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Royal Caribbean International

MV Brilliance of the Seas

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Reviewed by: Carolyn Fryer
# previous cruises: 4
Date of Trip: December 31, 2004
Itinerary: Caribbean

My husband and I and two other couples recently did the 10 night Panama Cruise on Brilliance. Ports of Call were very interesting. A little concerned at having a police escort in old Panama City. Accommodations were very comfortable. We had an inside cabin. Lots of room and storage space.

The public areas are beautifully appointed. Temperature of pool was very comfortable. The solarium was a nice change, a little quieter when you felt like it. Didn't do the casino, not into gambling. The Colony Club turned out to be our favourite. Moses and the Highbrows performed nightly and they were very talented and played an assortment of music to suit all tastes. It just so happened that all their music suited us, we are all in our mid fifties. We ended up there every evening. They also had various 'adult' games and contests.

The food was veru tasty. The main dining room was quite elegant. Would have liked a little more variety. Especially, more seafood. However, it was very tastily prepared. The Windjammer had an extensive buffet with many different dishes to choose from, hot or cold. We usually had lunch here and dinner in the Minstrel (main dining room).

We had an inside cabin, which at first did not overly please my husband. He wanted a window. As we were travelling with 2 other couples and wanted to stay together we did not attempt to upgrade. He finally settled down and found the accommodations quite spacious and comfortable. The washroom was a good size, you could bend over to pick up the soap in the shower. There was lots of storage space. Did not hear any noise at night and there was a bar just a few steps down the hall from our room.

Entertainment was a little disappointing. Would have liked more venues to choose from each evening. Most of the entertainment was contained in the Pacifica Theatre and most nights what was being offered did not appeal to us. We did however very much enjoy the Colony Club. The disco was a little too young for us. The staff were all friendly and helpful and the entertainers we did see were very talented.

On board we enjoyed the pool daily. A couple of the people in our group did the wall climbing. We played miniature golf and also enjoyed the steel band that entertained every day at poolside. The shore excursions were enjoyable however, the description for the jeep safari and snorkelling we did while in Grand Cayman was misleading to say the least. Otherwise, Costa Rica in the mountains was breathtaking and Grand Cayman in general has beautiful beaches. Panama City was interesting but we were all a little nervous in the Old City. Aruba we found to be a disappointment. We drove all over the island and it seemed a bit deserty and not quite what we were expecting. They had a large spa and health facility on board which we did not use. However, many people did. There was an Adventure Club and floor and kid's pool with planned activities but we were not travelling with children.

Passengers of all ages were on board. Children, retirees, a few teenagers and many that were our age (middle-aged). We sat at a table for 8 at dinner so we had one couple joining us in the evening that we had just met on the cruise. They were a retired couple from just outside Pittsburgh and we got along very well with them. They were very friendly and fit in well with our group of 6 people. I am sending them a group shot that we had taken with our waiters.