Brilliance of the Seas has Disappeared from the Mediterranean from May to September in 2023.

[DCL2RCI]

53 minutes ago, DCL2RCI said:

That will be interesting for us, too, the cabin class we were booked in on Brilliance doesn't even exist on Enchantment.

Ah, we received the email, slightly different language: While we’re confident you’ll have an amazing time onboard Enchantment and enjoy many of the same features as Brilliance offers, the stateroom you’ll be re-booked in will be the best available stateroom but may be different than the original stateroom you reserved because Enchantment has less staterooms in that category.

[robbies-tackle]

As previously posted we were booked on the transatlantic departing 29/4 and have just received this email. No mention of getting moved to Enchantment……

Dear Guest,

The International Maritime Organization recently shared new speed regulations we must adhere to and as a result, we’ve repositioned some of our ships for our upcoming 2023/2024 season.

Our original plan for Brilliance of the Seas was to continue offering sailings departing from Tampa, Florida through April 29^th, 2023. Instead, Brilliancewill now sail from Vancouver, British Columbia starting April 3^rd, 2023 and Sydney, Australia on October 23^rd, 2023. Unfortunately, this means your cruise has been cancelled.

We know how much time and effort go into planning your vacation, and we’re terribly sorry for the inconvenience. Your vacation is important to us, along with the flexibility to make the best decision for you and those in your party. Below, we’ve outlined your options along with a few additional details.

Option 1: Re-book one of the following 2023 itineraries:

• 12-Night Spanish Transatlantic cruise | March 9^th| Symphony of the Seas | Miami, Florida to Barcelona, Spain sailing to:
  • Malaga, Spain
• 14-Night Transatlantic cruise | April 22^nd | Odyssey of the Seas | Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy sailing to:
  • Malaga, Spain | Alicante, Spain | Palma de Mallorca, Spain | Provence (Marseille), France | and Florence/Pisa (La Spezia), Italy
• 12-Night Transatlantic cruise | April 22^nd | Jewel of the Seas | Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida to Amsterdam, Netherlands sailing to:
  • Ponta Delgada, Azores | Cherbourg, France | and Dover, England
• 15-Night Portugal & Spain Crossing cruise | April 23^rd | Explorer of the Seas | Miami, Florida to Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy sailing to:
  • Malaga, Spain | Cartegena, Spain | Palma de Mallorca, Spain | Provence (Marseille), France | Nice (Villefranche), France | and Ajaccio, Corsica, France
• 17-Night Transatlantic cruise | April 29^th | Rhapsody of the Seas | Miami, Florida to Limassol, Cyprus sailing to:
  • Madeira (Funchal), Portugal | Malaga, Spain | Sicily (Messina), Italy | and Mykonos, Greece
• 10-Night Fort Lauderdale to Baltimore cruise | May 1^st | Vision of the Seas | Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Baltimore, Maryland sailing to:
  • Willemstad, Curacao | Kralendijk, Bonaire | and Oranjestad, Aruba 

What you’ll receive: 

• Your original stateroom category price will either be protected at your original cruise fare rate or reduced to the current cruise fare rate (whichever is lower). This excludes taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items. 
  • If your booking was already paid in full and your cruise fare rate decreases, we’ll provide you with a refund for the difference. You can expect to receive your refund to your original form of payment within 14 business days after we move you. Kindly note, refund times may vary depending on your financial institution.
• To sweeten the offer, you’ll receive a credit to spend onboard per stateroom: 
  • $100 USD for Interior, Ocean View, and Balcony staterooms | $200 USD for Suites 
  • Plus, an additional $50 USD for each third or more guest to spend onboard
• You’ll also be reimbursed for non-refundable, pre-purchased transportation change fees incurred (such as a flight, train ticket, or rental car). 
  • We’ll cover up to $200 USD per guest for Domestic changes, or up to $400 USD per guest for International changes.
  • Please email your receipts and booking information to RoyalGuestRelations@rccl.com for review and reimbursement.

Option 2: Re-book any other Royal Caribbean International sailing

• If you prefer to re-book another sailing not included in Option 1, we’ll waive any non-refundable deposit change fees.
• Please know, you’ll be responsible for any difference in pricing for your cruise fare, taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items. 
  • If your booking was already paid in full and your cruise fare rate decreases, we’ll provide you with a refund for the difference. You can expect to receive your refund to your original form of payment within 14 business days after we move you. Kindly note, refund times may vary depending on your financial institution.
• You’ll also be reimbursed for non-refundable, pre-purchased transportation change fees incurred (such as a flight, train ticket, or rental car). 
  • We’ll cover up to $200 USD per guest for Domestic changes, or up to $400 USD per guest for International changes.
  • Please email your receipts and booking information to RoyalGuestRelations@rccl.com for review and reimbursement.

Option 3: If you can’t find a new itinerary that works for you and choose to cancel, we’ll be sad to see you go. You’ll receive: 

• A full refund of any paid portion of your cruise fare (including non-refundable deposits) and any pre-paid amenities to the original form of payment, within 14 business days – some international banking and financial institutions may have a processing time of approximately 30 business days.
  • If you used a Future Cruise Credit on this sailing, and you request a refund instead, we’ll refund any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount, and we’ll reinstate your original certificate.  
• If you booked your airfare through Royal Caribbean International, it will be automatically refunded to you. However, if you booked on your own, please contact the service provider directly for your options with them.
• Please note, if you choose this option, we will not provide additional compensation.

It’s important to us that you find the best cruise option. Please call us at 888-281-9344 or contact your Travel Advisor by August 18^th, 2022 to let us know your decision. And please know, hold times may be longer than usual. If you decide to go with Option 3, there’s no need to call us. If we haven’t heard from you by August 18^th, 2022, your reservation will be cancelled.

 

[aaalynn1]

Tried calling RCI to find out if the itineraries match exactly, but they are closed. Has anyone talked to RC to ask about changes of ports with Brilliance June 2023?

[dianajo67]

Just watched a video of enchantment.  Reminded me vaguely of this hotel I stayed at in the Pocono Mts once upon a time that had orangish shag carpeting on the floors/walls.  Very retro vibe for sure! Hubby is game to try it if the itinerary stays the same.

[c-leg5]

2 hours ago, isitmayyet said:

At least we are still sailing to the same ports.  That's the important part to me.  

 

2 hours ago, jenanderic said:

Same here.....I don't care about the ship. I book for the ports. 

I fail to understand how changing the ship alters the speed it needs to go between ports.
 

It may be going to the same ports but are you sure the length of  time in port isn’t altered and if it is couldnt they have done that with the original ship. Seems strange to me.

[vjmatty]

Well this is going to be interesting….Enchantment was the ship of our very first cruise. I had booked us a suite guarantee on Brilliance, so if we take the automatic move, we go from an unknown cabin to an unknown cabin. I just hope we don’t lose the  substantial OBC that was part of the promotion when I booked it. And that the ports really do stay the same, there are a few that will be new for both of us. 

[twangster]

I am wondering if this has to do with the sounds in New Zealand.  I know there are special interest groups trying to ban cruise ships and talk of tighter environmental regulations for the sounds.  I'm wondering if they needed a cleaner burning ship to satisfy visiting the sounds.  Brillance can run it's gas turbines cleaner than Enchantment.

[Blue Eyed Belfast Belle]

RCI is playing musical ships!

 

I just got an email to say that Voyager from Orlando is swapping with Adventure in Galveston!

[geoff2802]

7 minutes ago, Blue Eyed Belfast Belle said:

RCI is playing musical ships!

 

I just got an email to say that Voyager from Orlando is swapping with Adventure in Galveston!

Hmmm… did the email say why?  
Thx for sharing the news.  

[Blue Eyed Belfast Belle]

1 minute ago, geoff2802 said:

Hmmm… did the email say why?  
Thx for sharing the news.  

 

[geoff2802]

22 minutes ago, twangster said:

I am wondering if this has to do with the sounds in New Zealand.  I know there are special interest groups trying to ban cruise ships and talk of tighter environmental regulations for the sounds.  I'm wondering if they needed a cleaner burning ship to satisfy visiting the sounds.  Brillance can run it's gas turbines cleaner than Enchantment.

Quite possible.  
Perhaps the speed “limits” apply differently to Brilliance and Enchantment due to the different fuels.  

[twangster]

4 minutes ago, geoff2802 said:

Quite possible.  
Perhaps the speed “limits” apply differently to Brilliance and Enchantment due to the different fuels.  

 

I think the speed regulation is a red herring.  They used the same excuse when they swapped Adventure and Voyager in 2023-2024 and those are identical sister ships with the same engines.  

[geoff2802]

7 minutes ago, Blue Eyed Belfast Belle said:

 

Thanks.  
Same class of ship, same fuel… strange!  

[ONECRUISER]

Brilliance April 2023 14n Panama Canal is available with alot of the Great Cabins available!

[little britain]

Oh well, never been on Enchantment so a new ship ! 
 

I also got the “like for like” worded email so with the reduced number of balconies I wonder what will happen!  Perhaps they had sold so few that it’ll be easy to accommodate us; but feel for those who had the good cabins on the TAs. 

Edited July 29, 2022 by little britain

[little britain]

Can someone please remind me; when they cut EN in half and added more cabins; what additional social facilities did they add to the extra specs on decks 5/6?  Another bar? 
I think it has a bouncy ball thingie on the upper deck. 

[bigeck]

3 hours ago, little britain said:

Oh well, never been on Enchantment so a new ship ! 
 

I also got the “like for like” worded email so with the reduced number of balconies I wonder what will happen!  Perhaps they had sold so few that it’ll be easy to accommodate us; but feel for those who had the good cabins on the TAs. 

I got same email. Never been on En before either

[Biker19]

27 minutes ago, little britain said:

think it has a bouncy ball thingie on the upper deck.

Not anymore, was removed just before reentering service. Yes, bars added with the stretch. 

[Saab4444]

5 hours ago, little britain said:

Oh well, never been on Enchantment so a new ship ! 
 

I also got the “like for like” worded email so with the reduced number of balconies I wonder what will happen!  Perhaps they had sold so few that it’ll be easy to accommodate us; but feel for those who had the good cabins on the TAs. 

Rates for remaining balcony cabins on Enchantment on Europe are already three times high as they were on Brilliance. Not enough of them on this ship... 

[Saab4444]

6 hours ago, geoff2802 said:

Thanks.  
Same class of ship, same fuel… strange!  

I trust it is not speed but environmental regulations for both ship swaps. Enchantment and Adventure do not have Scrubbers (yet) for cleaning the exhaust fumes so they might not comply with some local regulations in e.g. Alaska, New Zealand, Norway and maybe also the Gulf region anymore. Brilliance and Voyager should have them. 

Edited July 29, 2022 by Saab4444

[welshrich]

7 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

Brilliance April 2023 14n Panama Canal is available with alot of the Great Cabins available!

We were booked on this with Enchantment, just had the email saying it's now Brilliance, was about to book airfare so just glad it's not a complete cancellation.

[bigeck]

13 minutes ago, welshrich said:

We were booked on this with Enchantment, just had the email saying it's now Brilliance, was about to book airfare so just glad it's not a complete cancellation.

I think you got an upgrade

[welshrich]

15 minutes ago, bigeck said:

I think you got an upgrade

I think we did too.

[Surfguyxxx]

 I wonder why I still haven't received the "letter"?  Thank you though for those that posted it.  

[Surfguyxxx]

Cancel that; I found it.  I had a cancellation recently on the Serenade and although I was in a GS, the only rooms available were balconies on their rebook suggestion list.   I'm hoping they've secured a few same category rooms for those of us that are transferring over.