Today’s mega cruise ships are packed with the latest thrills, from zip lines to indoor skydiving, but what is it like sailing on one of Royal Caribbean’s older cruise ships?
I recently cruised on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, a Radiance Class cruise ship built in 2002. During my exotic ten day sailing to the South Pacific—my longest cruise thus far—I relished the opportunity to enjoy a more traditional cruising experience.
Although I love cruising on massive vessels with nearly endless activities to enjoy, there’s something special about the relaxed, quieter ambiance of cruising on a smaller, older ship. For the most part, I loved everything about my time onboard, from the attentive service to the itinerary and friendly faces around the ship.
Nonetheless, there were, like any cruise, a few things I did not enjoy. Whether the lack of specialty dining restaurants or the thin walls in my cabin, my vacation was not entirely perfect.
Here are six things I loved and three I hated about my Brilliance of the Seas cruise.
I loved the ship’s unique itinerary, which isn’t offered on newer and bigger ships
My cruising mantra is to always select itineraries that visit at least one destination I haven’t been to before. Whether a new island in the Caribbean or a new port in Alaska, exploring breathtaking destinations is a major reason why I book cruises.
When the opportunity arose to book a cruise from Australia, I began searching for Royal Caribbean’s most unique itinerary in the region during the month of November. I decided upon a 10-night South Pacific cruise that visited five islands in the French territory of New Caledonia and the Pacific nation of Vanuatu.
Related: 15 countries you didn’t know you could cruise to on Royal Caribbean
You can find South Pacific itineraries on new ships like Quantum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas, which also sail from Australia, but they typically only visit two or three islands on each itinerary.
Sailing on an older ship like Brilliance of the Seas gave me the chance to make the most of my long journey across the world to Australia. I absolutely loved visiting five diverse, breathtaking islands during my cruise, and I was happy I chose the most unique itinerary available.
I hated the limited specialty dining options
I’ve recently reached the Diamond Plus tier in Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society, and one of the new perks I receive with this status is a buy one, get one free dinner at a specialty restaurant.
I thoroughly enjoy eating at Royal Caribbean’s specialty restaurants, as I love the calmer atmosphere and wider variety of cuisines. Because of this, the BOGO deal was the perk I was most looking forward to trying on Brilliance of the Seas.
Unfortunately, though, older Royal Caribbean cruise ships often have limited specialty restaurant options, and Brilliance of the Seas was no exception. The ship only features four specialty restaurants: Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table, Izumi Sushi, and Chef’s Table.
Only two of these restaurants, Chops Grille and Giovanni’s Table, allow guests to use the BOGO discount. I would have loved to dine at Izumi—my favorite of Royal Caribbean’s restaurants—but I was told this was not, unfortunately, covered with the discount.
Even though the food offered at Chops Grille and Giovanni’s Table is of great quality, I’ve been to these restaurants many times before on other ships, and eating the same meal over and over can get a bit boring.
Having limited specialty restaurant options was one of the few times I wished I were sailing on a bigger cruise ship.
I loved my Main Dining Room experience, from the delightful cuisine to attentive service
Despite the lack of specialty dining options, I found myself pleased with my experience in the Main Dining Room on Brilliance of the Seas.
With fewer options onboard for meals, you’re likely to find yourself eating in the Main Dining Room more often on smaller ships compared to on Royal Caribbean’s largest vessels. On my Brilliance of the Seas cruise, I ate in the Main Dining Room nearly every evening along with lunch on sea days and several breakfasts.
Related: 21 Tips for the Best Cruise Ship Main Dining Room Experience
Although I frequently eat in the Main Dining Room on other Royal Caribbean cruises, the over-the-top service I experienced on Brilliance of the Seas was on a different level. My waiters, Stefan and Stephen, were beyond attentive, regularly bringing me surprise menu items to try and delivering food in record speed.
I felt so attached to them by the end of the cruise that I couldn’t even fathom eating dinner anywhere else! As a plus, the food quality and flavors were excellent as well.
I loved the ship’s tango show, and I wish I attended more productions while onboard
Whenever I sail on new ships like Wonder of the Seas, I prioritize attending entertainment shows. I just can’t pass up the entertainment offered onboard, from AquaTheater shows to ice skating shows and Broadway productions.
On smaller ships I tend to avoid theater shows. Although I can appreciate the talent of the cast on any ship, I’m never as thrilled with entertainment on old cruise ships. Whether the smaller budget or lack of a storyline, I would usually much rather spend my evening doing something else instead.
Regardless, during my time on Brilliance of the Seas, I figured I should at least try to attend one production show, so I attended a performance of Tango: Buenos Aires.
I grabbed a front row seat by showing up a half hour early, and I was quickly left impressed by the professional tango dancers and live music of the production. It was one of the more unique production shows I’ve seen on an older Royal Caribbean ship.
Following the performance, I wished I had attended more production shows during my time onboard, but I’ll definitely try to attend more shows next time I sail on an older ship.
I hated the Royal Mystery puzzle game, as it was way too difficult
I cruise with Royal Caribbean relatively often, and I find myself getting into a certain routine while onboard. While I’ll attend a trivia session or two during the day and listen to live music in the evening, I have realized I don’t try enough new activities to keep things interesting.
Determined to change this and try something new, I participated in the Royal Mystery puzzle game while onboard. The purpose of this complimentary activity is to "solve" the mystery of a museum heist during which important artwork was stolen.
Through a series of clues found throughout the room and in a folder of papers given to participants, each team is supposed to determine which character committed the crime.
While the concept of the game was intriguing, I found it to be exceptionally difficult. Of the hundred or so people playing the game, almost everyone appeared confused. Not only were the clues unclear, but there were so many steps to the game that only one team even got close to solving the mystery.
I’m glad I went out of my comfort zone to try a new activity, but I wish it would have been a little easier. Most passengers are not professional detectives, after all!
I loved the small ship experience and seeing familiar faces around the ship
Prior to my Brilliance of the Seas cruise, which was ten nights, I had never booked a cruise over seven nights in length. The main difference I found when cruising on a longer itinerary, particularly on a smaller ship, was the community that formed while onboard.
Being on a smaller cruise ship for ten days meant I saw the same guests again and again during my sailing. By the end of the cruise I had formed friendships with several passengers, and we spent our days attending activities together, playing cards at Schooner Bar, and sharing meals in the dining room.
Sure, it’s possible to form friendships on bigger cruise ships, but it’s a lot easier on the smallest Royal Caribbean cruise ships as you’re more likely to see the same passengers around throughout the sailing.
I loved the internet speed—it was the quickest I’ve ever experienced on a cruise ship
The internet speed on Royal Caribbean cruise ships has significantly improved since the launch of Starlink internet in 2022, but nothing could have prepared me for the insanely quick speeds on Brilliance of the Seas.
As someone who frequently works remotely from cruise ships, I rely on Royal Caribbean’s internet to complete tasks like uploading videos to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube channel. In the past, uploading content could take hours, which was certainly not ideal for productivity.
Related: Can you work remotely from a cruise ship? I put it to the test
While on Brilliance of the Seas, I encountered the most responsive internet connection I’ve ever experienced on a cruise ship. I was streaming Netflix with no issues, uploading large video files in under twenty minutes, and video chatting with friends and family back home without any connection delay.
Due to my ship’s remote itinerary in the South Pacific and the fact I was sailing on one of Royal Caribbean’s older vessels, I expected slow, frustrating internet speeds, but this was (thankfully!) not the case whatsoever.
I hated how thin the walls were in my cabin—I could hear everything from next door
One downside I’ve noticed when cruising on older ships are the thin walls in the cabins. Whether on Rhapsody of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, or Brilliance of the Seas, I’ve always been able to hear sounds from guests in the rooms adjacent to my own.
From alarm clocks to conversations and televisions, it’s not ideal being able to hear what is going on outside of your cabin. Although these sounds are somewhat muffled, I missed the thicker walls of cabins on newer cruise ships during my recent cruise.
I loved the new drink menu at Schooner Bar
When it’s time to grab a drink on a Royal Caribbean cruise, one of my preferred bars is Schooner Bar. Royal Caribbean’s nautical themed bar is found on every ship in the fleet, and it’s a popular spot for activities like trivia and live piano music.
In September 2023, Royal Caribbean revamped its drink menu at Schooner Bar, crafting cocktails such as the Peanut Butter Tropic, Parrot Punch, and Southern Belle.
Related: Royal Caribbean revamps its nautical themed bar with new menu
Because I cruise with Royal Caribbean often, I can’t pass up the opportunity to try a new drink menu. During my cruise I tried several new drinks at Schooner Bar, my favorite of which was the Desert Pear Margarita, which combines tequila, desert pear syrup, and lime juice for a distinct fruity flavor.
If anything, the new drink menu at Schooner Bar made me even more excited to try cocktails at one of the new bars on my Icon of the Seas cruise this January!
