Questions on Brilliance Of The Seas
- Thread starter Trekker
- Start date
Psychodisney
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2005
It's been several years but here's what I remember. First of all, Brilliance is much older and smaller. There are pros and cons to that. Freedom has the Flowrider. Brilliance does not. I didn't care for the adult pool on Brilliance. It was actually enclosed/covered which was not what I wanted in the Caribbean. Rooms were comparable as I remember. We sailed out of San Juan on the Brilliance. Being a smaller ship, she is able to get into ports that Freedom couldn't.
bumbershoot
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2007
It's Radiance class, and we loved the look of Radiance of the Seas. Alas I haven't been on Radiance since 2003 and it's been revamped a time or two since then, so I can't speak to what it's like.
Vision of the Seas is smaller, and we liked it basically just fine. We did like Freedom better, but it wasn't simply because it was smaller. And Vision doesn't have the amazing glass that Radiance class does (I've read that the class was made with Alaska in mind, where you wanted to see outside but didn't always want to BE outside).
Vision of the Seas is smaller, and we liked it basically just fine. We did like Freedom better, but it wasn't simply because it was smaller. And Vision doesn't have the amazing glass that Radiance class does (I've read that the class was made with Alaska in mind, where you wanted to see outside but didn't always want to BE outside).
disneybass
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2006
Please to a trip report when you return. We are going on the Brilliance in November and have never cruised anything other than Disney. Love to hear how you liked it.
Both Vision and Radiance-class ships have a lot of glass. I prefer that size ship to the Voyager-class and above, as I don't care for the Royal Promenade. I understand why RCI has that huge horizontal space on their larger ships, as they carry many more passengers.
I don't use pools on cruise ships, but if I did - I'd be glad there was one inside.
One other thing: Brilliance of the Seas is comparable in size to the Magic and Wonder, and it is by no means a small ship.
I don't use pools on cruise ships, but if I did - I'd be glad there was one inside.
One other thing: Brilliance of the Seas is comparable in size to the Magic and Wonder, and it is by no means a small ship.
BethC1952
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2001
I certainly will, and I plan on taking (and posting) a lot of pictures, since there seem to be very few of Brilliance!
This will be our fifth cruise on Royal Caribbean, after 16 on Disney. We've been very happy with Royal, and find it to be comparable in most respects to Disney. The entertainment on Royal isn't the same, but we've found most of it to be quite good, especially the Royal Caribbean Orchestra on each ship. The food is about the same, the service is about the same, and we've found it to be a better value for our vacation dollars at this time.
We're an older couple, and no longer travel with kids, so I can't really comment on the kids' programs, but all the kids on board seemed to be enjoying themselves.
I'll have a report as soon as I get home, and maybe even will post a bit from the ship since the first port of call is Norfolk, Virginia, and I'll have cell service there LOL!!!
Beth
Dug720
See the line where the sky meets the sea?
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2012
Awesome! Thanks so much! I'll be on her sister the Radiance in Alaska this summer and will likely be on the Brilliance next summer for a birthday celebration cruise.
disneybass
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2006
Thanks Beth, we are in our 60's and don't travel with kids either. We have done 6 cruises and all have been on Disney ships. We just want to try a different cruise line to compare to Disney because of the prices getting pretty crazy on the mouse ships.
BethC1952
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2001
We are also in our 60's, DH is retired and I'm thinking about it. The one (and quite possibly only) thing that I don't like about Royal Caribbean is that there is no guest laundry, and it's not cheap to have them do your laundry, and it takes two days. I often feel sorry for our room steward, since there are often handwashed items hanging everywhere in the bathroom LOL!
Something I do like is that if you book your excursions ahead of time, they're paid for at that time, so that onboard spending is a lot less than on Disney. It's much easier to keep an eye on the budget.
Beth
PS: I leave one month from today!
Denise W
Disney Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 19, 1999
Beth, enjoy your cruise and please post information about the ship when you return. We are taking the Brilliance from Boston to Tampa at the end of October, for 13 days. Would you please find out if they offer laundry specials on the longer cruises? Thank you!
Denise
BethC1952
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2001
I'll be glad to let you know about laundry. I know that on our last two TA's, there was a laundry special. The first time I used it, but I don't remember the cost. I know that it took two days to get my clothes back again. The last time I didn't use it. I've become very good at packing, and I have no problem with washing my "unmentionables" in the sink and hanging them in the shower to dry (and have been known to use the hairdryer to dry them in an emergency LOL!!!). I'm going to try to take some detailed notes and pictures to post, and I'm usually very good about it for the first few days, and then "cruise brain" settles in and I forget everything.
We leave Saturday, and sail on Monday. If I get a chance, I'll post something from our first port, which is Norfolk, VA. For some reason, it seems like there are very few posts about this ship, and even fewer pictures. Beware--I've been known to take THOUSANDS of pictures on a long trip LOL!!!
Beth
We leave Saturday, and sail on Monday. If I get a chance, I'll post something from our first port, which is Norfolk, VA. For some reason, it seems like there are very few posts about this ship, and even fewer pictures. Beware--I've been known to take THOUSANDS of pictures on a long trip LOL!!!
Beth
Brilliance of the Seas debuted in 2002, so it's not as old as the Magic (1998) and Wonder (1999). You can read reviews of the ship at Cruise Critic: http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=261. When I sailed on Brilliance in June 2012, it was before her major "revitalization."
eskimoinparadise
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2009
The Radiance class ships are our favorites in RCL's fleet (so far we've done every one except the serenade). They compare in size and passenger capacity to Magic and Wonder, but with a lot more public space. The adult pool (solarium) has a retractable roof, and in the Caribbean it is usually opened while in port in the warmer months, but is a great spot to hibernate in the colder months with the roof closed. The aerial shows in the eight story atrium are fantastic, and like Magic and Wonder, the Radiance class ships have an indoor/outdoor buffet that overlooks the back of the ship.
We usually try to do at least two cruises on this class of ship every year.
We usually try to do at least two cruises on this class of ship every year.
disneybass
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2006
Beth, are you back yet? Love to hear from you
BethC1952
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2001
We're back! We had a great vacation, although the weather was absolutely awful. We had every kind of weather I can think of except for tornadoes. Yes, we even had snow one afternoon for a few minutes! It was cold, damp and windy for the whole crossing, and EXTREMELY bumpy the last day at sea, but we had a great time anyway. The ship is beautiful, and as soon as I get my photos organized I'll post some.
Here are a few of our observations:
Check-in was a nightmare, but I think that was because of the need for copies of our passports (the photo/signature page), which wasn't announced until a few days before, and many people didn't have them, so each person checking in had to have a copy made by the desk agent. We had our copies, and once we reached the desk, check-in took less than five minutes! We were on the ship with our welcome aboard drinks in hand less than fifteen minutes from the time we started check-in, including the time it took to get our boarding picture taken. We had planned to board between 1 and 1:30 PM, and that worked out because we actually left the hotel somewhat earlier than we had planned. We stayed at the Embassy Suites at the Convention Center, and it was perfect for our needs.
The ship is in great shape. Our state room looked as though it had never been used by anyone before us. It was spotlessly clean and there wasn't a scratch or mark anywhere. I did manage to flood the bathroom one morning, but that was because I wasn't paying attention to the shower curtain! I had planned to mention that some of the Windjammer needed some painting and sprucing up, but someone else must have noticed it before I did because it was all fixed before we reached Ireland. The crew (other than our room steward) were all very friendly, courteous and professional. Our room steward was just barely adequate. I won't mention his name here, just in case he was just having a bad cruise. On the first night, he somehow misinterpreted "Please bring us ice each evening" to mean "Please separate our beds"! Yes, we checked and he is a native English speaker so it wasn't a language problem. He did fix it for us the next morning. However, on the third day he never showed up to our room at all. We know he was working, we saw him in the hallway, he just never made up our room. He also had a bit of a problem with the Do Not Disturb sign. He seemed to knock on the door every time we put the sign out! Thinking that perhaps someone had moved the sign, or it had fallen out of the door, I checked the first few times and it was right where I had put it. We did mention it to the Housekeeping Supervisor and in our end-of-cruise survey. On the other hand, our dining servers were far above the usual. Cassandra (from South Africa) and Putra (from Indonesia) made every meal in the main dining room delightful. Ernesto, the bar tender at the Schooner Bar, was also quite a pleasure to deal with, and an interesting guy to talk to.
The food was very good, although I do have to say that there just weren't enough vegetables served with dinner. It is possible to ask for an extra plate of vegetables, but I thought the meals weren't as nutritionally balanced as they could have been. Of course, I love vegetables and find that my digestive system really appreciates their presence in my diet LOL!!!
The Solarium is lovely, and is heated and/or air conditioned, depending on what's needed at the moment. The real problem there was that there just isn't enough room in there for all the people who want to use it on a cruise where there are only 29 children and the weather is awful.
My husband had a few comments also. Unlike the other Royal Caribbean ships we've tried, food is not available 24 hours, and it took us a while to find where to get a cup of tea at 1:30 in the morning. The Park Cafe in the Solarium was supposed to be open 24 hours, but they certainly didn't have food or beverages available if they were open!
They are very disorganized about getting people off the ship for excursions. The problem seems to be that the right hand never knows what the left is doing, and we frequently found ourselves walking up and down the same stairway two or three times before the crew members figured out where people should be. Once we actually left the ship, boarding tour buses was very easy and organized.
I can't comment on children's activities, and never actually saw the children's facilities. In fact, I don't think I saw any children except for the four who were seated at the table next to ours at dinner, and they were amazingly well behaved. I had met the mother during the course of the cruise and made sure to let her know that her children were delightful. We saw them around the ship, and they seemed to be having a good time.
As I said, I will post pictures within a few days, but if you have any questions I'll be glad to answer them if I can.
By the way, we booked two more cruises while we were onboard! We'll be sailing on a Back-to-Back 20 night journey. The first 7 nights will be the Western Mediterranean out of Barcelona, and then on for the first TransAtlantic sailing of the brand new Harmony of The Seas! Unfortunately, that's not until October of next year, but the price was good and we will hopefully find something to fill in the time before then.
Beth
Here are a few of our observations:
Check-in was a nightmare, but I think that was because of the need for copies of our passports (the photo/signature page), which wasn't announced until a few days before, and many people didn't have them, so each person checking in had to have a copy made by the desk agent. We had our copies, and once we reached the desk, check-in took less than five minutes! We were on the ship with our welcome aboard drinks in hand less than fifteen minutes from the time we started check-in, including the time it took to get our boarding picture taken. We had planned to board between 1 and 1:30 PM, and that worked out because we actually left the hotel somewhat earlier than we had planned. We stayed at the Embassy Suites at the Convention Center, and it was perfect for our needs.
The ship is in great shape. Our state room looked as though it had never been used by anyone before us. It was spotlessly clean and there wasn't a scratch or mark anywhere. I did manage to flood the bathroom one morning, but that was because I wasn't paying attention to the shower curtain! I had planned to mention that some of the Windjammer needed some painting and sprucing up, but someone else must have noticed it before I did because it was all fixed before we reached Ireland. The crew (other than our room steward) were all very friendly, courteous and professional. Our room steward was just barely adequate. I won't mention his name here, just in case he was just having a bad cruise. On the first night, he somehow misinterpreted "Please bring us ice each evening" to mean "Please separate our beds"! Yes, we checked and he is a native English speaker so it wasn't a language problem. He did fix it for us the next morning. However, on the third day he never showed up to our room at all. We know he was working, we saw him in the hallway, he just never made up our room. He also had a bit of a problem with the Do Not Disturb sign. He seemed to knock on the door every time we put the sign out! Thinking that perhaps someone had moved the sign, or it had fallen out of the door, I checked the first few times and it was right where I had put it. We did mention it to the Housekeeping Supervisor and in our end-of-cruise survey. On the other hand, our dining servers were far above the usual. Cassandra (from South Africa) and Putra (from Indonesia) made every meal in the main dining room delightful. Ernesto, the bar tender at the Schooner Bar, was also quite a pleasure to deal with, and an interesting guy to talk to.
The food was very good, although I do have to say that there just weren't enough vegetables served with dinner. It is possible to ask for an extra plate of vegetables, but I thought the meals weren't as nutritionally balanced as they could have been. Of course, I love vegetables and find that my digestive system really appreciates their presence in my diet LOL!!!
The Solarium is lovely, and is heated and/or air conditioned, depending on what's needed at the moment. The real problem there was that there just isn't enough room in there for all the people who want to use it on a cruise where there are only 29 children and the weather is awful.
My husband had a few comments also. Unlike the other Royal Caribbean ships we've tried, food is not available 24 hours, and it took us a while to find where to get a cup of tea at 1:30 in the morning. The Park Cafe in the Solarium was supposed to be open 24 hours, but they certainly didn't have food or beverages available if they were open!
They are very disorganized about getting people off the ship for excursions. The problem seems to be that the right hand never knows what the left is doing, and we frequently found ourselves walking up and down the same stairway two or three times before the crew members figured out where people should be. Once we actually left the ship, boarding tour buses was very easy and organized.
I can't comment on children's activities, and never actually saw the children's facilities. In fact, I don't think I saw any children except for the four who were seated at the table next to ours at dinner, and they were amazingly well behaved. I had met the mother during the course of the cruise and made sure to let her know that her children were delightful. We saw them around the ship, and they seemed to be having a good time.
As I said, I will post pictures within a few days, but if you have any questions I'll be glad to answer them if I can.
By the way, we booked two more cruises while we were onboard! We'll be sailing on a Back-to-Back 20 night journey. The first 7 nights will be the Western Mediterranean out of Barcelona, and then on for the first TransAtlantic sailing of the brand new Harmony of The Seas! Unfortunately, that's not until October of next year, but the price was good and we will hopefully find something to fill in the time before then.
Beth
disneybass
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2006
Thanks for the report Beth! Glad you had a good trip and look forward to some pictures!
. 
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