Thanks for your fantastic review so far. Following as I’m on Brilliance in August doing the same itinerary as you!
Did you manage to find out how busy the ship is for your sailing?
Regarding your question on tips, I think it’s good practice on cruises to give additional tips to those on board who have helped make your holiday special - usually your cabin attendant, concierge, wait staff, favourite barman/woman etc.
As a Brit, the practice of giving tips on top of tips is foreign to me but given how hard these guys work and the fact they were unable to work throughout covid, I’ll be more than happy to pass on a few extra dollars.