Brilliance of the Seas Baltic Cruise 23rd June 2015

Passenger's Log 06/07/15

These were the voyages of the cruise ship Brilliance of the Seas. It's 12 night mission: to explore strange new countries, to seek out new people and new cultures, to boldly go where no one in my family has gone before.

I will start with answering a few FAQs that I see on Cruise Critic regularly:

Boarding/Disembarkation

Which deck do you board on? - midship, Deck 4

Where do you disembark for each port? - Deck 2, midship

If you get a disembarkation time for your luggage that is too early what do you do? - Ask Guest Services if you can leave the ship later, your luggage will be waiting in the port terminal for you when you get there.

Dining/Dress

MTD, how does it work? - you can reserve your preferred dining time for each night on line before you go however if you want to have the same table each night you have to go for the same time each night otherwise it cannot be guaranteed. Upon arrival at the ship go to the MTD station of the MDR (Deck 5) and see the chap on the desk, you can request a window seat if you like. After your first evening meal, assuming you are happy with your table position and wait staff you can go back to the chap on the desk and request that table every night (I recommend Table 622/623/624 with Prashant and Miroslav, they were great). If you don´t want to prebook your dining times you can just turn up and wait for an available table, the queues were not very long.

Is formal dress enforced? - No, however there were a lot of people in tuxedos and we didn´t see anyone wearing jeans, etc on formal nights, the most casual dress that we saw was slacks with open neck shirt.

Are there any themed nights? - Yes, 50's/60's, 70's, 80's and Rock Britannia however only the entertainment staff dressed up not the guests.

Bathroom Amenities and Storage

We were in an Ocean View cabin, so other cabins may differ:

In the shower there is soap and shampoo with two shelves in the corner for you to put your sponges, washcloths, etc. The shower has a shower curtain which you need to "stick" with water to the shower walls and make sure the curtain is within the shower tray to prevent the bathroom from flooding.

In the bathroom there is a wall cupboard with a mirrored door providing three small shelves of storage. There is also a shelf under the sink for more bits and bobs.

Temperature onboard

Generally, I found the temperature onboard to be a little cooler than the mediterranean cruise I did last year. I wore a light cardigan most nights but if I was taking part in an activity I would need to take it off so don´t forget to pick it up again otherwise you have to waste time the next day going to Guest Services to see if it is in Lost and Found (voice of experience here)

Entertainment; Quality/Variety

There were some poor entertainers, some average entertainers and some very good entertainers. For example, we hated AbbaMax, loved Mike McClean and enjoyed but did not rave about a lot of the others.

The bar music was OK but after a week you did feel it was getting repetitive.

The theme parties were great fun but as they take place in the Centrum you have to get there early to take part.

The Quest: I was opted in to be a co-captain with another Cruise Critic member and with the help of an extra-ordinarily game team we won. If you get the chance to take part do so but go with a sense of humour and readiness to participate not just watch.

Offers on board

For the first few days onboard we were approached by a chap from Chops Grille trying to get us to sign up, he could be negotiated down to about 30% off if you were really nice to him.

Every day there are spa treatment offers like 75 minutes of specific treatments for between 109 and 149$

The drink of the day has gone however on port days there are happy hours in Sky Bar, King and Country Pub and Vintages however sometimes these were just 25% off the second drink, so check what is covered before you buy. I would recommend you go and see Vinko in Rita's Cantina, he does a very nice Margarita 2 for 1 priced at 14$ total.

Every day in the King and Country Pub they have a drink of the day that is worth trying and is normally priced at 9$

Films shown on the Cinema

While we were onboard the following films were shown:

Focus

Annie

Noah

The Theory of Everything

Cinderella

Field of Dreams

Unbroken

Inception

The Muppets

Chappie

The Kings Speech

The Worst Part

Saying goodbye to all the lovely people we had met from all over the world, guests and staff alike.

I hope this helps anyone going on this cruise in the next few weeks. If you have any questions please let me know and I will try to answer them.

Gail x

Thanks very much for your thoughts. We're on this itinerary in August.

Morley

Thanks so much for posting this--it contained a lot of good info! A friend and I are on this same cruise in August, and I had a couple of questions, if you don't mind.

1- you said there was shampoo in the shower, but how about conditioner? I don't want to bother to bring any if the ship provides it, but I need to if there isn't any. Also, is there a hair dryer in there? (We're also in an Oceanview, so it should be the same)

2- did you change money into local currency? My hope is, with so many countries on the itinerary, NOT to have to do that. Can one get by in the various ports (including St. Petersburg) with a credit card and American dollars?

3- the indoor pool in the 'adult' section--is there a fee for that? (I ask because some ships, like a cruise I was on a couple of years ago, charge for going in the 'adults only' section)

Glad to read you had a good time on the Brilliance. I'm a veteran cruiser, but this is my first time on RCL and I'm really looking forward to it.

Thanks for answering my questions!

Thanks for the info. Heading on the Brilliance soon. I especially liked knowing where you get off the ship in ports; very helpful!

Nice Star Trek lead in :)

Thanks so much for posting this--it contained a lot of good info! A friend and I are on this same cruise in August, and I had a couple of questions, if you don't mind.

1- you said there was shampoo in the shower, but how about conditioner? I don't want to bother to bring any if the ship provides it, but I need to if there isn't any. Also, is there a hair dryer in there? (We're also in an Oceanview, so it should be the same)

 

2- did you change money into local currency? My hope is, with so many countries on the itinerary, NOT to have to do that. Can one get by in the various ports (including St. Petersburg) with a credit card and American dollars?

 

3- the indoor pool in the 'adult' section--is there a fee for that? (I ask because some ships, like a cruise I was on a couple of years ago, charge for going in the 'adults only' section)

 

Glad to read you had a good time on the Brilliance. I'm a veteran cruiser, but this is my first time on RCL and I'm really looking forward to it.

 

Thanks for answering my questions!

Hi MsK64,

In answer to your questions:

1. No, no conditioner and I can't comment as to how good the shampoo is because I took my own 2in1.

2. In the tourist/souvenir shops they will accept Euros but it is at a poor exchange rate so I would recommend some DKK and SEK. I took about 70 Euros worth of each and it was about right. For St Petersburg, assuming you are on an organised tour you can get away with Euros or USD as they will only take you to places that accept those currencies.

3. The Solarium is free to use. The pool is warm (salt water) and the hot tub is like a warm bath. The Park Cafe is just next to the pool so you can easily get tea, coffee, juice, water and snacks while you veg out by the pool. Towels are freely available and there is a towel exchange station just between the Solarium and the outside pool.

Another thing which might help:

In Tallinn the hop on/hop off buses are right next to the ship, in Helsinki the hop on/hop off buses are just outside terminal building but you can buy tickets inside or on the bus, in Stockholm the hop on/hop off buses are just near the ship - look for the painted lines on the road.

In all the ports except St Petersburg there is a shuttle into town available.

I would recommend you take the shuttle in Skagen as the walk into the town is like walking through a commercial fishing port and can be a bit smelly.

I am sure you will have a fabulous time onboard the crew are so friendly and always happy to help.

Have fun

Gail

We too were on this cruise and just a couple of pointers.

In Skagen [which we loved] when you depart the ship walk alongside the ship to a second exit and it brings you out at base of town near some beach huts and the beach and not at all smelly.

In Helsinki if you walk off ship and towards town there is a Tram station...end of line.Goes into town and you get your ticket from the driver.

Stockholm walk along the painted lines and some steps to your left and you can catch the local bus into the city.

Tallin which is beautiful we just walked into town.

Copenhagen again we walked into town past the little Mermaid statue.

St Petersburg...guess what you cannot walk any where, even the so called walking tour you were bused.

Great cruise, great ship and even the weather was...almost great.

All in all this is a fabulous cruise. All the ports are impressive for different reasons, the ship is beautiful and everyone onboard is so friendly.

Hi MsK64,

 

Another thing which might help:

 

In Tallinn the hop on/hop off buses are right next to the ship, in Helsinki the hop on/hop off buses are just outside terminal building but you can buy tickets inside or on the bus, in Stockholm the hop on/hop off buses are just near the ship - look for the painted lines on the road.

 

In all the ports except St Petersburg there is a shuttle into town available.

I would recommend you take the shuttle in Skagen as the walk into the town is like walking through a commercial fishing port and can be a bit smelly.

 

I am sure you will have a fabulous time onboard the crew are so friendly and always happy to help.

 

Have fun

 

Gail

Thanks for the additional info. It was really helpful. I'm traveling with a friend who has difficulty walking longer distances (even 1/2 mile might be too much), so finding out the Ho-Ho bus comes right to the pier is good to know. Also the shuttle from the pier into the towns that you mentioned, was that a free shuttle sponsored by the ship or a bus you would need to pay for? (again, just trying to figure out if I can get away without having to change money)

One more thing: there's a lot of talk on the RCL message boards about having to make reservations for the evening shows. That's something I've never experienced on any ship I've been on--it's just 'get there and find an open seat'. I'm assuming (hoping!) that these reservations are only relevant to the newer, mega-ships that have 'Broadway' shows playing, and that the Brilliance operates under the more traditional method I described above. Would I be correct, or do you need reservations on the Brilliance too?

Thanks again--we're really looking forward to this cruise!

Shuttle buses all had to be paid for and I think they are very pricey as you pay for each time you take a trip.

No prebooked shows on Brilliance as it is an older more trad ship.

I thought some of the best action in the evening was based in the centrum.

The shuttles were typically 7$ one way or 10$ return, the ho/ho buses were I think around 20€. Obviously once you are in the towns you will need the local currency if you want to buy a coffee but some places will take cards for larger purchases.

Another thing I thought of was that there are interesting things to see as you are leaving some of the ports, Captain Stig makes an announcement as you set sail telling you what to look out for and on which side of the ship to see it. Unfortunately Captain Stig's announcements cannot be heard in your room only in the communal areas and corridors.

For example at approx 11pm after leaving Copenhagen you will go under the Oresund Bridge

About 1 1/2 hours after you leave St Petersburg you can see Kronstadt on the starboard side which is some sort of naval base.

As you leave Stockholm you will sail past lots of pretty little islands

I'm sure there are others but those are the ones I saw.

Loving the passenger log!

In addition to the 2 formal nights, were there any smart/casual (jacket/tie) nights? In the midst of packing so would be good to know!

Many thanks

Loving the passenger log!

 

In addition to the 2 formal nights, were there any smart/casual (jacket/tie) nights? In the midst of packing so would be good to know!

 

Many thanks

There were smart/casual nights but that just meant open neck shirts and slacks. No jacket or tie required so don´t worry. Basically if you want to go smarter you can but you don´t have to.

It´s a nice relaxed ship and you won´t have any trouble with the dress code.

Gail :)

There were smart/casual nights but that just meant open neck shirts and slacks. No jacket or tie required so don´t worry. Basically if you want to go smarter you can but you don´t have to.

 

It´s a nice relaxed ship and you won´t have any trouble with the dress code.

 

Gail :)

Thanks Gail - that's good to know - will just pack for the 2 formals then!

Passenger's Log 06/07/15

These were the voyages of the cruise ship Brilliance of the Seas. It's 12 night mission: to explore strange new countries, to seek out new people and new cultures, to boldly go where no one in my family has gone before.

 

I will start with answering a few FAQs that I see on Cruise Critic regularly:

 

Boarding/Disembarkation

Which deck do you board on? - midship, Deck 4

Where do you disembark for each port? - Deck 2, midship

If you get a disembarkation time for your luggage that is too early what do you do? - Ask Guest Services if you can leave the ship later, your luggage will be waiting in the port terminal for you when you get there.

 

Dining/Dress

MTD, how does it work? - you can reserve your preferred dining time for each night on line before you go however if you want to have the same table each night you have to go for the same time each night otherwise it cannot be guaranteed. Upon arrival at the ship go to the MTD station of the MDR (Deck 5) and see the chap on the desk, you can request a window seat if you like. After your first evening meal, assuming you are happy with your table position and wait staff you can go back to the chap on the desk and request that table every night (I recommend Table 622/623/624 with Prashant and Miroslav, they were great). If you don´t want to prebook your dining times you can just turn up and wait for an available table, the queues were not very long.

Is formal dress enforced? - No, however there were a lot of people in tuxedos and we didn´t see anyone wearing jeans, etc on formal nights, the most casual dress that we saw was slacks with open neck shirt.

Are there any themed nights? - Yes, 50's/60's, 70's, 80's and Rock Britannia however only the entertainment staff dressed up not the guests.

 

Bathroom Amenities and Storage

We were in an Ocean View cabin, so other cabins may differ:

In the shower there is soap and shampoo with two shelves in the corner for you to put your sponges, washcloths, etc. The shower has a shower curtain which you need to "stick" with water to the shower walls and make sure the curtain is within the shower tray to prevent the bathroom from flooding.

In the bathroom there is a wall cupboard with a mirrored door providing three small shelves of storage. There is also a shelf under the sink for more bits and bobs.

 

Temperature onboard

Generally, I found the temperature onboard to be a little cooler than the mediterranean cruise I did last year. I wore a light cardigan most nights but if I was taking part in an activity I would need to take it off so don´t forget to pick it up again otherwise you have to waste time the next day going to Guest Services to see if it is in Lost and Found (voice of experience here)

 

Entertainment; Quality/Variety

There were some poor entertainers, some average entertainers and some very good entertainers. For example, we hated AbbaMax, loved Mike McClean and enjoyed but did not rave about a lot of the others.

The bar music was OK but after a week you did feel it was getting repetitive.

The theme parties were great fun but as they take place in the Centrum you have to get there early to take part.

The Quest: I was opted in to be a co-captain with another Cruise Critic member and with the help of an extra-ordinarily game team we won. If you get the chance to take part do so but go with a sense of humour and readiness to participate not just watch.

 

Offers on board

For the first few days onboard we were approached by a chap from Chops Grille trying to get us to sign up, he could be negotiated down to about 30% off if you were really nice to him.

Every day there are spa treatment offers like 75 minutes of specific treatments for between 109 and 149$

The drink of the day has gone however on port days there are happy hours in Sky Bar, King and Country Pub and Vintages however sometimes these were just 25% off the second drink, so check what is covered before you buy. I would recommend you go and see Vinko in Rita's Cantina, he does a very nice Margarita 2 for 1 priced at 14$ total.

Every day in the King and Country Pub they have a drink of the day that is worth trying and is normally priced at 9$

 

Films shown on the Cinema

While we were onboard the following films were shown:

Focus

Annie

Noah

The Theory of Everything

Cinderella

Field of Dreams

Unbroken

Inception

The Muppets

Chappie

The Kings Speech

 

The Worst Part

Saying goodbye to all the lovely people we had met from all over the world, guests and staff alike.

 

I hope this helps anyone going on this cruise in the next few weeks. If you have any questions please let me know and I will try to answer them.

 

Gail x

What are the show times especially the first night ?

Thanks

Show times were as follows

Night 1: One showtime only 7:45 Welcome aboard show with Andy Leach

Night 2: 9pm and 10:45pm Abbamax

Night 3: 7pm and 9pm Center Stage Broadway style show

Night 4: 7pm and 9pm Suzanne Godfrey

Night 5: 7pm and 9pm Lorraine Brown

Night 6 (St Petersburg): Military Russian Folklore show 10pm only

Night 7: 6pm Lego Movie, 10:30pm Love & Marriage Game Show

Night 8: 7pm and 9pm Now and Forever Broadway style show

Night 9: 7pm and 9pm Jonathan Stamp Recommended

Night 10: 7pm and 9pm Tango Buenos Aires

Night 11: 7pm and 9pm Ultimate Elton

Night 12: 7pm and 9pm Mike McClean Recommended

Obviously these were the acts and the shows that were on in June/July this may all be different for your cruise.

Show times were as follows

 

Night 1: One showtime only 7:45 Welcome aboard show with Andy Leach

Night 2: 9pm and 10:45pm Abbamax

Night 3: 7pm and 9pm Center Stage Broadway style show

Night 4: 7pm and 9pm Suzanne Godfrey

Night 5: 7pm and 9pm Lorraine Brown

Night 6 (St Petersburg): Military Russian Folklore show 10pm only

Night 7: 6pm Lego Movie, 10:30pm Love & Marriage Game Show

Night 8: 7pm and 9pm Now and Forever Broadway style show

Night 9: 7pm and 9pm Jonathan Stamp Recommended

Night 10: 7pm and 9pm Tango Buenos Aires

Night 11: 7pm and 9pm Ultimate Elton

Night 12: 7pm and 9pm Mike McClean Recommended

 

Obviously these were the acts and the shows that were on in June/July this may all be different for your cruise.

Thank you very much for the very helpful information.