We selected Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas for the 12-night Mediterranean Cruise because of the destinations. Unfortunately, by the time we were able to book, the only available cabin for our family of 5 was the Family Stateroom, Cabin 7004. We were assured by the agent booking the cruise that the stateroom “comfortably sleeps 6”. The Royal Caribbean website states, “Two twin beds that convert to a Royal King, measuring 72.5 inches wide by 82 inches long, additional bunk beds in separate area, separate sitting area with sofa bed, and a private bathroom with shower. Stateroom can accommodate up to 6 guests. (265 sq. ft.)” I was apprehensive about booking this stateroom because it seemed very small for 5 people, but went ahead. There is something to be said about a gut feeling.

Arrival at the port in Barcelona went very smoothly, and we were able to get on the ship right away. Upon entering the Centrum, we were welcomed by the wonderful sound of Classical Guitarist Aleksandr Kudrin. (During our cruise, we went to listen to Aleksandr several times in different venues and were always overwhelmed.) An announcement was made about 1:00pm that all cabins were ready. We made our way to Deck 7 and Stateroom 7004. I was overcome with such a feeling of disappointment upon entering. The King bed was exactly as described, but we only saw one twin be in the separate “room”. We did not see how the sofa could fold out into a bed. We inquired at Guest Services regarding the two other sleeping areas and were told that the cabin steward would pull two down from the ceiling at night. We were able to see one, and assumed that the other bed would be the sofa pulled out. We looked at the sofa and saw the upholstery to be very dirty and worn. When we pulled off the cushions, the cushion seams were torn, and the top of the “mattress” was very stained. It looked to be extremely unsanitary. We again made our way down to Guest Services, and were told that we had already reported this issue, and would be contacted by someone in Housekeeping. Some time later, someone from Housekeeping came to the cabin. We showed him the torn seams and the stains. He had to call the cabin steward to come in to show him how the sofa pulled out to make the bed. He said he would have someone come in and stitch up the torn seams, and a duvet would cover the stained area before being made up to be a bed. This solution was not really acceptable, but a replacement was not possible. We decided to make the best of it.

The private bathroom was extremely small. The shower barely has enough room to turn around in. This particular bathroom had a faint smell of mold and mildew, and there were areas in the shower where mold and mildew were visible. There were also areas around the sink where the caulk around the tile was cracked or gone. Needless to say, the cabin and bathroom were worn, specifically the upholstery on the chair and sofa and the window coverings, and very much in need of refurbishment. Read more