Live- Radiance 4 night Catalina & Ensenada

[notscb]

Embarkation Day

Before I even start writing, I have to admit that I committed a sin, fellow lurkers and posters. I flew in from the east coast to the west cost on this very day. 

 

Would I do it again? 

Absolutely

 

Would I do it in the winter months? 

God no. 

 

Was it the smartest, most restful, vacation vibes decision I've ever made? 

Not at all. 

 

Thankfully, we only had a half hour ground delay in DC and that put me at LAX a comfortable five hours before all-aboard-provided Los Angeles traffic held up (which it did for the most part!) 

 

To be honest, I should have spent the extra airline miles and airbnb cost to come in a day early. I'm finding that the time zone switch, plus being awake since 4am eastern, isn't the best way to start a vacation based on the nap I already took on deck 12 (serenity area). To be fair, that nap and relaxing was a part of the plan, so maybe it was a good way to start this trip off. 

 

I arrived at the port at around 1:30 and was on the ship by about 1:50. I had the unfortunate experience of watching a couple in front of me realize that one of them had brought their expired passport v their current passport, and the other partner was in immediate tears. The carnival reps seemed to be doing what they could to help troubleshoot, but that kind of situation is clearly out of their control. 

 

I have to say, I haven't been on a Destiny class ship since Triumph in 2009, but I'm finding this ship very easy to figure out and it doesn't feel overly crowded. The decor has clearly been updated and feels fresh and bright, despite the ship itself being a late '90's launch. It seems to be coming back to me (in some ways), despite not being on its' sister ship since 09. 

 

The crew have all been very, very friendly thus far and I haven't seen a glass sit on a table for more than a minute before being scooped up and the table wiped. They've been helpful in navigating and have all been smiles and hellos from what I've experienced. 

 

Lunch at Big Chicken was delicious, and there was essentially no line (compared to the burger joint, which was super backed up). 

 

I chose an interior since I'm traveling solo, and the room is comfortable enough and kind of cute. No complaints by any means, especially given the affordable cost of this trip as a solo cruiser (many thanks to my husband who is at home holding things down). No drink package for me- I love reading all of your reviews where you go for 15, but I don't think I could do it.

 

So yeah, here goes my first live! Hopefully I stay on top of this as we go… Will do my best 😂

[weezal]

Hope the weather is better during your sailing.
I just came back last week from this same itinerary.
It was cold and windy, not ideal for relaxing out in the balcony/lounger/pool.

Staff at Cucina was the best, not to mention the delicious food.

[kelkel2]

I’m following along! Wow, you’re brave with the flight. And that poor couple with the passport. I hope they got something figured out. How sad. I can’t wait to read more! 

[notscb]

42 minutes ago, weezal said:

Hope the weather is better during your sailing.

 
oh no! It sounds like we might be having a repeat experience.not five minutes after posting I was FaceTiming while we were pulling out of port and the wind picked up and I was freezing cold. I need a different spot, deck 12 might not be a good choice. 

[notscb]

36 minutes ago, kelkel2 said:

And that poor couple with the passport.

I know, right! I couldn’t believe what was happening, but kudos to the port staff who really seemed like they were trying to work with the family and figure out an option that would get them onboard. 

[notscb]

Embarkation Evening

Prior to dinner I was watching the wake and saw more dolphins than I've ever seen before! They were so beautiful and it was hard to tell if they were just playing or if it was feeding time (or both). There must have been dozens of them on both sides of our wake leaving long beach. I'm not sure if anyone else who has done this itinerary has seen this before or not, but it was incredible.

 

The ship has so many things going on it's hard to keep it all together. Dinner in the MDR went smoothly and I was in and out within 50 minutes- but that might just be because I was alone. I noticed that they had a bunch of 8-10 seat tables open on the third level dining room (where they initially tried to sit me), but only 2-3 people were at each. It seemed like a really inefficient use of space, but I guess they know what they're doing. The folks at those tables were being served inconsistently from what I could tell, which I found strange considering how quickly I was being served.

 

The food overall was good, but nothing to write home about other than they over baked my melting chocolate cake 😭

 

The sunset has been beautiful and it looks like we're very closely following behind a RCL ship doing the same itinerary. We're both doing about 9 knots, just taking our time enjoying the scenery.

 

 

[notscb]

Catalina Island

Good morning from beautiful Catalina!

As someone who needed their sleep, the 7am first tender announcement came far too early. Thankfully I was able to sleep between the announcements, but they were frequent and it seemed like the process was going efficiently. By 10am they had run out of numbers to give and anyone else looking to go ashore would have to wait for general tendering.

 

The lido deck was busy with breakfast going on and tender numbers being given out, but the lines all went quickly and the food was decent. For those wondering, there were two bacon stations with plenty of mediocre bacon to go around. It seems like some folks have definitely decided to stay on the ship with how busy the pools and jacuzzis are. There's one jacuzzi that has been a bowl of kid soup since the cruise started, and I'd rather not think about the water quality in that one specifically.

 

I'm currently waiting on my number to be called and my plan is to just explore the town, and maybe try the hike up to the Chimes tower-for the exercise and for the view.

 

The weather is overcast and hasn't hit 60 degrees yet, but the sun has just started to make an occasional appearance so fingers crossed!

 

While waiting, I've been watching a small pod of dolphins swimming and jumping around between the ship and the shore. It's been a really neat sight 😊

 

One note on the room-there are two traditional power outlets by the mirror and two USB outlets as well. None noted near the bed, but a 10ft USB extension cord did the trick. I left a note for my steward and he's bringing me a bath robe this afternoon and the room was very quickly cleaned up this morning while I was at breakfast. Kudos to the hotel staff, they're on top of it and extremely kind.

[4hunters]

Thanks for the live report!  I’m enjoying and appreciate it. 👍🏻

[JMKreno]

20 hours ago, notscb said:

Embarkation Evening

Prior to dinner I was watching the wake and saw more dolphins than I've ever seen before! They were so beautiful and it was hard to tell if they were just playing or if it was feeding time (or both). There must have been dozens of them on both sides of our wake leaving long beach. I'm not sure if anyone else who has done this itinerary has seen this before or not, but it was incredible.

 

The ship has so many things going on it's hard to keep it all together. Dinner in the MDR went smoothly and I was in and out within 50 minutes- but that might just be because I was alone. I noticed that they had a bunch of 8-10 seat tables open on the third level dining room (where they initially tried to sit me), but only 2-3 people were at each. It seemed like a really inefficient use of space, but I guess they know what they're doing. The folks at those tables were being served inconsistently from what I could tell, which I found strange considering how quickly I was being served.

 

The food overall was good, but nothing to write home about other than they over baked my melting chocolate cake 😭

 

The sunset has been beautiful and it looks like we're very closely following behind a RCL ship doing the same itinerary. We're both doing about 9 knots, just taking our time enjoying the scenery.

 

 

Great photos! Did the Radiance last year and was pleasantly surprised at how good the 4-day actually was. We also saw TONS of dolphins, more than any other cruise. A pod followed us at night as well and there had to be dozens jumping, splashing, etc for hours the last evening of our cruise. 

 

Do you have a picture of the Royal ship? That is the Navigator of the Seas and my in-laws are aboard and would be cool to get a shot of their ship if you have one!

 

Thanks in advance!

[notscb]

Catalina Island (Avalon) 

When finally called for tendering, it was a relatively painless process and the tender journey lasts for less than five minutes. I still am wondering why this port day is relatively short with a 7am arrival and 3:45pm last tender departure from the island. While I was over by 11:30(ish), there were still folks who didn't have a ticket waiting for general boarding when I left and those folks would only get a couple of hours off of the ship by the time they got called. 

 

The island itself is beautiful and very walkable. The shops have a wide variety of goods and I ended up picking up a refrigerator magnet made of tile to add to our collection at home. I decided walking up to the chimes tower would be best for the walk and the view, plus I really didn't want to pay for a formal excursion or golf cart rental. The walk was only about a half hour one way, which of course I turned into 45 minutes by going up the wrong street (and hill) - but who doesn't like the extra exercise? 

 

Once I hit my steps and heart rate goals for the day (I seriously recommend the golf cart rental) I got to the tower only to discover the gates were locked on both sides. Bummer. There were some other friendly folks walking down from even further up the hill who told me that the view was worth the extra steps- boy they were right! All in all, I'd do it again, even walking. Seeing the homes along the way plus the natural foliage and cactus plants that grow here, plus the views made the entire journey worth it. 

 

On the way back I wandered down the street and pier to just see what was going on. The area was pretty busy but I managed to run into some (Cali) locals who told me about their time staying in the town. The Nautilus (underwater partial sub boat) was about to depart when I got down the pier and I decided to just go for it for the fun of it. While I don't know if I'd do it again, I'm glad to have done it once and it was truly a unique experience. Seeing the marine life and kelp forests in the area up close was 100% worth the cost (about $50). 

 

Getting back on the ship was easy enough if you bring your patience and the views of the ship from the tender are amazing. It took about 25 minutes from the island to being back in my stateroom. 

 

Today is the first time the ship has felt truly busy. Last night the cruise director said there were 3,425 guests on board and today you can feel it (especially close to departure). The serenity area has been packed with very little seating available and the decks from 9 and up have people everywhere. 

 

I've been struggling with one thing this afternoon: none of the bars i have visited can do a chocolate mudslide. I imagine the Java blue Cafe might be able to help me out, so I'll have to try there later. 

 

The sun peeked out about mid day, and it's been a beautiful day. I can't wait to make it back to Catalina at some point.

[notscb]

27 minutes ago, JMKreno said:

Do you have a picture of the Royal ship?

If I see her again I'll snap a picture! We were following behind and she was in the haze, so it wouldn't have been a great shot. It seems like they're doing our same itinerary except their sea and port days are swapped.

[notscb]

Catalina Eve

Pulling away from Catalina we didn't see more than one or two dolphins, but the day has turned cool and the sunset was beautiful. The food in the Lido buffet was the same as the MDR menu, so I opted to go for it. I've been really impressed with the amount of food available at all times in the Lido area, they always seem to be on top of replenishment and I've never had to wait for something.

 

I had a chance to watch the karaoke at the Red Frog, with a side of a frozen mango marg. The karaoke was acrually really good and I'm genuinely impressed with some of the acts. The Red Frog delivered a delicious drink, as always, albeit a bit weak on the alcohol.

 

I will say that the wifi has also been pretty reliable and I was able to do a FaceTime call home with zero issues- I imagine not being out in the middle of nowhere helps with that.

 

The Playlist show was songs from the late 60's and was relatively good, with drones incorporated into the performance among other theatrical tricks. The talent seems solid when given a song in their wheelhouse. The show was not very well attended with a lot of the seats on the floor open

 I thought I'd hate the smaller theater but ultimately I think it works for the kind of productions onboard. There's something missing about not having a larger theater on a ship (but that might just be nostalgia talking), but the overall design of the space that they have setup works- although there were two groups near me who moved two or three times while trying to choose a large group of seats in a row without any obstruction.

 

Late night there is comedy happening as well as the mega deck party-not sure if I'll make either- the time switch from eastern to pacific has me exhausted.

 

Lastly, we all got very interesting notices to our cabins not to pet the tiger cubs in Ensenada tomorrow. I'll attach the letter below, but now I'm wondering if I should try to find some just to figure out if this is legit.

[lasvegascruising]

I have a trip booked in September on this ship.  Besides Serenity area, is the aft pool/hot tubs adult only?

[notscb]

5 minutes ago, lasvegascruising said:

I have a trip booked in September on this ship.  Besides Serenity area, is the aft pool/hot tubs adult only?

The serenity area has an adults only hot tub, but from what I've seen the aft pool and hot tubs are used by everyone.

[lasvegascruising]

Thanks for the info.  Not sure what made me think the aft pool/hot tubs were adult only.  

[Buffettfan 225]

4 minutes ago, notscb said:

The serenity area has an adults only hot tub, but from what I've seen the aft pool and hot tubs are used by everyone.

We love this ship and sail this same itinerary in a few weeks. Last Radiance cruise we did in March was the first time security used narcotic dogs that passed by the line after going through bag screening, it really backed the line up. Are they still using the dogs, or was it a spring break thing? 
 

[notscb]

9 minutes ago, Buffettfan 225 said:

Are they still using the dogs, or was it a spring break thing? 

 

I love this ship, too!

The dogs are definitely still at the port, doesn't seem like a carnival thing but a port thing. The dog was past the security checkpoint just sitting sniffing everyone that walked by- they weren't in the way or doing any extra screening per se.

 

By the time I got there, though, there wasn't much of a line so maybe they did things different for the masses at 11.

[notscb]

16 minutes ago, lasvegascruising said:

Thanks for the info.  Not sure what made me think the aft pool/hot tubs were adult only.  

 

Maybe I'm mis-rembering, but before the serenity area was a thing didn't some ships have the aft pools as adult only?

[sanmarcosman]

6 hours ago, Buffettfan 225 said:

Last Radiance cruise we did in March was the first time security used narcotic dogs

Narcotic dogs, who knew?

Yes, dogs have been there for months and they did not slow down the three times we've sailed Radiance since they have come into use.

I imagine if the dogs are alerted by several guests it could be another story.

 

[sanmarcosman]

6 hours ago, notscb said:

 

Maybe I'm mis-rembering, but before the serenity area was a thing didn't some ships have the aft pools as adult only?

Spirit Class ships have their Serenity Area at the aft pool and hot tubs. Before Serenity came along I don't believe they were adult only. The aft pools on Conquest Class ships were adults only prior to Serenity Area.

Edited May 10, 2023 by sanmarcosman

[jsglow]

Loving your review. I've done the exact same itinerary on the exact same ship before and found it to be a wonderful little getaway. We'll most assuredly be back.  In fact later this Fall we've got a somewhat similar 6 nighter on the Panorama planned.

[pinto18]

9 hours ago, notscb said:

 

Maybe I'm mis-rembering, but before the serenity area was a thing didn't some ships have the aft pools as adult only?

The Splendor had aft adult only pools/hot tubs..it was nice

[notscb]

Ensenada

It's another beautiful morning here in Ensenada-a bit cool in the shadow but beautiful in the sun. I had tried to get up early enough to watch our arrival into port, but we ended up here ahead of schedule and I missed the entire thing. I guess that's the benefit of being on deck 1 midship- you don't even know when the boat is moving or not moving anymore.

 

Sitting out on deck 3 it's been fun to watch the sea lions just hanging out in the water. They really don't seem afraid of much and there's been whole pods of them hanging out off of our starboard side. I wish deck 3 had more comfortable seating that was non-smoking. There are deck chairs stacked and tied on one end as if they used to have it setup that way, but no longer.

 

 

The Lido was very busy this morning, but Big Chicken wasn't and i was able to grab a breakfast biscuit with egg and sausage. 10/10 would recommend skipping the lido for Big Chicken breakfast.

 

The gangway is set forward and folks have already been getting on and off. I've got a beer and tequila excursion scheduled for a bit later and am excited to see what it's all about.

 

[Buffettfan 225]

Thank you for taking time to post. Enjoy your excursion today. Sunny skies and smooth sailing to you. 

[deelightfull]

Happy to see the Radiance getting some review attention.  We're west coasters and have done the the three night weekend cruise once in February and I'm looking forward to going back in June.  It's just so fun and such a great value! 

Edited May 10, 2023 by deelightfull