We recently sailed on the Brilliance of the Seas for the first time. We knew nothing about cruises and went into this with an open mind. The first impression of the Brilliance of the Seas was how large it was on the outside. Once we entered there was an over powering smell of urine through out the ship? Our stateroom was cozy but a few things kept uneasy feelings, the shower curtains which always got the floor soaked, there were lots of storage elements but we needed a manual for all the hidden cabinets and nooks to store our stuff. The main dining room, left much more to be desired, it was time wasted waiting for the wine waiter and then you had to wait for the beer waiter, it seemed the coffee never came out with the desserts, the meats were overcooked... and by the time you could get let someone know to get another too much time had passed. We did venture to eat at the Chops Grille and Portofino, what excellent service as well as food. It was well worth the time waiting for a reservation as well as the extra money.
The Windjammer seemed like a College Style Cafeteria, yesterdays meatloaf was todays sloppy Joes. It was a lot of the same menu items day in and day out. The best was the two lunches they had outside by the pool; they were something different and perfect. We noticed there were only so many things you could do because of dinner times and show times, it didnt seem very flexible. If we may have been a bit more prepared (maybe some words of wisdom from the Travel Agent to Guide us) could have had us a bit more organized on what to expect.
The pools were limited by space, 2500 people aboard a ship with 3 pools, one for kiddies, another for all and then the adult pool area which was always swarmed with teenagers. There really werent any peace and quiet places on the ship. It seemed as though the teenagers had the run of the ship. They were loud during shows, they were rude in lines and they sat in congregations in the middle of stairways, and no one seemed to correct them? It was very overwhelming
Overall we have to say the ship was ok, a few of the staff were wonderful and they were the ones that went above and beyond, like our stateroom attendant Alex and our waiter George!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The main dining room, left much more to be desired, it was time wasted waiting for the wine waiter and then you had to wait for the beer waiter, it seemed the coffee never came out with the desserts, the meats were overcooked... and by the time you could get let someone know to get another too much time had passed. We did venture to eat at the Chops Grille and Portofino, what excellent service as well as food. It was well worth the time waiting for a reservation as well as the extra money.
The Windjammer seemed like a College Style Cafeteria, yesterdays meatloaf was todays sloppy Joes. It was a lot of the same menu items day in and day out. The best was the two lunches they had outside by the pool; they were something different and perfect. We noticed there were only so many things you could do because of dinner times and show times, it didnt seem very flexible. If we may have been a bit more prepared (maybe some words of wisdom from the Travel Agent to Guide us) could have h
Entertainment
3 out of 5
These were hard to judge, it was difficult to attend due to excursions and dinner times. Then when you tried to enjoy a show some teenagers would come in and be loud and disrespectful and there was no one to correct them or ask them to leave? The activities were set in the compass everyday but no real motivation to do them was set forth for people, it would have been nice to get more involved but it was always the same people.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
a few of the staff were wonderful and they were the ones that went above and beyond to make our stay more enjoyable, our stateroom attendant Alex and our waiter George!
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship wasnt spick and span, there were many times the bathrooms were a mess and had very overpowering smells. As well as the tables not being clean. They were still stuck with the evenings dinner at the nxt mornings breakfast.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Our stateroom was cozy but a few things kept uneasy feelings, the shower curtains which always got the floor soaked, there were lots of storage elements but we needed a manual for all the hidden cabinets and nooks to store our stuff
Any of the tours are great, seeing this place was amazing. There was time to walk around and absorb the culture, stopping in the little shops and talking with the locals, perfect place for meeting and learning.
The House of the Virgin Mary was a Spiritual Experience, although the bus ride was not very safe. The sites at Ephesus was amazing, again there are so many things to see, just remember not to get overwhelmed and enjoy what you can see.
A tour is good for this stop just bc of all the history. Delos was rich with History, so much to see and the time is limited, be careful of shops, they do keep their prices up but they say they are giving discounts for Royal Caribbean but they really arent.
This was a crazy day for us. We had booked an excursion to see Vatican City, the line was long and the streets were dirty. Once in the Vatican it was a but house. I would suggest doing Rome with a driver or a personal tour guide.
A tour is good for this stop just bc of all the history. Delos was rich with History, so much to see and the time is limited, be careful of shops, they do keep their prices up but they say they are giving discounts for Royal Caribbean but they really arent.
This was a crazy day for us. We had booked an excursion to see Vatican City, the line was long and the streets were dirty. Once in the Vatican it was a but house. I would suggest doing Rome with a driver or a personal tour guide.
The House of the Virgin Mary was a Spiritual Experience, although the bus ride was not very safe. The sites at Ephesus was amazing, again there are so many things to see, just remember not to get overwhelmed and enjoy what you can see.
Any of the tours are great, seeing this place was amazing. There was time to walk around and absorb the culture, stopping in the little shops and talking with the locals, perfect place for meeting and learning.
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