Brilliance not for younger cruisers

[mariapd719]

First off let me say the ship is clean and beautiful and the embarkation and debarkation are run wonderfully.

 

With that said, this ship is BORING! If you are under the age 40 or even 50 this may not be the ship for you. Even the crew knows this. They said that the avg age for the 5 day sailings is 70 yrs old. I guess the 4 day ones, they said are a little better.

However, the Sky Bar closes at 6 pm. SO don't plan on sitting out there and watching the sunset. I have never been on a cruise where the outdoor bars closed so early. Left 3 ft of snow to go sit inside. Not really happy about that. People were trying to get drinks and the bartenders were like last drink that's it no more we close at 6pm. WOW great

 

There is NO reggae band by the pool on a CARIBBEAN CRUISE just some horrendous adult contemporary band. Did not even feel like a cruise. The nightclub never had more than 6 or 8 people in it on any given night.

 

The main entertainment was the Upscale Trio which were probably fabulous if you are like 60 and there was also a classical guitarist. Honestly after you hear them one time you don't need to hear it again. But yet that was the main entertainment. The Pub and Schooner bar had singers but they never started til 10 pm most nights but then I was already bored to death.

 

If you didn't go to the Main Dining Room or Production Show there was nothing to do onboard.

 

This is just a warning to anyone younger who is looking for a fun time. This is not the ship, cancel and get back your money now. Go on Liberty, that's a blast! Or Explorer but stay far from the Brilliance. This was the worst cruise I have ever been on and after this I am not sure if we will ever cruise again. Probably not honestly.

Edited March 6, 2014 by mariapd719

[pattle66]

I am under 40 and I love Radiance. I guess it just depends what you are into. We are not party animals anymore (having young kids can do that to you).

 

We have a family so we love having the kids pool and slide, playing mini golf and climbing the rock wall. In the evening the kids go to kids club (which they love) and we frequently enjoyed sitting by the pool watching the evening movie with a cocktail. I agree it was frustrating to have to go to the centrum bar to get it but hubby did that while I snagged the loungers. Some nights we did the main dining room, followed by the show or the pub. Our last cruise was an Australian circumnavigation so the crowd was predominately older so the night club was not packed. The centrum had entertainment on until around midnight and it was always packed.

[mariapd719]

Patty Im sorry, it was for Brilliance. I had to edit. LOL I hated it so much I couldn't remember the name of the ship!

I don't get how you can have movies by the pool and no bar service....

Edited March 6, 2014 by mariapd719

[Sweet on the sea]

Brilliance is a Radiance class ship and I feel the same way about Radiance. I am 40 and I found it was geared for the older generations. The entertainment is what you would get at your local RSL or club. On Voyager the entertainment was spectacular.

On Radiance everything closes early. You couldn't even have a nightly swim because they closed the pools. This is my opinion and I have kids and believe me I'm not a party animal.I think it's a boring granny ship.

[jd07]

I'm going on radiance of the seas in April for 17 days. So by the sounds of it it's going to feel like 170 days hey. Yes I'm over 50 but I do like having places to go after midnight. And some diversity in entertainment is always welcome. And most of the 17 days are at sea. Oh well sounds like I need to down load more books or learn a new language :)

 

 

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[mariapd719]

JD07...literally everyone onboard was in their 70s. We were the youngest couple and maybe 2 other couples that looked bored to tears. Then there was a couple in their late 40s and one in their early 60s that we hung out with a little.

 

I have never ever seen so many scooters, canes, wheelchairs and walkers in my life. Maybe in a retirement home.

 

My issue is that I paid the same price as these elder people did and I am diamond and was in a balcony and there was no entertainment or places for us to go. I feel that if this is how the smaller ships are then they need to be marketed as such. What a waste of money. There should be something that says what time the bars outside close and that there are no real reggae or rock n roll type bands. If we had known this we NEVER would of booked this cruise. We would of kept our original booking on Explorer or went on Liberty again. I just want to warn other younger people so they aren't disappointed or waste money. We def aren't rich and only get a certain amt of vacation days a year and I really feel like we wasted our time and money

Edited March 6, 2014 by mariapd719

[jd07]

Thanks for the extra info mariapd719. I'm hoping that on a longer cruise of 17 days the really elderly may not want to be that long away from their pharmacist :).

 

But I agree. It would be a disappointment to have no where to go after dinner. Now I'm more worried how I'm going to entertain my friend who is cruising with me. He is 26 ;). I'm scared lol.

 

 

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[mariapd719]

JD..LOL Well my hubby is 29 and I am 37. It was easy to entertain ourselves for 5 days ;), but 17..phew :D LOL No Comment..

[jd07]

As I said. I'm scared :)

 

 

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[jc24cruiser]

Thanks for posting your views.

 

Even though we are quite placid cruisers this sounds a little too placid. Was just looking at a 14 Night Trans Atlantic with 3 kids, will look elsewhere :)

 

Jenni

[pattle66]

Brilliance is a Radiance class ship and I feel the same way about Radiance. I am 40 and I found it was geared for the older generations. The entertainment is what you would get at your local RSL or club. On Voyager the entertainment was spectacular.

On Radiance everything closes early. You couldn't even have a nightly swim because they closed the pools. This is my opinion and I have kids and believe me I'm not a party animal.I think it's a boring granny ship.

 

Our next cruise will be on Voyager and I can't wait! Is the pool in the solarium closed at night too? I know on Radiance I went for a midnight swim and spa. I had the place to myself, except for the man at the Park cafe. Very peaceful, but it was open.

[Chuggiebug]

Our next cruise will be on Voyager and I can't wait! Is the pool in the solarium closed at night too? I know on Radiance I went for a midnight swim and spa. I had the place to myself, except for the man at the Park cafe. Very peaceful, but it was open.

 

We were just on the Brilliance in February and did not have the same experience. And yes, the Solarium pool was open at night.

[silentbob007]

Radiance-class ships are more about glass and views than keeping you entertained every single moment. Your experience was partly ship and partly time of year ... I'm guessing those shorter cruises now through when Brilliance leaves for Europe will have quite a number of spring break cruisers.

[Ba' Datz]

I was on the Sereanade (a Radiance class ship) on the Nov 15 day TA and although we had an older crowd there was entertainment practically 24 hours a day You had to see all the "oldies" moving at the late night jam packed 60's and 70's parties

 

The were numerous bands and singers throughout the ship all day long and except for the Sky Bar being closed at night every other place else was open late.

 

There was also non musical entertainment constantly.

 

This is in addition to all the nightly main shows which had really first rate performers and production shows

 

I am not 70 but usually went for a rest between 5-6 to gather energy for all the nights activities.

 

And yes the pools, indoor and out, were open late too.

 

Maybe it is the fault of the CD who did not do his job properly.

 

We had Topi who was on his first cruise on Serenade and he and his whole staff worked very hard to keep us entertained

 

I enjoyed every minute of it

Edited March 6, 2014 by badatz

[alfaeric]

OP, which 5 night were you on? The one that starts on Monday, or the one that starts on Saturday?

 

I wonder if the cruise crowd is different on the 4 night, where it's more of a long weekend?

 

I'd also be curious to see how much a Liberty crowd is on the non weekend itineraries. NOT that I'm suggesting that it would not be fun- just curious if the demographics change on short cruises that use the mid week.

[NYDee]

Our favorite ships are RCI's Allure and Celebrity's Eclipse. We have sailed Radiance class many time in the past and loved the open views and the ship in general. We sailed the Brilliance February 2014 and agree about the age of the passengers. Most everyone we met were from Florida and our age or older. This was fine with us, we are post retirement and now living in Florida. On the Brilliance we spent more time enjoying our favorite "activity" on cruises. That is sitting on our balcony (aft) with a glass of wine and watching the sea go by. (You can't get that on land based vacations!) The cruise had a more relaxing environment than the mega ships. We enjoyed the "Oasis" upgrades. And since the port is only an hour and a half from home, and the price was very good we enjoyed it enough to book another on it next January. We are also booked on the Allure in May and the Equinox in November. If you are looking for a relaxing cruise, Brilliance is for you. If you want a more hectic, active cruise, it probably isn't. Like they say, variety is the spice of life.

[nolesrule]

We were on a 5 night on Brilliance back in December. Both of us are 37. We enjoyed it immensely. There were plenty of 20 and 30-somethings. We are going on her again in 2 weeks for a 4-nighter and bringing the kids.

 

The crowd probably had more to do with sailing in late February than anything else.

[teacherkim]

Time of year and itin. We have done two Radiance class ships, Brilliance and Jewel, to Europe with a young child and were never bored. But it was summer with lots of kids and European itineraries are busy so not as much ship time

[peteukmcr]

JD07...literally everyone onboard was in their 70s. We were the youngest couple and maybe 2 other couples that looked bored to tears. Then there was a couple in their late 40s and one in their early 60s that we hung out with a little.

 

I have never ever seen so many scooters, canes, wheelchairs and walkers in my life. Maybe in a retirement home.

 

My issue is that I paid the same price as these elder people did and I am diamond and was in a balcony and there was no entertainment or places for us to go. I feel that if this is how the smaller ships are then they need to be marketed as such. What a waste of money. There should be something that says what time the bars outside close and that there are no real reggae or rock n roll type bands. If we had known this we NEVER would of booked this cruise. We would of kept our original booking on Explorer or went on Liberty again. I just want to warn other younger people so they aren't disappointed or waste money. We def aren't rich and only get a certain amt of vacation days a year and I really feel like we wasted our time and money

Sorry, although I'm sorry you did not enjoy your cruise, you are not giving an impartial review.

 

It is incorrect to say 'literally everyone onboard was in their 70s' because we're not (no where near), and neither are the friends we met either. Agreed the demographic was probably older than we have experienced previously but we saw many people younger than you suggest.

 

I agree if you need pool bars to be open in the evening when there are also a good selection indoors, then it wasn't the cruise for you.

 

However, it all depends on your needs and this cruise met ours completely. Which for 5 nights was a good mix for us, of a couple of port and sea days, plenty of places to enjoy a beverage, good food (very subjective), a place to relax after dinner with a brandy.

 

The 'silent disco' was fun and the casino wasn't as harsh as on other ships (not overly generous, but not too bad :D).

 

I was pleasantly surprised on the number of quiet spots available, especially on the sea days, but then again, as I say, it depends on your needs.

 

As you will probably gather, our needs don't include live music, production shows or game shows in the theatre, so we weren't disappointed.

 

Sorry if we sound under 70 and boring, but perhaps this short break at this time of year isn't for you.

[dappledumpling]

I was on this cruise also (the sixth time on a radiance class out of Tampa) and the demographics were older than I have seen in the past. But timing is everything

Go Presidents week or any week in March (Spring Break) and the crowd will definitely be a younger mix.

 

The radiance class is my wifes favorite (we are no where near 70) Our routine is dinner, casino/drinks then the solarium pool...(Giovanni's and the chef table are great venues)

 

If you have kids and want more excitement the oasis or Indy are much better choices... that's what I love about RCCL choices (I prefer Indy but have to keep the wife happy too)

 

Rick

[sparelink]

I went on the Brilliance when i was 16 and my brother was 12, and we had 8 other kids between the age of 11-17 and we all had fun. there was plenty of things to keep busy with i thought.

[LetsGetWet!]

I was on this cruise also (the sixth time on a radiance class out of Tampa) and the demographics were older than I have seen in the past. But timing is everything

Go Presidents week or any week in March (Spring Break) and the crowd will definitely be a younger mix.

 

The radiance class is my wifes favorite (we are no where near 70) Our routine is dinner, casino/drinks then the solarium pool...(Giovanni's and the chef table are great venues)

 

If you have kids and want more excitement the oasis or Indy are much better choices... that's what I love about RCCL choices (I prefer Indy but have to keep the wife happy too)

 

Rick

Ah, very similar to us! We'll sometimes substitute a show and dancing/drinks for the casino, but love to end the evening with a moonlit swim - just one reason we like Royal - most cruise lines have NO pools open after 8 or 9 at night!

[Hydrophilic]

First, I am sorry that you were disappointed by your cruise. It is frustrating to spend a lot of money on a vacation, look forward to it for months, only to feel let down. We sailed Brilliance with our two young children over President's Week in February and enjoyed it immensely. (The Radiance class ships are my favorite for the never-ending water views.) There were many families with children of differing ages, as well as retirees from Florida. Both my husband and I really enjoyed our fellow passengers. (Older people can be pretty fun, too. Our muster group of mostly older folk made some pretty bawdy comments about why an elderly gentlemen and his wife showed up late, with mussed hair.) In general, we thought that our fellow passengers were some of the most polite and laid-back people with whom we have ever cruised. That being said, we did not seek out many evening activities. As a previous poster noted... having young children changes that. I think it is all a matter of timing, as well as location from which the ship sails. We sailed Explorer out of New York, and despite being native (upstate) New Yorkers, were overwhelmed by the...exuberance and sometimes obnoxious behavior of the passengers on that ship. I hope that your next cruise is more enjoyable for you.

 

 

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[jennyau]

Maria my first cruise was February this year on the Radiance. For background I travelled with my husband, daughter, SIL and two grandkids.

 

We met some fantastic people on board because we smoke. One of the smoking areas is on the pool deck. We all seemed to meet up there after dinner. For the first day the pool bar shut at about 9 I think. After that the shutting time started to get earlier and earlier until it was about 7.30pm.

 

Individually and unbeknownst to each other we all complained and lo and behold a miracle happened....... the bar remained open till late!

 

Now this is not just a smokers issue either...... an outdoor movie was shown every night at 8.30pm. Because the bar was closed there never seemed to be anyone availing themselves of this treat. Once the bar started opening later people started watching the movies.

 

Moral maybe? Complain.....nicely of course!

 

PS: please don't yell at me for smoking. I know it's a terrible habit Ok.

 

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Edited March 6, 2014 by jennyau

[Paulette3028]

My issue is that I paid the same price as these elder people did and I am diamond and was in a balcony and there was no entertainment or places for us to go. I feel that if this is how the smaller ships are then they need to be marketed as such. What a waste of money. There should be something that says what time the bars outside close and that there are no real reggae or rock n roll type bands. If we had known this we NEVER would of booked this cruise. We would of kept our original booking on Explorer or went on Liberty again. I just want to warn other younger people so they aren't disappointed or waste money. We def aren't rich and only get a certain amt of vacation days a year and I really feel like we wasted our time and money

 

Please don't make a blanket such as " if this is how the smaller ships are then they need to be marketed as such". I have been on the smallest of the fleet, Majesty, and never can say we were bored or lacked great entertainment or things to do after midnight.

 

I am sorry to hear, your experience was not a very good one on Brilliance. I have never cruised on Brilliance, but I have cruised on Jewel, which is in the same Radiance class. It was a fun filled cruise with lots of activities and entertainment to be enjoyed for those of all ages.