Brilliance of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

had everything we wanted...plenty of food, activities, shows, etc. service personnel were amazing! Friendly, cute, helpful, professional...just great!

Really enjoyed the ship!

Overall this was a beautiful ship and great food with o.k. service. We had several instances where we were helped with issues but took hours of our vacation time to resolve(ie. internet, laundry). Many shuttles from port to town were at our expense instead of provided free and in some instances free buses were around the corner and we didn't know til after we paid($26.00 X 8) for a water taxi in Venice. Communication was not very open in the programs about what was going on. Would recommend if all the facts are know up front.

The itinerary was wonderful. Great weather. Although the ship was sold out, it never felt crowded.

Overall, the most user friendly ship we've ever been on. . .easy to navigate, well planned. We loved the diversity of nationalities and age groups on this cruise, and they followed with a variety of ethnic foods, decorations, and music for all the different age groups. The entertainment was the best of any ship we've ever been on. . .a variety of pop, opera, Broadway, dancing, humor, singing, soloists, etc. The climbing wall and miniature golf were pleasant additions. An adult solarium didn't take away from the miriad of activities for youth.

Clean and plenty to do

We recently returned from a 12 day cruise of the Med, on RCI's Brilliance of the Seas. Although a few years old, the ship had everything one could want in cruising. As a matter of fact, my wife commented that at any point in time one could choose between half a dozen activities. The ship was excellently maintained and looked as it must have when new. I loved the well thought out "layout" with the usual show theatre forward and the main dining room aft. Food at the Windjammer buffet I would rate as good. For dinner we were at a table for 10, and although there was some griping at various entrees, the staff were quick to make substitutions. We dined at the special Portofino and Chops Grill; of the 2 we would only recommend the Portofino. Overall, this is a first class ship and great international crew!

The ship itself was nice. They needed to carry a few more television networks, as ESPN2 does not carry any good football games and replays of the same CBS shows got really taxing. We wanted to relax, so, yes, we spent some time in our stateroom, but that should be as viable an option to us as their activities.

The ship was very nice, but the customer service level on this cruise wasn't up to the normal standard. The cruise director staff in charge of the activities weren't as outgoing and active as previous cruises. The cruise director was good, but several of his staff didn't seem to enjoy their job and appeared uneasy in front of a crowd. A spa employee was very pushy in trying to sell some products. When I told her I wasn't interested she replied "I'm not going to discuss it with you anymore. I am very disappointed."(this was said with an attitide). This is my fifth cruise with Royal Caribbean, and I was the one who was disappointed. When I mentioned my concerns to Guest Relations they informed me that several of the staff did not have the opportunity to be trained, as they boarded the ship in Southampton and went directly to work. Still, I don't feel that is an excuse for below average customer service. On a positive note, the food was good and most of the ports of call were interesting. The only port I wouldn't recommend is Vigo, Spain. There's not much to do...just another city. The Solarium is great for relaxing, and the midnight buffet was excellent.

Some kinks need working out since refurbishing. Staff was excellent and efficient, except security personnel, who were rude and incompetent, and ill trained. Guests were treated like criminals, putting a definite damper on shore experience upon return. Guests were told to delete pictures of leaving the ship because it was a "security area." One passenger was publicly strip-searched in line. This was after security checks on shore by shore authorities. American's weren't as outraged as the Europeans.

We were on Brilliance of the Sea and were impressed with everything about the ship. The Solarium pool was just beautiful and being adult only was a nice change sometimes if you wanted a more lacked atmosphere. As always you were never far from a meal, somewhere on the ship they were serving food.

Boat is a little tired and will soon be rehabbed, but was a great cruise.

a wonderful ship in every respect

Just thought this was a nice getaway. would do it again.

There was absolutely nothing I would have changed on this cruise. It was our fist time on Royal Caribbean compared to other cruise lines and as far as we are concerned we will continue to cruise with Royal caribbean

The ship is lovely, but needs some repairs to superficial items. I believe it is going to be in drydock soon and will receive some needed refurbishing.

The ship was beautiful, plenty of activities, very nice staff, good buffets, many different places to dine. They had children's programs on board for kids 3+, but we did not utilize this program (you had to drop them off there for the day, like a daycare). Our kids (2 and 4) enjoyed doing all of the things we did. They had a mini golf course, a kiddie pool (which kids have to be potty trained to use, no swim pampers) and a basketball court. I did not feel comfortable taking my kids to the main pool, it seemed too adult oriented. They have three pools, the kiddie, the main and the adults only pool (very nice). They have two specialty restaurants on board, but kids under 13 are not allowed. There were not many kids at all on our cruise, most of the people on board were retired couples. I was always worried about my kids making too much noise or running around since everything was adult oriented. Aside from that aspect of kid unfriendliness, all of the staff and other cruisers seemed to like my kids which made me feel a lot better. We did attend the shows every night with the kids and listen to the nightly live entertainment in the main lobby, we all enjoyed that. All in all, we all had a wonderful time and I would do this cruise again, with the kids :)

This was our 8th cruise and definitely our best to date. The ship was beautiful and the best part was it was so easy to get around on. Usually it takes the length of the cruise before I know where things are at, but this ship is arranged so efficiently that I felt comfortable after the first day! The ports of call were also very good. I was worried that 10 days with 6 days at sea might be a little much. Believe me there was always plenty to do and it was great to unwind and refresh your mind and soul. Bette Hoesly

our experience was one of a lifetime dream .The staff must be commended for their professional services .The cleaniness on the ship was next to none ,and the food was out of this world ,hats off to the Chefs .

The Brilliance of the Seas is a beautiful ship. However, we were greatly disappointed in the luncheon buffet - sometimes inedible, and the buffet for breakfast was just average. They ran out of bathrobes for us, and had septic system problems. The casino had a few non-smoking nights and that was great. The show with Marty Allen and his wife Karon Kate was fantastic. Everyone was talking about it. It was a pleasant surprise since the other shows were not so good. Loved the Jewel of the Seas, so I guess our problems were with the particular ship and not the cruiseline.