Brilliance just okay.

[2ladies]

We live in London in the summer and Ft.Lauderdale in the winter. In the autumn we return to Ft.L from the UK by ship and in the Spring we go back to London by ship. The days at sea are great. And its an adventure - a welcome break from island-hopping!! Never met anyone yet with a problem!!

[dramaqueen4lyfe]

Here here...

 

Off topic slightly with a question to all you TA'ers...I'm thinking I might want to try one of these sometime...

 

My fear is that I will get 5 days into it and feel claustrophobic because I can't get off the ship. :eek: The thought makes me feel nearly in a panic here on land.

 

Does anyone ever feel that way?

 

Martha,Martha,Martha. You get up you eat you nap you eat you read, you nap you eat again and in between you play Trivia see shows and Oh yes!! you have a few drinkie poo's. What's so bad about that?

[bilyclub]

Its funny how people not even on that cruise are lighting matches. I don't discount other peoples threads or views of that cruise. It just so happens I don't agree and spoke to plenty of non-CC'rs while aboard who voiced the same negatives. I started the thread. This is not a captain's fan club thread. I noticed that certain people have to have a say in every thread they see. So be it. I have a great job, a good pension, and I like to cruise. I am sorry that two so-called experts don't want to see where the ship is or what the weather looks like. I do. Mass panic??? From a weather map?? I just wanted the same service that I had on 6 prior cruises. For all we know, the negative posts have been deleted, like a lot of mine.

[GMoney]

Its funny how people not even on that cruise are lighting matches. I don't discount other peoples threads or views of that cruise. It just so happens I don't agree and spoke to plenty of non-CC'rs while aboard who voiced the same negatives. I started the thread. This is not a captain's fan club thread. I noticed that certain people have to have a say in every thread they see. So be it. I have a great job, a good pension, and I like to cruise. I am sorry that two so-called experts don't want to see where the ship is or what the weather looks like. I do. Mass panic??? From a weather map?? I just wanted the same service that I had on 6 prior cruises. For all we know, the negative posts have been deleted, like a lot of mine.

 

Well put. I'm on Brilliance for 24 days in June and I hope things are good.

[bilyclub]

That is why people on roll calls meet before the M&M or exchange room numbers. And guess what they do not OWE anyone that party. We used to organize our own RUBBER BAND parties , we wore they so we could recognize each other when we met at a pre-cruise planned time and place, usually pool deck bar at sailaway. The PINK BOA society ( of which I am a member) wore pink boas and many of us even met while waiting to board.

 

I am sorry that you do not like RCI, that is OK, I do not like NCL but there are those that do, to each their own but that does not mean because someone actually had a great time that there is anything wrong with them, maybe they are just not nitpickers. Life is too short to worry over little things...

 

And talk abour spoiled, no correct weather pictures,:confused: get off your butt and look out a window:eek: And they called my generation the ME generation???

 

 

Lets see. CC and RCI tell us to sign up for M/Ms, so I do think they owe me one. Other ships and lines have the the weather image and I would have liked to see it. If you can predict the weather the next day by looking out the window you must be a millionaire. I never said I hated RCI. I am one cruise short of Diamond and have an easycruise in the bank. I just stated the Brilliance was subpar compared to the 7 other RCI cruise I have been on.

 

I played trivia a lot with Horace, who had 89 cruises under his belt. He also was not impressed with that cruise.

[hobie33]

Lets see. CC and RCI tell us to sign up for M/Ms, so I do think they owe me one. Other ships and lines have the the weather image and I would have liked to see it. If you can predict the weather the next day by looking out the window you must be a millionaire. I never said I hated RCI. I am one cruise short of Diamond and have an easycruise in the bank. I just stated the Brilliance was subpar compared to the 7 other RCI cruise I have been on.

 

I played trivia a lot with Horace, who had 89 cruises under his belt. He also was not impressed with that cruise.

I have started a board discussion on sailing on nuclear ships ( my second Q to the captain). at first I got the RCI junkies completely of course( is this for or against RCI they try to figure out my post), Then some guy's with real intelligent and first hand experience took over and it become fun. by the way

Horace was our table mate at dinner and we found him little boring , how can somebody cruise 89 times on one cruise line only?

Lets go to Carnival board telling them how bad RCCL is, we will have fan club there.

Alex.

[abridalmaven]

No my take on it is that you think anyone who does not agree with your terrible experience is wrong and you are searching for agreement. Many of the things you think are horrible are VERY trivial.

 

But then again it is all in everyon'e mind. I just went to Vegas for a conference, my husband did not like the access to the parking lot because you had to walk thru the casino to the conference center, so he refused to gamble in that hotel ever. Pretty petty to me. But then again even when I was on NCL we had some great times, I did not like the service, freestyle or the ship layout, but never would I say it was sub par.... not lke my cruises with RCI, but then again they are not meant to be the same.

 

I am really wondering what you really wanted when you started this post? Only people who agree with you to answer it? I will be on the Brilliance in the fall and know many people on CC and NOT who have been on this ship and liked it, so I was curious about why you made such comments, which is why I even read your thread. I do not answer or even read every thread, I do have a life and work during the day, mostly in the field.

[Sue L]

Well put. I'm on Brilliance for 24 days in June and I hope things are good.

 

 

I didn't find any problems on the Brilliance except for a couple of issues with the excursion desk, 1 was their problem and 1 was my not paying attention, but they did resolve both to our satisfaction. Did we let this "ruin" our vacation? Absolutely not! The things that both the OP and the Hobie33 are complaining about are so trivial as to not matter. We found the staff friendly and amazingly efficient. The food was wonderful.

 

Their complaints have been centered around not seeing a weather station or not getting a bathrobe if you aren't platinum or suite. But we were lowly gold in a D1 and simply asked for the robes and they appeared in our room several hours after embarkation. Another issue was not enough comedy shows, we found plenty or spent a huge amount of time with other passengers and even some crew in the Schooner bar absolutely laughing so hard that our sides ached.

 

The ship is beautiful and in beautiful shape. The crew was constantly doing upkeep. I can't wait to sail her again.

 

To the OP this was my second RCCL cruise but 11th overall with many different lines. I am not an Rcl cheerleader and I have traveled all over the world several times and I have learned to let the little problems not bother me. You will never get a perfect vacation no matter where you go whether land or sea.

[bilyclub]

I posted because I differ with the other thread that stated the ship was so great and that my post stating the problems that happened were consistantly being deleted. Its funny that a Captain's groupie is going to jump on me and that persons agreeing that I can post what I want get jumped on. If I was a jerk I would round up my CC buddies and flame away on them, but I have a life and don't need thousands of posts here to make me feel better about myself.... By the way, I am not a whiner and have never posted a negative thing about a cruise till this one. One closing thought. I think RCI is basing its business on younger active folks, ie: the flowrider, rock wall, sport pools, skating rink, all which I love and use.

 

 

People please read the whole thread. Robes and the weather image were just mentioned at the end. The CD was terrible etc..... Do you want to buy my RCL stock?

 

There has been posting by only 5 persons, including myself that were there 16-29 April 2007.

[forpaws]

Martha,Martha,Martha. You get up you eat you nap you eat you read, you nap you eat again and in between you play Trivia see shows and Oh yes!! you have a few drinkie poo's. What's so bad about that?

 

Sheila - Loved your reply - but I think I'll find you and Patti on another thread to discuss the TA idea more. I'm not sure if I've been insulted by the OP for participating in his thread, so I think I'll take my ball and go play elsewhere. :p :D

[forpaws]

DANG double post!

[Fran Harp]

Lets see. CC and RCI tell us to sign up for M/Ms, so I do think they owe me one. Other ships and lines have the the weather image and I would have liked to see it. If you can predict the weather the next day by looking out the window you must be a millionaire. I never said I hated RCI. I am one cruise short of Diamond and have an easycruise in the bank. I just stated the Brilliance was subpar compared to the 7 other RCI cruise I have been on.

 

I played trivia a lot with Horace, who had 89 cruises under his belt. He also was not impressed with that cruise.

 

Actually, statistics do show that people who "read" the sky and the wind for weather are accurate just as often as the weather stations. Every one of the captains and most of the sailing crew on those ships can still tell you what the weather will likely be by looking at the sky and sea, wind direction smell etc.

 

Yes you stated your opinion was that Brilliance was subpar. Most of the rest of us are of the opinion that it isn't. You don't like that. You want agreement and you aren't getting it. Unfortunately that is really the issue here, I think.

 

Fran in Toronto

[Fran Harp]

Here here...

 

Off topic slightly with a question to all you TA'ers...I'm thinking I might want to try one of these sometime...

 

My fear is that I will get 5 days into it and feel claustrophobic because I can't get off the ship. :eek: The thought makes me feel nearly in a panic here on land.

 

Does anyone ever feel that way?

 

Martha, try the Brilliance TA from Barcelona in December :D We'll keep you busy.....

 

Fran in TO

[forpaws]

Martha, try the Brilliance TA from Barcelona in December :D We'll keep you busy.....

 

Fran in TO

 

Okay, I lied...I haven't left yet. One more post: :p Hmmm...Brilliance in December. I'll go check that out. There's also one from Harwich about which I've chatted a little with Brenda (crazy_4_cruisin). I'd hate to get out in the middle and have to be airlifted off just because I got a bad case of cabin fever! :D

[cruisenfever]

Okay, I lied...I haven't left yet. One more post: :p Hmmm...Brilliance in December. I'll go check that out. There's also one from Harwich about which I've chatted a little with Brenda (crazy_4_cruisin). I'd hate to get out in the middle and have to be airlifted off just because I got a bad case of cabin fever! :D

Now for that sight..........I would book the cruise........Martha being snatched in the basket off the heilpad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[themoon]

DH and I were on the Brilliance TA and enjoyed our cruise. We will sail RCCL again and even did book a last minute cruise that sailed 4 days after we got off the BOS. While on the VOS we did 2 more "next cruise bookings". Everyone has different expectations when they cruise, and any line that carries thousands of guests at a time tries to have something to please everyone. Does it always work out? No. Were there mistakes? Yes.

It's true, the cruise director was not often spotted. Staff running events, like the walk a mile each morning, sometimes wouldn't show up. Sometimes things listed in the cruise compass were wrong. And don't get me started on the arrogance of a certain group of people who numbered over 500 that were our cruise companions.:rolleyes:

Personally I didn't understand why the cruise line information told us to pack for 3 formal nights when we only had 2. I didn't understand why with so many sea days the midnight buffet had to be scheduled the night before a port day. And the food overall was not as good as we expected. Are my gripes small? Yes. Did we let them affect our cruise? No. But different things are important to different people, and if I was into navigation or a sailor myself I could understand the OP's frustration.

Ultimately any day, not just a holiday, is what you make it...and we had a great time! :D

[Fran Harp]

Okay, I lied...I haven't left yet. One more post: :p Hmmm...Brilliance in December. I'll go check that out. There's also one from Harwich about which I've chatted a little with Brenda (crazy_4_cruisin). I'd hate to get out in the middle and have to be airlifted off just because I got a bad case of cabin fever! :D

 

Martha, the northern route (from Harwich) is much rougher sea than the southern route (from Barcelona). :D Plus, with us you'd get a great Tshirt, and a pink boa, and get to dance and sing for Captain Lindegren....

 

the possibilities are endless...

 

Fran in Toronto

[dramaqueen4lyfe]

Actually, statistics do show that people who "read" the sky and the wind for weather are accurate just as often as the weather stations. Every one of the captains and most of the sailing crew on those ships can still tell you what the weather will likely be by looking at the sky and sea, wind direction smell etc.

 

Yes you stated your opinion was that Brilliance was subpar. Most of the rest of us are of the opinion that it isn't. You don't like that. You want agreement and you aren't getting it. Unfortunately that is really the issue here, I think.

 

Fran in Toronto

 

Well said Chaplain Fran.

[dramaqueen4lyfe]

Now for that sight..........I would book the cruise........Martha being snatched in the basket off the heilpad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

:D :D :D

[forpaws]

Now for that sight..........I would book the cruise........Martha being snatched in the basket off the heilpad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

:D :D :D

 

M E O W !!! ;) :p

[forpaws]

Martha, the northern route (from Harwich) is much rougher sea than the southern route (from Barcelona). :D Plus, with us you'd get a great Tshirt, and a pink boa, and get to dance and sing for Captain Lindegren....

 

the possibilities are endless...

 

Fran in Toronto

 

I didn't know that about the rough seas...I'm glad you told me that.

 

Now, let's see what kind of deal Brenda can offer in the way of t-shirts, dancing, singing, etc. If she's still gonna be in that wheelchair and is expecting me to push her around, maybe I'd BETTER think about Barcelona! :D

[cctn]

THE BRILLIANCE IS A FABULOUS SHIP! I love it - been on it 4 times in 4 yrs in a row - 2 Caribbeans and 2 TA's - Hubby and I love the staff and last NOvember 06 during our TA, the dining room folks were the best! We love the Concierge and Katherine who is in charge, the Champagne Bar with Rusty and Eric - The food is super and once the bedding is changed, it probably already is, it'll be just the Best!! I am sorry it'll be in Europe next yr but that's ok, we can always fly there to sail on her. Yay for the Brilliance and all the Cruisers who have been on her! Carol

[Ephraim]

DH and I were on the Brilliance TA and enjoyed our cruise. We will sail RCCL again and even did book a last minute cruise that sailed 4 days after we got off the BOS. While on the VOS we did 2 more "next cruise bookings". Everyone has different expectations when they cruise, and any line that carries thousands of guests at a time tries to have something to please everyone. Does it always work out? No. Were there mistakes? Yes.

It's true, the cruise director was not often spotted. Staff running events, like the walk a mile each morning, sometimes wouldn't show up. Sometimes things listed in the cruise compass were wrong. And don't get me started on the arrogance of a certain group of people who numbered over 500 that were our cruise companions.:rolleyes:

Personally I didn't understand why the cruise line information told us to pack for 3 formal nights when we only had 2. I didn't understand why with so many sea days the midnight buffet had to be scheduled the night before a port day. And the food overall was not as good as we expected. Are my gripes small? Yes. Did we let them affect our cruise? No. But different things are important to different people, and if I was into navigation or a sailor myself I could understand the OP's frustration.

Ultimately any day, not just a holiday, is what you make it...and we had a great time! :D

 

And we had a great time meeting you and hubby! And thank you for the notes about the other cruise deals... we even joined you for one of them :)

 

Martha, the northern route (from Harwich) is much rougher sea than the southern route (from Barcelona). :D Plus, with us you'd get a great Tshirt, and a pink boa, and get to dance and sing for Captain Lindegren....

 

the possibilities are endless...

 

Fran in Toronto

 

No one ever offers me a pink boa, never mind a chance to dance and sing with Captain Lindegren.

[themoon]

THE BRILLIANCE IS A FABULOUS SHIP! I love it - been on it 4 times in 4 yrs in a row - 2 Caribbeans and 2 TA's - Hubby and I love the staff and last NOvember 06 during our TA, the dining room folks were the best! We love the Concierge and Katherine who is in charge, the Champagne Bar with Rusty and Eric - The food is super and once the bedding is changed, it probably already is, it'll be just the Best!! I am sorry it'll be in Europe next yr but that's ok, we can always fly there to sail on her. Yay for the Brilliance and all the Cruisers who have been on her! Carol

 

The new bedding is in place. Frankly I didn't like the comforter at all. It weighs a TON and by morning it could be found half way off the end of the bed...being so heavy gravity would just take over.

[themoon]

And we had a great time meeting you and hubby! And thank you for the notes about the other cruise deals... we even joined you for one of them :)

 

You're very welcome!:D

 

 

 

No one ever offers me a pink boa, never mind a chance to dance and sing with Captain Lindegren.

 

Ephraim I did offer you some purple Mardi Gras beads and since I found the first Captain (Lindegren) aloof, I don't think you missed much.

 

And before the Lindegren fan club chimes in, I will attribute the Captains behavior to having to sail an extra week at the last minute when he was finally supposed to be on vacation. I thought his unhappiness really showed, but at least I could understand why.