Tampa/brillance of the seas questions

[STLDisney_Freak]

Totally never thought I would be on this board. Yes I'm one of those die hard Disney cruisers but I got awesome news today: my husband and I won a cruise on the Steelers cruise which is on the brilliance of the seas. So can anyone give me information on transfers, drink packages, area of the port and anything else that could be important.

Sent from iPhone

 

[lovin'fl]

I can't help you...I am looking for info on the Brilliance too (have cruised before but not on Royal...yet). I just wanted to say congrats!!! And I'll be watching this thread for some good info.

 

[holula]

Wow that's awesome! I have never sailed RCCL but we are moving to 45 minutes from Tampa, so I would love to know how the ship is.

 

[TifffanyD]

Haven't been on her but I have heard people say there is so much GLASS all over that you can see the ocean so well all the time!

Enjoy sailing under the sunshine skyway - it's a sight!

 

[aaarcher86]

I sail out on the Brilliance out of Tampa on Saturday.

I can give you some info once I get back. I found a nice review on CC awhile back when I was looking for info:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=261

 

[Mmketeer]

I am huge DCL fan, but let's face it. She's not the most economical line to sail on, so while I have sailed her 9 times I have to admit I have sailed on RCCL more.

To answer a couple of your questions, the ships we can get in here in Tampa are smaller than what Port C. can bring in. So, keep that in mind. But, who cares it's a free cruise right? Congrats on that by the way!

The Brillance maybe on the smaller side, but at least she has balcony cabins. The Carnival Paradise out of here only does with their suites. One of the biggest tips I can give you is don't miss the sail out under the Skyway Bridge, this a unique experience and worth skipping an early dinner seating for. When the ship comes back in, it's way to early to climb to the top deck to go watch this. Also the pool tables are free onboard! It has place for coins, but you won't need them.

The Tampa Airport is less like maybe 30 minutes away, so you can gets transfers directly through the cruiseline or just use a shuttle service.

 

[mrslaney]

I sail out on the Brilliance out of Tampa on Saturday. I can give you some info once I get back. I found a nice review on CC awhile back when I was looking for info: http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=261

Have a great trip! My husband's parents will be sailing with you.

 

[mrslaney]

I sail out on the Brilliance out of Tampa on Saturday. I can give you some info once I get back. I found a nice review on CC awhile back when I was looking for info: http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=261

Have a great trip! My husband's parents will be sailing with you.

 

[Alice Royal]

DBF and I will be sailing on the Brilliance on March 1st...will keep an eye on this thread in case anyone posts more info.

Congrats on winning your cruise, OP!

 

[aaarcher86]

Hi!

We are back. Anything specific you'd like to know?

It was our first cruise so I don't have much to compare to. The ship was nice. I don't really have any complaints. The pool chairs fill up quick in the morning but there was a man putting post its on chairs that went unoccupied. If no one came back for 30 minutes he removed the towels.

I saw a lot of people who did 'my time dining' and didn't realize that you'd still have to make a reservation for a specific time to eat in the main dining room and were turned away or given a reservation for much later in the evening.

Spots fill up really quick for any of the shows in the centrum.

 

[holula]

Glad you had a good time!!

How was the food? What would it compare to in the US?

What kind of activities did you have on the ship? How easy was it to book for the shows the day before? Or even on the day?

TIA!

 

[aaarcher86]

Glad you had a good time!! How was the food? What would it compare to in the US? What kind of activities did you have on the ship? How easy was it to book for the shows the day before? Or even on the day? TIA!

The food was decent. I actually preferred the buffet most days since they had a salad dressing I loved! It was typical buffet food. I'd rank it high quality wise, and they changed it up often which was nice.

The main dining room food was good but most of the things they served just didn't appeal much to me. The portions were small for my husband, but you can order more without issue. I can't think of a restaurant to compare it to. It was presented much fancier than it actually was.

On the ship they had the casino, movies in the theater, a comedian, mini golf, and a rock climbing wall. Most things you just showed up for at a designated time. Anything in the main lobby area filled up really early since there is a bar there. The only thing I think you had to book in advance were spa treatments and restaurant reservations. It was pretty laid back.

 

[wandep]

Do you have any pictures of the ship? We are going in March 2015 and would love to see pics. Never sailed RCI. TIA!

 

[pouncingpluto]

Do you have any pictures of the ship? We are going in March 2015 and would love to see pics. Never sailed RCI. TIA!

I'm interested, too we are sailing on Brilliance over Christmas!

 

[NancyIL]

Hi!

We are back. Anything specific you'd like to know?

It was our first cruise so I don't have much to compare to. The ship was nice. I don't really have any complaints. The pool chairs fill up quick in the morning but there was a man putting post its on chairs that went unoccupied. If no one came back for 30 minutes he removed the towels.

I saw a lot of people who did 'my time dining' and didn't realize that you'd still have to make a reservation for a specific time to eat in the main dining room and were turned away or given a reservation for much later in the evening.

Spots fill up really quick for any of the shows in the centrum.

I have sailed on Brilliance, Jewel, and will be on Serenade in 2015. RCI's Radiance-class ships are my favorite. They are hardly "small" ships, and are fairly comparable in size to the Magic and Wonder.

I chose My Time Dining on my last 2 RCI cruises. You don't have to reserve a table for a specific time - unless you want a table just for your party. I like dining with different people each night, and have never had to wait to share a table.