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Great Crew - Not so great itinerary
 
Reviewed By: Rivers, London on 17th Mar 2010
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean Cruises Times cruised before: 3-5
Cruise Ship: Brilliance of the Seas Sailed: February, 2010
Destination: Dubai Age: 56-65
Cabin: Balcony
We arrived at the port in Dubai by taxi at 11.00 a.m. and were on board in less than 30 minutes due to a very well organised checkin system. Probably the smoothest we have experienced. Our balcony cabin was spacious and in good condition with more than enough storage space.
As we booked at the last minute we didn\'t have an allocated table for dinner and were put on the waitlist for the second sitting which was confirmed by a note left in our cabin. Our table,laid out for eleven people, turned out to be made up of two other couples, a single lady and three Kuwaiti gentlemen who disseapeared after the first night. The size of the table made conversation difficult, although by the last evening the ice was broken and we got on famously.
The food was not as good as we experienced on previous trips despite the most succulent piece of beef my wife had on the first night. There was little variety and the menu was virtually duplicated on one occassion which on a seven night trip seems to be lazy and lacking imagination.
All the staff we came into contact with were excellent although our main waiter, Roger was somewhat stiff and made a totally inappropriate apology on the first evening for the fact that his assistant was new. We would not have noticed if he had not mentioned it and as it happens the young Turkish guy was charming and helpful.
Many of the crew were from Eastern Europe and Turkey and were without exception lovely young people who aimed to please. They appeared to be well managed.
Entertainment was varied with something for most people. The Cruise Director was always visible and worked his socks off throughout the cruise. The highlight for us was an American Soul Band that we had seen before on the Voyager. They sang a repertoire of Tamla Motown songs which had the theatre jumping.
There was also an amazing act by a French husband and wife pair using ropes and drapes to climb the full height of the theatre and doing aerial acrobatics without a safety net . Not entirely our cup of tea, but amazing nevertheless.
The price of drinks are still too high with the cheapest bottle of wine at $32++.
It is outrageous to add 15% service to each bill when a tip is paid at the end of the trip.
As a previous reviewer has mentioned, the itinerary was not terribly exciting and the timing of the visit to Abu Dhabi on a Friday (their Sunday) is a mistake that needs to be rectified.
There was quite a problem with a shortage of sunbeds with dozens of unoccupied beds with towels on them and despite a notice that they would be removed if still unoccupied after 30 minutes it did not seem to be policed at all. It seems the Brits have taken over from the Germans in using towels to occupy their territory.
Disembarkation was a breeze with our bags ready to collect immediately from the baggage hall.
A final word for the captain. He was highly visible and seemed to thoroughly enjoy his job. His announcements were not only informative but interpersed with humour which made them highly entertaining.
In summary...not an itinerary I would do again, although for someone new to the Middle East it may be more suitable.
Food was dissapointing, but made up by the excellent crew from the waiters to the captain.
I would certainly be happy to chose this ship again on a different itinerary.




Quality of Food2
Lacked variety in the main restaurant.
Entertainment4
Excellent American soul band.
Shore Excursionsn/a
We arranged our own trips.
Staff5
Our cabin stewardess was always helpful and charming. Captain Henrik was a great ambasador for RCCL, he was happy to mix with guests and used humour to great effect. Not bad for a Dane!!!
Children's Facilitiesn/a
Onboard Activities1
Pool area too crowded with lack of sunbeds. Need to police unoccupied beds more stringently.
Cabins5
Very comfortable with large balcony and more than adequate storage space.
Overall Rating3
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Opinion: Agree Comment by Jenkins, Farnham (30 Mar 10 12:14) about this REVIEW
Almost totally agree with everything said We were blown away by the aerial act Gordon worked his socks off and Captain Henrik really made us feel he was part of the fun not just a figure head (pardon the pun) Drinks prices far too HIGH but kept us sober (not a bad thing) Sun beds still a problem thank goodness for our balcony but not very sociable Dinning we had confirmed was for a small table second sitting but ended up with just us two first sitting at the back wall behind a pillar Decided not to make a fuss and spoil our holiday but by day two regretted it Next time will make more of an issue of it as it is a big part of the experience Overall had a really great time and am wondering how long I can leave it before I start looking for our next cruise as we only got back late last night.
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