Brilliance Of The Seas - Honest Opinions

[GTO-Girl]

We have never sailed on this ship and have never sailed out of Tampa but are considering it this Winter.

 

For those who have recently sailed this ship......I would love to know what you thought about the ship as well as the Port of Tampa.

 

The pictures and some of the reviews I have seen look very good.

 

Thanks everyone!!!

[Clarea]

We've sailed from Tampa before and enjoyed the experience. Efficient port, nice skyline, sailing right from downtown, then the Sunshine Skyway bridge about 1.5 hours after you leave the port.

Edited September 18, 2014 by clarea

[jticarruthers]

Cant speak specifically to Brilliance, but have sailed Jewel and plan to sail Jewel again in 2015 and Brilliance in 2016. Definitely a different style of ship from the Oasis/Freedom class but we enjoyed Jewel and look forward to sailing the class again. Seemed to have a more intimate feel, while still having enough spaces/activities to be interesting.

 

In regards to Port of Tampa, it is a pretty quiet port (only 2, maybe 3?) cruise terminals and they are separate from the commercial section of the port so it is usually pretty easy to get in and out. Big parking garage across the street from the terminals. Probably 20-30 minutes from the airport. It is next to the downtown tampa area and the interstates into the area are under contruction so the traffic can get ugly depending on time of day and where you are going to/coming from. Prefer Canaveral to Tampa but prefer Tampa to Lauderdale.

[sawyershane]

We sailed the Brilliance last year from Boston to Tampa. Great Great ship. Tons of fun. Embarktion was a breeze. We did it with my sister she is actually going again in October wish I was on it also.

[chickadee1]

We enjoyed our trip on Brilliance two years ago. It was fairly port intensive but I did note that there was not a lot of activities on the ship like we had had on Explorer - due to size of ship and number of pax. We left NY Harbor just after Sandy devastated the area and we were very happy to get away(We had gotten power back by then but getting to cruise ship was interesting!!) Anyway, liked it so much that we are going on sister ship Jewel of the Seas at the beginning of November!

 

Did note that there were no children on board. Tended to be ages 50 and up!

Edited September 18, 2014 by chickadee1

[PSCruiser]

We sailed the Brilliance this past May, transatlantic to Harwich. I can't think of any specific negatives to that ship, all facets of the ship and operation were up to the highest RC standards. The CD at the time was Clo O'Connor, if she is back on she is not to be missed. I know it sounds a bit crazy, but she is such an entertainment force that by the end of the cruise, many I talked to were saying her presence would be a big factor in a future cruise choice.

The one odd thing about that 2 week cruise is that there was no lobster in the MDR. However, a special lunch was arranged (by Clo) for EVERY person on the CC rollcall (more than 200) and that lunch featured both wine and a stir fry dish topped with a lobster tail.

The port of Tampa is much more laid back than crazy FLL, all in all a pleasant embark.

[GTO-Girl]

Thanks so much for all the replies!!

 

I missed a great price on the Feb 28th sailing! They had one JS left priced at $757!!!! I didn't jump on it and a few hours it was gone....UGH!!!

 

Sure could have used those double points.....:o......as I slowly try to work my way to Diamond (sigh).....:p

 

You guys are the best......thanks again!!!

[dancinman66]

I love her

Radiance class has a lovely feel and crew give brilliance a great feel

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[mactwit]

We sailed brilliance last Aug to Russia... she's my favourite ship. You can see I've sailed a few and I much prefer the smaller ship. She'd just been refurbished and looked great, was a great atmosphere too

[lovesthebeach2]

I'm happy to hear positive comments.... We have two upcoming cruises booked on Brilliance. The 4 night with a group of friends in November and the 5'night in April, which I booked while on the Allure so we got an awesome BOGOHO deal, plus OBC and balcony discount. :D

[CRUISEBOY305]

you can't go wrong with Radiance class ships. I'll be on Brilliance in 31 days :D:D:D:D:D

[tm3750]

We sailed on the Brilliance from Tampa this past March, first time for both. We enjoyed the ship and the Port was relatively easy to get in and out of.

 

It takes a while to get to the Gulf, I think maybe 1.5 hours and under the bridge. It was different and nice.

 

Plan on doing it again next year.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We just got off the Brilliance from a 14 day TA last Sunday. We enjoyed the ship and enjoyed the Captain. He had an unusual sense of humor. I went to the "captain's Corner" and saw pictures of the boats he has restored. [he lives on a boat on his vacations from cruising] LOL

 

The staff was friendly and the ship looked very good. Enjoy.:D

[negc]

Radiance class ships, especially Jewel and Brilliance, are our favorites and we have sailed on one or the other so many times that they feel like home to us. Looking forward to being onboard Brilliance again when she repositions from Boston at the end of October. Hoping Clo will be back on board then. Great ship and great staff.

[taco88]

We loved Brilliance, and the port of Tampa was very efficient, both embarkation and debarkation. We would take that cruise again any day.

[JoeRum]

We sailed on Brilliance in Feb of 2014. Loved it. We just booked again for the same cruise in Jan 2016. Tampa to Cozumel & Grand Cayman 5 day. The only thing we did not care for was the cruise director and most of his staff. Pretty sure it was Steve Davis. They were not as fun or engaging as we have experienced before. They would show up sparsely at events and were quite disorganized at times. But the crew does change and we will still have fun no matter what!

Edited November 24, 2014 by zulu226

[monctonguy]

Glad to hear some good reviews....as I am a little worried that it wont be as enjoyable as the Bahamas cruise's i have done....but the ship looks amazing!

[JoeRum]

Glad to hear some good reviews....as I am a little worried that it wont be as enjoyable as the Bahamas cruise's i have done....but the ship looks amazing!

 

I think the trip to Cozumel and Grand Cayman is great! Much better than ever going to Nassau.

[DarthGrady]

We have never sailed on this ship and have never sailed out of Tampa but are considering it this Winter.

 

For those who have recently sailed this ship......I would love to know what you thought about the ship as well as the Port of Tampa.

 

The pictures and some of the reviews I have seen look very good.

 

Thanks everyone!!!

I love the Brilliance, easily one of my favorite ships along with the others in her class. They are just the right size with just the right amount of people and amenities. Tampa is easy to cruise from, and you get a good photo op when she sails under the Skyway. There is a pictorial review linked in my signature if you'd like to check it out.

[Sailor_Sally]

We just got off the Brilliance . The food was very good . The rooms were a nice size . The staff were friendly and did a great job. The activities were very limited plus they overlapped . We heard this complaint from several people .The activities were either very late at night or mid morning . The afternoon had almost no activities . We loved the ship but would hesitate to cruise on it again unless it was a port intensive cruise .

[Cookiecookie]

We sailed brilliance last Aug to Russia... she's my favourite ship. You can see I've sailed a few and I much prefer the smaller ship. She'd just been refurbished and looked great, was a great atmosphere too

 

Sorry to but in on this thread but could i ask if you enjoyed your Russia cruise. I am thinking of doing this next year on Brilliance.

[cruizers]

We love the Brilliance and, in fact, will be going on it soon. We love the size, the outdoor seating behind the Windjammer, the glass making it possible to enjoy every minute at sea and our list goes on and on! We enjoy the many places to just "hang out." Cabins/balconies are designed well.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Podie]

Just left Brilliance this morning and was very pleased with the cruise and the fact that I'll be on her again in January! The food in the dining room was very good, the staff was great, Giovanni's Table was excellent, and the 5 day Key West and Cozumel cruise was well done. We stood on deck 13 going under the Sunshine Skyway and I was sure something was going to hit - we were that close! It took us from 4 pm to 6:20 to get to the bridge so of course it was dark already but still a great experience.

[jjbko]

We sailed the Brilliance this past May, transatlantic to Harwich. I can't think of any specific negatives to that ship, all facets of the ship and operation were up to the highest RC standards. The CD at the time was Clo O'Connor, if she is back on she is not to be missed. I know it sounds a bit crazy, but she is such an entertainment force that by the end of the cruise, many I talked to were saying her presence would be a big factor in a future cruise choice.

The one odd thing about that 2 week cruise is that there was no lobster in the MDR. However, a special lunch was arranged (by Clo) for EVERY person on the CC rollcall (more than 200) and that lunch featured both wine and a stir fry dish topped with a lobster tail.

The port of Tampa is much more laid back than crazy FLL, all in all a pleasant embark.

My wife and I are going on the TA May4,2015. Is there any dancing after 9:00?

[CRUIS4ME]

I seem to recall there is definitely music venues going on in several locations after 9 pm which will give you dancing opportunities. They don't roll up the sidewalks until a bit later..... really we have been on this ship three if not four times and it seems there is always something going on, great staff, and a well rounded representation from different generations. Have a good cruise!