Pre-Cruise Checklist: 5 Best Carnival Radiance Tips

In 2021, Carnival Victory had undergone a massive transformation, so much so that the vessel was renamed Carnival Radiance.

Radiance is the third ship in Carnival’s Sunshine class, formerly the Destiny class. All three vessels in the class have been overhauled and renamed. The other two are Carnival Sunshine (formerly Carnival Destiny) and Carnival Sunrise (formerly Carnival Triumph).

Exterior view ofCarnival Radiance in Long Beach, California
Exterior view of Carnival Radiance in Long Beach, California

I recently got to sail Carnival Radiance, marking my first-time sailing a Destiny/Sunshine class ship. In this article, then, I compiled five Carnival Radiance tips you should know before you sail.

5 Carnival Radiance Tips

1. Explore all breakfast options

Carnival Radiance has a few breakfast choices. On sea days, you may head to the main dining room for Seaday Brunch, where you’ll find Brunch Burger, fried chicken, waffles, and a skillet cake with guava preserve and marshmallows.

On port days, I recommend heading out to the Lido deck for a biscuit honey chicken sandwich and fries at Big Chicken or a breakfast burrito at BlueIguana Cantina. They are the perfect way to start your day.

Big chicken breakfast sandwich
Big chicken breakfast sandwich

2. Experience a karaoke night

Karaoke happens nightly on Carnival Radiance. Participants step up to the small stage of the RedFrog Pub and belt out tunes, which can also be heard from the nearby Bonsai Sushi Express and Alchemy Bar. On my recent cruise, I was surprised at how well people sang, so much so that I stayed there for hours.

Carnival Radiance's redfrog pub
Carnival Radiance’s Redfrog pub

3. Have fun at the SportSquare deck

With so much to do on the lido deck and the decks below, many cruisers may not venture up to the SportSquare area until late in their cruise — or at all!

But I encourage you to check it out. On Carnival Radiance, SportSquare includes a basketball court, mini golf, a ropes course, various table games (pool, foosball, ping-pong, etc.), and a giant chess board. It’s a fun, colorful area perfect for having fun in the sun with your family.

Interior view of Carnival Radiance's Sportsquare
Interior view of Carnival Radiance’s Sportsquare (Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line)

4. Head to the buffet

If you don’t feel like taking off your shorts and putting on nice clothes for dinner in the main dining room, head up to the buffet.

During dinnertime, the buffet serves many dishes you’ll find on the MDR menu — meaning you won’t miss out on some of the more unique offerings for dinner. Plus, the buffet is also home to the sandwich-serving deli, and the Seafood Shack is also nearby.

carnival radiance lido marketplace buffet
(Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line)

5. Remember that it’s a smaller, older ship

Despite the recent overhaul and renaming, Carnival Radiance is still an older vessel. She is quite smaller than Carnival’s recent ships and doesn’t feature a sundeck space you may use.

Also, the Cloud 9 thermal suite isn’t anything like the newer ships, but it does exist, which you have access to if you book a Spa Balcony stateroom or buy a thermal suite pass.

Overall, despite the ship being old, I enjoyed my time on board!

Carnival Radiance's lido deck during sunset
Carnival Radiance’s lido deck during sunset

READ NEXT: 8 Tips, Hacks, And Ways to Save Money on a Carnival Cruise

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