DISAPPOINTING CRUISE! Subpar unsavory meals Main Dining; Miscommunication Fiasco throughout; Minimal childcare provisions; Key staff poor problem solving skills; Lackluster entertainment & Excruciating sound mix on high-frequencies

Item: Brilliance of the Seas
Rating: 2.2
Author: RTGregory

Brilliance of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

RTGregory

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 28

Overall rating:

2.2 out of 5

Verified Review

5 Night Western Caribbean (Tampa Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 30, 2023

Ship: Brilliance of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 8636

Traveled as: Family (young children)

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

DISAPPOINTING. I've sailed with RCL on a number of occasions and their quality has sharply declined. One family member will no longer travel with Royal. Main Dining Room meals unsavory; Miscommunication - printed daily Compass and APP information are not followed causing confusion; Key staff lacked problem solving skills; Minimal childcare; Few vegan selections for meals; Slow dining room service; lackluster shows with poor sound quality; limited adult activities; Value for dollar spent - poor.

Embarkation

3 out of 5

Easy to get aboard ship with precheck-in process.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

Main Dining meals were substandard. Family members ventured up to Windjammer after our main dinner to find items to satisfy their hunger.

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5

Limited adult activities; no activities for young toddlers; This ship is not for young families with young children.

Entertainment

1 out of 5

Stage shows were poor. Sound mix toward high-frequencies made several performers voice shrill. My wife had to leave one show as the frequency caused a headache. She refused to attend the last evening's show because of this.

Children's Programs

1 out of 5

Extremely limited and poor. Childcare is offered from 9 - 12 noon. In the afternoon hours, a parent has to be present in the room. No childcare during 5 - 7:00 p.m. Parents with young toddlers who go to bed early are left with minimal childcare.

Service and Staff

2 out of 5

Headwaiter and salon key leaders poor customer service and relations. Stewards were excellent.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

I prefer the next class of RCL ships above this (Radiance Class). The Voyager class has more to offer families and staff seem more professional and capable.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

Smaller balcony cabin than other RCL ships. Adequate for short sailings. An average balcony.

Ship tip

Sail on the next classes above this ship. Very limited. RCL has significant slippage with this class of ship.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Tampa, Florida

2 out of 5

George Town, Grand Cayman

3 out of 5

We visited 7 mile beach on our own and this was a pleasant experience. Taxi service was very reasonable ($5 a person). Beach was not crowded and family friendly. We rented two umbrellas and 4 loungers for the day for $35 - seemed reasonable.

Thumbs Up 0

Cozumel, Mexico

3 out of 5

Chankanab was an enjoyable excursion. A variety of activities for a family to enjoy. Food was good at this resort.

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

1 out of 5

Miscommunication by RCL on this portion. Lack of staff direction/leadership on various levels made the process cumbersome, lengthy, and frustrating.

8 Comments

kristaburgess78 1 year ago

The less children running around, the better🤷🏻‍♀️

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SEALIFER 1 year ago

It’s now early 2023…not very long ago most of the world experienced a pandemic that devastated tourism, entertainment, the arts, restaurateurs, and much of small, medium and large business as well as much more. I can understand the negativity being expressed because things have certainly not snapped back to prior standards but recovery is going to take more that 12 to 18 months. I am just thankful that we still have cruise lines on which to book cruises and help them financially recover themselves.

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AuntPinkie 1 year ago

Appreciate your details. Sorry this cruise didn’t meet your expectations.

Thumbs Up 0

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kef2016 1 year ago

Thank you for sharing your cruise experience. Sorry it didn’t meet all your expectations.

Thumbs Up 1

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javawoody 1 year ago

Thanks for the review

Thumbs Up 1

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promquen2001 1 year ago

Where did you rent the chairs from on 7mile beach??

Thumbs Up 1

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Popdog 1 year ago

Thank you for your review. Sorry you were so disappointed.

Thumbs Up 1

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Gwbigdog 1 year ago

Oops sorry 😞 thanks for sharing your thoughts

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