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Great ports...ship service was good...wouldn't sail again on this one until it's been refurbished.

Brilliance of the Seas Cruise Review to Europe - Eastern Mediterranean

Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 23

Overall rating:

3.4 out of 5
Verified Review
Brilliance of the Seas

7 Night Greece & Croatia (Venice Roundtrip)

Sail date: October 16, 2022

Ship: Brilliance of the Seas

Cabin number: 9628

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

With the exception of the spa staff, in my opinion, everyone on this ship is trying to give you a really great experience despite some of the mechanical issues and tired appearances of some of the areas (cabin drawers, closets, uncomfortable beds, etc.). Ravenna should NOT be a port for cruise ships, but at minimum should not be considered Venice unless Royal Carribean plans to include transfers from Venice to Ravenna. Overall, we had a great time but I wish I would've known many of the things I pointed out in this review.

Embarkation

3 out of 5
Embarkation itself was good, but they really need to STOP calling this a Venice departure. The departure port is Ravenna, which is 2.5 hours drive south of Venice and not close to anything.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Children's Programs

2 out of 5
The teen program was really not great - leaving my 16 year old daughter feeling like there was little to do that was applicable to her.

Service and Staff

3 out of 5
Wait staff was fantastic everywhere except Giovanni's. The folks in the spa were rude and constantly pushing more services (I just wanted a deep tissue massage!). And the services were not great - deep tissue massage with absolutely no pressure or focus on sore/tight muscles.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

2 out of 5
They could not get the ventilation fixed in our room until day 5, after many requests to have it resolved, and even then it was lackluster at best. It left the room stuffy at night making it difficult to sleep.

Ship tip

This is not a ship for kids - if you're looking for a Royal Carribean experience similar to the ones you see on TV, you won't find it on this ship. Instead, opt for one of the larger ships with more family and kid-oriented activities and amenities.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Ravenna, Italy

1 out of 5

Dubrovnik, Croatia

5 out of 5

Mykonos, Greece

5 out of 5

Santorini, Greece

5 out of 5

Split, Croatia

4 out of 5

Disembarkation

2 out of 5
Again - Ravenna.
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6 Comments

Cruisers4Lyfe     3 months ago

Thanks for sharing
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javawoody    2 years ago

Thanks for the review
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byhisgrace    2 years ago

Thanks for your review
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Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise
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AuntPinkie    2 years ago

Great itinerary. Appreciate your feedback. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.
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CruzeFan    2 years ago

Thanks for the review. The older ships are great for longer itineraries and smaller ports. Since Venice banned larger cruise ships, most have moved to the nearest available port. The cruise lines generally list the largest nearby city for departure ports, since that’s where most people will fly into / out of.
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