Today was our final day on board Brilliance of the Seas as we sailed back to Tampa, Florida. It’s always sad on the final day of the cruise, but I’m excited I’m staying on board for the next sailing too!
This morning we slept in a little took things at a slower pace, since we had nothing really planned. We ended up skipping breakfast, just too much food and needed a break from it.
The pool deck was very busy this morning selling $10 t-shirts, bags, etc. Also, everyone was trying to get that last bit of sunshine before we returned to Florida. Hillary and I just spent the morning in the solarium; I really like how the pool water is heated. The Brilliance only has 3 total hot tubs, so it’s usually hard to find one that’s not packed. So we settle for the heated pool! I should mention the pool water is salt water, so be sure to rinse off when you get out, I learned that one that hard way.
Since we were getting closer to Florida the conditions were starting to turn and the temperature was dropping. I decided to head back to the room around 2pm to start the ever dreadful packing since I’m changing cabins on the next sailing.
After packing I went down to the pub to relax with a pint or two. When I arrived I was the only person in the pub, but a few moments later it was packed. I was thinking, what is going on?! They were having a singing game and I stayed to listen for a while. Nice to see they have mid-day entertainment for those looking to get out of the sun.
Evening on board was full of shopping, looking at the cruise photos they took. We used our two free Diamond Plus coupons for 8x10’s on formal night. Without a coupon they are $20 or the 5x7 are $10.
Dinner tonight was again in Giovanni’s Table, our waiter invited us back with 30% off cover charge. Since it was the last night, I thought it would be fun to enjoy some amazing Caymus wine. I purchased the bottle at Vintages with our drink package discount of 20% off.
Our meal was outstanding; I can’t say more positive things about Giovanni’s on Brilliance. Once again they did family style dining and brought out all the options. I finally had to say, please no more food! Hillary went with the fish and I took a bite and loved it, so fresh. Her mom ordered the Chops Grill lobster; I know it was a small upcharge, around $15. We ended up staying a little over two hours tonight, but it was one memorable meal.
Final Thoughts
Brilliance of the Seas is a great ship if you aren’t looking for a mega ship with a lot of options on board. This sailing was very relaxing, not a lot of lines at any of the bars. The VOOM Internet worked well, the first day I was having some issues staying connected but it seem to fix itself. I know many were wondering if they have the freestyle coke machines, they still don’t off this on Brilliance. The coffee shop was very busy every morning; they did move things along very nicely but plan on waiting 10-15 minutes.
This will be the end of the live blog; I hope you enjoyed the five days of coverage. If you have questions feel free to comment below and I’ll respond!
