Brilliance of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International®

Ship Reviews

Overall Rating

Based on 54 reviews

Submit your review Cruise reviews reflect the opinions of travel editors and cruisers/ readers and may not represent those of our company.

Brilliance Is Amazing

September

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

Brilliance exceeded my expectations. I was expecting an older, smaller ship. Well, it isn't small, and it has been beautifully refurbished. Royal Caribbean as usual, has out done themselves. The staff went over and above to make sure a good time was had. I'm looking forward to booking my next cruise.

SCORECARD

Staff
Dining
Entertainment
Activities
Cabins/Staterooms
Itinerary/Ports
Value

Alaskan Cruise

May

Pros: Excellent crew, service, and food.

Cons: Ship needs updating

Recommended: Yes

Excellent stops, excursions. I would recommend this cruise and ship to anyone.

SCORECARD

Staff
Dining
Entertainment
Activities
Cabins/Staterooms
Itinerary/Ports
Value

Wonderful staff but tired staterooms and mediocre food

August

Pros: Every crew member we encountered was exceptional.

Cons: Our junior suite was clean but carpet and furniture needs to be replaced

Recommended: No

Our ship and itinerary was changed after airfare was purchased so we could not change our plans. Furthermore, in the few days before embarking, port arrival and departure times were changed which severely impacted our private tour itineraries. Brilliance is scheduled for an upgrade in the next couple of years and is sorely needed. The food was mediocre at best and probable cause of intestinal illness on the 6th night of our cruise. We opted to eat at the specialty restaurant for a 2nd time for our last meal due to the poor food quality. Chop's Grille cuisine provided a quality dinner experience, but was the only alternative dining option. The crew was wonderful and for that we are thankful.

SCORECARD

Staff
Dining
Entertainment
Activities
Cabins/Staterooms
Itinerary/Ports
Value

Royal Caribbean wrote the book on customer service

October

Pros: Friendly staff, working hard to accommodate. Smaller ship is easier to get around

Cons: Older ship has some odor problems

Recommended: Yes

This older design has pros and cons. The smaller ship is easier to get across and is less crowded. With fewer youth-related activities, it is also quieter. The cabins are well-designed, but small. Bathrooms could use updates; shower curtains let out too much water, drains have sewer-gas smells that just cannot be neutralized successfully. Staff on this ship worked HARD to fix a noxious odor on our balcony (coming from a drain). We could not use the balcony at all. Eventually they offered a different cabin. Giovanni's Table is excellent .... better on Brilliance than on Explorer, which is a reflection on the kitchen staff. Activities - these leaned heavily on the game-show / trivia show type and any dance parties or other parties started after 10 pm. There were no ship tours offered that we could see, no kitchen tours, no cooking classes, no lectures about port destinations. Entertainment - good variety of shows, excellent talent.

SCORECARD

Staff
Dining
Entertainment
Activities
Cabins/Staterooms
Itinerary/Ports
Value

Great cruise

February

Pros: Great room attendees

Cons: No laundry facilities to self use

Recommended: Yes

Had a wonderful cruise. Overall it was a great time.

SCORECARD

Staff
Dining
Entertainment
Activities
Cabins/Staterooms
Itinerary/Ports
Value

Sunshine, service, and serenity!

February

Pros: Every aspect of this cruise was exceptional!

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

We were looking for sunshine, service, and serenity and found all three on RCI's Brilliance of the Seas! We cruised to Grand Cayman and Cozumel and found plenty of sunshine to kick out the winter doldrums. The service was better than we could have imagined as the staff made us feel as though we were royalty from boarding to disembarking. While the ship was full of fun activities throughout the day and night, we found serenity on Deck 12 as we laid back to read a couple of good books while watching the Gulf waves dancing and the sea breeze lulling us into a relaxed feeling. What a dreamy, fun-filled experience!

SCORECARD

Staff
Dining
Entertainment
Activities
Cabins/Staterooms
Itinerary/Ports
Value

First cruise delivers lots of memorable moments

February

Pros: Delicious food, amazing Cococay day trip

Cons: Disorganized, slow debarkation at Key West

Recommended: Yes

The ship was beautiful, and since this was our first cruise, the 5 night trip was just the right length. The crew were all friendly and responsive. We bought the drink package, so it was nice to be able to order what we wanted and not have to worry about how much it would cost. Four other couples we know went on the cruise, but we couldn’t communicate properly. They have internet only for use of their app, but there is no means of communicating with other passengers except calling their room from your own. I paid for Internet (Voom) since I had to do some work while on board, and it cost me $259 for 4 devices (husband also had to have it). Sadly, since staterooms have metal walls, the connectivity was spotty at best. I talked to a tech onboard and he was no help and wouldn’t consider a refund. He also had an attitude and acted insulted that I was questioning the service.

SCORECARD

Staff
Dining
Entertainment
Activities
Cabins/Staterooms
Itinerary/Ports
Value
Brilliance of the Seas  |  Cruises

7-night Western Caribbean Cruise10/26/2024from $790

7-night Western Caribbean Cruise12/28/2024from $2,310

7-night Western Caribbean Cruise03/08/2025from $690

7-night Greek Isles & Turkey Cruise06/13/2025from $947

7-night Greece & Italy Cruise08/15/2025from $947

7-night Boston To San Juan Cruise11/02/2025from $811

7-night Southern Caribbean Cruise01/04/2026from $927

7-night Southern Caribbean Cruise03/22/2026from $913

View all 67 Brilliance of the Seas Cruise Offers...