Just off B2B on Brilliance...any questions??

[Flamingo33]

Myself and DH just returned from our first B2B which was on the Brilliance. Happy to answer any questions if I can! We are not MDR people, but did lots of activities, casino and bar hopping. I will post a review later, but I figured I would see if I could help anyone out in the meantime! :D

[molly361]

How was embarkation and disembarkation.

 

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[Clarea]

Did you see drink packages offered, and if so how many days into the cruise and what was the cost?

[Flamingo33]

How was embarkation and disembarkation.

 

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Embarkation was easy. We arrived around 12:30 and it took about 15-20 minutes. We are diamond so we were in the priority check in line. The line for general check-in seemed much longer. Rooms were ready at 1:00pm.

 

Turn around day was a bit delayed, but we were back on the ship around 10:15. They did start boarding for the second cruise at 10:30.

 

Disembarkation was not as much fun. We did self assist this morning. We went to leave around 7:15 and were not off until almost 8am. Not sure what the hold up was, but it was pretty disorganized in our perspective.

[Flamingo33]

Did you see drink packages offered, and if so how many days into the cruise and what was the cost?

 

Yup. Drink packages on the ship were $63 pp/per day. They also has the $79 for 10 drink cards and they were offered beginning on day 2. There were various specials throughout the cruises such as $2 mimosas and 60% off select bottles of wine.

[Flamingo33]

So instead of posting a new thread, here is my fairly lengthy review.

 

Just returned from our very first B2B cruise. Since therehave been some rough reviews of Brilliance lately I thought I would share apositive (overall) one. We sailed on January 6th out of terminal 6at the port of Tampa onboard the Brilliance of the seas. I will do my best towrite an informative review, however please understand that this cruise was abit different for us, as we didn’t get off the ship at any of the ports ofcall. This is also my first time writing a review on Cruise Critic, so pleasebe kind J.Just a little background, myself and DH are early to mid 30’s , Diamond, andfrom the Orlando area.

 

 

Booking

We booked this cruise about a year out through the Casino.Got great rates on both sailings for an inside stateroom. We booked the inside becauseit was the only way (at the time) that we would be able to keep our same roomfor both sailings which was important to us. Originally, it was only supposedto be myself and DH, however, as family does some times, the parents and auntand uncle decided to join. We chose these two itineraries because we love seadays, and this would give us 5 true sea days on a 9 night total sailing. Theports for the first 5 night sailing on January 6th were Grand Caymanand Cozumel. The second sailing, leaving on January 11th was onlyCozumel.

 

 

Embarkation

After a quick hour and a half drive to the port (and another15 minutes to figure out where to park) we were ready to board. We arrived atapproximately 12:30pm. Apparently I did not do enough research regarding theparking situation because it took us about 15 minutes to walk from the car tothe port, and it was COLD! Check-in was fairly painless. We were onboard rightat 1pm, and they had just opened the rooms-very convenient.

 

 

Room

We had an inside cabin on deck 4 forward. We loved the room.The bed was comfortable, the location was amazing. Two flights up was ourfavorite places (pub and casino) and the elevators in the back of the ship werenever crowded…ever! Our room steward took great care of us.

 

 

Food

We did not go to the MDR once on the first sailing. TheWindjammer was great and we LOVE the comfy spot attached to the Windjammer. Theoutdoor seating is also great. On the few days that we made it to breakfast, Ireally enjoyed that they have the over easy eggs already made and ready to go.Typically in the morning on other ships I would have to wait along with thepeople who ordered Omelets. I also really enjoyed the Thai and Indian stationsthat they had in the evenings. Overall I would say the food each day was a bit repetitive,but very good. This wasn’t the best Windjammer we have been at, but overall itwas very good.

The second sailing we did eat in the MDR twice for dinnerand once for lunch. As always the Brassier (sp) 30 lunch with the Tutti saladis a highlight. Great choices and good service. Dinner, however was a bigdisappointment. On the first night (table of 6 all family) it took us 45minutes to even get an appetizer. I am a very easy going person when it comesto service because I have been in the service industry pretty much my wholecareer, but this was BAD. When we finally did get our food, half of it wascold. We also like to order a salad, and Ap and then the main entrée. Well,they brought out the salad and the appetizer at the same time. This has neverhappened to us before on any sailing. We asked why it took so long to get thefood and we were told there was a backup in the galley. However, all of ourneighboring tables had their food….odd. My father did say something to the headwaiter and they apologized for the wait as well as the service. The next nightthey did their best to make up for it (including bringing a bottle of wine forthe table), but the experience was basically the same as the night before. Wedid not return after that night. Overall, when the food was hot, it was tasty,but honestly the Windjammer was just as good with MUCH better service.

 

 

Bars and Casino

Since I booked through the casino, I am eligible for freedrinks when playing. The bartenders in the casino were fantastic. They werevery prompt, friendly and engaging, and really looking out for the welfare ofthe guests (watched a few people get cut off). I play slots and the occasionalround of Blackjack or 3 card poker. Theslots were ok…overall for the 9 nights I was down a bit, but not too bad.Casino was smokey…however the non-smoking section was ok. The best times to goit you are not a fan of smoke it right after a show starts or early in the day.I did see lots of people just hanging out sitting and not playing whileenjoying their cigarette. I had a bad experience one night where a cashout ticketa had went missing (and by went missing I mean someone took it out of my hand).I didn’t see who did it, or really even notice it until I went to play again afew minutes later. I went straight to the cashier and asked for a manager. Hewas able to review the surveillance and verified what happened. He stopped theticket from being used, and gave me the cash that was on the ticket. They tookgreat care of me. Very unfortunate that someone on vacation would do that tosomeone else, but I guess there are all kinds out there. RCL made it right and that’swhat matters. I will be much more aware moving forward.

The King and Country Pub (aka best place on the ship) wasamazing. The head bartender remembered us from a previous sailing and tookgreat care of us. The football games were on and the place got really crowdedoften, but it was a good friendly vibe. On the sea days in the afternoon, thepub also had traditional Irish stew and a seafood soup. I did not partake,however DH really liked them.

 

 

The Ship

Brilliance looked great. There were some minor signs of age,but it is a beautiful ship. We did Oasis in October, and for us, the smallerships are wonderful. We love being able to see the ocean basically wherever youare. The venues on the radiance class are so sophisticated and beautiful. Thecrew was very pleasant minus a few. They really seem to care about their workand treat you with respect (if you treat them the same of course). The Colonyclub is a beautiful venue which IMHO could be much better utilized. It was verycold on this trip so it was nice to just sit and watch the wake in the ColonyClub.

 

 

Diamond Lounge

Super small, super crowded. We only went a few nights due tothe crowds. Not fun when you can’t get a seat for hours. Also the appetizerswere OK, but nothing to write home about. We found it much more relaxing and convenientto use the vouchers at other venues throughout the ship.

 

 

B2B

Being this was our first, we had no idea what to expect. Itwas really interesting. We met at around 10am in the centrum where the 30 or soof us were escorted off the ship and through customs. This took about 20minutes. We were back on the ship right after. We sat and enjoyed the ship withno one on it for a few minutes, and then watched all the new passengers’ board.It was really neat to see their faces when they saw the centrum…which isbeautiful. We found out later that more than half the ship were first time sailorswith Royal. We are glad we kept the same room. We did have access to it beforethe rest of the rooms opened (just had to show our “In Transit” card). Overallit was a neat experience, although DH did say he would have just preferred doinga longer cruise to avoid a second Muster Drill.

 

Overall Impressions

DH and I both had a bit of a cold that developed a day or sointo the cruise, so we took it easy this time around. Trivia and some of theother game shows were a lot of fun and the cruise staff did a great job. Thepassengers on the first sailing were a bit older. We only saw about 20 kids thewhole time! I only mention this because the next sailing had a COMPLETELYdifferent group of passengers. It was much more of a 20s-30s cruise with lotsof kids. Much more of a party ship. It is crazy how different a cruise can bebased on people on the ship with you.

 

 

The seas were rough most of the time, which we actuallyenjoy. Some of the promenade areas were closed on some of the evenings due towind, but it wasn’t anything major. One new experience for us was the fog inTampa. The last night of the first leg, the captain made an announcement thatthe ship would be arriving in Tampa early due to fog. This shut the ship downat around 12:30am on the last night. We found this interesting, but didn’t thinkmuch of it. The next day leaving Tampa again, the ship was delayed for about anhour or so, again due to fog. It was bright and clear in Tampa, however in theevening when we were headed out of the channel and approaching the bridge wewent out on deck. It was so eerie. We were in such a dense fog it was like wewere in a cloud. The ship blew its horn every minute or so to make sure thatother boats new we were there. Most certainlyan interesting experience. We are glad the fog didn’t impact us any more thanthat.

 

 

So in conclusion (this review was much longer thananticipated), we had a great experience on both cruises. The food was ok, theentertainment was good, the room was great and the crew was amazing. We lovethe Brilliance and hope to get back on it again soon!

[Clarea]

Yup. Drink packages on the ship were $63 pp/per day. They also has the $79 for 10 drink cards and they were offered beginning on day 2. There were various specials throughout the cruises such as $2 mimosas and 60% off select bottles of wine.

Thanks.

 

Were you at Terminal 6?

[Flamingo33]

Thanks.

 

Were you at Terminal 6?

 

Yes we were. Last time we sailed on Brilliance from Tampa we were at a different port (i think it was terminal 2). The Carnival Paradise was there this time. We preferred that terminal. Easier parking options IMHO.

[Clarea]

Yes we were. Last time we sailed on Brilliance from Tampa we were at a different port (i think it was terminal 2). The Carnival Paradise was there this time. We preferred that terminal. Easier parking options IMHO.

Just finished the review, sounds like the crew on Brilliance is still doing a great job. We did a transatlantic on her about a year ago and enjoyed it very much. With regard to terminal 6, others have mentioned the slow diembarkation

[molly361]

I have not read much good about terminal 6 especially disembarkation

 

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[Flamingo33]

It wasn't horrible, but most certainly not the best either. I find PC to be the easiest for embarkation and disembarkation by far.

[Clarea]

It wasn't horrible, but most certainly not the best either. I find PC to be the easiest for embarkation and disembarkation by far.

Agree with you there, it's our favorite cruise port.

[Ripley's Lady]

Embarkation was easy. We arrived around 12:30 and it took about 15-20 minutes. We are diamond so we were in the priority check in line. The line for general check-in seemed much longer. Rooms were ready at 1:00pm.

 

Disembarkation was not as much fun. We did self assist this morning. We went to leave around 7:15 and were not off until almost 8am. Not sure what the hold up was, but it was pretty disorganized in our perspective.

Just a quick reply to your comments about the disembarcation it was NOT disorganized - there was a medical problem with a guest that held us up. I am grateful for consientious staff who put the ill person as a priority!

[Ripley's Lady]

Just signed up for the Brilliance of the Seas Meet and Mingle Party. We are on deck eight for the TA. We also did the fall TA from Barcelona. It was absolutely super. I think Brilliance is the cleanest ship in the fleet with GREAT staff! Looking forward to meeting everyone. :)

[Flamingo33]

Just a quick reply to your comments about the disembarcation it was NOT disorganized - there was a medical problem with a guest that held us up. I am grateful for consientious staff who put the ill person as a priority!

 

Oh I absolutely agree that a medical emergency is and should be a priority. I dont think many people were aware of that. And just a side note, the disembarkation for the first part of the cruise also appeared to be slow. Luckly as a B2B cruiser we didnt have to wait.

[Jax129]

Thanks for your review. I'm sailing Brilliance on Thanksgiving & love this class of ship, especially during cold weather. Sitting in the The Colony Club or the Schooner bar or the Viking Crown Lounge with a drink, dancing or listening to music & watching the Ocean is priceless

[Flamingo33]

Just signed up for the Brilliance of the Seas Meet and Mingle Party. We are on deck eight for the TA. We also did the fall TA from Barcelona. It was absolutely super. I think Brilliance is the cleanest ship in the fleet with GREAT staff! Looking forward to meeting everyone. :)

 

We were talking about how much we would love to do a TA on a radiance class ship! Have an amazing time

[ACruiserinFL]

I was on the second half of the cruise and you were right, the fog was really eerie! We had a balcony room and it was so weird to look out and see so much fog.

[NanaP1398]

Myself and DH just returned from our first B2B which was on the Brilliance. Happy to answer any questions if I can! We are not MDR people, but did lots of activities, casino and bar hopping. I will post a review later, but I figured I would see if I could help anyone out in the meantime! :D

 

Thank you for your review! We are on BOS in a few weeks and getting very excited! We love smaller ships because as you said, you can see the ocean! We sailed BOS last year and had a blast in the Centrum every night. In fact we ended up skipping the MDR and ate at Park Cafe & Windjammer most nights to enjoy the Centrum. Did you see any bands there? Did you eat at Park Cafe? Thanks so much :D

[Flamingo33]

Thank you for your review! We are on BOS in a few weeks and getting very excited! We love smaller ships because as you said, you can see the ocean! We sailed BOS last year and had a blast in the Centrum every night. In fact we ended up skipping the MDR and ate at Park Cafe & Windjammer most nights to enjoy the Centrum. Did you see any bands there? Did you eat at Park Cafe? Thanks so much :D

 

 

Thanks for your compliment! We had a great trip despite being a bit under the weather. Yes there was music nightly in the Centrum and most every seat was filled on each deck with people enjoying it. There were also many dance classes and other activities. Seemed like a lot of fun!

 

We ate mostly in the Windjammer, but DH often visited Park Cafe for late night snacks. Food was always good....expect the pizza...YUCK! It tasted like chemicals....not good at all. Otherwise that was really the only inedible food I encountered. Have an amazing trip!

[NanaP1398]

Thanks for your compliment! We had a great trip despite being a bit under the weather. Yes there was music nightly in the Centrum and most every seat was filled on each deck with people enjoying it. There were also many dance classes and other activities. Seemed like a lot of fun!

 

We ate mostly in the Windjammer, but DH often visited Park Cafe for late night snacks. Food was always good....expect the pizza...YUCK! It tasted like chemicals....not good at all. Otherwise that was really the only inedible food I encountered. Have an amazing trip!

Thank you for that information! Now i am REALLY excited! You made my day :) Now if the weather in Tampa warms up for our land portion of vacation, it will be perfect! Have a great day & thanks again.

Edited January 19, 2018 by NanaP1398
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[ShutterbugMomTN]

Thanks for all the info. We are going in March to Key West and Cozumel. What is the dress code for MDR? I have read different info. Can men / older boys wear docker type shorts? Can women wear capris? Thanks! Did you purchase digital pictures?

 

 

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[Flamingo33]

Thanks for all the info. We are going in March to Key West and Cozumel. What is the dress code for MDR? I have read different info. Can men / older boys wear docker type shorts? Can women wear capris? Thanks! Did you purchase digital pictures?

 

 

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We did not buy pictures. We do each get one free for being Diamond members. They had a "scavenger hunt" on formal night to get your pic taken at all 5 of the photo stations. If you did, then you got a free 8 x 10 of the Brilliance. Fun idea!

 

As far as dress code, I am onky going to say that we saw everything from shorts and tanks to gowns and tux's.

[Laurin612]

I'm curious--how was lunch in the Windjammer? It's been a few years since we cruised on Royal Caribbean, but when we cruised on Adventure of the Seas on 2015 the food offered at lunch in the Windjammer was unbelievably bad--every day we went there for lunch. Hopefully things have improved! We don't expect gourmet cuisine, especially for lunch, but you know it's bad when the only food item that isn't burned, dried out, or just questionable is overcooked pasta with marinara sauce and you end up eating it for lunch EVERY DAY.

[travelplus]

I will be on the Brilliance Trans Atlantic with my Father from Tampa to Amsterdam coming up in just over a week! I was wondering how the Windjammer Action cooking stations are ? Any special dishes to get? Also did you go to the Park Cafe for their Wecker sandwiches?

 

We are flying in from California the day before the cruise and I booked us at the Westin Tampa Harbour Island Hotel and we have Tampa Car Service picking us up from the airport to the hotel and their sister company Cabs+ taking us to the port the next day. I got the car service for $30 from the airport and the Cabs+ Car Service for $12 from the hotel both in Lincoln Town Cars.

 

We will then spend 4 nights in Amsterdam in an AirBnb before flying to Keflavik where we will spend 4 nights in Rejkiavik at another AirBnb before flying home to San Francisco. I have us booked at the Blue Lagoon one day and with our rental car we hope to do the Golden Circle.

 

All in all I think you would enjoy a 15 night cruise for about the same and sometimes even less than a 7 day cruise.