Last year we crossed with NCL. Better dining options, more interesting ship. Lots more passengers with inept loading and unloading of passengers. Skipped half the ports. Relaxing with nice cabin and steward.
This year we crossed on Brilliance. Average food, boring ship. Easy on and off. Skipped half the ports. Relaxing with nice cabin and steward.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Always easy in Tampa
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Windjammer: never a problem finding a seat. Pretty good spread. Pretty much same desserts at every meal.
Main Dining Room: Felt like I was being bullied by staff. They want you to eat where and when they say, then they push the current specials. Royal Caribbean needs a third, more casual option with menu service.
Specialty: tried all three. Branzino very good in Giovanni's. Husband enjoyed steak in Grill. Don't feel any of the specialty restaurants were worth extra cost.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Enjoyed movie theater, except too many children's titles for nearly an all adult cruise.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Thought the country lady comic was particularly funny.
Children's Programs
1 out of 5
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Even though we always requested separated beds, as usual they were still together when we boarded. Didn't get beds fixed until nearly 10 pm. Afterwards our steward Rosa Taylor was perfect.
As mentioned before, the staff in the MDR needs to chill out.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Only thing wrong with the layout is the sameness from one ship to another. Art auction and gift shops getting very dated.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
If I chose to sail this ship a third time, I would be happy to have this cabin again.
Ship tip
Give the Windjammer a chance if it's been a while. We found the food to be as good or sometimes better than main dining room without the prissy hassle.
Disembarking was chaotic. My assigned luggage tag had been removed, so my suitcase wasn't among the group for our tour. If my suitcase weren't bright orange, I'd still be looking for it.
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