A family member had been on Radiance last year and described it as a nice ship but very tired and shabby looking. However after a $20 million refit last summer Radiance looks brand, spanking new and it was a delight to sail on her. Whoever did the interior designs is to be commended on a wonderful job.

Although the ship was fully booked, it was spacious enough not to feel over-crowded; it was never a problem to get a deck chair in a favoured position or a seat in the theatre. Your Choice time dining was very successful and since the refit there are now 7 speciality restaurants available at a supplement, but we enjoyed the food and service so much in the main restaurant that we did not use any of them. Theatre, shows and entertainment were first class. The crew were without exception helpful, courteous and always ready to give assistance. Most of the ports of call required tenders for around 2,300 people, but were well organised

Some minor criticisms: the embarkation at Sydney was chaotic - not Royal Caribbean's fault, but the port authority needs to get its act together. The cabins - and we were on the top deck - are still relatively small compared to other ships. A negative feature of the recent refit is an enormous TV screen on the main deck by the swimming pool which is on all day with the sound at full blast. The dress code requirements were generally ignored and I now realise that an Australian's idea of formal dress in the evening is to wear a pair of socks over their flip flops with their vest and shorts, while others were dressed in tuxedos! At all costs avoid the shore excursions which are over-priced and poor value for money. Read more