Brilliance Panama Canal...Room Help Please!

[shagzie]

Hi! First, I'd like to thank you all. You have been of great help in the past few months for answering all my crazy questions reguarding my past Easter cruise. I loved it so much that I am now about to book an anniversary cruise to the Panama Canal. All I need are suggestions on which balcony room is best from previous Brilliance cruisers. The cheapest is an E3 on deck 7 but I've read you can't look straight down because of the lifeboats or something? Port or starboard side best? Thanks! April

Adventure of the Seas 4/11/04
<applet code="countdown.class" CODEBASE="http://*************/java-sys" width="203" height="25">
<param name="font" value="lcdb0">
<param name="year" value=2004>
<param name="month" value=04>
<param name="day" value=11>
<param name="hour" value=22>
</applet>

[Host Karen]

Lifeboats block your view straight down to the water on deck 7, but you can see fine otherwise. Port or starboard doesn't really matter because you turn around in Gatun Lake and go back through the locks giving you the opportunity to move to the other side, front or back. Take whatever balcony cabin you can get a good deal on and if you don't love the view, you can always go up on deck 11 or 12 or down to deck 5 to get a better view.

Karen

Read my [url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=408097554&m=6873085377"]2/6/04 Brilliance review[/url]

Infinity in... [img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2004;12;5;21;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800[/img]

Brilliance 6/05
Infinity 12/04
Brilliance 2/04
Adventure 11/03
Brilliance 2/03
Grand Princess 3/02
Dawn Princess 11/01
Ocean Princess 5/00

[sunandsalt]

E1 cabins on deck 7 have a straight view down to the water. The balconys are also a little deeper.

Harvey

[tommoore1]

The only advice I can give you is to stay away from deck 4 and below (unless you want a great view of walls!)
We were on the Legend of the Seas in February, and the view from our cabin on deck 9 (#9514, on the starboard side, close to the pointy end of the ship) was TREMENDOUS!!!
We hosted a small get-together of around 20 people on the balcony, and we all had a teriffic view of the entire process.
Are you going the full passage, or half-way?
--Tom

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=111111&cdt=2004;10;19;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800[/img]
'Till we're back on the high seas

.....And.....
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=111111&cdt=2005;8;4;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800[/img]

'Till our Alaskan adventure

[shagzie]

Hi again! I was looking at one exterior photo of the Brilliance and it looked like the balconies above you can look down and see everything you are doing. Maybe it was a bad view or angle? If this is the case, there is no way I'd want a deck 7 balcony. Thanks! April

Adventure of the Seas 4/11/04
<applet code="countdown.class" CODEBASE="http://*************/java-sys" width="203" height="25">
<param name="font" value="lcdb0">
<param name="year" value=2004>
<param name="month" value=04>
<param name="day" value=11>
<param name="hour" value=22>
</applet>

[skydad]

we had aft cabin 8170
turned tv on to see front of the ship going through and watched gates closing from the back
also balcony accommodates 2 chairs, table plus 2 lounge chairs
enjoy

[shagzie]

skydad - I would love to have cabin 8170 but unforunately it tis not available. Maybe one will open up when the date gets a little closer. Only time will tell. Thanks, April

Adventure of the Seas 4/11/04
<applet code="countdown.class" CODEBASE="http://*************/java-sys" width="203" height="25">
<param name="font" value="lcdb0">
<param name="year" value=2004>
<param name="month" value=04>
<param name="day" value=11>
<param name="hour" value=22>
</applet>

[vossjemi]

Shagzie: Sorry Shagzie, I have 8170 for the 1/14/05 PC sailing. My brother is also going and has a cabin on the port side, but still a d1. Only way I'll give up 8170 is if (god forbid an emergency happens) or if I get 9256, which I am on the waiting list for. I'd love 9256 as it has the huge wrap around balcony, but who knows how many are on the waiting list for that.

SkyDad: I've been searching high and low for someone who has been in this cabin. Even posted a few months back to see if someone had been there, but no comments. Pls give me the dish! do you have pictures?



Carnival Festivale 8/95
RCI Navigator of the Seas 1/24/04--SEE MY REVIEW AT [url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=408097554&m=7683004077"]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=408097554&m=7683004077[/url]
RCI Brilliance of the Seas 1/14/05
WE CAN'T WAIT TIL WE SAIL AGAIN!
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=800080&cdt=2005;1;14;17;0;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]

[paddy Anne]

HI Vosssjemi,
I read that you are on a waiting list. Are you serious and if so how do I get on one. We are booked on teh brilliance for next March and all aft balconies are already gone.

Carnival Triumph 04/2000
Norwegian Sun 02/2004
Brilliance of the Seas 03/2005

[Ashley24]

Have cruised only in the caribbean but am curious about the Panama Canal. Do you visit any ports? Is there a better time of year to visit or is any time fine? Would my children enjoy this cruise (9,6)?

[skydad]

been "eavesdropping" on these boards for months and thanks everyone for all the great tips - including booking an aft cabin
think i drove my travel agent crazy - kept watching the available cabins and changed 3 times before an aft came up - glad i persisted
did the panama canal 4/9 and loved every minute
brillance is a beautiful ship
my favorite cruise is always the last one

vosssjemi-lucked out on cabin 8170 - inside nothing special - quite adequate - plenty of room to unpack everything - kept forgetting just where i had put stuff - read complaints aboutlong walk down hallway - but worth every step - used balcony a lot - beautiful sunsets - great place to sun when no good chairs or too windy up top - i'll see if i can figure out how to get pix

just booked aft on jewel 2/05
sovereign 5/04 (mothers' day!!!)
brillance 4/04
sovereign 5/03
enchantment 11/02
splendor 2/01
nordic prince '83 & '86
norway, dreamward
rotterdam, ryndam, veendam (old & new) volendam (old & new) statendam
star princess
and it all started with the boheme '79

[cruisingrightalong]

8012 was great....don't be closer to the front...and deck 9 on the front looks into the bridge area...we looked under the bridge area and ahead...and could see water just fine. Did look down on deck 7 balconies...no problem.

[img]http://home.earthlink.net/~bcs3/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/westcoast.gif[/img]
Radiance of the Seas May 2, 2004
Brilliance of the Seas November 14, 2003
Imagination June 30, 2002

[vossjemi]

paddy Anne,

Yes, I'm serious about the waiting list. I'd heard others mention it before on this board. Also, my brother didn't really get the cabin he wanted, but was told by our TA that once he booked he could get on a waiting list for the cabin he really wanted. So, we are both on waiting lists, but not really expecting anything. I'll be very happy with 8170 if I don't get 9256. My understanding is you have to have a booking in order to be on the waiting list, and you can only be on the list for 1 room, at least thats what my TA said. Good Luck.

Carnival Festivale 8/95
RCI Navigator of the Seas 1/24/04--SEE MY REVIEW AT [url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=408097554&m=7683004077"]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=408097554&m=7683004077[/url]
RCI Brilliance of the Seas 1/14/05
WE CAN'T WAIT TIL WE SAIL AGAIN!
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=800080&cdt=2005;1;14;17;0;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]

[heatherb1958]

hi, shagzie
we did full PC transit qpril 2002 on Radiance,cabin 9570. although we were disappointed with overhang at first ,it proved invaluable when we had terrific tropical storm half way through. we could still sit out on balcony,having a tipple ,but most of all stayed DRY.If you want sun on your balcony you need to be on port side travelling east to west and starboard side travelling west to east. does that make sense? we have been on the Brilliance (march 2003, circle the caribbean) and are due to sail on the Jewel on 8thmay out of Southampton.we love the radiance class ships.
heather, uk

[paddy Anne]

Vosssjemi,
Thanks for the info. I found out that by calling RCC directly I was albe to find rooms of the aft that did not show up on the internet.....Unfortuately [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img] we are traveling with 2 children and none of the aft cabins accommodates 4 persons. We are presently booked in 9590 but will try to get 9586 or 9584 if they come available. Any knowledge of these rooms?
Thanks again,
Paddy Anne

Carnival Triumph 04/2000
Norwegian Sun 02/2004
Brilliance of the Seas 03/2005
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=111111&cdt=2005;03;07;17;30;00&timezone=GMT-0400[/img]

[vossjemi]

Paddy Anne,

Sorry, I don't know anything about those rooms other than what I see on the deck plans. They all look like wonderful rooms. I wanted either aft or hump. I booked in feb and for like 2 weeks there were no aft or hump rooms available. Then, one lucky day, 3 aft rooms came up...bingo I got to pick! That was exciting. But, I would have taken your rooms in a heartbeat too. If you want to search availability of a certain cabin, check out bestpricecruises.com. There you can type in any cabin #, and it will take you to a booking screen if it is available. It will say cabin not available if already booked. That is how I found my cabin...it wasn't listed on the trad'l RC website...I had to search for it.

Carnival Festivale 8/95
RCI Navigator of the Seas 1/24/04--SEE MY REVIEW AT [url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=408097554&m=7683004077"]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=408097554&m=7683004077[/url]
RCI Brilliance of the Seas 1/14/05
WE CAN'T WAIT TIL WE SAIL AGAIN!
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=800080&cdt=2005;1;14;17;0;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]