Royal Caribbean - Radiance of the Seas (in Progress October ‘26)

  • October 5-15, 2026  (2 cruises - 10 nights total)

Radiance Class / 27_-Passengers / Maiden Voyage: 200_ / Revitalized in 202 / Ports:  Tampa, Cozumel, 

Back to Back

  • Wwe took consecutive cruises of 5 nights each.
  • .
  • The entire process took an hour each time.  Luggage arrived in our new stateroom within 75 minutes of our departure from the previous cabin.
  • .

Cabin Plusses and Minuses - location, location, location  (cc Jewel, to be replaced)

  • #1146; #9504; #1158 - all Starboard (right side) front
  • All three were close to the Fitness gym, elevators and stairs
  • Noise was rarely an issue on any of the three; 1st and 3rd had the least passenger traffic
  • Two cabins on the 11th deck were very close to the gym and were located on a short hall of only 12 cabins on only one side.  Instead of interior cabins across the hall, the outside wall of the spa was outside our cabin
  • The 9th deck cabin had more traffic, but we experienced no issues
  • The Windjammer is on the 11th deck, at the back, no stairs or elevators from 2 of the 3 cabins
  • The Solarium was very close (2 of 3 times), with morning coffee available less than a 2 minute walk from our door

Crowded?  Kid-friendly?

  • With expectations for summer travel, families and 2500 passengers, we found the crowd experience to be “average”
  • With the B2B2B experience, our 2nd and 3rd legs totally avoided the usual embarkation process
  • Compared to bigger ships (Oasis class and larger) with multiple kid-centric options, the Jewel has moderate space for the younger set.  The number of large families, reunions, and guys/gals trip vibes varied

Entertainment - Jewel, to be replaced

  • Every ship has something for everyone.  As an older and smaller Radiance Class ship, fewer entertainment options were “must-see.”
  • There was a talented comedy juggler who was not as family-friendly as advertised, although some of those jokes must have gone over the heads of the pre-teen set.
  • A comedian was very funny, and we checked him out on a second and third time - his sets were repeated on all three legs.  We did not attend his adults-only option, as we often have an earlier bedtime.
  • Crazy Quest is presented on the penultimate night of most RC cruises.  We skipped the 3 opportunities on the Jewel (but stayed up late for the event on the Adventure, later in June 2025 - funny per usual, but hard to match the rip-roaring laughter elicited the first time we saw one - a decade ago).
  • Music - several very pleasant solo and duo artists, playing piano, violin, and guitar.  Surprisingly, very good available seating in the music venues.
  • Miscellaneous - game shows, Silent parties, Name that Tune, Belly Flop competitions, Karaoke, dance classes, onboard movies (a small cinema, and poolside), and more.  (I saw a relatively recent Captain America movie, in the cinema, which looks like it seats about 50.)

Dining (also, see Tips) -  replace w Radiance 

  • We enjoyed the Main Dining Room (MDR) for most dinners, scheduling the 5:00 seating (in advance).  The food was high quality, sufficiently varied for a 3-4 night cruise, and usually (90%) the correct temperature.
  • For 3 consecutive cruises, the selections were repetitive.
  • We enjoyed ordering the cheese dessert plate - as an appetizer.  After a couple days, the waiters began delivering this choice before even taking our order.
  • Drink orders are a little slow in the MDR.  Patience is in order…or, bring your own.  The price is the same, or free if you have casino drink privileges.
  • We enjoyed one specialty dining option - Chops.  We’ve had excellent service and tasty meals here - a few times.  
    • Pro-Tip:  Lunches at specialty restaurants are only available at select restaurants, but you can save big by opting for lunch vs. dinner.  Reserve in advance of your cruise to obtain 20-30% reduced prices; we’ve been paying $20-$23 each (+18% gratuity included), although I have not determined why the prices vary by ship.
  • On day one of each cruise leg, we avoided the rush/crush of Windjammer patrons by either a) enjoying pizza in the Solarium, or b) taking advantage of the special MDR luncheon - limited to Back-to-Back cruisers.
  • With dinner as our main meal, we varied breakfast and lunch times to mostly avoid the busiest rush.
    • It’s not hard to run into the WJ, grab a bowl of oatmeal and return to your cabin for a quiet meal.
  • Check your Ship App for up-to-date venue hours; breakfast or lunch times vary between port and sea days.

Vitality Fitness Center - Radiance to come

  • Fortunately (for committed exercisers), not everyone hits the gym while aboard.  The gym is open early to late, although I’ve not been there for either.
  • Compared to other ships I’ve cruised in 2025, the Jewel was not often crowded.
    • First days aboard bring out the “resolution” folks, i.e., similar to January in your landed gym 
    • Busy-ness can vary, especially on port days, so one strategy is to time your exercise to the least popular times, if you can also alter your port visit times.
  • The hardest equipment to access was stationary bikes (too few, and not all were in good repair), and free weights (a common issue on ships, AND at my local fitness center).
  • My.

Ports

  • On this trip, we .
  • Coco Cay - inter
  • Nassau - on.

Will We Do It Again?

  • Maybe
  • We would do a B2B, but not a B2B2B on the Jewel of the Seas.
  • We took advantage of just one car drive to and from Ft. Lauderdale, so that was good.  I wouldn’t drive that far for just a 3 or 4-night trip.
  • The food and service was highly rated; however, the entertainment was repetitive and not varied sufficiently for our tastes.
  • We will try harder in the future to keep the same cabin for a B2B, although changing rooms was not a big deal.