Brilliance of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

We loved the Brilliance, it is a first rate ship with a very happy, helpful staff. The entertainment was first class, and the ship is maintained in a wonderful shape.

The staff was amazing. They made us feel very special and were very informative. I would receommend this ship/staff to anyone.

Excellent all around

I've cruised with Royal Carribean twice now, once aboard the Adventure of the Seas, and more recently aboard the Brilliance of the Seas. The cruise I had aboard the Brilliance of the Seas took us to Haiti, Aruba, Curacao, Panama, and Costa Rica. The cruise was 11 nights long, and it was during the first few weeks of March. If you're considering this cruise, you should know that we couldn't have picked a better time to go. Out of 11 night voyage, there was only about half an hour of rain on a single day. The temperatures ranged between 80 degrees in Miami up to 100 degrees in Panama. There was no shortage of sun, and the weather was absolutely perfect. As far as the ship goes, the Brilliance of the Seas is top of the line. The most notable difference in the Brilliance of the Seas (from the Adventure) was the missing ice skating rink. But besdies that, it had all of the ammenities I expected, including putt-putt, the rock climbing wall, the sports court, the casino, and all of the clubs. On the cruise, I took my seven year old son with me. If you're considering taking your child, you'll be glad to know that the children's program aboard Royal Caribbean is top notch. Before we left, I worried that he would get bored on such a long cruise, but there was never a dull moment for him. He loved the cruise and would gladly go again in a moments notice. As far as the itenerary is concerned, there is something on this cruise to interest everyone, from the tropical beaches of the islands, to the engineering marvels of the Panama Canal. Also, the service aboard the Brilliance of the Seas was no less than marvelous. The staff was friendly and went well beyond the call of duty to please their onboard family. If you're thinking of taking this same cruise, or any other RCCL cruise, I would highly recommend it. You can't go wrong with Royal Caribbean.

Loved Izumi. People on this cruise are mostly friendly. I have to say though I enjoyed being off the ship more than on it. I love the ports. The included food options were a little disappointing but hard to complain too much when you get to go to the Caribbean.

Understand it’s not a megaship and you will totally enjoy. Booked two other small RC ships because of this trip. Been on big and small and this one is top notch.

We would do it again just not on the brilliance of the seas.

Our favorite part of every trip is always the crew on board the Royal Caribbean ships. They are wonderful and well trained.

Things have changed over the years. Corners are being cut. Expect to pay for things that used to be included. You can't serve yourself at the buffet. What used to be extravagance is now curtailed by efficiency.

Worst ever. Never again on RCCL. Blah blah blah blah

We love Cozumel and Grand Cayman. This is a beautiful older ship but in decent shape. Quiet and relaxing Solarium. Shows were very good. Dining room options and waiters were great.

Wi-Fi on board was great. Buffet was surprisingly good. Great cruise overall.

Now the criticism. My husband and I are in the casino a lot. This was our 23 cruise this year. He is a much higher level than myself. The casino host said hello to him but didn't give me the time of day. She wouldn't print out anyone's offers. Not friendly at all. The casino it small and tight to get around but I knew that. My biggest grip is not allowing people to smoke in the casino when it's not open. It's not a smoking lounge!! When it was open I couldn't use machines because people were standing around them smoking and not playing. I asked for if I could play and they said no....WTH they were NOT playing the game either RC has to do a better job!

Great crew, great vacation, and can't wait to do another

I have cruised 1 other time on a much larger ship and read many reviews leading up to this cruise. With that said I am not sure what all of the complaints are about. This is a 20 year old ship that is still being maintained on a daily basis. My inside stateroom (4561) was exactly what you would expect. Clean with plenty of room for what was needed while in your room. The entire staff seemed friendly and willing to help out if needed. The food in the Windjammer was really really good. Never disappointed. The bars were generally a bit backed up but nothing more then a few minutes for a drink and the drinks were plenty strong if that's what you requested. The main pool is small and usually crowded seeing as that it's the only outdoor pool. But I always seemed to find a spot to lay out. There were minimal kids on this particular cruise possibly due to minimal popular child/teen things to do. The entertainment director Mike was a blast. Plenty of entertainment around him. Unfortunately the shows and musicians were not the greatest. Definitely second choice entertainers. The casino was always the most popular spot at night. The table games seemed to favor the house but the slot machines gave back. LOL Overall, if you are expecting a very modern cruise ship with all the bells and whistles, then this is not for you or especially not for your kids. This is an older ship that seemed to be appreciated by myself and many regulars onboard. If you are looking to have a "few" drinks, relax, and be plenty full, then this might be for you.

The ship was fun, clean, and had great entertainment. The staff was superb. Can't wait to book another sailing!

Delayed 10 hours to get on ship, excursions were so much fun. Ship was always being cleaned

Like this size ship. Have been on the Harmony many times for other reasons but for a relaxed time we like to leave from Tampa and do the West Caribbean in the colder months as the water is warmer. Will do again next November.

Overall this was an excellent cruise. This was our first cruise on Royal Caribbean in many years--so we spent much of the cruise comparing this cruise to more recent cruises on Princess, Holland America, and Carnival. The variety of entertainment available on the ship is definitely one of the strengths of this cruise. The food was average in comparison with the other lines and the service comparable with HAL and Princess. The ship was very similar to smaller ships on the Princess lines such as Caribbean or Ruby Princess. We loved the classic wood and that there were so many places to sit both inside and out to watch the ocean. We also loved the 9 hole putt putt golf course and the shuffleboard. Liked that there was a climbing wall and pickle ball available. The internet was expensive and slow if it was working (which it wasn't on many days). They were installing a Starlink system on the ship which was going to improve the internet starting on the cruise right after ours.

Had a wonderful time and weather was excellent. Apparently this was the cruise directors first time. The activities schedule was messed up most days; some folks were really vexed by it. The service was outstanding and we had a fantastic time. Just relax and enjoy!