In St. Lucia we went on the Land/Sea Tour to Soufriere, a combination bus trip and catamaran sail. We have done this tour before and it was just as wonderful. We visited an active volcano, sulfur springs, waterfall and floral gardens. We were treated to a buffet lunch at a restored estate. We sailed and danced on the catamaran with a brief beach stop for swimming.

In Barbados, our final stop, I took a scuba diving excursion to the Marine Reserve at Folkstone for a two-tank dive on the reefs. Great dive but I lost my watch. Hellen shopped in town.

We arrived in San Juan early Saturday morning and disembarked without any problems. We were treated to the use of the Platinum/Diamond Club Lounge (a small room set up with coffee, juice and pastries) to await our departure. It was here that we met a couple whom, like us, were back-to-back on the Adventure of the Seas. Because we were staying overnight in San Juan, we were among the last passengers to disembark the beautiful Radiance of the Seas, leaving behind fond memories of a wonderful week's cruise.

- Summary -

We enjoyed the Radiance. There was really nothing bad that we could say about her, except maybe the uncomfortable beds and the cocktail parties. The captain's cocktail party, along with the repeat passenger party, were eliminated for main seating guests. Those on the main seating had to attend the parties for the second seating guests, usually at 7:45 or 8:00. By combining the two, the room was overcrowded with limited seating and we were never offered a drink at any of the three parties we attended. After desert and coffee following dinner, we were not in the mood for cocktails. This whole affair was badly done.

We would recommend this ship. Another Radiance class ship is due soon - the Brilliance of the Seas scheduled for debut July 15, 2002.

Bon Voyage!

Bob & Hellen Hersey
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
http://www.cybertours.com/~bobby/radiance_of_the_seas.htm
bobby@cybertours.com

- Rankings -

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good - ship décor, friendly staff, cleanliness, golf course and ports of call.

The Bad - rubber hamburgers at the Windjammer, pool deck design, Aurora Theater ambience, crowded elevators and the absence of sorbe, caviar and pate.

The Ugly - our lifeboat captain's demeanor, the beds, the blackout, 4x6 color photos at $9.95 and more rubber hamburgers.

Overall Rating ***

Seamanship and safety of the vessel: ***
Sanitation ****
Food Service In The Dining Room ****
Food Quality In The Dining Room ***
Food Service In The Cafe ***
Food Quality In The Cafe ***
Stateroom Amenities **
Stateroom Comfort ***
Stateroom Attendant **
Room Service ***
Production Entertainment **
Headliner Entertainment **
Show Band ****
Pool Band ****
Lounge Entertainers ***
Cruise Director ****
Cruise Staff ***
Ports of Call ****
Shore Excursions ***
Meet and Greet - N/A
Reservations **

- Rating Schedule -

* Poor
** Fair
*** Good
**** Excellent
***** Outstanding

- Ship Facts -

2100 Double occupancy cabins.
3360 Coast guard passengers limit.
105 Ft. Ship beam.
24 Knots Cruising speed.
88,000 Tons.
961 Ft. Ship Length.
Built at Meyer Werft Papenburg, Germany Inaugurates on 10-March-2001 Registry : Liberia
International Crew.
1079 dining capacity
2 dining rooms.
859 crew.
1050 total rooms.

237 interior rooms.
813 exterior rooms.
Delivery: 15-February-2001