Review - Brilliance of the Seas, Mediterranean, June 24 - July 6

[SewCruise]

Recently returned from a 12 night Mediterranean cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. We departed from Barcelona, and our ports included Nice, Pisa/Florence, Rome, Athens, Ephesus, Santorini, and Naples. We had four sea days.

 

This was my first cruise. Overall my experience with cruising and with RCI was very positive, and I would recommend the Mediterranean on Brilliance to anyone. I really think for those who have the time and resources, it’s a cruise that just about anyone can enjoy – couples, singles, families, extroverts, introverts, young, old, and in between. There is something for everyone, and the Med is not to be missed.

 

Standout Cons

Sorry, I have to say it, the food kinda sucked. Dinner in the MDR the first night was good – I had a nice spinach salad and the linguine with tomato sauce (one of the items on the repeat menu) was alright. For the rest of the cruise the quality of food in all of the dining areas I tried (MDR, Windjammer, Seaview Café) ranged from mediocre to inedible. The great thing about Med cruises, though, is that the food in ports totally makes up for the disappointing fare onboard!

 

In the end, I wasn’t cruising for the ship's food and I certainly didn’t starve. I ate what I could find – the pasta and pizza in the Seaview Café were ok, the salad bar and sandwiches in the Windjammer were decent, and breakfast foods in MDR and Windjammer were fine. But with my light eating onboard, the delicious and healthy Mediterranean lunches in port, and all that walking and sweating in the heat, I ended up losing a few pounds on the trip. Actually, I guess that part should go under “pros.”

 

The spa service I received was good but way overpriced for what I got. My cousin won a $100 credit for the spa that she gave to me (I love spa treatments, she doesn’t), and I splurged on a big combo package that was supposed to be 100 minutes of a full Swedish massage and facial. The massage was nice enough, and the esthetician was very personable. But the facial was pretty much just a face massage with a couple of different lotions, and the treatment did not go the whole 100 minutes. They must count the time you wait in reception and fill out paperwork as part of your service. :mad: So it was a nice way to kill some time on a sea day, but I’ve had excellent service at much better prices in my local salon/spas. I lucked out this time since I had the credit. I probably wouldn't pay full price in the spa on future cruises.

 

Pricing a single can of soda at over $2.50 is lame. Pricing a single photograph at $20 when there are rows and rows and rows of wasted, unpurchased photographs sitting on shelves is lame. I get it, no one is forced to purchase any extras onboard, but it’s more than a little insulting when a company nickels & dimes its customers just because it can.

 

Standout Pros

RCI’s customer service on this cruise (embarkation/debarkation, all dining areas, room service, cabin attendant and housekeeping, guest services, captains, entertainment staff, etc.) was exceptional. Staff members I came into contact with were – almost without fail – polite, friendly, enthusiastic, and professional. There was one young man at Guest Services who was less than patient or helpful when I was having technology issues, and a stone-faced barista at Lattetudes who, though providing adequate service, never smiled at anyone that I could tell. But otherwise I was very pleased and impressed by the service received in all aspects of my cruising experience.

 

Our cabin was awesome! I highly recommend cabin 9576 on Brilliance. It’s a D2 hump with roomy interior and large, forward-facing balcony (2 chairs, table, 1 lounger). The cabin is very conveniently located near the Centrum elevators and stairs, but noise was never a major problem. It has a flat screen tv, plenty of storage space, and an electric kettle.

 

I very much enjoyed the ship. She was always very clean and well-kept, and the views afforded by all the windows are incredible. I don’t really get the point of cruising if you forget half the time you’re even on a ship, and that’s not a problem at all with Brilliance. You can see the water and passing land masses from almost any location onboard, and I loved that.

 

With the exception of a couple of self-absorbed twits I had the misfortune of running into, my fellow passengers were lovely. So many friendly and interesting people who, incidentally, didn’t seem to give a whit what anyone else was wearing in any of the dining venues or elsewhere on the ship. The atmosphere was purely fun, laidback, and congenial.

 

The itinerary is fantastic , and I enjoyed every port of call. I think if I could do it over again, I would try to do a little LESS in some of the ports – in other words, take more time with fewer sights. I was heartbroken that by the end of our frenetic day in Rome we only had a few minutes to spare in the Sistine Chapel, squished in among hundreds of other hot, irritable tourists. It wasn’t what I expected and not the way I wanted to experience a place I’ve been dreaming of visiting since I was a teenager. Sooo, on my bucket list I’ve added a return, land-based trip to Rome! :D

 

All in all, it was a wonderfully memorable trip, and I feel so fortunate to have had the experiences I did.

 

This is a relatively abbreviated review, but I’m more than happy to provide more details if anyone has questions!

[Madzulu]

Thank you for a very informative review. I agree with most of your points. Brillance has been my favourite ship to date. Big enough to get all the extra's and the staff are fantastic.

 

Food opinions are subjective and I have found that the quality has deteriorated over the years. The menu has not changed our last 3 cruises but we definately enjoyed the meals more on Brilliance, it tasted different which I suppose is down to the chef.

 

We ate at chops and portofino and despite my initial reluctance to pay extra would definately recomend this and do it again.

[Langley Cruisers]

We were also on this cruise but can't seem to get around to writing a review. Severe jet lag set in and neither of us has felt like it. :o

 

Have to disagree heartily about the food, which is of course, subjective. We thought it was fantastic. We prepaid for My Time Dining but ended up eating dinner in the Windjammer every night. I know! It was amazing, very relaxed and casual. We LOVED WJ food and service. Brilliance still has the outdoor seating area at the back and we enjoyed that very much (although one of the officers told us they may lose this in the refit in favor of more pay venues in that space).

 

Sorry for your negatives; we found Customer Service and the Latte-tudes server to be absolutely fine with no attitude problems whatsoever. The pricing is what it is and as you said, no one is forcing you or anyone to purchase "extras". We didn't feel nickel and dimed at all.

 

We enjoyed this cruise, the itinerary, and the staff. The ship is incredible. Would love to sail the other ships in Radiance class.

[KrazyKroozer]

Thanks for the review...especially about the room. We are in that same room in September. I'm happy to hear the balcony is roomy!

 

I'm glad you had a good trip! Can you share some of the things you saw in ports? What not to miss/what isn't worth the time?

 

Thanks

[LittleMissS]

To the OP...your cousin sounds really nice for giving you that spa gift certificate! (okay, okay...so I'M the cousin:D)

So I thought I would add a few of my thoughts onto SewCruise's review, seeing as we went on this cruise together.

I didn't think the food sucked...I thought it was okay. I didn't starve but it wasn't anything to write home about. But then again, I'm not a foodie (a picky eater actually), so I went in to the cruise expecting to be underwhelmed with the food. I signed up for MTD, but spent most of my time at the Windjammer. I like the buffet-type of selection, where I can find the foods that I like (at different stations). But as always with buffets, there are foods that aren't hot when you get them (pasta). As Langley Cruisers mentioned, the Windjammer has a section of outdoor seats at the back of the ship...loved this spot! So very relaxing! I hope they rethink getting rid of this area, in favor of a specialty restaurant. I also ate at the Seaview Cafe, which allowed me to customize my pasta (I like having the choice to pick what I want to eat). I found the pasta to be good.

I loved our cabin...9576. The balcony was spacious, as was the room. Krazy Kroozer, I'm jealous that you will be there in September...you will love it! I know many people opt to buy a cheaper cabin sans balcony to be able to cruise more, but there was no way I was going to sail through the Mediterranean without a balcony! It was fantastic to see land through the sliding glass door and run out to take photos! It was a great place to unwind and relax. My only issue was our chain-smoking neighbors. As an asthmatic, I cannot be around smoke. As soon as they'd start smoking, we'd leave the balcony and return to our cabins. I think I would've spent more time on my balcony had it not been for my neighbors. I wish there was a way to rectify this type of situation, for those of us who do not wish to be around smoke.

The staff was excellent. My fellow cruisers were lovely. I enjoyed sitting down next to strangers and striking up a conversation. Everyone was so nice! I loved that there was soooo much to do onboard (I wasn't expecting this), and looked forward to getting my cruise compass every night! I loved the numerous trivia and "name that tune" sessions...and teaming up with new people to win RC junk!

 

Our Ports:

Villefranche- We did a private tour with Sylvie DiCristo. It was a wonderful day, touring Old Nice, the Flower Market, Eze, Monaco and Monte Carlo. (Although we did not get to see the palace due to the preparations for the big wedding) I had read somewhere that people felt they were with an old friend, rather than a tour guide. I can say that I definitely felt the same with Sylvie. It was like hanging out with a friend.

 

Pisa / Florence - We had a private tour (for 4 people) with Rome in Limo. Our driver was David, whom I think all four of us enjoyed. I had read great reviews about Rome in Limo, and for the most part, was very pleased with them. Unfortunately, there were a few miscommunications (on both my part AND the part of Rome in Limo), which still don't sit well with me. Don't get me wrong, I would still highly recommend them, but I would make sure you have--in writing--your plans for the day and WHO is responsible for reservations to art galleries (if this is something you like).

Rome - We again had a private tour (for 4 people) with Rome in Limo. Our driver was Vinny, whom I enjoyed. We saw many of the major sites (Coliseum, Palatine Hill, Circus Maxima, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, and of course the Vatican). As my cousin suggested, our time at the Vatican was very rushed and crowed. I felt as though I couldn't enjoy it due to the amount of people present. (Not a fault of RIL, but rather of the Vatican, who should consider limiting the amount of people or timed reservations) Our guide in the Vatican was Luisa, whom we enjoyed. We spent all of 10 minutes in the Sistine Chapel, due to the amount of people. It was absurd. I would have loved to have spent more time there, really viewing the artwork. I should mention...please make reservations for the Sistine Chapel....the line was very very long (I'm assuming these people did not have reservations).

Athens- My cousin and I had a private tour (just the two of us) for this port. Jordan Daioglou from Athens-Tour was our driver. He was very informative, quizzing us as we went from site to site (which I thought was fun). We saw the Acropolis first, followed by Zeus' Temple, Hadrian's Gate, the Olympic Stadium, the changing of the guards at the Parliament building, the Greek Forum and Roman Agora. Lunch in the plaka at Ydria (recommended by Royal Caribbean) was good. Some time shopping in the plaka, then Jordan took us to this wonderful lookout for some final photos, before heading back to the ship.

Kusadasi- Took Royal Caribbean's "Ultimate Ephesus" (I think that was the name) tour to see the ruins. It was a 1/2 day tour, which we were happy about, as it was very very hot and we were "ruined" out by this point. We were also able to get in to see the frescoes at the Terrace Houses. We avoided the Turkish rug demonstration at the end of the tour (it ends in town), as we were not planning on buying any rugs. The rest of the day was spent shopping and relaxing. Although we enjoyed the scenery, we found the salesmen in port to be very pushy, which turned us off a bit.

Santorini- This was our DIY port. Tendering was easy. We got there early and were one of the first off the ship...no tender tickets needed (they WERE needed for Villefranche...get there early to get a ticket). Aimlessly walked the streets (with about 1/2 of our fellow cruisers) trying to find the public bus stop to take the bus to Oia. It was ridiculously crowded, so get there early to get a seat. Spent several hours in Oia shopping and taking photos of the gorgeous scenery. Then we took a cab to Kamari Beach (the black sand beach) and spent some time there before heading back to Thira. There were three ships in Santorini at the same time. It is my understanding that we were all leaving at the same time. Meaning that you need to get back to the cable car early (unless you are walking down the 600+ steps to the tender). I loved Santorini and would go back again in a heartbeat.

Naples - Our last private tour (for 4) with Rome in Limo. Our driver for the day was Tony. We skipped Naples, and went straight to Pompeii, for a tour with Carmine. It was very interesting to see how people lived during that time. Also interesting was the threat of Mt. Vesuvius in the background. We then drove to Sorrento for lunch (pizza of course!) and some shopping. Finally, we drove through Positano and the Amalfi Coast, stopping here and there for some gorgeous views.

Sea Days- We had four of these, interspersed throughout the cruise. While I originally thought I would not like hanging out on the ship, I quickly learned that these days were essential for relaxing, having had several intense days in port.

 

In short, I will definitely cruise again (this was my 1st)...likely with Royal Caribbean. My complaints are minor in comparison to the fun I had. I would definitely recommend this cruise, and this ship to anyone!

Happy Cruising!:D

[SewCruise]

Langley, I'm sorry to hear they might be doing away with the WJ outdoor seating! It's a great space and I enjoyed a lot of time out there, with meals or just sitting and reading.

 

My pros and cons are absolutely subjective and just one person's perspective. And I don't think any of my "cons" would necessarily be deal-breakers for the average traveler when choosing to sail with Brilliance or RCI in general.

 

Krazy - you will love the cabin!

 

A breakdown of our ports:

 

Villefranche - my cousin and I hired Sylvie DiCristo to guide us around Nice, Eze, and Monte Carlo. She was worth every penny, and I'm very glad she was with us on our first visit to the area. The Cours Saleya in Old Nice, especially on a Saturday when it's a huge farmers' market, was a "must see" for me and I'm glad we didn't miss it. A walk through Eze and a lovely lunch of tomato salad and crepes was another highlight. Monte Carlo was sort of mind blowing seeing all that money in one small space. In hindsight, I probably would've preferred skipping Monte Carlo and spending more time in Nice at one of the art museums.

 

Pisa/Florence - for each of our Italy ports we had a small group of 4 and hired Rome in Limo to drive us around. David in Pisa/Florence was great. We visited the Leaning Tower first thing in the morning and were lucky enough to miss the crowds - it was relatively cool still, and there were no lines to climb to the top. Definitely recommend doing this. Highlights in Florence for me were the statue of David, shopping on/near the Ponte Vecchio, and the wonderful gelateria David (our driver, not the statue) took us to at the end of the day.

 

Rome - I regret to say Rome in my mind right now is mostly just a blur. I enjoyed poking around the Colosseum in the morning, but after that our tour felt like little more than a giant drive-by of the city. Big quantity, not a lot of quality. You just can't do everything in one day, and trying to do it all, or even half, I think is a mistake... at least for me. Ah well, lesson learned, and now I really have to go back!

 

Athens - we used private driver Jordan Diaglou in Athens, and he was a trip! He loves Greek history and it's very important to him that his clients learn something along the way. My cousin and I are both teachers, so we were game. Jordan gave us each a little history/photo book as a souvenir, though we weren't allowed to use them to cheat during the tour when he quizzed us. We hit the Acropolis first thing in the morning before the bus tours got there. Everything we heard from people who were on ship's tours in the afternoon was...not good. We were very glad we went private and in the morning for this one. The ancient agora is a beautiful and interesting spot and worth a visit. I loved our leisurely lunch in the Plaka and picking up some beautiful olive wood gifts to bring home.

 

Ephesus - We did our only ship's tour to Ephesus and the Terrace Houses. Beautiful area and the Terrace Houses are so unique. They are really the only ruins, aside from Pompeii later, we came across that I felt I could get a sense of how people actually lived in ancient times. Very cool, don't miss.

 

Santorini - possibly my favorite port on this cruise. We did Santorni on our own, and it was very easy. Tendered quickly to shore, got the cable car to the top, and took the local bus into Oia for the morning. Took tons of pictures, walked, shopped and ate a lot (honey pancakes, coffee, baklava! yuuummm!). Very charming area and would love to stay in one of the pretty little hotels on another visit. From Oia, four of us shared a taxi to Kamari Beach (the black beach) - I think it was about 35 euro for the trip which was more expensive than the bus would've been but saved us a lot of time. Spent a couple of lovely hours on the beach swimming, collecting lava stones, and relaxing in the shade. Bus in the afternoon back to Fira, and a few of us found another cafe for an early dinner. Greek salad, spinach pie, tzatziki, wine, more baklava! Long line to get back down to the tenders at the end of the day, have to be a little careful about that, but we timed it just right and it was an amazing day.

 

Naples - Tony with Rome in Limo was our driver this day. Super friendly, knowledgeable, and professional - probably our best driver of the three. We went to Pompeii first and enjoyed Carmine as our guide around the grounds. I recommend hiring a private guide for Pompeii - Carmine was an archaeology graduate student, knows his stuff, and made Pompeii come alive for us. We had a great lunch in Sorrento and spent the rest of the afternoon just sightseeing and taking our time on a scenic drive along the Amalfi Coast. Tony stopped and bought us fresh cherries from a roadside stand, checked out a local ceramics shop with unbelievable tilework we all wished we could afford, and we all sang old Italian-American standards together in the van. Another favorite port.

[KrazyKroozer]

Thank you so much for your reviews of your ports! We have never done anything like this, so I'm just learning of what to do mainly from these boards.

 

Quick question about the private tours that you were on....Do they take you from the ship to the places you want to see, and then wait for you until you are done looking? Can you request a particular driver? How much do those private tours cost? I'm sure well worth it.

 

Thanks again...I'm sure I will think of other questions...I hope you don't mind. :)

[KansCocoa]

Great information - thank you!

 

Do any of you happen to still have your Compasses? Is there any way you can scan them online????

 

I'm doing this same cruise next June - but it will be on the Serenade then!

[dagored]

My wife and I did this cruise 6 years ago. Loved it. Also took private tours and were happy we did.

 

What happened to Mykonos? That was another stop in the Greek Islands. Was it just eliminated?

[dagored]

Thank you so much for your reviews of your ports! We have never done anything like this, so I'm just learning of what to do mainly from these boards.

 

Quick question about the private tours that you were on....Do they take you from the ship to the places you want to see, and then wait for you until you are done looking? Can you request a particular driver? How much do those private tours cost? I'm sure well worth it.

 

Thanks again...I'm sure I will think of other questions...I hope you don't mind. :)

 

Go over to the Ports of Call forum. That is where we hooked up with 8 other people and scheduled the private tours. I think we used Driver in Rome for both Florence and Rome and DriveAlmafi for Naples. I can not at this time find the tour company for Athens. We did our own thing in Mykonos and a ship tour(tendered to a port at the end of the island) took a bus to Oia and back to Santorini.

[SewCruise]

All of our hired drivers were waiting for us in port, holding a sign with our name on it so we knew which driver to meet up with - you will see large groups of them waiting either when you step off the ship or when you walk outside the terminal. If you hire a driver, you do not have to arrange for any other type of transportation to/from the ship, which is very convenient.

 

If the sites you want to see are within walking distance, your driver might drop you at one spot and then arrange with you a time for pickup somewhere else. Or they might drop you and come back to the same place at an agreed upon time. They're flexible, and it just depends on what you're doing. You will find the drivers that come consistently and highly recommended on CC and Trip Advisor (we chose all of our private tours from recommendations on Cruise Critic) are generally very experienced working with cruise passengers, and they know exactly what to do to make your day worthwhile and worry-free. At least, that was generally our experience.

 

Sometimes they wait while you explore, sometimes they might be working on adjusting the next part of your tour if necessary. In Florence, David showed us some hilarious t-shirts he bought while he waiting for us. So, yeah, the drivers do their own thing while you sightsee. Sylvie DiCristo was the only exception - she is an actual licensed guide, not just a driver, so she stayed with us throughout most of the day, getting us food samples, translating conversations with locals, sharing lunch with us, etc. We did get some time on our own to explore, though.

 

As far as requesting drivers, I think you can let the company know your preference when you set up the reservation, but they probably won't be able to guarantee you'll get that person. Not entirely sure about that.

 

Most tours are priced by the car and will vary by company. Rome in Limo charged us 450 euro per day for a sedan that they will fit up to 4 people into (comfortably or not). So for us it was a little over 100 euro per person. For 5 or more people you get a van, which costs more, but then the more people you add to your tour the more the price goes down per person. It is possible for this type of tour to be very economical.

You pay extra if you want a licensed tour guide in places like the Vatican and Pompeii.

 

I don't mind the questions at all. If not for other members here answering all my questions over the past year, I wouldn't have had such a great trip!

[SewCruise]

Sherri - I did save all of my Cruise Compasses. I'm happy to scan them, but it may take some time!

 

dagored - I'm not sure what happened to Mykonos. I don't think it was included in any of the RCI Med itineraries we were looking at when planning our cruise.

[Lucinarei]

Thanks for posting such a detailed review! DH and I are planning to do a Med. cruise in the future, so wonderfully detailed reviews and port descriptions are just what we need to help us plan! Thank you! :D

[JAKcruiser]

Thanks for sharing your review. It sounds like you had a great time. I'll keep your tours in mind as I would like to do the same cruise in the near future.

 

I just returned from a cruise to Alaska aboard the "revitalized" Radiance of the Seas. After having been on the Jewel, I also was concerned that they were going to eliminate the outdoor seating for the Windjammer but that was NOT the case. Instead, you walked through the informal Rita's area to the outdoor seating. We sat back there whenever possible and it was not a problem getting there. The addition that we loved was the Park Cafe in the Solarium area. We ate there for breakfast every day and for lunch on our sea days.

[Langley Cruisers]

I just returned from a cruise to Alaska aboard the "revitalized" Radiance of the Seas. After having been on the Jewel, I also was concerned that they were going to eliminate the outdoor seating for the Windjammer but that was NOT the case. Instead, you walked through the informal Rita's area to the outdoor seating.

 

SOOO glad to hear this! Thank you. :)

[KansCocoa]

Sherri - I did save all of my Cruise Compasses. I'm happy to scan them, but it may take some time!

 

That would be AWESOME! And I'm patient...our cruise isn't until June 22, 2012! :D:D

 

It's just helpful, as I always seem to become the "unofficial" Cruise Director for our Roll Calls...organizing the SailAway party, the Cabin Crawl, etc, and it is nice to know when the "official" stuff is scheduled on the ship.

 

Thank you so much!

[Teacher912]

Sew Cruiser,

 

How did you contact her? Do you pay in USD or Euros? Cash or credit?

 

Thanks, Dawn

[SewCruise]

Dawn, all of our communication with Sylvie was through her website and email.

 

If you go to this link you can find info about how to contact Sylvie and what kinds of tours she offers:

 

http://www.frenchrivieraguides.net/about-us-sylvie-di-cristo.html

 

She only accepts cash euro, I believe. That's how we paid. After lunch on our tour we told Sylvie we needed an ATM to get cash, and she happily showed us a nearby, trustworthy machine. :)

[mtnsofthemoon]

Sewcruise and LittleMss...thanks for sharing your experience. My family and I will be sailing next week (July 30th) on the BOS and are soooo excited. I have one question, we were wondering what you guess the ratio of Europeans to US passengers is during the summer months. We are hoping to be outnumbered (we are from CA) - lol....I am looking forward to my kids making friends and interacting with European's as much as hubby and I like making friends abroad.

 

Thanks again for the info.

[SewCruise]

Most of the people I came into contact with on the ship were American, which, being dead in the middle of summer I guess should not have been a huge surprise. But there seemed to be a larger contingent of us than I expected. Even so, there was a nice mix of nationalities. There were a good number of folks from the UK as well as Spanish-speaking countries (Spain and Latin America).

 

Now that summer is coming to a close for some U.S. regions (here in the south we start back to school in about 3 weeks), I would guess you might find there are fewer Americans on your sailing.

 

I hope you have a fantastic cruise!

[foxesden1]

great review! any photos?

 

:D

[SewCruise]

View of cabin 9576 from balcony windows. The natural light and 3 mirrors in the cabin made it feel roomy and very comfortable.

 

Pretty good amount of storage available. Drawers were a decent size and there is extra corner shelving. Above the tv is the safe, and below is the mini fridge. We didn't use it as it was not very cold and stuffed completely full with items for purchase.

 

Nice sized balcony, got a lot of shade during the day but some sun in the afternoons. We saw dolphins playing in the ship's wake from the balcony one morning (didn't get any good photos of that).

 

View from balcony, forward. View straight out to the side was also good. No real view aft, unless you lean out and around the divider.

 

Teeeeny tiny shower with curtain. Not a lot of fun, but you get used to it.

 

We got our first towel animal on Day 7 of the cruise. I had started to fret that we wouldn't see any and was unreasonably excited when this little dog appeared. More towel animals visited every night (elephant, monkey, bat, stingray, and some cat/fox-like creature) afterwards until the end of the cruise.

[KansCocoa]

I was re-reading your reviews (which were great, btw!), and I wanted to ask a quick question...can you be more specific in what you meant by the miscommunication between you and Romeinlimo for Pisa/Florence? We have them booked for the same excursion, and I guess I want to make sure I'm clear in what I should be specifying with them....

 

Also - can you confirm what days were your formal days at sea?

 

Thanks so much!

 

Sherri