| | |
| Cruise Guide |
|---|
Berlitz Overview »
News for 2008 »
Cruise History »
Life Aboard »
The Right Ship etc... |
|
| Cruise Lines |
|---|
Cunard » P&O »
Fred. Olsen »
Holland America »
NCL Cruises etc... |
|
| Destinations |
|---|
Caribbean »
Mediterranean »
World Cruises »
Alaska etc... |
|
Latest Photos |
Still Seeking Perfection |
| Reviewed By: Mr Lennon, Warrington on 27th Nov 2008 |
| Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean Cruises |
Times cruised before: 6-10 |
| Cruise Ship: Brilliance of the Seas |
Sailed:
November,
2008 |
| Destination: Mediterranean |
Age: 56-65 |
|
Embarkation: Barcelona has a first rate cruise terminal and it was a pleasurable experience to join the ship at such an up to date facility. RCI had good admin to hand and we were boarded quickly and professionally. Barcelona taxi drivers are not cheap and will jack up the price for luggage more than the amount stated on the cab display.
The Ship: The ship has a wow factor internally, certainly far superior in finish and style to any of the Brit based lines I have sailed with. The public areas, bars, lounges, theatres and restaurants are well designed and have an excellent finish.
Leisure: All leisure facilities were first class gym spa pools saunas Jacuzzis are top bat. There is always an activity to join, be it dancing- tango line etc.
Dining: Good experience, dishes were well presented and the quality was just ok. Breakfast in the Windjammer was overcrowded at time but there was a decent variety for all meals, that I took there, mainly breakfast and lunch.
Minuses: Running out of butter in the Windjammer was less than Brilliant, and running out of Brit bacon was poor, but the disaster was running out of vanilla Yohurt for a day or so.
Drinks: Pricey - Two wines (decent measure $16) Two spirit and mixer $14 all including service charge. They do give a good measure on spirits, in my opinion at least.If you like a glass of wine, take the wine deal, 6 or 10 or 12 at a decent discount with a choice of wines.
Entertainment: Very good, excellent headliners in the theatre and Atrium including Tango Buenos Aires and their band and vocalists, The Drifters and an excellent violin act. Throw in a trio of decent comedians and you get the picture. It does, in my opinion, beat the Brit cruise package hands down. This co-ordinated by Clo(dagh the Cruise director who is very pro-active and (possibly too) visible..
Minuses: The repetitive BOOM BOOM music played in the gym and occasionally in the windjammer seems to be for the amusement of staff and not guests.
Excursions: Two missed ports Cannes and Malta led to a great disappointment, particularly among US guests many of whom were unlikely to visit Europe again. There was a token compensation for this following the Captains Q&A. This consisted of a refund of port charges $38 =$19 pp, and free drinks for an hour. There was also a half refund of the cost of the Venice shuttle (far too expensive in the first place) at $35pp. Went freestyle in all the ports and saved lots over ship excursions and saw more.
Minus: There were queues for the shuttles at various ports and the obnoxious line jumpers were again present. RCL really must either ensure that this pre-empted by having enough staff present OR ensure that decent people who wait in line can report the interloper and they (RCI) can take appropriate action. There was nearly blows at one incident I witnessed.
Cabins: good well tended and what you might expect
Overall holiday -very good, The Captains Q&A was very entertaining, right up there with the best shows! The interrogation of the skipper by the cruisers was handled very well by him. His natural gravitas and calmness were sufficient to carry the day in a dignified manner that represented RCI very professionally. He did not need Clo’s transparent PR interventions as they added little and diminished the event slightly, as this was the business end, with US guests particularly wanting straight answers, not adjectives to their perceived grievances. The concessions granted were always going to be par for the course from the experienced RCL.
Style: I was half expecting a commercial hard sell, this was not the case at all. You were made aware of extras but they were not too invasive. The One exception was the paintings auctions held in the Atrium which were unavoidable as this is the epicentre of the ship. The auctioneers voice has a shrill and piercing quality that could interrupt a meditating Zen Buddist. I suppose RCI gain good revenue from this so this won’t change?
All in all, a good experience, not perfect, but with such a spread of ages and nationalities an overall good job was done by all very much including Clo who I may have seemed overly critical of. Clo puts herself on the line and works like a Trojan for her company so, hats off to her, maybe she needs a good No 2 to share the load before she works herself into the ground. The quality and organisation of the entertainment are a testament to clo's fine qualities. There are, in my humble opinion areas to improve, and I hope any observations are taken by RCI in the spirit they were meant - constructively.
To finish on a positive - This is a great ship which I so enjoyed sailing on and I looked forward very much to returning to every time I stepped ashore. So thanks to RCI For a wonderful holiday.
|
| Quality of Food |  |
| Service was good. Soups not so good, poosibly for the US palate. Winjammer generally very good with a bit more variety than the main restaurant. BUT my partner likes Formal. | | Entertainment |  |
| All headline shows were good. Standard in all venues Bars Atrium also very good | | Shore Excursions | |
| Missed ports was a bit of a downer, but it was November. Veinice and Rome are special and worth the effort. Capri while pretty is no in the same league except perhaps in the rip off coffe prices (never again) Shabby ferry to Capri is overpriced also. | | Staff | |
| All staff generally good | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities | |
| | Cabins | |
| | Overall Rating | |
|
|
|
Happy HOLIDAY's
Qeen Mary 2 cruise dec 2008
Queen Victoria - Caribbean 2008
MSC Fantasis Christmas Cruise
