Attempted nearly live report from Brilliance OTS westbound TA, November 2017

Following! We will be on the Brilliance TA next September 1. However, we shall be sailing from Amsterdam and doing a tour of Ireland for the first week of the cruise. I will be interested int he ship in general. We have sailed the Jewel several times, but never the Brilliance. Any pictures coming up?

We'll try to get some pictures posted within a few days. In the meantime, since Brilliance and Jewel are twin sisters, you won't find many substantial differences.

DAY 5: MONDAY 13 NOVEMBER: FUNCHAL, MADEIRA, PORTUGAL

Brilliance docked in Funchal just after sunrise. She joined a previous arrival, a German cruise ship belonging to the Aida company.

Madeira is well known for its vintage wines. I recall from my mid-1950s childhood the TV commercials that were marketing wine from Madeira: "For Madeira wine, is the genu-wine.....". The architecture along the hills and mountains was really breathtaking, and could easily be seen from the port.

After breakfast DW prepared herself to join a ship's excursion entitled "Taste of Madeira". The tour offered nice views of both Funchal and its surrounding villages. A visit was made at the near-2000 ft cliffs of Cabo Giro. During the four hour drive the bus also made a brief stop at the Camara de Lobos viewpoint, with its colorful architecture and harbor. Towards the end of the tour, tasting of Portuguese wine and cheese was offered. Often the weather in Madeira is cloudy and foggy, but on this tour the visibility was excellent.

Today the ship offered a special five day Internet Special, intended for folks who wish to stay connected while at sea. As today was our last day being able to use free European 4G roaming, the special package, which I haven't seen offered on any other RCI ship, is convenient. It offers Surf & Stream at $99.99, with discounts for C&A members at Diamond level and above; in our case we got a D+ discount worth $39.98, i.e. a net price of $60.01 for five days of Surf & Stream. I spoke with one of the ship's staff about the poor standard of internet connectivity on Radiance class ships. I was somewhat surprised at the reply: It's only the Oasis and Quantum classes that offer true Surf & Stream, plus a few additional ships (Enchantment OTS, Freedom OTS, and Majesty OTS). So it was explained that the Radiance class was neither better nor worse than e.g. the Voyager class..... So, from Day 6 through Day 10, although the standard isn't perfect, at $12 per day for Surf & Stream it's a lot better than no connection at all.....

Quite a few cruise guests had decided to forgo the tours and instead either walk to the downtown area, a distance of about 1.5 miles, or take a shuttle bus for $8 round trip. Funchal city has among many sights also a beautiful cathedral in the very center.

Funchal was also the very last cruise port within the European Union, so it offered the last chance for non-EU residents to claim VAT back.

Evening entertainment was offered by Bob Arno, the only legal pickpocket in the world. With some audience participation he showed how easy it was relieve people of their valuables. Bob Arno cooperates with varius law enforcement agencies in an effort to thwart pickpocketing. This evening's show was largely from the humoristic side, but he promised to do a couple of more serious presentations later during the cruise, with some friendly advice to cruisers on how to avoid being pickpocketed.

DAY 6: TUESDAY 14 NOVEMBER: FIRST SEADAY FROM MADEIRA TO ST. KITTS

The adjustment of clocks started already a couple of days ago. Total time difference between Barcelona and Tampa is six hours; between Spain and Portugal one hour, between Portugal and St. Kitts & Nevis four hours, and the final leg to Tampa accounts for one hour. Relying on an Apple Watch (which during land travel works perfectly) is a bit tricky during oceanic travel, considering that ship's time and longitudinal time are not guaranteed always to be in sync. In any case, ship's time is prominently displayed in many public locations; in addition, ship's time is displayed on the telephone in each and every stateroom.

The dinner dress suggestion for the evening was Casual / Rock'n'Roll Themed (although we only saw a handful of the latter).

We purchased the 5-Day Sea Days Internet Package for $60.01 (after D+ discount). Not the world's fastest, but then again, having read many CC reviews, we weren't expecting that. Speed was sufficient for me to keep up with my email and for DW to stay in touch with her FB and Viber friends.

Main evening entertainment was with Karen Grainger, a Canadian impressionist entertainer. She was fantastic in impersonating singers like Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion, Tina Turner, and others! She drew a full house (first show).

Sounds like everyone is having a good time. How is the weather?

Just passed 27.33N 33.68W. It's a beautiful day, only a few clouds, temperature just above 70F. Very litte motion in the ocean.

We àre also onboard Brilliance TA. When we boarded(early), we did receive champagne, so maybe they ran out before 1:00.

Having a great time and enjoyed the ports, but now loving the relaxing sea days. Really liking the extra hour of sleep 3 nights so far.

Just as well that I didn't get any champagne. Alcohol doesn't mix well with my gout! :):)

Just passed 27.33N 33.68W. It's a beautiful day, only a few clouds, temperature just above 70F. Very litte motion in the ocean.

Nice! Glad to hear that the weather is lovely:cool:

DAY 7: WEDNESDAY 15 NOVEMBER: SECOND SEADAY FROM MADEIRA

Today was a beautiful day, much like the previous ones on this cruise. Bright and early DW and I showed up in the WJ for breakfast, noting that more guests were early birds than previously. This might have been due the frequent changes of ship's time, as Brilliance finds her way across the different time zones in the Atlantic Ocean.

As we were D+ members of C&A, were had received an invitation early on during the cruise to tour the bridge of Brilliance. So this morning DW and I along with a number of other guests spent almost half an hour watching and listening to a couple of the officers explaining the various intricacies involved in manouvering the ship. It wasn't my first visit to such an environment. I have been on bridges of ships of many sizes, from tug boats through car ferries to passenger ships, of which Brilliance is the largest. First visit was as a kid in 1953 on the m/s Stockholm (the one that three years later sank the Andrea Doria in the vicinity of Nantucket). BTW, the Stockholm is still going strong as a cruise ship, when I last heard of her she had been renamed MV Astoria, operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages.

After the bridge tour DW and I attended the "Top Tier Event", for Platinum members and above, organized by the C&A. As there were 1,604 eligible C&A members on board, there was only one venue large enough: the Pacifica Theatre. One of the senior officers in attendance remarked that he had never seen that many C&A members gathered in one place.

Main evening entertainment was with Kevin Johnson, a ventriloquist who managed to make the audience laughing. Finally, it was time for an RCI classic: Love and Marriage.

Bridge just advised that we have now passed the half-way point of our Atlantic crossing. Weather for the remainder of our voyage is forecast to be the same as so far, i.e. beautiful.

Our recently completed TA on the Freedom was also calm and clear every day of the voyage. I am more concerned our the Brilliance TA which we are booked on next year and begins September 1 - at the height of hurricane season!:eek: Great Irish itinerary, though.

BTW, the officer who said he had never seen so many C&A members together in one place obviously did not see the group on last year's Harmony TA!!!:eek::eek::eek: Or even on this year's Freedom TA, where the Diamond cocktail hour had to be split into three different venues according to level.

It's true that early September is at the height of the hurricane season, but if memory serves me right, that applies more to itineraries like the one that I'm on right now, a southern route not too different from the one that Columbus took in 1492.

I have been on ships only one quarter the size of Brilliance on northern Atlantic routes (New York to Cherbourg, Bremerhaven, Copenhagen) during late August and early September without even a hint of a storm. I wouldn't worry too much about the weather; the RCI captains are mostly good at avoiding storms, and particularly the two that rotate on the helm of Brilliance.

After tonight's time change, ship's time will be equal to the time in St. Kitts. For iOS devices, you can go to the Settings area and select time for Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis. The time on your iPhone and/or iPad should then be equal to ship's time.

DAY 8: THURSDAY 16 NOVEMBER: THIRD SEADAY FROM MADEIRA

Yet another lovely day at sea! Before departure from Funchal I had checked the weather forecast for the upcoming week's cruise, and it had promised mostly clear skies, only relatively light winds, and temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. And so far the promise has been kept, with the bridge officers being confident that the conditions will remain essentially the same for the remainder of the week.

The dinner dress suggestion for the evening was formal, much the same as a few nights ago. And again, no shorts and very few t-shirts in sight after 6 pm. Most guests on this cruise were either retired (like myself) och at least semi-retired. There were hardly any college students or school-age kids to be seen. A handful of younger families along with their pre-school children were also represented. The Adventure Ocean staff, RCI's caretakers of children, had a very light workload.

A third presentation was made in the theatre by Bob Arno, "the world's only legal pickpocket", and consultant to a number of law enforcement agencies world-wide. He offered many valuable suggestions on how to protect oneself against pickpockets, how seniors needed to be extra vigilant, and how to guard against internet and credit card crime. His website is www.bobarno.com.

During dinner the MDR had a sale on premium selections from the specialty restaurants, at half price. I tried the Filet Mignon, which was delicious. However there was a considerable wait between ordering the dish and it actually appearing on the table.

Evening entertainment in the theater was with the singer David Brailey, who offered a great performance of popular music.

You may have some difficulty with the URL to Bob Arno's website. If so, type the URL http://www.bobarno.com rather than just pressing the link.

DAY 9: FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER: FOURTH SEADAY FROM MADEIRA

After an early breakfast in WJ, DW and I went out on deck to enjoy the weather. It was beautiful, with a largely blue sky and a light breeze. Eventually we went indoors again for some rest and to watch the Morning Show on TV with CD Jerome and AM Flavio.

It was soon time to go upstairs again for lunch in the WJ. We were surprised to find the sky gray and some heavy clouds hanging on the horizon. In the noon presentation from the bridge this was explained as a phenomenon called "local weather". We were told that it would clear up during the course of the afternoon, and that was exactly what happened. By sunset the heavy clouds were gone.

BTW, the food in the WJ was excellent, every day at breakfast as well as for lunch. And the WJ staff were really good, working hard to please us guests.

Towards the evening I began feeling a bit under the weather, with a slight cold and some hoarseness in my throat. No gastrointestinal symptoms, thank goodness. After dinner I decided to call it a day, and I was soon sleeping like a log.

DW went to the theater to watch the comedian Steve Rawlings, whom she said had done an amazingly great show.

DAY 10: SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER: FIFTH SEADAY FROM MADEIRA

Our final seaday from Madeira to St. Kitts was as lovely as the previous ones (although it wasn't the last seaday of the cruise; three more remained on the final leg to TPA).

DW and I spent the major part of the day relaxing in our stateroom. But we also took the opportunity to visit the Loyalty Ambassador, since this was our second voyage after reaching D+ level, and we still hadn't received our D+ pins. No probem, we received our pins immediately.

After dinner, the semi-finalists of Ukraine's Got Talent, Duo Gold Art, performed in the theatre. Their show was breathtaking, with a number of really difficult acrobatics.

As our internet subscription was due to expire the following morning, we made plans to visit the internet desk early after breakfast.

DAY 11: SUNDAY 19 NOVEMBER: ST. KITTS & NEVIS

After an early breakfast in WJ, DW and I went out on deck to witness the approach to Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis. It wasn't long until we discovered that this would be a mini-reunion of three RCCL ships: our Brilliance OTS; the Adventure OTS, on a cruise from San Juan to Basseterre, St. Johns, Fort-de-France, Castries, Bridgetown, and back to San Juan; and the Celebrity Summit, on a cruise very similar to Adventure: San Juan to Basseterre, St. Johns, Castries, Bridgetown, St. Georges and back to San Juan.

Once docked, I decided to remain on board Brilliance in order to help heal my gout, while DW went on a 3-hour ship's excursion to among other sights Brimstone Hill, a well-preserved UNESCO-listed fortress and Fairview Great House, the latter being a restored West Indies style plantation home. The weather was nice except for a brief period when some rain-drops threatened to spoil the tour; however, before too long the sky had cleared up.

Once DW was back on the ship, it was time for lunch in WJ before catching a nap. The ship left St. Kitts just as dinner was beginning to be served.

The main evening entertainment event in the theatre was with Don Gavin, "the godfather of Boston comedy.