The Siberian American: Cruise Ship Review: Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Cruise Ship Review: Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas

If I could, I would live on a cruise ship.  Constant views of the ocean and travel to beautiful destinations? Yes, please. This was my third cruise on Royal Caribbean, and I somehow always end up on a Radiance Class ship. I am a fan of the Radiance Class because they are mid-sized ships with gorgeous views of the sea at every corner.
The Brilliance of the Seas is different from the other Radiance Class ships I have sailed. Instead of a grand staircase, there is a large Centrum. Although I do like the look of a grand staircase, the Brilliance of the Seas had lots of open space, which we loved. We also loved that the ship was refurbished last year. Everything sparkled. There’s a reason we keep gravitating towards the Radiance Class (though I am going to try a new class next time we cruise Royal Caribbean).
Our room:
We booked a deluxe balcony room, and it was perfect! We had plenty of room with a nice closet and space to store our bags. It was so fun to order room service and sit out and enjoy the view from the balcony.
Food:
Although the food in the dining room food was, in general, nothing to write home about, there were always one or two things that stood out on the menu.  There were definitely several desserts that I would eat again and again. The two-story Minstrel Dining room was beautiful, though if you’re looking for small tables, they are hard to find. Our table (and many of the tables around us) seated 10 people. If we have to be at a large table, we usually prefer tables with six to eight people because it’s easier to have a conversation. If you do My Time Dining, there are more tables for two people or smaller groups.
Our first time eating at the Windjammer was disappointing, but we liked it much better the second time. We also liked going to the Minstrel Dining Room for lunch with a make-your-own salad bar where they will chop your salad.
Entertainment:
Honestly, Chris and I aren’t fans of the singers and dancers on Royal Caribbean. We have enjoyed the shows on other cruise ships, but the production shows on Royal aren’t our favorites. That being said, we really liked all of the guest entertainers. David Klinkenberg was impressive on the violin, and Michael Menes performs an entertaining one-man variety show. We also saw an impersonator that we had seen on a previous cruise, but he was just as funny the second time around.
Have you ever been on a cruise? What is your favorite cruise line?

12 comments:

  1. I've never been on a cruise but they look like so much fun! xo jillian - stop by! I'm hosting a giveaway on cornflake dreams

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are really fun! I hope you get to go sometime. :)

      Delete
  2. I think you made me realize how much I love cruises!! I've been on a few, but I can always do more!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've never been on a cruise, I'd love to try it though. I know a few girls who have worked on Disney cruises as dancers. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gorgeous photos! I've only ever cruises on Royal Caribbean (3 times)so i have nothing to compare it to but we've love the food, entertainments etc and will probably stick with this cruise line once they have the destination we are looking for.

    ReplyDelete
  5. wow, so fun! you should do like a cruise 101 series for people like me as most of this went over my head. what is radiance class? is all the food included? how much time do you spend on the ship vs on land exploring? i'm so curious....

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is totally fascinating because I've never been on a cruise before. I appreciated the insider's look! Can I ask a kind of weird question? Is there anyone your guys' age? I feel like cruises often cater to more of a middle-American, middle to late aged audience.

    Cat
    http://oddlylovely.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes! I've been waiting for this post! That looks like so much fun. I've been on only one cruise but it was Royal also so it brought back some good memories. Now, I'm trying to talk my hubs into going on one with me.

    -Claire
    www.fashionadfeathers.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Claire! Royal cruises are great. I hope you can convince your hubby to go on one with you! :)

      Delete
  8. Love this post! I'm headed out on my first cruise in about 2 weeks. Can't wait to hear and see more of yours!

    ~Ashley @ A Cute Angle
    acutelifestyle.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. That looks so nice! I really want to take a cruise. I've got the itch!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for reading my blog! I love hearing from you and respond to every comment. :) If you're a no-reply blogger, I will respond below your comment.