This was our fourth RCI cruise and second on Brilliance. I have food allergies and its important that the working language aboard is English. RCI has always come through with excellent waiters. (We have used other lines in the Caribbean with good results too). We chose RCI because of past experience , the itinerary and price. We had done eastern Med three years ago out of Venice and the overnight in Venice on this cruise appealed to us.

This was not a cruise to sit back and relax. It was a thorough and enriching learning experience. We had such an interesting and stimulating time ashore we needed the few sea days just to rest.

We booked all our tours through the Cruise Planner, taking advantage of specials many months ago. We have had excellent tours through RCI in the past. On this cruise, the first tour, was the only one where we felt we didn't get our money's worth and could have done better on our own. It was in Cannes. The guide was pleasant but seemed inexperienced and read long passages from a script. But this turned out to be an exception. All the other guides; Pisa, Rome, Pompeii, Ravenna, and Malta spoke excellent English, were friendly and polite and very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We did Venice on our own having spent a few days three previous to our 2015 cruise. Read more