Meet our ship

Today we boarded the Radiance of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean International ship, to commence our cruise to New Zealand. The ship takes 2100 guests and I felt that every one of them was in the Windjammer Cafe when we arrived. Despite the hustle and bustle, we were soon able to get a meal and a drink and work out how we were going to explore this huge ship (huge to me anyway!!). I am not used to so many people......more a no kids, no casino type of cruiser....... but always willing to try anything once!!!

The first thing you notice is the Centrum - a 10 storey high glass atrium in the centre of the ship. From here you can board the glass elevators that face either the sea or the Centrum so you never feel enclosed and get sweeping sea views when you zip up and down or look down and see what is happening at the Centrum Bar. It is from this central area that you can find all the bars and restaurants, shops, library, fitness centre, adults-only solarium, and the theatre. What I really like is the expanse of glass and the views of the sea from every floor.

Our "spacious oceanview" balcony cabin was what I would call a standard sized cabin for this class. Not sure how much smaller the standard balcony is but I am not planning on spending a lot of time in my cabin. So long as my bed is comfortable and they keep it clean I should be happy.

Fun facts about the ship

Length..............926 feet or 293 metres

Height...............173 feet

Tonnage............90,090 tons

Maximum speed 25 knots

13 decks

3 pools

3 whirlpools

7 bars/lounges

6 dining areas (that are complimentary)

5 specialty dining areas

Food consumption on a typical 1-week cruise

31,345 pounds of chicken

12,500 pounds of vegetables

11,580 pounds of fresh fruit

8,450 fresh eggs

5,350 pounds of beef

5,000 pounds of potatoes

4,750 pounds of rice

549 pounds of lobster

All in all a great start to our cruise......