Radiance Ultimate Alaska cruise - review!

Radiance of the Seas Ultimate Alaska Cruise Review

We are just back from 14 nights onboard the Radiance. We had a wonderful time, and I’ve set forth my thoughts, mostly positive with a few quibbles, below:

Our Background & Planning

DH and I are seasoned RCI cruisers, mid-50s, DINKs (Double Income, No Kids). We live in Southern California, so trips that commence or end there always interest us, and this one fit the bill nicely.

We booked this cruise almost as soon as it was released, and were able to get a grand suite for an exceptional price. I spent the 18 months prior to the cruise chatting with a large group of Cruise Critics, and we exchanged tips, travails and excitement galore.

Pre-Cruise and Embarkation

We flew on Air Canada the night before the cruise. We took a 7:20 flight that (1) allowed DH to work for most of the day and (2) avoided any kinds of lines both at LAX and Vancouver. The flight was half empty, too, which in these days of shrinking seats and expanding guts makes the ride quite a bit more comfortable. We checked in and went through security at LAX in about 10 minutes, the flight departed on time and we arrived at YVR a bit early. We appeared to be the only flight arriving (nearly 10:00 pm), so we went straight through customs, our luggage arrived promptly, and we were in a cab on our way to the hotel with no line at the taxi stand.

We stayed at the Westin Bayshore on Starpoints and, as always, enjoyed our stay. We had a room in the main (original) tower overlooking Canada Place, so we were treated to a view of 3 ships in port when we awoke in the morning. None of them was ours, as Radiance sails from Ballentyne Pier. On a crowded day at CP, Ballentyne is much preferred because of the ease of getting through the process.

We met Dirtgirl of CC fame for breakfast and she drove us to the pier (thanks again, Carol!). Embarkation was flawless, and we were through US Immigration and onboard the ship within 15 minutes of our arrival. We boarded at 12:50, and there were people posted on each deck preventing us from getting to our cabins until precisely 1:00.

Our cabin

We booked GS 1060, on the portside hump. The cabin interior is a standard GS – very nicely appointed (a bit of a drainage problem in the bathroom and the closet doors do swing open in high seas, but everything else was great). This was the first time we had booked anything other than a cabin on the stern, and I have to say that the midships location was extremely convenient – we could easily drop off or pick up items without a trek down the hall. On our roughest sea day, between Sitka and Seattle, the movement was bad all over, but seemed to be quite a bit less midships. I don’t think I’m a hump convert though, because I did miss the view of the wake enough that I would go back to the stern cabins, Seabands, Bataan Death March and all.

Our cabin steward, Pankaj Sharma from India, provided excellent service every day.

The distinguishing feature of 1060 is its balcony. I think it is likely the largest one on the ship, a large, pie-shaped balcony that is as big as it appears in the RCI deck plans. There is ample room for two loungers, two regular chairs and a small table. A large dining table would easily fit out there, but is not provided. Because it was chilly, we didn’t ask our cabin steward if one could have been filched from the Windjammer. My only quibbles are that there is a speaker for the emergency announcements and the Captain keeps it on when he does his “wake up, we’re in port!” announcements. Because we don’t arise early, it was very annoying to be rousted like that, but I never had any trouble falling back asleep, so I suppose there was no harm done. Also,m the balcony is pretty dark because it’s fully covered (which is also a plus if it’s raining) – we only had direct sun twice in 14 days. I suppose the Captain might have sailed backwards for a while to let the portside passengers get some sun! Finally, we had a smoker below us and the smoke tended to drift up to our balcony and be trapped there.

The Rest of the Ship

I had read numerous reports that Radiance is in need of some sprucing up. I agree that she’s looking just a tad worse for wear, but the crew does a marvelous job keeping her clean and as fresh-looking as can be expected. Housekeeping is out every day vacuuming, polishing, shampooing the carpets, etc. More heavy duty maintenance such as painting and varnishing the railings also went on during the cruise. We had a few issues in our cabin, such as a floor drain that backed up and spewed what looked like coffee grounds into the bathroom, shower controls that don’t quite work the way they’re supposed to and closet doors that don’t stay shut in moderate swells, but nothing major. All in all, this ship is still a beauty!

The fitness center was one of the quietest places onboard during the times that we were there (usually late morning or early afternoon). Cardio equipment was plentiful, and the weight machines were in good condition. There were quite a lot of complimentary and $10 classes offered. The one yoga class I saw seemed to be a very good beginning level class.

Cruise Staff and Crew

There are many wonderful people onboard:

Reyno (South Africa, Concierge)

Barrett Matthews (Oklahoma, CD staff)

Ricky Pereira (Trindad & Tobago, CD staff)

Kellye (Phillippines, Champagne Bar)

Fabian (India, Colony Club)

Elvis Soans (India, Chops waiter)

Mustafa (Turkey, Dining Room Headwaiter sadly, not ours)

Pankaj Sharma (India, cabin steward)

Belinda (Australia, assistant Concierge with the bad luck to have staffed the overflow lounge)

The Cruise Director, Kirk Detweiler, reminded me of Eddie Haskell. He talked far too much during the shows and games that we attended, relied heavily on scripts (I know he has a lot to learn and do, but he’s a professional, after all) and was generally a bit annoying to me. Fortunately he kept his announcements short and to the point and didn’t make many of them.

Dining

Our dining room waitstaff was mediocre. Our assistant waiter was forgetful, pouring wine for one of us but not the other, not bringing a wine list for 15 minutes, forgetting coffee, etc. Our waiter was unenthusiastic (perhaps they all are, but at least pretend). Our headwaiter, Francisco from Portugal, came by to make fun of our choice of wine one evening, and that was about all we saw of him. He was nowhere to be seen on the second formal night, when dinner dragged on until at least 10:45, when we gave up hope of a second cup of coffee and left.

The food was the worst we’ve had in the past couple of years. RCI is making some menu changes and from what we’ve seen of them, they aren’t for the better. We gave the dining room three chances and they struck out.

So we fled to the Windjammer and specialty restaurants, as did our 6 tablemates on many nights. We were pleasantly amazed at the quality of the food and service in the WJ. There is a made-to-order pasta station as well as a Mongolian BBQ that was out of this world. In addition, one can get chicken, salmon or steak cooked to order. There is of course the usual array of buffet items, but the custom cooked stations were good enough to keep us happy. For those who have purchased the wine & dine package, you can get a bottle to go with your dinner. The ambiance is very nice – in contrast to a downright frantic dining room, the WJ was quite peaceful.

We ate at Chops and Portofino three times each and Chops won by a substantial margin. We had superb service from Elvis, the filet and NY steaks were perfectly cooked, and the ambiance was quite soothing. We attended the Murder Mystery at Portofino, which was fun for a one-time thing, and the food and service were excellent. I was disappointed that the wine served was none other than La Terre, which we have heard referred to by the staff and crew as “carwash wine,” and “La Terrible,” both of which I thought were apt descriptions. For a $30 surcharge over the regular dining fee, one would think they would have gone with a decent wine. On the other nights we ate at Portofino, the food was good, but one evening our waitress was too involved in telling us her story to get all of the orders correct. The last night we ate there was very good, both in terms of food and service.

Entertainment/Activities

Because the average age of the crowd appeared to be well over 60, I think the entertainment was geared toward a generation older than us. Nevertheless, we found plenty to keep us occupied.

We attended the productions shows, City of Dreams and Piano Man. I just don’t get City of Dreams, and never will. The singers, dancers and instrumentalists are fabulous, though, so it was fun to listen and watch both shows. We saw the Diamonds, a 50s and other decades rock group and an illusionist whose talent was almost eclipsed by his annoying patter in between tricks.

We spent a good amount of time in the Colony Club listening and dancing to Muzik Express, a Filipino band that was very good. They had a pretty limited repertoire, so I think we heard everything they played. There was a piano player in the Schooner Bar (David Curtis?) who seemed to be channelling Matt Yee whenever we walked by. He wasn’t nearly as good, though.

We attended three members only dance classes – we managed to work up a sweat. There were also C&A scrapbooking and other crafts classes that we did not attend. The ship offered the usual array of onboard activities, including bingo, art auctions, etc. There weren’t any pool activities to speak of because it was too cold.

Fellow Passengers

I would guess that the average age on this cruise topped 60 years of age because of the length and timing of the cruise. There were only about 20 minors (under 18) on board. In addition, because this was a C&A Society members’ cruise, many cruisers were Platinum, Diamond or D+. I have to say that, although there were some fun aspects to the program, I wouldn’t do another members’ cruise. There was too much of a sense of entitlement from too many people.

The first couple of days were a frenzy of people demanding this, that & the other because of their exalted status. Perhaps the biggest source of outrage/disappointment was that the over 500 D/D+ members were not allowed access to the Concierge Lounge, although I'd say most realized the logistical impossibility and ended up complying quite cheerfully. A satellite lounge was set up in the Starquest (Viking Crown) lounge after the Hollywood Odyssey proved far too small to accommodate the crowd. I do think that RCI, having started allowing CL access to D/D+, would be well advised to invest in a cappuccino maker for their D/D+ lounges (as they have done on the Freedom class ships) since they are frequently banning D/D+ members from the CL because of overcrowding. Providing a separate but almost equal facility would go a long way toward keeping the most loyal customers happy with the RCI product. Just MHO.

We had booked a full suite and were therefore entitled to use the CL, which we did. We heard of at least one Diamond member who tried sneaking in on several occasions and was escorted out, wailing about needing her free latte. The Concierge, Reyno, is simply a delight – he was filling in for Willie, the regular Concierge, but we are hopeful that he will get his own permanent Concierge gig in the not-too-distant future. He made some Chops/Portofino reservations for us before we boarded, ran a lovely cocktail hour and was always ready with a smile and helpful attitude. I couldn’t get him to call me by my first name, either.

Our Roll Call group, which was dubbed the Polar Bear Express, was fabulous! We ran into each other all over the ship, had a wonderful breakfast in the dining room (which Susan, a/k/a Murphy, arranged, thanks, Susan!) and were led in by the Concierge. The CD and assistant CD were supposed to join us but finked out and left him alone in his PJs. This group of mostly women and a few brave men made the cruise experience even more special than usual.

Ports of Call

This cruise was a combination of Alaska and coastal. Here’s what we did:

Ketchikan

We wandered the town, watched the salmon swimming upstream (many don’t make it, so it’s a little ripe over by Creek Street, but that shouldn’t deter anybody from being impressed at the sight) and had lunch at Annabelle’s. Many of the crew eat there, so we decided to try something new instead of our usual favoritel, Chico’s. We bought some canned salmon and chocolates, a few emergency drugstore supplies and spend the rest of the day on the ship.

Juneau

We booked the Flightseeing and Feast excursion through the ship (they had grabbed all the floatplane seats so we couldn’t book independently). It was fabulous! We opted for the early (10:30) flight over, and were able to see some wonderful scenery. The passengers on the later flight were probably unable to see much because rain had moved in by then.

The flight took us past 4-5 glaciers before landing at the lodge’s dock. The flight was a bit bumpy, but not too bad considering the uneven weather. We were greeted at the pier by the lodge’s staff and an 8-week old Labrador retriever puppy that was on his way to his permanent home. His mother and grandmother, along with 4 of his siblings, are still at the lodge. We then saw Mom & Grandma, offering a tennis ball for me to throw. Of course I obliged multiple times until they found their next victim. Lunch was served within an hour of our arrival – Alaskan King salmon, cole slaw, baked beans, hot apples with cranberries and homemade bread. During lunch a black bear and her two cubs arrived to clean the grill on which the salmon had been cooked – they not only ate the salmon leavings but also the coals and the sand underneath! We took a brief walk to a waterfall and learned a bit about the flora and fauna of the area. At 1:30 our floatplanes arrived to take us back to Juneau.

Skagway

We booked a Yukon tour and horseback riding expedition through Southeast Tours. Our driver Barry, who winters in San Diego, gave us a thorough look into the history of the Klondike, and made the ride up very interesting. We shared the bus with people who were doing a “deluxe” tour (“deluxe” apparently meant that they got lunch, as we did not). Barry dropped us at the horse ranch and we took our ride. I had not been on a horse since LBJ was President, and thought that I would get a placid mare, but I got Trooper, a 6- year old spirited gal who really didn’t want me on her back. We eventually came to an accommodation of sorts, and my only real fright was when we had a steep drop off to the left – the best munching grass was part way down the slope, and she really wanted to go there. I managed to win that discussion. The ranch dogs, Chloe and Chica, accompanied us on the ride and we had a great time watching them frolic in the woods. The views were spectacular, too. Other than not being fed for 6 hours, it was a terrific ride.

Icy Strait Point (Hoonah)

The port is ISP, the town is Hoonah - we don’t know why they are different, but they are. We tendered in, about a 2-minute ride (no tickets required that day) and walked into town, about 1.5 miles each way. Hoonah is a port in progress, with very little to see on your own except for a few friendly felines and a small souvenir shop or two. We did the Wild Alaska Culinary Extravaganza, which is a grander name than the actual event, but was a nice enough time. I had booked, cancelled and rebooked. For $80 it was quite pricey for what we got – a local fisherwoman named Jody demonstrated how to cut up salmon and halibut while we snacked on some canned smoked sockeye salmon. We then each got a piece of each to cook on the grill (I also took one side of the head to try the cheeks, which look like chicken and have no discernable flavor). Sides included coleslaw, baked beans and salmon rice pilaf. It was all tasty enough, but I think next time I would opt for something else. Not the zipline. We got a great view of people screaming as they came down it, and it was like little kids crying on the roller coaster, then wanting to do it again.

Sitka

We never got off the ship. We are not early risers and the ship departed at 2:00 pm, so we wouldn’t have had time to do much after tendering in. Some fellow passengers did whale watching excursions and had numerous sightings.

Seattle

I continued my lazy trend and stayed onboard, while Don did the Boeing factory tour. He reported that it was fascinating. We were docked quite far from the center of town because NCL, Princess and HAL all had ships embarking that day. As a result, one could not walk out of the port and had to take an excursion, shuttle or taxi. The shuttle busses were few and far between and at least one passenger had a complete meltdown at Guest Relations and was escorted away by security. I’m guessing that his cruise was cut short.

Astoria

Astoria is another up & coming port. We had visited in May and decided that all we would do is visit the “tent city” of pierside merchants. That took all of half an hour & we were back on the ship. Most of our acquaintances walked around town for a bit & came back onboard.

San Francisco

We were in port from 8:00 to midnight, a nice long stop. We booked a ride on a 1955 vintage Mack fire truck through http://www.fireenginetours.com/ . What a hoot! We went through the Presidio while our guide gave us a history of the area. We then crossed the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito, a charming (and pricey) little bayside town. Because it was hot we didn’t wear the firefighter coats except to have our pictures taken. We then returned to the city, went to the Buena Vista café for some black & tans, did a little souvenir shopping and headed back to the ship for the rest of the day.

Disembarkation:

I would have had this review posted two hours ago had disembarkation gone according to plan. We signed up for express departure, where you bring all your luggage off. We were supposed to disembark starting at 7:30, but with 3 ships in LA and one inconsiderate jerk who couldn’t be bothered to report to customs despite having been paged 6 times, the process didn’t start until 9:00. We were off the ship quickly and then encountered a broken escalator (we were in the older facility because Monarch gets the newer one), so we got our workout hauling our bags down a flight of stairs. We also had to wait about 30 minutes for a taxi to take us home. None of the above was RCI’s fault, but quite a few people were scheduled on early flights (including the Crown & Anchor contingent, who RCI had booked against its own advice of not doing anything before noon) and I’m sure they were rescheduling. We were home by 10:00.

I’ll be posting some pictures of 1060 and its balcony in a bit.

Jean - thanks for your great review. I did the 2 cruises before yours and agree with you about 1) Reyno, 2) the mediocre menus and 3) member cruises. That sense of entitlement drives me crazy too.

Jean -

Thanks for a fantastic review :D

I had to chuckle when I read about the Diamond member who just "had" to have their latte, and was promptly escorted out of the CL Lounge wailing...what a riot! LOL ;)

You had breakfast with my Murphy! She is an awesome person and I hope to sail with her again one day soon :)

Thanks again for a great review - glad you are home safe!

We are on Radiance in a couple of weeks and I really appreciate your taking the time to review. I haven't seen alot of Radiance reviews so it is good to get the details you provide so we can set our expectations properly.

Best,

Michelle

I had to chuckle when I read about the Diamond member who just "had" to have their latte, and was promptly escorted out of the CL Lounge wailing...what a riot! LOL ;)

I wonder if that was a poster from this board.;)

Hey Jean, I'm guessing that they also didn't give priority disembarkation to Diamond members like they usually do, right? I'm sure some people were upset about that especially if there were delays disembarking.

Thanks for the review!

Uh, oh, Michelle, I think I was supposed to check out something for you, and I forgot what it was! Do you remember? Maybe I stumbled upon it anyway...

Wrona, the priority for disembarkation was express (a few hundred of us), then some early flights and tours, then Diamond & full suite guests, then the rest of the passengers. We've had various stages of "priority", most of which aren't near the top of the list (except on Monarch where Danney gets the Platinum folks off right after express, too).

Robyn, Murphy is indeed a terrific lady and was a great neighbor, too! We spent a bit of time chatting with her & her DH across our balconies.

Jean, a great review as always. I too am amazed at the ones that feel the entitlement because of their C&A level. That is the main reason that I refuse to do a member cruise. I remember the Freedom cruise comments all too well. I cannot believe that someone was "wailing" about a stupid cup of coffee. :rolleyes: IMO the concierge lounge should be made for guests booked in GS and higher anyway. That alone would take care of the many headaches of dealing with so many guests. Thanks again for a great review.

Gordon, I think that's the way it's headed. The cruise following ours has 1200 C&A members, including 300 D/D+. Only the D+ will be allowed the use of the CL. On the Radiance class, I think it's high time to turn the Hollywood Odyssey lounges into a D/D+ lounge, complete with cappuccino maker and somebody with the same hours/services as the Concierge.

Great review Jean! Glad you had fun!

I wonder if that was a poster from this board.;)

 

Ya think? LOL!! :D

Glad you didn't describe the drive to the pier, Jean!;) Breakfast was blast - just surprised no one asked to be moved away from us!:rolleyes:

I'm disappointed to hear about the drain problem. Was there anyway to fix the closet doors? Did they have handles? I was hoping to get this cabin when we go next time.

Did you post the pictures yet? I didn't see them in your album.

Thanks for the great review!

We're doing the ultimate Alaska cruise next year and appreciate all the helpful information. We're really looking forward to it.

Jean, a great review as always. I too am amazed at the ones that feel the entitlement because of their C&A level. That is the main reason that I refuse to do a member cruise. I remember the Freedom cruise comments all too well. I cannot believe that someone was "wailing" about a stupid cup of coffee. :rolleyes: IMO the concierge lounge should be made for guests booked in GS and higher anyway. That alone would take care of the many headaches of dealing with so many guests. Thanks again for a great review.

I'd gladly give up concierge lounge access to the suite passengers if Royal adds Diamond lounges to all the Radiance and Voyager Class ships. ;)

Radiance of the Seas Ultimate Alaska Cruise Review

Jean, your reviews are always excellent, but I think that you have outdone yourself with this one. It is a masterpiece of clarity and helpful information.

I loved the bit about the bears - did they really eat the charcoal and sand, too? Wouldn't they still have been hot, according to your timeline???????

And thanks for the *warning* about members' cruises!

Thanks so much for taking the time to write a review of your wonderful journey.

Can't wait to see the photos!

Did you or anyone else collect the Daily Compasses that they can post on here?

LOL, I bet I can guess who was stopped from going in to get her cup of Latte too! I would think that it would be a miserable life complaining all the time and being soooooooo pushy.

Man someone needs to get a life! :rolleyes:

Oh, I forgot could you tell me what 3 nights were formal dinner nights and and how formal was it? Did you see alot of people really dressed up to the nines?

Thanks again!

Jean! Excellent review! I'm so glad you had a nice cruise and found out all about member's cruises. LOL! It was really great on the Vision in March, since it had NO concierge lounge. LOL!

I can only guess who the individual was, needing that perfect cup of latte. :rolleyes:

I'd gladly give up concierge lounge access to the suite passengers if Royal adds Diamond lounges to all the Radiance and Voyager Class ships. ;)

I agree and could see them doing that. It would be very easy on the Voyager class ships. They could take the 19th hole and do the same thing as they did on the Freedom class. Also take the Hollywood Odyssey and change that over. The Diamond lounge on the Freedom is actually MUCH nicer than the CL. Maybe we will see this when the ships start going in for drydock. Of course the Radiance class ships could do it without a drydock. :)

Uh, oh, Michelle, I think I was supposed to check out something for you, and I forgot what it was! Do you remember? Maybe I stumbled upon it anyway...

Critterchick,

I think it may have been for another Michelle but I think you did help me with some of the questions I posed.

Best,

Michelle

Thanks for the review. We are booked on the GS 1060 in Aug 8, 2008 to Alaska. Please post your link of the photos of the suite. We wil be on the Radiance in three weeks on a 14 day cruise to Hawaii, we have booked the Royal Suite.

We heard of at least one Diamond member who tried sneaking in on several occasions and was escorted out, wailing about needing her free latte. ....

 

I’ll be posting some pictures of 1060 and its balcony in a bit.

First timer on RCL here and I think I also know whom you referenced. I got tickled after reading farther down and finding others also have a good idea of whom you speak. ;)

(Kind of sad though when one's behavior happened in so many places...)

I make my own free latte / cappicino on cruises... Whipped cream and coffee... Add some vanilla stuff by the scones... Although with Seattle's Best Coffee, I had a hard time mixing enough stuff in to suit my tastes. Waiters got amused when they saw what I was doing.

Disembarking... Why can't they find that missing person(s) when they punch out with their seapass? Have an armed guard to detain the person(s) and make the detainee be the very LAST person off the ship.

That was certainly annoying having to wait two hours for a few to report to customs and the one who was the hold-up at the very end... well, the people in our area of express walk-off were about to launch our own search.

Escalator died? Interesting. It was working when we went through and one guy by-passed it using the stairs. He got yelled at by security because 'using the stairs carrying luggage was too dangerous.'

Surprised they don't have elevators since so many walk-offs have luggage.

Did customs stamp your declarations card? They didn't for the first express walk-offs and for a while we were all being told we had to GO BACK to get it stamped! We kept telling them no one told us it had to be stamped and luckily, another agent came along.

He made a call and told someone on the other end that none of (the angry mob) us had stamps and he let us stampede off (pun intended) without going back through the throngs to get the stamp. Whew! How on earth would we have gotten back through?!!!!

They kept our cards and at the next check-point, they started asking for our cards. "Hoo-boy, here we go again," we thought but the throng prevailed and they let us through. (DH had even asked the people if we needed our cards at the first place and they said no, they'd keep them.)

Glad to hear someone else liked the Windjammer but found the menu lacking for Cascades' dinners. We thought it was just us because I'd read previously on CC that RCL had great food. (Princess has RCL beat, in our opinion, with their nightly menus.)

Overall, it was a very relaxing cruise. We enjoyed our wait staff very much. Weather was so much better than expected.

Can't wait to see your photos.

Glad to hear someone else liked the Windjammer but found the menu lacking in Cascades' dinner. We thought it was just us because I'd read previously on CC that RCL had great menus. (Princess has RCL beat, in our opinion, with their nightly menus.)

Unfortunately your cruise is not the first in the past couple of weeks to report problems with a new menu. Hopefully you guys marked it on your comment cards and RCCL will listen and quickly fix it.

Unfortunately your cruise is not the first in the past couple of weeks to report problems with a new menu. Hopefully you guys marked it on your comment cards and RCCL will listen and quickly fix it.

That's the key. If folks are not happy with the menu or the selections/quality of the food then RCI needs to hear about it. That is the only way that changes will occur.

Unfortunately your cruise is not the first in the past couple of weeks to report problems with a new menu. Hopefully you guys marked it on your comment cards and RCCL will listen and quickly fix it.

Yes, we did. That was the only low mark we gave. Everything else was good or excellent.

I agree and could see them doing that. It would be very easy on the Voyager class ships. They could take the 19th hole and do the same thing as they did on the Freedom class. Also take the Hollywood Odyssey and change that over. The Diamond lounge on the Freedom is actually MUCH nicer than the CL. Maybe we will see this when the ships start going in for drydock. Of course the Radiance class ships could do it without a drydock. :)

We actually enjoyed the satellite concierge lounge (Hollywood Odyssey) on the Brilliance more than the actual concierge lounge. We had wonderful bar server (Angela) who took good care of us throughout the cruise. It was a rocking party in there every night. :D

That's the key. If folks are not happy with the menu or the selections/quality of the food then RCI needs to hear about it. That is the only way that changes will occur.

We just returned from the Celebrity Constellation transatlantic and I can tell you the cost cutting in the dining room is going on over there also. This was by far the most inferior menu on Celebrity we've ever experienced.