hjw Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 My fiance and I are likely going to do a cruise for our honeymoon next January. We are looking at the 5 night Western Cruise on Brilliance of the Seas, leaving from Tampa and stopping in Cozumel and George Town in January 2023. I have never been on a cruise before and he's been on one once, about 15 years ago with his family, and it was a Carnival cruise. Any tips, advice, recommendations for booking, activities, etc? We are going to splurge a little bit so we're looking at a balcony ocean view room. Should we go front, middle or back of the ship? I like quiet, so I don't mind being a bit of a walk from anything. We are trying to decide if we want to spend money on the more adventurous excursions or just hang out at the beach, but we're unsure of the weather/water temps that time of year. Also, is the drink package worth it? We are very much social drinkers, but we aren't heavy drinkers, so I'm not sure if it would be worth it, especially on port days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 Welcome to the forums! What a great choice for a honeymoon adventure. A good place to start is here: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/getting-started Matt (the owner/administrator of this blog/forums) does live YouTube chats every Monday night (typically around 730pm EST) and on Facebook every Tuesday night (typically the same time). They are kept on Facebook and YouTube, so you can always go check some of them out. There's fantastic content there (just type in Royal Caribbean Blog). Brilliance is a beautiful ship, and it's not enormous, so the location of your room (as far as walking), isn't that significant unless there are physical issues. Here's Matt's latest blog regarding the Deluxe Beverage Package: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/royal-caribbean-beverage-package-costs-info-tips He also just posted a video about choosing a cabin, and he talks about room location (at 10:22 minutes into the video). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattycruise Posted January 20, 2022 Report Share Posted January 20, 2022 When booking a cabin look at the deck plans as to what is above/below/adjacent to the cabin you book. I've been below the pool deck and hear chairs being scraped about and stacked. I've been next to the centrum (on much older ships) and heard the band playing like it was in my room. I've heard of people above bars that hear the live music and people singing. Any "white space" on a deck is likely an area the crew stores things=so expect slamming of doors at any given hour As for excursions-is this a "once in a lifetime trip"-then don't hold back and do what you can. Or as I just re-read, it is your honeymoon-so be sure to do those special excursions you wouldn't want to miss out on and take lots of pics! My SIL was on a cruise in Alaska and did not do whale watching due to the price-Yes it was quite pricey. But she regrets it to this day (we saw some wonderful whales and got lots of great photos-she is still jealous and kicks herself.) Drink package is where you would spend a lot of money. If you feel you must have one look for the sales, buy it, and if you find it cheaper you can remove it (refund immediately) and repurchase it at the sale price. Currently RC allows 2 bottles of wine in a carry on per stateroom (I've never seen them check which stateroom the carry on bag is going to) as well as 12 bottles of water/soda type beverage (google for size restrictions on wine/water/soda). Royal does have a drink of the day that is currently $10 plus gratuity-each day the drink special changes. Beer pitchers can be purchased at some of the specialty areas for a "reasonable for onboard" price. I've read a lot of cruise critic reviews in regards to excursions I am interested in. I google the name of the excursion and then typically it comes up for review to read. If you do book excursions look for sales and you can rebook at the cheaper price (like the drink package) Royal will have sales regarding drink/excursion/wifi etc during Black Friday and I think July 4th (don't quote me on that one).....it pays to be viligent and continue to check pricing. They've also been price adjusting cruises so continuously check your price (by doing a mock booking) to see if you can get a better deal and ask Royal or your Travel Agent(If using one) to adjust the price. If you don't want to walk I would book more towards mid/aft near the rear elevators=typically takes you to the main dining room and the windjammer (2 of the most popular places to dine). Forward on the ship is the theaters. Everything else (guest services, casino, shops) are pretty much accessible via the forward or aft elevators-with a reasonable walk. Front of the ship you will hear the anchors dropping at obscene hours of the morning-if you like to sleep in it is loud and can be annoying. WAAAYTOOO and Neesa 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveling Mike Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 Just a tip on booking things while planning. You can book an item now and cancel it later. The best deals seem to come out on Black Friday, and you will still see one before you cruise. If you decide that you want a drink package you can book one now. Let's say you book the drink package for $70 a day. You will pay for it when you book the drink package. Then you get around to black Friday and it goes on sale for $40 a day. You can cancel your $70 package and book the $40 package. The only issue is you pay when you book. So, you have to wait a week or two to get refunded and you have to pay then for the new one. The same goes for Shore Excursions and Dining packages. Note about drink packages: I am a 1 or 2 alcohol drink a day person. I purchase the Soda and Internet package. Then I pay for my one or two alcohol drinks a day. this gives me sodas for $10 a day and I spend $10 to $20 a day on alcohol giving me a $20 to $30 expense. Now if you are a 4-alcohol drink person that would be $50 to $60 a day and you are much better off purchasing the full drink package that you drink all you want and anything you want (almost). Shore Excursions: The way I book them is I compare in my mind. I picture myself riding the ATV through the jungle then laying on the beach with a drink in my hand. What one would I like most. My next cruise I have three ports. I ended up doing ATV in one, Tour of the island on one and laying on the beach on one. One last thought: You are on your honeymoon. How much are you going to be out of your room drinking? Would you be better off using the money on a nice dining package? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PG Cruiser Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 @hjw, welcome to the forums! I have been on the Brilliance the week before Christmas last year. If you have any specific questions about Brilliance, just post them here. I'd gladly share what I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MawrtyrB Posted January 21, 2022 Report Share Posted January 21, 2022 We drink way more than usual on a cruise. The the drink package when it's on sale. Excursions from non royal vendors are cheaper. They have some risk, so do your research first. I likely wouldn't pay for a royal excursion again unless I couldt get thr experience anywhere else. Fox Forlenza 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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