Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas has just been enhanced as part of their $300 million revitalization programme and I was lucky enough to be invited on board to see the changes.
As part of this programme the Radiance Class ship has been fully refurbished and the changes were amazing. She is an elegant and sophisicated ship and this is seen from the moment that you arrive and her trademark glass structure glisten's at you.
On board we started with a tour of the new features, which includes a whole host of dining venues.
The Chef's Table a select dining venue for 16 guests, serving a 7 course pairing menu with the your expert chef and sommelier guiding you through the courses.
Izumni - sushi and sashumi and hot rock dining where you watch the chef's prepare your food. Giovanni's Table for true Italian fare and my favourite, Rita's Cantina which offers Mexican mains and snacks in a casual environment looking out to see.
On top of these speciality dining venue's there is still the Windjammer restaurant offering one of the best and freshest buffets at sea. I visited it for lunch and a quick afternoon cookie stop to tide me over. I particularly like that Royal Caribbean serve a choice of soft drinks complimentary in here, whilst others cruise lines only offer water. And for waiter serviced dining there is the Minstrel dining room where I enjoyed the most amazing scallops in a cheese sauce and perfectly cooked steak. The service here was slightly slow but the quality of the food more than made up for it.
There was also a host of new bars, particularly worth a mention are the King and Country pub which my smoking colleagues enjoyed for obvious reasons and the R Bar which was my favourite for its classy cocktails and champagnes. Situated in the atrium this is the perfect venue for seeing the new Centrum WOW aerial entertainment - acrobats swinging above you across several decks. I didn't see this in action but intend to go back to see the show soon.
Other new features include the nursery which parents can use for $8 per hour and which looked well equipped and the staff were very freindly and caring. Brilliance of the Seas already had the rock climbing wall and mini golf for older children and the addition of the nursery will appeal to younger families. The outdoor movie screen is a great addition to the pool area, somehow it works in all weathers and it doesn't matter where you sit or how bright it is the picture is always perfect.
My cabin was an E3 balcony on deck 7 and was a decent size, having last had a balcony on NCL Epic the space around the bed here was much better, although the bed curved at the ends so not so good if there's 2 people both with long legs. There was also a curtain to divide the room if you have people using the sofa bed and wardrobe - wise the storage was good and more spacious than on P&O. The down side of Royal Caribbean is the toiletries, you just get a small bar of soap and a dispenser on the wall with a combined shower gel/shampoo that was similar to one you'd find at your local council swimming baths.
I did get to have a nose at other cabin types and was particularly interested in the family accommodations. It was interesting to see that in the balconies you can still have the lower beds configured as a double when the upper berth is in use. They also have a new double balcony cabin which sleeps up to 8 passengers across 3 rooms with 2 bathrooms. At a lower level than a suite and without all the living area of additional extras it should be an affordable option for larger families or 3 generations travelling together.
I haven't been on many Royal Caribbean ships but do really like the feel of them. They are glitzy and glamorous and have a feeling of energy about them. I sailed on Independence of the Seas last year but must admit that I preferred Brilliance, maybe because she was smaller so had more of an intimate feel about her. She has had a few poor reviews in recent years, probably because she was in need of an upgrade but I can honestly say she is a fabulous ship now and I look forward to reading the reviews this summer.
