Leaderboard

Sorry for another photo-less live blog….but b/c we have not sailed on Radiance in MANY years, I thought I would post a few thoughts. 1. Driving…arriving PoT. Our drive from Port St Lucie to the Port of Tampa is about 3 hours, give or take depending on traffic. We have made this trek 4 times now and I swear, we have not gone the same way twice, yet ! …and the drive home is never the same as the way we got here ! …but this morning’s drive was fairly event-free. We ran into a bit of traffic around Disney (go figure) and again on I-4 W heading into downtown Tampa. Par for the course. Handled w/o issue. I really do love the PoT. It’s easy to get here, easy to park and VERY pleasant to board. I will say again, as I have many times, the terminal staff in Tampa are the best out any port we’ve ever encountered. They are NICE and so helpful. We arrived about 9:45, were taken immediately to the Suites/ Pinn hold pin and checked in, sitting down, by the most wonderful lady - the same gracious lady that checked us in last time we were here. Our wait was minimal. By 10:45 we were onboard. During our very short wait we (I) attended to our safety videos and got the much-appreciated “Complete” banner. 2. Onboard. When we first checked, there were no staff doing the muster station check-ins so we (I) went str8 to our room to snatch our room keys. Right where they should be. Perfect. When we came back down, staff was doing the muster station check-ins so we finished that up. Yippee. Also present in the hallway was a lovely lady pimping specialty dining so I asked if she would be able to do our BOGO rezzies and she said, “yes”. Wow. I’m on a roll ! She let us do Giovanni’s tonite and Samba grill on night #4. I hope I don’t regret the Samba thing. It’s been a really long time since we tried Samba so we’re taking a chance. 3. Will they or won’t they ? Next, the first real challenge of the cruise. Will they or won’t they allow us into the Concierge Lounge ? For reasons which truly elude me, Radiance (and I believe all of this class ship) has never converted their Concierge Lounge into a Suites Lounge. Whatever. It’s always big drama to see whether our Sea Passes will open the door ! Whew. We’re batting 1000. So far, we have not been denied entry into the SL on any ship since we made Pinn. 4. First impressions. I always forget how beautiful the Radiance class ships are, until I step foot back on one. Radiance is so classy…so far I haven’t seen anything to change my mind. The Staff has been phenomenal so far. So, we are contently waiting in the CL (not to be confused with the CL) for noon, at which time we will enjoy our Chops boarding day lunch. BTW, I confirmed, when I snuck into our stateroom, that our bed is next to the balcony ! Woohoo ! With all this good luck, I need to bet big at the casino tonite. Or, maybe I’m using all my good luck up, early

Well we decided to throw caution to the wind. It’s booked you only live once. It’s so nice being retired and just thinking about another cruise

It's been a while since I've done one of these and there doesn't seem to have been a recent one covering Symphony's current 8-night itineraries down to Aruba and Curaçao, so in the interests of a) being useful and b) reliving our recent cruise - just disembarked this past Sunday , I thought, why not? So, Day One - Travelling from Custard Tart Land (aka Portugal) to Miami, Florida. As per usual, our travel itinerary had us flying from Faro, our local airport in Southern Portugal, via Lisbon to Miami. Take off. The watery area below is a renowned wetland zone called the Ria Formosa, which translates to "beautiful estuary", and which is famed for its wildlife, especially birds. As usual, we were flying on the Portuguese flag carrier, TAP. Unusually, however, they had two flights going out on this day, so instead of flying up to Lisbon the night before and then out to Miami the next day, we saved on the hotel cost by "enduring" a five-hour layover in Lisbon. It actually wasn't too bad; Lisbon has some decent shops and restaurants to keep you occupied. We had lunch at our favourite eatery, the Cockpit. If you ever have a layover in Lisbon over a mealtime I recommend it. They have a small seating area with table service or you can order at the counter and eat in the food court. Our preferred choice is the "Prego com presunto e ovo estrelado" in the "Snacks" section of the menu. (They do have a menu available in English). This is a beefsteak sandwich, topped with dry-cured ham and a fried egg, and served with what they call "country" fries. Very yummy and very filling. However, if you still have room for dessert, there's a great pastry shop right next door... After lunch, we found a good spot to rest up until it was time for our flight. You do have to hunt a bit for these seats. They're located near the electronic passport gates, but before your go through them. There is also a coffee shop and a toilet that are not nearly as crowded as the main departure lounge area. Finally on board. We paid extra for emergency exit seats for some extra space and comfort (business class being well over our budget). Well worth it. TAP includes food on transatlantic flights. The timing of this flight meant we had dinner and a late-night snack just before arrival into Miami. The dinner (chicken stroganoff) looks pretty disgusting but it was actually quite nice. TAP economy catering is generally edible unlike some other airlines. The flight itself was uneventful and it landed just a little behind schedule, something of an achievement for TAP, who must have one of the worst punctuality records in the business. Immigration was the quickest we've ever had at Miami, thanks to the timing of the flight; landing around 10 pm, there were no other international flights arriving to that terminal. the luggage seemed to take forever to come through but to be fair it was probably only about 15 minutes and we were soon in a Lyft on our way to our hotel. I had previously linked my Hilton and Lyft accounts. This gets you Hilton points for each Lyft journey. We were staying for two nights at the Hampton Inn in Brickell. I had booked a standard king room but we were upgraded to a king studio. I don't really know why, possibly because I had cashed in some points in part payment. I'd checked in on the Hilton app ahead of time so I was able to choose our room and having stayed here before I knew which area would give us the best "view" if you can really call it that. By this time, we'd been up and on the go for 22 hours so we literally dropped our bags and fell into bed for a good night's sleep before a full day out and about in Miami the following day.

Roatan: So we started the day as a big group in CK for breakfast. Berty met us there and escorted us off the ship. Our tours were with Victor Bodden. We each got assigned our drivers and off we went. We got to their property and got suited up for the zip lines. The zip lines are lots of fun. They have a whole course set up and you go from tree top to tree top. Lots of fun was had by everyone. Once we were through that, we went through their animal park. We started with sloths. We have been on this tour multiple times over the years, and all of their current sloths were born there, including one in the last photo that is six days old. We met some monkeys, Lydia had to make it awkward by smelling its butt…. Lots more animals were seen after but we will move on for the sake of making easier reading.

On today’s episode of I stumbled into an oversharers anonymous meeting…. While sitting in one of the the solarium stock pots….an overly friendly vintage proudly exclaimed that her young granddaughter “went on the potty last night! We were so happy and we all want the song” I am not sorry….if my ears had to hear that, your eyes needed to see it too. Larger update on the day to come

So, the first little tarnish on Radiance. Lunch at Chops was S.L.O.W., which, in itself is not a huge issue. I could have lived with that. What else do I have to do, right ? BUT….I ordered the roast chicken b/c I cannot eat a steak for lunch and then eat again later. <I can feel the utter disbelief coming from @OCSC Mike’s general direction>. The chicken was NOT done….as in bloody, raw. Wasn’t it @Ampurp85 that once got bloody baked chicken ? This was it. It was…disgusting. I couldn’t eat any of it. …and our server never came back to check on us, so I had no opportunity to discuss this with him until the meal was long over. On the other hand, Dan had a wonderful filet which was cooked perfectly (he has no similar compunction about eating a big lunch and then a big dinner). So not only was I annoyed at my completely inedible lunch, but double annoyed with the lousy service. In the server’s defense, the place was packed and the servers were running hither and yon the entire meal. That’s why I didn’t really give him a hard time. I had originally told him that I didn’t want any dessert (see the “too much food for lunch” comment, above) but since I didn’t eat ANY of my main course, I asked for a piece of red velvet cake to go (tagging @Sweety). I have been on over 75 cruises on Royal Caribbean and I do believe this is the first time I have ever carried food out of an eating venue. Dan wasn’t too happy with me on this one b/c we still had carry-on luggage to schlep and now he had to carry my dessert. Sorry/not sorry. Life’s tough. Dan has gone to the steam room/sauna and I am still missing 1 suitcase so I will hang out until it arrives. Hoping this small blot on the cruise is soon a distant memory and I can resume the love fest with Radiance.

Wonderland: Dinner last night was at wonderland. We actually really enjoy dinner there. The kids like the novelty of the food and the whole thing. Johnny really loves the green paper. And the cotton candy for his drinks! we got a mix of the small plates. Not pictured was “The birds nest” which are basically smoked deviled eggs. For entrees, Johnny got the chicken tenders, and Lydia the burger skewers The Boss got the short ribs, and I got the pork belly. Johnny tried mine and loved it, and maybe next time around will graduate from the kids menu. We all shared The World for dessert and left with VERY full bellies. I forgot to mention, that earlier we had the kids run down to Johnny rockets for us to bing back some onion rings and chili cheese fries for a snack. Apparently the portion sizes were much bigger than I remember…….

This is right outside the port. You can throw a rock at the ship. I forgot to post this. This will help you when you go. As far as the menu, they have things that will cater to every taste. The also had stewed oxtails, seafood platters, salads. I failed as a travel blogger, and only took this menu picture

After those adventures, we went for some lunch. We went to a place the driver recommended. The food was tasty. The Boss got garlic shrimp, the kids got chicken tenders, and I got to cross another weird thing I ate off the list, Iguana. Shrimp with plantains, coleslaw and red beans and rice. Chicken tender and fries for the kids. stewed iguana, aside from the multiple tiny bones to pick through the flavor and texture was reminiscent of chicken. I had potato salad, fries and yucca sticks as sides. After lunch we had considered shopping, but were ready for naps so we headed back to the ship. The freeloaders decided to stay in the room. The Boss and I braved the people soup, then Stock Pots that you read about earlier.

Part 5 - 2nd Sea Day and First Hibachi for Us Quick note, I have heard there are around 6,000 total passengers on this sailing with about 1,200 of them being kids Day 3 was my oldests' birthday as she turned 15! It also started much sunnier than the prior day. We continued trend of sleeping in and first thing I had to get ready for was the 2nd part of the Bar Crawl Lanyard giveaway which was at 11am at the Hideaway. Gave out about another 10 or so - definitely enjoyed the drinks here and the bartenders are working hard but definitely gets crowded (I found a seat at the bar but all the comfy seats out away from the bar were all taken) Judi and the younger two spent some time at the pool but found them really crowded and hard to find a spot - I think with the rain the day before, everyone was out trying to enjoy the weather. We had lunch reservations at Izumi Hibachi for lunch and to celebrate Olivia's birthday. We do How bachi quite often at home but hadn't done it on a cruise ship before and have to say we really enjoyed it! Obviously some of the effects they do are different as can't do anything with fire, but they mixed in lots of different things and everyone enjoyed their meal. Doing the prepaid lunch option (which I got 20% off) made it pretty affordable too. At the end they sang Happy Birthday to Olivia the afternoon was a bit of a downer as Olivia was feeling quite down as she hadn't made any friends on the ship and was missing being home and her cat. So she spent much of the day in her bed with the covers over her head on her phone. We tried to encourage her to come do stuff with us or to try the teen club again but she just didn't want to do anything Judi and I did have a group slot pull that afternoon which was also a downer as we didn't win anything - but was a fun way to meet people and spend some time. We had literally never been in a casino before so was a good first step. I don't think anyone was feeling doing dinner in the Main Dining Room that night so we kept it low key. First I took Emma to the black light puppet show at Adventure Ocean and that was really fun. They use a lot of water and bubbles and fake snow effects and the kids all had a blast with that. We just did Aquadome Market for dinner (actually was pretty chill that time of day). The Feta Mediterranean stall is excellent.also tried the Asian stall which was ok, and he kids loved the crepes, they each had two for dinner - gotta love vacation. When we got back to the room they had done up a towel cake for Olivia for her birthday and a few treats provided by our travel agent were left as well, so that was nice. We kept it pretty low key at night, I think we were all a little tired. Emma did was to go to this family Know It, Sing It game show so Judi and I took her for a bit while Peter was off with some friends. It was ok but Soooo crowded and was giving me a headache so I left after a bit but Judi and Emma stayed a little longer and Emma did get up in stage with a friend to sing at one point. Coming up next, our first port day with a great excursion, but also a bit tiring

I laughed so hard at this description Spouse came running over to make sure I was okay. I shall now always think of the hot tubs as "stock pots" and continue to call the pools "people soup."

Well in fairness all us parents know how satisfying potty training is

This is an example of why my wife insists on having a printed copy of everything just in case.

Wives have to sacrifice for husbands. I grunt and groan to James about looking and booking cruises. He told me this morning, "I will be in my man cave until you book the cruises next week." I just smiled and said Thank You!.

Stewed iguana ? Really ? Sounds…bad. Glad it was ok.

That makes... oh wait, I've never even spent 3K total for 2 people on a 7N cruise, lol. I'll assume from context that's a really good deal.

While I do know the satisfaction…..not sure if that’s how you open the conversation. It went just like this. So the over sharer who was a fluffy vintage with mobility issues starts with ”hopefully I don’t fall down these steps, (then proceeds to crash land into the seat) my granddaughter in the potty and we want the song.” me:greaaaaaat afterwards, it got even weirder. She kept creeping closer to this other couple and “falling off the seat” almost trying to land on the guys lap. The whole time, they are shifting away from her and she kept following. Eventually she either got bored, or her timer popped because she left and we all had a good laugh. shenanigan meter 7.5 for awkward conversation and attempted groping

At least you have a place to stay, stay, stay, stay.

There were check boxes for the cruises you wanted to compare, and this is the screen. Though I went back to the search results page and the checkboxes are gone. I wonder if I just happened to catch a preview.

Many years ago, when DH was a crew member, he made regular stops in Victoria. Says it was one of his top favourite ports. We happened to be discussing favourites with another couple in the WJ on one of our cruises and the people at the next table piped up with, "We're from Victoria!". They were thrilled. This is going back 40 years now so I'm sure there have been big changes but I think that sounds like an amazing itinerary. I'd love to b2b it with a Panama Canal cruise.

Good thing it's on YouTube.

Thank you very much for the information. I appreciate it.

One that likes you apparently.

I am personally offended that you believe this heartfelt story of the trials and tribulations of the 27159 family may not be genuine.

Just about any responses/advice you get will be purely anecdotal. Bid what you feel is worth it to you.

The price for the DBP for our Icon sailing in June 2024 is on sale today for 70.99. That’s the lowest price since we booked over a year ago. I’m not sure if this will apply to other sailings but I just wanted to share in case anyone is interested in checking the price today for their sailing.

Mercy, 75 cruises on Royal. Something to aspire to for sure. Lord knows if I’ll be around to ever hit that milestone. Enjoy.

Its funny how we all panic a little bit the closer our cruise comes...Did I do that...What about that...Lol

credit Lydia…..current situation

So, what's interesting is on the website for a cruise I'm checked in for, I now see a similar thing. Seems like the latest Royal IT glitch

Good deal is relative but it was a bucket list box checked. I did have my agent re-price it when the sale changed and they had bumped the total fare up 11k more than what I paid. For context, it was about the same cost to move from a 2brAQS to the RLS as it was to book an over water cabana which didn’t make much sense but I jumped on it. I doubt I’ll ever see that pricing again.

Me, exactly.

Sounds like a great start. Enjoy your cruise(s)!

i am loving all the wins you are having already, raye!! safe and happy travels to you and dan

Aw, c'mon Wayno. You didn't lay in bed on school nights, with your AM transistor radio, ear plug in, blanket over your head to hide the glow of the radio dial, listening to the 50,000 watt blowtorches like WLS, CKLW, & WABC, when you should be asleep? Freddy Mercury perfectly captured that time with Queen's performance of Radio Gaga in the '80s. Them was the days....................

Four+ in a cabin knocks me out for a few sailings and a couple were through a TA when it was just me and the Mrs. There have been some that I booked through RC directly that I would have thought would be eligible though. Thanks for the info. I thought they were just mad at me because I caught them with a pricing error and scored the RLS on Utopia for just under 3,000 per person.

It needs a new motor, and cannot be fixed until it goes to Dry Dock. I was onboard in September and that is what we were told by crew.

We are on B2B2B on Sept 20, 2024. We’ll be picking up everyone's loose ends. Large balcony same room… Would have loved Sky JS. Like @WAAAYTOOO. That is our new favorite after ICON experience.. Guess we need our own RC for the 20th.. J&S

I hear you! I'm counting down to that wonderful day. Only three and a half years to go!

Got off the ship in Nassau last week the area is amazingly different and updated. If you had taken me there blindfolded and removed the blindfold I wouldn’t be able to guess what port I was at. Looking forward to more positive changes.

We have used Premier Parking several times. Very satisfied. 5 minutes to port.

On the Presidents cruise Michael Bayley confirmed kids are granted access to the solarium during cold weather. Any restrictions were not mentioned. celebrity announced kids will be permitted in the solarium on Alaska, The Balkans and Antarctica-I imagine in cold weather (said because I sailed Alaska in 80 degree heat). The hours are 5pm-7pm. Dinner time-so may not impact too many adults. Crappy for families with kids though! https://www.cruisehive.com/celebrity-cruises-to-permit-kids-in-adults-only-space-onboard/123994?utm_source=Cruise+Hive+Newsletter&utm_campaign=6240bd2ac1-CHV_RSS_News_InstantUpdates&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e04b47b456-6240bd2ac1-617187465&fbclid=IwAR3-cEtNnVOSCjt9jmHxXtSFL4NEopr86UFEFbRWzLQhVGoGyi_5BCrY2A8_aem_AVI2YJYLJz0P2YaoYM6wWRLAjmXaGY9CKJoWZIH4djnYC8yCOqEC3byhzXtP_g68Zmc

The mindset that causes the back-ups to begin with

^This^ No one really knows what algorithm Royal uses to determine who gets awarded the Royal Up. I have put down max bids and lost and minimum bids and won. There are many stories like this. So exactly what @OCSC Mike said, bud what you are comfortable with.

My recurring celebrity/fan group with cast & crew members of BBC TV's "Doctor Who" recently did essentially the same tour directly through Native Choice at $58 per person, and filled up two smaller 15 -20 passenger tour busses. Excellent service & extremely knowledgeable local drivers & guide. Worth the few blocks additional walk to get to the Native Choice bus boarding area for the significant savings over the ship's official offering, would definitely recommend.

Excited about a Quantum ship in LA? Yes. Excited about lame 3-6 night itineraries? No.

Just to clarify, you and your spouse have separate counters in the system. When you are in a CAS relationship, CAS will display the counter of the person in the relationship who has the highest number. Despite that each person earns points that go towards their individual counter only. For example: Husband has 10 points Wife has 45 points. Both people will appear to have 45 points despite husband actually having 10 points. If the husband then goes on a cruise and earns 9 points while the wife stays home... Husband now has 19 points Wife still has 45 points. Both people will appear to have 45 points despite husband actually having 20 points. The husband's activity will never apply towards the wife's counter.

Today we are hitting our first port, Roatan. We are using Victor Bodden again. We will be visiting with sloths etc, and doing the zip lines. After, we will be playing it by ear. Our friends are also with Victor Bodden, but doing some different activities. We are all meeting at CK for breakfast. Berty said that they could walk off with us when we get off the ship which we thought was very nice of him. Other random thoughts from last night. Our friends were really grateful for being able to watch the show from the balcony. It’s also not lost on us that we are fortunate enough to be able to do these things ourselves. Their kids (and ours) had a blast. Earlier in the day, we had heard that Livi had been wanting chocolate covered strawberries this whole trip, so of course we had to make that happen. This is her first big trip away from her parents so she has frequently been getting homesick. To see her eyes light up and truly enjoy herself last night made my night. Sure star class is amazing with the beverage package and all the dining etc, but it’s the intangibles that really do it for me. To be able to make someone’s day with just a simple text message is what it’s all about.

Aqua show snacks

I’ll just leave this here The Boss was completely unaware #starclassbehavingbadly