Back from a suite weekend on Brilliance! Any questions?

[cruising66]

Grady,

I've read many posts from you and enjoy the information that you give. We are sailing BS this coming Saturday. We have our first grand suite and will just be 5 points shy of diamond when we get off. We've never had cs and I was wondering if you could tell me something that is a given for the cs and something that we should not miss.

 

Thank you,

Angela

[PH8]

Angela...........

 

if by cs,you mean Concierge perks,here they are:

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&pnav=2&faqType=faq&faqSubjectId=340&faqSubjectName=Crown+%26+Anchor+Society&faqId=4720

 

 

I am going next Saturday too...........maybe we''ll meet in the CL for Happy Hour

[cruising66]

Angela...........

 

if by cs,you mean Concierge perks,here they are:

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&pnav=2&faqType=faq&faqSubjectId=340&faqSubjectName=Crown+%26+Anchor+Society&faqId=4720

 

 

I am going next Saturday too...........maybe we''ll meet in the CL for Happy Hour

 

 

Oh I get what the site says, I was just wanting a previous cruisers opinion or things to take advantage of.

[DarthGrady]

Grady,

I've read many posts from you and enjoy the information that you give. We are sailing BS this coming Saturday. We have our first grand suite and will just be 5 points shy of diamond when we get off. We've never had cs and I was wondering if you could tell me something that is a given for the cs and something that we should not miss.

 

Thank you,

Angela

 

The thing I enjoy most on Brilliance is the breakfast they offer in Chops. Most ships only allow suite guests (GS and above) and Pinnacle Club members in, but BR also lets in D+, so we ate there each morning.

 

The Concierge Lounge is also very nice. It has a patio section, and an espresso/latte/cappuccino machine that's open to use all day. You'll also get a nightly cocktail party between 5 and 8.

 

There is also a Gold Card guest sun deck at the front of the ship forward of the spa, and a designated seating area in the theater.

 

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[cruising66]

Thank you. I didn't know that the coffee would be there all day, so that's sweet! And didn't know about the breakfast seating in Chops. I'm so ready to be there!!!!!!!

[JCMass.]

We just booked the Brilliance for a cruise to Canada from Boston. We have sailed on the Radiance class and love it, but we have never been on this ship. I was taking a look at the deck plans and noticed they "improved it". Not so sure I like the changes. I noticed they removed the library, the card room, the Explorers Lounge and the Crown and Anchor lounge (future cruises area), and the Sea View Cafe.

 

They seem to have taken over part of the MDR for the card room, and given the old area over to the Chef's Table which costs extra.

 

They and moved the future cruises area to the Schooner Bar ??? and seem to have removed the pool tables. The original area over the Centrum seems to be just gone.

 

Izumi were you pay extra has taken over the Sea View Cafe which was complimentary. Though they did add the Park Cafe.

 

Rita's Cantina, which has an extra fee, takes over part of the Windjammer Cafe which made seating there less crowded.

 

There doesn't seem to be any library, or Explorers Lounge at all. Both seem to have been turned into cabins.

 

One of the reason we like this class of ship is that there is lots of room, for everyone to spread out, it never seems crowded. Most of the new improvements seem to include a fee, which I can understand but all these changes take away public space.

 

For those who have sailed on the Brillance and other Radiance class ships are these changes very noticeable ? Are the other ships going to be changed the same way ? We were just on the Radiance and we noticed a few new changes none of which made much of a difference to us, because the library, the Crown and Anchor lounge, were still there, and the Park Cafe was added.

[DarthGrady]

We just booked the Brilliance for a cruise to Canada from Boston. We have sailed on the Radiance class and love it, but we have never been on this ship. I was taking a look at the deck plans and noticed they "improved it". Not so sure I like the changes. I noticed they removed the library, the card room, the Explorers Lounge and the Crown and Anchor lounge (future cruises area), and the Sea View Cafe.

 

They seem to have taken over part of the MDR for the card room, and given the old area over to the Chef's Table which costs extra.

 

They and moved the future cruises area to the Schooner Bar ??? and seem to have removed the pool tables. The original area over the Centrum seems to be just gone.

 

Izumi were you pay extra has taken over the Sea View Cafe which was complimentary. Though they did add the Park Cafe.

 

Rita's Cantina, which has an extra fee, takes over part of the Windjammer Cafe which made seating there less crowded.

 

There doesn't seem to be any library, or Explorers Lounge at all. Both seem to have been turned into cabins.

 

One of the reason we like this class of ship is that there is lots of room, for everyone to spread out, it never seems crowded. Most of the new improvements seem to include a fee, which I can understand but all these changes take away public space.

 

For those who have sailed on the Brillance and other Radiance class ships are these changes very noticeable ? Are the other ships going to be changed the same way ? We were just on the Radiance and we noticed a few new changes none of which made much of a difference to us, because the library, the Crown and Anchor lounge, were still there, and the Park Cafe was added.

 

Hello, I can help with a few of these things:

 

Yes, the old Crown and Anchor Study is no more. It's still there, but it's crew only now. It contains the rigging, winches, gizmos and doodads for the new Centrum aerial show.

 

The new loyalty area is adjacent to the pool tables, which are still there. That small side area was just a sitting area that they converted into two cubicles for the Loyalty Ambassadors.

 

Unfortunately the SeaView Cafe is also gone. Yes, most everyone is mad about it. No, Royal doesn't care. :D Park Cafe is certainly nice, but not as good as the old SeaView.

 

Izumi is indeed where SeaView used to be. It does have a cover charge, plus ala carte pricing which makes no sense to me at all. I'd happily go there and buy sushi rolls, but I'm not going to pay just to walk in the door. Monarch had a sushi bar you could just walk in to, I don't know why this should be any different.

 

Rita's does now take up part of the WJ porch area. During the day Ritas is closed, and it can be used for seating. The only thing that's really changed is the furniture and the decor. When Ritas is open in the evenings its usually empty anyway due to lack of promotion and activities, but that's a whole different issue.

 

I can't help with with card room, explorer lounge or library as I never use those areas.

 

All in all the onboard experience hasn't changed much. The only big downer is losing the SeaView, but that is slightly less irritating with Park Cafe in place. The ship doesn't feel any more crowded that I've noticed, and some of the renovations are for the better.

 

The new R Bar is very nice, and she now has a proper Diamond Lounge. She also has a new and very nice Concierge Lounge with a patio which may be useful if you like suites or are high in the past guest program. Of course the new CL came at the cost of the old Hollywood Odyssey cigar lounge, so that could also be a negative if you're a smoker.

[vistapat]

Grady - we enjoyed your pictures of the JS on Brilliance so much we upgraded ourselves to one for our October Canada/New England cruise. :rolleyes: I have one question. The pictures show a coffee maker, which I've never seen in a Royal Caribbean cabin (only others we've had were balcony and Royal Family Suite.) That does come with it, yes? Otherwise I'm going to have some 'splainin to do!

 

Thanks, Pat

[DarthGrady]

Grady - we enjoyed your pictures of the JS on Brilliance so much we upgraded ourselves to one for our October Canada/New England cruise. :rolleyes: I have one question. The pictures show a coffee maker, which I've never seen in a Royal Caribbean cabin (only others we've had were balcony and Royal Family Suite.) That does come with it, yes? Otherwise I'm going to have some 'splainin to do!

 

Thanks, Pat

Yes, the JS's do have a coffee maker. A friend of ours was in a JS during our BR cruise last December and also had a coffee maker, so they would seem to be a standard perk in that category.

 

The coffee maker itself is the single cup type that takes the round puck-style pods. They had Seattle's Best pods on our cruise.

[sjudis]

What night is formal, I am on her December 20 out of Tampa for a four night

 

 

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[Clarea]

What night is formal, I am on her December 20 out of Tampa for a four night.

Night 2.

[sjudis]

[emoji2]thank you!

 

 

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[TrishOB]

Need opinions, please. Sailing on Brilliance next April with my best friend, her sister, and her brother-in-law. It's my friend's first cruise, but her sister and BIL have cruised before. I've never been on Brilliance, or any other Radiance-class ship for that matter, and have never cruised out of Tampa.

 

It sounds like sail away from Tampa is a rather long process, and we'd miss sailing under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge if we went to the MDR for early dining (which is what we've chosen). Is the Tampa sailaway experience worth missing dining in the MDR on the first night, and maybe eating in Windjammer instead?

 

When I cruise with my husband, we always go to MDR the first night, but in doing so for our Alaska cruise in May, we missed sailaway from Vancouver, which I kind of regret.

[DarthGrady]

The first few times I went out of Tampa I enjoyed seeing the ship pass under the Sunshine Skyway. It's a pretty bridge, and the ship passes very closely beneath it. I wouldn't have a big problem missing dinner, especially if it were my first time out of Tampa.

[nolesrule]

Agree with Grady. It's very impressive, but it does take a good hour or so to get to the bridge. On our last cruise on Brilliance, on the way back in, I happened to wake up in the middle of the night, so I went outside to watch us sail back in under the bridge.

 

For the best view, I would suggest deck 12 at the front of the ship.