Royal Caribbean, Brilliance of the Seas Review

Overall Rating

Transfer from airport to ship.
Check-in at the ship, especially having used the online check-in to obtain our sea pass.

Not being told that there was a charge to use the shuttle buses every time we wanted to leave the ship (unless you booked a tour).
Expensive tours and excursions.

The first thing that hits you is the ship itself! It is stunning, and definitely has the Wow! factor. From the sheer size to the panoramic glass elevators (the ones looking out to sea are particularly good). The ship is very clean and never seemed full, despite the 2000+ passengers on-board.

We generally ate breakfast in the Windjammer cafe, which served a wide range of hot and cold buffet food. The omelette chef very quickly learned what we preferred, and after a couple of days all we had to ask for was "the usual" and our omelettes were done to perfection. It was also good for afternoon snacks and hot chocolate of an evening.

Room service was good, I ordered a surprise for my wife of champagne and strawberries on arrival - very pleasant! We were also given a complementary dish of chocolate dipped strawberries one day when room service was a wee bit slow - nice touch!

The food in the main dining room was good and varied, with portion sizes which were just enough so that you weren't stuffed full (which was good if you wanted to partake in the midnight buffet). The waiters were all very efficient and friendly. The seaview cafe at the stern (the blunt end) of the ship was very nice, and served pizza and pasta to your specifications - very pleasant with a glass of wine overlooking the wake disappearing over the horizon.

Our cabin was an interior one, which was well kitted out and very clean. Large bed (mind you at 5 feet 0 inches and 5 ft 5 inches we are not the biggest of folks), but still plenty of room. Our room attendant was first class - nothing was too much trouble. If we wanted something, she got it for us.

The excursions were too expensive for us, so we opted to do our own thing. This was a thoroughly enjoyable experience as we have seen more than we would have with an organised tour. We swapped stories with the folks at our table, and they seemed to confirm this, and they are now converted into doing their own thing next time. We have to say a huge thank you to the taxi driver in Naples who gave us the best ever day out around Sorrento, Pompeii and Naples, all for 45 Euros each - cheers pal!

Overall, the Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas Mediterranean cruise was excellent. We will definitely be back!