It is often recommended that you do not use any natural or pure Carnauba automotive waxes as they will tend to yellow the gel coat over time and not properly seal the boat from environmental marine contaminants, however we do not always agree with this. It is not recommended that you use any paste waxes except we do strongly recommend using 3M Ultra Performance, which is a paste wax. Do not use any acrylics, nor any Teflon products (Teflon yellows over time) as most of these products are gimmicks and they can be difficult to remove or properly apply.
Some, but not all silicones can tend to burn gel coats, which can heat up and cause quicker oxidation because it magnifies the suns rays on the surface. By hand or orbital polish, apply Meguiar's #55 premium marine sealant and let set up for at least 15 minutes or use Blue Magnum 80% Carnauba. It is a toss up, which will last longer, but both claim longevity in actual tests. To see if the sealant is ready to be removed take your finger in a well-lit area across the sealed area and if it streaks, then it is not properly set up yet. If it does not streak you may proceed and remove the sealant as necessary.
When you are doing the above procedures in dock or in slip, and you are using electrical cords with your machine polisher be extremely careful when working around water. You'll need to keep the cord out of water if at all possible. Be extra cautious when working on a boat in its slip. Electrocution is no fun, ask anyone on death row.
Super 1000W by Production is a good choice for a spray on sealant. You spray it on, let it sit for ten to fifteen minutes and gently wipe residual. It adds gloss, depth and protection. Use for quick maintenance or as an express marine detailing option. Production Company is based out of Stockton, CA.
Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance;
Washing Sails
Often you will see a beautiful sail boat with a dirty sail, you say "yuk" and are glad that is not you out there. Sometimes you feel sorry for the gent, knowing that cleaning sails is difficult and can take hours. Have you ever washed your sails? Have you ever paid someone else too? Are you sure they knew what they were doing? How do you know they did not do more damage than good in cleaning it?
It is safest to wash sails by hand. Mix soap in a bucket and lightly brush with a soft bristle 18" brush. If using a hot water pressure washer, put a 45є tip on it and cut pressure to 1100 PSI. Too much pressure wears out threads, often those who own boat washing companies are too hastily in their cleaning and inadvertently cause slight damage each time they clean it. Don't put sails in a washing machine, many people still do this, however many of the newer materials are not conducive to this type of cleaning. This especially kills Dacron fabrics.
It is important to remove all of the salt and grime. Salt can act as an abrasive wearing down life, sealing in dirt and holding in moisture. Never put away a wet sail. Make sure it's dry. Do not over brush or use too much pressure. Mold and mildew spots may need a mild form of bleach. On Kevlar sails, do not use soap. Rinse only and no bleach, please never use any bleach. You may be surprised that you can remove ten pounds or more worth of salt and dirt from a large sail. This will increase performance and you will be able to feel the difference.
Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance;
We were on the Radiance of the Seas for the western Caribbean cruise on November 28/04. This was our second cruise with Royal Caribbean with our first last year on the larger Adventure of the Seas. After one cruise with RCI, I expected roughly the same standards with the Radiance and in general, I wasn't disappointed.
Staterooms:
Our stateroom was an inside aft cabin and we were not disappointed. It was roomy enough and the lighting was adequate. Closet space and drawers were also sufficient for our use. We noticed that the double beds here were actually a bit better than the one we had on the Adventure since we couldn't really feel the split between the two separate beds like we did last time. If there's one thing that can be improved is the shower curtain. The one installed was not adequate in keeping in all the water from the shower. The shower on the Adventure utilized a double glass door system which was far superior. Otherwise, the cabin was nice and dark for sleeping at night. Although we heard a little noise from the cabins next to us, it was minimal. We didn't miss having any window or balcony at all since we were hardly ever in our stateroom. We were either at port or elsewhere on the ship and went back to our cabins just to relax or sleep. We would definitely book an inside cabin again with RCI unless we had a free upgrade.
The main Cascades dining room was nice and meals were good. Breakfasts had the same menu every morning. Lunch at the dining room was okay. The dinners were good but not every meal item was a winner. There was the odd appetizer and dessert that was not up to par. One thing that my partner noticed was that the portions of the main courses seemed to be smaller than those served on the Adventure. We usually went upstairs to the Windjammer to get more food after dining at the Cascades. In some parts of the Cascades room, the tables were placed too cramp so walking to out own table was tricky at times. The self serve Windjammer was good. It usually had more variety of food than served downstairs at the Cascades. Breakfast and lunch were busy at the Windjammer but during evenings, most people chose to dine at the Cascades. The two other optional restaurants onboard Portafino and Choppe House were available at $20 US per person but we never tried them since the meals already included at the Cascades and Windjammer were fine by us. Other passengers who did go to these optional rooms told us that they were nothing special. There was another cafe available during late evenings called the Seaview and they provided fare such as sandwiches, salads and burgers. This was a nice feature. One thing we did object to was that they charged for the coffee and tea there. There was also a specialty coffee place on the main centrum of the ship and they also charged. We had more availability of free beverages on the Adventure.
The service by the stateroom attendants and dining room staff was top notch as expected.
Entertainment:
The evening shows at the Aurora Theatre were a mix of the ship's own crew of dancers and singers plus some outside comics and singers. In general, the shows were quite good. We would have liked them to mix up the entertainment each night rather than allocate music, comedy and magic into different evenings. Rather than an entire show of magic, we would have preferred each night featuring a variety of entertainment. Live music around the ship was a nice added touch.
Although smaller than the Adventure, the Radiance had fine amenities including the gym/spa, mini golf, pools and the shops. There was internet access but at 50 cents per minute, the service is a bit steep. There were things to do during the days at sea such as art auctions, cooking demos and dance classes. However, we felt that there was more offered on the Adventure. As for embarking and disembarking, there was no problem on the Radiance. The 6th level contained the casino and for non-smokers, this was a problem. The ventilation in the casino was not great and as a result, cigarette smoke travelled to adjacent areas near the casino. My partner wanted to avoid going on the 6th level whenever possible.
In summary, we enjoyed our cruise on the Radiance of the Seas. However, comparing it to the larger Adventure of the Seas, we would rate the larger ship a bit higher. We liked the huge promenade on the Adventure which was not available on a smaller ship like the Radiance. Given a choice in the future, we would opt for the larger ship. For first time cruisers, the Radiance would still be a good ship to vacation on. This is simply the case of where veteran cruisers would expect more especially if they have been on higher end ships.
Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery (), an online gallery specializing in Inuit and Northwest Native American art including carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native Indian art as well as free eCards.