Radiance Of The Seas

The 2001-built Radiance of the Seas cruise ship is the first Radiance-class Royal Caribbean liner, with sisterships Jewel OTS, Serenade OTS, Brilliance OTS.

The vessel (IMO number 9195195) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311319000) and registered in Nassau.

History - construction and ownership

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is a US passenger shipping company, trademarked travel brand, and subsidiary owned by Royal Caribbean Group (RCG/shipowner). RCI was established in 1968 and currently has over 1/5 of the worldwide cruise market. RCI also has RCG's largest fleet by both vessel number and GT tonnage (ship sizes and capacities).

All RCI liners have names ending with "of the Seas".

When Royal Caribbean launched its first-in-class Radiance cruise ship in 2001, guests were impressed by the light which came streaming through her glassy exterior. After 10 years, RCI put $20 million into giving the 2140-passenger vessel a new identity.

During the refurbishment in 2011, Radiance OTS gained 8 dining choices already found on the bigger Oasis OTS and Allure OTS, including a Japanese dining venue and Brazilian churrascaria, as well as stateroom upgrades throughout, bow-to-stern Wi-Fi and a huge poolside TV screen. Other additions included a completely new nursery for children aged 6 to 36 months (also an Oasis-class staple), twelve new staterooms, interactive HDTV systems in all accommodations, as well as the installation of touch-screen sensors "way finders" throughout to make it easier to find out what's going on where, and how to get there.

Decks and Cabins

Radiance Of The Seas staterooms (1061 total, in 32 grades) include 64 Suites, 513 Balcony, 241 Oceanviews, 243 Inside (3 Single). Most cabins are sized 165-190 ft2 (15-18 m2). Most cabin balconies are sized 45 ft2 (4 m2). The smallest is Studio Interior (110 ft2 / 10 m2). The largest is Royal Suite (1000 ft2 / 93 m2 plus 105 ft2 / 10 m2 terrace). Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 15.

The boat has 13 decks, of which 12 are passenger-accessible and 8 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The 2-story Cascades is Radiance's main dining room. It features oversized mirrors and columns draped in curtains. The whole space offers an airy ambience and seats 1110 guests. The Cascades also has two small private dining areas, 30-seat Tides (port side) and 102-seat Breakers (starboard side). Breakfast is served on the lower deck from 8.00 am to 10.00 am offering waiter service menu with the usual breakfast fare of omelets, bacon, sausages, French toast, pancakes, smoked salmon bagels and a special of the day dish.

The buffet area offers a small selection of pre-made items. Lunch is served from noon to 1.30 pm and features Brasserie 30 menu which enables passengers to complete meals in 30 minutes. It includes a “Tutti” salad bar which offers everything from tomatoes, lettuce, eggs and grated carrot to prawns, tuna, meats, cheeses and bread. The dinner menu offers 9 appetizers to choose from, 10 entree choices, 3 different types of soups, 7 desserts and classics. Additionally, the menu lists Chef’s Inspiration which is the recommendation of the Chef for a starter, main and dessert each day.

Follows the complete list of Radiance of the Seas restaurants and food bars.

• Cascades Restaurant (1110-seat aft Dining Room, with two smaller private dining rooms: 30-seat Tides and 102-seat Breakers)
• Windjammer Cafe Lido buffet restaurant (797-seat, offers Early Breakfast at 6:30 am, Breakfast between 7-11:30 am, Lunch 11:30-3:30 pm and Dinner 6.30-9 pm)
• Chops Grille (90-seat specialty restaurant; reservations recommended)
• Giovanni’s Table (Italian specialty restaurant; reservations recommended)
• Chefs Table (14-seat gourmet dining room)
• Park Cafe (deli restaurant; complimentary - serves the Solarium area)
• Izumi (74-seat Asian specialty restaurant)
• Rita’s Cantina (84-seat Mexican specialty restaurant)
• Samba Grill (Brazilian steakhouse).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Expect the best onboard Radiance of the Seas. With a huge gym, a rock-climbing wall, basketball and volleyball courts, and a relaxing day spa, the list of things to do are going to get larger. You can head over to the pool or wander around the ship to take in the breathtaking views. There is an African safari-themed Solarium, as well as shuffleboard, Bingo, and other organized activities.

For the kids, there is Adventure Ocean, the greatest kids facility with various age-appropriate activities for the youngsters. Radiance even boasts an indoor/outdoor country club with golf simulator.

Additional amenities include Complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, Supervised Youth program, Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry.

Follows the complete list of Radiance of the Seas lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Aurora Theatre (868-seat, features grand production shows with dance, acrobatics, comedy and games)
• Starquest nightclub disco and lounge
• Photo Gallery and Shop; Art Gallery
• The Centrum (social hub, offers aerial acrobatics entertainment); The Colony Club (102-seat, hosts religious services), Jakarta (45-seat), Singapore Slings (90-seat), Bombay Billiard (8-seat); Seven Hearts (40-seat card room); Crown and Anchor Lounge; Crown Lounge (fka Diamond Club Lounge & Bar for past guests only/34-seat); Explorer’s Lounge; Concierge Club (184-seat suite and past guests only); Viking Crown Lounge and Nightclub
• Lobby Bar (53-seat atrium bar); Cafe Latte-tudes Bar (40-seat specialty coffee bar, Starbucks Coffee); Quill and Compass English Pub (102-seat sports bar); Schooner Bar (144-seat piano bar); Sky Bar
• Centrum Boutiques (duty-free; clothes, perfumes, accessories, jewelry, logo souvenirs, General Store/alcohol and cigarettes)
• Casino Royale (256-seat)
• Royal Caribbean Online Centre (Internet computers room; 24-hour)
• Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center; 3 jacuzzis; 2 pools
• Solarium lounge (includes Cafe Bar, pool bar and adults-only pool area)
• Cinema (53-seat)
• Video Games Arcade; Optix Teen Disco club; Royal Babies and Tots Nursery
• Adventure Beach; Adventure Ocean kids lounge area
• Sports Court (golf simulator, table tennis, basketball court); Jogging Track; Rock-climbing Wall; Mini-Golf Course.

Itineraries

Radiance of the Seas itinerary program is based on Alaskan voyages from Vancouver BC Canada during the summer months. For the rest of the year, Radiance OTS sails in Australia leaving out of Sydney NSW, as well as to Hawaii on Transpacific crossings (RepositionCruises.com) between Australia and Alaska (Sydney-Vancouver).

Following the 2-year hiatus due to the Coronavirus crisis, Radiance OTS was scheduled to restart operations on April 23, 2022 (6-day repositioning from Los Angeles to Vancouver) followed by a 7-day Alaskan program with roundtrips from homeports Vancouver to Seward AK.

In March 2022, RCI announced changing the ship's deployment/homeport for the 2022-2023 winter season (November through April) from Australia/Sydney to the Caribbean (departures offering from Port NOLA/New Orleans and Galveston Texas). The redeployment included a Panama Canal transition/relocation voyage (Los Angeles to New Orleans) starting Oct 20, 2022.

• 4-7-night Western Caribbean roundtrips from New Orleans visit Mexico, Belize, Jamaica, Grand Cayman.
• 7-10-night Western Caribbean roundtrips from Galveston start in 2023-Q1 (itinerary details tba soon).

Radiance is Royal Caribbean's first Radiance-class liner, with sisterships Brilliance, Jewel, Serenade. Radiance was built in 2001 by Meyer Werft GmbH (Papenburg, Germany). Ship's godmother was Margot L. Pritzker - wife of Thomas J. Pritzker (a member of RCCL's Board of Directors). The naming ceremony was on April 6, 2001. The inaugural cruise (maiden voyage) started from Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) on April 17, 2001. The 14-day itinerary around the Caribbean visited Aruba, Panama Canal, Costa Rica, Mexico Riviera ports, Los Angeles, and ended in Seattle WA, from where the ship cruised to ports in Canada, Alaska and Hawaii.

The vessel's gas turbine (first on RCCL ship) makes her more effective in speeding and also results in much lower harmful gases emissions compared with diesel-powered vessels.

One of the most beautiful facilities on board is the nautical-themed Schooners Bar with its blue carpet and dark paneling. The pool area is African-themed. You will see three plaster-made huge elephants while listening to animal and bird sounds there.

Radiance OTS refurbishments review

The ship's last routine drydocks (for regular maintenance, classworks and technical overhauls) were conducted in 2021 and 2024. Drydock 2021 (September) was at Navantia Shipyard (Cadiz Spain), and mainly for general maintenance (technical and routine) works. Drydock 2024 (March) was at Grand Bahama Shipyard (Freeport Bahamas). This project also included new carpeting and upholstery in all public areas.

The drydock refurbishment in 2016 was in Portland (Oregon USA). The project included technical repairs (steel replacement and propeller/propulsion maintenance). All passenger cabins were also updated. The Vitality at Sea complex (Shipshape Spa on deck 12) was redesigned. Also on deck 12, the outdoor pool deck area was refreshed.

During refurbishment 2012 (June) were added 7 new dining venues – Samba Grill, Rita's Cantina, Giovanni's Table, Park Cafe, Izumi, Boardwalk Dog House, and Chef's Table (VIP dining). Also new was the Babies & Tots Nursery.

The list of deckplan changes after drydock 2011 refurbishment included:

• new complimentary dining options (deli restaurant “Park Cafe”, and the hotdogs bar “Dog House”)
• new specialty dining options at an additional charge (“Giovanni’s Table”/Italian Trattoria, “Izumi”/Asian, “Samba Grill”/Brazilian, “Rita’s Cantina”/Mexican)
• Jumbotron (huge poolside huge movie screen)
• Nursery, English pub
• new lounges (“Diamond” and “Concierge”).

On the RCI Radiance there are also 2 new cruise dining packages – “Chef’s” (cost $145 PP, venues included “Chops”, “Giovanni’s”, “Izumi”, “Samba” and “Chef’s Table”, also inclusive of wine) and “Radiance” (cost $75 PP, inclusions “Chops”, “Giovanni’s”, “Izumi” and “Samba”).

Ship Facts

The vessel is faster and with better maneuverability compared to all before 2001-built cruise ships. This is due to a modified propulsion system combining powerful bow thrusters, Azipods and a dynamic GPS positioning system.

The ship was designed to operate in both warm and cool regions. It features an abundance of panoramic windows, cabin balconies, glass-walled Atrium, all-panoramic / glass-wall elevators with sea views.

With the Radiance ship, RCI's signature Viking Crown Lounge was redesigned to become an entertainment complex with several venues - including the Starquest disco nightclub (featuring a revolving bar) and Hollywood Odyssey (intimate bar with Hollywood memorabilia and live entertainment by stand-up comedians and music ensembles). In the following years, these clubs' names were changed, the interior was redesigned and new venues were added - the Concierge Club and Diamond Club.

The initials GTV (abbrev "gas turbine vessel") can be found on either side of the ship's stern. They relate to the vessel's propulsion. Radiance is the first RCI ship powered by gas-steam turbines. The new-generation power plant has 1 steam and 2 gas turbines (by General Electric) and is more fuel-efficient and cleaner (gas turbines burn distillate fuel) than traditional marine diesel engines. The turbine-generated electricity powers the ship's propulsion units (ABB Azipods), This results in lower exhaust emissions. The ship also features a rotating engine, which results in fewer vibrations.

The Radiance ship has a USD 6 million onboard art collection, including paintings and sculptures. Among those is the Centrum's (5-deck high atrium) wire-suspended sculpture (composed of radiating spokes).

When the vessel debuted in 2001, a novel onboard space was the "Books & Coffee" shop (located forward-starboard on deck 5, adjacent to Photo Gallery & Shop). The venue combined library, bookstore, coffee bar and Internet Cafe (with 4 PC stations). Currently, its space is occupied by the Focus Art Gallery.

Bombay Billiard Club has 2 self-leveling (gyroscope) pool tables. The motorized gyroscope counteracts the vessel's movements and keeps them leveled pretty well. Each of the gyroscope pool tables costs USD 90,000.