Royal Caribbean, Brilliance of the Seas

This was the worst food I've ever had. Steaks were tough and the food in the buffet was dried up. The drain in the bathroom was stinking. After 2 1/2 days I was ill with salmonella/norovirus (not diagnosed). I was confined to the cabin for 36 hours but felt unwell for at least a month. I was able to eat very little the whole time I was there. Although the age group was mixed the entertainment was pitched at 70 plus age group. I was given a voucher towards another cruise which I do not wish to take. All in all a very bad experience and I would never travel on brilliance of the seas again.

This was our first ever cruise and i must say we were not disapointed from the arrival at the pier everything was very well organised swift and very friendly.

our stateroom was excellent and our attendant very nice overall we just loved everything.

We opted for my time dining which we found to be very good and the food quality choice and service was 5 star every time.

We met some very nice people also as it was my wifes birthday whilst we were on the cruise the staff decorated our cabin and made a lovely cake which was presented at dinner very nice thanks to all in the Minstral.

We ate at the Portofino one evening and i must say this was amazing but not to be done every day as it was so special unless of course if you need to gain weight as the food is probably the best we have ever tried anywhere in the world.

We agree the drinks are expensive but what would anyone expect in a 5 star hotel and as the prices are in US dollars they are not that bad.

We booked 3 excursions whilst we were on board and although expensive we think we got value for our money our only critisism would be the staff on the Guest relations desk did not have a lot of knowledge about most of the trips but you really cannot go wrong by asking other cruisers as usually most people have done it all before.

The on board entertainment is varied and excellent with loads to do for all ages day and night.

Overall we loved our holiday and will definately book again with the same ship

We have sailed on several ships but never with Royal Caribbean before. We looked forward to our trip to Dubai and the Emirates on the Brilliance of the Seas only to be disappointed. We found prices on board to be expensive and the customer service in some areas to be boardering on rudeness, especially at Guest Services, where it should have been excellent. No one seemed to want to take ownership of any mistakes that happened, on the contrary they couldn't have cared less.I thought at f8rst that I was being picky but as time went on we heard so many guests saying how unhappy they were with the service. Even some those people who had sailed with Royal Caribbean before and loyal to the company were saying how the standards h ad dropped.If they are cutting back due to the economic climate then all I can say is they have got their priorities wrong.

Food is not up to recent Royal Caribbean Cruises I have been on, cabin was very noisy from machinery underneath but the complaints were overlooked, bar staff stern and miserable as well as the drinks being well overpriced i.e £6 for a G&T. Generally Brilliance of the Seas was unlike other cruises I have been on the general areas and pool areas were dirty. It appears that the ship has tightened its belt and cut down on staff to ride the recession, not a very clever thing to do as I will not cruise on this ship again and a lot of passengers told me they wouldn't consider it again, it is a great pity as RCL was definitely the best cruise line I have been with in the past.

Took a few days to settle in, but once settle in it was a good holiday. The entertainment was generally aimed towards the American guest, (but they were there in the majority). Could not fault the housekeeping staff, who were most helpful. Would be happy to go again, especially now that I know what you do once on board......

Royal Caribbean, Brilliance of the Seas cruise was our first cruise and we were overwhelmed. We would definitely cruise on this ship again. The accommodation, service, food and entertainment were of such a high standard we cannot find fault. We chose to go on a number of historical based excursions and found that the tour guides really made the trips value for money. As a celebration for our 25th Wedding Anniversary we could not have wanted for more.

We did enjoy the cruise. I'd read lots of comments about the food - Main restaurant was generally good although the choice was limited sometimes (the cold soups sounded horrible but were lovely). Portofinos - very good. Windjammers for breakfast was good, lunch perfectly acceptable, but then we don't tend to want too much at lunchtime (cookies lovely!), dinner not so good.

On another website someone asked how far the ship went into the Panama Canal, a question I couldn't seem to find the answer to before we went. It went through one set of locks and stopped at Lake Gatan, a huge manmade lake in the middle of the canal. We went on a tour so I don't know how long in stayed here before turning round, but I would recommend a tour otherwise the only bit you see is Cristobel Pier, which is a huge disappointment (a large warehouse with lots of local crafts). My husband did venture into Colon, the nearest town, but much of it was unsafe and a policeman told him to go back to the ship!

All in all we had a lovely holiday. I wish Royal Caribbean would sort out embarkation and disembarkation.

this is the 4th cruise with rccl in as many years and food and service has gone down drastically, the food on the navigator was marginally better, but when I rang to cancel the brilliance I was informed by staff of rccl that smaller ships had better quality food, but this was not the case, my son and I both lost half a stone in weight and spent every land day on 12 day holiday looking for restaurants for some decent food. I am not ageist as I am 50, but it appears to me that these ships simplycook food which is overcooked, overseasoned to hide the real taste, and give lots of bravado when serving so that no one compains, lets face it a lot of women don't cook these days so they are grateful for anything put in front of them., especially older women.

We would consider doing another cruise with Royal Caribbean if the flights were more acceptable. The gratuities can add expense and the tipping and charges for everything can make the holiday more expensive for your personal budget. However the cruise itself is great value because of the itinerary and luxury cruising. The ship itself is magnificent and spotlessly lovingly kept clean. The staff were impeccable and our stateroom attendant was first class.

The Brilliance of the Seas is an amazingly beautiful cruise ship.

We had booked an inside cabin, which was extremely comfortable and spacious - we were more than happy with it - there was a safe, hairdryer, plenty of wardrobe space, an extremely large bed (I'm sure it was even larger than our king sized bed at home), fair sized shower/en suite, and the room was serviced in the morning and evening.

We opted to take the early sitting for the evening meal, solely for the reason that we do not like eating too late and going to bed feeling uncomfortably full. However, I found that it was a little rushed getting back from day trips and being ready by 6pm. In hindsight, I think I would have preferred to have had a little quiet time relaxing by the pool after a day out, and then leisurely get ready for dinner at a later time.

I am unable to comment on entertainment other than the pianist in the Colony Bar who was excellent, as we didn't get as far as the theatre in the evenings.

We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise, and we are already looking forward to the next time!