Radiance c critic rating?

[vmom]

I keep reading so many positives things about the Radiance. I am planning my next cruise and considering the Radiance.

 

I looked up the reviews and the cruise critic rating is only 3 1/2 stars/waves. What's up? The Jewel is rated much higher (4 1/2 stars/waves) as are the Voyager class ships. Why is the Radiance so much lower?

[RCCLCARIB]

There are several ships that are rated VERY low compared to sister ships. And when one reads all the positive reviews about these ships, you would think the rating would change.

 

Just to let you know, out of my 11 cruises to date, the Radiance was by far the best ship I have EVER been on in terms of the cruise quality, the ship, the SERVICE (incredible) and the delicious food.

 

Maybe someone at cruise critic can answer this. Also, when will a professional review of the Freedom of the Seas be completed??

[caviargal]

The professional reviews are no different from the member reviews, in that they are the opinion of an individual person with their own likes and dislikes. What is trash to one is treasure to another as is constantly evident on this board.

 

I am always puzzled at the Professional reviews that assign 4 stars to ships I have cruised that I would not set foot on again and others that I really enjoy that are rated poorly.

 

Personally, I read everything I can, discard the reviews that are absurdly critical as well as those that contain nothing but glowing superlatives. I also put more weight on reviews from posters who share my priorities and tastes in terms of cruising and those who have experiences on several different lines.

 

I would not make my decision based on professional reviews. If I had, I would have had many more disappointing cruises.

[katiel53]

There have been cruisers who didn't like something on a cruise so rated the cruise a 1 or 2. That will bring the total down, especially if there are only a few reviews.

 

Every ship could have some negative. I guess it depends on how important the negatives that are reported are. I have seen people downgrade a ship because they didn't like their cabin steward. The rest of the cruise was all praises, but overall the cruise was given a low score.

 

Go with your heart. We have done that all along and haven't been disappointed on any cruise except for one. I was disappointed and it was my own fault. I tried to go "on the cheap" and that's what I got.

 

I'm sure you will enjoy Radiance. We haven't sailed her, but have Brilliance and we absolutely loved the ship. Have a great cruise!

[dfishner]

A review is just what the name applies someone opionion and like everything else it is subjective. I read quite a bit of the pros and cons before booking Radiance and have to say I had a fairly balance idea of what the ship was going to be like. Now the reality Radiance of the sea is one of the best ships I have ever been on and has spoiled me. I never was on a ship that had so many offerings and a friendly staff. The ship is beautiful and all that glass makes the ship a sensory pleasure. I would not hesitate to recommend radiance to anyone. If you see what others write about her it would be very favorably. I would go on radiance in a heartbeat again. She is one classy ship.

[FinelyCruising]

We were on Jewel last April, and thought it was the best ship ever. We liked this class of ship so much we booked Radiance and will be on her in two weeks for the 6 night.

 

I will let you know what she is like as soon as we get back, if not sooner while on board.

 

In the meantime, I expect that it is going to be another great ship and another great cruise!

 

We have not had a bad one yet....;)

[kyriecat]

I was on Brilliance last year and enjoyed the quality of the staff. This year I was on Radiance and ended up disappointed. The staff was adequate but didn't seem to go out of their way to make the cruise special, with the exception of CD Pierce. He was always fun to have around.

 

The dining room service on Radiance was slow. We were almost always one of the last tables to be served even though we were always on time. Our waiter didn't try to learn our names, our assistant waiter hardly spoke at all and never refilled the water glasses unless spefically asked, and we only saw our head waiter twice on the 7-night cruise. The bar waitress was very slow and we had to ask for her three times one night before she came by for after dinner drinks. On Brilliance, our waitress called us by name and seemed happy to see us, our assistant waitress was always refilling glasses and clearing the dishes away, and our head waiter stopped by every night to see how we were doing. Our bar waiter always stopped by our table before dinner and when dessert was served to see if we needed anything.

 

The room steward on Radiance was okay but not very thorough. We didn't even meet him until the second day onboard. I have long hair and asked for an extra bath towel. He forgot about half the time and once forgot to leave any towels. The bathroom mirror was dirty when we arrived and stayed that way for three days until I gave in and cleaned it. The glass doors to the balcony were never cleaned. On Brilliance our steward was very thorough. She made sure that we had the extra towels every time. I know the balcony doors were cleaned at least every other day. When we saw her in the hall, she would say hello and offer to open our room door for us.

 

When we ate in Chops, I wanted the sauteed scallops and asked how they were cooked. They were sauteed with salt and pepper in butter. Since I don't like black pepper, I asked if they could use garlic instead. The waiter went to ask the chef and came back to tell me no. I was surprised that they would not make what I considered a minor request. I've made special requests before and was told no problem.

 

If I had never cruised Brilliance (or Rhapsody where I had the absolute best room steward and wait staff EVER!), Radiance would seem fine. Lke I said, the service was adequate but nothing exceptional. However, after experiencing the quality of service that is available, Radiance was a let down.