We and very good cruise critic friends fought through various snow storms to make our way to San Diego to board the Radiance of the Seas, a ship we met on two years ago.

Our original flight was canceled due to the weather so we had to arrive in Sunny San Diego early than planned. We stayed across the street from the cruise ship dock at the Holiday Inn. Our room was not the best and the shuttle service was slow to pick us up at the airport (I admit that after driving through a whiteout and catch a plane loaded with toddlers as well as jet lag left us in a critical mood). The location was great though and we caught a shuttle to the zoo, walked to Anthony's to meet cc friends and were able to walk to the ship in the morning.

The ship was as beautiful as ever and remains one of my favorites. We did notice little economies (no mints, lack of welcome back gifts etc). We found a really great waitress in the Schooner from New Zealand named Mary or as we called her HAUN-nee. The crew was very friendly and accommodating. We enjoyed being on the same floor as the entertainers--imagine sharing elevators with Marty Allen. We did find that the drinks were inconsistent from bar to bar and even in the same bar. They were never made the same-some were heavy on the spirits others were light. There were a lot of kids on board and between them and the various parties in the Colony we were never able to pass the pre-dinner hour playing pool. We were lucky enough to be seated with a great group at dinner and are still trying to remember all the jokes. The positive attitude of your traveling companions and your table-mates really make a cruise. Read more