alternative is the ‘Windjammer Café’ where meals are served buffet-style with a choice of indoor and outdoor seating. The food islands were well arranged so that there was virtually no waiting in line to be serviced. In addition to the two formal, alternate, dinner -only restaurants, there was a specialist coffee shop along with an elegant Champagne Bar.

I had an inside cabin which was conveniently located on the 4^th floor, the base of the ship’s atrium. The cabin wasn’t as big as RCL’s sister line Celebrity Cruises’ cabins, but bigger than most at 166 sq.ft.  Oceanview cabins and suites afford more room.

The itinerary was intense, with a visit to 5 islands on this 7-day cruise. Everyone had a favorite island though I would have liked to spend more time in St. Lucia.

The variety of islands offered coupled with the outstandingly beautiful and well-serviced ship, provided the perfect vacation experience. Several of my fellow cruise mates grumbled that it would be “near impossible” to top this cruise vacation.

Cruising is the greatest  all-inclusive vacation - along with your cruise accommodations you’ll receive unlimited meals, entertainment, a variety of on boards activities room service at any time of day. No worries. For first time or repeat cruisers, this is the year to cruise. New ship builds coupled with an already abundance of cruise ships, means great bargains and more sailing opportunities!

Happy Cruising!
Elizabeth Michalski

For information on this and other Royal Caribbean ships, please contact: Info@ytravelc.com