Brilliance of the Seas Review

Fun ship, great itinerary

Review for the Mediterranean Cruise on Brilliance of the Seas
User Avatar
newsman9
6-10 Cruises • Age 50s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Jul 2017
Cabin: Interior Stateroom
Traveled with children

We chose this cruise for the specific itinerary and were not disappointed - we got pretty much what we expected. The ship is in great condition and very well maintained (replace the dartboard, though!). Service was generally friendly and on point, food was good-but-not-great (the steakhouse isn't worth the extra money, although it is nice for a change of pace - the Italian restaurant is a cheaper/better option).

We don't cruise much, but when we do we avoid being nickled-and-dimed and managed to do so here without much trouble. The drumbeat to sell you stuff (who buys art on a cruise ship?) is pretty relentless, but easy enough to avoid. Wish they had more space set aside selling stuff people might actually need, such as forgotten item replacement, rather than all of the space reserved for jewelry and all manner of tacky garbage - although I'm sure they make scads of money on that.

We wanted an itinerary that hit Barcelona AND the Greek isles - not an easy feat if you look at a map - but they did it. They chickened out of Ephesus because of perceived unrest and added Mykonos, which I could have done without, but the rest of the stops were solid. We did not book any cruise excursions, finding we could get more value (and fewer people!) going with private operators (or on our own in certain cases).

Cabin Review

Interior Stateroom

Cabin K

We stuffed four of us in this cabin (two kids) and found it fine. Seemed bigger than the Carnival cabin we once previously sailed. Lots of storage space (more than enough, but we travel lighter than some), and pretty comfortable beds. Cabin toward the front of the ship was handy for keeping quiet - almost missed our first tour because it was so quiet (and the alarm didn't go off).

Our attitude is that you don't go on a cruise to stay in your room. For us, it's strictly for resting/sleeping, bathing and dressing. So it's perfect.

Port Reviews

Barcelona

The architecture here is unparalleled. We had a full day as the cruise started here, so we had time to do it all ourselves. But it is a bit spread out, so an excursion of some kind might be wise to hit all the highlights.

La Spezia (Cinque Terre)

Some folks trekked into Florence, which we would have done if we had still be set to dock at Livorno. But when the itinerary was switched to La Spezia, Cinque Terre seemed the obvious choice. It's a long walk to the train station, but once there it's easy enough to shuttle among the five towns with a train pass. It's as easy as riding a subway in a major city. The bus up and down the hill at Corniglia is a great bonus.

Mykonos

Took a cab into town and took the subway back, but it's a long walk through a dicey area (Pireaus). But Athens itself is easy enough to do on your own if you're willing/able to walk - all the major sites and tourist districts are reachable by foot.

Athens (Piraeus)

Athens is easy enough to do on foot if you're willing/able. Getting there can be the trick - we had to haggle heavily with the cabbie outbound, then took the subway back.

Santorini

What an incredible island. Suggest Tony's Car Rental and doing it yourself - it's an easy place to drive, and we went all over the island - north (beautiful Oia), then south (the Akrotiri archaeological site, red beach and lunch) and east (black beaches) as well as the capital, Fira. Get off the boat fast so you can beat the crowds onto the cable car from the tender port.

1 Helpful Vote
previous reviewnext review

Find a Brilliance of the Seas Cruise from $325

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.