Brilliance OTS, 2 June 2012 Trip Report - the Norway, no, Denmark, no, Norway Cruise

Welcome to my review of my recent cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. By way of introduction, I am David from the UK, this was my 8th RCI cruise (my first as a Diamond member of the Crown & Anchor Society - my pin was delivered to my cabin about halfway through the cruise) and I was travelling alone, as usual. My previous cruises have all been in the Caribbean, except for one eastbound transatlantic, so I was curious to see how things might be different sailing in Europe. Last year I was lucky enough to spend 24 days on Vision class ships, but I had fond memories of 5 days on Radiance a couple of years ago, so I was looking forward to checking out her sister, the Brilliance of the Seas. This particular itinerary, a 7-night Norwegian Fjords cruise from Amsterdam, was quite serendipitous - the fjords were on my bucket list, and I had a conference to attend in Amsterdam starting on the 10 June, the day after the Brilliance returned. Giving in to fate, I booked a couple of months before the sailing.

The build up to this cruise was dogged by some controversy and uncertainty. An escalating strike in the Norwegian public sector had started to affect the maritime pilots' boat service nationwide in the week before we sailed. Although the Brilliance managed all her scheduled ports of call, albeit with some delays, on the cruise before ours, by mid-week it began to look unlikely that she would be so lucky the following week - indeed, the assessment became that she would be unable to make any ports at all (and, by extension, miss sailing the fjords, which is very much the point of this particular itinerary). RCI found themselves between a rock and a hard place, but by late Thursday had put in place an alternative itinerary for our Saturday departure, which involved an overnight stay in Copenhagen, then stops in Warnemunde and Aarhus.

There is no doubt this caused bitter disappointment amongst many of those booked on the sailing. We were offered a full refund (in future cruise credits) or $250/cabin OBC by way of compensation, this being communicated on Friday, by which time, of course, many people were already en route to Amsterdam. For some, the fjords represented a once in a lifetime opportunity and they took the cancellation, rather than what they regarded as a poor substitute itinerary. I took the view that the timing of this cruise still worked for me, Copenhagen was somewhere I wanted to visit, the other ports sounded reasonably interesting, and I am fortunate enough to be able to say that I would do the fjords another time. So after my usual scramble to finish work, then a choir performance on Friday night, I put a hastily packed suitcase in the car, ready for my latest adventure.

I will report day-by-day, but feel free to ask questions as we go!

The arched roofs in the centre of this shot are Centraal Station

Views of the waiting area at the PTA

You can almost touch the ship!

Thank you SO much for this! We'll be walking to the Brilliance in 3 weeks from Centraal Station and your visuals are very welcome.

Looking forward to reading more of your review!

Have an enjoyable trip.

I have described the boarding process in some detail, as this will be an unfamiliar port to many. Don't worry, we'll get round to the actual cruise fairly soon. Here is a view of the PTA from on board (with a glimpse of the walkway on to the ship) - it's a beautiful building.

I found my cabin, 8519, an inside near the stern, and introduced myself to Joe from Goa, India, my steward for the week. It took a while to get myself orientated - with the Windjammer at the back and a cabin forward on an upper deck, I was completely switched round from my previous two cruises. Fortunately, all the glass in the Radiance class ships meant it was fairly easy to sneak a peek which way we were going, once we were underway! My luggage arrived about 3 pm and I settled in before heading for muster drill at my allocated station in the theatre at 4 pm. I can at this point confirm that the Brilliance of the Seas does indeed have kettles in the cabins.

At 4.30 pm, as scheduled, the lines were cast off and we slowly moved out in to the canal in the centre of Amsterdam - quite a sight. The channel was busy with water traffic and several sightseeing boats came to see us off.

The fjords are that way!

Is this what they mean by My Time Dining?!

Hup, Holland, Hup

Cafe, bikes, ferry - it's an Amsterdam cliche....

We are escorted through the city

I am SO, SO, SO excited for this thread! I'll be doing a similar trip in about a month and a half (same ports, but we leave out of Copenhagen). There haven't been many threads about this route, so THANK YOU!!! :D

It is about 11 nautical miles along the North Sea Canal to reach the sea from the centre of Amsterdam. As we left the city itself behind we passed through some fairly typically flat Dutch scenery, although occasionally they have built a hill!

About 6 pm we approached the locks at IJmuiden, with the ocean beyond, just past the steel works... We squeezed in to the lock (actually it is plenty big enough for Brilliance, but looks pretty small on the approach) and a short while later we headed out into the North Sea itself, where we turn right (to use a nautical term) and start to head north towards Norway, dodging a few windmills and offshore oil installations along the way.

We now settled in to a familiar first night routine. The Welcome Aboard Show was held in the theatre at 7.45 pm for all guests - there are 6 pm and 8.30 pm seatings for dinner in the MDR, and I am on the later one. The Cruise Director is a Brit, Paul Lancaster. The headline act was "Enchantment Duo", who offer a mix of acrobatics, ballet and circus aerial displays, which is a pretty impressive feat on a moving ship.

I had earlier checked my table for dinner and was pleased to find myself on a 10-top. As a solo traveller, it has always been a pleasure to meet other people over dinner, but very often I have found myself at a smaller table. However, tonight no one else appears, so I had my large table to myself. I had my traditional dinner of onion tart followed by prime rib, both of which were pretty good. But the horseradish sauce is poor - almost as if it has been watered down. I end dinner with an excellent blueberry crumble and ice cream, which I am assured has some health benefits. Tired after a long day, I head to bed soon after dinner. Tomorrow promises a sea day, our Meet and Mingle, and the suspense of wondering if I will be eating alone again.... And, of course, we can't help wondering if we are really going to the fjords!

I'm afraid that is all for tonight, more to come tomorrow including some fjords. Maybe :)

I'm afraid that is all for tonight, more to come tomorrow including some fjords. Maybe :)

Thanks for sharing......what a great beginning!! I look forward to your continued story and I know that your pictures of the fjords will bring back some wonderful memories, as we have been there before!:)

Rick

You're off to a great start! We'll be on Brilliance soon, and I can't wait to see what you have to say about the ship!

Thank you as this cruise is on my bucket list.

Loving your review! Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed review!:)

Great review so far, I am on the Brilliance later this year looking forward to reading what you think of her.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk

Thanks for all the kind words of encouragement. And thank you for not pointing out my two deliberate mistakes so far- it was the Eurodam (not ???) also embarking at the PTA and, of course, my forward cabin was near the bow, not the stern :) I told you it was hard to get orientated....

So, a day at sea. I know they are not for everyone, but I love sea days, even though I am not much of a one for organised "activities". After a slow start, I headed to the Windjammer for breakfast. The actual serving areas on the Radiance class I find very spacious, but at the cost of somewhat cramped seating. But I am wise to this and know one of the great secrets of these ships - the outside seating looking out over the stern of the ship. It is not the greatest of days for weather and I find myself almost alone.

After breakfast I toured round the ship and came across a special Royal Jubilee cup cake demonstration in the Centrum. The red, white and blue themed cakes were very popular, but I managed to snag one, which I enjoyed with a latte from Cafe Lattetudes - this has not yet been converted to a Starbuck's on the Brilliance and still serves Seattle's Best.

God Save the Queen

Your correspondent's office!

No sooner had I finished my treat, than I was heading to the top of the ship for our Meet & Mingle, held in the Starquest lounge (the forward portion of the space more generally known as the Viking Crown Lounge). My invite had been in my cabin on arrival and was of a form I had not seen before - a colour printed effort, with a name tag and ticket to enter a draw for prizes.

The M&M was hosted by Chris, the Activities Director (another Brit), who sensibly called for help from one of the International Activities Managers to assist with the good number of Spanish speakers present. We were all given a lanyard with a notepad and pen, which had a transparent holder for the name tag. Chris got us all playing "people bingo" - we formed small teams and had to find people matching a list of characteristics (e.g. brown eyes, doesn't get seasick), which may have been a little corny, but at least got people mingling a bit more than I have experienced at previous M&Ms. I met some of our Roll Call and we swapped stories of the emotional roller-coaster of the shifting itinerary. There was also the draw for various prizes - some RCI bags and free internet time, I think.

Meet and Mingle

A little later, I popped my head in to the first Art "Auction" held in the Colony Club at 2 pm, then had a quick bite to eat before (also sitting outside) heading to the main theatre where overage of the Jubilee River Pageant from London is being shown. Just over a year ago, I was on the Grandeur transatlantic at the time of the Royal Wedding - the Hotel Director on Grandeur went to town decorating the ship for the occasion. Brilliance's celebration of the Jubilee is more muted, but I enjoyed watching the coverage.

The weather gradually deteriorated during the day. There were plenty of other activities going on - sports, dance classes, scrapbooking, movies - but this is not a cruise for sunbathing on deck. In the afternoon we had a three metre swell, but the wind was more or less straight over the bow, so the ship wasn't rolling too badly (but it was very windy out on deck). The Captain announced that the seas would turn very rough in the early evening and he expected some bad motion in the early hours when we turned across the wind to enter the fjords.

Tonight was our first formal night and also the Welcome Aboard party, which was held in the Colony Club between dinner seatings. When I returned to my cabin to get ready for dinner, I found an unexplained plate of little chocolate treats. The mystery did not stop me enjoying them with a cup of tea (I like having a kettle in the room!) At the party we were told that there are about 1760 passengers on board, from countries all across the globe (but mostly Europe). Announcements throughout the cruise were made in English, Spanish and German, with Portuguese, French and Dutch occasionally. The shows are in English, with occasional Spanish. I believe that several hundred passengers cancelled due to the proposed change of itinerary. The Captain, Henrik Loft Sorenson from Denmark (who joked that he was quite disappointed not to be heading to Copenhagen), introduced his officers and senior staff, as usual.

When I got to the dining room, I found my table empty again. However, I was immediately approached by the Head Waiter, who says he had tried to contact me during the day (the chocolate mystery has been resolved!) about alternatives if I am alone again. He points out several tables I could join with "British" passengers and I plump for a nearby one with two couples, who actually turn out to be Irish. George and Kathleen are slightly older than me, and Eamonn and Deidre slightly younger, so I bridge the generations on our table. They are very welcoming and great company for the rest of the cruise, and my faith in the dining arrangements is restored! My new waiting team, Gurkan and Anatoli, were efficient and friendly, without being over familiar, which is perfect for me. Tonight's dinner was Escargots (yes, rumours of their demise are not completely true) and a Seafood Brochette, both of which were good.

After dinner, our final nod to the Queen's Jubilee was a "pub singalong" in the Schooner bar, with Manda the Irish piano singer who was in this lounge most of the week. She may not be the greatest singer (and I think she was suffering with illness during the cruise), but perfect for a pub sing song.

A Right Royal Knees-up

I had decided to skip this evening's show, a production show "Centre Stage", which was at 10-45 pm for late diners, as I feared I would fall asleep in a darkened theatre. The effect of our day's cruising north becomes apparent when I realise that although it is still light outside, it is about midnight, so head to bed. The advantage of an inside cabin on a cruise at this latitude becomes apparent, as of course it is dark in my room, so I fall asleep easily, hoping to survive the promised rock and rolling of the ship before we enter the fjords.

A quick apology for the quality of the interior pictures - like LittleMissMagic in her current Monarch review, I had a problem with my camera settings. By "problem", of course I mean I forgot to change them....

Next up later today - an actual fjord! Yes, Captain Henrik didn't take us to visit his home, we went to Norway:)

Oh I am looking forward to hearing more about this cruise. This was on my list of 'possibles' for this year. DH decided he didn't want a cruise that needed a flight.

It is great that I can overfill my suitcase and I am certainly going to take enough clothes this time, but I think I will be reading your review rather wistfully.

Oh I am looking forward to hearing more about this cruise. This was on my list of 'possibles' for this year. DH decided he didn't want a cruise that needed a flight.

 

It is great that I can overfill my suitcase and I am certainly going to take enough clothes this time, but I think I will be reading your review rather wistfully.

Oh, dear. You may want to skip the next couple of pages....

Do it next year. No 'ifs' or 'buts', just do it :)

I am not disturbed overnight by the ship's motion, but I discovered later that some people had found it quite unpleasant. When I wake, I can feel that we are moving, but in perfect calm. A quick glance at the TV as I get dressed confirmed what we had all been hoping for - we were sailing up a fjord. And the weather is being very kind to us.

I went out on deck to see this incredible vista for myself. I have been lucky enough to travel to many corners of our globe, but I have seldom seen sights such as these - it really did take my breath away. I eventually remember to take some photos, as we glide slowly down the fjord.

I grabbed some breakfast at the Windjammer and headed to the outside seating at the stern, which was incredibly almost empty. Is there a restaurant with a better view from the terrace than this today?

We pass scenic waterfalls and the occasional small farm clinging to the side of these plunging valleys.

Geiranger Fjord is well inland and we have passed through other fjords, taking a twisting and turning path, to enter what is regarded as the most spectacular of them all, and a World Heritage Site. The closer we get, the narrower the route becomes, but as the Captain explains later, those sides keep going almost vertically down and in places there is a kilometre of water beneath our keel.

Good pics and narrative... I am a solo cruiser as well... so it is interesting to read a review from another... having Cruised the Jewel... you are finding the good spots... imagine having the back deck to yourself.. where WAS everyone... lol

I had been invited to a Top Tier C&A/Suite Guest event on the helipad as we enter Geiranger itself, at 10-30 am (in fact, it opens a little earlier, as we made good time up the fjord). There were alcoholic (mimosas and bloody marys, as well as champagne) and non-alcoholic drinks, with hot chocolate proving popular in the shadow of the massive cliffs, and waiters circulating with canapes.

Shortly before making the final turn to reach Geiranger itself, we pass the famous Seven Sisters waterfall and their Suitor on the opposite side of the fjord. It is still early in the season, and much of the snow at higher altitudes has yet to melt, so the waterfalls were not in full flow. Pretty impressive, nonetheless.

The upper decks are lined with passengers taking in the scenery.

We were the second ship to arrive. Waiting for us was an old RCI stalwart, Pullmantur's Empress, formerly Empress of the Seas, formerly Nordic Empress. We were later joined by the Costa Fortuna and in the afternoon one of the Hurtigruten ships paid a call on Geiranger.

An old friend for some.

We slowly made our way past the Empress, right up to the village of Geiranger itself, before turning in the narrow fjord and mooring with our stern a few metres from the shore at about 11 am. Those of us on the helideck were instructed to shout for the Captain to blow his horn, which he does with a satisfying echo rumbling back down the valley.

Quote "The Welcome Aboard Show was held in the theatre at 7.45 pm for all guests - there are 6 pm and 8.30 pm seatings for dinner in the MDR, and I am on the later one."

Great, just great, doing a similar cruise on 13th July on the Brilliance and your review is and will be invaluable.

For the record how long does the Welcome Aboard Show last, just trying to judge when we should book our MTD table.

Can't wait for the rest of your review.:)

Quote "The Welcome Aboard Show was held in the theatre at 7.45 pm for all guests - there are 6 pm and 8.30 pm seatings for dinner in the MDR, and I am on the later one."

 

Great, just great, doing a similar cruise on 13th July on the Brilliance and your review is and will be invaluable.

 

For the record how long does the Welcome Aboard Show last, just trying to judge when we should book our MTD table.

 

Can't wait for the rest of your review.:)

It lasted at least the full 45 minutes, so we were a little late getting to the 8.30 pm MDR seating, but I'm sure an 8.30 pm MTD would be fine too.

Enjoy your cruise!

Oh, dear. You may want to skip the next couple of pages....

Do it next year. No 'ifs' or 'buts', just do it :)

I have just seen the next set of photos. I have tears in my eyes and I am not peeling onions. It may not be in the next 2 years because I have promised trips. But I will do it. There is not one shadow of a doubt. Thanks for putting up those 3 pictures. They are enough to make me see that I should have been more persuasive with DH and we would have been on the Brilliance this July.

THANK YOU!!! DH and I just booked this cruise for 2013. We were tentative about the cruise...until now! We are now both so exited that we wish we were going this year!

Looking forward to the rest of your wonderful review.