My wife and I were looking for a short cruise to celebrate our wedding anniversary, and since Tampa is just up the road from Sarasota (where we live), and we'd done some prior Tampa cruises, we signed on.

We had not previously sailed on a Royal Caribbean ship, so the Brilliance of the Seas was all new to us. However, as we explored the ship, we discovered that the layout of the various entertainment areas was designed very nicely.

The first night, we ate dinner at Giovanni's Italian Restaurant (it was our anniversary dinner), and the entire meal (including the wine) was top notch. Our waiter was extremely friendly and efficient, and everything we were served, was incredibly tasty! So good that we briefly considered eating there again before the ship returned to Tampa. Read more