First Cruise on Royal Caribbean.

[Alexintheboro]

My DW and I are taking our first cruise on a Royal Ship (Radiance OTS) in November.  We have taken many cruises with Carnival. Wanted to know what to expect when cruising with Royal Caribbean?

 

Thank you!

[catlady66]

We sailed Radiance in Alaska in 2017 and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It's a smaller ship than what we had previously sailed (Oasis Class) but also not as crowded and the staff actually remembered our names and drink preferences.  As a smoker, I liked their smoking section better than the Oasis ships as you had tables to sit at rather than deck chairs with one standing ash tray.  Since it was a smaller (although still very big) ship, we did not have to make reservations for the shows as they could pretty much accommodate everybody.  The food and entertainment were top notch.  Hard to believe that was 6 years ago! 

[dna1990]

I would say the lines are more similar than different.  The itinerary and your fellow passengers are probably more an impact.

 

I think photos are better on CCL, so if you are into lots of photos or family shots, etc...RCCL is a little more subdued on some ships.

 

If you are a Cheers drink package couple, there are a few differences to RCCL DBP.  I think to the better, there is no daily limit (within reason) like the CCL 15/day max and if sailing from Texas, RCCL will let you use the package upon boarding, CCL makes you wait.  Selections are limited while in Texas waters, but never found this an issue.

 

On Radiance, there are fewer quick-choice dining options, like a Guys Burger or Iguana....mostly just Promenade Cafe and Sorrentos.

 

Brilliance class (Radiance) ships are a GREAT size in our opinion.

 

If a big Casino player, I think CCL is often better on rating table play.  RCCL Allure was much better, but traditionally RCCL has been stingy with table play.  Slot play is fine on both.

[Cherful59]

Sailed Radiance twice now, the most recent time in Jan/ Feb 2023.  I love this ship, she is beautiful.  I also have her booked for Alaska in August 2023.  Great views from all over.  We had a great time and met wonderful people.  @catlady66 is correct, she does not have the bells and whistles of the bigger ships, but plenty to do and awesome crew.  Look into Crown and Anchor and review benefits for cruising and how to accumulate points.  If interested, sign up for #’s and call Royal and have them add #’s to your reservation to start accumulating points.  Some people love the ultimate dining package (fee).  I personally enjoy the main dining room and have always had good food and service.   If something is not to you liking, ask for something else, they will be happy to replace it.  I will do a specialty restaurant (fee) sometimes, but it is once per cruise for lunch or dinner usually.  Radiance does not have as many specialty restaurants as the bigger ships but we enjoy Giovanni’s table and Samba’s grill.  I have also heard very good things about Izumi.  Drink package is as stated by @dna1990, the only other thing is if your drink exceeds the price of the drink package cost for each drink, you can still order it, but RCCL will charge you the difference.  You can carry water and/or 1 bottle of wine per adult on board with you in carry on, but check FAQ for # and size.  Not sure if you can bring both.  Not sure what you’re looking for, so maybe check the FAQ in website.  Enjoy your cruise.  Hope this helps. 

[PhillyFan33579]

I think everyone’s experience is different, but once I started cruising on RCI, I have not cruised on Carnival again, even though I am only a few cruises away from being Diamond on Carnival. I am currently Diamond Plus with RCI, but doubt I will ever reach Pinnacle since I am starting to cruise more often on Celebrity. My advice would be to compare the two cruise lines after your cruise and decide which cruise line is more appealing to you. I don’t want to get into specific details about RCI, because things I love about RCI might be things you don’t care about.