I chose this cruise because I prefer the mid-size ship and length of cruise. Brilliance is in great shape. It's well appointed, very clean, with pretty decor. I loved the signature venues that Royal Caribbean is known for like the Schooner Bar, the Windjammer Cafe, the Colony Club and the Viking Crown Lounge (though the Viking Crown Lounge's size was reduced to make way for other venues). I also enjoyed a quiet drink at the wine bar, and the English pub was a nice alternative to steal away for a quiet drink.

For dining, the meals in the Windjammer were very good, and the service was excellent there. We were there for almost every meal. The only criticism I have is the coffee is really bad, but you can go to the gourmet coffee shop, and it's included in the drink package. I was looking forward to dining at Rita's Cantina, but it was closed, except they allowed Windjammer diners to use that lovely dining area. The main dining room was not impressive. The food was mediocre, and the plates were tepid at best. We paid an up-charge for the filet mignon, and it was very bland. The appetizers were paltry, i.e.shrimp cocktail. However, the french onion soup I enjoyed. The waiters at main dining room tried very hard to please, but it simply isn't like the old days of cruising where you actually looked forward to a leisurely meal there. I did enjoy the roast beef sandwiches at the Park Cafe in the Solarium. We had planned to try Giovanni's Table but just never got around to it.

Regarding the bars, we purchased the full drink package, which was definitely a good idea for us. In general, the bar staff did not impress me especially at the main pool deck, where waiters were scarce (constantly we waited and wondered what happened to the waiter once they took our sea pass card) and the mixed drinks were barely stirred - even the frozen boat drinks - the run sat at the top of the glass. Also, the liquor was obviously not the best, especially when you compared to drinks at the schooner bar. Another thing I noticed at the pool area/bar is they didn't bother picking up empty glasses and cans much so the pool deck got pretty messy at times. Read more