Brilliance of the Seas Review, 22/11/2004, Ultimate Caribbean/Thanksgiving

[savva0122]

Please find a full review of this cruise at Cruise Addicts : http://www.cruise-addicts.com/reviews/readreview.php?id=0000003827

I can't get the full review to the 10,000 word limit so I'd rather post and redirect rather than give you a false review. Hope you enjoy it!

[EMc]

Great review! Thanks~ What do you mean they are not offering this cruise next year? Is the itinerary changing? Is the Brilliance not going to continue doing alternate 10 day Panama Canal, 11 day Ultimate Caribbean?

We are veterans of the Brilliance, started out doing the 11 day (original) ultimate Caribbean itinerary....Aruba, Curacao, Key West, Grand Caymen, Cozumel, Jamaica ... either itinerary is fine with me... heck! Just about ANY itinerary is okey-dokey to me! DH preferred the 11 day that included Aruba and Key West.

We leave 12/12 for a pre-cruise stay in Ft. Lauderdale, then onto Miami for the 12/13 cruise, 11 days, on the Brilliance... 3rd year in a row! We love, love, love, this ship! But, once you do 11 days it is near next to impossible to go back to 7 days! So, for next year we are looking for the ships that do the 11 days.....ya, I know the Empress does 11 days, great itinerary, too. But, we both want a newer ship, we are totally in love with the Radiance class, have sailed the Splendour (the original Ultimate 11 day Circle the Caribbean CI, BTW) and the Grandeur of the Vision class... very, very nice, but feel RC is VC perfected to the max! DH shows some interest in doing Voyager class, not so sure, for me....but, like I said, I'm only interested in doing an 11 day cruise.. I wish RCL would offer more choices of ships for this length of cruise, year round, not just "special" cruises.

Anyway, again, glad you had a good time.. I know we will have a great time, too.

EMC

[savva0122]

Both the 10- and 11- day trips next year are Panama Canal, with slightly different runs - they don't go anywhere near the Leewards and Windwards which is my favourite spot for cruising. I will try to do Empress next November (we particularly like going away this time of year) or maybe even Legend to the Canaries, but fancy the Empress run.

She is a beautiful ship, very intimate, I really liked her when we went to Bermuda. Hopefully the changes won't be too bad and commercially oriented.

Fully agree with the lack of choice on 10- and 11- day runs; perhaps the way to do a Voyager class is to do 2 7- nights cruises back to back, this is also something we are looking at next year. They are really nice ships, love the Royal Promenade and Ice Rink. Lose a bit of the intimacy with it being so large but the extra featues make up for it. I love all the ships, happy and fortunate to be able to go on any!!!!

[codlips]

Both the 10- and 11- day trips next year are Panama Canal,

booked on the ultimate cruise 7th march next year same cruise as your review?:confused:

[mek]

We're on this ship in June doing the Med. Have the mechanical problems been on-going?

[LisaB19]

We are on your same cruise, have you posted on our roll call yet?? It's a pretty quiet group. We are bringing my sister in law and brother in law with us, they are from Widnes.

It's a great cruise, we did the same one last April and loved it!

Lisa

 

 

Both the 10- and 11- day trips next year are Panama Canal,

booked on the ultimate cruise 7th march next year same cruise as your review?:confused:

[codlips]

We are on your same cruise, have you posted on our roll call yet?? It's a pretty quiet group. We are bringing my sister in law and brother in law with us, they are from Widnes.

 

It's a great cruise, we did the same one last April and loved it!

 

Lisa

hi lisa yes my wife has included me in the cc group (to1492) it really is quiet, maybe after xmas it will pick up?

[savva0122]

The mechanical problems were more irritating than a major bind. The cruise was lovely. My main complaints were the C&A events were poor and the noise from the room, but they resolved that wonderfully, eventually.

Please don't let the review put you off, YOU'LL HAVE A GREAT TIME AND GREAT ITINERARY, take advantage of it whilst it still lasts...

[mek]

take advantage of it whilst it still lasts...

 

 

????????????? Please explain.

[NancyB84]

We are on your same cruise, have you posted on our roll call yet?? It's a pretty quiet group. We are bringing my sister in law and brother in law with us, they are from Widnes.

 

It's a great cruise, we did the same one last April and loved it!

 

Lisa

Is this Lisa and Bob? If so, you are doing it again? We are too... but chose the Panama Canal route this time... and later in the year. HoHoHo No cooking during the holidays for me!!!! I hope you have fun!!!!!!!

[LisaB19]

Yup it is, but this time our two sons are coming with us and Bob's sister and brother in law. We are thinking about a back to back in 2006! How are your boys???

Lisa

 

 

Is this Lisa and Bob? If so, you are doing it again? We are too... but chose the Panama Canal route this time... and later in the year. HoHoHo No cooking during the holidays for me!!!! I hope you have fun!!!!!!!

[Fairsailing]

Great review! We were on the Brilliance two months ago in the Med and also had Karel from South Africa as our waiter, so your review brought back some fond memories!

[cruisernh]

A nice detailed review. I am getting anxious! 18 Days to go.

[savva0122]

take advantage of it whilst it still lasts...

 

 

????????????? Please explain.

RCI have scrappd the eastern caribbean itinerary next year after march (ie st maarten, st thomas, san juan, antigua, st lucia and labadee) and replaced it with one going to jamaica, grand cayman, aruba, panama canal which i think is inferior. You will be one of the last going on this eastern caribbean run... hope you will enjoy this great itinerary whilst it still lasts

[mek]

RCI have scrappd the eastern caribbean itinerary next year after march (ie st maarten, st thomas, san juan, antigua, st lucia and labadee) and replaced it with one going to jamaica, grand cayman, aruba, panama canal which i think is inferior. You will be one of the last going on this eastern caribbean run... hope you will enjoy this great itinerary whilst it still lasts

 

We're doing the Med in June on the Brilliance, not the Caribbean.

[savva0122]

sorry got confused. I'll blame the residual jetlag....

[mek]

sorry got confused. I'll blame the residual jetlag....

 

no problem - I still think I'm recovering from mine and it's been 3 weeks since we returned from our cruise!