Brilliance of the Seas

[disneybass]

Going to take a break from the high prices of DCL and try RC. Just booked a 5 night on the Brilliance of the Seas out of Tampa next Nov. Anyone ever been on this ship and can give me an idea as to what to expect. We have only cruised on Disney. Thanks

 

[pouncingpluto]

I'll try to remember to let you know. We are going to WDW tomorrow, then board Brilliance on Christmas Eve!

 

[disneybass]

Thank you, enjoy your Christmas cruise!

 

[Let'sGoToDisney]

We have been on the Brillance twice. We loved it both times. I thought the food in the dining room was outstanding. It is a beautiful ship. Email me with any questions.

 

[Chris and Pooh]

We were on Brilliance for a repositioning cruise from Barcelona to Dubai in 2010, onboard for two weeks. The service, food, entertainment and the ship were excellent and I would recommend without hesitation

 

[disneybass]

Thanks for the replies. We really want to like the ship for future savings!

 

[kmc33]

Does anyone know what the teen activities are like on Brilliance of the Seas? We are thinking of sailing on her this summer with our 15 year old DS.

 

[kmc33]

duplicate post

 

[pouncingpluto]

So-- I enjoyed the ship-- didn't enjoy it as much as a Disney cruise and in the future would spend the extra on Disney (maybe unless we had the chance to try out one of the RCL mega ships that has a ton of activities that DCL ships don't have).

Basically, the ship is very nice-- it didn't feel like a step down from DCL in terms of quality of the ship itself. I did think the food was probably one step down and the service was probably two steps down. No particular problems at all-- just not the same feel of the staff really going overboard to please. There were certain exceptions, of course. In terms of food and service, the specialty restaurants were fantastic. Our meal at Chops was probably the best meal I've ever had on a cruise ship.

There is definitely a heightened feeling of trying to get you to spend money on the RCL cruise ship. That is certainly not absent on DCL, but I thought it was significantly more pronounced on RCL. I don't think the net result is to make RCL as expensive as DCL, but since it is in your face a bit more, it was bothersome. I would honestly rather pay a bit more up front and not have to make as many monetary decisions while on my trip.

That said, we spent very little on the ship. Largely because of the absence of Disney merchandise.

The kids club space is certainly much less impressive on RCL, though the programming is more structured-- I can't say this is better or worse, and our daughter had a fantastic time in the kids' clubs on both cruise lines. (She is 3-- she's been on DCL 3 times but only old enough for the club once. DH and I have been on DCL about 8 times).

I wouldn't say I was disappointed and we did have a very nice Christmas cruise. It's just not Disney, and we are huge Disney fans. I wouldn't hesitate to go on Brilliance or RCL generally. You just have to know ahead of time that you are getting a different product that may be missing some of the elements that make DCL special for you. It's still a very nice product. It's just not a product I personally would choose to buy over a DCL cruise, in most circumstances.

 

[disneybass]

Thanks for taking the time to write your TR. I am glad your family had a good Christmas trip. We love Disney too, but want something to compare it to so we will give it a shot next November and see what happens.

 

[OKW Lover]

Appreciate you coming back to post your experiences. This is a question that often gets asked when people are planning trips, but we seldom hear feedback afterwards.

 

[dunnhorn]

Thank you very much.... We are gold on DCL and my parents want to take the entire family on a cruise next year after Christmas and we are looking at different cruises. My sister is divorced with 2 grown kids, and she went on a Disney cruise immediately after her divorce 15 years ago. She refuses to go on a Disney cruise - simply refuses. Even though it would be completely free to her. I am SO frustrated! So - we are looking at other cruises.

I have found the Brilliance of the Seas and also Celebrity Constellation. I'm about to post a question asking if others have been on both.

Thanks so much for your TR - I appreciate it!

Best,

Leslie Ann