Radiance of the Seas Activities

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Entertainment
Tiana Templeman
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Entertainment & Activities

Theatre

The three-level Aurora Theatre spans Decks 4 to 6 and has an Arctic theme, with sculptured balconies, sidewalls and parterre divisions resembling glacial landscapes. The stage curtain is inspired by the aurora borealis and nightly entertainment might include production shows with the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers, or headline acts featuring vocalists, jugglers and musicians.

Daily Fun

Make your own fun with a game of shuffle board or join the staff for activities such as trivia (which is particularly well attended), towel-folding lessons or sports competitions. Around the ship you will find art auctions, popular wine and tequila tastings (for a fee), chefs demonstrating the art of carving fruit, health and well-being seminars and guest lecturers. You can also catch a movie in the cinema on Deck 6.

At Night

Radiance of the Seas offers an impressive number of bars, lounges and entertainment venues for a midsized ship, and they tend to attract a lively crowd. In the evening, much of the action takes place on Deck 6, which houses the majority of the ship's bars. Musical performances by cover bands, piano players, guitarists and other musical acts can be found in these throughout the night. This is also where you'll find the French art nouveau-inspired Casino Royale, with more than 200 slot machines and tables for blackjack, craps and roulette.

Radiance of the Seas Bars & Lounges

Lobby Bar (Deck 4): This bar, located directly opposite guest services and the shore excursions desk, is a top spot for people-watching throughout the day. The Lobby Bar opens bright and early at 9 a.m., the same time as the Pool Bar, if you fancy a morning refreshment.

Quill & Scroll Pub (Deck 6): With its dark woods, high wooden stools, cosy conversation nooks and international brews on taps, this pub is a great place to gather for an adult beverage and a chat.

Casino Bar (Deck 6): The casino has a small bar which is mainly used by those playing the pokies and tables. However, anyone is welcome to drop in here for a drink.

Champagne Bar (Deck 6): If you feel like raising a glass in a more subdued setting, the small and elegant Champagne Bar is the place to come. Sea views and lounge seating on different levels give this drinking spot a more intimate vibe. The Champagne Bar serves, not surprisingly, Champagne together with a selection of wine and cocktails.

Schooner Bar (Deck 6): Royal Caribbean's trademark Schooner Bar extends down one side of the ship and is decorated with cannons, cannon balls and other nautical memorabilia. You can sink into the comfy sofas or hang out at the bar, which draws a crowd from when it opens until late into the night. A piano player provides entertainment most nights and sing-alongs are popular.

The Colony Club (Deck 6): This is one of the largest bars on the ships and there are plenty of seats spread throughout the venue, including a selection around the dance floor. How much action the dance floor gets depends on whether there are ballroom dancers onboard and the type of music being played.

Bombay Billiard Club (Deck 6): Drinkers come here to stand and marvel at the two gyroscopic pool tables which use the same technology as remote-control helicopters to move around and keep each ball in place. It's free to play but there is often a wait at busy times.

Jakarta Lounge (Deck 6): Located towards the rear of the ship, the Jakarta Lounge seats just 45 passengers and has polished wood furniture, brass work and tables inlaid with chessboards. There is also a small bar with stools for those who enjoy sitting up at the bar.

Singapore Sling's (Deck 6): With floor-to-ceiling windows delivering great views over the stern, Singapore Sling's is a lovely spot to kick back and watch the ocean, especially at sunset and during sail-away.

Windjammer Bar (Deck 11): This small bar inside the ship's buffet restaurant is predominantly used by passengers dining indoors or outdoors at the Windjammer Cafe.

Pool Bar (Deck 11): If you're lying by the pool and feel like a drink, this bar has a selection of popular beverages. Bar seating is also available for those who feel like socialising.

Sky Bar (Deck 12): This outdoor bar is a nice spot to enjoy a drink when the weather is good, especially at sunset. It also has a good view of the big screen and the action on the pool deck.

Starquest Disco (Deck 13): Offering views from floor-to-ceiling windows, a large bar, dance floor and a resident DJ, you'll have to wait until after 10 p.m. to hit the floor at the Starquest Disco.

Radiance of the Seas Outside Recreation

Pools

Radiance of the Seas has one outdoor pool with two whirlpools. Plentiful seating is available around the pool. A large movie screen shows movies and live music concerts throughout the day.

The African-themed Solarium is available to passengers aged 16 and above and features three life-sized stone elephants, a waterfall, greenery and stone relief art panels depicting gazelles and antelopes. The Solarium's raised pool, two whirlpools and relaxation areas are covered by a retractable glass roof. There's a whirlpool here, too. This area is looking somewhat dated, but it's still a lovely spot for a swim.

Recreation

Active cruisers will enjoy the rock climbing wall, rising 200 feet above the sea with five separate climbing tracks, and the sports club which has Ping-Pong, a basketball court and deck games. There's also a nine-hole miniature golf course and a jogging track; six times around equals 1 mile.

On Deck 12, the children's water park is the ship's family hot spot with two kiddie slides that elicit squeals of delight from youngsters.

Sun Decks

Most of the sun deck space can be found on Deck 11 around the pool, but peaceful sunning can also be had on the many deck chairs located on Deck 12.

Radiance of the Seas Services

Head to Deck 4 for guest services and the shore excursions desk. On Deck 5 there are shops selling logo merchandise, souvenirs and sundries. Duty-free items including jewellery, alcohol, fragrances, cosmetics, watches and sunglasses are also available. You will also find the ship's conference rooms, art gallery and photo shop here. Photographs are arranged by date for passengers to peruse, with a variety of packages available.

You will find the art gallery on this level as well, together with Royal Caribbean Online, the ship's internet centre with five stations. Seven additional computers for accessing the internet are available on Deck 7. Internet access is priced from US$12.99 per day, per device for a full-cruise package or a single day pass can be purchased for US$19.99.

The Next Cruise desk, for those looking to book their next cruise, is located directly across from the internet stations on Deck 5. Other facilities include a small library on Deck 9, a card room on Deck 10 and a Loyalty Desk on Deck 12.

A doctor is available in the Medical Centre on Deck 4. There are no self-service laundrettes onboard, but you can pay to have your clothing laundered.

Spa & Fitness

Spa

The 15,500-square-foot Vitality Day Spa and Fitness Centre is divided into three sections: a beauty and health centre, aerobics area and fitness centre. The beauty centre has a dedicated salon for hair services and manicures and pedicures. The Day Spa has 12 treatment rooms including a Rasul (scrub) and thermal suite and offers treatments such as a 50-minute massage from US$159 and a facial from US$149. Medispa services, such as derma filler and Botox treatments, are also available. A separate relaxation area with lounges and complimentary chilled water and herbal tea can be enjoyed post-treatment. Massage and facial specials are sometimes available on port days.

Fitness

The large onboard fitness centre has an aerobics area with mirrored wall and wood-suspended aerobics floor; and a gym with multiple treadmills, cycles, free weights, multiple benches and other fitness equipment. An array of fitness activities, such as stretching and aerobics classes, are scheduled. Many of these are complimentary but some classes, like yoga and Pilates, levy a fee and are priced from US$12. The fitness centre is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for passengers aged over 16.

For Kids

On Deck 12 children have free reign of Adventure Ocean and the adjoining Adventure Beach, with an indoor kids' activity space and outdoor play area with a slide and splash pool. Adjacent to this area there is the Royal Babies & Tots Nursery, which is divided into play, sleeping and eating zones, and offers supervised care for kids 6 to 36 months. The cost is $6 per hour, per child during the day and $8 per child per hour in the evening.

Late-night babysitting for children aged under 12 is available from 10 p.m. until the last child leaves, and costs US$7 per child, per hour.

All parents need to register their children for the kids' club at the beginning of the cruise, and children are given a coloured wristband, indicating the family's muster station. If there is an emergency while children are in Adventure Ocean, members of the youth program will be responsible for taking them to the muster station.

A video arcade (Deck 12) with games like air hockey and shooter games is popular with kids and teens, but these have to be paid for. If you buy your child a capped US$20 or similar pass for the arcade, be warned that additional games will automatically be charged to your account when the pass runs out unless you deactivate the option for them to use their card for purchases.

Kids

The Adventure Ocean activities program offers different amusements for different age groups. Children aged 3 to 5 are classed as Aquanauts and their schedule includes things like story sessions and face painting. Kids aged 6 to 8 fall into the Explorer category, and their daily line-up includes activities like crazy tag and dodgeball. Children aged 9 to 11, meanwhile, are given the title of Voyagers, as well as a little more freedom around the ship with activities such as scavenger hunts.

The Adventure Ocean activity space is open daily from 9 a.m. to noon; 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m. It opens a half-hour before the first shore excursion leaves on port days, so children aged over 3 can be left with members of the Adventure Ocean team while parents go ashore. Kids who stay on the ship take part in activities and are supervised during lunch in the Windjammer Restaurant. There is no charge for this service.

Parents have to sign their children aged 8 and under in and out every time they visit Adventure Ocean. Voyagers are allowed to sign themselves in and out of the program with parental permission; except on port days when all children aged under 12 must be signed out by an adult.

Teens

On Royal Caribbean, teens are classed as being aged between 12 and 17. They hang out at Optix on Deck 12, which looks like a club and has a dance floor, lounge seating, a nonalcoholic bar and table football. Among the organized activities are poolside movies and barbecues, but most teens come to Optix to meet up with friends then head off to do their own thing.

Activities & Entertainment

  • Adventure Beach
  • Adventure Ocean - Kids Club
  • Aurora Theatre
  • Bombay Billiard Club
  • Casino Royale*
  • Cinema
  • CruiseCritic Meet and Mingle
  • Dance Classes
  • Dance Parties
  • Deck Parties
  • Demonstrations
  • Fitness Classes*
  • Game Broadcasts
  • Game Shows
  • Hot Tubs (3)
  • Karaoke
  • Library
  • Live Music
  • Massage*
  • Mini-Golf
  • * May require additional fees

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