Gary Neeley

Age: 51
Occupation: Business Owner
Number of Cruises: 6
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
Ship: Brilliance of the Seas
Sailing Date: November 1st, 2004
Itinerary: TransAtlantic

My wife and I just returned from a transatlantic cruise on the Brilliance of the Seas. It is accurately named “brilliance” of the seas. The ship was absolutely beautiful and the service was second to none.

We sailed from Barcelona, ported at Alicante & Malaga (Spain) and Lisbon, Portugal. All three cities were interesting in their own way. Alicante offered the least to us of the three, but it was a nice place to visit. We took a guided tour (walking and bus) in Malaga and found it to be very interesting. We had an excellent tour guide and would like to have had more time there. Lisbon offered a great location to walk and shop. The streets were very inviting for visitors and the shops were welcoming to tourists, even though the language was a barrier.

Returning to the ship for the next 7 days at sea, we were overwhelmed by the activities offered on board. There were more things to do than we could participate. A wide variety of activities and interests were included and all were well planned and executed. The crew members that led each activity were very friendly and interesting.

The ship was nicely appointed with exquisite furnishings in the public areas. The furnishings included inlaid woods, marble, granite, beautiful artwork, tapestries, leather and other top of the line materials. Much attention had been given to detail. The self-leveling pool tables were a nice feature, especially on the days when the ship was experiencing excessive motion due to the rough seas. Even the seats in the 3 level theater were equipped with air conditioning in the seatbacks.

As with previous cruises, the food was delicious. Each dish was tasty and beautifully presented. The service by our head waiter and assistant was excellent. The Seaview Café was a particularly quaint and pleasant place for an afternoon meal. It was somewhat remotely located and offered an ambiance found no place else on the ship.

The service in our cabin was excellent. Our steward (Dotsie) was pleasant and very efficient.

We would love to repeat this transatlantic cruise in the future or return to this ship for any of its cruise offerings. It was a trip to be remembered!


 

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