First time cruisers will enjoy this ship, not so for others

Brilliance of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 39

Overall rating:

3.5 out of 5
Verified Review
Brilliance of the Seas

4 Night Western Caribbean (Tampa Roundtrip)

Sail date: April 11, 2019

Ship: Brilliance of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 7050

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

First time cruisers may enjoy this ship more that a seasoned cruiser. Read everything on your contract Drinks are overpriced, pkg for drinks is crazy. They make you buy two pkgs one for the other person in your room, even though they DONT drink! Two words for this entire cruise LACKS PIZAZZ!

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Very fast, efficient and friendly. Do have your paperwork ready and it’s a breeze!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
The buffet food was like any common buffet, nothing special. Desserts were pretty, but cake and cupcakes are just not special enough. Service for lunch at the dining room was tasty but the service was TERRIBLE!

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5
Really did not use them. Pool was overcrowded and well as the solarium. No chance of getting a chair at 9am. Crazy!

Entertainment

3 out of 5
The 2 shows that we went to were ok. Probably great for first time cruisers. The first one lacked any pizazz or thought out design. The second one was a bit better, but no pizazz

Children's Programs

Cruised with another couple

Service and Staff

4 out of 5
Very friendly and attentive. However lacking the “ I love my job” attitude and it shows

Ship Quality

2 out of 5
Overall clean ship. Cabin Bathroom smelled old and lacked any luxury. Not enough towels, no tissues, no little lotions , etc that you get at any common hotel.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5
Clean, mattress comfortable and enough storage for everything Curtains were old with pulls and wear. Balcony was ok. Chairs were ordinary chairs, not high back chairs like some other cruise lines have. BEWARE having cruise only book your balcony room. Small print at the end of the paragraph states balcony room may be obstructed. As a seasoned cruiser I screwed up and didn’t read until the end. My fault, but sneaky on behalf of cruiseonly. Paid extra for a balcony , got an obstructed view.....Ruined the whole experience of why you get a room with a balcony

Ship tip

Older small ship. Wake up at 6 am for a seat at the pool.

Ports of call

Tampa, Florida

5 out of 5
No excursions. We drove to Tampa from St Augustine

Cozumel, Mexico

4 out of 5
No excursions for us. Walked around town. Stay on a busy street. Saw police with automatic rifles standing outside a store. Nice variety of shops. Don’t be afraid to bargain.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Usually a big wait. This was SMOOTH and worthy of a 5 star rating!
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3 Comments

wgammon1    4 years ago

Glad you had a good cruise. Thanks for the great review.

TheSnoMan    5 years ago

You should also know that they can offer exceptions to drink package requirements rule but only over phone, not online.

lacybele    5 years ago

You being a seasoned cruiser should know that all cruise lines that offer a drink package requires you to purchase for everyone in your cabin who is over 21!

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