After 21 days in dry dock, Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas has completed its $19 million "revitalization" program, where the ship has received a number of upgrades aimed at keeping the ship relevant and desirable in a market of cruise ships that increasingly offer more options.
The ship's upgrades include new dining concepts, entertainment options, children's programming and technology advancements that were first developed for Royal Caribbean's newest ships, Oasis and Allure of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean senior vice president, Hotel Operations Lisa Bauer believes the upgrades to Radiance will make it more desirable to guests, "Radiance of the Seas' drydock is part of Royal Caribbean's multi-ship enhancement and revitalization strategy to deliver the Royal Advantage to our guests. The Royal Advantage comprises some of the industry's most innovative onboard amenities, programs and Gold Anchor Service that make up the most contemporary cruise vacation. By introducing almost all of the same specialty restaurants that can currently be found onboard Allure of the Seas as well some of the Oasis-class ships' most popular concepts to Radiance of the Seas, guests can enjoy a variety of brand new onboard experiences."
Changes to ship include
- Addition of Royal Babies and Tots Nursery
- 12 newly added accommodations – one family, five interior and six exterior staterooms
- Technology enhancements that include Wi-Fi availability throughout the ship and flat-panel interactive televisions in all staterooms
- a new Concierge Lounge for suite guests
- a Diamond Lounge for Crown & Anchor Society members
- the Quill and Compass Pub
- an outdoor LED video wall overlooking the main pool area
The new restaurants onboard Radiance include:
- Boardwalk Dog House: Guests can choose from traditional hot dogs, wieners, brats, sausages and other delicious linked meats and a variety of toppings to split a long bun (open for lunch and dinner, complimentary)
- Giovanni's Table: An Italian trattoria featuring Italian classics served family-style (open for lunch, $15, and dinner, $20)
- Izumi: Featuring mouthwatering flavors and a sushi bar with hot-rock cooking, the pan Asian cuisine restaurant is a no-hassle, authentic dining experience (open for lunch and dinner, $3.00 cover charge for lunch and $5.00 for dinner plus a la carte menu pricing)
- Park Cafe: An indoor/outdoor gourmet market featuring salads, sandwiches, soups and pastries (open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, complimentary)
- Rita's Cantina: A casual yet vibrant indoor/outdoor restaurant, catering to families by day, and adults by night; offering traditional Mexican fare, a comprehensive selection of margaritas and live guitar music and dancing for evening entertainment (open for lunch and dinner, $3 cover charge and a la carte menu pricing)
- Samba Grill: Styled after popular Brazilian steakhouses, the churrascaria is an interactive experience where guests choose from a variety of meats, chicken and seafood brought table-side by servers, ready to slice and serve upon request (open for dinner, $25 per person)
- Chef's Table: An exclusive and private experience co-hosted by the executive Chef and Sommelier for a wine pairing dinner of five courses (open for dinner, $95 per person).
Now that Radiance is out of dry dock, she will embark upon alternating, seven-night Southbound and Northbound Alaska itineraries before repositioning for its first winter 2011 season to Australia and New Zealand.
The next ship to receive upgrades will be Splendour of the Seas in October 2011.
