SeminoleFan

My first cruise was on the Radiance, the beginning of a happy addiction. Love seeing her again. Thank you!

Love the Brilliance of the Seas! Can't wait to read more of your review.

I cancelled my cruise as the other dates did not align well with work schedules. I checked this morning and the payments made with my debit card have been credited back, but not without errors. It looks like a portion was withheld, maybe cancellation fee or service charge. I thought that we would be refunded in full as the cancellation was an issue with the ship. I am going to call Celebrity, but wondered if anyone had a similar experience.

Our first cruise was on Radiance of the Seas with Capt. Sindre. I was so impressed by him; his wonderful sense of humor so evident at the question and answer session he hosted.

I wish him all the best on his newest venture. His Royal Caribbean family will certainly miss him.

Yay! A Brilliance of the Seas review. We sailed her this past winter and have another cruise booked for February 2015. A beautiful ship.

I know how you feel...my first Celebrity cruise was also cancelled due to a propulsion issue -- but I had 3 weeks notice, not 5+ months. Hang in there...my first Celebrity cruise was fantastic and worth the wait and disappointment of the Millennium cancellation!:)

Yikes, three-weeks notice would be very tough to take. I know we are fortunate to have this amount of notice. We will definitely give Celebrity another chance, maybe not in 2015, but at some point. :)

This thread was started by Celebrity cruises, decision was just made, give them a chance.

Thanks, I clued in after I posted. Guess I was blinded by disappointment. Of course, it's important for the propulsion issues to be addressed and I would probably be more anxious if I was on a cruise before dry dock. If another Celebrity cruise works for both itinerary and time, I will probably book. Just not meant to be this time around.

This was to be my first cruise on Celebrity. Kind of disappointing, but there's much worse things than having to change vacation plans. Thank you for keeping us updated, Cruise Critic. (It's not like Celebrity has made an effort to contact me. :( )

I think the silver/platinum shoes in the pictures look nice. I have several pairs of metallic shoes (gold ballet flats, silver driving mocs and platinum Jack Roger sandals) and get a lot of use out of them. I think of metallic shoes as neutrals. Pretty dress, too.

Wonderful review and photos! I enjoyed lunch at Le Grand Vefour several years ago and it was nice to relive it with your review. Truly unparalleled service!

 

No extra charge options: Here's my list of no extra charge options available on Silhouette and whether there is a Princess equivalent with my opinion about which is better:

 

- Main Dining Room (Celebrity has the edge)

- Blu (This is the MDR for Aqua Class guests. It's not open to regular, nonsuite or nonaqua spa guests).

- Buffet (Celebrity is clearly better on S-Class at breakfast and lunch with much more extensive offerings that vary more than what's available on Princess. Celebrity's dinner offerings at the buffet are not as extensive as Princess -- which offers a dumbed down version of what's in the MDR -- but is still good)

- Aquaspa Café (Most of the items are free though there are some items that require an upcharge. It's located in the solarium and there's no Princess equivalent)

- Poolside -- Burgers and hotdogs -- I don't know how Celebrity manages to make these taste so good when most other lines make theirs taste like a school cafeteria but there you go. Edge to Celebrity

- Pizza -- On Celebrity it's available in the buffet from 11am until very late. On Princess, it's by the pool. I thought this was one of the few areas where Princess had the edge.

- Ice Cream -- A huge edge to Celebrity. It's available free from 11 until late in an ice cream parlor at the buffet. There's both hard ice cream in many flavors and soft serve as well. There's candy and toppings to make a sundae. On Princess, there's free ice cream for 1 hour in the afternoon in two flavors in a makeshift table in the buffet. Otherwise, there's pay ice cream available out by the pool. Also, on Celebrity, you can get ice cream from room service at any time.

- Café al Bacio -- Breakfast pastries and elegant sweet snacks available all day. The coffee is extra charge, the pastries are free. Princess has something similar.

- Room Service -- Celebrity lets you order from the MDR menu when it's open and have it delivered to your room. Princess lets you do that if you have a balcony BUT CHARGES YOU FOR IT.

- Drinks -- Celebrity has a more extensive list of no extra charge juices and soft drinks. Moreover, all of its coffee is brewed coffee. The only place that you can get brewed coffee on Princess is at the International Café and they charge for it.

 

Extra Charge Options. Both Princess and Celebrity have extra charge dining. Celebrity has more of them and the list price can be more than Princess on a few of them. Two things to keep in mind: First, in no case is there a Princess equivalent that is FREE. Generally, there just simply isn't a Princess equivalent. Second, and here's a well-known secret, Celebrity will discount them if they're not selling well. I've never paid full price. Here's the list:

 

- Murano

- Tuscan Grille

- Qsine

- The Lawn Club

- The Porch $5

- Bistro on Five $5

- Gellateria (but you can get one free scoop)

 

Another Tip to Get "Free" Gelato. Yes, it's true that if you are a Captain's Club member, you now get a coupon for one free scoop of Gelato. The gelato is excellent but so is the free ice cream so I never really bothered to pay for the gelato until . . . I found out about this trick. I usually get the Premium Alcoholic Beverage package. With that package or the Premium Non-Alcoholic Beverage package you can get an Affogato from Café al Bacio. An affogato is a scoop of gelato (any flavor)and a shot of espresso.

 

So Travelergirl, here's my bottom line: Celebrity doesn't nickel and dime you any more than Princess. You'll find subtle differences between the two lines but they are more alike than they are different. I think (overall), you'll find Celebrity to feel less crowded, more comfortable (especially the bedding), with better cabin design, and better food. If you don't like it after your Silhouette cruise, Princess will be happy to welcome you back with open arms. They offer a good product, just not as much to my taste as Celebrity. Enjoy your cruise and stop expecting the worst!!!

BKFlowerMound--

Thank you for the detailed breakdown of dining options. It's a complete and succinct description of all options. I just booked my first Celebrity cruise and this is invaluable. :)

Also, I agree--it doesn't appear that Celebrity nickles and dimes more than any other cruiseline (I am familiar with Royal) and, in fact, they seem to have more options.

SeminoleFan

Enjoying your review. Thank you!

Yep, the $150/person price is steep, but my husband and I really enjoyed our tour on the Brilliance of the Seas and it was one of the highlights of our cruise. (We got to meet the captain and talk with him on the bridge which was pretty darn cool.) We looked at it as an excursion to help rationalize the price tag. ;)

We signed up at guest services on embarkation day. I didn't see the tour advertised in the Cruise Compass, but knew about it because of Cruise Critic. Also offered was another option where you could tour either the bridge or the engine control room for $50/person.

We both received tour swag-- All Access tote bags, the pass with lanyard and aprons. :D

Your pictures are amazing! Can't wait to read and see more.

Thank you, WJBWJB. I am thoroughly enjoying the pictures and blog postings. :)

Hi,

I sailed on the Brilliance of the Seas out of Tampa, February 1st. The World docked right behind us before the Brilliance set sail. I was just thrilled to see The World in person and wanted to share a picture of her. :)

What stateroom on the Brilliance did you have? I just booked 1100 for this summer.

Hi Clamett,

We stayed in 1604. We really enjoyed the larger balcony and the views. Have a great cruise!

SeminoleFan

Just stayed in an aft stateroom on the Brilliance of the Seas (Radiance class) and did not have any issues with soot. In the morning, I would run my hand over the furniture and railing just to make sure and never saw any sign of soot.

Enjoy the aft balcony! They're glorious!

SeminoleFan

Thank you for your review.. We are sailing on the Brilliance in 2 weeks -- and will be taking the loooonnnggg walk to an aft cabin on deck 10 -- we have cabin #1100.

 

I see that there are 7 ships in Coz the day we are there -- we are booked at Nachi Cocum, so hopefully that many people won't be an issue since they limit the number of people.. Was downtown crowded?

 

mac_tlc

Hi mac_tlc--

I think there were six ships in port when we were in Cozumel and downtown didn't seem terribly crowded. Walking along the main road was busy, but once we ventured off to the square, the crowds thinned out.

We loved the aft cabin. So much so, we booked 1102 for next year. :D

Enjoy your cruise!

SeminoleFan

Thank you for this wonderful review from your cruise!

 

I'm sailing on the Brilliance in a few weeks and it's my first Radiance class ship, so I'm extra excited.

 

Question: Did you and your husband purchase the drink package? Also did you happen to try out the new pub? If so, did you notice any live entertainment going on in there?

 

Thanks again,

Michael

Hi mpoole3,

Think I am a bit of dud when it comes to your questions. We did not do the drink package or go the new pub. Sorry. :o

Enjoy your cruise; she's a beautiful ship!

SeminoleFan

Final thoughts on our cruise--for us, it was a perfect vacation. We had equal amounts of fun, relaxation, activity and pampering. We felt great when we returned home, fully rested with great memories.

A couple of bonus pictures--just for fun!

Any Travel Channel fans that watched the show on The World, Residences at Sea?? It pulled in right behind us in Tampa on embarkation day. Woot, woot!! How cool!

I am sure having this on your ship isn't a bad omen. Really, it can't be bad luck, right.

Our vote for oddest work of art on the ship--Lady covered with spoons??

Oh I almost forgot--it really is a long walk to an aft cabin, bring a snack!

More Behind the Scenes pictures

The galley

Goodies they had ready for us

Behind the scenes and backstage

One of the highlights of our cruise was the Behind the Scenes Tour. We signed up at Guest Services on embarkation day. I don’t know what the participant limit is, but wanted to make sure we were on the list. The cost is $150 per person. Yep, that’s steep, but it was so worth it to us. I love to know how things work, processes, logistics and am basically a busy body. This tour satisfied all my questions.

IMPORTANT--if you have any interest in participating in this tour, pack long pants and closed-toe shoes as they’re required to participate in the tour. Fortunately, I had jeans with me because it’s winter and wore jeans for embarkation. Also fortunate, I brought my running shoes so we could continue to workout while cruising. Some of the surfaces are wet and slippery so tread is a good thing. Also, the tour is ~3 to 3 1/2 hours of walking and standing, so comfortable, supportive shoes are a must.

The tour was on the last sea day. There were six in our group. We met Sandra, the Cruise Program Administrator, at 8:45 in the morning in the Centrum and we’re given our All Access passes on lanyards. We proceeded to deck two for a security check. We were wanded by security officer. Apparently not a lot of women go on the tour and they had to call for a female officer to wand me.

We toured the Engine Control Room (ECR in marine lingo); the Bridge where we met the Captain, shook his hand (be still my heart) and he shared some stories; the food storage area; galley and prep kitchens; crew areas; trash and recycling area; backstage at the theatre (we got a sneak peak at that night’s performance).

At each area, an officer was there to discuss their job and how everything gets done. We had an opportunity to ask questions and take pictures. What stood out to me was the passion and professionalism each person we met with possessed. Such a pleasure and privilege to interact with people who love what they do and love to do it well.

Also offered were tours of either just the bridge or just the engine control room. The cost was $50/person.

Million dollar view from the bridge

We all got a turn at driving--JUST KIDDING!

Engine Control Room (I resisted the urge to say,"I've giv'n her all she's got captain, an' I can give her no more," in a Scottish accent.)

Trash as art

Cozumel, seaside stroll

Carnaval

The colors of Cozumel, all the shades of blue

The Dive Statue

Cozumel--We did not plan an excursion. We took a cab to San Miguel for shopping and lunch. We shopped at Los Cinco Soles (purchased a cross covered with milagros) and a couple of other stores. It’s exhausting running the gauntlet with everyone vying for your business.

We ate lunch at Casa Denis off the square. This was our second time visit to Casa Denis. We enjoy the authentic yucatan style food and that Casa Denis is part of old Cozumel, predating the island’s robust tourism industry. It’s one of those “if these walls could talk” places with a list of famous and infamous diners, including Jackie Kennedy, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara.

After lunch, we strolled down the beach side of the main road. Very sunny, but so much quieter. I wish I had had the opportunity to visit Cozumel years ago when it was more of a sleepy fishing village with a sprinkling of divers and snorkelers. I think it must have been a very cool place indeed.

Casa Denis

Famous and infamous diners

Jackie Kennedy's signature

Fidel and Che

Town square