Brilliance of the Seas Review

4.0 / 5.0
1,563 reviews

Royal Caribbean Not Living Up To Its Reputation

Review for Canada & New England Cruise on Brilliance of the Seas
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CJS1111
2-5 Cruises • Age 60s

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Sail Date: Sep 2015
Cabin: Interior Stateroom

Having sailed Royal Caribbean twice before, but almost 10 years ago, I expected the special first class treatment I received those times. This cruise was a huge disappointment though, as Royal Caribbean nickel-and-dimed the passengers beyond belief with extra charges and upgrades to everything, and some of those were rip-offs as well, like the Premium Wine Package two of my friends purchased for $57.00 per day only to learn none of those premium wines were ever available. However, they could get "above" premium wines for an additional $3.00 charge per glass. The Internet service was only sold in packages of $20 per day. You could not pay by the hour. On the last day when everyone was complaining because they wanted to print their boarding passes for the flights home, the ship finally offered a 3-hour Internet package...for $15.00. This is ridiculous in a world where almost everybody, including the tour buses had free WiFi.

The food, something I always associated with cruising, was cafeteria grade at best in the main dining room and buffet. Of course you could go to one of four "specialty" restaurants where there was actual good food for an additional charge ranging from $25 to $75 per person. Another woman couldn't get a glass of unsweetened iced tea after day 3 because, as she was told, they vendor didn't deliver any premade unsweetened tea. She had to fuss to get someone to make a cup of tea and pour it over ice. This is not good.

There was also a noticeble change in the level of customer service. Anyone going to Guest Services with a problem or complaint was treated like a bother and very rarely received satisfaction. One woman carried her passport, cash and jewelry around for the entire week because the safe in her room was broken. She lost half of her first day waiting for repairs that couldn't be done, then was told there were no replacements and it was suggested that SHE was the one who broke it even though the lock didn't work from the first day.

Cabin Review

Interior Stateroom

Cabin N

Attendant kept it very clean for me, but the carpet and furniture upholstery were very old and worn. The size was OK for one person. Would have been squashed if two.

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