Brilliance of the Seas Reviews

Just finished the Norway, Faroe and Iceland cruise aboard Brilliance of the seas. Nice ship with good facilities but with 6 'at sea' days, I did become a bit bored on these days. Yes there was a range of activities but often seating, particularly around the Centrum area was sparse and limited participation. Having been on a number of RCI cruises in the past, I got the distinct feeling that the accountants have been active with the scalpel as a number of the luxuries I have experienced in the past are no longer there. Stateroom staff seem to be stretched and the evening 'towel visitor' waiting to surprise you only appeared 4 times rather than every night. Corridor passageways seemed to be constantly filled with trolleys, vacuums suggesting that there are less stewards doing longer hours. Bar staff also seem in short supply with nowhere near the number of waiters on previous cruises. As for the dining rooms, the slick and speedy transfer from reception to table has vanished with long queues building up and the receptionist frequently having to leave their post on various occasions which only exacerbated the problem. In past cruises we always had two dedicated waiting staff per table but this seems to be more like 3 between 4 tables and without doubt the quality, variety and quantity of meals are only a shadow of the past. A good cruise for newbies who may have little comparative experience but sadly for RCI, it has had the effect of encouraging me to look at the other cruise lines for future trips. Interestingly, all of these comments were voiced by other guests so I think the board level members may need to look at their Corporate Strategy.

Just returned from Baltic cruise with wife, son, daughter in law and 2 grandchildren. I have never really fancied cruising, thought it would be boring, how wrong I was? From the start our cases were taken on board and taken to our really nice cabin there was something for all of us, the food the bars all the staff were all outstanding we all had a great time and we had great weather 

We had a fabulous cruise to the Baltic sailing from Harwich on the Brilliance of the Seas on the 20th June. This was a cruise to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary and it was just perfect! The ship is amazing and newly refurbished and all the staff are so helpful & friendly. Entertainment organised by cruise director Keith was first class! All ports of call were very interesting and the Baltic weather was kind to us with a heat wave in St Petersburg! Thanks to the staff and Royal Caribbean we had a perfect anniversary voyage it was our 3rd cruise with Royal Caribbean and the best to date........get booking we say!

I sailed on the 8th of June to the Baltic.First solo holiday for 40yrs.I new that Iwouldnt feel on my own because the staff are very friendly and there is always a good mix of guests on board.I wasnt disappointed,the guest musicians were the best on any cruise that I have taken.My special favourites were Horizon an American rock band and Pablo Espesido a fantastic classical guitarist.There was also a string classical trio and a great easy listening group.There was Manda in the Schooner bar and Gary a brilliant singer guitarist in the British pub.As always the quality of the food was excellent with a massive choice.I enjoyed it so much that I am thinking of re booking for the 19 of Aug 13 on the same cruise.A special mention for Marina in the Diamond Lounge.Well done Royal Caribbean!

Just had a great holiday on the Brilliance of the Seas. The public area re-fit on this ship is outstanding. The Centrum area is beautiful and will be a great gathering place to watch the aerial entertainment and enjoy personalized drinks at the R Bar. Rita's Cantina is a great new casual dining area that has delicious nachos and is perfect for an afternoon snack. As usual the cabins, staff and food were top notch.

I thoroughly enjoyed the ship visit on the Brilliance. The refurbishment is a huge success story. The communal areas, the restaurants and bars that got a facelift look amazing. I would especially highlight the work Royal Caribbean have done with the kids' area. It's fun, bright and colourful, very inspiring for the little ones. I loved the revolving champagne bar, the sushi place, Izumi and the outdoor screen where you can watch movies from a hot tub. The main centrum also looks fab with the R Bar mixing cocktails specifically to your taste. The food was great and nicely presented, too. All in all a great experience.

Well just came back from the updated and revitalised Brilliance of the seas and had a great time exploring all the new updates areas on board the ship. Although you will know you are still on a slightly older ship what Royal have done with this update is bring it more in line with the bigger ships they have like the Oasis. A great area for guests to meet on board would be the R-Bar where they servce up some of the best cocktails I have ever had. You have a view all the way to the top of the ship where they are planning on having some amazing shows. Another big plus on the new Brilliance is the outdoor movie screen where they will be showing flims plus major sporting events. Dont worry too much about the sun shining on the screen Royal have employed the very latest technology on board here and you will get a great picture whatever the weather. The speciality dining venues are what they should be special and the new look of these restaurants on board tick all the boxes. All in all if you are looking for a slighly smaller ship with all the latest features then you could not do much better than the Brilliance of the seas.

Have just seen the newly refurbished Brilliance of the Seas. Fantastic!!! The 'Centrum Wow' (atrium) is now a great place to really enjoy the ship, with brilliant array of colours and now some great entertainment and specialist cocktail bar with a mixologist who can make you any drink you like!!! Perfect sized ship for meeting new people and not feeling over-crowded.

Had a wonderful time on the newly refurbished brilliance of the seas! The speciality dining is a real treat, for only a small cover charge we could eat at luxury restaurants: Chops Grille- amazing mushroom soup and steak to die for. Giovanni's Table- authentic service and mouthwatering selection of meats Izumi- word class sushi, gives any london restaurant a run for its money thats if you can drag yourself away from the buffet and main dining- fine selection of salads, seafood delicasses and british classics. I cant forget the Margaritas at Rita's cantina, lethally moreish and of course the splendid cocktail making skills of the R bar staff, I could have (and did) spent all week propped up there. We had a balcony cabin as we cruised the British isles, definitely recommend upgrading to this room as I spent many an evening with cocktail in hand wathcing the sunset. Amazing. In a word magnificent or maybe we should stick with brilliant?

Had a wondeful time on the brillaince. Newly refurbished ship. Was in excellent condition. Friendly staff and great food. Really enjoyed the sushi at the Izumi restaurant and the R bar in the centrum area of the ship, very good coctails and great surrounding decor.