I was pleasantly surprised with Brilliance of the Seas. The ship is just the right size for my parents and I (with just about 2000 passengers). I can't speak about the reported issues with embarkation since our cruise line transfer driver got lost and we only got to the ship a half hour before she sailed. But RCL acted accordingly with taking action against the driver and refunding us our transfer money. The ship is cozy and comfortable. Not too many venues as far as options...but we still enjoyed our time. The music in the Centrum tended to be played very loud to the point we had trouble talkong to each other, even though we were 5 decks up. Plenty of places to sit and relax. It's a slower-paced ship with few activities for children. Staff was great and we had no issues with them. I would definitely sail on this ship again.