Brilliance of the Seas February 1st-6th, 2014

[SeminoleFan]

My husband and I sailed the Brilliance of the Seas February 1-6, 2014. We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. In fact, it was our best cruise experience to date. In part because it was our fourth cruise and we knew how to make the most of our time on board and in port. The other significant factor in our enjoyment was the Brilliance of the Seas is a fantastic ship with a terrific crew. Oh, and the weather was divine. I guess the stars aligned this time and made for an excellent cruise.

 

Below is my recap and pictures of the cruise hitting the highlights.

 

Brilliance of the Seas in Cozumel--

 

 

[jo24]

What a beautiful photo of the ship, makes it look even better with gorgeous blue skies and sea!

[SeminoleFan]

Ship and crew--We love the radiance-class ships. Full disclosure--this is our fourth cruise and we’ve only sailed on radiance-class ships. Regardless of a limited reference point, I know pretty and these ships are beautiful. The sweeping views of the ocean are why I cruise and Brilliance of the Seas and it’s sister ships deliver.

 

The crew was wonderful. Our stateroom attendant, David, was outstanding and we enjoyed many conversations with him over the week. All of the stateroom attendants we met on deck 10 were very friendly and always offered a good morning, wished us a great day on the island or dinner. Just really pleasant.

 

David, our stateroom attendant--

 

 

The bar staff at the R Bar were awesome. Enjoyed their sense of humor and lots of great conversations. I think the centrum bars (R Bar on BOTS) are like Cheers at sea--where everybody knows your name and you’re always glad you came.

 

Best barkeeps on the high seas--

 

 

 

Our waiter, Mark, at Izumi was great. He made origami figures for me--very sweet.

 

 

I enjoyed a pedicure at the Spa on embarkation day and very happy with the service. This was the first cruise I used any of the Spa services and am glad I took the plunge. I was relived that there was no heavy-handed sales pitch. The nail technician offered suggestions, but I didn’t feel pressured or guilty about not making any purchases.

[SeminoleFan]

Cabin--our first aft cabin!! We stayed in room 1604 on deck 10. We loved the cabin and would not hesitate to book another aft cabin. We didn’t noticed an appreciable difference in movement or motion. I noticed a gentle rocking at night, but I find that comforting and I have felt that in other cabins.

 

Watching the wake was so relaxing; I mean absolutely mesmerizing. Also, there’s less wind, so the balcony is quiet. Part of the balcony is not under cover which made for nice star gazing. As we were cruising up the coast of Mexico, I looked up and saw a shooting star. Very magical. (The stars aligned!)

 

Noise from above--during the day you could hear chairs and/or tables being moved around. We weren’t in the cabin a lot during the day and it was more curious (at times it sounded like they must be doing chair moving olympics) than annoying. My husband and I tend to find the funny side of stuff; others may find it annoying beyond distraction. We never had a problem with noise at night.

 

The only negative was we faced the sun on the last sea day and the balcony offered no shade. We were not in the cabin most the day so it was not a big issue.

 

Watching the wake, it never got old--

 

 

Kiss my wake!

 

[SeminoleFan]

Dining--The highlight was Izumi. We liked it so much the first night we dined there that we came back the next night. Honestly, we would have eaten there every evening, but it wasn’t in the budget. We ordered the shrimp goyza dumplings; spicy crispy shrimp roll; crispy spicy tuna roll; creamy lobster tempura roll; and yellowtail and yuzu albacore with lobster salad (between the two meals, not all in one meal!). All were prepared well and very tasty. The first night we shared three rolls; second night we shared two rolls. We thought the two rolls were just enough for us, but probably depends on individual appetites. Edamame and miso soup are both complimentary.

 

Also enjoyed the Kummelweck sandwiches at the Park Cafe. Very tasty! The cafe is located in the Solarium, so seating can be a bit tricky, but we got lucky each time and were able to find a table. Park Cafe also has a salad bar which was a nice option as a stand alone or accompaniment to the Kummelweck.

 

We ate most lunches and a couple of dinners at the Windjammer. Food was good. I can always find something at the Windjammer and I like to be able to control the portion size.

 

We did not eat in the MDR. Nothing personal against the MDR, we just prefer to be a bit more spontaneous about when we eat and like lighter fare.

 

Sorry, no food porn--

 

Sushi demo on the first sea day. They also of a sushi class on the last sea day ($20).

 

 

[SeminoleFan]

Entertainment--I think Royal delivered the WOW factor on this cruise.

 

Aerial shows were added with the revitalization and they are WOW! Throughout the week, there were rehearsals (referred to as vignettes in the Cruise Compass) in the Centrum. The actual performances--one was on formal night right before the Captain’s toast; second and third were at 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. on the last sea day--were just wonderful. It was very interesting to be able to see the seemingly disjointed rehearsal sessions evolve into a polished, entertaining performance. Definitely make a point of catching at least one of the shows.

 

To that end, the only negative is the venue--the Centrum. Actually, it’s a positive, too, because the aesthetics make a great backdrop (not to mention the 12-story height). But the negative is there’s limited viewing area. You have to be right up against the railing to view the show. So you need to be strategic in your planning if you’re interested in see one of the performances. Stake out your space early!! And it’s worth the wait.

 

The Farewell Production show on the last evening was amazing. The Royal Caribbean singers and dancers were great. The show included performances by some of the entertainers that played at other venues throughout the week. I believe that was because many were ending their contracts. We really enjoyed it.

 

The headliner performers were a mixed bag. Two were fine, but a third was just cringe-worthy. The performer did “impressions,” with “comedy,” mixed in. I am not a fan of impressionists to begin with, so maybe I did come with an inherent prejudice. If impressions are done well, really well, then they can be entertaining. This was not done well. Really not done well. I wanted to walk out and did leave towards the end of the last song. It was the level of bad where if I had paid for the show, I would have asked for my money back. I feel very unkind in writing this, but just not an enjoyable experience.

 

Also, interested passengers attended three classes where they learned the Michael Jackson Thriller dance and they performed it on the last night in the Centrum. Glad we made a point of catching it. You could tell everyone had a fun time learning and performing the dance. Kudos to all who participated.

 

One of the practice or vignettes during the week--

 

 

 

An aerial show was part of the Captain's toast on formal night--

 

 

 

[SeminoleFan]

Pictures of the aerial show on the last sea day. I thought it was so cool to get a coffee at Latte-tudes and sit down and watch people flying through the air. Totally cool!

 

 

 

[SeminoleFan]

Ports of Call--

 

Grand Cayman--Yay, we made it. We were on the Jewel last year and the seas were too rough and winds to high to tender in. This time, the weather was perfect.

 

The tender process was very easy. The compass stated that you needed to get tickets for tender rides after 8:00, but could board without a ticket before 8:00 a.m. We decided to head over before 8:00 as we had made arrangements to meet our excursion operator at 9:00 and didn’t want to be late. We were able to board the tender around 7:50 without waiting in line. We did have to wait a bit for the tender to fill. We arrived at the port at 8:15ish.

 

I had made arrangements with Stingray Sailing for our excursion and could not have been more pleased with our experience. Chip was easy to find at the port. There was only one other couple booked, so essentially it was a private tour. I knew I made the right decision when I saw another excursion leaving with ~40 participants.

 

We had an enjoyable ride over the yacht club. We piggybacked with Moby Dick tours on the way over because Chip’s bus was having a new clutch installed (the bus was fixed and back in service on our return trip). The driver for Moby Dick was a hoot. British accent which to me always makes everything sound smarter, funnier.

 

We boarded the Stingray Sailing catamaran for our ride out to the sandbar. Chip provided complimentary bottled water and soda ($2) on the ride out; beer was available on the return sail for $5. The ride out was just beautiful, the color of the water is incredible and almost unreal.

 

Chip gave us a stingray 101 talk replete the a toy stuffed stingray about how to feed the rays.

 

Not going to lie, I was a little, nope make that a lot freaked out, about getting in the water with the rays. But I am so glad I did. The rays are amazing. Very cool sensation when the rays take the food out of your hand. (Keep your thumb tucked in!!) They make a snorting sound when they take food which I found very cute. The rays are not bashful and get right up on you. Chip uses a high quality bait (not squid) and we were surrounded by rays within seconds. Pretty sure some of the other tours had ray-envy.

 

We motored a bit further to a coral reef and snorkeled. Beautiful reef and lots of fish. The water is clear and temp was perfect--warm enough to get in easily, but still refreshing.

 

The sail back to the yacht club was lovely and we enjoyed our time talking with Chip and learning about Grand Cayman. A perfect excursion and would book with Stingray Sailing without hesitation.

 

We stopped at Caribbean Canvas Company after our excursion and I purchased a tote bag. Their bags are only sold on Grand Cayman so it’s a special souvenir of our day on Grand Cayman.

 

Our first view of Grand Cayman

 

 

Tender

 

 

Peaking out at one of the Disney ships

 

 

We do not have pictures of swimming with stingrays, snorkeling, or Chip. Sorry, didn't have a waterproof/resistant camera. But we've vowed to get one before the next trip. Just trust me--it was a fabulous day and awesome excursion.

[SeminoleFan]

Cozumel--We did not plan an excursion. We took a cab to San Miguel for shopping and lunch. We shopped at Los Cinco Soles (purchased a cross covered with milagros) and a couple of other stores. It’s exhausting running the gauntlet with everyone vying for your business.

 

We ate lunch at Casa Denis off the square. This was our second time visit to Casa Denis. We enjoy the authentic yucatan style food and that Casa Denis is part of old Cozumel, predating the island’s robust tourism industry. It’s one of those “if these walls could talk” places with a list of famous and infamous diners, including Jackie Kennedy, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara.

 

After lunch, we strolled down the beach side of the main road. Very sunny, but so much quieter. I wish I had had the opportunity to visit Cozumel years ago when it was more of a sleepy fishing village with a sprinkling of divers and snorkelers. I think it must have been a very cool place indeed.

 

Casa Denis

 

 

Famous and infamous diners

 

Jackie Kennedy's signature

 

 

Fidel and Che

 

 

Town square

 

[SeminoleFan]

Cozumel, seaside stroll

 

 

Carnaval

 

 

The colors of Cozumel, all the shades of blue

 

 

The Dive Statue

 

[SeminoleFan]

One of the highlights of our cruise was the Behind the Scenes Tour. We signed up at Guest Services on embarkation day. I don’t know what the participant limit is, but wanted to make sure we were on the list. The cost is $150 per person. Yep, that’s steep, but it was so worth it to us. I love to know how things work, processes, logistics and am basically a busy body. This tour satisfied all my questions.

 

IMPORTANT--if you have any interest in participating in this tour, pack long pants and closed-toe shoes as they’re required to participate in the tour. Fortunately, I had jeans with me because it’s winter and wore jeans for embarkation. Also fortunate, I brought my running shoes so we could continue to workout while cruising. Some of the surfaces are wet and slippery so tread is a good thing. Also, the tour is ~3 to 3 1/2 hours of walking and standing, so comfortable, supportive shoes are a must.

 

The tour was on the last sea day. There were six in our group. We met Sandra, the Cruise Program Administrator, at 8:45 in the morning in the Centrum and we’re given our All Access passes on lanyards. We proceeded to deck two for a security check. We were wanded by security officer. Apparently not a lot of women go on the tour and they had to call for a female officer to wand me.

 

We toured the Engine Control Room (ECR in marine lingo); the Bridge where we met the Captain, shook his hand (be still my heart) and he shared some stories; the food storage area; galley and prep kitchens; crew areas; trash and recycling area; backstage at the theatre (we got a sneak peak at that night’s performance).

 

At each area, an officer was there to discuss their job and how everything gets done. We had an opportunity to ask questions and take pictures. What stood out to me was the passion and professionalism each person we met with possessed. Such a pleasure and privilege to interact with people who love what they do and love to do it well.

 

Also offered were tours of either just the bridge or just the engine control room. The cost was $50/person.

 

Million dollar view from the bridge

 

 

We all got a turn at driving--JUST KIDDING!

 

 

Engine Control Room (I resisted the urge to say,"I've giv'n her all she's got captain, an' I can give her no more," in a Scottish accent.)

 

 

Trash as art

 

[SeminoleFan]

More Behind the Scenes pictures

 

The galley

 

 

Goodies they had ready for us

 

 

Behind the scenes and backstage

 

[SeminoleFan]

Final thoughts on our cruise--for us, it was a perfect vacation. We had equal amounts of fun, relaxation, activity and pampering. We felt great when we returned home, fully rested with great memories.

 

A couple of bonus pictures--just for fun!

 

Any Travel Channel fans that watched the show on The World, Residences at Sea?? It pulled in right behind us in Tampa on embarkation day. Woot, woot!! How cool!

 

 

I am sure having this on your ship isn't a bad omen. Really, it can't be bad luck, right.

 

 

Our vote for oddest work of art on the ship--Lady covered with spoons??

 

 

Oh I almost forgot--it really is a long walk to an aft cabin, bring a snack!

 

[mpoole3]

Thank you for this wonderful review from your cruise!

 

I'm sailing on the Brilliance in a few weeks and it's my first Radiance class ship, so I'm extra excited.

 

Question: Did you and your husband purchase the drink package? Also did you happen to try out the new pub? If so, did you notice any live entertainment going on in there?

 

Thanks again,

Michael

[SeminoleFan]

Thank you for this wonderful review from your cruise!

 

I'm sailing on the Brilliance in a few weeks and it's my first Radiance class ship, so I'm extra excited.

 

Question: Did you and your husband purchase the drink package? Also did you happen to try out the new pub? If so, did you notice any live entertainment going on in there?

 

Thanks again,

Michael

 

Hi mpoole3,

 

Think I am a bit of dud when it comes to your questions. We did not do the drink package or go the new pub. Sorry. :o

 

Enjoy your cruise; she's a beautiful ship!

 

SeminoleFan

[GMoney]

Thank you for this wonderful review from your cruise!

 

I'm sailing on the Brilliance in a few weeks and it's my first Radiance class ship, so I'm extra excited.

 

Question: Did you and your husband purchase the drink package? Also did you happen to try out the new pub? If so, did you notice any live entertainment going on in there?

 

Thanks again,

Michael

 

Hi Michael - I was on BR last weekend. I really like the new pub much better than the old sports bar. It's just got a better atmosphere like on bigger ships (which I know you like). The bartenders were friendly. The place was never busy. Like the old sports bar, there are several TV with limited sports programming (lots of soccer). They also have dartboards, but a limited number of darts (3).

 

There is a set up in the corner for a singer. I only saw the old guy once, and that was at the end of his set. He might have been around more; I just don't recall seeing him. Enjoy your cruise!

[mac_tlc]

Thank you for your review.. We are sailing on the Brilliance in 2 weeks -- and will be taking the loooonnnggg walk to an aft cabin on deck 10 -- we have cabin #1100.

 

I see that there are 7 ships in Coz the day we are there -- we are booked at Nachi Cocum, so hopefully that many people won't be an issue since they limit the number of people.. Was downtown crowded?

 

mac_tlc

[SeminoleFan]

Thank you for your review.. We are sailing on the Brilliance in 2 weeks -- and will be taking the loooonnnggg walk to an aft cabin on deck 10 -- we have cabin #1100.

 

I see that there are 7 ships in Coz the day we are there -- we are booked at Nachi Cocum, so hopefully that many people won't be an issue since they limit the number of people.. Was downtown crowded?

 

mac_tlc

 

Hi mac_tlc--

 

I think there were six ships in port when we were in Cozumel and downtown didn't seem terribly crowded. Walking along the main road was busy, but once we ventured off to the square, the crowds thinned out.

 

We loved the aft cabin. So much so, we booked 1102 for next year. :D

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

SeminoleFan