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Brilliance of the Seas


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Has anyone been on Brilliance of the Seas?  If so, can you tell me about it?  Will we be kept busy enough?  We've only been on larger ships such as Oasis class, Independence and Mariner.

I assume though that they still have the usual activities (shows, games, pool stuff, quest, music, etc) and it will be just DH and I (two adults in our 40s) so we don't care about waterslides and stuff.  Would love to hear feedback on the ship, entertainment (shows + other), activities.  

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I have not been on Brilliance but have been on Radiance and Jewel several times, both sister ships of same class. It is our favorite class of ships-classicly beautiful, not too large, and a "more mature" crowd without a lot of small children since it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the huge megaships. They have everything you mentioned except I can't guarantee Quest. I am just not sure about it. They are great ships for kicking back, enjoying a glass of wine in the schooner bar and dancing in the Centrum where the music drifts upward and you can look downward and watch the action. I spent 12 nights on the Jewel recently and they had a great Halloween party and some top notch shows in the theater. I don't think you will be disappointed.

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I love the Radiance class ships!! My favorites. Just big enough to offer things to do, small enough to get better personal service(IMO). Great ship to relax and unwind. I personally spend a lot of time in the Solarium area. Great pool and viewing chairs. Ate a lot at the Park Café for breakfast and lunch which is also located in that area. 

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2 hours ago, DRLPP said:

I love the Radiance class ships!! My favorites. Just big enough to offer things to do, small enough to get better personal service(IMO). Great ship to relax and unwind. I personally spend a lot of time in the Solarium area. Great pool and viewing chairs. Ate a lot at the Park Café for breakfast and lunch which is also located in that area. 

Is this same Park Cafe that is on Oasis class ships?  That place is great if it is.

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2 hours ago, MindiLou said:

 I was on the brilliance in 2015     The quest was an option     I really enjoyed the ship however I enjoy ships with the promenade deck like the freedom class and voyager class.   You’ll have a great time the service and food are excellent on the smaller ships compared to the larger ones.   

Yeah...will be strange without a promenade.  The deck plan does list "Shops of Centrum" but am guessing it's not as elaborate as a promenade?

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3 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

Is this same Park Cafe that is on Oasis class ships?  That place is great if it is.

It may not have all of the bells and whistles but I found Brilliance to be the prettiest ship I've been on and that includes the oasis class. There are windows everywhere letting in the sun and the Solarium is just beautiful. Because it's smaller you can easily find your way around and you get to know the staff and fellow cruisers. You'll have a great time if you go with a relaxed attitude. We're on Harmony next month as we wanted to see the bigger shows but I would defiantly sail Brilliance again.

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I was looking at Cruise Critic and the writer of the CC review wrote "Con Air quality is smoky throughout ship despite smoking restrictions".  Is that true?  We have a cruise booked on the BOS for April '21 (too far away).  I am a former smoker and I can not stand the smell of cigarette smoke now has anyone noticed this on the ship?  I sailed on the Escape and I had to go to a floor over or under the casino to avoid the smoke smell coming from it.  I really don't want to deal with the smoke smell all throughout the ship.  Especially in my cabin.  Sorry for the short rant.

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We were on Brilliance over New Years and had a great time. It was our second cruise (the other being on the Radiance, the same class of ship). We're late 50's and as others have said there were not a lot of kids. The Park Café was more of a "corner café" where you could get sandwiches, pizza, sweet treats, etc. along with the basic drinks. In both it is in/near the Solarium. On cruising days we spent a lot of time on the balcony relaxing. I would visit the casino, my wife would go to the pool, we would get together for Bingo, trivia, etc. Having only been on smaller ships (Enchantment two weeks ago) I can't say whether its better or worse. Only that we've had a great time on all 3 and have 2 more booked.

As for smoking - I, too, am an ex-smoker though I can deal with it. The main places on these ships is the casino and a spot by the pool. Because of the amount of smoking going on in the casino I know you can smell it outside the casino but not certain how far. I have not had an issue with it in our cabin (deck 8 on one cruise, deck 9 on the other).

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Matt has done several podcasts and blogs from his Brilliance cruises.  You can go to the main page of the site and type "Brilliance" into the search bar at the top right of the page.

One of the things I like about the older classes (Radiance and Vision) is that they DON'T have the Promenade (I'm in the minority here, I know, but it just looks like a shopping mall and I hate those - I tended to avoid that part of the ship).

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4 hours ago, WannaCruise said:

Is this same Park Cafe that is on Oasis class ships?  That place is great if it is.

Park Café on Radiance class is smaller than on Oasis class but offered a very nice selection for breakfast(no omelets but breakfast sandwiches,fruit,oatmeal...) and lunch(salads,soup,sandwiches...).

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We spent 12 nights on her sister ship Serenade, then another 4 on Brilliance.  Radiance class is fun in it's own way.  It will not have all the bells and whistles as the bigger ships.  The shops are smaller, and all feed into another.  The promenade type parties are held in the Centrum, which is a much smaller venue but you can watch from decks above. 

Things I like about Radiance Class:

This class has my favorite Schooner Bar - long, lots of space, and lots of windows to view the sea.

This class has my favorite Vintages - lots of windows to view the sea.

This class has my favorite elevators - one set is all glass facing outward which gives you great views of the sea.

This class has outdoor seating in the Windjammer, which you guessed it - gives an amazing view of the wake and of the sea.  

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18 minutes ago, KathyC said:

We spent 12 nights on her sister ship Serenade, then another 4 on Brilliance.  Radiance class is fun in it's own way.  It will not have all the bells and whistles as the bigger ships.  The shops are smaller, and all feed into another.  The promenade type parties are held in the Centrum, which is a much smaller venue but you can watch from decks above. 

Things I like about Radiance Class:

This class has my favorite Schooner Bar - long, lots of space, and lots of windows to view the sea.

This class has my favorite Vintages - lots of windows to view the sea.

This class has my favorite elevators - one set is all glass facing outward which gives you great views of the sea.

This class has outdoor seating in the Windjammer, which you guessed it - gives an amazing view of the wake and of the sea.  

I noticed a recent review where they posted the Windjammer outside, which I thought was lovely!

Sounds like Brilliance and sister ships have the best views.  What about activities? 

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Just now, WannaCruise said:

I noticed a recent review where they posted the Windjammer outside, which I thought was lovely!

Sounds like Brilliance and sister ships have the best views.  What about activities? 

Go up to the top of the page, and click on Cruise Compass.  You can search through past Compasses and that will give you an idea of what activities they offer.

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Absolutely love Brilliance. Sailed her 3 times in the last 2 years. As stated above, the views all around the ship are amazing. The Windjammer outdoor seating is where we go, also our favorite Schooner in the fleet! Quest is my favorite on this size of ship. We are in our mid 30s and find plenty to do on Brilliance. And the staff is amazing.  The Centrum area is fun and plenty going on from the activities staff. Strange without the promenade but honestly the rest makes up for it! 

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18 hours ago, SpeedNoodles said:

Matt has done several podcasts and blogs from his Brilliance cruises.  You can go to the main page of the site and type "Brilliance" into the search bar at the top right of the page.

One of the things I like about the older classes (Radiance and Vision) is that they DON'T have the Promenade (I'm in the minority here, I know, but it just looks like a shopping mall and I hate those - I tended to avoid that part of the ship).

Wonderful, thanks for the info.  tried to give ya  big trophy, but I am getting the error saying I cant add more reactions today :(

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5 hours ago, LC2626 said:

Absolutely love Brilliance. Sailed her 3 times in the last 2 years. As stated above, the views all around the ship are amazing. The Windjammer outdoor seating is where we go, also our favorite Schooner in the fleet! Quest is my favorite on this size of ship. We are in our mid 30s and find plenty to do on Brilliance. And the staff is amazing.  The Centrum area is fun and plenty going on from the activities staff. Strange without the promenade but honestly the rest makes up for it! 

Great to hear.  Thank you.  How are the shows?

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6 minutes ago, DublinFC said:

Everything I have read and researched about her looks great.  I cant wait to spend some time in the solarium, it looks beautiful

Yes, it seems to get positive reviews.  Solarium looks quite nice and different.  I heard it has a retractable roof, but they don't tend to ever open it?

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Hey there, just off Brilliance this morning. Did a 5 day out of Tampa with stops in Grand Cayman and Cozumel. We absolutely loved the ship. The entertainment was fabulous, the food and drinks were top notch. The service was outstanding. Nothing but good things to say about the ship and staff. No, it’s not an Oasis class, but you make the best with what you have. The only downfall of this sailing was that there was a large amount of small children and with only 1 pool, they took over the pools and hot tubs. The Quest is still a fun night! Hope this helps some.

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2 hours ago, Poleman88 said:

Hey there, just off Brilliance this morning. Did a 5 day out of Tampa with stops in Grand Cayman and Cozumel. We absolutely loved the ship. The entertainment was fabulous, the food and drinks were top notch. The service was outstanding. Nothing but good things to say about the ship and staff. No, it’s not an Oasis class, but you make the best with what you have. The only downfall of this sailing was that there was a large amount of small children and with only 1 pool, they took over the pools and hot tubs. The Quest is still a fun night! Hope this helps some.

Thank you.  SO nice to hear you had such a good sailing.

Gonna do another post as we're confused again on what ship. ... too many options.

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11 hours ago, SpeedNoodles said:

I may never understand the fascination of the promenade.

My wife loves the Promenade. I certainly do too, but I think the Promenade's open walkways make the ship feel a bit less "constrictive" than ships with a Centrum.

It probably also has to do with if you are "big ship kind of person" or not.

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46 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I agree, Matt.  I think it's almost a kind of psychological thing.

I do not mind walking down the Promenade at all....but walking the same distance down a narrow hallway is pure torture.

Like walking through Central Park versus the deck 8 guest hallway.   Somehow that section of the guest hallway is twice as long as Central Park.   

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35 minutes ago, Matt said:

My wife loves the Promenade. I certainly do too, but I think the Promenade's open walkways make the ship feel a bit less "constrictive" than ships with a Centrum.

It probably also has to do with if you are "big ship kind of person" or not.

I have only been on the big ships, Brilliance (when we eventually sail on her) will be my 1st smaller ship.  I am looking forward to having a chance to compare.

 

12 hours ago, SpeedNoodles said:

I may never understand the fascination of the promenade.

I like the idea of it.  Having a place with bars, shops, and place to grab a bite to eat.  One stop kind of place.  I will be interested to see if I feel the same when I experience for myself.  I hope so :)

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2 hours ago, Matt said:

My wife loves the Promenade. I certainly do too, but I think the Promenade's open walkways make the ship feel a bit less "constrictive" than ships with a Centrum.

It probably also has to do with if you are "big ship kind of person" or not.

The promenade is one of those “wow” factors compared to other big ships I’ve been on. When you walk into Norwegian Escape for example the central area is just tiny and constricted starting with a tiny hallway. When you get into the first door on Harmony it drops you into a grand open space. 

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2 hours ago, Matt said:

My wife loves the Promenade. I certainly do too, but I think the Promenade's open walkways make the ship feel a bit less "constrictive" than ships with a Centrum

Ditto on this, my Wife and I love walking down the promenade and/or sitting and people watching.

Even though, not a small ship, I have heard negative reviews against anthem because the promenade is not a straight shot, but these people all love the O class, so it is really not an apples to apples comparison.

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33 minutes ago, tiny260 said:

Even though, not a small ship, I have heard negative reviews against anthem because the promenade is not a straight shot, but these people all love the O class, so it is really not an apples to apples comparison.

I think the biggest problem with the "Esplanade" (Quantum class version of Promenade) is the kiosks and display tables setup to sell stuff that hinders flow and traffic.  They create choke points and it congests easily.  Oasis benefits from a very wide ship foundation resulting in a very wide Promenade.  

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1 hour ago, twangster said:

I think the biggest problem with the "Esplanade" (Quantum class version of Promenade) is the kiosks and display tables setup to sell stuff that hinders flow and traffic.  They create choke points and it congests easily.  Oasis benefits from a very wide ship foundation resulting in a very wide Promenade.  

^^^ @tiny260 hence the love/hate relationship with Anthem ?

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When I walked onto the Promenade for the first time on Mariner, I thought "Ok, I'm now at the Mall of America".  It just looks like a shopping mall instead of a ship.  Now, I liked Mariner, but most of the places on it didn't feel "shippy" to me.  I'm booked on both Ovation and Symphony, so we'll see if it's a layout issue, or a big ship/small ship issue for me. But I'm not sure I'll ever like the Promenade on the Voyager or Freedom class ships due to that shopping mall feel (some people love shopping malls, I'm one who doesn't).  It doesn't mean I'd avoid the ships if they were the right cruise, though.

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We just sailed Brilliance for the first time (4th cruise) out of Tampa to Key West and Cozumel and we loved this ship.  All the prior reviews are spot on about the ship, activities, food, drinks and service.  The ocean views from the elevators and outdoor seating in Windjammer are amazing.  Since we had a little rain first two days the pools were sparse in their patronage. Love the Solarium!!!! The Quest was a hoot and the shows were typical cruise shows but still good. Definitely one of our favorite ships and will sail her again.

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On 3/29/2019 at 4:24 PM, abundantjoyful said:

We just sailed Brilliance for the first time (4th cruise) out of Tampa to Key West and Cozumel and we loved this ship.  All the prior reviews are spot on about the ship, activities, food, drinks and service.  The ocean views from the elevators and outdoor seating in Windjammer are amazing.  Since we had a little rain first two days the pools were sparse in their patronage. Love the Solarium!!!! The Quest was a hoot and the shows were typical cruise shows but still good. Definitely one of our favorite ships and will sail her again.

Since you just sailed on her I thought I would ask you if you noticed smoke smell coming from the casino and the smoking section on the pool deck. I am just asking several people to get an idea about this topic.  From what I am seeing I don't anticipate it to be a real issue.  

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12 minutes ago, DublinFC said:

Since you just sailed on her I thought I would ask you if you noticed smoke smell coming from the casino and the smoking section on the pool deck. I am just asking several people to get an idea about this topic.  From what I am seeing I don't anticipate it to be a real issue.  

For my Super Bowl cruise on Brilliance the casino smoke was an issue for me at times.  I tend to avoid going through the casino on all ships for this reason.  Brilliance was no better or worse than any other ships.  I did not participate in the "slots pull" for our group because of it.  The pub thankfully wasn't impacted by casino smoke.  On a pub crawl event one stop was the casino bar.  I managed to survive that brief stop in the casino.  

On all ships I route my walks on the other side of the pool deck away from the smoking area.  I tend to use the Solarium to cross over to the "good" side of the pool deck.  

It all depends on your level of sensitivity to cigarette smoke.

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4 minutes ago, twangster said:

For my Super Bowl cruise on Brilliance the casino smoke was an issue for me at times.  I tend to avoid going through the casino on all ships for this reason.  Brilliance was no better or worse than any other ships.  I did not participate in the "slots pull" for our group because of it.  The pub thankfully wasn't impacted by casino smoke.  On a pub crawl event one stop was the casino bar.  I managed to survive that brief stop in the casino.  

On all ships I route my walks on the other side of the pool deck away from the smoking area.  I tend to use the Solarium to cross over to the "good" side of the pool deck.  

It all depends on your level of sensitivity to cigarette smoke.

You have highlighted a point for me here.  The pub not being effected by the smoke is great to hear.  I would also use alternate routes to avoid the smoke.  I noticed the pub was next to the casino so that was a concern for me.  Thanks for the info.

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3 minutes ago, DublinFC said:

You have highlighted a point for me here.  The pub not being effected by the smoke is great to hear.  I would also use alternate routes to avoid the smoke.  I noticed the pub was next to the casino so that was a concern for me.  Thanks for the info.

In the heart of the pub in front of the bar area it was fine.  There is a table or two near the casino entrance.  I wouldn't sit there.  The rest of the pub is fine.

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