Brilliance of the Seas 1/8/22 review by a Royal newbie

[JennKach]

Hi Everyone,

For a little background, my husband (59) and myself (55) are first timers on Royal, and mostly cruise NCL with a couple Carnival and two other lines no longer in business.  I prefer balconies and OV, but this cruise was “economy” in an inside guaranty.  Seriously, when am I ever going to cruise again for $250 a person for 5 days?  It was a last minute thing since we were already planning to be at our condo in the Tampa area for a couple weeks.  We are very relaxed travelers that roll with whatever happens, which is important during a pandemic.  Worst case if we tested positive before the cruise we just return to the condo and wait it out there.  I know most people aren’t in that situation and I have sympathy when COVID interferes with their vacation.  I wouldn’t have booked this cruise if a separate trip to Florida were required, or if I couldn’t work remotely from Florida, and I definitely wouldn't try to coordinate a group cruise yet.  I did buy travel insurance for medical and evacuation coverage which covered our entire stay in Florida for the same price as just covering the cruise.  Our cruise was the January 8^th Brilliance 5 day sailing out of Tampa which visited the exciting ports of Cozumel and Costa Maya.  Note the sarcasm.  We did not cruise for the ports this time.

Pre-cruise

We got our Covid tests two days in advance at Walgreens having reserved exactly 7 days earlier when the new appointments opened at midnight.  Do not put off scheduling a test!  The appointments booked up immediately.  It was super quick and easy in the drive thru, no jamming the swab way up the nose.  Our results were emailed within two hours.  As a backup I scheduled tests at the Tampa port, and canceled as soon as our emailed results arrived.  Per info I received from Cruise Critic, we visited FedEx Office to get paper copies of our results printed out for $0.72.  The port staff really appreciated it and it was easier than juggling phones multiple times or risking bad service, a lost phone or a dead battery.  Most of the check in information was provided well in advance except for final health questions submitted the day before boarding. 

Embarkation

Our check in time was 12:30-1:00 so our ride picked us up shortly after noon.  The Port of Tampa had at least two ships boarding and plenty of police directing you to the correct areas.  We arrived at Terminal 2 at 12:45 and dropped our suitcase and tip with the porter.  Each of us had a small backpack and I was carrying the beach bag with two bottles of wine, a 6 pack of coke, and 6 club sodas.  Our CPAPs were in the suitcase.  Lots of staff were directing us and there were no crowds or lines to wait in.  Our first stop at the door was to check our vaccination cards, passport, and Covid results.  The agent highlighted our names, test date, and negative results on the paper copy.  We were then allowed into the building and sent the carry-ons through the xray, and we went through the metal detector.  Then we moved on to check in.  We had done all the requested things online already so check in took about three minutes.  She used an ipad, asked us if our health questions were still valid, checked the passports, Covid results and vaccine cards again, and scanned the barcodes on our boarding pass in the app.  I was the only one with the app so my husband’s doc was there too.  We received wristbands to indicate vaccinated status and we had to wear them at all times. At some point during the process we went up an escalator but I can’t remember when.  There was an elevator too if needed.  Stopped for the obligatory photo, walked onto the ship and went directly to our muster station where they checked us in and asked if we viewed the safety video.  My husband hadn’t so we got a quick demo, then headed to the Windjammer for lunch.  It was 1:10 at this point.  An announcement at 2pm told us the rooms were ready, and sea pass cards were waiting on the door.

Sailaway

I believe we left on time, or close to it.  Several people didn’t complete their muster check in and their names were called many times, with a promise to remove them from the ship if they didn’t comply.  Our Cruise Critic group was to meet by the Sky Bar for sailaway but my hubby wanted to hang out in the front of the ship so we never caught up with them.  Sorry!  We were all the way forward on deck 11 which is a small private area that can only be reached by stairs from deck 12.  A fair amount of people were on the helipad all the way at the bow but I'm not sure how they got there.  There were three ships in port, but only two were sailing that day.  Serenade of the Seas didn’t appear to have anyone on it and we left her behind.  I wondered how they would handle two leaving at the same time.  The other ship left the pier first and waited for us to turn around and travel together out to sea.  We crossed under the Sunshine Skyway bridge just after we sat down to dinner at about 7:10.  Luckily we were seated near a window and had a beautiful view.

Food

Windjammer was open for all three meals.  I’m not sure what the criteria is for being open for dinner, but we only had 850 passengers on this sailing.  It was not self serve except for some grab and go items.  Food was very good at the buffet.  I am diabetic so it was nice to have sugar free dessert choices, though the cake based ones weren’t very good.  We love fresh brewed iced tea at breakfast (their idea of machine dispensed tea was awful) so we brought our fake Yeti’s and poured hot tea over ice.  You have to ask for ice at the beverage station because all the ice dispensers were closed, including at the Park Cafe.  We ate most breakfasts and some lunches at Windjammer.  Bacon was crispy and delicious, and I ate way too much.

Ate dinner in the main dining room at 7pm every night with same waitstaff.  We enjoyed the food, service was decent but not spectacular.  It seemed a bit rushed, probably because the ship was so empty, and we were out in less than an hour.  Tried dining room breakfast one day but the buffet was much better.

Our two sea day lunches were at Izumi.  I made a reservation but it was not necessary as only four tables were taken while we were there.  The second sea day lunch was the sushi/sake pairing which was the highlight of my husband’s trip.  I’m not a fan of raw fish so he helped me out with the sashimi.  The rest was delicious. Make reservations for this one because they don’t take walk ins.

I tried room service one morning because I wanted to make my iced tea early.  That didn’t work out so well because they didn’t send the requested glasses of ice.  Husband reported the donut was terrible, and I ate dry toast because they hid the butter under the donuts on my husband’s plate, which I didn’t see until I was done eating.  Does anyone put butter on a donut?  Strange.  Don’t you think my husband should have wondered why there was butter on his plate?  Oh well, I tried.  Needless to say we did not go hungry, nor did we overeat.  I've learned my lessons in the past and my metabolism is much less forgiving these days.

Inside cabin 4035 midship port

I never would have thought to choose a cabin on deck four, but it turned out to be the best location.  It was midway down the hallway between the Centrum and the Theatre.  It was far enough away from the Centrum to be quiet, yet we were so close to everything without having to use an elevator.  The main dining room entrance was just across the Centrum too.  I was impressed with the storage.  The desk had 7 drawers, there was an upper cabinet with a safe, and a huge closet with shelves down the center and shelves above.  There was plenty of space to stash the suitcase, and lots of hangers.  The bathroom had storage behind the mirror and a shelf underneath the sink.  Our cabin attendant Elona was fantastic.  She stopped by right away and asked what we needed.  We had requested distilled water and extension cords before sailing but they hadn’t arrived.  She had them delivered, along with two bathrobes, and kept us supplied with clean wine glasses and ice each day.  Having two CPAPs was not a problem.  We ran the cords under the bed and plugged them into the provided power strip.  Since it lit up, the power strip was easy to see in the dark and no one tripped on it.  There were only two outlets in the room so we plugged our phones into the power strip and used the second outlet for the nightlight.  I brought some battery operated Christmas lights too and turned them on some nights.  Cabin service happened in the blink of an eye!  Even if we were only gone 20 minutes for breakfast we came back to a clean room.  The only criticism I have for the room is the tiny shower.  I am not a big person and it was tough to wash my hair and shave legs without having the cold wet shower curtain stuck to me or spilling water onto the floor.  Water pressure was great and the water was super hot.  One night I got up to use the bathroom and the toilet wouldn’t flush.  Like zero noise when I pushed the button.  I freaked out a bit that the plumbing was broken, but all was well by morning.  Maybe they were doing some maintenance.  There was a fair bit of noise from the adjoining cabin, the housekeeping area on the other side of us, and from above, but it didn't interfere with sleeping.  I'm not sure exactly what was above us, but it's not cabins.

COVID

Just a few notes about how COVID protocols were handled.  Windjammer had some tables blocked off, and seats directly at bars were unavailable.  Each table had a sign on it that said clean on one side, and not clean on the other.  The staff would flip it when you sat down, and again after they cleaned it.  Hallways were fogged every morning between 3:30 and 5am.  Masks were enforced, and bracelets were checked at venues for vaccinated people only.  We received one mask per person and a small bottle of hand sanitizer in our cabin.  Sanitizer stations were everywhere.  I saw lots of people cleaning walls, doors, railings and elevators.  We were asked to pull our masks down for ID purposes each time we entered the ship.  Unvaccinated guests could only sit in the theatre balcony.  The main dining room didn’t have very good distancing between tables for two, so if you are uncomfortable sitting four feet from another person, make sure to let them know when you arrive at dinner.  On day 5 they made an announcement that some crew had tested positive and close contacts would be notified.  One entertainer was absent that evening, but other than that I didn’t hear or see anything else about COVID positive people.  The elevators were limited to 4 people which wasn’t a problem after the first couple hours.  Bathrooms had a limit of two people, even if there were three closets, but this was not followed. 

Drinks

I was pleasantly surprised that Royal allows you to bring wine and non alcoholic beverage on board at no charge.  Brought 2 bottles of wine and carried a glass into dinner each night.  We are not big drinkers so no packages needed.  We brought some alcohol aboard (shhhh) to enjoy in our cabin and ended up taking most of it home with us.  I still bought a drink, and our bar bill was $15 for the trip.  I saw lots of bar staff walking around servicing tables and inside the theater.  I never saw lines at the bars either.  

Excursions

This was our fourth time in Cozumel so we didn’t get off the ship until noon.  The plan was to walk over to the supermarket and check out the local products, but as soon as we walked out of the shopping maze, the sky let loose and we were stuck taking cover under an awning.  30 minutes later we headed back to the ship.  Costa Maya was much better though.  We navigated the shopping maze again and found our way to the taxis.  It was an interesting $8 ride to Jaime’s at Blue Reef where we had reservations for the day.  Digby kept us fed, and the margaritas flowing until it was time to head back to the ship.   

Entertainment

We saw all of the theatre shows and enjoyed them, and watched most of the game shows too .  Except for the first night, there was only one theatre showtime at 9:15.  It gave plenty of time to eat dinner and not miss anything.  If anyone was at the Ideal Couple game show, we were couple #2.  No bingo or trivia for me.  I got a chance to read a book on this trip which made me happy.  We went to the art auction to grab a glass of champagne and enjoy the people watching, and ended up winning a door prize.  No purchases for me there.  We caught a movie in the cinema.  Mini golf was fun too.  I donated $20 at the casino.  The college football championship game was on the big screen at the pool where many of us were bundled in fleece and towels until the rain hit.  It was also broadcast on the cabin TV.
Lounges

I thought the ship had a large amount of lounge seating, and most were very empty.  The Schooner Bar was really cool and had a pianist most times we passed through.  The billiard tables were popular.  The Colony Club hosted the art auctions, karaoke and multiple game shows, and I think had dancing at times.  It was also a neat venue with good sight lines.  Never saw anyone in the Pub.  We checked out the night club for Silent Disco which had lots of people participating and having fun.  The bar rotates!

Pools

With such an empty cruise there was always plenty of seating at the outdoor pool and solarium.  I only saw a couple chair hogs.  The weather wasn’t very warm.  We never spent any time at the outdoor pool, but had an enjoyable afternoon in the solarium.  The pool was freezing and we managed to swim a bit and spend time in the hot tub.  The Park Café was quite popular with a constant stream of customers including my husband.  They had a salad bar that looked good.

Debarkation

We received luggage tags the night before and got group 11 out of 17, with an exit time of 8:30.  Transfers for flights prior to 1:00 were scheduled at 8:00, flights after 1:00 were to leave at 9:00.  We were asked to remain in our room until called.  The first group got called at 7:30am, and the last at 8:15am, so don’t plan on lingering on the ship.  We were still in our room at 8:30 having just returned from breakfast, and got a knock on the door telling us to leave asap.   We carried our own bags off and went straight to customs/immigration with no lines.  Having made no purchases we breezed through and went outside just as our ride was coming around the corner.  The ship returned to Terminal 3.  The pick up area is similar to the airport with a marshal letting cars in as space opened up at the curb.  There was seating and shade, and taxis available.

Other observations

Of course we were always evaluating our experiences and comparing to previous cruises.  We found RCI to be very similar to NCL, with a better buffet and more personal service.  We were always addressed by name by our room attendant and waiters in the main dining room and Izumi.  RCI had more and varied musical entertainment throughout the day.  The pools all had very serious lifeguards on duty.  NCL had much better photography and a nicer dining room experience.  I think I only saw 15 kids on board, mostly in the kids pool area.  Unvaccinated kids were not allowed in the main floor of the dining room or theater, or in many smaller venues, so it felt like an adult only cruise.  If you skipped the boarding photo, or wanted a retake, the same background was available during the cruise.  No free drink sample events in duty free shop.  As much as I loved having 1/3 passenger count, it was sad to see venues so empty and musicians playing to almost no one.  The vibe was definitely subdued.

 

Feel free to ask questions about our experiences and I'll do my best to answer!  I kept copies of the daily newsletter.  Next up is our big anniversary cruise on NCL, but we will definitely be back to try more Royal ships.

[Montanagirlalways]

Very impressive thorough review. Sounds like u had a good time!  I have many cruises with Royal and NCL. Have to say I like both.

[mafig]

Thanks so much for your Brilliance review.  I really enjoyed reading it.

[mrg0433]

Thank you for the review.

 

I seldom criticize anything on cruiseships cuz I wud rather b cruising than sitting home.  

 

We also cruise NCL, Carnival, Princess and RC.  We love the multiple free restaurant choices on NCL.  Their entertainment is excellent too.  We like variety.  Fun to change things up.   Their specialty restaurants tend to be less expensive,  We get 2 free specialty restaurant choices now when we cruise NCL.  

 

We lenjoy the size of Brillance of the Seas.  Not crazy about jumbo size ships.  We like the retractable roof pools but wud prefer they be open during COVID.   Roof is nice if it is raining or cold.   Even when it is extremely hot out.  

 

We took Princess Oct 30.  Great cruise.  Taking RC  Anthem Jan 31 and Brillance March 5 with Carnival in between and NCL Boston to Bermuda in late October. 

 

Got some great deals this year.  Glad to see the public back on ships.  My fav kind of vacation.  

 

Great review. 

[Missusdubbya]

Thanks for the review!

[sugarswheat]

Thanks for the fab review, sounds like you had a good trip - we are going on this same cruise in two weeks so I was interested to see how Covid has affected things. We have a return ride booked at 10.30am on debarkation day as i thought we could hang out in the Windjammer and have breakfast after we are turfed out of our room - or should i just change it to 8.30am? Wow that's early!! Do you know if they close the buffet early on the last day? Would be grateful for that info! 

[JennKach]

Main dining room was 6:30-8, Windjammer was 6:30-9, but they were quite firm in getting everyone off the ship early. People were just arriving at Windjammer as we were walking out so I'm not sure what they did with them.  It was disappointing to be rushed out when we also had planned a leisurely morning and thought we were well ahead of the last 9am group.  I think the difference is we had to wait in our rooms, not the public areas, so they couldn't start turning over until we left the ship.  I would change your ride to 8:30.   

[FamilyCruiserUK]

Thanks for the review, we are on this ship 14/08/22 out of Italy and its nice to be able to hear someone s thoughts. Like yourself for us the room is an inside but on deck 8. 

 

Having been on anthem, indy and oasis, we are looking forward to a smaller ship to try.

 

Thanks again

[dpostman]

Thank you Jenn for the detailed review.  We were on Brilliance for a 12 night Baltic a few summers ago.  Even if these "smallish" sized ships may be lacking in some of the activities or newer infrastructures that the bigger ships offer, we really enjoyed the relaxed and cozy surroundings of Brilliance.  My wife and I ended-up spending several of our lounging opportunities way at the back seating area past the Colony Club, reading and watching the wake.   I think many of the passengers did not even know this area existed.  It is also my opinion that this class of ship has the best venue for Chefs Table for those that like this activity.

 

Once again, I enjoyed reading your review and hope to meet you on the seas some day.

 

dp

Edited January 21, 2022 by dpostman

[JennKach]

We love the smaller ships and don't even want to try a mega ship.  Unfortunately I think we will be forced to if we run out of destinations.  Luckily the Tampa port uses smaller ships in order to clear the bridge so I'll keep my fingers crossed that the cruise lines consider Tampa to be necessary in the future.  I'm not opposed to traveling to Miami or Canaveral but Tampa is so convenient and cost effective for us.

[CorbinCatFan]

Great review.  It was good to hear that the Windjammer is open now for dinner (although I don't think we'll be going there for dinner).

 

On embarkation prior to getting your Sea Pass, could you get an adult beverage?  Thanks in advance.

[JennKach]

I’m sure you can get an adult beverage.  There was a bar right next to us that was very busy.  You would just tell them your cabin number and possibly show ID.

[blonde375]

Thanks for the review!  We are considering the Brilliance of the Seas for a weekend getaway at the end of March.

 

How was the condition of the stateroom, bedding, furniture?

[JennKach]

Everything was in good shape.  I didn't notice anything worn or broken, and the bed looked new.

[DONIC]

Thank you for your comprehensive review especially the stateroom. We will be on Brilliance in May Europe in room 4021.