We sailed on the Brilliance of the Seas in January, 2018 from Tampa to Cozumel. Key West was supposed to be one of the stops, but, according to Royal Caribbean (“RCL”), the hurricane had done enough damage to Key West to render stopping there undesirable if not impossible.

It didn’t matter that we missed Key West; our cruise reminded us of why we like cruising so much. We have cruised in Europe several times and in the Caribbean on a couple of occasions, usually with RCL but also with Norwegian and, when the kids were younger, Disney. We’ve always enjoyed the fun, variety, simplicity, and value of cruising but, for one reason or another, have spent our last few vacations beachcombing. In fact, this cruise was the second leg of a vacation spent first on the beach at Fort Myers and then on the cruise. We were having so much fun in Fort Myers that we were nearly saddened at having to leave for the cruise. But our reluctance quickly evaporated due to the attentive staff, good food, clean, inviting surroundings, and plethora of activities, or inactivities, on the Brilliance of the Seas. RCL did itself proud once again.

The democratization of cruising has its downsides, especially on a short, relatively inexpensive cruise. But we met many delightful people on this trip, even those who, judging from appearance, one might think it wise to avoid. Everyone was having a good time, enjoying the sun, the food, the dancing, and the camaraderie. There was no trouble and little rudeness. Read more