IRMO12HD

Day 1 - Embarkation (cont,
 
Enjoyed a sailaway party zs we pulled out of Port Tampa with a beautiful sunset just beginning to show a hint of its colors.
Ate in the MDR with friends, two of whom are HSR 'Virgins;' -- it's their first High Seas Rally, so they get to wear orange wristbands. Although it may sound like a stigma, it's really not -- it's kind of a license to make mistakes;-)
We had the first HSR Giveaway show of the cruise. Remember that fundraising aspect?  The first 50/50 drawing was worth $10,420.00!!  Between that and the other raffles going on that first Day, over $16,000.00 was raised for dialysis -- in just ONE day!
 

Wow, it's already Day 3!  How to summarize?
Day 1: 
Embarkation went smoothly, besides actually getting on the ship itself! We took the trolley (free!) From right outside the Marriott to Stop #7 -- Cumberland Ave -- right across the parking lot from Terminal 3.  Aside from one grumpy Xray operator, Security was effective and pleasant. From Marriott to check in was about 30 minutes total (including the obligatory group photo before entering the terminal.
Getting on the ship was a mess - not RCCL's fault -- lots of new cruisers, not a commanding voice on the PA system, and a lack of understanding of C&A boarding priorities.  
We made it though; grabbed table and chairs on the Pool Deck, and launched our drink packages.  And yes, I had a  Kummelweck!
Cabins were ready at 1 (we boarded about 11)  and we had our bags by 3 pm

Just to prove that we DO leave our fortress from time-to-time, I managed to get some shots of the newly decorated Promenade. 



 

Day2 - At Sea
Sheesh! Am I ever going to catch up??!!  It's really Day 4, so I'll give a quick review of Days 2 and 3, In my defense, I'm typing with my thumbs on my Samsung Tab A.
Day 2- woke up at 8:11; remembered I had volunteered to sell raffle tickets from 9-11. No time for coffee, let alone breakfast so I hastened to my post in the Centrum. Sold about 180 raffle tickets (pretty good odds -- 1 in 200 chance of winning $2000 at $20/ticket (did i mention how generous bikers can be?). Brunch in the WJ, dinner in the MDR.  Still waiting for crab cakes to appear on the menu.  No dice but there was lobster (or mzy e crawfish on steroids).  I tried to be good, and had one lobster tail and herb crusted salmon (really good!). Early shore excursion the next day so went to bed early.
 
Day 3
Oooffff!  5:45 came way too Early! 0645 (that's military for 6:45 am) show up time in the Pacifica Theater for our Segway tour on Grand Cayman, It was great, just like last time, and we got to ride on the beach ( I didn't know the can go through (shallow) water, but they can!  Walked around Georgetown looking for a new smaller SD card for my camera -- it's an older DSLR that doesn't like the 16GB card in it now -- but no dice, do I'm stuck with my phone (or this tablet) for now.  Dinner in the Windjammer -- including some awesome Caribbean meat pies -- and then an early night.  
 
 

Day 1 - Embarkation (cont,
 
Enjoyed a sailaway party zs we pulled out of Port Tampa with a beautiful sunset just beginning to show a hint of its colors.
Ate in the MDR with friends, two of whom are HSR 'Virgins;' -- it's their first High Seas Rally, so they get to wear orange wristbands. Although it may sound like a stigma, it's really not -- it's kind of a license to make mistakes;-)
We had the first HSR Giveaway show of the cruise. Remember that fundraising aspect?  The first 50/50 drawing was worth $10,420.00!!  Between that and the other raffles going on that first Day, over $16,000.00 was raised for dialysis -- in just ONE day!
 

High Seas Rally (30 November - 7 December 2019)
 
In case you ever wondered what a full ship charter is like – I’ll be chronicling this, our third High Seas Rally, and 2nd time on Brilliance of the Seas as a full ship charter.  A few quick notes.  This is a biker-oriented cruise, but with an awesome cause.  Many people don’t realize just how giving motorcyclists tend to be . . . whether it’s looking out for another rider on the road, swarming with support at funerals and memorials for military veterans and community heroes, or donating to a cause, bikers are super generous as a group.  This cruise’s whole purpose is to support dialysis patients.  In fact, each HSR cruise hosts at least 8-10 dialysis patients and their caregivers ON THE CRUISE!  Yes, these patients receive dialysis while on the Brilliance – and they and their caregiver pay $0.00 – yeah, nothing!  On the last cruise in 2017, in addition to hosting our dialysis guests, we raised over $700,000.00 for kidney dialysis.
With three days before we leave for Tampa, most of my prep work is done -- well, except for actually packing the suitcases! Because of the theme, and the nature of the cruise 'crewmembers,' our packing differs a bit from the standard cruise.  We'll have numerous fundraising opportunities while on board -- 50/50 raffles, Pirate Bingo, Treasured Chest, and numerous other raffles for prizes.   Our formal night will be in leathers (vests), and even our shore excursions will include many biker-friendly possibilities -- like Segways on Grand Cayman and scooters on Key West.  For me, one of the most awesome opportunities is getting to meet and talk with one of the 9-10 dialysis patients who are coming with us. 

Day 1 - Embarkation (cont,
 
Enjoyed a sailaway party zs we pulled out of Port Tampa with a beautiful sunset just beginning to show a hint of its colors.
Ate in the MDR with friends, two of whom are HSR 'Virgins;' -- it's their first High Seas Rally, so they get to wear orange wristbands. Although it may sound like a stigma, it's really not -- it's kind of a license to make mistakes;-)
We had the first HSR Giveaway show of the cruise. Remember that fundraising aspect?  The first 50/50 drawing was worth $10,420.00!!  Between that and the other raffles going on that first Day, over $16,000.00 was raised for dialysis -- in just ONE day!
 

“Formal” = leather
 

High Seas Rally (30 November - 7 December 2019)
 
In case you ever wondered what a full ship charter is like – I’ll be chronicling this, our third High Seas Rally, and 2nd time on Brilliance of the Seas as a full ship charter.  A few quick notes.  This is a biker-oriented cruise, but with an awesome cause.  Many people don’t realize just how giving motorcyclists tend to be . . . whether it’s looking out for another rider on the road, swarming with support at funerals and memorials for military veterans and community heroes, or donating to a cause, bikers are super generous as a group.  This cruise’s whole purpose is to support dialysis patients.  In fact, each HSR cruise hosts at least 8-10 dialysis patients and their caregivers ON THE CRUISE!  Yes, these patients receive dialysis while on the Brilliance – and they and their caregiver pay $0.00 – yeah, nothing!  On the last cruise in 2017, in addition to hosting our dialysis guests, we raised over $700,000.00 for kidney dialysis.
With three days before we leave for Tampa, most of my prep work is done -- well, except for actually packing the suitcases! Because of the theme, and the nature of the cruise 'crewmembers,' our packing differs a bit from the standard cruise.  We'll have numerous fundraising opportunities while on board -- 50/50 raffles, Pirate Bingo, Treasured Chest, and numerous other raffles for prizes.   Our formal night will be in leathers (vests), and even our shore excursions will include many biker-friendly possibilities -- like Segways on Grand Cayman and scooters on Key West.  For me, one of the most awesome opportunities is getting to meet and talk with one of the 9-10 dialysis patients who are coming with us. 

Eight hours until wheels leave the tarmac -- and my checklist is complete!
Packed Got passport! Household tasks complete Uber scheduled Got cash * So all of these are pretty common checklist items (trust me, I didn't include the whole list -- I could be typing forever, and you'd fall asleep before you got through it!).  The reason I put a star by the last one is because I don't usually carry much cash (much to my husband's chagrin), but for this cruise, I will!
Remember those fundraising raffles?  They start the minute we start the boarding process -- and I want to be ready!  Here's a picture from the 2017 Pirate Bingo event; photo credit is to the HIGH SEAS RALLY'S T.V. CREW, and I found the picture at https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/cruises/2019/07/03/themed-cruises-wacky-time-at-sea-from-knitting-to-disco/1628552001/.  Yup, I didn't know that we made USA Today!  
I wish I had one of the 50/50 raffles -- those wads of cash are too big for most hands to hold!  Again, it's for a great cause -- and the interesting thing is, although the stories in the news focus on the parties and the <interesting> competitions during the Rally, the charitable functions are often overlooked.  It's not just the money raised that should get attention -- it's the impact that the rally has on people's lives.  This video from the 2013 High Seas Rally (on Freedom of the Seas, before the HSR moved to a full ship charter) shows that impact.  You can see it at 
 
 
Time to go to bed!
 

Eight hours until wheels leave the tarmac -- and my checklist is complete!
Packed Got passport! Household tasks complete Uber scheduled Got cash * So all of these are pretty common checklist items (trust me, I didn't include the whole list -- I could be typing forever, and you'd fall asleep before you got through it!).  The reason I put a star by the last one is because I don't usually carry much cash (much to my husband's chagrin), but for this cruise, I will!
Remember those fundraising raffles?  They start the minute we start the boarding process -- and I want to be ready!  Here's a picture from the 2017 Pirate Bingo event; photo credit is to the HIGH SEAS RALLY'S T.V. CREW, and I found the picture at https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/cruises/2019/07/03/themed-cruises-wacky-time-at-sea-from-knitting-to-disco/1628552001/.  Yup, I didn't know that we made USA Today!  
I wish I had one of the 50/50 raffles -- those wads of cash are too big for most hands to hold!  Again, it's for a great cause -- and the interesting thing is, although the stories in the news focus on the parties and the <interesting> competitions during the Rally, the charitable functions are often overlooked.  It's not just the money raised that should get attention -- it's the impact that the rally has on people's lives.  This video from the 2013 High Seas Rally (on Freedom of the Seas, before the HSR moved to a full ship charter) shows that impact.  You can see it at 
 
 
Time to go to bed!
 

“Formal” = leather
 

Eight hours until wheels leave the tarmac -- and my checklist is complete!
Packed Got passport! Household tasks complete Uber scheduled Got cash * So all of these are pretty common checklist items (trust me, I didn't include the whole list -- I could be typing forever, and you'd fall asleep before you got through it!).  The reason I put a star by the last one is because I don't usually carry much cash (much to my husband's chagrin), but for this cruise, I will!
Remember those fundraising raffles?  They start the minute we start the boarding process -- and I want to be ready!  Here's a picture from the 2017 Pirate Bingo event; photo credit is to the HIGH SEAS RALLY'S T.V. CREW, and I found the picture at https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/cruises/2019/07/03/themed-cruises-wacky-time-at-sea-from-knitting-to-disco/1628552001/.  Yup, I didn't know that we made USA Today!  
I wish I had one of the 50/50 raffles -- those wads of cash are too big for most hands to hold!  Again, it's for a great cause -- and the interesting thing is, although the stories in the news focus on the parties and the <interesting> competitions during the Rally, the charitable functions are often overlooked.  It's not just the money raised that should get attention -- it's the impact that the rally has on people's lives.  This video from the 2013 High Seas Rally (on Freedom of the Seas, before the HSR moved to a full ship charter) shows that impact.  You can see it at 
 
 
Time to go to bed!
 

“Formal” = leather
 

High Seas Rally (30 November - 7 December 2019)
 
In case you ever wondered what a full ship charter is like – I’ll be chronicling this, our third High Seas Rally, and 2nd time on Brilliance of the Seas as a full ship charter.  A few quick notes.  This is a biker-oriented cruise, but with an awesome cause.  Many people don’t realize just how giving motorcyclists tend to be . . . whether it’s looking out for another rider on the road, swarming with support at funerals and memorials for military veterans and community heroes, or donating to a cause, bikers are super generous as a group.  This cruise’s whole purpose is to support dialysis patients.  In fact, each HSR cruise hosts at least 8-10 dialysis patients and their caregivers ON THE CRUISE!  Yes, these patients receive dialysis while on the Brilliance – and they and their caregiver pay $0.00 – yeah, nothing!  On the last cruise in 2017, in addition to hosting our dialysis guests, we raised over $700,000.00 for kidney dialysis.
With three days before we leave for Tampa, most of my prep work is done -- well, except for actually packing the suitcases! Because of the theme, and the nature of the cruise 'crewmembers,' our packing differs a bit from the standard cruise.  We'll have numerous fundraising opportunities while on board -- 50/50 raffles, Pirate Bingo, Treasured Chest, and numerous other raffles for prizes.   Our formal night will be in leathers (vests), and even our shore excursions will include many biker-friendly possibilities -- like Segways on Grand Cayman and scooters on Key West.  For me, one of the most awesome opportunities is getting to meet and talk with one of the 9-10 dialysis patients who are coming with us. 

Welcome back!

Final thoughts on Brilliance
Our suite (1052) was very nice  The fixtures in the bathroom seem a bit dated (lots of gold) but it was clean and everything worked !  Of course we are directly beneath the pool deck so there’s a bit of bumping and chair-moving overhead, but they aren’t super loud and it wasn’t objectionable.  The room is close to the elevators without being noisy.
The Suites lounge (Iliana) was very helpful.  We did not go into any of the lounges during Happy Hour so I have no idea how crowded or uncrowned either of them got.  IMO, the Diamond Lounge has a better view than the Suites Lounge.
We never set foot in the MDR so I have no idea how good or bad it was.  We went into the WJ once for lunch on day 2 and it was standard.
Voom service was sluggish occasionally but once I learned how to successfully switch from one device to another, I had no problems with Voom. To my knowledge the signal never dropped entirely. I will say, however, that there seemed to be a lot of people out in the “common areas” with laptops so I feel that there may be some dead spots.  No direct knowledge of that.  Just an impression. 
I did not go to any shows.  Dan went to 1 magic show which he said was ok. Sadly, we never made it to a showing at the Cinema.  I hope others did.
The kids’ water splash area is a small and uninspiring place at the aft of the ship, completely separated from the main pool area.  While I’m sure the kids couldn’t have cared less (they seemed to be having a ball), I felt bad for the parents b/c they were totally isolated from the rest of the adult areas.  We did go to the Solarium one afternoon.  It’s lovely there but there is only one TINY hot tub. Even Grandeur has 2 !  It was day 4 before I realized there was a Park Cafe back there.  The roast beast looked good we but didn’t try it. The main pool area seemed very busy. 
The casino is smallish and was hoppin’ the entire time it was open.  That probably has a great deal to do with the fact that this sailing was on the “complimentary” list for a long time. It makes sense that there are a lot of gamblers on this cruise. BTW, the same is true for next weeks Oasis cruise, so I expect the casino to be very busy there, as well.
No opinion on bar service as we never ordered a single drink other than our coke or pelligrino with meals.
I’ve already talked about the specialty restaurants. Chops got progressively better all week. I think embarkation lunch is a logistical nightmare for Chops. The suites breakfast at Chops was always good.
We will be walking off with the Suites Concierge tomorrow at 7:15.  We will go directly to the Tampa airport via National Car Rental shuttle where we have a car reserved.  We will be doing  a little house hunting recon during the day, and then on to Miami where we will spend the night at the Miami Biscayne Bay.  Then, boarding Oasis at 10:30 on Sunday.  Looking forward to meeting Joyce, our Genie.

At least it didn’t come out the other end.........not that I know from personal experience or anything.......cough.........?

ISince we are docked at the downtown pier, we decided to go out into town for a while. Beside us is docked NCL Breakaway.


Out in the bay, offshore, is the NCL Escape.  She is tendering her peeps ashore with lifeboats.  Glad I’m not on Escape !
We walked down to the Plaza and decided to have a couple of beers and some chips and pico de gallo.  This was the first alcohol that either of us have had the entire cruise !  The cold Coronas tasted pretty good.  More about this, later.

At some point, Dan mentioned something about maybe getting a cheap massage.  Oh yeah....that sounded like a GREAT idea.  After finishing our beers and chips, we asked our waiter if there was anywhere close where we could get a massage. It seemed we were in luck !  No more than 20 paces down the side street was a spa.  The decision was made.  If the price was right, we were getting massages.  Trust me, this is no foo foo spa.  It’s a hole-in-the-wall place but the price seemed right.  $70 each for a 90 minute massage.  Done.  They put us in a “room” for 2.  I put “room” in quotations because it is really just 1 big room with curtains to separate the “private” areas.  Good enough for us.
I will just say up front that this was one of the best massages I have ever had.  Most masseuses hurt me.  I guess I’m just a wimp but the whole “deep tissue” thing is about as far from enjoyable as I can get.  But this lovely lady’s touch was perfect. You start out on your belly, of course, and I was really settling in...enjoying every stroke.  She did my back, neck and shoulders.  Heaven.  Then she moved to my legs....and trouble began to brew.
Here’s where the forewarning from the beer and chips photo comes back into play.  As if, by some awesome force of nature and gravity combined, the moment she started pushing “up” (towards my torso) on my legs, the beer bubbles began to be pushed up from my belly.  Had I been standing, I would simply let out a diminutive “burp” and all would have been fine....but I was laying on my stomach and those beer bubbles were trapped between my stomach and my throat.  I tried to maneuver in a way that would allow them to escape, but nopesville.  They just kept accumulating in a most unpleasant location, soon to be joined by some chips and salsa (thank you, hiatal hyneria).  It was both horrifying and hilarious at the same time.
I thought the legwork would never end.  Finally, after what seemed like hours, she whispered “turn over on your back, please”.  As soon as I moved, the loudest, most manly, horrific belch came roaring out.  It was so loud I’m sure they heard it across the street.  Dan said “are you ok ?”  I was so relieved.  I just muttered “yes, I’m fine”.
The moral of this story is NEVER drink a beer before having a massage !
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thanks for the terrific pictures and commentary!
 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone !
I can’t believe it’s already Thanksgiving. That means Christmas is dangerously close.
Yippee !  We are already docked in Coz and it appears that we are at the downtown dock !  I believe this is my first time ever to dock downtown.  I had not planned to get off the ship today but I may change my mind now. I didn’t even know that Royal COULD dock downtown.  #firsttimer
No picture right now b/c I would be shooting directly into the sun (boo) but I will try later.
Heading off to <where else> Chops for breakfast.

Have a wonderful cruise!!!

Eight hours until wheels leave the tarmac -- and my checklist is complete!
Packed Got passport! Household tasks complete Uber scheduled Got cash * So all of these are pretty common checklist items (trust me, I didn't include the whole list -- I could be typing forever, and you'd fall asleep before you got through it!).  The reason I put a star by the last one is because I don't usually carry much cash (much to my husband's chagrin), but for this cruise, I will!
Remember those fundraising raffles?  They start the minute we start the boarding process -- and I want to be ready!  Here's a picture from the 2017 Pirate Bingo event; photo credit is to the HIGH SEAS RALLY'S T.V. CREW, and I found the picture at https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/cruises/2019/07/03/themed-cruises-wacky-time-at-sea-from-knitting-to-disco/1628552001/.  Yup, I didn't know that we made USA Today!  
I wish I had one of the 50/50 raffles -- those wads of cash are too big for most hands to hold!  Again, it's for a great cause -- and the interesting thing is, although the stories in the news focus on the parties and the <interesting> competitions during the Rally, the charitable functions are often overlooked.  It's not just the money raised that should get attention -- it's the impact that the rally has on people's lives.  This video from the 2013 High Seas Rally (on Freedom of the Seas, before the HSR moved to a full ship charter) shows that impact.  You can see it at 
 
 
Time to go to bed!
 

Eight hours until wheels leave the tarmac -- and my checklist is complete!
Packed Got passport! Household tasks complete Uber scheduled Got cash * So all of these are pretty common checklist items (trust me, I didn't include the whole list -- I could be typing forever, and you'd fall asleep before you got through it!).  The reason I put a star by the last one is because I don't usually carry much cash (much to my husband's chagrin), but for this cruise, I will!
Remember those fundraising raffles?  They start the minute we start the boarding process -- and I want to be ready!  Here's a picture from the 2017 Pirate Bingo event; photo credit is to the HIGH SEAS RALLY'S T.V. CREW, and I found the picture at https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/cruises/2019/07/03/themed-cruises-wacky-time-at-sea-from-knitting-to-disco/1628552001/.  Yup, I didn't know that we made USA Today!  
I wish I had one of the 50/50 raffles -- those wads of cash are too big for most hands to hold!  Again, it's for a great cause -- and the interesting thing is, although the stories in the news focus on the parties and the <interesting> competitions during the Rally, the charitable functions are often overlooked.  It's not just the money raised that should get attention -- it's the impact that the rally has on people's lives.  This video from the 2013 High Seas Rally (on Freedom of the Seas, before the HSR moved to a full ship charter) shows that impact.  You can see it at 
 
 
Time to go to bed!
 

Eight hours until wheels leave the tarmac -- and my checklist is complete!
Packed Got passport! Household tasks complete Uber scheduled Got cash * So all of these are pretty common checklist items (trust me, I didn't include the whole list -- I could be typing forever, and you'd fall asleep before you got through it!).  The reason I put a star by the last one is because I don't usually carry much cash (much to my husband's chagrin), but for this cruise, I will!
Remember those fundraising raffles?  They start the minute we start the boarding process -- and I want to be ready!  Here's a picture from the 2017 Pirate Bingo event; photo credit is to the HIGH SEAS RALLY'S T.V. CREW, and I found the picture at https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/cruises/2019/07/03/themed-cruises-wacky-time-at-sea-from-knitting-to-disco/1628552001/.  Yup, I didn't know that we made USA Today!  
I wish I had one of the 50/50 raffles -- those wads of cash are too big for most hands to hold!  Again, it's for a great cause -- and the interesting thing is, although the stories in the news focus on the parties and the <interesting> competitions during the Rally, the charitable functions are often overlooked.  It's not just the money raised that should get attention -- it's the impact that the rally has on people's lives.  This video from the 2013 High Seas Rally (on Freedom of the Seas, before the HSR moved to a full ship charter) shows that impact.  You can see it at 
 
 
Time to go to bed!