Countdown to the Arrival of the Radiance of the Seas in Tampa

As a native Floridian and long time Tampa resident, I can recall the not so distant past when the concept of a cruise ship departing from Tampa was not exactly the most popular idea. In the last 15 years, Tampa has truly transformed itself into a formidable embarkation point for a number of annual and seasonal cruises.

While Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland American and Royal Caribbean have all recognized Tampa's value as a port of departure, Tampa is counting down to the arrival of the Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas in October 2010. When the Radiance of the Seas squeaks under the Skyway Bridge on October 9, 2010, it will not only be ending a fantastic 15-day voyage, but it will also become the largest (and in this writer's humble opinion, the best) cruise ship to have regularly scheduled departures from the cruise terminals in Downtown Tampa.

Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas was the first ship in the aptly named "Radiance Class." If you have not had the opportunity to sail this class of ships, you are in for a treat, especially if you have an aversion to the monstrous cruise ships that have been cranked out of European shipyards in the past decade. The Radiance of the Seas (and its sister vessels Brilliance of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas) provides you the feel of a luxury yacht, with all the amenities and excitement of a modern, mainstream cruise ship.

Like most modern cruise ships, the Radiance of the Seas has the full complement of bars and entertainment venues. From a food and beverage perspective, a favorite locale of mine is the Schooner Bar (a signature nautical themed bar found on all of Royal Caribbean's ships) and the neighboring Chop's Grille. There is no better place on the ship to enjoy a great cocktail, either before or after dinner, while enjoying the nightly entertainment. Chops Grille, the adjacent specialty restaurant, is well worth the nominal fee for dining. While there are plenty of free dining options onboard, including the Windjammer Cafe (casual buffet), the Cascades Dining Room (main dining room), and the Seaview Cafe (casual fare on deck 12), your dinner at Chops will stand out as one of the culinary highlights of your cruise. With fine food, excellent service, sinful desserts and the intimacy of a small dining room, this is truly an unforgettable experience. Make your reservations early; with this dinner experience taking nearly 2 hours to complete, the limited seating in Chops Grille fills up fast.

Beyond the food and beverage, Radiance of the Seas offers many other fine amenities you would expect of a ship sailing the Caribbean, and more. On deck 11, you will find the main pool, as well as the African themed Solarium, an adults only escape. Each pool area has its complement of relaxing hot tubs and bar servers willing to attend to your "hydration" needs. Radiance also boasts a well-equipped fitness center (which I simply can never find the time to use), a spa offering a full menu of services, a casino (that always seems to be accepting donations from me), a basketball sports court, a kids pool area and Royal Caribbean's signature rock climbing wall. Finally, like the other Radiance Class vessels, Radiance of the Seas offers self-leveling pool (billiards) tables. Just beyond the Schooner Bar on deck 6, you will find the Bombay Billiards Club. Here you can play a game of pool, where the "motion of ocean" cannot be blamed for your bad shot. The pool tables are equipped with a gyroscope that maintains a level playing surface in any weather condition. Personally, while I am not a pool shark, these tables offered the best views of any pool table I have ever played on.

Radiance of the Seas will be sailing mostly 4 and 5 night cruises from Tampa from October 2010 to April 2011. We checked in with our friends over at Sun and Sea Travel (www.sunandseatravelpros.com) for pricing details. As of November 15, 2009, 4 night cruises to Cozumel on the Radiance of the Seas start as low as $299 per person (plus applicable taxes and fees). The 5 night cruises to Cozumel and Costa Maya start as low as $349 per person (plus applicable taxes and fees). If you want a special treat, you can jump aboard the Radiance of the Seas in San Diego, CA and sail on a 15 night Panama Canal repositioning cruise starting at just $1599 per person (plus applicable taxes and fees). On the 15 night sailing, you stop in Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Huatulco, Puntarenas (Costa Rica), Cristobal Pier (Panama), Cartagena (Columbia), and Grand Cayman, all before arriving in Tampa.

The Port of Tampa is conveniently located in downtown Tampa. Residents of Orlando, Lakeland, Ocala, Gainesville, Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice and the surrounding areas will find the drive to be no more than 90 minutes. For those coming from more distant locales, Tampa International Airport, just 15 minutes from the port, offers a large number of flights (often more affordable than other ports of departure) from Southwest Airlines, USAir, Delta, AirTran and others.

Whether it is short getaway or a longer escape, the Radiance of the Seas will be an exciting addition to the cruise offerings from the Port of Tampa. With cruise prices at these low levels, there is no better time to book a cruise.