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Brilliance of the Seas
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Brilliance Of The Seas
Ship review by Anne Campbell© |
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Onboard Experience Things to Do Dining Ambience
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Best For People Who Want:
A light-filled, upbeat environment with a higher passenger/space ratio; numerous lounges and watering holes; alternative dining; many balcony cabins, fitness/sports/spa activities. This is among RCI's more sophisticated ships.
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Should Be Avoided By People Who Prefer:
A luxurious cruise experience with high levels of food, quiet and sedate or sumptuous surroundings; large inside/outside standard cabins; gourmet cuisine; a highly polished level of service; single, open seating. |
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Onboard Experience
 The 2,501-passenger Brilliance of the Seas is a Radiance-class (Radiance, Serenade, Jewel of the Seas) ship. This is a light-filled vessel and one of the most visually exciting ships I've ever seen. The heart and soul of Brilliance is the enormous atrium ("Centrum") rising nine decks. The glass elevators face either the sea or the Centrum, and each passenger deck above has railings and balconies that permit you always to keep tabs on the action below. If you have a fear of heights, as I do, this may not always be a comfortable experience. However, I can't imagine a better ship to take to any scenic location, due to the lavish expanses of floor-to-ceiling glass in all public areas.
Brilliance is as modern as it gets, with all the spa, fitness and other amenities we've come to expect. My favorite design feature is the diverse atmosphere of lounges and clubs, ranging from an ultra-modern champagne bar overlooking the sea to the very clubby, aristocratic Colony Club, offering the first pool tables at sea.
I'd characterize the Brilliance as a "happy ship." Passengers seem to naturally gather in the lobby bar, and the atmosphere is lively and upbeat. You won't be disappointed in the range of entertainment, either: from country/western to a cool piano bar and lavish Las Vegas-style floor shows, there is more to do than you'll have time for in a one-week cruise. And while the ship's primary features are pleasing to adults, there are extensive separate facilities for kids and teens.
Aboard Brilliance I found the food much better than I've had on other Royal Caribbean ships.
Unless you eschew megaliners, Brilliance will stimulate the senses and provide more options than you'll need to keep you entertained and busy on board.
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Things To Do
Entertainment:
 The main entertainment venue is the two-level theater, seating 915 people. While there was no lavish, Broadway-style show scheduled during my early, short cruise, there was more than enough diverse entertainment to suit everyone. Lounges have pianists and combos, while country/western and jazz are also featured. The lobby bar each night had a group performing Broadway show tunes and other popular fare. You'll find two movies per day in the ship's cinema (unfortunately, not first-run). In-cabin movies are also scheduled throughout the day.
Fitness:
The Solarium's outdoor pool area nestles behind the spa boasts a retractable glass ceiling, large pool and whirlpools. I could spend the entire voyage camped out in this serene area. Steiners operates the ship's spa, and there is an enormous fitness area with treadmills, bikes, weights and aerobics classes. Other sports facilities include a rock-climbing wall, jogging/walking track, golf course and volleyball. Aerobics and yoga classes are scheduled throughout the day.
For Kids:
Royal Caribbean's "Adventure Ocean" youth programs offer your children their own private facilities. Designed for four separate age groups, the youth program makes these ships an excellent choice for families with children. Children's programs are segregated by age: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 and 13-17. Teens will find their own private coffee house and disco.
Adventure Ocean is open 9 a.m. to noon; 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m. during days at sea. In port, it is open during the morning and evening hours. Group babysitting is offered from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. for children three and above; there is a $4 per child charge. In cabin babysitting may be booked during the cruise for children at least a year old; rates are $8 per hour for one or two children.
TIP: If you're traveling with children, be sure to purchase RCI's $20 all-you-can-drink soft drink package.
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| Dining |
Cuisine:
I was pleasantly surprised at the high quality of cuisine served aboard Brilliance and sister Radiance, especially since I took the first cruise. At dinner, meat and chicken were perfectly prepared, vegetables crispy. The pastry chef is sublime, producing some of the tastiest desserts I've had on any ship. While I didn't have the opportunity to dine at the two alternative restaurants, Chops and Portofino (both with a $20 surcharge), I heard rave reviews from those who did.
Restaurants:
The two-level main dining room, is stately and refined, with a
waterfall, a grand staircase and 10 enormous pillars. I recommend
avoiding the two-story-high center of the room since the noise level
makes it impossible to hear any conversation; they should turn down the
sound level of the piano as well. One of the best features is the
Windjammer Café, where casual breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks and
dinner are served. This restaurant has food stations for individual
courses (meat, sandwiches, vegetables), cutting down on lines. In the
morning, one can get made-to-order omelets. The best seating is just
beyond the main restaurant area, where you can choose to dine alfresco
overlooking the aft, or sit on cozy banquettes. The specialty
restaurants, Chops and Portofino are both tiny, elegant and a very
special dining experience. The Seaview Café perched above the Windjammer
serves light meals in the afternoon, early evening and late night to 1
a.m.
Service:
On the preview cruise of Brilliance of the Seas, the staff were getting used to the new ship. We'll have to return to this ship in order to do a more thorough review and rating.
Attire:
There are two formal nights per cruise. Maybe it's this ship's particularly festive reputation that induced most men on board our sailing to don tuxedoes for formal nights. But a dark suit is just as appropriate. In general, though, this ship offers so much to do on board on any given evening that we noticed passengers didn't all dress alike.
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| Ambience |
Decor:
 Brilliance has a dozen or so public rooms, but one feature I love is the variety of small, intimate spots with comfy leather sofas and chairs scattered throughout the vessel. The lobby bar, where an ensemble performs each night, is always packed. Two decks above is the low-key Champagne Bar, with views of the atrium and floor-to-ceiling windows. A small but well-stocked library also faces the atrium.
On deck 6, you leave the ultra modern décor and step into Schooners, my favorite piano bar at sea, with teak and marine blue fabrics accented by nautical antiques and reproductions. The next room is the Colony Club, clubby, dark and decorated in blue, burgundy and gold. There is a large dance floor and stage, where all kinds of performers entertain passengers at night. Adjacent is the Bombay Billiards Club, with the first pool tables at sea. They have amazing technology: Each table balances on a ball bearing the size of a grape. The table may move as the ship rocks, but the balls are always stationary. Do make a stop in the tiny Crown and Anchor Club on deck 12. I dare you to stand on the glass platform with a view of the entire atrium beneath your feet. Sports fans will love Scoreboard, where you can watch your favorite team on enormous flat-screen TVs while having a beer or playing a video game. Perched high atop the ship is the Viking Crown Lounge, with 360-degree views. It is divided into two areas: a disco and a low-key room with small stage for performances.
The shopping area has higher quality merchandise than you'll find on other RCI ships, including designer attire and bags and a wonderful jewelry store. Beyond the shopping area is another favorite of mine -- the Latte'tudes coffee shop and Internet café (with a per minute charge) where you can sip a cappuccino or espresso at one of the small bistro tables overlooking the atrium. Additional Internet stations are found at Royal Caribbean Online in the atrium on deck 4. Also onboard is a cinema showing two features per day and Casino Royale, the ship's large gaming spot.
Public Areas:
On deck 6, you leave the ultra modern décor and step into Schooners, my favorite piano bar at sea, with teak and marine blue fabrics accented by nautical antiques and reproductions. The next room is the Colony Club, clubby, dark and decorated in blue, burgundy and gold. There is a large dance floor and stage, where all kinds of performers entertain passengers at night. Adjacent is the Bombay Billiards Club, with the first pool tables at sea. They have amazing technology: Each table balances on a] ball bearing the size of a grape. The table may move as the ship rocks, but the balls are always stationary. Do make a stop in the tiny Crown and Anchor Club on deck 12.
I dare you to stand on the glass platform with a view of the entire atrium beneath your feet. Sports fans will love Scoreboard, where you can watch your favorite team on enormous flat-screen TVs while having a beer or playing a video game. Perched high atop the ship is the Viking Crown Lounge, with 360-degree views. It is divided into two areas: a disco and a low-key room with small stage for performances.
The shopping area has higher quality merchandise than you'll find on other RCI ships, including designer attire and bags and a wonderful jewelry store. Beyond the shopping area is another favorite of mine--Books & Co., a small version of Barnes & Nobel with an excellent selection of books and magazines for sale. The staff doesn't mind if you peruse a book while sipping a cup of cappuccino or espresso at one of the small bistro tables. Casino Royal is the ship's large gaming spot. There is also a cinema with two features per day. Also overlooking the atrium are two separate cyber cafes (50 cents/minute) and there are also stations in Books & Co.
Cabins:
Of the 1,050 staterooms, 813 have ocean view and a whopping 577 have private verandas; there are 14 wheelchair-accessible staterooms. Standard features in all cabins include interactive TV, telephone, computer jack, hair dryer, refrigerator/mini-bar, large closet and plenty of storage space. In standard and most balcony cabins, bathrooms have a shower and one large medicine cabinet. A word of warning in cabins with mini-bars: Don't touch anything in that fridge unless you plan to pay for it. You will automatically be billed for anything you so much as touch for more than 30 seconds.
If you're considering a balcony cabin, the best staterooms are Cat. D (decks 7-10) on the aft end of the ship overlooking the ocean. Here, you'll get the largest balconies on the ship, measuring 13 ft. long x 9.5 ft. wide. Hats off to Royal Caribbean for not stinting on balcony cabins: On these ships, there are steel walls between balconies instead of the glass partitions common on most new ships, which afford no privacy at all. Most cabins are more commodious than those on other ships in RCI's fleet. Inside cabins do measure a teensy 160 sq. ft.; but outside cabins range from 180 to 265 sq. ft. and suites from 610 to 1,188 sq. ft. After constantly hearing my neighbors on both sides, I would have liked better soundproofing.
Cabins are superbly designed, including such thoughtful touches as beds with rounded corners and lighted vanity tables with mirrored cabinets. Storage is excellent, especially for a ship that essentially goes nowhere. Standard amenities include color TV with CNN and movies; a safe; individual temperature controls; and an RCI first -- hairdryers. Tubs are found only in the highest category staterooms; most bathrooms have just showers (though unexpectedly large ones) with medicine cabinets. There even was a full-length mirror in our "superior" category cabin.
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