LIVE FROM THE DECKS OF: BILLIANCE OF THE SEAS - Let's Compare it to X!

[Host Anne]

Here's a couple of thoughts on the wine situation we discussed at our table when we had our challenge with our wine/champane gift. I understand and abide by RCI's no bringing alcohol on board. To ensure that a gift that you want to drink or upgrade in the dining room, how about one of two things:

 

1) place a RCI gift stamp (ink or self adhesive) on the bottle to clearly label it as an onboard gift received through RCI.

 

2) instead of the actual bottle, present a certificate that can be given to the cabin attendent to bring the bottle to your room or given to the bar waiter in the dining room. It could be for a specific bottle or amount that you could then select something different and pay the difference in price. You wouldn't be able to get "change" if you selected a less expensive bottle of wine but it would allow you to select a more expensive bottle and pay the extra.

 

This shoudn't be a tough thing to do and really could "improve" RCI's income potential on gifts delivered on board.

 

Just some thoughts....

 

Gail...hope you are having a great time! Thanks for keeping us posted. It's so great to folow along!

[teedee]

Here's a couple of thoughts on the wine situation we discussed at our table when we had our challenge with our wine/champane gift. I understand and abide by RCI's no bringing alcohol on board. To ensure that a gift that you want to drink or upgrade in the dining room, how about one of two things:

 

1) place a RCI gift stamp (ink or self adhesive) on the bottle to clearly label it as an onboard gift received through RCI.

 

2) instead of the actual bottle, present a certificate that can be given to the cabin attendent to bring the bottle to your room or given to the bar waiter in the dining room. It could be for a specific bottle or amount that you could then select something different and pay the difference in price. You wouldn't be able to get "change" if you selected a less expensive bottle of wine but it would allow you to select a more expensive bottle and pay the extra.

 

This shoudn't be a tough thing to do and really could "improve" RCI's income potential on gifts delivered on board.

 

Just some thoughts....

 

Gail...hope you are having a great time! Thanks for keeping us posted. It's so great to folow along!

 

Those are wonderful ideas! I've always heard that employees of RCI read these boards, I hope they do and pass it along to the powers that be.

 

Terri

[Host Anne]

Thanks, Terri. I'm actually a big rules and regulations person (and following rules), especially when they are logical. If they aren't, I like to make suggestions to make them better. My goal is always to find ways to have everyone benefit.

 

Gail, maybe you can make these suggestions to the powers that be on Brilliance.

[sportfishers]

Perhaps the following three options, already available from Royal Caribbean, would allow some flexibility. A cruiser could inform their TA, or friend, to please not send wine (if they think they're going to do that), but to instead email a GC, apply a SBC, or perhaps select something from the registry. The cruiser would stand a better chance of getting something that they really want.

 

From Royal Caribbean:

 

1. Cruise Vacation Gift Certificates

 

The Gift of Adventure: Purchase a cruise gift certificate for a friend or relative to be applied toward the cost of a cruise or onboard credit for spa treatments, gift shop, bar, specialty restaurants, and more. Amazing new places, unforgettable experiences, innovative onboard activities... Be ready for a giant bear hug and a slew of thank-yous.

 

https://www.royalcaribbeancertificates.com/

 

2. If you would like to purchase an On-board credit for an existing reservation, please call 800-722-5443. (Gift Certificates cannot be applied to sailings within 10 days.)

 

3. Gifts@SeaSM Registry: Now you can receive everything you want for your special cruise occasion. Just create a registry and email it to all your friends and family!

 

http://www.giftsatsea.com/

 

I am not the etiquette police (I have been known to regift from time to time...is that so wrong?!?), but if someone was thoughtful enough to send me a bottle of wine I would simply say thank you, make a toast to the gift-giver, and happily drink it. If I found the wine to be truly awful (that hasn't happened to me yet!) I would try to share it with as many people as possible!;) Either way, when the bottle was finished I would then order exactly what I want...but maybe not at the same sitting!

 

Julie

[Angelgirl51]

Thanks so much for filling us in on your cruise. I loved it and appreciate it a lot. I'm on the ship on the 21st. I will now board with knowledge in hand lol. Yoo Woo.

[tomatopa]

Gail,

Will be waiting to read your post about arriving home. Hope the email situation righted itself.

 

Terri, New picture of the little guy? Carter is so cute. You have a busy fall planned. How are you doing? Hope you are feeling better and better every day. When do you have to go back to work?

 

Judy

[tuggers]

Hi Guys!

The internet went down on the ship about 8 PM last night and did not come back up.

Day 9 (continued)

Did a little bit of shopping, took care of filling out some of the disembarkation forms and went to lunch. I went up to the Windjammer but found nothing there special (except for the creamed cabbage – I had never heard of that one – is it popular in other parts of the states/world?) so went to the dining room. Menu was the same as most days, Catfish Tempura, Nsai Goreng, etc. I had the Nsai Goreng AGAIN. I think even I’m getting tired of it! Green pea soup was okay. Venetian Chocolate Cake sounded really good but no one who ordered it liked it. Lots left on the table when we departed!

I think I am going to go down to the casino and use my ‘free pull’ coupons and then come do the packing. It’s about 2 PM now so I’ll go to the casino while it’s quiet.

Also there’s sun on my balcony and I want to sit out there and read a little before I go to the Concierge Lounge this afternoon.

It’s 4:15 and I am packed. Wanted to through out some random thoughts here before I go up to CL lounge:

This is a BEAUTIFUL ship! If you want a ship large enough to have special things (rock climbing wall, Concierge Lounge, etc) but not a monster, this ship is a good choice.

This ship is not like other RCCL ships in that it is owned by RCCL-UK.

This ships Seaview Café has a ‘European’ menu (not the burgers, etc I am told the ships owned by RCCL-US have)

The ships have standard luncheon menus but can rotate two, three or more of them over the course of a sailing. This ship (executive chef) chooses to only use two which means, except for the one special of the day, you get the same menu every other day in the dining room.

RCCL has Head Waiters in place of Asst MD’s and, I am told, they are responsible for the quality of food. That’s how it was explained. Draw your own conclusions. It seems to me that the Executive Chef would be responsible and then the Restaurant Mgr or F & B. Just passing this on.

The Captain is a very nice looking man (in case you wanted to know! J).

Angela in the Concierge Lounge is great!

Although I was not enamored of my Head Waiter and felt he only did the minimum, never trying to go the extra mile, I have heard of others on here who are just great. My hope is that you get one of these should you sail Brilliance.

Okay, back to real time. Tonight in the CL was like old times. We had gotten to know each other over the last few days and were sorry to say good bye both to each other and to our little group who had gotten used to meeting every afternoon.

After exchanging our contact info and saying our last goodbyes to Angela we were off to dinner.

My dinner was highlighted by a disclosure by our waiter that there was a $50 credit from the Captain for a red wine. When I ordered a $44 per bottle wine I was told I was only allowed a $37 per bottle wine. Whatever. I was just glad to get an exchange for the white wine to a red. I am happy with the outcome.

Dinner was a spinach dip with pita chips, Onion Soup (two of us ordered this but we never got it), I was told that Phad Thai Noodles were being prepared for me. That was okay as I really enjoy them. Dessert was Key Lime Pie (fair) and a Brownie dessert (good).

Off to the cabin and last minute packing/shopping. I just remembered I need to pick up a package from the shops. I’m off to take care of that.

This will be my last post from the ship. I will do a wrap up from home on Saturday or Sunday. To my friends, if you want to call me, I will be on the road from 3 PM to 5 PM on Friday. Call my cell.

Bye For Now.

Just got home about an hour ago. Flight from Miami was delayed then I hit torrential rain coming home so I am beat!

I think I am going to order a pizza, eat, watch a little TV and hit the hay!

Will do my best to finish a wrap up tomorrow. I was so tired and the weather was so bad I didn't even go get Maddie tonight so I have to do that Saturday.

I had a wonderful time, a few bumps in the road only served to make the good things even sweeter! The ship is beautiful and I would go again, anytime, either on this ship or another of the Radiance Class.

It is good to be home!:D

[Texed]

Welcome home Gail. :)

[tuggers]

One thing about the wine and then I am going to order my pizza!

The wine in question was never in my hands. It was always in the dining room and only shown to me once so there was no need to 'authenticate' the provenance.

I don't really feel that it was in any way an insult to the person sending the wine because they do not know what I like and don't like in wines. Plus it doesn't hurt that they don't read these boards!:D I just felt that they would want me to have what I wanted so that it was a gift I truly enjoyed rather than something I passed around to get rid of. And I toasted them with the red quite nicely!:D

Good night now. Thanks for all the kind words from those of you who enjoyed my ramblings. I will do my best to wrap this all up tomorrow and answer any questions I've missed. Just know that it is going to be very favorable towards this ship and class of ship. It's not X, it's something a little different that can be enjoyed for another slant on the experience of cruising.

[FinelyCruising]

Gail...Welcome Home...I think...;) I am glad to hear you liked this class of ship...I think its one to beat in any travels along the way, particulalry the CL. Rest up and catch your breath...looking forward to any part of the rest of the story.:)

[SheilaNC]

Welcome home, Gail. Enjoy your pizza and rest. We'll wait til tomorrow for the finale :) Thanks so much for all of the information you shared - as always, all words were enjoyed.

[shoreless]

Thanks for taking the time to write this. I really enjoy your reviews because you have lots of cruise experience and basis for comparison, you always seem to enjoy yourself, and you have the energy to try to change the things you don't like instead of just letting everything slide. :)

[gregg4]

Gail,

 

Thank you for the time and effort in your postings. It was almost like being there.

[tuggers]

Good Evening! I had a lazy day Saturday ending with dinner with the next door neighbors. Today was church and after wards I spent most of the day in my chair with the dogs, a book, and TV while doing a lot of eyelid inspections! I'm sure I irritated the dogs with the snoring. After a tomato soup and grilled cheese dinner I am ready to face a wrap up.

So here goes:

Celebrity is my line of choice and probably always will be. Want to get that out of the way right up front!

Having said that, Royal Caribbeans Radiance Class ships have a LOT going for them. First they are some of the most beautiful ships sailing today that are a reasonable size. At 90,000 gross tons and a capacity of 2500 passengers, RCI bills these ships as having 'more open space, glass and balconies than on any other cruise ships'. Probably so.

The Brilliance has a nine story Centrum and a 'Raj' themed Solarium that are just beautiful. The casino is nice, pleasantly crowded so as to make the occasional slot machine or table game winner right at your elbow, catching you up in the winning spirit. They have a real movie theater (although on this cruise they were still under the impression it was Christmas!). The Pacifica Theater is beautiful and comfortable but the aisles, without many railings, can be treacherous. The rock climbing wall is, I guess, a perk for some, just not for me. The Schooner Bar does not smell as bad as the one on the Grandeur but it does have some of the 'scent'. Colony Club is a nice club/bar area but I fail to see the need for pool tables as you enter such a nice venue. There is a Champagne Bar and a Sports Bar. The pool area is well stocked with chairs and has some interesting bronze artwork as does the solarium pool.

The glass elevators are beautiful and plentiful meaning much less of a wait when going from floor to floor.

The Windjammer Buffet is, IMO, layed out better than most I've seen. Hardly ever a bottle neck in the food area and for beverages there are two bars where you can grab a water, iced tea or lemonade from a tray or be served special items by staff.

In good weather there is plentiful and comfortable seating outside of the buffet area in addition to the restaurant type seating inside the buffet. The outside seating which is sheltered is made up of wicker couches and low tables. Further back there are regular outside tables and chairs, more exposed to the elements. On the cruise I was on we had several days of cool and very windy weather which meant this seating was not used as much as it might have been. This caused some problems in finding seats in the buffet area. The worst problem in the buffet was losing your food. if you dropped your napkin, leaned over to get it and came back up to table height, your food was gone! Not really, but pretty close. I solved that problem by writing out a card that said 'Be Right Back. Please Leave Food.' That got quite a few chuckles and also some thanks from staff who were tired of being yelled at by passengers who lost their food!:)

There is a 24 hour drink station outside the buffet area for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc. On several trips there at various times late in the evening I found it to be very poorly maintained sometimes to the point of not being able to get cream or sugar or tea.

Room service has a pretty limited menu, more so than most ships I've been on. Also I experienced very long waits (up to an hour and a half) even during what should have been 'off' hours. Ditto morning breakfast service. Leaving the card on the door for breakfast, with a time marked, still resulted in a half hour to hour wait past the specified time.

The SeaView Cafe on the 13th deck seems to be the place where you are expected to go for late night snacks. On this ship they serve pasta, pizza and panninis. I am told on other Radiance Class ships, they serve fresh cooked hamburgers, fries, etc. This cafe is not a great place to go late at night if there is wind as you must walk through some unprotected areas that make you feel like you might be blown overboard just getting there.:)

The Minstrel Dining Room covers two floors with comfortable chairs and a pleasant decor. I found the food to be somewhat lacking although the beef on this trip was of a better quality than on my other RCI cruises. Portions were very small with most meats being served in, I would guess, 4 to 5 ounce portions. Mashed potatoes and things that could be dipped with a scoop (including ice creams) were done with a 2 ounce scoop. Quality of the meals ranged from good to fair. I do not think that more than one meal was what I would consider outstanding. Due to the size of the portions, most men at our table either ordered every course (appetizer, soup, salad, entrée and dessert) or had double entrées.

While I do believe some of the things I found lacking in food is due to the fact that this ship is owned by RCI-UK, some of the things are just particular to RCI. The main focus of this line is not food and service and no where does it shine through more than in the dining room. You are not going to starve, nor are you likely to lose any weight on this ship without great effort, it just isn't going to come close to what you have come to expect on X.

Likewise, the service is, while adequate, never going to leave you feeling really pampered. There is a Cellar Master onboard that you will never see except at the wine tasting. Your wine will be poured at dinner by the Asst Waiter who has little or no wine knowledge. This same AW will come around with a bread basket (no bread is left on the table during dinner), water, iced tea and all beverages, clear your plates, etc. With the number of tables they are now assigning to Waiters and AWs it's amazing you see him at all and no wonder he has to ask each night for your beverage choice. He has too much to do for too many people to remember these things. Likewise, the waiter. Our waiter was personable and did bring three desserts to the table most nights so we could see what they looked like (RCI does not do a dessert tray) but I do fault him on not warning us off several entrées that were particularly bad. When speaking to others I was told their waiters went so far as to bring tastes of things out of the kitchen to show them why they DIDN'T want to order a certain entrée.

The wine tasting is a whole other subject! There they will re-pour in the same glass three times (for white), then switch to another identical glass (I don't think RCI has any wine glasses except all purpose) which they will use to re-pour into for the three red wines. How can you taste a wine if you continue to pour it into a glass just used for another wine? DUH! And this is the venue they use to supposedly 'teach' you about wine? This would never, ever happen on X. Plus, on X, you have Wine Stewards and Cellar Masters, who do have wine knowledge and can guide you to a selection to compliment your meal.

I did not go to the Spa except to look around. The services all seemed fairly overpriced as are the X ones. However, I was told by more than one person that the sales pitches were VERY high pressure after the service and, if you did not buy, you were, shall we say, ignored and given the bums rush out the door. I have had some pressure on X to buy after a service but once I explained I was there for the service only and not interested, I was never left to feel they thought I was being cheap.

Overall, the service is going to be adequate to good. The staff pleasant to friendly. You are never, IMO, going to feel like 'anything is possible if it will make you happy' on RCI. You are not going to feel that making you happy is the most important thing to either the staff or RCI. It's just a whole different philosophy. They do what needs to be done. I had to fight for little things like a lounge chair for a cabin with a larger balcony. I had to go all the way to the Captain to be able to pay more money to get a better bottle of wine for one that was send as a gift. Service (and problem solving) is just not on the same level as X.

Cabins are small. Really small. Talking to people who sail RCI a lot, they all admit these are some of the smallest cabins sailing. I was in a D-1 on the hump. The balcony went out about 12 feet and was the width of the cabin. The cabin itself was 11 1/2 by 16 and was not conducive to accommodating three people. But they will book three adults in this cabin. The only place for the third person to sleep was on a chair/sofa about the width of a chair and a half. It folded out (not a pull-out bed) so that you would sleep very close to the floor. This bed would end 4 to 5 inches from the desk. So how do the people in the bed get past it to get to the bathroom? As a frequent late night bathroom user, I worry about such things!:rolleyes:

RCI does have X beat by a mile when it comes to showing repeat cruisers their worth to the line. As a Diamond Member I had a coupon book full of actual free things. A free picture, any size, from the Photo Gallery, a free specialty coffee from Seattle's Best, a free alcoholic drink with a take home souvenir glass, etc. There are also some 10% and 20% off coupons on things that you buy. Diamond and Diamond Plus have carded access to a Concierge Lounge from 4:30 to 8 PM each night where you are served hot canapés and bar drinks.

In the morning the CL has espresso, cappuccino, juice and a continental breakfast. Diamond and Diamond Plus were also given a brunch with Champagne, Bloody Mary's and a buffet including Fillet Mignon in a Red Wine Sauce along with regular brunch items. All nice perks.

[color=#9932cc

On Friday Morning, Disembarkation started at 6:45 AM! That was for the people carrying off their own luggage. 7 AM they started the Diamond and Diamond Plus with White luggage tags. I used the Luggage Valet (thank goodness because you can't check luggage yourself until 3 hours before flight time) and was at the Miami airport before 8 AM! $24 flat rate taxi ride. My flight was not

due to leave until 12:20. With the delays and change of plane I didn't leave till almost 2. Made for a long, long day. Once I got to JAX I still had to drive 120 miles home. About half way, the rain started coming down in sheets. Twelve hours later I was home!

 

I don't want this to go on forever, I just want to make the point that these are two very different experiences, RCI Radiance Class and Celebrity. If you can get past the service and food issues, you will find lots of other things to like. [/color]

I would do a Radiance Class ship again in a heartbeat. And probably will! I think this class is the best of the Royal Caribbean fleet. I had a wonderful time, met lots of great people, enjoyed the CC'ers I met from the roll call and found something different in a cruising experience. We need different things to keep life interesting and maybe just to find out that what we have truly is the best!

If anyone has any specific questions, please let me know.

Bye For Now

[judyfssw]

Gail,

Thank you for your reports. I know that they're accurate as I've read many of your other posts. I thank you for taking the time and energy to do this for us.

[Angelgirl51]

Thank you for all the great info. I was wondering being a second time cruiser and never ordered room servive the first time. Do you tip extra for room service? If so, is it cash at the time or later in the tip envelope?

[tuggers]

Thanks, Judy! For the vote of confidence and the kind words!

I enjoy writing them but sometimes I get annoyed with myself for getting behind. If I take notes and spend about an hour a day writing them, I keep up. Because I carry my laptop, I can do the writing part like I do at home, in bed, while resting!:D It does cost a little to post because of the high prices they charge onboard. I do use internet cafes when I can.

It's nice to know they are appreciated!

Angelgirl, I tip when they bring it, $1 or $2 depending on the order. If it's a sandwich or something it's $2, if I just get ice or a pot of tea I do $1. If my CS brings the order I don't tip but mentally remember I need to add to his envelope for room service. If I have the CS bring an entire dinner from the dining room menu I usually add $5.

[FastFreddie]

Gail,

 

As always I do enjoy your perspectives on the cruises. My wife and I are scheduled on the Jewel the end of Feb. I have an HC cabin so I'll be one of those fat guys on a scooter you see terrorizing the little kids (o: (Just Kidding about the terrorizing). It seems as if I am an X oriented cruiser as well. I only had one bad experience with X and it was on our last Century cruise. It had to do with disembarking and how horrid I was treated. I realise that it had very little to do with the ships crew, but with the crew that runs the disembarkment. You never know what hnadicapped people go through till you become handicapped!

 

As you described your Brilliance Cruise it seems to me that RCCI is a lot like Carnival. I really like Carnival too, it's NOT X, but it's very good. Also I think the food's taste and presentation is really dependent on the ship. Each cruise line's food order is generally from the exact same source. On one ship you may have great meals on another on the same line the meals are just so so.

 

I hope to be out of the scooter by 2009! And I hope our paths will cross on a cruise someday. You are a very fun lady, with a nice heart. Thank you for your ship/cruise reviews!

 

Best Regards,

 

Freddie

[tuggers]

Freddie, I replied to this hours ago but it seems to have 'poofed' and never made it to the board.

First, thank you for your thoughts and compliments.

Second, I certainly do agree with you about the lines using the same purveyors and had wondered if this ship being owned by RCI-UK had anything to do with the obviously better quality of the beef on this ship than what I had in December on another RCI ship. The recipes are the same but, of course, each Executive Chef puts his or her own spin on them. Hence my whole Tiger Shrimp.

I can also empathize with the treatment of the handicapped. Having used a scooter myself before my knee replacement (and sometimes now because of a hip problem), I can attest to the fact that your treatment is not always what it should be. In fact, after the cruise, I was treated so poorly by American Airlines in the Miami airport that I will probably never fly them again. I wish you the best with putting the scooter away in '09!

You never know where I will show up so we may well cross paths. I hope so.

[Cruiser Susie]

Gail,

Thanks for your entertaining, thoughtful and honest review. I enjoyed each installment and want to compliment you on your ability to post so often. I don't know too many that would take the time!

Hope you are recovered from your trip home, and that you are soon off on another adventure... I will look forward to reading about that, too! :D

Take care,

[tuggers]

Hi Sue! Yep, I'm pretty much recovered! Looking for something between now and my April cruise as we speak! Would like to find a last minute good price one!:)

[dogsrule]

Enjoyed your posts and reviews of your trip. It really makes me sure that I would not enjoy rccl again. Sounds as though you made the best of it though we all would like to feel special on our cruises and when you have to haggle over everything, I wouldn't be feeling the love....Enjoy your next cruise.:)

[Cruiser Susie]

Hi Sue! Yep, I'm pretty much recovered! Looking for something between now and my April cruise as we speak! Would like to find a last minute good price one!:)

 

We are on the March 28th Galaxy out of San Juan... don't know if that fits the bill or not, but it is a wonderful itinerary!

[tuggers]

dogsrule, I REALLY DID enjoy this cruise! Sure, it's different from X, but, hey, you're on the water, no beds to make, no dishes to wash! It was great! I would sign up for another (Radiance Class) in a heartbeat.

Susie, will have to look into that. Although Feb and March are pretty booked up for me with company! It's always fun to have your friends visit when they can stay for a while so I'm looking forward to it.

[tomko2]

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience! We just got off the Brilliance (10 night); we truly enjoyed the cruise and loved Angela in the CL Satellite location! Except for our last day at sea, we had wonderful weather. While our dining room experience was not the best (largely due to tablemates arriving late each evening hence throwing the service delivery off) we very much enjoyed Chops and Portofino's.

We are now looking at taking our first cruise (Venice to Barcelona) on Celebrity and wondered if you could clue us in on what cabin class would be comparable to a D1 on the Brilliance? Also we are Diamond level of RCI and understand that we would be Elite on Celebrity so I will do a search to see if I can ascertain what perks would be available to us. From your posts I gather that no CL exists on Celebrity.

Thanks again.

Kathy:)