As a frequent cruiser with Royal Caribbean (Diamond) it pains me to write a negative review for my favorite cruise line. That said, it is a beautiful ship but this particular voyage seemed to be poorly managed.

Embarkation in Tampa was very smooth and quick. We drove ourselves to the port and parked in the cruise terminal garage - painless and straight forward. Cruise Terminal 3 was bright, airy, and overall well set up to get people on board quickly.

Brilliance is an older ship with a more traditional feel. The public areas are bright and open with views of the water pretty much anywhere you look. Although older everything seemed to be in good shape and the ship was kept very clean. The pool deck seemed a little on the small side for a ship of its size and was always crowded. Many wound up in the Solarium which also seemed to fill up quickly. I did not go much up to the sports deck but I did see the usual basketball court, rock climbing wall, mini golf, and a water slide. Read more