"LIVE" from the Brilliance of the Seas 2/18 and 2/22 BTB

[PCWalton1]

All good things come to an end. Thanks Chris for taking us along. Now I need to find another live report here on CC so I can jump ship over to that. I see someone is starting one from Rhapsody for around the horn so I guess I am heading to South America now. :p :D

 

Thanks again and safe travels home.

[molly361]

Thanks again Chris and sorry that we did not get to sail together. Do you happen to know if there is a door leading to the hallway on Deck 4 port side where the computers are?

 

I forgot to walk that side while onboard. I know on the starboard side where GS is there is no door but I thought I had read somewhere that there is one on the port side.

[A&L_Ont]

All good things come to an end. Thanks Chris for taking us along. Now I need to find another live report here on CC so I can jump ship over to that. I see someone is starting one from Rhapsody for around the horn so I guess I am heading to South America now. :p :D

 

Thanks again and safe travels home.

 

Bill, two weeks today I am headed to Allure for a b2b with plans for a live reporting with periscopes. Hopefully you can make it back from South America in time. :)

[tompeter]

Did you happen to notice if casino had a Let It Ride table?

 

Thanks...

[cruisegirl1]

Thank you for the comprehensive review and wonderful pictures. We will be sailing the brilliance next month.

 

It has been a few years since we were at Nachi, but after seeing your pictures we decided to go back.

 

Nice to know I can get on the ship so early.

 

Thanks again

M

[niksmom630]

All good things come to an end. Thanks Chris for taking us along. Now I need to find another live report here on CC so I can jump ship over to that. I see someone is starting one from Rhapsody for around the horn so I guess I am heading to South America now. :p :D

 

 

 

Thanks again and safe travels home.

 

Thanks, Bill ...when do I get to look forward to your next LIVE?

 

Thanks again Chris and sorry that we did not get to sail together. Do you happen to know if there is a door leading to the hallway on Deck 4 port side where the computers are?

 

 

 

I forgot to walk that side while onboard. I know on the starboard side where GS is there is no door but I thought I had read somewhere that there is one on the port side.

 

 

I think so, Ellen. I took the stairs down from deck 7 forward to deck 4 many times to get to the R Bar. Hope we find another roll call to share in the future!

 

Bill, two weeks today I am headed to Allure for a b2b with plans for a live reporting with periscopes. Hopefully you can make it back from South America in time. :)

 

 

Yay, Andrew! Looking forward to it. Already feeling post cruise blues 😢

 

Did you happen to notice if casino had a Let It Ride table?

 

 

 

Thanks...

 

 

Just consulted with DH, my casino resident expert. I don't think so. He says, from his recollection....One craps table, two roulette wheels, multiple blackjack tables, one 3 card table, one ultimate Texas hold um, one Caribbean stud.....

Thank you for the comprehensive review and wonderful pictures. We will be sailing the brilliance next month.

 

 

 

It has been a few years since we were at Nachi, but after seeing your pictures we decided to go back.

 

 

 

Nice to know I can get on the ship so early.

 

 

 

Thanks again

 

M

 

 

Nachi Cocum was awesome. A word of advise....get there early to get your pick of chairs. There is a mixture of the white slatted resin loungers, and newer ones with sunbrella type nylon fabric that are much more comfortable. We had a mixture of both 😊 people were asking to be relocated to the more comfortable loungers

 

I'll wrap up with more photos tomorrow and a cautionary, long winded tale about the Photo Studio 😳😡😡

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Edited February 28, 2016 by niksmom630

[tompeter]

Thanks for the help!

[jakesmom04]

Just found this blog and will be following along. We board the Brilliance in April.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[niksmom630]

Well, sorry for the delay in getting this review wrapped up! Now I know why I prefer doing live reports---I'd never find the time to do a review once I get home!

 

Here are a few remaining photos....shops on board

 

 

 

 

Sorry, am I the only one that thinks this invention is flawed? Drink floatie--great idea, but where's the tether or string to tie it to your wrist to keep it from floating too far away? :D:D

 

[Amagamma]

Just did a b2b2b last month. Had a great 14 days. Will be anxiously awaiting all your posts.

[niksmom630]

So, on the second day of our sailing, I happened to notice some of these lovely black and white photos in the photo gallery...

 

 

However, I didn't actually see this little set up pictured above until our second sailing.

 

On the first sailing, they have several of these lovely black and white photos displayed with the rest of the cruise photos on the wall panels like the picture below:

 

 

My first thought was, WOW, RCI has picked up their photo game a notch. DSIL and I were talking and came up with the brilliant idea that we would get the entire family together for a group photo, and then give it as a gift to our dear mother in law for Mother's Day.

 

It's so rare that we have the entire family in one place, and this photo would be extra special since it would be the first of all of us that includes her great grandson.....three generations!

 

So I made an appointment at the photo gallery for the last night of our sailing together at 5:00 p.m.--letting them know we had a group of 12 for a family photo, and I further commented to the photo gallery employee that we liked the black and white photos. "Great!" she says, "see you this evening!"

 

Finally got the entire group corralled in the photo gallery at 5:15....did I mention it's not hard to get everyone together or a photo opportunity? Apparently the 2 year old had to be woken from his nap, and was feeling a big surly, but we made the best of it. Photographer took about 100 or so photos, and to come back in an hour to view them. DSIL and I were excited!

[PCWalton1]

Thanks, Bill ...when do I get to look forward to your next LIVE?

 

 

 

 

I think so, Ellen. I took the stairs down from deck 7 forward to deck 4 many times to get to the R Bar. Hope we find another roll call to share in the future!

 

 

 

 

Yay, Andrew! Looking forward to it. Already feeling post cruise blues 😢

 

 

 

 

Just consulted with DH, my casino resident expert. I don't think so. He says, from his recollection....One craps table, two roulette wheels, multiple blackjack tables, one 3 card table, one ultimate Texas hold um, one Caribbean stud.....

 

 

 

Nachi Cocum was awesome. A word of advise....get there early to get your pick of chairs. There is a mixture of the white slatted resin loungers, and newer ones with sunbrella type nylon fabric that are much more comfortable. We had a mixture of both 😊 people were asking to be relocated to the more comfortable loungers

 

I'll wrap up with more photos tomorrow and a cautionary, long winded tale about the Photo Studio 😳😡😡

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

50 days, another Hawaii cruise on Radiance.

 

Sent from my Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk

[ZachMo904]

Hi there! So glad you did this, I leave on BOTS this Thursday and couldn't be more excited. Do you have any of the Cruise Compasses you could share from the 4-night itinerary?

 

Thanks!

 

ZM

[niksmom630]

Sorry, hit the reply button before I got to finish the story...

 

We had early seating that evening, so we told the photographer we wouldn't likely be back to look at the photos until around 8 p.m.

 

However, immediately after dinner I had gone to try and get the boarding passes printed for my daughters, so by the time I had that all squared away and with a stop at the cabin to make sure both of my DD's were packing, we didn't get back to the photo gallery until almost 9 p.m.

 

At which point, the photographer leads us into the conference room to show us the photos...this conference room was also the meeting place for B2B cruisers on our sailing....

 

 

He proceeds to show us a slide show, complete with music...maybe there are about 60 photos in total. By the end, DSIL and I are a blubbering mess...seeing all these beautiful photos of our family--all together again....well, it was heartwarming:)

 

In the interest of time, and rather than spending our last evening pouring over photos, trying to choose the perfect one for DMIL, DSIL asks if we can just have all the photos on disk. "Sure!", says the photographer, and pulls out what looks like a jewelry box and flips open the lid ceremoniously...laying inside is an attractive zip drive nestled in satin and ribbon :confused:

 

Right about this time, I begin to get the niggling feeling that this photo "package" might not be the same price as the other unlimited photo packages, unless RCI has REALLY picked up their photo game SEVERAL notches...so, I calmly ask if he can share the pricing for the various package options....."Sure!" he says, and whips out his iPad...."the option you have chosen for all prints, complete on the zip drive in this lovely box is $2,600.

 

ummmm, okay... :eek: DSIL look at each other, eyes bulging and mouths agape...after a few whispered exchanges, we decide we will just get the one photo for DMIL, and split the cost....

 

"How much for just one photo?", I asked

 

Mr. Photographer "I'm sorry, you can't just purchase one photo. 5 photos minimum for $500"....

 

ohhhhkaaaaaayyyy, REALLY? $500 for 5 pictures????? That took maybe one total hour of his time to produce?????????

 

In a last ditch effort to make this even remotely affordable, I softly inquire if there are any D+ C & A discounts that can be applied......Nope....NADA, ZILCH. It's $500 or nothing....so now I am feeling disappointed....angry, misled, and now realizing there is no way we get all of us together again to get another photo together before everyone is off the ship tomorrow. There will be no special family photo for DMIL, and I am literally in tears by now

[niksmom630]

......which brings me to my next photo....I don't usually post a lot of "family" pictures in my reviews, but this one will wrap up my horrible tale about the photo studio experience nicely...guess what DMIL is getting for Mother's Day? Yep, it will be this picture...:D:D

 

 

When life gives you lemons....make lemonade and maybe add some tequila....

 

It may not be the "special" photo we had in mind, but it is all of us together, smiling and happy....It is this photo that captures the memories of our wonderful family vacation.....

[hancogran]

No doubt your MIL will absolutely LOVE this picture! My kids don't have a lot of spare cash either but my best Mother's Day present was when they all went to the park and set up a tripod with my daughter's camera and took a load of family photos. I was moved to tears when they presented me with a collage.. it was priceless! No professional photographer but it was full of love and I treasure those pictures! :) It's a beautiful picture of your beautiful family. :)

[niksmom630]

No doubt your MIL will absolutely LOVE this picture! My kids don't have a lot of spare cash either but my best Mother's Day present was when they all went to the park and set up a tripod with my daughter's camera and took a load of family photos. I was moved to tears when they presented me with a collage.. it was priceless! No professional photographer but it was full of love and I treasure those pictures! :) It's a beautiful picture of your beautiful family. :)

 

Awww, that is so sweet of you--and thanks for sharing your story!

 

:)

[Paulette3028]

For those recently on Brilliance was Alison Currie still onboard as the Activity Manager?

[niksmom630]

Here are a few more photos, and then I'll wrap up with some final comments and observations!

 

The "library" has been replaced with the "book nook" on Deck 8...I actually stopped by to look at the selections. Not only are they limited, but many of the selections are in other foreign languages. I wouldn't count on finding many options here....

 

 

These souvenir glasses were being sold outside the Pacifica Theatre on the last night of our 5 day sailing...I didn't see them on thee first sailing, but I might have missed it...

 

 

A photo of the movie theatre...while not very large, they had several showings of the same film running during the day and evening....

 

 

Vintages is really a lovely spot...these chairs looked particular comfy, although I was a bit reminded of Lily Tomlin's "Edith Ann" bits when I saw the size of these chairs....I think I have officially "dated" myself by referencing Laugh In, a 1960's sitcom....:D

 

 

[Canadian Tyler]

Just discovered this review. Thanks so much for taking the time to do it. Loved the report and the pictures. Brilliance has a beautiful solarium.

 

Quite the pricy photo session! I think the beach photo is great and everyone looks truly happy...not forced smiles for a photographer.

 

 

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

[Jeremiah1212]

Just as I was 100% sure we needed to try Celebrity or Princess, these photos really make me want to go back to our tried and true Brilliance and do our first B2B! Thanks for sharing all of these photos!

[niksmom630]

Well, wrapping this up now with my last few thoughts...

 

FOOD--Sorry for the lack of food photos in this report for those of you that enjoy those, but I've pretty much committed the menus to memory at this point. With the exception of one night on the 5 day sailing, (shiitake) the menus were identical....Mojo, Saffron, Pimento, Pomodoro....

 

The only plus for me was getting to enjoy this twice :D

 

My one sole MDR food photo and my absolute favorite dessert...

 

 

PARK CAFE--The Park Café is a great spot for lunch or breakfast. Various pannini's, sandwiches, fruit cups, soup,and a made to order salad section. They also have the carved roast beef sandwiches, there--although I only had one. It wasn't as good as the ones I had on Oasis and Allure.

 

As much as I love the addition of the Park Café for different food options, locating it in the Solarium pretty much changes the entire vibe. It's not as peaceful as other Solarium's. Lots of clanking dishes and conversation. Find a chair on the side opposite the Park Café...

 

WIFI/Internet

 

As I mentioned earlier, the speed was pretty abysmal. But for general web surfing, checking e-mail, etc. it was sufficient. You will not be able to stream video, or Face time--even using the ships desktops.

 

Apple devises seem particular buggy. Whether this is related to the IOS issue )I am running the most current) or the hardware itself, I cannot say for certain. I dropped my connection several times per day, and when I went to log back, I would get error messages stating the account was already in use. A trip to guest services for some help, and then playing around to get reconnected was a daily occurrence. I found disabling wifi completely on my devise, then connecting to wifi again, and opening a different APP or URL than I had accessed on Safari previously seemed to work best, and would reload the logon page.

[niksmom630]

PLUMBING

 

Yes, I have to dedicate an entire titled section here.:eek:

 

We encountered ALOT of plumbing issues on these sailings....so be forewarned...more so than I have ever experienced on ANY sailing before.

 

The public restrooms often had several stalls closed--this made for some long lines. In particular, the woman's bathrooms by the Windjammer were the worst. On the last day of the first sailing, not one stall was available. All closed for "maintenance" This, when everyone is disembarking and trying to grab their last plate at the buffet.

 

By the second sailing, I figured out to stick with the restrooms forward near the Solarium if I was up on Deck 11. We also had a problem with our cabin toilet not flushing a few times. One call to maintenance and it was repaired quickly, though.

 

NEXT CRUISE DESK

 

I booked a cruise for February of 2017 on the Freedom at the Next Cruise Desk which (at the time of the first sailing) was nestled somewhere in between Chops and Govanni's off the beaten bath between the Schooner Bar and the Colony Club. It was very quiet there. I had to visit the new location next to Café Lattitudes with my sister later in the 2nd sailing because she was having some issues changing her cabin. While the area is lovely, with great views of the ocean (who doesn't feel compelled to book a cruise with that kind of scenery in the background?), I would not recommend going in the evening when the Centrum bands have kicked into high gear. Almost impossible to have any kind of conversation with the agents when Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" is blasting in the background....I do love that song by the way...Krono's provided some great entertainment on these sailings!:)

 

NO MORE LOUNGERS :eek:

 

Remember this photo? Well on the last night of our second sailing when I returned to the cabin, every lounger was gone. When I asked our cabin attendant he said the Captain ordered them removed as they were a fire hazard. Not quite assimilating the fact the a rubber, metal lounger created a fire hazard, I pressed for details--and he said it's because people hang towels and clothing off of them.....so, don't be surprised if you are "sans" lounger on these forward cabins on Deck 7.....

 

[A&L_Ont]

Sorry, am I the only one that thinks this invention is flawed? Drink floatie--great idea, but where's the tether or string to tie it to your wrist to keep it from floating too far away? :D:D

 

 

No you are not. I would never let my drink float in the human soup of a cruise ship pool. However, I am going to look for them on Allure, to bring home to use in our pool this summer.:D

[A&L_Ont]

PLUMBING

 

Yes, I have to dedicate an entire titled section here.:eek:

 

We encountered ALOT of plumbing issues on these sailings....so be forewarned...more so than I have ever experienced on ANY sailing before.

 

The public restrooms often had several stalls closed--this made for some long lines. In particular, the woman's bathrooms by the Windjammer were the worst. On the last day of the first sailing, not one stall was available. All closed for "maintenance" This, when everyone is disembarking and trying to grab their last plate at the buffet.

 

By the second sailing, I figured out to stick with the restrooms forward near the Solarium if I was up on Deck 11. We also had a problem with our cabin toilet not flushing a few times. One call to maintenance and it was repaired quickly, though.

 

NEXT CRUISE DESK

 

I booked a cruise for February of 2017 on the Freedom at the Next Cruise Desk which (at the time of the first sailing) was nestled somewhere in between Chops and Govanni's off the beaten bath between the Schooner Bar and the Colony Club. It was very quiet there. I had to visit the new location next to Café Lattitudes with my sister later in the 2nd sailing because she was having some issues changing her cabin. While the area is lovely, with great views of the ocean (who doesn't feel compelled to book a cruise with that kind of scenery in the background?), I would not recommend going in the evening when the Centrum bands have kicked into high gear. Almost impossible to have any kind of conversation with the agents when Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" is blasting in the background....I do love that song by the way...Krono's provided some great entertainment on these sailings!:)

 

NO MORE LOUNGERS :eek:

 

Remember this photo? Well on the last night of our second sailing when I returned to the cabin, every lounger was gone. When I asked our cabin attendant he said the Captain ordered them removed as they were a fire hazard. Not quite assimilating the fact the a rubber, metal lounger created a fire hazard, I pressed for details--and he said it's because people hang towels and clothing off of them.....so, don't be surprised if you are "sans" lounger on these forward cabins on Deck 7.....

 

 

Chris, I might point out to the Captain that those wood chairs will have clothing and towels on them now VS the lounger. Oh, and they are made from wood, which will burn over a long enough period of time if exposed to enough heat.

 

I am sorry to read about the photo and plumbing issues. Wifi on the older ships sadly is a given to be slow and painful. The family photo you posted is amazing. I would like to guarantee you will have no issues when you sail with us in November. No promises;), but if there is a problem we will join you for the margaritas or tequila.:D

 

Andrew