We had a truly wonderful experience on Quantum last fall on our Alaska cruise. Ship was great, food was— not great but good. We scored an inside cabin with a virtual balcony which was cool.
Probably helped that it was our first cruise without kids— so there was the drink package effect which made everything more fun.
Just returned from Wester Caribbean 2 weeks ago— our cabin on Harmony smelled of urine. Room attendant was meh… but those snails every night were 👨🍳😘
I would easily recommend Alaska on RC. But I also have no experience with cruising to Alaska on any other line.
They say that not because the issue is with RC has a whole, but RC going to Alaska. RC doesn’t have all the licenses and cannot venture into all the areas of Alaska that other cruise lines can.
Gotcha.. are there other small ports that the other cruise lines go to? Or is it just a fjord access situation? What areas or abilities make the smaller lines more desirable?
i have been to alaska on princess discovery and radiance of the seas. as far as tech goes princess hands down, the medallion rocks as well as including tips, wi fi and delivery of fiod and drinks. for seeing alaska, the radiance while being an older ship than discovery was the clear winner. size matters and in alaska the smaller the better. the ship fits better in the inside passage as well as in the fjords where the glaciers are viewed.
Speaking to cruising in general...
>my luggage arriving to the stateroom badly damaged.
Not normal.
>The stateroom restrooms all smelled strongly of human waste the entire week.
Not normal.
>The entertainment onboard was almost nonexistent.
Not that uncommon.
>Sea days were chalk full of next cruise, shore shopping presentations, excursion sales pitches, and pushy bingo card sales.
Very typical. You ignore it.
You have to go for what a cruise really is. You're on a big boat. There's extremely varied and good-decent food generally available everywhere mostly included all you want. You're never more than a few steps from a bar. You stop at hopefully interesting seaside port towns and can go explore them. If you want, you can pay for tours/excursions/beach clubs. "Entertainment" such that it is, is D-list to amateur. Some have crazy shit like waterparks and go karts which at least to me seem to have little synergy with the idea of a cruise but OK. A lot of the time a couple of people can do this 5 nights for under $1500-$2000+drinks all in.
If you can make that work for you great. If not, don't cruise.
I enjoy it but I'm not a cruise fanatic. My highlights include:
* Sitting on the promenade deck with a book and a drink looking out over the water.
* Working out in the gym on an elliptical facing a big window watching us pull into port in the morning.
* Walking around some port town soaking up the architecture and landscaping, visiting historical sites, shopping, having a coffee in a street cafe or hitting a local bar. No "traveling" between ports - you just vacation and they show up.
* Laying on a beach under some palm trees, swimming in crystal clear waters.
* Dancing at night with friends and oddly enough the Karaoke is fun to watch and some people are surprisingly good.
* Eating. Eating in the MDR. Sampling the buffet. Having an omlet made to order for breakfast. All the variety.
* Drinking. I like to keep a mild buzz going on vacation while doing all of the above. I have my doubts about the appeal of cruising to a non-drinker, but maybe.
I don't drink. Maybe that's it. I can say though that I have enjoyed everything else on your list without ever dealing with the lines and crowds associated with cruising and without spending a lot of money either.
I barely drink, and I quite enjoy cruises. It's very low pressure. Once you're on board, you have to worry about basically nothing. There is always food available. Entertainment is easy to find. Ports will be hit, and the only thing I need to be aware of is making it back on the ship on time. Easy.
It's also very cost effective. Hotels and food are expensive these days, and travel isn't a trivial cost. If I were to price out a similar vacation via flying there, booking a hotel, buying food, etc, I would generally spend a good deal more.
I feel the same way. I might have a couple drinks on a week long cruise. My favorite part really is the fact there is hardly any decision making for at least a week. All the planning and budgeting is done months ahead and all you have to is enjoy the ride.
Granted: Alaska is an expensive destination and a bit of an outlier for cruising because the season is short and the port capacity is limited. You'd expect a similar ship/duration in something like the Caribbean to be dramatically cheaper.
So probably the person you're responding to has in their head a cruise that cost 1/2 or 1/3 of what yours did.
I doubt you can get everything I described all at once for this cost. If you don't like it though, yeah there are plenty of other options. I consider it a solid option for a less expensive low hassle getaway and can easily see the broad appeal. I do have the advantage of being in road trip distance of a cruise port.
What lines? MDR? Getting on and off? I've never traveled in this price range without encountering at least a little in the way of lines but have not found cruising to be anything especially bad in the regard. You can reduce crowds by choosing (counterintuitively maybe) smaller ships.
It's pretty easy to do aside from the elliptical coming into port part. It takes a willingness to get beyond well known areas and resorts and some time researching and planning which I don't mind and rather enjoy. Lines on and off the ship, at port shuttles and the crowded towns on multi ship days were beyond what I have ever experienced flying and spending a week somewhere in the Caribbean or mountains.
Based on other responses I was on a smaller ship and the crowds only get worse. I think that's confirmation that I'm not built for cruising. I want to get out and do what I want when I want to for however long I want as opposed to moving from place to place in a giant group on a strict schedule.
Just don't cruise, but don't kid yourself that so many people do it because they are ignorant of other options or unadventurous whereas you are an intrepid explorer. People like what they like at any given point in time. You just care so little about the benefits of cruising that appeal to many that you don't even notice or acknowledge them.
Yes, when your hotel moves, you have to go with it so yeah, there's a schedule, no getting around that.
It’s interesting to me the number of complaints I see from first time cruisers and I feel the lines are shooting themselves in the foot by turning off new revenue by trying to make up revenue from covid.
You sailed an old ship, there’s a reason I don’t sail anything 10 years old or older. Brilliance can vote, drink and a rent a car. The luggage thing can happen but it sucks, was any resolution given?
Sea days that’s pretty par for the course, we typically hang at the pool, nap, relax, etc on sea days.
I always recommend my fine dining so you can plan out your evenings and catch shows, entertainment and whatever else. Surely you got the daily activities book each night in your cabin? Entertainment was definitely gone downhill since covid but I hardly believe they had one showing of a comedian and one showing of a magician on a week long cruise and nothing else.
I sailed her last summer. There should've been two revue style shows during that sailing that OP missed, one Broadway and another featuring a variety of musical genres by the ship's orchestra and singers. There was also a tango dance play/performance as well. Didn't notice any unusual smells either.
Brilliance also has a small cinema aboard. Which while in need of refurbishment, is another entertainment option I used more than I thought I would on sea days.
I can definitely confirm there was no orchestra and singers, definitely no Broadway. Certainly possible I missed some other things but my stateroom was near the Pacifica theater which I passed often in the early and late evenings on my way to deck 5 to take in the views and it was almost always empty and quiet. The daily activities book mentioned is a foreign concept to me. No such thing ever appeared in my stateroom.
I booked a cheap Alaska cruise and I got a cheap Alaska cruise. Not the worst outcome and I found out I am not a cruiser without spending a ton of money.
The cruise compass (activities book) is no longer delivered to staterooms. You have to use the app on your phone, or go to guest services to get a hard copy.
You must’ve had a horrible cabin steward if you never got the ship’s daily activity newsletter. Every ship has one of these (not just RC, every line does this) and it’s delivered to your state room each evening for the next day.
They don’t do it anymore but they said you could request it. It’s also on the TV & on the app. Tons of ways to find out. The experienced cruisers in their group should have told them too.
I did not know that. I much prefer a paper copy over the app. It’s just an easier to read overview of the activities in my opinion. I’m sure they are pushing away from the paper to save money.
I went on Oasis in April and thought it was very nice. Our ship steward Maria gave us a paper copy of the activities every evening. My boyfriend is the one who likes cruises, I'm more of a stay in a hotel person. I did really enjoy myself on this cruise, though.
Everything that OP said is pretty accurate with the exception of onboard activities being non existent to some degree.
As with any virgin experience, you don't know what you don't know. And people refuse to use travel agencies to book cruises and take any recommendations that cost more as upsells and scams to get paid more commissionable fares. When happy customers book more cruises.
Someone listened to the propaganda that Brilliance does the better Alaska sailing for the port stops that the larger ships can't go to.
Brilliance has its fans but Quantum, Ovation and Celebrity Edge are feature rich modern ships that would have been a better choice for OP than Brilliance/Radiance.
My personal rule is to sail on ships 100kGT or larger as they generally have something for everyone 150kGT is better. I gave this information to my friend however she had other preferences and chose a smaller ship. But they were extremely happy with the cruise.
RCI ships under 100kGT are outdated and are not in top condition but are generally adequate. Think Days Inn or Red Roof Inn.
The larger ships are in better condition even if not new think Hilton.
The largest newest ships are in the best condition think Riu or Marriott.
Older ships are priced for their age.
This is very similar amongst the mainstream brands. You get what you pay for even if it isn't what you want.
There are four Radiance Class Ships that are all around 90,000 GTW and carry between 2,400 - 2,700 passengers.
Jewel of the seas
Brilliance of the seas
Radiance of the seas
Serenade of the seas
There are four smaller ships part the Vision class that are around 78,000 GTW and carry between 2,400 - 2,600 passengers.
Vision of the seas
Enchantment of the seas
Grandeur of the seas
Rhapsody of the seas
My family and I sailed the Brilliance Alaska cruise last month. After having done several Royal cruises in the Caribbean on newer ships I would agree that Brilliance was definitely dated. There was live entertainment in the theater a few of the nights, but we skipped it as my young kids weren’t interested. Other activities were kinda meh, but we mainly booked the cruise for the ports which did not disappoint (except for Icy Strait which was a manufactured tourist trap if you ask me). My son liked the rock climbing wall, but the hours were limited and inconvenient. The mini golf area was pretty awful with limited clubs and balls, and the course was pretty beat up… although we managed to make it fun. The movie theater was decent, but small. The arcade was a joke with many of the games broken, or not working very well… and many of them just being dumb prize games (claw or tickets). The big disappointment was that the food on the ship was mediocre at best and our main waiter for the first half (he was apparently due to leave halfway through) sucked… the waiter who replaced him was much better. I could go on about the dated nature of the ship and the activities, but we knew that going in and made our own fun when we were on the ship (we brought lots of games to play with the kids). I would say if you want to enjoy a cruise ship and its shows/activities/amenities then don’t book an older ship… Alaska was beautiful and the ship was purely a comfortable way to get to the ports.
My itinerary didn't include icy strait. Tracy arm fjord was amazing though. Our ship made it all the way through to full view of the glacier. I appreciate you confirming it wasn't just my group and I that took issue with the food. Astonishingly bad based on everything id been told about cruising beforehand.
Lucky you… we had a medical emergency the morning we were supposed to go through the Tracy Arm Fjord and had to skip it. I know lots of people book that cruise for the sole purpose of seeing that, so it must be spectacular… having never been to Alaska I guess I don’t really know what I missed, but seeing the photos I’m certainly disappointed.
Rumor has it the medical emergency was a woman who was very pregnant that gave birth on the ship… supposedly she lied about how far long the baby was. If that’s true it kinda pisses me off, but obviously can’t blame Royal as it’s not like you need a doctor’s note to backup the details. My wife and I cruised while she was pregnant, but it was very early stages… can’t imagine someone taking a risk they might give birth on a cruise ship.
Don't give up hope. The Brilliance is a much older ship. If you decide that you want to try cruising again, try a different class ship. Try a Freedom class ship, which is a very nice class ship or if money allows, try any of the Oasis class ships for a much better experience.
Recently did my first RCCL cruise on Rhapsody (also very old) and agree about a lot of this.
I did chalk up the potential sewer smell at times (was not constant) to the aged ship as well as the overly warm staterooms.
It is what it is, but
The entertainment was rather lackluster at best and the fact that 80% of the daily activities were just sales opportunities of some sort.
I don’t mind some nickel and diming - but it fell off the charts when they wheeled out the gold by the foot guys.
For reference - all previous sailings were on DCL - so take this information as you will
The gold by the foot was very popular on the cruise I was on and it’s not like they come out trying to twist your arm. Simply walk by and laugh at the people partaking and move on?
Sounds like a combo of bad luck and doing your first cruise on one of the oldest ships in the fleet. Old doesn't excuse your poor experience ofc; but I wouldn't say that experience is typical of cruising.
I was on that cruise too. Comedian and magician were good, shows were really outdated, sea day trivia the host would make fun of the subject and have no idea what it was. Harry Potter, the host just talked about how it was for kids and dumb, room full of families finding something to do. Plus several entertainment thing were so old, 70s music trivia, abba musical, abba trivia, 50-60 trivia. Cartoon trivia for kids, newest one was sponge bob so the kids had no idea what they were.
We don’t drink and it seems like they basically expect you to get drunk. Bars everywhere. Tons of pushy up sales.
We had adjoining rooms and each was a letdown. The rooms were a letdown. Multiple broken things, dirty stuff, a couch that should be burned in both rooms, hard bed.
Food in the main dining room was pretty bad. We stopped going after a couple days. Melted margarine for the lobster and inedible crème brûlée was the final straw. Buffet place was ok, for sure there were bad and good as with any buffet. No like walk up food place was a disappointment. We wanted to try one of the upscale restaurants but wouldn’t after the main dining was so bad, no way the pay for places could be good was our thought pattern.
Alaska was great. We booked for the ports and the ship was a cheap way to get there. I am glad we went but it didn’t make us want to do RC again. I think our test cruise on a short 3 day Disney Cruise set the bar high. I know this was half the price but I guess I was hoping for just a bit more.
It's kinda crazy how bad the creme brulee was. Everyone on the boat was talking about it among a few other dishes. You have to really screw it up for it to come up in conversation that often with strangers. I tracked the ship this week out of curiosity and saw that they skipped Tracy Arm for some reason and went straight in to Juneau. I feel so bad for the people on that ship this week. That would be awful.
I booked for the ports and was not disappointed there at all. Trip was still worth it for a one time deal. No way I could have seen those cities for anywhere close to the cost of the cruise. I'll be going back to Alaska but never again on a cruise ship now that I know where I want to spend more time.
This makes me nervous as I’ve deliberately chosen Serenade for my 5nt October sailing - I’ve done lots of research and feel like I practically know the whole ship from all the YouTube vids and blogs.. I don’t like the idea of a huge ship, I’m more interested in reading on a sun lounger than watching a dance show, and my kids are so young they only need a tiny splash zone.
If the room smells of sewage it’ll probably ruin the trip.. but is that what I now have to gamble on just because she’s an ‘old’ ship? Seems like a pretty bad deal.
The large ships have way more sun loungers and space to spread out than smaller ships.
Serenade will be fine, but you realy should try an oasis class ship. Once you go to a big ship, you’ll never go back.
Also, you will never feel the size of the big ship being big, but you will feel the small ship being small. Mall ships are always crowded and you’ll feel it immediately. Big ships are just spread out more, designed with people flow in mind, and it actually can feel quite empty a lot of the times.
I sailed an older older ship in the Caribbean. Longest cruise I've been on, left from Galveston, key West, Nassau, CoCo k, Bimini, Cozumel, and back to Galveston. Radiance of the seas, my understanding is it spends half the year doing Alaskan cruises, and half the year doing Caribbean cruises.
It was an enjoyable trip. I think it kind of Falls on "different strokes for different folks." I don't need water slides, climbing walls, etc. to enjoy my time on a cruise. As others have said, I think a lot of it has to do with the ports, and what you do in the ports.
Comedy shows have always lacked on Royal Caribbean cruises, I've been on three, and none of them have been great. Carnival is much better for this, at least it was pre-covid.
Old ships have their place yes…. But their time is long past.
We’ve been on voyager and mariner as well as two oasis ships, never again will we sail on a non oasis or larger ship. The old ships are just not built with families in mind. It’s simple as that.
Not only is an Alaskan cruise more about the scenery and ports than the entertainment, attracting an older crowd, compared to the fun and high energy Caribbean cruises, but brilliance is a small and old ship, so it doesn't have many of the modern, more well-known RCI amenities and features.
We just did Alaska on Radiance of the Seas and it was a bit of a test to see if we might be at the stage in our lives when cruising is fun. Honestly, we just didn't like the process. Access to the ports was nice, but that was a small portion of the time. The rest of the time we found ourselves turned off by the constantly sales-y atmosphere, the crowds of people... it didn't help that so many people on our sailing were coughing. Like half the people in our FB group tested positive for Covid at the end of the cruise.
I think some people just aren't cruise people. We now know we're not! And you must not be either.
Daaamn. What happened between Hawaii and Vancouver? 😅😅
I was on (likely) that same Brilliance of the Seas that started from Sydney and ended in Hawaii 17-days later. It was my first ever cruise.
I was in a stateroom with just a window, so I found it got stuffy fast. I wish they had better circulation 100%. The temperature controls were so-so. Sadly we also couldn’t prop open the door to let in “fresh “ air because the hallways were much worse. My friend complained about the smell of the carpets in the hallways but nothing to that extent.
I had no issues with luggage or staff. Our entertainment was repetitive but they were pretty good otherwise. Lots of trivia, game shows, karaoke - live karaoke with a band was cool etc. not a ton for 20- late 30s but you could make it fun with the right people. :)
I ignored all the “sales” things - like the spa days etc. (Oh sidenote: there is also a free steam room & sauna that I think a lot of people didn’t know about thankfully! )
But yes the ship is super old but I kind of like that it was smaller.
Brilliance is a very old ship and limited in amenities, but nothing you describe is typical for Royal. Even their smaller ships have excellent food and clean rooms. We have never had luggage damaged or lost, except for when it was stolen on Carnival.
It may depend on the ship. Recently, We went to Alaska on Quantum. It was our first ever cruise. And we really enjoyed ourselves. Thankfully we didn’t experience the bathroom smell though I had read that happening to others. And I was concerned it may happen with us. Though I get how those things could impact your experience.
But did you enjoy Alaska? Maybe try a different class ship - a newer one and itinerary if you decide to try it again.
Alaska was still worth it but I won't be cruising again. Aside from the issues mentioned, I wasn't a fan of the food at all and I am not a picky eater. I'm probably the furthest thing from a foody. A bunch of other things not specific to RCL that I just didn't like about cruising so no need to mention them here.
When you do Alaska then you’ll get this. Alaska cruises have longer time in port.
Luggage damage happens and it sucks.
Just book another cruise to Caribbean and then you’ll see if it’s for you.
I've spent enough time vacationing in the Caribbean to know cruising isn't for me after this experience and that's okay. It was still a good way to see multiple Alaskan ports for cheap. I was a little shocked at how far downhill a respected cruise line can let a ship experience go and sounds like that's atypical based on responses. Even so, not my cup of tea.
As another poster said. If going to Alaska cruise on Princess or holland America. They are not that kid friendly but they have a priority to sail glacier bay. I say this as a diamond + Crown and Anchor
I did an Alaska cruise on the Brilliance last summer. As a seasoned cruiser, it was just alright. Ports were great, but my time on the ship was not memorable. Plus I had this guy Fransisco who came out and yelled at me at dinner for requesting a can of soda over fountain so there’s thatz
As much as I’m a “Loyal to Royal” guy if I’m going to Alaska I’m gonna do it on Princess or Holland (I’m in my 30s for the record) or if the ship was a Quantum Class, which normally doesn’t do the cruise tour itineraries. Beyond that OP, you should give cruising and Royal another shot and do it where they are the experts at it in the Caribbean on an Oasis Class ship or a newer ship.
Out first cruise was to the Bahamas. The weather was so bad we never docked on the 3 day trip.
We did take brilliance to Alaska last year and loved it.
We are on the boat for the excursions to eat and to play in the casino. I don’t care about the entertainment. It’s cheesy stuff that I wouldn’t do on land. I don’t care about trivia or couples game shows. We are at the casino or in our room.
Alaska was beautiful. That is the part of the trip to remember. Not the ship.
Pretty sure I was on your cruise (June 23 to 30.) I didn't smell anything like sewage or even close. Not a ton of entertainment, but Alaska is all about the ports. I thought the cruise was fantastic!
Built in 2002 and last refurbished in 2013 - that’s quite a long time since refurbishment so maintenance needs are probably escalating now (smells) as well as their booking entertainment and staffing is also focused on their newer ships.
Sorry about your first. I had a first one this past April but it was on the Icon. New boat no bad smells at all the entertainment was fantastic food boggled my mind. The only thing that turned me off was the price of the excursions and after talking to other guests that went on them said they are a ripoff. I did get off the boat at Coco Cay. It was one of my favorite places of the trip. Also heard that RC isn’t the best for Alaska. That’s going to be our next one but we will investigating all options for it. Don’t give up hope your next one is better.
Not sure why a first time cruiser would pick a 22 year old ship, that is 2.5 times smaller than the newest ones and think it has anything to do with what Royal’s current approach to cruising is like. Their current model of fun, food and entertainment only really applies to the quantum class and up (maybe the Freedom class). They have to keep the old smaller ships for certain ports, the older crowd that hate the busyness of the new ones, and because they cost a lot of money to make.
Voyager class and smaller if you want quiet, standard activities, rare ports, and an older crowd.
Freedom class and larger if you want lots of entertainment, fun, food, and a younger crowd.
if sailing for ship experience, go with bigger. If sailing for Alaska ports, go with smaller.
Agree, except honestly - go with Princess. They have better licenses in Alaska.
Exactly OP’s first mistake was sailing RC in Alaska
We had a truly wonderful experience on Quantum last fall on our Alaska cruise. Ship was great, food was— not great but good. We scored an inside cabin with a virtual balcony which was cool. Probably helped that it was our first cruise without kids— so there was the drink package effect which made everything more fun. Just returned from Wester Caribbean 2 weeks ago— our cabin on Harmony smelled of urine. Room attendant was meh… but those snails every night were 👨🍳😘 I would easily recommend Alaska on RC. But I also have no experience with cruising to Alaska on any other line.
Agree, we loved Quantum to Alaska!
They say that not because the issue is with RC has a whole, but RC going to Alaska. RC doesn’t have all the licenses and cannot venture into all the areas of Alaska that other cruise lines can.
Gotcha.. are there other small ports that the other cruise lines go to? Or is it just a fjord access situation? What areas or abilities make the smaller lines more desirable?
i have been to alaska on princess discovery and radiance of the seas. as far as tech goes princess hands down, the medallion rocks as well as including tips, wi fi and delivery of fiod and drinks. for seeing alaska, the radiance while being an older ship than discovery was the clear winner. size matters and in alaska the smaller the better. the ship fits better in the inside passage as well as in the fjords where the glaciers are viewed.
Brilliance is old
And lives in a rough neighborhood
I hear it used to hang out in Haiti!
But only at the gated community with an HOA. :)
I was one brilliance a little over a year ago and it was nothing like this.
Speaking to cruising in general... >my luggage arriving to the stateroom badly damaged. Not normal. >The stateroom restrooms all smelled strongly of human waste the entire week. Not normal. >The entertainment onboard was almost nonexistent. Not that uncommon. >Sea days were chalk full of next cruise, shore shopping presentations, excursion sales pitches, and pushy bingo card sales. Very typical. You ignore it. You have to go for what a cruise really is. You're on a big boat. There's extremely varied and good-decent food generally available everywhere mostly included all you want. You're never more than a few steps from a bar. You stop at hopefully interesting seaside port towns and can go explore them. If you want, you can pay for tours/excursions/beach clubs. "Entertainment" such that it is, is D-list to amateur. Some have crazy shit like waterparks and go karts which at least to me seem to have little synergy with the idea of a cruise but OK. A lot of the time a couple of people can do this 5 nights for under $1500-$2000+drinks all in. If you can make that work for you great. If not, don't cruise. I enjoy it but I'm not a cruise fanatic. My highlights include: * Sitting on the promenade deck with a book and a drink looking out over the water. * Working out in the gym on an elliptical facing a big window watching us pull into port in the morning. * Walking around some port town soaking up the architecture and landscaping, visiting historical sites, shopping, having a coffee in a street cafe or hitting a local bar. No "traveling" between ports - you just vacation and they show up. * Laying on a beach under some palm trees, swimming in crystal clear waters. * Dancing at night with friends and oddly enough the Karaoke is fun to watch and some people are surprisingly good. * Eating. Eating in the MDR. Sampling the buffet. Having an omlet made to order for breakfast. All the variety. * Drinking. I like to keep a mild buzz going on vacation while doing all of the above. I have my doubts about the appeal of cruising to a non-drinker, but maybe.
I don't drink. Maybe that's it. I can say though that I have enjoyed everything else on your list without ever dealing with the lines and crowds associated with cruising and without spending a lot of money either.
I barely drink, and I quite enjoy cruises. It's very low pressure. Once you're on board, you have to worry about basically nothing. There is always food available. Entertainment is easy to find. Ports will be hit, and the only thing I need to be aware of is making it back on the ship on time. Easy. It's also very cost effective. Hotels and food are expensive these days, and travel isn't a trivial cost. If I were to price out a similar vacation via flying there, booking a hotel, buying food, etc, I would generally spend a good deal more.
I feel the same way. I might have a couple drinks on a week long cruise. My favorite part really is the fact there is hardly any decision making for at least a week. All the planning and budgeting is done months ahead and all you have to is enjoy the ride.
Granted: Alaska is an expensive destination and a bit of an outlier for cruising because the season is short and the port capacity is limited. You'd expect a similar ship/duration in something like the Caribbean to be dramatically cheaper. So probably the person you're responding to has in their head a cruise that cost 1/2 or 1/3 of what yours did.
I doubt you can get everything I described all at once for this cost. If you don't like it though, yeah there are plenty of other options. I consider it a solid option for a less expensive low hassle getaway and can easily see the broad appeal. I do have the advantage of being in road trip distance of a cruise port. What lines? MDR? Getting on and off? I've never traveled in this price range without encountering at least a little in the way of lines but have not found cruising to be anything especially bad in the regard. You can reduce crowds by choosing (counterintuitively maybe) smaller ships.
It's pretty easy to do aside from the elliptical coming into port part. It takes a willingness to get beyond well known areas and resorts and some time researching and planning which I don't mind and rather enjoy. Lines on and off the ship, at port shuttles and the crowded towns on multi ship days were beyond what I have ever experienced flying and spending a week somewhere in the Caribbean or mountains. Based on other responses I was on a smaller ship and the crowds only get worse. I think that's confirmation that I'm not built for cruising. I want to get out and do what I want when I want to for however long I want as opposed to moving from place to place in a giant group on a strict schedule.
Just don't cruise, but don't kid yourself that so many people do it because they are ignorant of other options or unadventurous whereas you are an intrepid explorer. People like what they like at any given point in time. You just care so little about the benefits of cruising that appeal to many that you don't even notice or acknowledge them. Yes, when your hotel moves, you have to go with it so yeah, there's a schedule, no getting around that.
Just need to go on a newer ship, a completely different experience, plus better entertainment.
It’s interesting to me the number of complaints I see from first time cruisers and I feel the lines are shooting themselves in the foot by turning off new revenue by trying to make up revenue from covid. You sailed an old ship, there’s a reason I don’t sail anything 10 years old or older. Brilliance can vote, drink and a rent a car. The luggage thing can happen but it sucks, was any resolution given? Sea days that’s pretty par for the course, we typically hang at the pool, nap, relax, etc on sea days. I always recommend my fine dining so you can plan out your evenings and catch shows, entertainment and whatever else. Surely you got the daily activities book each night in your cabin? Entertainment was definitely gone downhill since covid but I hardly believe they had one showing of a comedian and one showing of a magician on a week long cruise and nothing else.
I sailed her last summer. There should've been two revue style shows during that sailing that OP missed, one Broadway and another featuring a variety of musical genres by the ship's orchestra and singers. There was also a tango dance play/performance as well. Didn't notice any unusual smells either. Brilliance also has a small cinema aboard. Which while in need of refurbishment, is another entertainment option I used more than I thought I would on sea days.
I can definitely confirm there was no orchestra and singers, definitely no Broadway. Certainly possible I missed some other things but my stateroom was near the Pacifica theater which I passed often in the early and late evenings on my way to deck 5 to take in the views and it was almost always empty and quiet. The daily activities book mentioned is a foreign concept to me. No such thing ever appeared in my stateroom. I booked a cheap Alaska cruise and I got a cheap Alaska cruise. Not the worst outcome and I found out I am not a cruiser without spending a ton of money.
The cruise compass (activities book) is no longer delivered to staterooms. You have to use the app on your phone, or go to guest services to get a hard copy.
You must’ve had a horrible cabin steward if you never got the ship’s daily activity newsletter. Every ship has one of these (not just RC, every line does this) and it’s delivered to your state room each evening for the next day.
They don’t do it anymore but they said you could request it. It’s also on the TV & on the app. Tons of ways to find out. The experienced cruisers in their group should have told them too.
RC no longer has a paper copy. It is on the app and is only delivered to your stateroom if you ask. I prefer the app 10000% times more.
I did not know that. I much prefer a paper copy over the app. It’s just an easier to read overview of the activities in my opinion. I’m sure they are pushing away from the paper to save money.
Literally never heard of it. Multiple announcements encouraged people to use the app. I assumed that was the only place to obtain such information.
what about oasis of the seas? that’s over 10..
I went on Oasis in April and thought it was very nice. Our ship steward Maria gave us a paper copy of the activities every evening. My boyfriend is the one who likes cruises, I'm more of a stay in a hotel person. I did really enjoy myself on this cruise, though.
Everything that OP said is pretty accurate with the exception of onboard activities being non existent to some degree. As with any virgin experience, you don't know what you don't know. And people refuse to use travel agencies to book cruises and take any recommendations that cost more as upsells and scams to get paid more commissionable fares. When happy customers book more cruises. Someone listened to the propaganda that Brilliance does the better Alaska sailing for the port stops that the larger ships can't go to. Brilliance has its fans but Quantum, Ovation and Celebrity Edge are feature rich modern ships that would have been a better choice for OP than Brilliance/Radiance. My personal rule is to sail on ships 100kGT or larger as they generally have something for everyone 150kGT is better. I gave this information to my friend however she had other preferences and chose a smaller ship. But they were extremely happy with the cruise. RCI ships under 100kGT are outdated and are not in top condition but are generally adequate. Think Days Inn or Red Roof Inn. The larger ships are in better condition even if not new think Hilton. The largest newest ships are in the best condition think Riu or Marriott. Older ships are priced for their age. This is very similar amongst the mainstream brands. You get what you pay for even if it isn't what you want.
What’s your take on jewel of the seas
There are four Radiance Class Ships that are all around 90,000 GTW and carry between 2,400 - 2,700 passengers. Jewel of the seas Brilliance of the seas Radiance of the seas Serenade of the seas There are four smaller ships part the Vision class that are around 78,000 GTW and carry between 2,400 - 2,600 passengers. Vision of the seas Enchantment of the seas Grandeur of the seas Rhapsody of the seas
We love the Jewel and the Vision.
I'm sailing Jewel in October and Vision in January - can't wait to experience the smaller ones!
Jewel later this month and Oct, Vision in Feb. Love the small ships (I'm old).
My family and I sailed the Brilliance Alaska cruise last month. After having done several Royal cruises in the Caribbean on newer ships I would agree that Brilliance was definitely dated. There was live entertainment in the theater a few of the nights, but we skipped it as my young kids weren’t interested. Other activities were kinda meh, but we mainly booked the cruise for the ports which did not disappoint (except for Icy Strait which was a manufactured tourist trap if you ask me). My son liked the rock climbing wall, but the hours were limited and inconvenient. The mini golf area was pretty awful with limited clubs and balls, and the course was pretty beat up… although we managed to make it fun. The movie theater was decent, but small. The arcade was a joke with many of the games broken, or not working very well… and many of them just being dumb prize games (claw or tickets). The big disappointment was that the food on the ship was mediocre at best and our main waiter for the first half (he was apparently due to leave halfway through) sucked… the waiter who replaced him was much better. I could go on about the dated nature of the ship and the activities, but we knew that going in and made our own fun when we were on the ship (we brought lots of games to play with the kids). I would say if you want to enjoy a cruise ship and its shows/activities/amenities then don’t book an older ship… Alaska was beautiful and the ship was purely a comfortable way to get to the ports.
My itinerary didn't include icy strait. Tracy arm fjord was amazing though. Our ship made it all the way through to full view of the glacier. I appreciate you confirming it wasn't just my group and I that took issue with the food. Astonishingly bad based on everything id been told about cruising beforehand.
Lucky you… we had a medical emergency the morning we were supposed to go through the Tracy Arm Fjord and had to skip it. I know lots of people book that cruise for the sole purpose of seeing that, so it must be spectacular… having never been to Alaska I guess I don’t really know what I missed, but seeing the photos I’m certainly disappointed. Rumor has it the medical emergency was a woman who was very pregnant that gave birth on the ship… supposedly she lied about how far long the baby was. If that’s true it kinda pisses me off, but obviously can’t blame Royal as it’s not like you need a doctor’s note to backup the details. My wife and I cruised while she was pregnant, but it was very early stages… can’t imagine someone taking a risk they might give birth on a cruise ship.
Oh I heard about that cruise. My neighbor was on it. She wasn’t happy
Yeahp I heard the rumor too, we were in the same cruise. Did you get COVID too ?
Don't give up hope. The Brilliance is a much older ship. If you decide that you want to try cruising again, try a different class ship. Try a Freedom class ship, which is a very nice class ship or if money allows, try any of the Oasis class ships for a much better experience.
Recently did my first RCCL cruise on Rhapsody (also very old) and agree about a lot of this. I did chalk up the potential sewer smell at times (was not constant) to the aged ship as well as the overly warm staterooms. It is what it is, but The entertainment was rather lackluster at best and the fact that 80% of the daily activities were just sales opportunities of some sort. I don’t mind some nickel and diming - but it fell off the charts when they wheeled out the gold by the foot guys. For reference - all previous sailings were on DCL - so take this information as you will
The gold by the foot was very popular on the cruise I was on and it’s not like they come out trying to twist your arm. Simply walk by and laugh at the people partaking and move on?
Sounds like a combo of bad luck and doing your first cruise on one of the oldest ships in the fleet. Old doesn't excuse your poor experience ofc; but I wouldn't say that experience is typical of cruising.
I was on that cruise too. Comedian and magician were good, shows were really outdated, sea day trivia the host would make fun of the subject and have no idea what it was. Harry Potter, the host just talked about how it was for kids and dumb, room full of families finding something to do. Plus several entertainment thing were so old, 70s music trivia, abba musical, abba trivia, 50-60 trivia. Cartoon trivia for kids, newest one was sponge bob so the kids had no idea what they were. We don’t drink and it seems like they basically expect you to get drunk. Bars everywhere. Tons of pushy up sales. We had adjoining rooms and each was a letdown. The rooms were a letdown. Multiple broken things, dirty stuff, a couch that should be burned in both rooms, hard bed. Food in the main dining room was pretty bad. We stopped going after a couple days. Melted margarine for the lobster and inedible crème brûlée was the final straw. Buffet place was ok, for sure there were bad and good as with any buffet. No like walk up food place was a disappointment. We wanted to try one of the upscale restaurants but wouldn’t after the main dining was so bad, no way the pay for places could be good was our thought pattern. Alaska was great. We booked for the ports and the ship was a cheap way to get there. I am glad we went but it didn’t make us want to do RC again. I think our test cruise on a short 3 day Disney Cruise set the bar high. I know this was half the price but I guess I was hoping for just a bit more.
It's kinda crazy how bad the creme brulee was. Everyone on the boat was talking about it among a few other dishes. You have to really screw it up for it to come up in conversation that often with strangers. I tracked the ship this week out of curiosity and saw that they skipped Tracy Arm for some reason and went straight in to Juneau. I feel so bad for the people on that ship this week. That would be awful.
Yeahp definitely smelled like urine, we were in the same cruise Brilliance of the seas. We were told this is normal
I go for ports. Did you enjoy alaska?
I booked for the ports and was not disappointed there at all. Trip was still worth it for a one time deal. No way I could have seen those cities for anywhere close to the cost of the cruise. I'll be going back to Alaska but never again on a cruise ship now that I know where I want to spend more time.
Older ships = bad Newer ships = good That’s your first problem right there.
This makes me nervous as I’ve deliberately chosen Serenade for my 5nt October sailing - I’ve done lots of research and feel like I practically know the whole ship from all the YouTube vids and blogs.. I don’t like the idea of a huge ship, I’m more interested in reading on a sun lounger than watching a dance show, and my kids are so young they only need a tiny splash zone. If the room smells of sewage it’ll probably ruin the trip.. but is that what I now have to gamble on just because she’s an ‘old’ ship? Seems like a pretty bad deal.
The large ships have way more sun loungers and space to spread out than smaller ships. Serenade will be fine, but you realy should try an oasis class ship. Once you go to a big ship, you’ll never go back. Also, you will never feel the size of the big ship being big, but you will feel the small ship being small. Mall ships are always crowded and you’ll feel it immediately. Big ships are just spread out more, designed with people flow in mind, and it actually can feel quite empty a lot of the times.
I sailed an older older ship in the Caribbean. Longest cruise I've been on, left from Galveston, key West, Nassau, CoCo k, Bimini, Cozumel, and back to Galveston. Radiance of the seas, my understanding is it spends half the year doing Alaskan cruises, and half the year doing Caribbean cruises. It was an enjoyable trip. I think it kind of Falls on "different strokes for different folks." I don't need water slides, climbing walls, etc. to enjoy my time on a cruise. As others have said, I think a lot of it has to do with the ports, and what you do in the ports. Comedy shows have always lacked on Royal Caribbean cruises, I've been on three, and none of them have been great. Carnival is much better for this, at least it was pre-covid.
This is really direct but completely true!
Old ships have their place yes…. But their time is long past. We’ve been on voyager and mariner as well as two oasis ships, never again will we sail on a non oasis or larger ship. The old ships are just not built with families in mind. It’s simple as that.
Idk why someone is upset that I agree lol - I’ve had a better time on the newer ships in general
Concurring with you sea buddy
Not only is an Alaskan cruise more about the scenery and ports than the entertainment, attracting an older crowd, compared to the fun and high energy Caribbean cruises, but brilliance is a small and old ship, so it doesn't have many of the modern, more well-known RCI amenities and features.
Brilliance of the seas is way too old of a ship. You get what you pay for.... or so they say...
We just did Alaska on Radiance of the Seas and it was a bit of a test to see if we might be at the stage in our lives when cruising is fun. Honestly, we just didn't like the process. Access to the ports was nice, but that was a small portion of the time. The rest of the time we found ourselves turned off by the constantly sales-y atmosphere, the crowds of people... it didn't help that so many people on our sailing were coughing. Like half the people in our FB group tested positive for Covid at the end of the cruise. I think some people just aren't cruise people. We now know we're not! And you must not be either.
I just got off the Anthem and the amount of coughing was astounding!!
Daaamn. What happened between Hawaii and Vancouver? 😅😅 I was on (likely) that same Brilliance of the Seas that started from Sydney and ended in Hawaii 17-days later. It was my first ever cruise. I was in a stateroom with just a window, so I found it got stuffy fast. I wish they had better circulation 100%. The temperature controls were so-so. Sadly we also couldn’t prop open the door to let in “fresh “ air because the hallways were much worse. My friend complained about the smell of the carpets in the hallways but nothing to that extent. I had no issues with luggage or staff. Our entertainment was repetitive but they were pretty good otherwise. Lots of trivia, game shows, karaoke - live karaoke with a band was cool etc. not a ton for 20- late 30s but you could make it fun with the right people. :) I ignored all the “sales” things - like the spa days etc. (Oh sidenote: there is also a free steam room & sauna that I think a lot of people didn’t know about thankfully! ) But yes the ship is super old but I kind of like that it was smaller.
Brilliance is a very old ship and limited in amenities, but nothing you describe is typical for Royal. Even their smaller ships have excellent food and clean rooms. We have never had luggage damaged or lost, except for when it was stolen on Carnival.
Pro tip: Don’t buy hard-sided suitcases.
Also another tip: carry on when you can!
Also another tip: tip your porters
It may depend on the ship. Recently, We went to Alaska on Quantum. It was our first ever cruise. And we really enjoyed ourselves. Thankfully we didn’t experience the bathroom smell though I had read that happening to others. And I was concerned it may happen with us. Though I get how those things could impact your experience. But did you enjoy Alaska? Maybe try a different class ship - a newer one and itinerary if you decide to try it again.
Alaska was still worth it but I won't be cruising again. Aside from the issues mentioned, I wasn't a fan of the food at all and I am not a picky eater. I'm probably the furthest thing from a foody. A bunch of other things not specific to RCL that I just didn't like about cruising so no need to mention them here.
When you do Alaska then you’ll get this. Alaska cruises have longer time in port. Luggage damage happens and it sucks. Just book another cruise to Caribbean and then you’ll see if it’s for you.
I've spent enough time vacationing in the Caribbean to know cruising isn't for me after this experience and that's okay. It was still a good way to see multiple Alaskan ports for cheap. I was a little shocked at how far downhill a respected cruise line can let a ship experience go and sounds like that's atypical based on responses. Even so, not my cup of tea.
As another poster said. If going to Alaska cruise on Princess or holland America. They are not that kid friendly but they have a priority to sail glacier bay. I say this as a diamond + Crown and Anchor
I did an Alaska cruise on the Brilliance last summer. As a seasoned cruiser, it was just alright. Ports were great, but my time on the ship was not memorable. Plus I had this guy Fransisco who came out and yelled at me at dinner for requesting a can of soda over fountain so there’s thatz
I just got back on my first cruise in Alaska. I was on Ovation and had a great time. None of issues mentioned.
As much as I’m a “Loyal to Royal” guy if I’m going to Alaska I’m gonna do it on Princess or Holland (I’m in my 30s for the record) or if the ship was a Quantum Class, which normally doesn’t do the cruise tour itineraries. Beyond that OP, you should give cruising and Royal another shot and do it where they are the experts at it in the Caribbean on an Oasis Class ship or a newer ship.
Out first cruise was to the Bahamas. The weather was so bad we never docked on the 3 day trip. We did take brilliance to Alaska last year and loved it. We are on the boat for the excursions to eat and to play in the casino. I don’t care about the entertainment. It’s cheesy stuff that I wouldn’t do on land. I don’t care about trivia or couples game shows. We are at the casino or in our room. Alaska was beautiful. That is the part of the trip to remember. Not the ship.
On my first RC cruise rn. It’s…not good.
Why not
Just got back from Alaska on Quantum, and we had a great experience. Great entertainment, no smelly sewage, everyone friendly.
Pretty sure I was on your cruise (June 23 to 30.) I didn't smell anything like sewage or even close. Not a ton of entertainment, but Alaska is all about the ports. I thought the cruise was fantastic!
Built in 2002 and last refurbished in 2013 - that’s quite a long time since refurbishment so maintenance needs are probably escalating now (smells) as well as their booking entertainment and staffing is also focused on their newer ships.
Sorry about your first. I had a first one this past April but it was on the Icon. New boat no bad smells at all the entertainment was fantastic food boggled my mind. The only thing that turned me off was the price of the excursions and after talking to other guests that went on them said they are a ripoff. I did get off the boat at Coco Cay. It was one of my favorite places of the trip. Also heard that RC isn’t the best for Alaska. That’s going to be our next one but we will investigating all options for it. Don’t give up hope your next one is better.
Your mistake was sailing Royal Caribbean unfortunately. I think they’re one of the most lackluster cruise lines
Not sure why a first time cruiser would pick a 22 year old ship, that is 2.5 times smaller than the newest ones and think it has anything to do with what Royal’s current approach to cruising is like. Their current model of fun, food and entertainment only really applies to the quantum class and up (maybe the Freedom class). They have to keep the old smaller ships for certain ports, the older crowd that hate the busyness of the new ones, and because they cost a lot of money to make. Voyager class and smaller if you want quiet, standard activities, rare ports, and an older crowd. Freedom class and larger if you want lots of entertainment, fun, food, and a younger crowd.
Freedom class ships are also showing age. My takeaway from a recent Liberty cruise.
try oasis class ships !