Brilliance of the Seas Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Our group of three flew to Tampa from Boston on Friday November 8th. All went smooth as could be with our flight on Jet Blue. We had reservations for one evening at Sailport Waterfront Suites on Tampa Bay and loved our clean two bedroom/two bath "condo" and it's comfy beds. Really enjoyed the view from the balcony of the herons, ducks, blue crabs and fish below. We had to walk a long distance to our room from the elevators and parking was an issue. All staff was friendly and informative with the exception of the shuttle driver who picked us up from the airport. He was in no better mood when he was to take us to the port of Tampa the next day.
Check in at the Port involved very long lines and about a 40 minute wait. Even thought I had completed all information for our Set Sail accounts online (including Passport info, credit cards, DOB, etc.) the person checking us in was not able to access part of our reservation. She was perfectly pleasant, but needed assistance several times to complete our check in. I will assume she was new.
We boarded the ship around 11:30 and found our way to the Windjammer Cafe for a buffet lunch. It was crowded because guests could not go to their staterooms until 1:00pm. It didn't take us too long to find a seat and enjoy our lunch and by the time we were done our cabins were ready.
Cabin Review
We had two cabins on the 8th deck. Room 8116 was a balcony cabin with a small table and two chairs on the deck. It had a single sleep sofa/love seat and one pullman bed. We only used the traditional bed for sleeping. Originally we had planned on three of us sharing that one room, that would have been way too crowded. Our cabin steward was Carl who was very friendly and thorough. I asked for ice one night and it was there twice a day for the balance of the cruise. The love seat was a little worn looking but everything else in the room was in tip top condition. I really liked having the curtain between the sleeping area and the seating area, made it easier if someone was up later watching tv or getting ready in the mornng while the other slept. I have sailed with Carnival before and was under the impression that Royal Carribean was going to be better/nicer. I did not find this to be the case at all. Carnival's rooms were bigger, food better and more in room amenities. I would not avoid Royal Carribean but I would not choose them over Carnival.