What to Choose-Infinity or Radiance

[aloha of the seas]

A friend of mine recently told me he was going "around the horn" on the Infinity which sails out of Chile on 1/18/09. Since I normally sail RCCL and have never sailed on Celebrity I figured it would be cheaper for me to look into RCCL sailings. I found the Radiance 2/1/09 with the same itinerary and priced it for comparable staterooms. Included in my RCCL pricing was my Diamond membership benefits. I did not get anything similar for my Celebrity pricing. The net difference was approx $900 for a single supplement. So the question is, is it worth the extra money to travel with friends and on the Infinity. From my experience with Radiance class ships, I am sure I would enjoy the Radiance. Good Sailing Murf

[Brianjetta]

We sailed Infinity to Hawaii a few years ago and were very disappointed. The ship is beautiful, the service was excellent, but the food was all about presentation and lacked taste. We thought it was just us, but after talking to other passengers on the elevators, in the lounges, and during shore excursions seemed we were all in agreement. Perhaps we just hit a slump.

 

As a result, we've continue to sail RC. Radiance class is the only class we haven't been on, but we would love to find the right itinerary.

 

Have fun no matter what choice you make!!

[pcur]

We sailed Infinity to Hawaii a few years ago and were very disappointed. The ship is beautiful, the service was excellent, but the food was all about presentation and lacked taste. We thought it was just us, but after talking to other passengers on the elevators, in the lounges, and during shore excursions seemed we were all in agreement. Perhaps we just hit a slump.

 

As a result, we've continue to sail RC. Radiance class is the only class we haven't been on, but we would love to find the right itinerary.

 

Have fun no matter what choice you make!!

 

This isn't new for Celebrity ships: we also found their food rather bland on several cruises. However, we would not hesitate to sail on Celebrity again. The only reason we don't is our perks as Diamond, soon to be Diamond Plus, are keeping us with RCCL.

 

We have been on the Brilliance, and she is a beautiful ship. I think the answer is how much being with friends enhances your cruise experience, especially one so adventurous as going around the horn.

[hylasgirl]

I vote for the Radiance class ships as well. We love them. I think they are the perfect size and they are so beautiful.

[Jeka]

Sorry, but you are the only one who can answer your question: "is it worth the extra money to travel with friends and on the Infinity" They are your friends and not ours. If you perfer to sail alone, then yes, go with the Radiance. If you want to go with your friends then go w/ Infinity, No one here can answer that question for you.

[MattInFLL]

Having sailed Infinity and two Radiance class ships - it's like comparing apples and oranges. I personally had a different experience on Infinity than other posters here. I thought the food was excellent, and Celebrity does spend more on food than RCI to make it more premium. But no matter, how can you go hungry on a cruise ship? Celebrity is definitely a more serene experience, and RCI is a more active one - that's the way they are branded. Since you will get reciprocal benefits on Celebrity from being Diamond, you still get all the amenites, and I can't imagine passing up a chance to sail with a group of friends.

[truffles2]

I would definitely choose Radiance. We went on Infinity when she was new and I was disappointed with a lot of things--to name a few:

the dining room was so crowded the waiters could hardly get around to serve, the food was not as good as RCI, the shows were not as good, the plants were plastic instead of live, and so on.

[Happy ks]

We've not sailed on Radiance (yet :) ) but we cruised Alaska on Infinity a couple of years ago. We thought the ship was lovely and the service superb. The food was the same as any other cruise ship we've been on, specialty dining was great, the rest like banquet food.

 

Since we don't cruise for the food nor the entertainment onboard, other ammenities are important to us. Such as service and appearance, I don't think you could go wrong with either choice.

 

I'll have to side with MattinFL on this one, depending on how "good" these friends are to you. I'd consider the extra to be worth it to sail with great friends. If they are more like good aquaintances, they could become great friends during the cruise. If they are obnoxious friends, let everyone know in advance, so they can all decide to book on Radiance ;)

[tracey980]

Convince your friend to travel with you on the Radiance. If there is cost savings, your friend might be interested in sailing on RCCL. We sailed on the Serenade last year. It was my favorite ship of all time. You will not be disappointed on the Radiance.

[sab490]

Just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents. We have been on Summit and Brilliance. We thought both ships were wonderful and had a similar athmosphere. The service on both was excellent. Summit may have been a bit more elegant and the food in the dining room just a tad better. We preferred Chops over Normandy primarily because we thought the service in Normandy was a bit over the top with their "coreographed" presentation of the meals. It kind of reminded me of synchronized swimming! :rolleyes: All in all, if I was in your shoes, my decision would be based on whether it is worth the extra $ to be with my friends because both ships are very comparable.

 

- Steve

[aloha43]

My opinion......The Radiance. She was such a beautiful ship!!

[caribbeanboy]

Never been on Celebrity, but from the six cruises I took last year the Radiance class ship(Serenade) of RCI was my favorite one.