Brilliance of the Seas

[Jarronwood]

Hi everyone

 

Can I have your thoughts on this particular ship. I have been looking (yet again) through the brochure. We are booked nxt June/July 14 night med on Legend but was thinking about the following year 2007. The itinary is you depart from Venice for a 14 night cruise greek isles return to Barcelona. Some ports will be duplicated from next year's cruise but only 2, think.

 

ANyway my question is this, it is such a long way away and I doubt whether the cruises are out for 2007 but when they start taking bookings I want to be able to pick my cabin so is there any particular cabin on this ship which is a good one. Must be a balcony, and it seems either an aft or one on the hump. We have an aft on Legend next year so not sure whether we will want an aft on Brilliance but your thoughts on this would be helpful. So really just a balcony one, not a JS or higher. Counting the pennies!

 

I know it is 2 years away but it seems the most sought after cabins go very quickly and I want to be there when they open.

 

Very many thanks

[Driftwoodgal]

If you are looking for a D1, Superior Ocean View, I would try for 9256 first. We have 8672 booked for our upcoming cruise for the Panama Canal. We had the same cabin booked in Feb 2005. The balconies are very deep and it is very quiet at the end of the hall. It is a long way from the stairs, but well worth the walk IMHO.

[Jarronwood]

Hi Colleen

 

I see from the deck plans that cabin 9256 although a D1 category has an enormous balcony that wraps around. Guess this will be my first choice.

 

Dont suppose you know when 2007 cruises in Europe ar available? Might ring my TA tomorrow and see or even RCCL direct and ask them.

 

Thanks for your help.

[susancruzs]

I'm looking for 2007, too! Not available yet but I'm hoping SOON! :-) I'm checking RCI and Princess but leaning toward RCI.

 

Princess puts the Grand class there and just too big, I think the Brilliance of the Seas is the right size, wonderful ship! I cruised on the Brilliance in 2003 and thought it was fantastic.

 

I want to be gone the whole month of May so I figure the sooner I book the better!

 

Susie

[Jarronwood]

Gosh a whole month. Wow. Did not know there were any cruises out there apart from P&O who do that length.

 

Isn't th Brilliance in Europe then?

[susancruzs]

There aren't! I'm going to do 2! Some of the ports will be the same but I'll get some different ones, too! Not quite a month, 24 days with 2 in Barcelona pre-cruise!

 

I'll be 60 in 2007 and treating myself to this trip! I've never done a Med cruise so I figure if I'm flying that far I might as well go for it!

 

There is enough to do in Naples, Livorno and Rome that going twice won't be a big deal. This way I won't have to choose between Ephesus, Venice, Mykonos, Dubrovnik and Athens, I'll get them all.

 

Princess would give me Istanbul, but too port intensive, not many sea days and flying to and from different cities would be hard to price and I'd be stuck with their air. :-(

 

I'm already doing my homework on this as it will be a major trip. I'm really leaning towards RCI and a Radiance class ship. Tendering off the Grand class can be a pain sometimes.

 

Susie

 

P.S. There are some great books out there that cover just Mediterranean cruises! Insight Guides

Mediterranean Cruises and Mediterranean by Cruise Ship, I ordered from Amazon, not bad prices.

[Jarronwood]

Hi Susie

 

Congrats on being 60 in 2007. What a lovely way to celebrate. ALso for the tip about the books. I am going to have a look on those sites in a mo. Living here in the UK, hubby and I are pretty familiar with Europe as we often pop over to Spain for short breaks and he is pretty laid back about most ports, except Rome. There is def a few must sees for him.

 

I am not sure how we will get on with the aft next year on Legend but guess if I have already booked the Brilliance for 2007 and dont like an aft I can always change.

[desertheat]

susancruzs,

 

What a wonderful way to celebrate your birthday.

 

This past October we did the same thing on the Brilliance with a BtoB to the Med and a two day precruise in Barcelona. First cruise was to the Med with the Greek Isles then we stayed on board and the second cruise was the Med with Venice. What a wonderful trip.

 

Staying on board for the second cruise and repeating some of the ports was actually a blessing. We did two different tours in Rome, two different tours in Livorno, etc. An example: for the first cruise we had a private tour ... second cruise we did a ship tour.

 

We booked our cruise sixteen months out. I believe the bookings for Europe 2007 will start around May of 2006. Booking early saved us lots of money that we used towards tours. The tours are very expensive but worth every penny.

 

You are absolutely right about getting all the ports in one trip. Have fun planning for your trip of a lifetime. What a way to go!

[tocanada]

I would certainly recommend an aft cabin. I was in 8170 on the transatlantic crossing this November on Brilliance and it was wonderful. Another Cruise Critic member had 9256 and I had a chance to look at it. The balcony is very big. I have actually booked that cabin for the eastbound transatlantic crossing on Brilliance next April.

 

Once you stay in an aft cabin, you will never go back to a regular cabin.

 

andrew

[Tedson]

We had this waitlisted for our Hawaii cruise on Serenade next year and it came available. :) Our friends had it on the Brilliance and we loved it, especially siince we were transiting the Panama Canal.

[CruisinKaylyn]

Even from a kid's perspective the Brilliance is amazing. I went with my family last July on the Brilliance and it was magnificent!! We've always traveled on the Voyager class ships, so I'd been afraid before, but it's awesome. I'm actually looking into it right now to see it's departure dates for Dec when our next cruise will be!

 

It's very nice...