Last month I spent 6 amazing nights onboard Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas and boy was she a beauty! The Radiance class is a smaller ship class that gives you access to smaller ports like Progresso, Mexico, one of the ports we sailed to and has a more intimate setting compared to the new mega ships like Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas, the two largest cruise ships in the world!
When you first board Radiance on your embarkation day (which was a breeze by the way! From the time we arrived at the terminal to walking on the gangway, it was less than 10 minutes! A plus of sailing on a smaller ship is smaller lines!) You walk right into the Centrum, the heart of the ship! The Centrum starts on deck 4 and goes all the way up to deck 11 where you can watch a series of musicians perform throughout the day and a lot of activities will be held here like the 70’s Party, Name that Tune, Family Egg Drop Contest and more! The Radiance Class is a classic cruise ship meaning you’ll find a lot of beautiful woodwork and a lot of space to see outside. During Alaska cruise season, you’ll find Radiance of the Seas as a great option for your cruise due to all the glass! Something I really enjoyed about my itinerary was that every other day was at sea, so we had a lot of time to see all that this ship had to offer. On sea days there was plenty to do for the whole family. We spent a lot of time at Schooner Bar doing trivia and at the Colony Club singing karaoke. On our last sea day there was a Royal Heist mystery where you had to team up to solve a museum heist! And if you’re just looking to relax this ship is perfect for that too. It’s indescribable how soothing laying on a pool deck as you sail the Caribbean can be for your health!
We had two port days, the first being Perfect Day Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas and Progresso Mexico. It’s really hard to NOT have a perfect day at Coco Cay with the beautiful beaches, the largest freshwater pool in the Bahamas, a new adult only beach, a private beach club, a water park and more! And just like the buffets and main dining room on board, most of the food on the island is free as well! (and YES, that includes the soft serve!) And if you purchase the unlimited drink package for your cruise, it automatically applies to Coco Cay as well!
My number one tip as a cruise travel planner is to book an excursion through your cruise line. Why, you ask? With Royal Caribbean, if you book an excursion through them and the excursion is running late getting you back to the ship, the ship will wait for you! If you go off on your own at the port and aren’t back in time you will be denied boarding, and it will be up to you to make it back home. That’s why whenever I visit a new port I book my excursions through Royal Caribbean, like Corona Beach Break in Progresso. Our tour guide was with us the whole time and threw us a party on the beach with music and games and got us to and from the port safely! After all safety is a cruise line’s top priority when it comes to their guests sailing with them!
If you’re just getting into cruising or this will be your first cruise, then I highly recommend a trip on board Radiance of the Seas.
Part of being a travel planner is becoming familiar with the brand we’re working with and finding the perfect ship and itinerary that fits our clients’ needs. I can talk about cruising ALL day!
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