Background - This was out 10th cruise - all with RCCL and second on Brilliance of the Seas. Hotel info - We arrived in Miami 2 days in advance and stayed at the J.W. Marriott, a beautiful hotel. The only problem is that it is located in the financial district of Miami and there were very few restaurants to select from. Ship info - as stated, this was our second cruise on Brilliance. She is going into drydock for overhaul, but the crew has maintained her well and I question if she really needs it. Activities - The cruise director Abe Hughes ensured that the entire 11 days were a memorable stay for each passenger. His staff is remarkable and I must mention that Romeo has a memory that is fantastic. How does he remember passengers names? Quest was one of the best our team had ever participated in. Service - was exceptional. A special mention has to go out for our waiter, when his assistant became ill on the fourth day of the cruise, the ship gave him someone from the kitchen staff to help him, but he handled his appointed tables as though there were three of him. He was scheduled to go on vacation after our cruise and could have been day dreaming about his time in Chile, but insisted on giving his tables the best service without losing his smile and great attitude. Personnel like this is why I stay with RCCL. Shore Excursions - I utilized two excursions - Mi Dushi Snorkeling in Aruba - this is one not to miss. A great day of snorkeling with a staff that really enjoys pleasing their visitors. We also went on the train ride at the Panama Canal. We seemed to spend most of the excursion on the bus looking at run down homes. When we eventually got to the train, they didn't have enough ice water for it's passengers. The sandwich was extremely dry and without the ice water was difficult to swallow. I wouldn't go on this excursion again. Travel to Embarkation - We were met at Miami International by a RCCL representative who was there only for my wife and I. She ensured that we had a luggage carrier and stayed with us until we were on the van going to the hotel. On cruise day, the pickup was on time and we were at the port in record time. Stateroom - We stayed on Deck 8 because on our previous cruise the Loyalty Ambassador told us it was perfect for going through the canal - NOT!!! We attempted to use our balcony for the locks, but had to go to the bow because we weren't seeing anything. By the time we got there - all the good spots were taken. Our steward was excellent and seemed to be around at all hours of the day. Dining - we ate breakfast and lunch at the Windjammer every day. I haven't noticed any major changes in the 10 years we've been on cruises. It serves a great breakfast and lunch is great. This year we were excited to see Creme Brulee being served at many lunches. I didn't see hand purification stations until half way through the cruise. I miss not having Rack of Lamb at dinner. The other lamb dishes seemed very muttony(?) I enjoyed every dinner even when I reverted to the Steak on the every day menu. We requested early seating even though the ship is experimenting with Free-style dining. This caused us to have to eat at 5:30 which is way too early. I am against Free-style dining when it interferes with traditional dining. Our service was fabulous. Entertainment - the Production Shows were the best part of the entertainment. When you highlight someone that was on the Ed Sullivan show - you have to remember that it went off the air many years ago. Also, I've seen enough of the Argentina dancers. I enjoyed the kids from the Adventure program more than most of the Headliners(????) Disembarkment - As a Platinum member, we went to the assigned room to await our color being called. This was brutal, no silverware, no dishes, and the pastry looked like someone had picked over them. Is this the way to treat your "valued" cruisers? The young lady in charge of the room knew how to pass the buck and shrug her shoulders. We did use the American Airlines offer to transfer our bags to the airport and it was great. We found our bags on the conveyer belt with no problem. Summary - As my title states - CC Members Make A Cruise. On this cruise, March 24 emark, we had 77 Cruise Critic members sign up for the Meet & Mingle. Believe it or not - over 55 made it to the Meet & Mingle. This was one of the best meets, the Cruise Director - Abe Hughes came to the event and raffled off many prizes. The ship photographer came and took the group photo. Throughout the cruise, we became closer and closer to many of the members due to familiarity by using the Cruise Critic Boards. Our Quest time was made up of CC members from all over the world. Would you believe that four of the members live less than 40 minutes from me? We're know planning our next cruise on Liberty with some of these members.