Radiance class cruise ships
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PROFILE AND REVIEW
ROYAL CARIBBEAN'SRADIANCE CLASS |
Serenade of the Seas
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Royal Caribbean's Radiance class is composed of four ships: Radiance of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas.
Often when people think about Royal Caribbean they envision massive ships providing family-oriented, action-packed cruises. Royal's Oasis, Freedom and Voyager class ships do provide such cruise experiences. However, as the Radiance class ships demonstrate, the line is not so one dimensional.
At 90,000 gross tons, these cruise ships are smaller than Royal Caribbean's mega-cruise ships. However, they are not ships that were conceived of as large cruise ships but which have become small cruise ships due to the increase in the relative size of subsequent ships. Rather, they were designed to be medium-size cruise ships. In other words, the Radiance class ships are not old ships squeezed into a role they were never designed to fill. They do what they were designed to do.
What they were designed to do is provide a Royal Caribbean cruise experience for sophisticated travelers. There is no “shock and awe” décor in a Radiance class ship. They do not have all of the “Gee Wiz” features found on some of the larger fleetmates. Instead, they have a contemporary resort décor with a variety of entertainment and dining alternatives including an array of specialty restaurants.
It is, nonetheless, a distinctly Royal Caribbean experience. The ships have their own versions of many of the trademark Royal Caribbean features such as the Schooner Bar, the Windjammer buffet and the Viking Crown. However, they are set in a more sophisticated atmosphere.
The Radiance class can be thought of as where Royal Caribbean meets its sister premium brand brand Celebrity Cruises. Thus, while the very large Oasis, Freedom and Voyager class ships compete with the mass market lines, the Radiance class offers a Royal Caribbean alternative to premium lines such as Princess Cruises.
The Radiance class ships have much to recommend themselves from a nautical perspective.
The four ships entered service between 2001 and 2004. Virtually identical, all four were built by Germany's Meyer-Werft in
Papenberg. The Radiance ships can be viewed in some ways as forerunners of Celebrity's Solstice class ships and Royal's
Quantum class, both of which were also built by Meyer Werft..
The primary power plant for the Radiances is gas turbines. These give the ships a great deal of power and as a result, these ships are among the fastest cruise ships currently in service. When the price of gas turbine fuel skyrocketed, each ship was retrofitted with a diesel engine. The additional engine is often used to power the hotel while the ship is in port, thus reducing the need to run the gas turbines.
The power from the engine plant turns electric motors housed in two azimodal pods. These along with three bow thrusters make the highly maneuverable.
Often when people think about Royal Caribbean they envision massive ships providing family-oriented, action-packed cruises. Royal's Oasis, Freedom and Voyager class ships do provide such cruise experiences. However, as the Radiance class ships demonstrate, the line is not so one dimensional.
At 90,000 gross tons, these cruise ships are smaller than Royal Caribbean's mega-cruise ships. However, they are not ships that were conceived of as large cruise ships but which have become small cruise ships due to the increase in the relative size of subsequent ships. Rather, they were designed to be medium-size cruise ships. In other words, the Radiance class ships are not old ships squeezed into a role they were never designed to fill. They do what they were designed to do.
What they were designed to do is provide a Royal Caribbean cruise experience for sophisticated travelers. There is no “shock and awe” décor in a Radiance class ship. They do not have all of the “Gee Wiz” features found on some of the larger fleetmates. Instead, they have a contemporary resort décor with a variety of entertainment and dining alternatives including an array of specialty restaurants.
It is, nonetheless, a distinctly Royal Caribbean experience. The ships have their own versions of many of the trademark Royal Caribbean features such as the Schooner Bar, the Windjammer buffet and the Viking Crown. However, they are set in a more sophisticated atmosphere.
The Radiance class can be thought of as where Royal Caribbean meets its sister premium brand brand Celebrity Cruises. Thus, while the very large Oasis, Freedom and Voyager class ships compete with the mass market lines, the Radiance class offers a Royal Caribbean alternative to premium lines such as Princess Cruises.
The Radiance class ships have much to recommend themselves from a nautical perspective.
The four ships entered service between 2001 and 2004. Virtually identical, all four were built by Germany's Meyer-Werft in
Papenberg. The Radiance ships can be viewed in some ways as forerunners of Celebrity's Solstice class ships and Royal's
Quantum class, both of which were also built by Meyer Werft..
The primary power plant for the Radiances is gas turbines. These give the ships a great deal of power and as a result, these ships are among the fastest cruise ships currently in service. When the price of gas turbine fuel skyrocketed, each ship was retrofitted with a diesel engine. The additional engine is often used to power the hotel while the ship is in port, thus reducing the need to run the gas turbines.
The power from the engine plant turns electric motors housed in two azimodal pods. These along with three bow thrusters make the highly maneuverable.
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Cruise ship class profile and review - - Royal Caribbean - - Radiance class