Just off the Brilliance - Feb 11-22

[griswalds]

This was our 14th cruise, 6th on RCI and second on the Brilliance. Just a few comments to share. Overall a great cruise, just some petty comments.

 

1. The ship remains in good condition. However, it is scheduled for dry dock in April 2008.

2. Staff were very friendly. CD - Dennis was average.

3. Shows were good overall. However, the "marriage show" counted one night as the main entertainment which was a new low. Tango dancing show was canceled due to "rough" seas which a first for us. The show went ahead the next day at 2 PM which we missed as the weather was just too good to leave the sun deck and go back down to the theatre.

4. Singers, dancers and band were good, not awesome but good.

5. Windjammer food is average and often the same every day. Prefer Princess for the open grill BBQ for burgers etc. cooked fresh in front of you. Pizza was good but preferred Princess pizza as it has better pizza sauce and usually hot.

6. Coke card is now $6/day.

7. Early dining was moved up to 5:30 PM, prefer 6 or 6:15 PM. Not sure why other than to make both dining times less than ideal to try and balance out the many requests for early dining.

8. Had dinner twice in Chops. It was incredible and well worth the cost of $25 each. Had dinner once on Portofino and once was enough.

9. Yes, they had lobster one night. However they are not making the lobsters as big as they use to be. Dining room service was smooth, excellent service.

10. DW is a vegetarian and found the selection poor but the quality good.

11. Usual chair hogs and many empty lounge chairs were "reserved" and sat empty for hours. You had to give your room number to get fresh towels on the pool deck, but they never wrote the numbers down, I never understood why they bothered asking.

12. RCI has added Fox News in addition to CNN which was a nice touch. TV worked well most of the time.

13. Life boat drill is still mandatory on RCI unlike Princess, which is fine with us.

14. We loved Cartagena and most surprised with this port. We join some other passengers for a private tour where we hired a 10 passenger van for $25 each. We rec'd almost a 4 hour tour. We did not book any RCI tours.

15. On the ship around noon in less than 30 minutes. Off the ship at 6:40 a.m.

as we used the express option. This is a new record. We were at the airport before 7:30 a.m.! The cruise lines have finally figured it out!

 

Griswalds

[stl82]

Thanks for the summary. We'll be on this cruise on March 3. There is a lot of good advice in your well written note. I was interested that you arrived at 11:30 at the dock and were on in 30 minutes, that is great. When were you able to get into your room?

 

I know you used the early dinner but did you hear any comments about the My Time Dining? Our little group is going to use that.

 

Formal nights on the second and second to last nights?

 

Any recommendations for going through the Canal - time, where to get the best view, things like that.

 

Did you use Lee Miles in Cartagena? We have a group of 8 going with him. Really looking forward to going there as I traveled there a couple of times while I was working.

 

Thanks again.

 

David

[German Wunderkind]

Hi

 

I was on Brilliance 3 times last year. My last was was her transatlantic cruise in December and your comments sound familiar to me.

 

Especially dinner times and WJ food doesn't seem to have changed in the Caribbean.

On the other hand, the fresh made pizza in Sea View was delicious compared to the WJ selection.

 

I had a very poor experience in Portofinos during the crossing as well. Service was terrible and the food quality also.

They served us for example ice-cold mashed potatoes with the main course and even after mentioning it they just said "sorry". You had to ask to get hot ones.

 

You got lobster?

Was it especially mentioned on the menu again? Last year they did hide the lobster in the seafood combination dish (or something similar called) and the lobster was tiny, tiny, tiny.

 

I had a mixed overall experience on my cruise. Still I wouldn't hesitate to book Brilliance again if the itinerary is right (especially the Panama Canal in January was great).

 

David

 

Rooms will be ready by 1pm. WJ will open between 11.30 or 12 so you can have a lunch before going to your cabin.

 

Otherwise, the activities (like Spa tours, Brilliance Expo) will mostly start at 2 or 3pm when the majority of the people are on board.

 

Regarding the canal:

I would either suggest the Heli-pad in the morning or the open Decks at the front of the ship. Temperatures are reasonable in the morning so you'll be able to see the whole transit of the locks.

For the return trip, I would suggest to walk around. Go to the forward facing decks as well as the open deck area behind the Windjammer (shaded and you'll get something to drink quite easy). However, have a look from the Promenade Deck as well. You'll nearly be able to touch the wall of the lock and the small clearance is best seen from there.

 

Enjoy Brilliance and the Canal.

 

German Wunderkind

[GMoney]

13. Life boat drill is still mandatory on RCI unlike Princess, which is fine with us.

 

Are you saying the muster drill is optional on Princess? That's not my experience, but maybe I'm not understanding...

[Sue L]

Are you saying the muster drill is optional on Princess? That's not my experience, but maybe I'm not understanding...

 

 

 

Isn't it a SOLAS mandatory requirement to have muster for ALL cruise ships.? What would make Princess exempt?

[griswalds]

Our room was ready before 1 PM, the luggage did not arrive until 4 PM tho....forget tipping the porters, it made no difference. I heard nothing about anytime dining but I really didn't ask either, we prefer a set time. 3 Formal nights with the last one being the second last night on the ship. We did not use Lee, our driver was named Antonio (Tony) and was well known as we traveled around the town. Tony was connected and he knew the business, as a result we ended up touring a few retail outlets which we friends of his.

 

Griswalds

 

 

Thanks for the summary. We'll be on this cruise on March 3. There is a lot of good advice in your well written note. I was interested that you arrived at 11:30 at the dock and were on in 30 minutes, that is great. When were you able to get into your room?

 

I know you used the early dinner but did you hear any comments about the My Time Dining? Our little group is going to use that.

 

Formal nights on the second and second to last nights?

 

Any recommendations for going through the Canal - time, where to get the best view, things like that.

 

Did you use Lee Miles in Cartagena? We have a group of 8 going with him. Really looking forward to going there as I traveled there a couple of times while I was working.

 

Thanks again.

 

David

[griswalds]

We were on the Golden Princess last November and when the call came for the drill, my DW advised me that we did not have to go. Being the DH that I am, I agreed with her and we relaxed in our cabin while the drill was on. I expected at any minute to be called to the brig and forced to do kitchen duty. No one came to our cabin and there were no further drills. My DW indicated to me that the announcement for the drill indicated that it was optional. I missed the actual announcement as I was busy checking out the channels on the TV at the moment.

 

On RCI, you knew there was drill and that everyone had to attend. That was not the case on the Golden Princess.

 

Griswalds

 

 

Are you saying the muster drill is optional on Princess? That's not my experience, but maybe I'm not understanding...

[gagirl7143]

WHAT HAPPENED TO Abe the cd who just came on board after the transatlantic?

[gailc]

We are also on the March 3 cruise.

 

Griswalds - You wrote that you had 3 Formal nights. We have always had 2. What were the other nights? Was glad to know that Fox News is on the Brilliance. We had it on the Liberty & Freedom. We are also doing My Time Dining. 5:30p.m. is too early for Early Dining. I think that might have been the same time we had it on our previous Brilliance cruise.

 

Gail

[wolfcathorse]

WHAT HAPPENED TO Abe the cd who just came on board after the transatlantic?

 

I had Abe on Majesty 2-18, I asked him about it and he said he had to come back and fill in for someone for 3 weeks before going back to Brilliance. So by the end of March I'd expect Abe Hughes to be back on Brilliance.

[teajak]

Are you saying the muster drill is optional on Princess? That's not my experience, but maybe I'm not understanding...

Muster drill is mandatory on all cruise ships.Don't know if it is an international requirement or federal but no ships are exempt.

[teajak]

We were on the Golden Princess last November and when the call came for the drill, my DW advised me that we did not have to go. Being the DH that I am, I agreed with her and we relaxed in our cabin while the drill was on. I expected at any minute to be called to the brig and forced to do kitchen duty. No one came to our cabin and there were no further drills. My DW indicated to me that the announcement for the drill indicated that it was optional. I missed the actual announcement as I was busy checking out the channels on the TV at the moment.

 

On RCI, you knew there was drill and that everyone had to attend. That was not the case on the Golden Princess.

 

Griswalds

Your DW pulled a con on you and it worked.LOL

[30something cruiser]

Im curious what they are planning to do to the ship in dry dock. Does anyone have any idea? I am on a 12 nite med cruise in July.

[Sue L]

Im curious what they are planning to do to the ship in dry dock. Does anyone have any idea? I am on a 12 nite med cruise in July.

 

All the Radiance class ships are getting a new engine to increase the ship's efficiency while in port.

[griswalds]

We had one the second night on the ship and the second last night on the ship. The other formal night was day 5 or 6 but who is counting. 11 days cruise, some are 10 on the B of C

 

Griwalds

 

 

 

We are also on the March 3 cruise.

 

Griswalds - You wrote that you had 3 Formal nights. We have always had 2. What were the other nights? Was glad to know that Fox News is on the Brilliance. We had it on the Liberty & Freedom. We are also doing My Time Dining. 5:30p.m. is too early for Early Dining. I think that might have been the same time we had it on our previous Brilliance cruise.

 

Gail

[griswalds]

Sorry but my DW was most serious about this. Regardless, if the cruise ship drill sgt.'s really do check on who goes and who does not go to the drill, why was there no follow up? Ah ha! that is where the real con is... if you are into con stuff my fellow cruiser.

 

Griswalds

 

 

 

Your DW pulled a con on you and it worked.LOL

[CRUISEMAMI]

WHAT HAPPENED TO Abe the cd who just came on board after the transatlantic?

Abe just left the Brilliance on FEB 11, to go to the Majesty, but he'll be back on the Brilliance. His job is to cover for other CD's when they go on vacation.

It was funny seeing him pulling his suitcases, and when I wished him a good trip home, he looked at me and said "I'm home" and looked at the Majesty, docked in front at the Brilliance......

[CRUISEMAMI]

Im curious what they are planning to do to the ship in dry dock. Does anyone have any idea? I am on a 12 nite med cruise in July.

They are going to change the engines, because right now , they are using to much fuel!!!!!!!!

[pjsugg]

Also just got off the Feb 11th, and I was surprised at the three formal nights, but we only did two of them. Chops was very good, so we went there two nights. As for the food, I am in agreement.........it was ok. There sure was a lot of lamb dishes over and over. Maybe they have sheep on Deck 2.

 

Anyway, we loved the ship, our cabin was really great (1556) on the hump, our service was always great, we met great casino and bar staff and enjoyed in spite of the fact my ankles were so swollen the whole trip, I could only wear one pair of sandals I brought. One day back in Albuq. and they were back to normal, but unfortunately, so was everything else. I tried calling for room service on Saturday, and nobody delivered. Oh, and had no mints on the pillows ........ wow, what I wouldn't give for those swollen feet. LOL

 

Patti

[gailc]

Patti - Have they added any penney slots? My ankles also swell & go back to normal when we get home.

 

Gail

[pjsugg]

There are only a few penney machines back by the sports bar. There are some multi-denominational ones you can plan two-cents, five and quarters, some nickel ones and the rest quarters and dollars.

 

I saw a few others like us with the swollen feet and ankles. After a few days it began to get sore, like your skin is going to burst open and my feet and legs began turning sunburned looking. What a drag, I could not get out by the pool much to get my cruise color look. Guess I should have gone and gotten a spray tan before returning to work. LOL

[gailc]

Sounds like they've added some machines since we were last on the ship. Next I'm waiting for all the ships to start using paper Tickets like Freedom & Liberty.

 

You're right about shoes not fitting. If I get my feet up for a while, it helps, & they will go down.

 

Gail

[Pomperaugrr]

They are going to change the engines, because right now , they are using to much fuel!!!!!!!!

 

Actually, all of the Radiance Class ships are having generators added to them so that they do not have to run the gas turbine engines while in port. The gas turbine engines are not very fuel efficient while the ship is sitting idle in port. They are not actually changing the engines, just adding the generator. The Serenade is just finishing up in dry dock having had the same work done on it. We were given this info while we were on the Serenade this past January.

 

Eric

[Evie30see]

Anybody got any suggestions for land tours for 2 older couples who do not like scuba or wave runners, or swimming with dolphins, etc.? Got the cruise coming up on the 24th and are unsure as to what tours to take.