Brilliance of the Seas Review
A very pleasing 7 day cruise on the Brilliance
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Additional details
We just returned from a seven night Southern Caribbean cruise on the Brilliance of the Seas departing from Puerto Rico. This was the second leg on the schedule after cruising the first leg in 2011 on the Serenade. We missed a year as our preferred cabin 9076 was not available in 2012. We love this cabin as the balcony is a large wedged shape allowing a full frontal view of the ship. There are two lounges and a full sized table with two chairs. The only drawback is that this cabin is directly under the Concierge lounge on the 10th deck and for some reason the cleaning crew has to drag the furniture at two am waking us every night. I might suggest cabin 9576 on the starboard side of the ship. On this cruise we were pleased to find that a bottle of wine per passenger was allowed to be carried on the ship.
IMPORTANT: Please note that curling irons,clothing irons and scissors are not allowed on the ship. They will remove these items from you and hold them until the end of the cruise.
We are well traveled individuals in our late fifties. This was our 5th cruise, and the second on the Brilliance having sailed on a 12 day Mediterranean cruise in 2009. Other cruises have been on NCL and Carnival, all very nice trips.
Cabin Review
Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Our cabin was about 212 sq.ft., OK roomy but not large. We spend so little time in the cabin, more on the balcony which was excellent as per my comments. The bathroom is small, not large enough for two people to get ready at the same time. There is a shower curtain instead of a plastic or glass door. The shower taps are unnecessarily difficult. Only shampoo and a small bar of soap is provided so we brought our own supplies. The bed was just OK, two singles put together. With the rounded edges my feet overhung every night. The TV was an older tube type with limited channels. The small fridge was full of expensive water and snacks. There are only two plugs for 110V so bring an extension cord or cheater. A basic hairdryer is supplied. The room safe is small, not large enough for a big camera. The pull out couch is comfortable and air conditioning adequate. We always take a small fan for air circulation and to drown out noise. Smoking on RCI balconies is allowed so sometime the smell drifts into the balcony and cabin. Other cruise lines we have been on does not allow this. RCI should address this issue. Closet space is adequate the the suitcases fit under the bed. A lot of fellow passengers were not aware of this and store their cases on the balcony. The plug in the bathroom is very low voltage and will not power up the hairdryer. We plugged a nigh light in the socket which came in handy at night. The toilet is typical cruise ship loud and we could hear our neighbour's toilet at all hours, not enough to wake up up though. Best to close the lid when flushing. The bedspread is very thick and too hot at night. We asked and received a nice blanket which worked out nicely.