Brilliance OTS - Brief Review

[iuki]

I have never done a cruise review, so this is just a brief review of our 5-night cruise out of Tampa on 4/25/2015, to Key West and Cozumel.

 

Embarkation and debarkation went smoothly and quickly. Our HC Stateroom 4517 was much more spacious than the one on we had on Freedom OTS. The shower had better drainage so there wasn't a lot of water all over the bathroom. The location was great - same floor as the MDR and near the elevators that weren't overly-used and was near the Pacifica Theater, only 1 deck above our deck.

 

The downside of BOTS, they had few and small shops with the hallway VERY narrow. It was very difficult to walk or maneuver in front of the shops. The Park Café is NOT like the one on FOTS. The one on FOTS had so much more to offer in snacks and beverages and ambiance. Overall, BOTS was probably our least favorite of the ships we have sailed with RCCL. Our favorite ship was FOTS.

 

We found the food to be good with a good variety in both the MDR and Windjammer. We did use the MDR more than we had on other ships. Our dinner waitress was great! However, we were very disappointed in the service we received at breakfast in the MDR. We waited for over an hour for our food and, only after we asked about our food. While waiting, we never had our coffee or water glasses refilled. The food was not hot when we did finally get our food (at every breakfast it was NOT hot). When we were at the Windjammer for breakfast, when my husband asked for over-easy eggs, the cook told him to eat the eggs already cooked on the buffet, which were overcooked to my husband's liking. While in the Pacifica Theater, my adult daughter spilled something on herself and wiped it up with a napkin. She went to the bar and asked if they could throw away the napkin for her and the person told her no. Another worker overheard what was said and told my daughter, of course, and threw the napkin away for her. Overall, there were more rude staff on this ship in comparison to other RCCL and other cruise line ships we have sailed.

 

Our biggest disappointment on this cruise was the entertainment. During all shows, people left during the show. Although we did not enjoy the shows, we did not leave during the show, as we find this to be rude to the entertainers.

 

We loved Key West and plan to drive down there in the future. The southern-most tip of the U.S. is in walking distance to the ship. I was even able to use my mobility scooter. In Cozumel, we just shopped and did not participate in any excursions.

 

All cruises have pros and cons, with some being better than others. We have enjoyed all cruises, including this one, but this was our least favorite of all our cruises. The two couples we were with are looking forward to another cruise. This cruise was their first and agree with my review, as we all discussed it before I posted this review. They said that if this was our least favorite, they can't wait to go on another. :D

[NorthCarolinaBelle]

Wow! Just proves that our perceptions and experiences can vary so much on the same cruise!

 

I was on this cruise with a long time friend, and I didn't experience any of the rudeness that you did. Guess I was lucky! In fact, the crew I encountered were some of the friendliest and most courteous I've seen, and I've been on about 20 cruises.

 

I remarked to my husband that the entertainment was the BEST I've experienced on a cruise. The ship's lead male singer was wonderful, and the orchestra/band was outstanding. The other bands on board, especially Temperature, had the dance floor hopping every night.

The headliners, a female impressionist and an acapella group, both received standing ovations at the end of their performances.

 

Not discounting your experiences at all. Maybe I just have lower standards.:)

[reallyitsmema]

Thanks for your review. We also don't like the shop area on the Radiance class ships and find it way overcrowded and narrow. As far as your comments on Park Cafe, Freedom does not have a Park Cafe, you are comparing Freedom's Cafe Promenade to Brilliance's Park Cafe, two completely different venues.

[iuki]

Thanks for your review. We also don't like the shop area on the Radiance class ships and find it way overcrowded and narrow. As far as your comments on Park Cafe, Freedom does not have a Park Cafe, you are comparing Freedom's Cafe Promenade to Brilliance's Park Cafe, two completely different venues.

 

Oops! :o You're right! Now it all makes sense. I was comparing apples to oranges. DUH.

[iuki]

Wow! Just proves that our perceptions and experiences can vary so much on the same cruise!

 

I was on this cruise with a long time friend, and I didn't experience any of the rudeness that you did. Guess I was lucky! In fact, the crew I encountered were some of the friendliest and most courteous I've seen, and I've been on about 20 cruises.

 

I remarked to my husband that the entertainment was the BEST I've experienced on a cruise. The ship's lead male singer was wonderful, and the orchestra/band was outstanding. The other bands on board, especially Temperature, had the dance floor hopping every night.

The headliners, a female impressionist and an acapella group, both received standing ovations at the end of their performances.

 

Not discounting your experiences at all. Maybe I just have lower standards.:)

 

I don't believe you have lower standards. Everyone has different tastes. This world would be boring if everyone liked the same things. The acapella group was very talented, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. We were at the 9 pm showing and were up front, so I didn't see a standing ovation for any of the shows. Like I said, everyone has different tastes. For example, I liked the food but, on debarkation day, I overheard someone on the ship say that the food was the only thing they didn't like on this cruise. Just different strokes for different folks. :)

[molly361]

Thanks for your review. We were on the same sailing as you. It's funny how different people's experiences on the same ship vary. We found the staff very friendly and accommodating. I agree about the shops area, it is very narrow.

[reallyitsmema]

Oops! :o You're right! Now it all makes sense. I was comparing apples to oranges. DUH.

 

We prefer Cafe Promenade too.:) Park Cafe on Brilliance is different since it was added as part of the revitalization. I didn't even notice the other half of it with all the salad stuff the first time I went to it. The bagels and all the different cream cheeses they had there in the mornings was good though.

 

There are a lot of people who love the Radiance class ships, we aren't one of them, we prefer the larger ships with a Royal Promenade. We would still book a Radiance class ship if there was no other choice on that itinerary, which we have with the Jewel and a California coastal cruise this September, but we will always go with a larger ship, given the choice.:)

[iuki]

We prefer Cafe Promenade too.:) Park Cafe on Brilliance is different since it was added as part of the revitalization. I didn't even notice the other half of it with all the salad stuff the first time I went to it. The bagels and all the different cream cheeses they had there in the mornings was good though.

 

There are a lot of people who love the Radiance class ships, we aren't one of them, we prefer the larger ships with a Royal Promenade. We would still book a Radiance class ship if there was no other choice on that itinerary, which we have with the Jewel and a California coastal cruise this September, but we will always go with a larger ship, given the choice.:)

 

We appear to have the same tastes. We're going on the Independence OTS in June and we are looking forward to that cruise. Once we sailed on FOTS, we also prefer ships with a Royal Promenade. Thanks for your input.

[cb at sea]

Although not on the same sailing, we've found Brilliance to be our least favorite ship, too...surly crew (not all, but some)...don't know why!

[lovesthebeach2]

I don't believe you have lower standards. Everyone has different tastes. This world would be boring if everyone liked the same things. The acapella group was very talented, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. We were at the 9 pm showing and were up front, so I didn't see a standing ovation for any of the shows. Like I said, everyone has different tastes. For example, I liked the food but, on debarkation day, I overheard someone on the ship say that the food was the only thing they didn't like on this cruise. Just different strokes for different folks. :)

 

We were on the same cruise and loved the entertainment. We also went to the 9pm shows and saw many standing ovations. I only saw a couple of people leaving one show, so I can't say it was because they disliked it.

 

We never saw any rude crew member in all our travels around the ship.

My only complaint was the smell that came from the casino due to people smoking. People that weren't gambling used it as a smoking venue.

[iuki]

We were on the same cruise and loved the entertainment. We also went to the 9pm shows and saw many standing ovations. I only saw a couple of people leaving one show, so I can't say it was because they disliked it.

 

We never saw any rude crew member in all our travels around the ship.

My only complaint was the smell that came from the casino due to people smoking. People that weren't gambling used it as a smoking venue.

 

Like I said previously, it's just a matter of personal taste for entertainment. Some people like jazz, some like rap music, some like rock 'n roll. The six of us in our group did not enjoy the entertainment, and I heard several people say the same thing. My review was "my" opinion. It does not make my opinion right or wrong - just my personal opinion. You have every right to write your own review, and I respect that right. Also, not everyone is going to encounter rude behavior by crew members. I didn't - but two people in our group did. There are thousands of people on the ship and hundreds of crew members - everyone has a different personality. In all of our cruises, this was our first experience with a couple of rude crew members; while there are many people on this forum that have experienced rude behavior on cruises where we didn't. That doesn't mean they were overly sensitive or lying.

 

I am happy that you had a perfect cruise. We enjoyed our cruise, but it wasn't our favorite. There's nothing wrong with that. All vacations/cruises experiences are different.

[jules815]

We prefer Cafe Promenade too.:) Park Cafe on Brilliance is different since it was added as part of the revitalization. I didn't even notice the other half of it with all the salad stuff the first time I went to it. The bagels and all the different cream cheeses they had there in the mornings was good though.

 

There are a lot of people who love the Radiance class ships, we aren't one of them, we prefer the larger ships with a Royal Promenade. We would still book a Radiance class ship if there was no other choice on that itinerary, which we have with the Jewel and a California coastal cruise this September, but we will always go with a larger ship, given the choice.:)

 

I agree with you. I sailed on Brilliance in January and maybe my expectations were set high because of how well loved Radiance class ships are on CC. It wasn't that we had a bad cruise; we were even in an OS and had access to the CL which was lovely, we had very good service, enjoyed our ports. I just found myself missing the layout of a larger ship. I think with it being a 5 day, with two of those days off the ship in port, I never fully got familiar with the ship. When I'm on a ship with a Promenade, I feel like I'm home.

Edited May 4, 2015 by jules815

[TarponJan]

We have been on Brilliance five times and never encountered rudeness. We like the Radiance class ships - I like all the windows. And the orchestra is terrific. Just my opinion based on my experiences.