My partner SD (The Snapdragon)and I sailed on the Independence last summer, so we thought we would give the Radiance Class a whirl on The Brilliance this time; we weren't disappointed. The Radiance is a very beautiful ship and imo is decoratively more elegant than the Independence, with a lot more wood and glass.I don't want to turn this into a wholly comparative review,and we also loved The Independence, but for those of you dipping your toes into the world of cruising I would suggest that The Independence is more suited to families with young children and The Brilliance is more suited to those travelling as couples or with older children, seeking a more relaxed cruise. The Independence excelled in certain quarters,which I will come too, but overall we preferred The Brilliance.

So here goes:

Arrival in Barcelona was complicated by my partner's fear of flying. We took the Eurostar from London to Paris, then the Hoteltrain to Barcelona ( 11 hrs overnight), arriving in Barcelona at 8am the day before departure. We booked The Hotel Montecarlo on Las Ramblas, based on it's #1 rating on Tripadvisor for hotels in Barcelona. The hotel has a fabulous location and a nice roof terrace ( which unfortunately is closed off at 7pm). Our room had a balcony overlooking Las Ramblas and was very clean and comfortable. WE were both pretty tired after the long train journey from London and spent the afternoon leisurely strolling around ( we've both been to Barcelona before). In the evening we went to an enjoyable flamenco show called Tablao Cordobes on Las Ramblas. Read more