What's up with Radiance????

[poconut]

I was on the Radiance last September, and loved that ship. Everything was good then.

[steveru621]

IMHO I think it's a common misconception that a refit/refurb involves striping the entire ship and replacing everything. Mostly it's major mechanical and additional features. Very little if anything is done to individual cabins.

 

Rust is a fact of life. I saw rust on Quantum, just months after it was built.

[joepeka]

For those concerned about the condition of the Radiance, please review the posts and photos from the thread I started last month while on-board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2206357

 

The ship is definitely due for some refurb after four years but none of the guest areas we observed were anything but well maintained and in very good condition. Our only real concern was the ugly overhang of the balconies on deck 10 (see photos in the above reference thread) and the malfunctioning toilets. A little rust is to be expected on any vessel that spends nearly 100% of it's time in salt water but the view from those balconies on deck 10 was far more than a "little rust". I am sure it will be addressed next year when the ship goes in for maintenance. Did those things have a substantially negative effect on the cruise? No but there were problems worth noting which others on this board have likewise noted. As with most things, it's in the eye of the beholder.

Edited June 6, 2015 by joepeka

[aronde]

Just off Radiance (2 weeks B2B) and we had continual toilet issues on deck 7 for first 11 days plus a 3am flood due to a burst water pipe. Lots of apologies and they were always quick to come when called but well and truly over it by week 2. Last few days of cruise the plumbing worked though.

 

But everything else on ship was great and the Alaska itinerary is marvelous!

[Tee & Chilli]

I too got off May 22. Yes their may be cosmetic items that could be touched up. I wasn't looking that closely. I was too busy enjoying Alaska and having fun. My shower water never got hot. Only lukewarm but that did not spoil my trip.

[luvtosing]

Thanks again for all the input. This is our first sailing on radiance class, so I feel better hearing what to expect and also that the negatives may not affect the enjoyment of the trip! And thank you joepeka for the link, that was very helpful!

[joepeka]

Thanks again for all the input. This is our first sailing on radiance class, so I feel better hearing what to expect and also that the negatives may not affect the enjoyment of the trip! And thank you joepeka for the link, that was very helpful!

 

You are most welcome and I am quite sure you will enjoy your cruise on Radiance. The crew and staff are very friendly and obliging, the ship on any Alaska cruise is not the real focal point anyway so please go and not let whatever shortcomings you may notice affect your vacation. :)

[clm1982]

We sailed in April this year and didnt really notice any issues with wear and tear. I heard a few stories about plumbing issues though and a few of the public toilets were out of order but usually fixed pretty quickly.

[Newby58]

When on Voyager, there were temporary plumping problems too!

[CRUISEBOY305]

For those concerned about the condition of the Radiance, please review the posts and photos from the thread I started last month while on-board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2206357

 

The ship is definitely due for some refurb after four years but none of the guest areas we observed were anything but well maintained and in very good condition. Our only real concern was the ugly overhang of the balconies on deck 10 (see photos in the above reference thread) and the malfunctioning toilets. A little rust is to be expected on any vessel that spends nearly 100% of it's time in salt water but the view from those balconies on deck 10 was far more than a "little rust". I am sure it will be addressed next year when the ship goes in for maintenance. Did those things have a substantially negative effect on the cruise? No but there were problems worth noting which others on this board have likewise noted. As with most things, it's in the eye of the beholder.

 

Great Photos. Thanks for sharing

[MAHA]

We have sailed on Radiance twice. The first was an Ultimate Alaska cruise in September of 2010 for 14 nights. The second was in June of 2014 for a Southern Alaska route out of Seward. We had cabins on Deck 7 both times, (one forward port side and one aft starboard side) and never experienced any plumbing issues. Both cruises were wonderful! Yes, there is some rust, but that has been on all ships we have sailed on. They are exposed to salty sea air 24/7. It's inevitable for rust to occur. On all Royal ships we have observed routine maintenance/painting being done regularly. The September 2010 cruise on Radiance was our first Radiance class ship and they are our favorite class of Royal ships!

 

Mary Anne

[Bellamariya]

I am booked to sail on Radiance in August and I must say, I am dismayed by reports of rust, plumbing problems, cosmetic wear and tear, etc. Didn't the ship recently have a refurb/upgrade? Why is it in such poor shape? And if anyone has anything positive to say, that would be welcome too!

 

We were on Radiance for a B2B from May 15th-29th and loved it. Yes there were the odd plumbing issues, but in 6 cruises (not all with RCI) there has been an issue on every single one, I think that is the nature of the systems used on cruise ships.

We loved the ship and thought she was beautiful and I can't remember a single thing that stands out as being worn out.

Went to Samba Grill for our anniversary dinner and loved it but I have always been a fan of Brazilian food :)

I have read some of the reviews that others have posted and honestly wonder if we could have been on the same cruise, I hope to get my review done soon as my entire 2 week experience was fantastic.

[onefishtwofish]

Just wondering about the plumbing problems.....any explanations as to what is causing them and why? Or whether the problem has been solved?? We have been on many Royal ships but have never had any plumbing problems, so really hoping we don't have any on our cruise!!:rolleyes:

[aronde]

Just wondering about the plumbing problems.....any explanations as to what is causing them and why? Or whether the problem has been solved?? We have been on many Royal ships but have never had any plumbing problems, so really hoping we don't have any on our cruise!!:rolleyes:

 

We were told 'low vacuum pressure' was causing our problems from day 1 to about day 10 of our B2B. It all worked from day 11 to 14 so who knows they may have fixed it! I think it is rather random as to whether you will have issues or not on your particular cruise in your particular cabin. :)

[onefishtwofish]

We were told 'low vacuum pressure' was causing our problems from day 1 to about day 10 of our B2B. It all worked from day 11 to 14 so who knows they may have fixed it! I think it is rather random as to whether you will have issues or not on your particular cruise in your particular cabin. :)

 

Thanks for the info....hopefully we'll be ok!!;)

[critterchick]

[quote name='steveru621']IMHO I think it's a common misconception that a refit/refurb involves striping the entire ship and replacing everything. Mostly it's major mechanical and additional features. Very little if anything is done to individual cabins.

Rust is a fact of life. I saw rust on Quantum, just months after it was built.[/QUOTE]

When Radiance had her revenue enhancements (mainly specialty restaurants) in 2011, I distinctly recall a video of the Hotel Director saying that guests would feel as if their staterooms were brand new, but they must have run out of money before they got there. We sailed Radiance in 2004 and again on May 29, in the same cabin, 1100. The sofa was worn out and broken down enough that I would bet good money it was the same one from 11 years ago. The rest of the cabin was in very good shape apart from the plumbing - our toilet failed twice in 7 days and it took awhile to be repaired, with everybody blaming the passengers for flushing things they shouldn't. Given that we sailed her several times in 2010 when they had the ceilings open trying to fix things, I tend not to believe that any more.

What the ship has going for her is an amazing crew, one of the best in the fleet. We found our "home" in the Champagne Bar, where Edna and Rebecca never failed to greet everybody with a smile and always had time to chat without slowing down no matter how crazy busy it go there (pretty much every night). Other than an overly-aggressive waiter trying to sell us a $150 bottle of wine in Samba Grill (where the food was terrific IMO), we found the waitstaffs in the MDR and specialty restaurants to be superb (we didn't try the overpriced Rita's Crabshack). Our stateroom attendant started slow and stiff, but we warmed him up and he got better at making up rooms promptly. Senior officers were out and about and very approachable.

Go, be awed by Alaska, enjoy the crew and don't look for trouble - it will find you soon enough.;)