VERY LOYAL ROYAL CARIBBEAN PASSENGERS DISAPPOINTED

Item: Brilliance of the Seas
Rating: 3
Author: jdobler

Brilliance of the Seas Cruise Review to Europe - Northern Europe

jdobler

Contributor Level: Third Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 17

Overall rating:

3 out of 5

Verified Review

12 Night Scandinavia & Russia (Harwich Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 11, 2015

Ship: Brilliance of the Seas

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 1100

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 9 years ago

Review summary

I'm in the 3rd level (Emerald) of Royal's loyalty program(Crown & Anchor) but I felt like Royal Caribbean was "nickle & dimming" me throughout the cruise. Very expensive alcoholic beverages--fees for soft drinks & "real" orange juice. Very expensive wifi connections vs free at McDonalds. Fee to visit ship's kitchen. $35/person to dine in specialty restaurants."Terrible" payouts on slots in casino.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Alcoholic beverages very expensive - mixed drinks = $14 - wine = $12/glass. Specialty restaurants are great. Main dining room = good.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

1 out of 5

Previous Royal cruise entertainment has been "Vegas" quality. This cruise = "Amateur Hour"

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

Ports of call

Harwich (London), England

3 out of 5

Copenhagen, Denmark

5 out of 5

Tallinn, Estonia

5 out of 5

St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

5 out of 5

Helsinki, Finland

5 out of 5

Stockholm, Sweden

5 out of 5

Skagen, Denmark

5 out of 5

29 Comments

shaylowe 9 years ago

You can bring on one bottle of wine or champagne per person maximum 2 per room. They have lifted the corkage fee so it's no charge to bring it into the MDR as well

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BDRebel 9 years ago

They will continue to charge that, or increase it, as long as people buy it.

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noname111 9 years ago

I guess we are less sensitive to the cost of alcoholic beverages because neither of us drinks anymore. It's pretty sad to hear the cost of wine is that high. That is robbery to my way of thinking.

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cruznjan 9 years ago

Originally posted by: glomarrone

We met some friends for a glass of wine in the Champagne Bar on the Oasis. The cost of the glass of wine was $14 a glass. We decided to have Champagne instead and that only cost $7. We were very surprised.

I can buy four bottles for that price!

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happycruiser22 9 years ago

maybe Carnival will do that too

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amyjop 9 years ago

Royal did away with everyone 21 and over in a cabin having to purchase a drink package, it is per person now. Happy cruising!

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Patrick4 9 years ago

Good luck...I did it first day on the boat at the desk :-)

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happycruiser22 9 years ago

I will have to try it next time see if I get lucky too. it wouldn't be bad if I can just get it for one of us

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Patrick4 9 years ago

Depends, usually nights 3 and 5 or 6...2 nights. Fun fun, enjoy!

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Billiken 9 years ago

Anyone know which nights are formal on 7 day cruise?

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Patrick4 9 years ago

yeah, I was shocked because I heard that as well. The other couple with us bought just one too. Maybe we got lucky!!

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happycruiser22 9 years ago

You got lucky then cause one person isn't supposed to be able to if 2 people in the cabin 😕 I don't agree with but I guess it to cut down on sharing the package

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Patrick4 9 years ago

I hear ya :-) They didn't make my wife purchase one.

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happycruiser22 9 years ago

because I got I usually go on I might cruises you can't buy for I a person if 2 people are in a room so 100 a day plus gratuities. duh

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Patrick4 9 years ago

I spent 250 on the alcohol package for a 5 night rc cruise in March...not 1,000 lol

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happycruiser22 9 years ago

yes Billiken I actually work for a cruise line and I have people call all excited about their free cruise but you need to gamble a lot of money to be offered that so yea not free and the drink package is definitely worth it if you plan to drink a lot but for me spending $1000 on the alcohol package is just not something I'm willing to do

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BDRebel 9 years ago

It is a simple supply and demand formula. They know that the customers want to drink, so they charge the most they can get away with. Since more people drink wine than champagne (thinking it costs less) they lower the price of the champagne to sell more.

Unfortunately, the cruise lines are out for the bottom line (it is, after all, a business).

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Patrick4 9 years ago

I order the drink package for alcohol and it pays for itself. I never have felt nickel and dimed but my complaint would be rc has become understaffed in the last two years.

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Billiken 9 years ago

I agree, Happy. I DO love cruising. I like the idea of transporting to next location while I'm sleeping. The cruise lines count on those people who do drink, and do so fairly heavily. We bring a bottle of wine each, and pick and choose what and when we have a tropical drink or a Margarita. The real money is acquired from the gamblers. Everyone I know that has gambled has been offered a free cruise. Sounds good, but my thinking is that they're paying for that cruise one way or another. : )

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bhellis45 9 years ago

Sorry for the ignorance

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bhellis45 9 years ago

Well if you put it that way what you said is true . I take it back. Didn't think about it that way

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happycruiser22 9 years ago

yes I agree Billiken that's why I love cruising just don't agree on how much alcohol is I wouldn't pay that anywhere. I would drink more if it cost lest thinking I'm not getting ripped off and they would still make money because I would get more drinks but when cruise I only get one here and there because it's so expensive

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Billiken 9 years ago

Alcoholic beverages are a bit pricey because of the included gratuity, but if your cruise cost an average of $100 a day, how much more would you spend if you stayed in a small but comfy hotel or motel, took a taxi to the nearest decent restaurant, ordered prime rib or surf and turf, then ordered drinks and went on to see a floor show evert night for a week or more, you'd spend a lot more than you did for the cruise.

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bhellis45 9 years ago

They know exactly what they are doing. When you are at sea they have you . Price gouging is not legal, how they get away with this is beyond me. Not very fair to the people on the ship. Without us there is no reason to charge anything. Then they will have lower deals to fill a ship then what charge more? It is rape

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glomarrone 9 years ago

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JusMe 9 years ago

A few years ago I saw a TV show about a life in the week of a cruise ship. The ship was the NCL Pearl. They stated in this economy the cruise line was running at a loss with just the cabin sales. To break even they needed $10.00 per day per person in extra on board spending. They said the goal was to wait out the bad economic times until they can increase the cabin prices and go back to high profit.

I think the lines got used to the nickle and dime of us and that it is the new business model. Cruising is not what it used to be but it is better then what it is becoming.

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noname111 9 years ago

Thank you for posting your review but very sorry it was a negative experience. I believe the cruise lines are going to start regretting this strategy for upping their revenues. People go on cruises thinking their fares cover way more than reality. They also don't expect their bar bills to equal a mortgage payment.

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happycruiser22 9 years ago

I seen a cool cup I wanted I asked how much he sad $6 or $12th with alcohol umm ok no alcohol for me then lol

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CrusinTim 9 years ago

I agree with you "j"! And these prices are not just within the RCCL fleet. After 12 cruises with various lines as well as RCCL, I can still not understand why cruise lines need to charge so much for alcoholic beverages onboard as well as so much for soft drinks. I look at it this way, I understand there must be a mark-up on the drinks to offset the often low prices of the cruise itself, BUT, when you factor in that the cruise lines are buying these drinks, alcoholic and soft in bulk FLEET WIDE, I don't understand $35 for 5 cans of beer. I could accept a, maybe, 50% markup but let's be honest, the lines marking up these drink 200% - 500% is OUTRAGEOUS!

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