WAAAYTOOO Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 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 TessFromFlorida, Lovetocruise2002, Cactus527 and 12 others 14 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 i am loving all the wins you are having already, raye!! safe and happy travels to you and dan WAAAYTOOO, Cactus527 and Sweety 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 Sounds like a great start. Enjoy your cruise(s)! WAAAYTOOO, Sweety and Cactus527 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweety Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 May you have a relaxing cruise. WAAAYTOOO and Cactus527 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandstromCruise Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 Definitely a great start to the cruise. And yeah, I would say go ahead and increase those bets, what can go wrong WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 22 Author Report Share Posted February 22 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. MaryS, DDaley, Sweety and 6 others 5 1 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweety Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 How was the red velvet cake? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 I laughed at the last post b/c of your mention of me but the rest obviously wasn't funny. Hopefully Giovanni's and Samba make up for it! And for the record, even I try not to go nuts during the day if we are having dinner at Giovanni's Table (our long time favorite where we both stuff ourselves). That said, even my wife had 2 filets for lunch from the CocoCay Beach Club in June, lol. In her defense, b/c of the oft-mentioned pickiness, when there's something she loves, she'll indulge b/c chances are her next meal won't be all that exciting to her. Cactus527 and WAAAYTOOO 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 22 Author Report Share Posted February 22 22 minutes ago, Sweety said: How was the red velvet cake? Honestly ? It was stale. No doubt, left over from the previous cruise. I am not really a sweets eater anyway, so I ate a few bites just to convince Dan that his plate juggling on the trip back from Chops was an effort well spent…and I will sacrifice the rest. OCSC Mike, Sweety, Cactus527 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweety Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 10 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: Honestly ? It was stale. No doubt, left over from the previous cruise. I am not really a sweets eater anyway, so I ate a few bites just to convince Dan that his plate juggling on the trip back from Chops was an effort well spent…and I will sacrifice the rest. 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!. MaryS, Cactus527, WAAAYTOOO and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 Mercy, 75 cruises on Royal. Something to aspire to for sure. Lord knows if I’ll be around to ever hit that milestone. Enjoy. WAAAYTOOO, Sweety and Cactus527 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 4 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said: 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. i think it was @She Sails Away on oasis before she hit ascent maybe. but also…. y i k e s on a bike. Cactus527 and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 I had bloody fried chicken on Mariner, which is just as worse. Bloody, raw chicken should never be a thing. WAAAYTOOO, Cactus527, asquared17 and 1 other 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 23 Author Report Share Posted February 23 1 hour ago, asquared17 said: i think it was @She Sails Away on oasis before she hit ascent maybe. but also…. y i k e s on a bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 48 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said: I had bloody fried chicken on Mariner, which is just as worse. i feel like we need to prevent any of this from happening going forward… like. chicken is supposed to be the safe choice (and yes i realize how ironic a choice of words that is) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 @WAAAYTOOO are you ever living on land these days? I want to be you when I grow up! MaryS, LandstromCruise, Cactus527 and 6 others 4 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandstromCruise Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 8 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: @WAAAYTOOO are you ever living on land these days? I want to be you when I grow up! Me too!! MaryS, Ampurp85, Cactus527 and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 23 Author Report Share Posted February 23 9 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: @WAAAYTOOO are you ever living on land these days? I want to be you when I grow up! Every now and then we visit our new house ! LOL MaryS, JustMeJoe, Cactus527 and 3 others 2 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 23 Author Report Share Posted February 23 Good morning from the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. We are on our way to COZ (our only PoC on this leg) and the weather and ocean are beautiful. I felt absolutely no motion whatsoever until this morning, where there is a bit of "sway" but in a good way. This kind of motion makes me sleep like a baby. ..not that it's time for a nap quite yet ! Just a bit of an update on the ship's condition. I have to admit that our balcony furniture is in very BAD shape. It looks pretty rough. The metal on the surface of the table is peeling and it looks...bad. The chairs are ok but the glass on the balcony is so pock-marked that it is opaque. I really don't think there is anything that can be done about the balcony glass except to replace it but I know that is NOT going to happen. It's unfortunate. Otherwise, I am still not seeing any horrible signs of age. The elevator buttons are in pretty bad shape but appear to be working. Breakfast this morning in Chops. Very good as is typical. We met the Suites Concierge this morning. Gavin. VERY nice and friendly guy. He chided us for not coming to the Happy Hour last night. We almost never go into the SL in the evenings. But it's nice b/c they have their own bar, which is very unusual for a SL. Maybe we will muster the courage to go tonite. Happy Hours are just not my "thing". I'm really REALLY bad at small talk. I am on Deck 5 in the Voom area where there is a small semi-circle of maybe 8 computers. There are -0- computers in the Crown Lounge (I checked yesterday) and there is 1 sad computer station in the Concierge Lounge which is in a TERRIBLE location and sure to be traffic impedance if a chair were to be pulled up there. I will not be THAT guy. We briefly stopped by the casino last night. OMG I have NEVER been in a casino that was THAT full. I'm sure there was some kind of safety [occupancy] violation occurring (something that I automatically think about, given my profession). You literally could NOT walk anywhere. I am not prone to claustrophobia, but that was BAD. If we are going to do ANY gambling on this cruise it will have to be during the day. I suppose there are probably a lot of casino comp-ers (a group of which we are definitely a part, BTW) on these shorty cruises. They were ALL in the casino last night ! While in the SL this morning we met an officer (I'm embarrassed that I did not get her name) who is in charge of the upcoming dry dock. She told us that, as we suspected, there would be very little cosmetic/guest area work that would be completed....mostly it will be engineering and operational stuff. This is, of course, standard for dry docks. Apparently there will be some work done in the SL area as she was there to discuss this with the Concierge. We didn't stay for the tech-talk. I guess I did not realize that the second half of our B2B (2-26-24) will be the last cruise prior to dry dock ! They will be going to Freeport, which will be a pretty easy trip....compared to the big ships that have to go to Europe or Asia. Sweety, OCSC Mike, asquared17 and 7 others 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 27 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: Happy Hours are just not my "thing". I'm really REALLY bad at small talk. People don't just go there for free drinks, snacks, and to talk to their spouse? Who knew? SweetPea and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 I felt the same way on Grandeur, the casino is so small, and it seems like everyone is on a casino comp for the smaller classes. That and the fact that there is often little to do, makes the casino a madhouse. Even during the day, it was hard getting machines. WAAAYTOOO, JustMeJoe and SweetPea 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDaley Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 Brilliance is my favorite ship to date! I keep thinking about booking a Pacific coastal cruise just to sail one again (but without a cross country flight). I’ve always wondered, if you got a casino comp do they hold you to gambling while on the comped cruise? Or do they just assume you can’t resist? SweetPea 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshleyDillo Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 15 minutes ago, DDaley said: I’ve always wondered, if you got a casino comp do they hold you to gambling while on the comped cruise? Or do they just assume you can’t resist? No gambling required. It may affect future offers if you don't, but anecdotal evidence is hit or miss on that. Cactus527, WAAAYTOOO and DDaley 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 Suite lounge happy hours make me so happy. I never resist its pull. asquared17, OCSC Mike, WAAAYTOOO and 1 other 2 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 24 Author Report Share Posted February 24 In COZ today. Beautiful weather. We didn’t get off - of course. Nice, relaxing day. There is only one other ship docked at our pier today - Carnival Breeze, I believe. I have NEVER been to COZ with this few ships in port. One gripe. The internet has been horrible since we got to port. I know there is some blah-blah explanation for this. Pretty sure it’s not the fault of the ship. Still pi$$in me off though. Dinner last night (and again tonite) in the MDR. No priority seating for Pinns. Not a big deal, just thought I would mention it. Last night was Italian night and I had the chick Parmesan sans the Parmesan. I know….my weirdo love-hate with certain cheese. I think tonite is Mexican night. Not one of my fave menus but it is what it is. Sounds like they are getting the pool sail away party started so we should be getting close to All Aboard time. I believe All Aboard is 5:30 so sail away should be 6-ish. Lovetocruise2002, Cactus527, OCSC Mike and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 Just now, WAAAYTOOO said: There is only one other ship docked at our pier today - Carnival Breeze, I believe. I have NEVER been to COZ with this few ships in port. We'll be in Cozumel in July with only one other ship (some MSC ship) and it gets in 3 hours after us. By dumb luck, that's our one long excursion port for that sailing so I'm not complaining. 3 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: I had the chick Parmesan sans the Parmesan. My wife loves chicken parm but gets the sauce on the side (everywhere, not just on cruises)... ya like what ya like. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMeJoe Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 On 2/23/2024 at 11:04 AM, DDaley said: Or do they just assume you can’t resist? You betcha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 25 Author Report Share Posted February 25 The pulled pork “enchilada” (Dan insists that it’s a chimichanga. I claim it’s a burrito. In any case, it is NOT an enchilada) was surprisingly good tonite. It’s usually a bit dry and tough but tonite it was moist and not too chewy. Dan had his usual carne asada. Both of us were happy with our meals. In addition, I ordered a second entree (fried tofu “taco” which certainly was not a taco. Go figure…). I usually enjoy dishes with tofu but this was as tasteless as anything I’ve ever tried. My point in even mentioning this is that they brought all of our entrees at the same time without a question, so I think the prohibition against multiple entrees at the same time has been lifted. I predicted this from the very beginning. I must be psycho…I mean psychic. The internet has returned to its awesome self now that we are back at sea. I was a bit apprehensive about the internet on this older, smaller ship but my concerns were unfounded - with the exception our of time in port…and I don’t blame the ship for that crappy reception. I seem to recall some technical explanation as to why port reception, in general, sucks. Back up and running and surprisingly dependable. Dan decided to saunter up to the SL to catch the tail end of Happy Hour. I wasn’t feeling it so I came back to the room. He is now back after downing a shot of Avion, some new and wonderful tequila that the “court” was raving about last night. I had a life-changing encounter with tequila years ago and learned a powerful (and painful) lesson. I steer clear. Had a similar encounter with some limoncello in Italy a number of years ago and avoid that as well. So, we’re on our way back to Tamper, where we will turn around for another go. Sea day tomorrow. JohnK6404, Lovetocruise2002, SebagoSue and 7 others 8 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 Mexican Night - From the pics I’ve seen, I understand the enchilada dilemma. It doesn’t look right… but as long as it tasted OK, they can call it whatever they want. Tequila - I somehow skipped tequila in my younger days & didn’t even know I liked it til trying it in Mexico during a cruise (I don’t say no to free samples). I was never big on shots but margaritas are now part of my cruise drink rotation. Need to try the desert pear one from the Schooner Bar next month just b/c it’s different & comes with black salt. Sweety and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 25 Author Report Share Posted February 25 I will drink an occasional margarita but NO to the shot ! Sweety and OCSC Mike 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 Well I love tequila! OCSC Mike, Sweety and asquared17 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 45 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Well I love tequila! #metoo Lovetocruise2002, OCSC Mike and Sweety 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 I like tequila in a marg, not straight. But the burrito thing on Mexican night is pretty good. My brother said the tofu tacos weren't good. How has the casino treated you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 9 hours ago, Ampurp85 said: I like tequila in a marg, not straight. The right kind of tequila is the best straight! That's my favourite way to drink tequila Sweety and Ampurp85 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 25 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: The right kind of tequila is the best straight! That's my favourite way to drink tequila Pics or it didn't happen! Lovetocruise2002 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 25 Author Report Share Posted February 25 10 hours ago, Ampurp85 said: How has the casino treated you? Awful. I gave up after night #2. Dan went for a bit last night but I stayed in the room. The casino was SO crammed and smoky plus I lost so....not a good combination. I wish I could enjoy the video poker but I get bored after about 10 minutes. Dan is constantly changing his bet and changing games it makes my head swim. Maybe things will be better on the second half of the B2B but I'm not counting on it. I think these shorty small ship cruises are just jam packed with casino players. A bit of apprehension (not really...)...Gavin, the SL (or CL as they have never changed the name of it on this ship) said that there are 46 Pinns on next week and that only the top 20 will be allowed in the SL. So I'm sure that will eliminate us. I guess we'll see if my Seapass will unlock the door on turnaround day ! FionaMG, Sweety, OCSC Mike and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 So do they lock the seapass of pins not allowed in the SL/CL? I definitely feel like those small casinos get filled with smoke faster because the vents doesn't work as well. I also agree they can make you feel claustrophobic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweety Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 Looking forward to round 2. I will be grading final essays next week. JustMeJoe and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 26 Author Report Share Posted February 26 Quick review of Samba Grill. It was ok, not great, not terrible. We used a BOGO so it was a good value. No WAY would I ever pay full price for it ($39.99 + 18% grat.). We already knew to skip the first few “courses” (chicken, sausage, pork etc) and skip str8 to the pinaha and filet. The sides were very lame and the “buffet” was pretty pathetic. The pinaha and filet were very good but not “melt-in-your-mouth” good like they used to be on Allure at the beginning. Dan also had lamb chops, which he enjoyed. As I have always maintained about any Brazilian steak house, if you’re not a big meat eater, (as I am not), this is not the place for you. I left full but not stuffed. We will not be going back on the next leg and as far as I know, the Samba Grill on both Allure and Radiance will be replaced during their upcoming dry docks. I think they’re both going bye-bye. That’s my impression, anyway. Today is day 4, so tomorrow is back to Tamper for turnaround day. The next leg is 5 nights and will be going back to COZ with an additional stop in Costa Maya, which one of our favorite ports of call. We’re going to Mahahual to get massages on the beach ! Dan is going to the casino to spend his points. If I have any points, it would be too few to worry with so I’m staying in the room to pack up for our room change tomorrow. DDaley, Ampurp85, MaryS and 7 others 9 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted February 26 Report Share Posted February 26 Tamper. I love that you refer to Tampa that way, like it's something to be messed with. Do you typically do a room change for a B2B, or is this an upgrade? WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.