Supplement to Travel Trade
December 2002

Brilliance of the Seas:

RCI’s Shining New Ship

By Carol Eannarino

Brilliance of the Seas truly lives up to its name: the brand new 2,100-passenger vessel sparkles, shines — and, yes, often even dazzles. The second in Royal Caribbean’s Radiance class, the Brilliance is similar to its sister ship, Radiance of the Seas, yet has a personality all its own.

Enter its gleaming 9-story glass Centrum lobby on Deck 5 for a glimpse of what’s to come. Spiral Light, an artwork of stainless steel and architectural mesh, soars through the center of the space. The Centrum lights sparkle; the marble floors gleam. Live music drifts from the sleek Lobby Bar, with its plush banquettes and chairs. Glass elevators whisk passengers to this popular meeting place — the pulse of the 90,090-ton vessel. Floor-to-ceiling glass panels create a wide, expansive feeling, letting in light and offering fabulous views.

And that’s just for starters. Beyond the Centrum, the Brilliance stylishly delivers familiar favorites, as well as variations on popular RCI themes.

Starting from the top, Deck 13, the Viking Crown Lounge has been transformed into the futuristic Starquest Disco Bar, with sparkling crystal panels at the entry, a revolving bar and wraparound views. Nearby, the Hollywood Odyssey, with seating for 79 and a collection of Hollywood memorabilia, is the place for late night karaoke, jazz and other entertainment.

Also on this deck is the Rock Climbing Wall, with five separate climbing tracks (lessons available) and a nine-hole miniature golf course with a French Baroque garden theme, welcome adaptations from RCI’s mega-Voyager class vessels.

Decks 11 and 12 house the ShipShape Fitness center, divided into three areas. The large gym offers a variety of exercise equipment, including 18 treadmills, all with ocean views. The aerobics area features a wood-suspended aerobics floor, mirrored walls and huge wraparound windows. (Some classes, such as Pathways to Yoga, cost $10).

The beauty treatment area, with its Indian-themed décor, is spacious, with unisex, hair salon, manicure, pedicure and facial facilities; separate male and female changing rooms with access to sauna, steam and shower areas; three massage rooms; a Hydrotherapy room and a thermal site with heated lounges. This pampering spa is popular: tell your clients to reserve treatments as soon as they’re on board.

The sports court (for basketball, paddle ball or volleyball games) is on Deck 12, as are golf simulators and a jogging track that circles the deck.

Deck 12 also houses the outstanding Adventure Ocean Youth Facilities, which indicates a real commitment by RCI to the family market. Eye-catching rooms, including some with PC stations loaded with entertaining and educational software, are used for age groups 3-5; 6-8; 9-11; 12-14 and 15-17 years. Adventure Beach, an area for “family fun,” includes splash pools and a water slide.

Complimentary supervised activities are offered daily, year-round, both at sea and in port. Group babysitting is $5/hour from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. In-cabin sitting, available through Guest Relations, costs $8/hour for up to two children within same family; $10/hour/maximum three in same family.

A choice of pools can be found on Deck 11. Peace and quiet prevail at The Solarium. Covered by a retractable glass-domed roof, this is a climate-controlled indoor/outdoor pool (open 24 hours) and snack bar area with two whirlpools. The Indian theme includes a poolside bronze baby elephant bowing to the giant bejeweled plaster elephants facing it.

For fun in the sun, usually to the tune of a lively Caribbean band, the spacious outdoor pool area, aft on Deck 11, offers two Jacuzzis and plenty of lounges.

Nearby is the Windjammer Café, a popular venue for casual dining, with hot and cold choices at a variety of stations throughout the spacious room. Outdoor seating is available aft. Dinner includes buffet and table service with specials from the main dining room, plus fast food items.

The Minstrel Dining Room, Decks 4 and 5, serves three meals, with two seatings at dinner. Fabric pillars draped from the ceiling add a soft touch to the elegant room, with sweeping double stairways connecting the two levels. The room’s focal point is “The Minstrel’s Gallery,” a colorful glass mosaic with brass and copper, inspired by the Renaissance era. In the hall outside, sculptured glass mosaic minstrels “lead” guests into the room. Food preparations include ShipShape healthy menus and vegetarian choices.

Two alternative restaurants require advance dinner reservations and a $20/per person surcharge. Chops Grille, with its mahogany steakhouse ambiance, allows guests to watch chefs prepare steaks, fillets, chops and other grilled entries in the open kitchen. Portofino, billed as “upscale Euro-Italian,” offers tempting entries in a Tuscan countryside-themed setting. Twenty-four hour in-cabin food service is also offered.

Another (complimentary) dining option, often overlooked because of its location (Deck 11, between the golf/sports area and Adventure Ocean), serves up popcorn shrimp, fish and chips, burgers, pizza and the like for lunch, dinner or a quick snack. Guests seated inside can order from the menu or opt for the buffet. The outside section is completely self-service.

And let’s not forget Latte-tudes, the popular coffee bar on Deck 5, which can whip up an espresso or more exotic caffeine indulgence. Sumptuous pastries are also served (fee charged). Nearby, in the seating area, two computer stations are available for those who like to surf and sip at the same time (50 cents a minute fee).

Internet service is also available in the 24-hour royal caribbean online on Deck 5 and in the Crown and Anchor Study (where cigar smoking is allowed) on Deck 12.

A small but comfortable library is open 24 hours on Deck 9.

As for evening entertainment, the choices are many, including the shows in the glamorous Pacifica Theatre (often comedy or a production by The Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers). This two-level venue features a show-stopping stage curtain (aptly named Inferno), a bursting-with-color piece depicting the power and fury of nature. There’s also a small cinema on Deck 6.

Passengers have a wide choice of lounges and musical entertainment. Among the popular lounges, all on Deck 6: the Schooner Bar, with its nautical theme and evening piano bar; the cozy Champagne Bar with fabulous sea views; and the Scoreboard Sports Bar.

Our favorite was The Colony Club, aft on Deck 6, with its dark woods and British Colonial theme. This spacious venue houses four different clubs: The Bombay Billiards Club, with self-leveling gyro pool tables; Singapore Sling’s, with floor to ceiling windows, a larger bar, piano and lounge area; the Jakarta Lounge, with a small bar and backgammon, checkers and chess tables; and the Calcutta Card Club, a separate room for poker, board games and bridge.

The lively Casino Royale has an art nouveau theme and the usual gaming tables, plus 211 slot machines.

Staterooms are well-designed with plenty of storage space and average 170-square feet for an inside cabin to 179-318 square feet for outside cabins, with suites going up to 1,001-square feet. Standard features include hairdryer, mini-bar, interactive TV, telephone, computer jack and vanity table with an extendible working surface for laptops. Of the 1,056 staterooms, 577 have private verandas and 818 offer ocean views.

One final note: the Brilliance has an extraordinary $4.5 million art collection that truly enhances the cruise experience. Plans are to offer art tours to passengers in the near future

The Brilliance of the Seas will be offering 10- and 11-night Caribbean cruises roundtrip from Miami through April 19. After a 14-night Miami to Barcelona cruise on April 28, it will sail 12-night Mediterranean roundtrips from Barcelona from May through October, resuming its Caribbean cruises in November.