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?