Brillance Review 4/7/06

[teach01]

This was a long cruise so I will give the highlights and if there are any questions I will defiantley try to answer them.

 

We (MIL, FIL, BIL (2), DH and DD) flew to Ft. Lauderdale the day before. We stayed with relatives who picked us up at the airport and took us to the pier. While visiting with relatives, we almost missed the shipped. We boarded the ship as they were beginning the muster drill when we boarded!!!!

 

The ship itself is beautiful!!!!!! The employees on the ship were friendly and provided outstanding service! However, the cruise directors staff needs a MAJOR overhaul. Starting with the director down to his entire staff catered to the older crowd on the ship and pretty much ignored all others! They were not nice, friendly nor energetic.

 

The food was great, we ate in the Windjammer, the dining room and Chops. I am the type of person who enjoys most anything if I do not have to shop for it, cook it or clean up after it! The Seaview Cafe was a favorite of my DH and 2 brother in laws!

 

I only went to 2 of the shows, the comdienne and one comic. I tried to play a few trivia games but were ignored by the cruise director staff so I stopped playing. We did attend the Karokee Idol on two of the three nights. I was very disappointed when a disagreement between two groups broke out and the two nearby officers disappeared and security was not called (one member of a very large family grabbed the arm of one of the members of another group! the two ship officers were right in front of them when it happened!!!)

 

In Panama we did the Panama Canal by ferry. Although it was an experience of a lifetime, I do not recommend it. Seeing it was an experience of a lifetime too and it was basically the same thing!

 

Disembark was a breeze, we had an excursion planned so we got off early. I would NOT recommend the Queen Island Cruise tour either. It took you on a tour of South Beach, which is one street. Then it took you to the Bayside Marketplace, which was closed because it ws so early in the am. Then you took the island tour to see millionaries row (houses of famous people like Shaq and Gloria Estefan and Puffy) then they take you to the airport. My in-laws did the Everglades excursion and felt it was a way to get money, they let you hold an aligator but you cannot take a picture of it with your own camera without a "donation" of two dollars!

 

This was brief, but if there are any questions please ask, I will try my best to answer.

 

Oh yeah, several people were left in Grand Cayman and a woman somehow sneaked on the ship in GC and ran past RCI security when disembarking only to be caught at customs!