The Brilliance is not the best ship but to leave out of Tampa it's going to be a smaller older ship regardless of the cruise line you choose. They have to cruise under the Skyway Bridge so it's not going to be a big ship. It pretty much offers the same as other ships but they all have their own decor. The ship was to sail to Cozumel but Luckily it changed to Costa Maya! First time to Costa Mya and we loved it! Walking to our shuttle for our excursion we saw that the port itself has many shops, places to eat and drink, as well as a large pool with a swim up bar! Our agent, Akasha, communicated with us all the way up to the cruise about our payments, and any changes or documentation we may need. She has booked several of our cruises and we truly trust what she does for us! 5 Star Agent!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
20 minutes from port to 1st drink!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food is always fair, drinks are always watered down, but the waitstaff/bartenders are always great! Go to a Specialty Restaurant for better dinners and beer is never watered down!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Bingo was $69 pp, lasted 30 minutes, so not worth it. Wine Tasting was $30 pp. Fun and the Sommelier was very knowledgeable . The Solarium Pool was a great chill spot...no kids allowed and it was enforced! Night Club with the rotating bar was a blast...Silent Disco!
Entertainment
Never went to any of the shows
Children's Programs
No kids! YAY!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The waiter we had in the Dining Room was great as was the Bartender in the Solarium Pool
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship is outdated but as clean as it could be.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Outdated interior, bed was not comfortable but having a balcony is always great
Ship tip
Get the drink package and go to a Specialty Restaurant or two
Very easy to park and transfer to the pier. We parked at Park4Cruise and paid $50 for the time we were away. It was very easy to board the ship if you had all your documentation ready
We went to a AI Beach Day and had a great time. BEAUTIFUL BEACH! Seemed a little sketchy at first but once we hit the small but beautiful beach we were excited! Our server put buckets of Corona and Quesadillas on a paddle board and we soaked in the water for 6 hours! $50 pp! We tipped our guy $40 because he kept the beers flowing! R/T Transfers were supposed to be included but it only included to the resort. We paid $4 pp to get back to the port which still was not bad.
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