 Expert Review |  | | | | |
| | | | | Overview
Brilliance of the Seas is the second in Royal Caribbean's lovely mid-sized Radiance class (following, of course, Radiance of the Seas; more recent siblings include Serenade of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas). The ship, similar to its radiant sister in layout and facilities, does an excellent job of incorporating some of the best features from the mega-ship sized Voyager class (easily another one-third larger than this ship) and the somewhat smaller Vision class ships. Such as? You'll find classics like the Schooner Bar (note the nifty hickory smoked smell -- or is that gunpowder? -- that conveys an "ahoy matey" sensory experience), but there's also miniature and simulated golf, and the best-kept-secret Seaview Cafe. Some Royal Caribbean traditions have received intriguing new twists. We love the funky, newly revamped Viking Crown Lounge -- here it's called the Starquest Disco Bar -- and the bar itself actually revolves. Business and conference facilities have been expanded on this ship. Latte-tudes Coffee bar, which replicates a coffeehouse atmosphere -- complete with Internet terminals -- replaces Radiance's cafe/bookshop combo. One of the immediate impressions we got on Brilliance of the Seas was an imitation of a cash register ringing in our ear: K'ching. Royal Caribbean seems to be moving ever further into "a'la carte territory," and by this we mean beyond the usual stuff for which you're prepared to spend money, like shore excursions, spa services and casino gaming. In this case, be prepared to pay $10 to take Pathway to Yoga at the fitness center, two-bucks-plus to buy a cappuccino from Latte-tudes, $9.95 to watch relatively recent-run movies on RCTV and a $20 service fee to eat in the ship's alternative restaurants. Brilliance of the Seas tries to be all things to all cruisers and most of the time it works. While the ship's most definitely smaller than its 138,000-ton, 3,114 passenger Voyager brethren, it does have enough room for all the extras we're coming to expect on contemporary cruise ships: an excellent range of restaurant options, a big-enough fitness facility with rock-climbing, miniature golf, virtual golf, water slide and a generous basketball court to complement the usual ping pong and shuffleboard. There are so many bars (and all of them, large or small, manage to be cozy, fun hangouts) that even after a 12-day cruise we're not sure we found them all. And service, particularly bar and dining room wait staff, after an extremely rocky start, was generally very warm and personable. Another plus is that Brilliance of the Seas genuinely attempts to match the onboard experience with the regions it cruises. On a recent Mediterranean sailing in which American passengers were on a par with Europeans, a tapas menu was introduced and much of the entertainment focused on musical and dance programs, such as one featuring the tango. But that "big ship" atmosphere has a down side, too. Our experience with Guest Relations was inconsistent at best -- and rarely, when calling, did we actually get through without waiting on hold for a minute to five and ten or longer. And while the ship's layout aims to spread passengers out evenly, it can get congested (and passengers often got a bit aggressive, particularly at the Centrum elevators) at "rush hours" -- pre-dinner, at the guest relations/shore excursion desk early and late in the voyage, and, most particularly, getting back onboard when shore excursion buses all pulled up at the same time late in the afternoon. | | |  top | | | | Dining
In the Minstrel Dining Room -- the ship's traditional restaurant -- we were pleasantly surprised at the consistently well-prepared dishes, and after the first couple of days, the waiters made every effort to accommodate meat-cooking preferences. Minstrel, a two-tiered room mostly set up with larger tables (seating six, ten or twelve), offers Royal Caribbean's flexible My Time Dining program at dinnertime. Passengers can choose between assigned early (6 p.m.) or late (8:30 p.m.) dining, or opt for flexible dining, in which you pick a preferred mealtime (anytime between 6 and 9:30 p.m.), but can change your reservations on a daily basis. The restaurant is open seating for everyone at breakfast and lunch every day. Romantics may need a little luck to snag a two-top as there weren't many. Windjammer Cafe was easily the most popular (daytime) eatery on the ship. Brilliance's quite attractive buffet restaurant, it is open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks and informal dinners. There are numerous stations for burgers, pasta, sweets and the like. One interesting feature is an onsite bar for soda, wine and beer purchases; nice, because diners didn't have to wait for a waiter. Another nice touch: aft, there are a number of outside tables. The food was generally quite good for buffet fare, though the selection for breakfast got pretty humdrum after a few days; Windjammer also has basic 24-hour beverage stations (coffee, tea, water). We stumbled onto Seaview Cafe quite by accident and it became a regular lunch/snack haunt. The atmosphere -- windows overlooking a deck with tables and the sea -- is evocative of a cozy beach-front cafe. Seaview is Johnny Rockets with a bigger menu; beyond burgers and hot dogs you can request made-to-order fish n' chips, not to mention scrumptious onion rings and decadent brownies -- all at no additional charge. It's got a beer/wine/soda bar as well. Seaview is typically open for lunch when the ship is at sea; on port days it opens for late afternoon snacking and post-dinner noshing. The Solarium Cafe has a pizza bar and is open all afternoon. Brilliance boasts two alternative restaurants and we'll tell you up front: each requires a per-person service fee ($20 in Portofino, $25 in Chops). Is it worth it? We loved the six course menus (and the food, too) at both. You definitely feel like you are in a small, upscale restaurant and as one fellow diner commented, "When's the last time you got this much for $20?" At the elegant mahogany-styled Chops Grille, choices include a range of steaks (from New York Strip to filet mignon), lamb chops, prime rib, chicken and a fish-o-the-day -- all beautifully prepared. Cozy twosomes may want to request one of the banquette tables. At Portofino, the meal included an antipasti, soup, salad, pasta, main course (try the lobster) and dessert. One note: On our cruise, the dining rooms at both spot were rarely more than half-filled, and yet the service was inconsistent. Later in the cruise both Portofino and Chops Grille were opened up for lunch as well as dinner; same service fee (and menu) applies. Room service is available around the clock. There's a standard menu with basic offerings like salads, sandwiches, pizza, burgers and a handful of desserts. For breakfast, there's a wide- ranging menu that includes hot egg dishes as well as the usual continental fare. At dinner, passengers can order off the main dining room menu. | | | | top | | | | Public Rooms
The tone is set by the seven-deck high Centrum (the Norwegian name for atrium), which serves as a central connection spot for activities in the ship's center. During the evenings, there was always music in the Lobby Bar, and that drifted beautifully all along the common areas. Such as? The Lobby Bar on deck four attracted early evening dancing aficionados. The Champagne Bar, with its wall of windows, is a wonderful spot during the daytime (and at sunset). Latte-Tudes offers specialty coffees, and the Casino Royale has the usual gaming tables and slots. But the really interesting main-hub lounges emanated from the Schooner Bar, which straddles Portofino and Chops Grille, and has a fabulous pianist -- who played everything from Chopin to contemporary pop tunes. Beyond Schooner is the ship's most distinctive hangout: The Colony Club incorporates four different lounges/rooms. Its most unusual feature is the Bombay Billiards Club, which has self-leveling pool tables. Singapore Sling is the ship's events lounge, and the place where the captain's welcome aboard reception and the past passenger party are held along with various entertainment. During regular hours, its back-of-the-ship span of windows makes it a wonderful observation spot. Check out the nifty backgammon, checkers and chess tables over by the bar in the Jakarta Lounge. Tucked away behind Jakarta is the Calcutta Card Club where guests can play board games and bridge. The lavish, two-deck Pacifica Theater hosts the big-number production shows and funnier, quirkier fare -- we howled at the "Love and Marriage Game Show," a takeoff from TV's "Newlywed Game." We also loved the ship's 40-seat stadium-style cinema (only wish the flicks that played there were a little more current). Next door is the Scoreboard Lounge, which seems as if it hasn't found its niche; it plays sports-oriented flicks (or events) on a variety of screens, but the bar was rarely open (and subsequently the lounge was usually deserted). Other performance venues include the very cozy Hollywood Odyssey, the place to go for torch songs and karaoke, and the Starquest Disco, which is a popular disco, particularly late at night. It's also a gorgeous spot to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail and the sunset. On a more practical note, the ship is well equipped with three different stations of Internet-connected terminals, which seemed more than adequate. They are located on a variety of decks and several are even tucked into Latte-tudes for a true "Internet cafe" experience. One tip: Passengers who travel with their own laptops can plug into the ship's Cyber-Cabin program. For about $10 a day (a bargain if you go online for anything more than 20 minutes each day), you can hook up right from your stateroom. It worked beautifully for one Windows-based reviewer and not at all for a Macintosh user. Per minute rates for Internet access are 33 - 55 cents per minute; packages are available. We found the best access to be in the library on Deck 9 and in the concierge lounge or just outside it on Deck 10. One more tip: There's no guarantee that the satellite will cooperate every time you log on, whether in the cabin or in one of the workstations. You are on a ship, after all. Just be patient. The ship's library is a disappointment. Its diminutive size, not to mention sparse selection of books, is woefully inadequate for the capacity of the ship. The area for donated books, in fact, was much better than the library offerings themselves. Furthermore, its location on the Centrum was anything but conducive to quiet reading (in fact it was better used as a spot for Wi-Fi access). Tucked away off Deck 5 is Brilliance's assortment of shops, all carrying the usual Royal Caribbean retail outlets, from duty free liquor to insignia wear to jewelry to perfumes. Regarding Royal Caribbean's liquor policy, passengers can buy at duty free prices (and have their purchases delivered to their cabin on the last day). The ship also has an expansive photo area, where snapshots taken by ship photographers can be purchased. Adjacent to that are two conference/boardrooms, where all sorts of meetings are held, as well as interdenominational and Catholic religious services. Brilliance has a state-of-the-art medical facility and also has a helicopter landing pad for emergency medical evacuations. | | | | top | | | | Cabins
On Brilliance of the Seas, accommodations range in size and ambiance. Standard inside cabins, at 165 square ft. and standard oceanview, at 170 square ft. are on the small side, industry-wise. Balcony cabins measure from 179 - 204 square ft. (in categories that go from "deluxe" to "superior"), and in both cases the balcony is 41 square ft. There's a family oceanview cabin, which is basically a standard outside with sitting area and sofa along with a mini-second bedroom that contains two bunks; it measures 319 square ft. Standard, in all cabins, are two twin beds that convert to a queen, a mini-fridge (that's filled with a few sodas), television with an interesting assortment of channels (including classic flicks and nostalgia sitcoms), a desk/vanity area and a safe. Balcony staterooms also feature a love seat sitting area. The verandahs themselves are very pleasant, with comfortable nylon mesh furnishings. Moving up a notch is the Junior Suite. It's the smallest, coming in at 293 square ft. with a 66 square ft. balcony. Just a bit bigger than the standard balcony, the extra perks (beyond space) that come with the Junior Suite include a bathroom with tub and a bigger living room area. For those wanting concierge access, the remaining suites, definitely moving into the higher-ticket arena, start with the Royal Family Suite. At 533 - 586 square ft., its grand claim is two bedrooms plus a sitting room; the second bedroom has the usual twin to queen bed configuration plus two Pullmans that come down from the ceiling. Balconies are bigger, too. In this suite they range from 139 - 193 square ft. The Grand Suite is just a larger "junior," but it's quite a bit larger at 358 - 384 square ft. and features a bathroom with tub. The Owner's Suite offers more amenities and features even beyond increased squared footage; passengers booking this category of accommodations get a bathroom with whirlpool, bidet and separate shower, along with a bedroom and separate living areas (with queen-sized sofa bed). Measurements are 512 square ft. for the cabin and 57 square ft. for the verandah. And finally? The piece d'resistance is the Royal Suite, which comes with all the Owner's Suite amenities plus a baby grand piano, a balcony that measures 215 square ft. (outfitted with better-than-standard furnishings, including a dining table); the stateroom itself is 1,001 square ft. Tip: Families should book as far in advance as possible -- a year ahead of time if you can -- to have the best choice of family-friendly staterooms, particularly if you are traveling in August. We booked seven months ahead of time and still had difficulty getting all of us in one cabin because the ship was so full. | | | | top | | | | Entertainment
Let's start with evenings: In the Pacifica Theater, the big-ticket venue, there were three major production shows -- very lavish, very professional and, yes, quite entertaining. Other nights the stage hosted comedians, cabaret singers and musicians. In lounges, musical programs included intimate, cabaret-style duo in the Hollywood, 70's night with a disc jockey in Starquest Disco, solo piano in the Schooner and fabulous cha-cha (and other dance tunes) with a three-piece band in the Lobby Bar. Days at sea were filled with mostly traditional-style diversions -- napkin folding, bingo, cooking demos, and art auctions -- though some of the most interesting, and fun involved crew members who demonstrated their capability at everything from cooking to towel-folding to bartender bottle-tossing. The pool area usually had some kind of live three-piece band at prime time sunning hours. One big disappointment for movie lovers was the ship's in-cabin and cinema selection of flicks, some so old that we saw them on cruise ships last winter. Passengers who want to relax privately with a more current movie are required to opt for the pay-per-view option. | | | | top | | | | Fitness and Recreation
Brilliance's ShipShape Center and Day Spa offers all the important machines, from treadmills to stairmasters to stationary bikes to weight machines, not to mention free weights. Each day the fitness director leads quite well-attended workouts geared to a variety of themes, from Pilates and Cardio Ki-Bo to abdominals and walk-a-mile. Upstairs, the spa, operated by Steiner of course (expect the usual product pitch after a treatment), offers a variety of services. Along with the usual -- relaxing massage, facials, pedicures and manicures -- some more exotic options include Rasul, an Arabian mud treatment; Ionithermie Algae Detox; and Aroma Stone Therapy. The spa's Thermal Suite -- available for an unlimited rate of $50 or a daily tariff of $15 on our voyage -- includes tiled, heated beds (great for sore backs), showers that operate in mist or tropical forms, and (unisex) aromatherapy-oriented steam and sauna. The spa's mens' and ladies' locker rooms feature standard style shower, steam and sauna faculties. Jocks may want to head to The Country Club. This area, aft on the top two decks, houses all the really active sport areas -- basketball court, miniature golf, rock-climbing wall and golf simulator. The main pool has two whirlpools and a swim-against-the-current area. One of the signature spots onboard Brilliance of the Seas is its Solarium. The glass roof-topped pool features an African Safari-themed ambiance, complete with life-sized stone elephants, and fountain and other water effects. It's a lovely, peaceful spot for relaxing. Its loungers are comfy and topped with thick cushions. There's also a whirlpool. A running track snakes around the main pool area, with seven times around to a mile. It's pretty narrow, and gets congested during peak sunning hours, so passengers may want to time their run or walk early or late in the day. | | | | top | | | | Family
Brilliance of the Seas is superbly designed to accommodate families. Its extensive Adventure Ocean Programs groups kids in five categories (3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 - 11, 12 - 14 and 15 - 17). The 3 to 11 year olds are in one room and the teens are across the hall, in their own disco. It has got top-notch facilities, including a computer lab, play stations with video and Adventure Beach with water slide and pool, and features programs that offer arts and crafts, games and rock climbing (older kids, natch), and science fun. The "camp" as passengers were calling it, also uses the ship for various activities -- dedicated swimming times, movie showings and special group meals offered throughout the program. During sea days, the kids program is available from 9 a.m. - noon, 2 - 5 p.m., and 7 - 10 p.m. When in port the program is available all day long, leaving parents with the (wonderful) option of going ashore and leaving the kids in the program for part or all of the day. Five nights during our 12-night Mediterranean cruise there were kid-only dinners at 6 p.m., which was a terrific incentive for parents to enjoy a romantic dinner in Chops or Portofino. There's also a late night "party" from 10 p.m. - 1 a.m. that costs $5 per hour per child, charged in half-hour increments. Each evening there's a different theme, often tied to our port of call such as Gladiators or Olympic night and the kids particularly enjoyed getting their own daily compass delivered to our cabin each evening so they knew what to look forward to the next day. Other activities onboard that the kids enjoyed included a water slide, arcade, mini golf, rock-climbing wall, and ping pong. For younger kids you also have the option of hiring babysitters onboard if you need a night out. We also saw several babies sleeping through the shows at night in their carriages. Tip: Pickup times in the late afternoon vary slightly each day -- make sure you know what the time is as you will be billed $1 per minute for every minute you are late. The in-cabin televisions have a dedicated children's channel and there's the Captain Sealy's Kids Galley Menu. Group babysitting service is available late nights; kids must be at least 3 years old and potty trained; the rate is $5 per hour per child. For private in-cabin babysitting, rate is $8 for up to two kids, per hour with a minimum of two hours. Requests should be made 24 hours in advance. There are a handful of "family suites," which can accommodate up to eight. As well, many deluxe and superior ocean view cabins have couches-with-sofabed. On this, and every other Royal Caribbean ship, there's a Youth Evacuation Program. Kids who register in the Adventure Ocean program are issued wristbands with safety details. | | | | top | | | | Fellow Passengers
You name it! Utterly diverse passengers, from young couples to families and retirees. This ship is also popular with groups, whether friends traveling together or those rewarded with corporate incentive getaways. | | | | top | | | | Dress Code
During the day, passengers wear casual togs -- shorts, T-shirts, some slightly more elegant resort wear -- but at night there are three different dress codes. "Casual" means sundresses or pants-outfits for women, and khakis and polos for men. This most often occurs after a long day in port. On sea days, the typical dress is "Smart Casual" -- dresses or pants-combos for women, jacket for men. "Formal," of which there were two on our 12-night trip, always occur on sea days and require guests to wear cocktail dresses (ladies) and suits or tuxedos (men). Regardless of the ship's official dress code, guests who eat at Portofino or Chops Grille are asked to go as "smart casual." | | | | top | | | | Gratuity
Royal Caribbean recommends $3.50 per person, per day to the dining room waiter; $3.50 per person, per day to the cabin steward; $2 per person, per day to the assistant waiter. Royal Caribbean also recommends $.75 per person, per day to the headwaiter, but we don't necessarily give this unless the service is special. A 15 percent gratuity is automatically added to bar tabs. --by Carolyn Spencer Brown, Editor. Updated by Kathleen Tucker, Publisher. | | | | top | | | | | Expert reviews are provided by CruiseCritic.com, an award-winning cruise community. This objective information can help you choose just the right ship for your next cruise vacation. | |  | |
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