Radiance of the Seas

 

Vancouver will say goodbye to the Radiance of the Seas on September 26th!  The Radiance of the Seas has been sailing to Alaska from Vancouver since 2001.  I've been on her a few times.  The ship is built with a lot of panoramic glass and was designed for scenic cruising. The ship offered passengers unforgettable views of glaciers, wildlife and rugged coastlines for over two decades.  It was a favorite of passengers sailing to Alaska.  She would reposition to Australia every fall and return in the spring.  

My favorite cruise on her was to Sydney, Australia.  The one unique feature is the chess board.  Cec reminds me of it every time we sail on the ship.  It's backwards!  It drives him crazy and every time we've been on board he mentions it to the staff.  It's never been corrected.  I guess it's okay for checkers.  

Next year Royal Caribbean will send a Quantum Class ship, the Ovation of the Seas to Vancouver to take her place.   The Radiance has a capacity of 2,501 and the Ovation has a capacity of 4,180.  Ovation is a much larger and has more activities and entertainment.  It's a favorite of families with children.   It features 17 dining options, iFly sky diving simulator, north star observation capsule, flow rider, surf simulator, rock climbing wall, and bumper cars!  It's not your grandparents cruise ship!  

Yes, we've sailed the Ovation.  We went to Hawaii on her and had a good trip.  I actually prefer the even larger ships as we sail for entertainment and the larger Royal Caribbean ships have even more!  I love the diving show on the Oasis class ships.  We also saw full Broadway plays Chicago and on another cruise Mama Mia!  The entertainment is excellent!  Before you sail you make a reservation so you know you have seat!