Brilliance 11-11-05 Transatlantic

[deb7073]

Is anyone out there booked on this cruise?

I can't locate it on meet and mingle, so have not been able to register for the party.

In fact, it says the cruise doesn't exist on that date.

 

We just returned from a 12 day transatlantic on the Jewel, and had a great m-m party. With just about everyone on the thread's participation, we also enjoyed a pre-muster party, a horse racing syndicate, and a Red Hat Society luncheon.

 

Hope others will sign on. With enough fun people participating, the sky's the limit!

And we may all learn a few travel tips in the process.

 

Happy Sailing!

[Host Karen]

In my understanding, you can't register for a Meet & Mingle more than a year before your cruise end date. The system only deals with M&Ms a year out, so you would have to wait until the end of November before the M&M for Nov. 2005 is available for registration. You may find other cruisers for your sailing over on the roll call boards.

[deb7073]

Thanks for the info. I've never booked a cruise at least a year out before.

I'll also check roll call.

 

Have a good day!

[artvlay]

Hello,

 

We will be joining you on the Transatlantic. We are in Aft cabin 9256. Look forward to getting to know you over the next year.

 

Maria and Marshall

[deb7073]

I'm glad you found the site.

Our original cabin was 9260, but we changed to 9582. (the hump)

 

We just disembarked a week ago from the Jewel of the Seas transatlantic voyage. It was wonderful, having met a lot of people from this site on the Jewel thread. If the Brillance is even half as beautiful, and the people we meet on this thread is even half as much fun,then I'll be very happy.

I'm especially looking forward to the 7 days at sea.

 

Have you stayed in Aft cabins before? Many of our friends stayed in the Aft cabins on the Jewel, both deck 9 and 10. Some raved about it, while others ranted. But, I suppose you get various opinions from just about any cabin on a ship.

I'm not sure how I'll like the one we finally chose. But, I figure as long as I'm on a long cruise, I'll be one happy camper, no matter what!

 

And, I'm sure time will pass quickly, and we'll be on the ship before we know it.

[artvlay]

Hi, no we were never in an aft cabin, but we have one on the Radiance of The Seas in December, so we will get a feel for it. We also have one on the Zuiderdam in January. Some people don't like aft cabins because it gets hot or the configuration of decks reduces privacy. On the Zuiderdam, the deck we are on has a cover from the deck above it so it should help in those regards. As for the Radiance class of ships we have to see.

We were on the Serenade last October and fell in Love with it and lived in the solarium. They just about had to drag us off the ship. We were supposed to go on the transatlantic that you went on, but we had to chance our plans. Well take care

[deb7073]

I'm anxious to hear what you think about Aft, once you take your cruise in December. I'm afraid I'm going to wish I hadn't changed cabins.

My mother is on the Radiance OTS right now in Alaska. She phoned yesterday from Juneau, complimenting the ship. She said it was beautiful. I would assume it's the same as the Jewel, and I loved that ship.

 

What do you think about Holland America cruises? My mother prefers them, and that's usually what we travel when I go with her. I can take them or leave them. They're beautiful ships, but I'm ususally the youngest onboard. And believe me, I'm NOT young! ha ha

Most of my personal cruises have been on Princess, but RCI is definitely growing on me.

 

I can't wait to hear your reviews!

 

Take care

[JULIE & WALTER]

Deb, I found the site.....And I book marked it!!!! Sorry it took me so long, catching up since we got back has been slow! Obviously, I am ok now, am still in my pj's at after 11am! The boy in the photo I emailed you is Kenny Kera's bf . He turned 21 yesterday so Kera rented a Limo and surprised him by taking 12 of their friends club hopping. Oh to be young! I am a little concerned that 14 mo's is too long for a cruise. Got any ideas for a quickie cruise b4 then?

 

Hello to Marina and Marshall, Walter & I were also on the transatlantic crossing of the Jewel OTS just back on 9-11 Had a fabulous time and really enjoyed meeting everyone from the cc boards. We are looking forward to going again and staying even longer at sea. We thought we might be bored but there is so much to do and the radiance class ships are gorgous to look at.

 

I learned so much from our previous post including travel tips, packing tips, shore excursions etc. that I will be glued to this site.

 

Only 14 mo's to go! We have never been to Spain or Portugal so will rely on advice of others to guide us.

 

Later, better go start working!

Jules

[deb7073]

Hi Jules,

So glad you found the site.

 

Sorry about ALL the pics I emailed you. Well, not really. Problem is, I mean to send just ONE, and before I know it. Well, you know...

 

Michael is looking for cruises as we speak. He seems to be on it hours at a time.

We're looking for a shorter cruise right now. Our Vegas trip (as you know) was cancelled because I'm a snob, and won't stay in just ANY hotel. The rest are booked. And my Sedona trip is out because my sister will be visiting. Oh well. We're also looking at NYC in the early spring.

 

I would love for yall to think about visiting, too.

 

OK, back to the cruises. We've had quite a time with RCI reps. It seems they don't know what they're talking about half the time. We finally called last night and asked for a supervisor. After a half hour conversation, we finally received the CORRECT info. Nothing their reps had told us was correct.

Mostly about cabin catagories and prices. So be careful booking, and know exactly what you're looking for. Or rather, make sure your agent knows exactly what you want.

I'll find out from Michael what he's thinking about booking. He called me this morning, wanting his passport number. Hmmmm...wonder what THAT means?

Is he going somewhere without me???

 

Have you signed up on the 'roll call' site? This site won't let you type in the other site's web address, so I'll email it to you.

 

Maria and Marshall, if you'd like the site address, just let me know, and I'll email it to you.

Don't forget to report back to us when you return from your cruise.

 

I'm looking forward to all of us sharing and learning as the months progress.

We have lots of time to plan activities, and get into all kinds of trouble! :)

[Dan & Tom]

Caught your post and thought I would pop on to say hi. I am sure the 4 of you will keep this Message Board hopping over the next year. Hope you don't mind if I pop in every once in a while just to see what kind of trouble you have gotten yourselves into. Would love to have been sailing with you again, but I am sure we will cross paths again. Dan and I are looking into a spring Alaska cruise with either RCCL or Princess. Have either one of you done Alaska in May ? Take care Dan & Tom

[deb7073]

Dan and Tom!

So good to hear from you. You know I'm always game for us cruising together. We had such a good time with ya'll.

 

Alaska is one of my favorite places to cruise, so I'll have a difficult time turning that one down. Doesn't matter to me whether it's Princess or RCCL.

I've never cruised Alaska in May. However, I've done June, July, August, and September. The best was Ketchikan during the 'salmon run' in September.

You've got to see it to believe it. I think that was also the cruise where we saw the aurora borealis. I wonder if you could see it in May?

 

I know that early June and September are known to be a bit chilly and rainy. BUT, for some reason, (like the transatlantic cruise we took) I've never had any rain in Alaska.

Come to think of it, I've never had any rain when I've visited Seattle either.

Go figure...Mother nature must like me.

I imagine May will have the same weather as late September????

 

My mother is returning from an Alaska cruise today on the Radiance. I believe it's the last cruise of the season. She called from Juneau and said the weather was nice, but all excursions, except for whale watching, had been cancelled due to high winds. She figured it must have been high winds above ground, because she said there was no wind from her balcony.

Weatherwise, I'm anxious to hear how the rest of her cruise went.

 

Which cruise did you say you had booked? I know it was Boston/Boston, but can't remember when you sail. (on THAT one, anyways) You're as bad as I am about cruising.

 

Would you believe Michael is STILL in and out bed, and on his third round of antibiotics from the illness that he started getting on the cruise?

 

Of course, please keep in touch. Are you KIDDING?

As time goes on, I'm hoping more and more people find this thread.

 

In the meantime, if you find yourself near the Big D area, yell...We have lots of room.

[artvlay]

Hi Deb, Michael, Julie and Walter,

 

We were supposed to book the Jewel Transatlantic, but had to back out due to a business project conflict. It sounds like you guys had a wonderful time. We were on the Serenade in the fall, and fell in love with the class of ship, thats why we booked the Radiance and the Brilliance. Our favorite spot was the Solarium.

 

We have never tried Holland America and wanted to try it. The food on Royal Carib has gone down hill over the years and it is the exact menu. We traveled on RCCL and Celebrity on about 16 cruises.

Deb, if you are looking for a short cruise, the one we are on in January (29) is five days on the Zuiderdam. We never took a short cruise before, because a lot of the short cruise ships are older, but this ship is less than two years old. We had such a run around though on cabins. When I first inquired two weeks ago, the girl told me there was an odd sized cabin (not Suite) with a 636 sq. ft balcony, as opposed to the usual 40 sq. ft. in that catagory. I questioned her and she told me there were two cabins of this odd size and one was still available. Well, I booked it and when other people we were traveling with checked on their cabin, I asked to confirm the size of my balcony. At first, the person said it can't be that big, and then when she asked a superviser, they confirmed the size. THEN, I was looking at photos on the Internet at the back of the ship. I was looking at the specific cabin and there was no way it had that large of a balcony. So, again I called, and asked a supervisor to fax me a statement that did say that size. I didn't wan't to get on the ship and find a small balcony with everyone saying "oh well, its a mistake". When they checked on it they said that it was 636 sq. ft and they would check if they could fax the letter. I was then disconnected. I then called customer service in the Presidents office and after checking on it, they said that ALL the people were wrong, it should have read 63.6 sq ft. So a lesson learned, don't believe anyone. They gave me a big $100 onboard credit for my troubles. (Sorry for the book I wrote.)

 

Take care

 

Maria and Marshall

[deb7073]

Hi Maria and Marshall,

I wish you had been on the cruise with us, too. You would have had a good time. But we all certainly understand how business (and family) take first priority.

 

We love that class of ship, too. (except for the Navigator) I haven't liked a ship this much in years. Not since The Star Princess. And that was awhile ago. Don't get me wrong. I've enjoyed many ships, but these ships are just gorgeous, and easy to get around.

 

Actually, I've never enjoyed the food on most of the cruiselines. I don't think HA and Celebrity are any better than Princess and RCCL. And that's not saying much. (just my opinion, of course)

 

The only cruise food I've had that's as good as a restaurant is Crystal, and the special meals we receive when we cruise with a friend of ours, who is a chief engineer on a ship. It shouldn't be that way. I feel the food should be consistently VERY GOOD. And if they can serve great food sometimes, why can't they serve good food all the time? I don't get it.

 

My mother loves HA. They're beautifully elegant ships, but for the most part, the passengers are quite elderly. On the flip side, I find their educational programs outstanding, and I love the music. I certainly wouldn't decline a cruise on HA, but I'd enjoy them more if they had a younger crowd. Younger meaning, 40's to 70's. But, I hear it's changing. You'll have to tell me.

 

Is the Zuiderdam a four or five day cruise? Why is it only sailing for a few days? That may be an interesting cruise to take.

I can't believe you've had such a problem with cabins. And, I'm very surprised HA didn't know their product. I loved your idea about faxing the info. Enjoy that 100.00 shipboard credit. I suppose it's better than nothing.

 

Don't worry about writing a book. That's what we all seem to do. How else are we going to learn? :)

 

Dan and Tom...If I don't get to you before you find this, Mom is back from her cruise to Alaska. She said it rained the entire time, it was indeed windy afterall, and very chilly. She said they never got off the ship. Bummer!

Dependng on when you go in May, you will probably have the same weather.

If it doesn't bother you, then you should have a good time. Let me know if yall decide on one. I may still be able to be talked into it. :)

 

Jules and Walter...thanks for the home pics. Sorry I sent so many to you.

As soon as we download our cruise pics (NO, we STILL haven't done it) I'll be sending them on to everyone.

 

See what I mean about 'the book?'

 

Everybody take care

Debbie

[artvlay]

Hi Debbie:

 

The Zuiderdam is a five day cruise. I don't know why, they normally have a void and they maximize it. There are two five day cruise's back to back.

As for our least favorite ship, it would easily be the Grandeur of The Seas.

[MavisMarie]

Hi, Ya'll. Checking in to see what everyone is up to. Ken and I have not booked another cruise yet. We will either do the Med or the Baltic next summer....leaning again towards the Med -- and probably the same places I've visited 6 or 7 times already...on land tours or cruises. Can't get away from Venice for too long or I go into withdrawal. We love those European ports so much. Of course, we also like the sea days but will probably not book another transatlantic next year. I'm thinking about an extended stay in Germany/Switzerland and then flying to the European port for the cruise. How does that sound? Ken says this is my biggest fault -- always gotta "add on, add on" to everything. As you know, I quite frequently disagree with Ken. I think of it as a case of "may as well"... since we'll be there, we "may as well" do this or do that.

DEB: Please send me the link to your Roll Call thread so I can watch the excitement build. I'm sure you'll all have a blast on the crossing.

[artvlay]

Hello to all and hope that you are enjoying your winter. We got back two weeks ago from our cruise on the Zuiderdam, and we were truly disappointed with the ship and the staff. It wasn't clean in a lot of areas, the staff were going through their motions, and not going that extra mile. The food was better than Royal Carib, but thats it. There were few windows while walking around and you felt closed in. Give me the Radiance class ships any day.

[deb7073]

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back. I lost the thread.

We're still looking forward to our trip in November.

We just returned yesterday from a transatlantic cruise on the QM2.

It took me ma few days to warm up to the ship, but indeed I did. A very understated elegance. For something a little different, QM2 is a good choice.

I was surprised to see that the clientele wasn't as elderly as HA. Of course, that could just mean that I'm getting older!

Although, the food was no better, if worse than the other cruise lines.

What I did like was their loose slots. Everyone was winning.

But with all that said, I'm STILL really looking forward to the Brilliance.

I just love the energy on the Royal Caribbean ships.

We have also booked a cruise in 06 on the Freedom.

[artvlay]

Hi Deb: I was beginning to think that we were the only ones on the ship. We have wanted to take the QM2 since it came out and we are jealous. It was docked next to us in February, and it looks beautiful.

 

Marshall

[bchbms]

Remember me? We were on the Serenade with you, at the table beside you! Nice to see you on here again and see that you are still cruising! We will be on the Brilliance in October on the 12 day Med cruise, staying 2 days prior in Barcelona. We have an aft also, and cannot wait! We'll take good care of the ship and the Solarium for you ;) !

 

Have you been to Tony Luke's lately?

[artvlay]

Do we remember you???? We tell the story all the time of it being a small world, chatting with you online all those months and then sitting right next to you guys. When I saw your email, I thought you were going to be on the same cruise, I'm disapointed. We haven't been to Tony Lukes in a few months, since me moved our office from Cherry Hill to Medford, it is a little less convenient. Send regards to Carl,

 

Marshall

[bchbms]

Yeah, wasn't that funny! If we hadn't gone to the Meet and Mingle, we would have never know. We had alot of fun on that cruise, and all of our other tablemates were great. We still corresponding with Phil and Kathy from CT.

 

Have you ever done a transatlantic before? I'm not sure if I wouldl like that as much as a port based cruise. You'll have to let me know how you like it.

 

My son who takes the subway to Tony Luke's from campus all the time will be studying in Rome next semester and is already worried about missing his chicken cheesesteaks (poor baby!). I don't think he will starve in Rome though!

 

Great to hear from you!

[deb7073]

My goodness, where is everyone? By now, we should have already had enough people for a party. This is Royal Carribbean, RIGHT?

We may very well be the only people on the ship. Talk about SERVICE! :)

[jagsfan]

hi....my DH Dick are on this cruise, staying 3 nts in Barcelona first. Last time

I was there got lost and walked halfway to Madrid. This time I won't listen

to anybody but myself. Looking forward to first time on RCCL. Sailed on

QM2 in Feb. this will be different. We've done 5 days transatlantic on QEII,

7 will be just about right. Am looking for night vision binoculars so I can see

Gibraltar and Morocco when we go by.

[deb7073]

Hello Jagsfan,

Good to hear from you. I thought I was the only one here.

We were also on the QM2. Our cruise was in May of this year. We enjoyed it immensely. Would do it again. However, it wasn't long enough!

We usually cruise Princess, and H.A. and a few Celebrity's.

We tried Royal Caribbean a few years ago because we'd heard how much fun they were. We were hooked. I still cruise the other lines, too, but for a good time, with nice people, you can't beat Royal Caribbean. We were on a transatlantic cruise last year (Jewel of the Seas) and met some very nice people.

I hope we get some more people on here before the cruise. I can't believe it's so quiet. We had a huge mass of people on the thread last year. And the one I'm going on in October (06) Freedom of the Seas is already packed.

Makes me wonder if there's another 'Brilliance' thread for this date, somewhere.

 

If you walked halfway to Madrid on your last trip, then I definitely wouldn't listen to anyone else. Your poor feet. OUCH! Probably saw a lot more than you thought you would though. :)

[deb7073]

Maybe it's me, but I can't seem to find the other cruise threads. I've bookmarked this one, so it's easy to access. However, when I try to find others, I can't figure it out. There used to be a list of threads.

Am I looking in the wrong place? Is that why y'all can't find THIS thread????

Maybe a glass of wine will help me figure it out.... :)