Brilliance of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

This was our second Royal Caribbean Cruise, but our 5th cruise this year. We have previously sailed 7 times on Carnival and once on NCL. We really enjoyed the Royal Caribbean experience and the ship in general. Everything was slightly better than Carnival from the appearance of the ship to the decorations to the activities to the shows. We chose this voyage because it was a departure from the standard 7 day Eastern Caribbean. The experience of navigating the Panama Canal was well worth the trip.

The ship appeared a little tired - from its capitan to its staff, its interiors. They appeared to need a good cleaning especially the hallways leading to the staterooms. A positive aspect was the stateroom attendant who was constantly congenial and hard-working. Another was the variety of menus in the Minstral dining room. Although the food was not always as described, most of the time it was adequately prepared.

We were impressed with the 'quiet zone' and the library, which prooved that much though was put into this to accodomate the passengers need. We experienced no profanity on the ship and the fellow passergers were very friendly.

It was the best group of crew members ever on a ship or cruise we ever experience.

This cruise was well organized and the entertainment was very good. The shopping was a nice varity to select from.

The ship was well maintained however one of our rooms "reaked" of smoke! it was brought to the attention of housekeeping and they attempted to deordorize the room. It was some better but still not good. Great activities on board- it is an easy ship to get around on!

Ship and staff were excellent !! Check-in (usually a downer) was quick and professional. The ports and excursions were fun and as described in the pre-cruise literature. Food was good but it's hard to vary the menu a lot on a 13+ day cruise. Ship activities were plentyful but not intrusive. Docking and exiting the ship is never fun but was well done by RCCL. I already miss the chocolate on my pillow.

THE DINNING ROOM FOOD WAS EXCELLENT! DID NOT HAVE ANY NEED TO USE THE SPECIALTY DINNING ROOMS.THIS WAS NOT TRUE ON ANOTHER LINE WE WERE ON FOUR MONTHS AGO IN HAWAII.

An amazingly clean vessel that has all the comforts that one could possibly enjoy without leaving the ship. From check in to depature we were treated like we were the only ones on the ship.

The Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas was beautiful. It is the second time I've been on that particular ship. The service was excellent. Our stateroom was on the bottom level, deck 2 but was probably the most convenient when it came to getting on and off of the ship at each port. There were plenty of lounges and bars to have a quiet conversation or party with new friends. The best part of the cruise experience was the service with regards to the waiter and his assistant at dinner and the statesroom person. They were terrific and willing to get us anything we needed.

We recently sailed on the Brilliance of the Seas for the first time. We knew nothing about cruises and went into this with an open mind. The first impression of the Brilliance of the Seas was how large it was on the outside. Once we entered there was an over powering smell of urine through out the ship? Our stateroom was cozy but a few things kept uneasy feelings, the shower curtains which always got the floor soaked, there were lots of storage elements but we needed a manual for all the hidden cabinets and nooks to store our stuff. The main dining room, left much more to be desired, it was time wasted waiting for the wine waiter and then you had to wait for the beer waiter, it seemed the coffee never came out with the desserts, the meats were overcooked... and by the time you could get let someone know to get another too much time had passed. We did venture to eat at the Chops Grille and Portofino, what excellent service as well as food. It was well worth the time waiting for a reservation as well as the extra money. The Windjammer seemed like a College Style Cafeteria, yesterdays meatloaf was todays sloppy Joes. It was a lot of the same menu items day in and day out. The best was the two lunches they had outside by the pool; they were something different and perfect. We noticed there were only so many things you could do because of dinner times and show times, it didnt seem very flexible. If we may have been a bit more prepared (maybe some words of wisdom from the Travel Agent to Guide us) could have had us a bit more organized on what to expect. The pools were limited by space, 2500 people aboard a ship with 3 pools, one for kiddies, another for all and then the adult pool area which was always swarmed with teenagers. There really werent any peace and quiet places on the ship. It seemed as though the teenagers had the run of the ship. They were loud during shows, they were rude in lines and they sat in congregations in the middle of stairways, and no one seemed to correct them? It was very overwhelming Overall we have to say the ship was ok, a few of the staff were wonderful and they were the ones that went above and beyond, like our stateroom attendant Alex and our waiter George!

Imagine paradise as a floating resort hotel and you have discovered Royal Caribbean International's "Brilliance of the Seas." The food,cabins, service, activities,lounges and shows are spectacular,with the caveat that you can participate as much or as little as you prefer, but you will enjoy!

Great crew, super activities, food terrific, loved our cabin ( with a balcony)... first time invited to the Concierge Club..... wonderful touch.... That truly says we welcome your business... ( open bar with snacks from 4:45pm to 8:00pm).... bartender Aileen above par.... Passengers were very well traveled and quite interesting... We were also blessed with super weather....Sorry that it had to end!

Because this was the first cruise of this type I have taken, I have no means of comparison. The "Brilliance of the Seas" is a spectacular ship which felt like being on a five star floating hotel. As all cruisers have exclaimed, the food was scrumptious. I enjoyed dining with the same people in the evenings and meeting new people for breakfast and lunch. While the food in the Windjammer looked inviting, I prefer "sit down" meals. For the most part, I used the main dining room but loved the Seaview Cafe - interesting menu, delicious food, and lovely view. The wait persons were delightful throughout the dining areas on the ship. My cabin was very adequate and comfortable with much storage space. In fact, throughout the cruise, more little hidden storage areas were located!! Everything that was needed was there. The variety of activities was awesome, and there had to be something for everyone at any given time. The variety of the shows was good, and the music in various areas added to the pleasant atmosphere of the ship. While people do not tend to go on cruises to see movies, I must add that the movie theatre was a disappointment. Usually, there were no seats 15 to 20 minutes before a movie was to begin, the angle of the seats made the ones in front most uncomfortable, and there was constant problems with the playing of the movies. Would having the movies shown in the Pacifico Theatre once or twice a day help to alleviate the problem? I would highly recommend the "Brilliance of the Seas" to anyone who wants to cruise in style and comfort.

Our transatlantic cruise on the Brilliance of the Seas was fabulous. We certainly did enjoy the six and a half days at sea as the weather was gorgeous, and the seas were quite calm. It was very relaxing, even though the ship had many activities going on as well. The ship was beautiful and nicely laid out so it was very easy to get around without becoming lost. The staff was exceptional, and we had the best head waiter and waiter that we have every had in the past. The Minsteral dining room served outstanding food, and another of our favorites was the Seaview Cafe on deck 12. The solarium pool area was so nice and cozy on the cooler days. The walking/jogging track was longer and a bit more interesting than on other ships. We were also entertained by the golf course and the basketball court. The ship had numerous areas of entertainment during the evening hours which made for a wide variety for making choices. Even though there were many people sick with the norovirus, including both my husband and I, I can still rate this cruise very high and would not hesitate to choose the Brilliance at a later time.

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.

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.