It is time to talk about a specialty restaurant that we have never reviewed before, Rita's Cantina on Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas.

Rita's Cantina is a Tex-Mex inspired restaurant that first launched on Allure of the Seas when she debuted and has since spread to a number of Royal Caribbean ships.

Before ever stepping foot into Rita's, I had read quite a number of reviews online and most guests seemed to have a negative view of Rita's, especially compared to Sabor Modern Mexican.

I try not to judge anything based purely on what I may read or hear about it, but I will admit I did lower my expectations considerably.  I assumed a meal at Rita's would not be similar to my amazing meals at Sabor, but I wanted to keep as open a mind as possible.

Once on Brilliance of the Seas, I made a point to stop in for lunch on one of our sea days.  Will it be a hit or miss? Time to find out!

Atmosphere

On Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas, Rita's Cantina is located on deck 11 behind the Windjammer on the port side of the ship.

Rita's is a half open air restaurant, with covered seating and tables out in the open.  If you have eaten at Johnny Rockets on a Voyager or Freedom class ship, the seating arrangement is somewhat similar in that there is indoor and outdoor seating. 

On Brilliance of the Seas, although there is covered seating, there is no air conditioning (or heat) for the indoor portion, so you are still somewhat at the mercy of the weather conditions outdoors.

Regardless of if you are seating inside or outside, there are views of the ocean from everywhere, except the bar (although you could simply turn around to see the ocean).

To describe the decor of Rita's Cantina, I would have to say there are hints of a Southwestern USA/Mexico motif with teals, dark reds and oranges.

Much of the restaurant, however, is not very well themed and feels more like a table at the Windjammer than a typical Royal Caribbean specialty restaurant.

After I scoped out the restaurant for a bit, it was time to dig into lunch.  Let's check out the menus!

Eats

For my meal at Rita's Cantina, I wanted to sample a little of everything that I could to get a sense of what Rita's really offers.

The first thing I noticed about the menu at Rita's Cantina is that while you could have a meal here, the menu really leans more towards being a restaurant that offers a lot of drinks and some snacks and light fare to go along with the drinks.

There is quite a selection of margaritas available, served on the rocks or frozen.

If mixed drinks or beer are your thing, then there is plenty to choose from as well.  Certainly. no one can complain about there not being a good selection of alcohol at Rita's Cantina.

The food menu is fairly limited, with just eight items listed.

The one thing I did notice immediately about Rita's Cantina menu are the prices.  Everything is incredibly inexpensive.  Most items are about $2-3 each.  That is dirt cheap.

I asked my waiter for a recommendation for a margarita and he pointed me towards the Pineapple Orange Margarita.

I opted for frozen and it was served in a rather large cup.

The margarita was fine, neither the best I have ever had nor the worst.  I prefer my margaritas to have more tequila than what I was served, but not the end of the world.

For my food, I ordered the roasted tomatillo broth, fiesta guacamole, chips & salsa and a grilled Quesadilla.  I figured that would be a good assortment of food to consider.

Service was a bit slower than I expected, but not because of my waiter.  The restaurant was not that busy, so at least I could tell the food was not just sitting around.

First up was the chips and salsa. 

The salsa was more of a pico de gallo, and I really enjoyed it.  We had just been in Cozumel, Mexico the day before, so I had a pretty good idea of what good salsa is and this was freshly made.  I could snack on this any day.  The chips were certainly out of a bag.

Next came the guacamole.

This guacamole was, well, awful.  The consistency was too watery and it was really bland.  I hate to say it, but I have had far better guacamole out of a jar from my local supermarket.  

Luckily, the tomatillo soup came out next and it was a welcome distraction from the guacamole.

The soup was more of a tortilla soup than anything else and it was above average.  I certainly ate much more of the soup than I did the guacamole.

Last out was the chicken Quesadilla, which was served with sour cream and more guacamole.  

I sampled the guacamole that came with the Quesadilla to see if perhaps my first guac serving was a bad batch, but this too was inedible.

The Quesadilla itself was okay and lent itself to the comparison that most Quesadilla are just Mexican grilled cheese's.  I ate a good amount of it, but the Quesadilla was just okay.  

Overall

After hearing mixed reviews of Rita's Cantina for years, I did not know what to expect but after eating at Rita's Cantina, I now know why it has the reputation it has.

I have two takeaways from RIta's Cantina on Brilliance of the Seas:

1. The food is nothing special and tends to be more lackluster than anything else
2. The food is really, really inexpensive

I freely admit the food is not going to impress many, but when you consider the low prices (I spent about $8 for all my food), perhaps Rita's Cantina is not an awful value.

I see Rita's Cantina as not a restaurant for a meal, but rather a snack with a few drinks.  If you purchase one of the unlimited alcohol packages, I could easily see Rita's Cantina being a great spot to enjoy the benefits of the drink package with a plate of nachos and salsa.

The bottom line is Rita's Cantina will not be at the top of many guests' favorite restaurant lists, but I do like the low prices and ample selection of drinks available.

Have you dined at Rita's Cantina? What's your favorite dish on the menu?

The morning you are scheduled to leave your Royal Caribbean cruise is always a sad day because we all dread having to say goodbye to the place we have called home for a few nights.  So, why not make the best of the hours you have left?

Here are six ways to finish off your Royal Caribbean cruise vacation with a bang!

6. Check your email, voicemail and text messages

If your Royal Caribbean cruise is returning you to your home country, you can now turn your cell phones back on and catch up on any messages you may have missed.

I freely admit checking your messages is hardly the most exciting thing one can do on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but it can be a good way to plan the rest of your day after you leave the ship.

In addition, if any kind of issues have arisen while you were at sea, you can take time now to deal with them while you wait to disembark.

5. Visit the NextCruise office

With your last few hours onboard, be sure to stop by the NextCruise office for one last chance to book another Royal Caribbean cruise to look forward to .

The NextCruise office typically does not take appointments on debarkation day, but they are open for walk-ins.

This is your last opportunity to book another Royal Caribbean cruise, while getting free onboard credit for re-booking onboard.

Remember, nothing gets you over your last Royal Caribbean cruise like your next Royal Caribbean cruise!

4. Use your drink packages one last time

Did you know that your unlimited drink packages still work on the last morning?

Whether you want another soda, coffee or Bloody Mary before you hit the road, your drink packages will work onboard that last morning.

The Windjammer will be your best bet to take advantage of these drink packages, as many of the other bars may be closed in the early morning hours.

3. See the sunrise

Let's face it, you are going to be waking up early to get going, so why not wake up a little bit earlier to see the sunrise?

There is something special about sunrise at sea and even if it is your last day, it can be a fun way to start your morning.

2. Take photos without lots of guests in the way

These days, everyone is looking to take that great photo and show friends and family what their cruise was like.

If you relish a good photo of public areas of the ship, definitely try to take photos on your last morning because many of them will be completely empty.

This can be a great strategy for taking photos around your ship without lots of people you do not know in them!

1. One last meal in the Windjammer

The must-do activity on your last day has to be one last meal in the Windjammer.

Sure there are other places open for breakfast on that last morning, but the Windjammer is that quintessential Royal Caribbean experience.

One last meal here is the perfect send-off so when you leave your Royal Caribbean ship with tears in your eyes, at least your stomach will be full.

What are your favorite last morning traditions? Share them in the comments below!

Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas will be based out of Brisbane, Australia for the next five months as she begins offering service in the area for the summer cruise season.

Legend of the Seas arrived at Brisbane’s Portside Wharf yesterday.

With her time there, about 30,000 passengers will arrive and depart on Legend of the Seas while in Brisbane, and is expected to pump $20 million in to the Queensland economy.

Legend of the Seas' first cruise was a three-day cruise and will offer other cruises to the South Pacific, Queensland coast and New Zealand.

Royal Caribbean’s regional vice president Gavin Smith commented on the arrival of Legend of the Seas, "Southeast Queensland is our second biggest market in Australia and lots of our passengers were flying down to Sydney from Queensland anyway."

It seems like everyone is curious what the various stateroom types look like, so we bring to you these photo tours of various stateroom categories.

Today, we have an inside stateroom on Brilliance of the Seas in category N.

On Brilliance of the Seas, we reviewed stateroom 3545, which is located on deck 3 closest to the forward elevator bank.  Entry to the room is by your SeaPass card.

Category N staterooms on Brilliance of the Seas are listed at 165 square feet and can accomodate two guests.  There was a surprising amount of space for an inside stateroom, perfect for one or two passengers to live comfortably.

The bed is joined together but can be split apart if need be, with a nightstand on either side of the bed.  

There is a flat screen television attached to a tilting arm, such that the television can be pointed straight across or swung for optimal viewing in bed.

There is also a sofa, closet, sitting area with desk, drawer space and vanity in the room.

The bathroom contains a sink, shower and toilet.  In our room, the shower had no plastic door, but a curtain instead.  I am not certain if this is standard for Brilliance of the Seas, or just a special case in our room.

The desk features two electric outlets.

There is a large closet near the entrance of the room, with the most storage space available.

Another week has gone by and that means we are all one week closer to our next Royal Caribbean cruise!

This week, the big news was Royal Caribbean's announcement that the Broadway show Grease will be added to Harmony of the Seas and Independence of the Seas in 2016.

The news is unusual, given that in the past Broadway shows have been added to only one ship at a time.

The all-new, never-before-seen stage production, specially adapted by Royal Caribbean Productions, will boast a soundtrack of crowd favorites such as “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’,” “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee,” “Born to Hand-Jive,” “Beauty School Dropout” and more.

Here is the rest of the Royal Caribbean news you may have missed this week.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean released Jewel of the Seas refurbishment details.
• Royal Caribbean is launching a 72-hour sale on Monday.
• Speaking of sales, guests can get double points on suites on Oasis and Allure of the Seas.
• Our list of the top 10 Brilliance of the Seas hidden secrets.
• Our full review of Izumi on Brilliance of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean committed to using cage-free eggs on its ships by 2022.
• We posted a review of Paradise Beach in Cozumel.
• Two Royal Caribbean ships had an historic meeting in Australia.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 122th episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week, Matt reviews his recent cruise aboard Brilliance of the Seas.

In this episode, Matt shares his experiences on Brilliance of the Seas, including dining, activities, shore excursions and entertainment.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

How you can support Royal Caribbean Blog

So many of our readers have reached out to us to ask how they can help the blog and we are introducing the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders for just that reason.

The Insiders group is a way readers can contribute to Royal Caribbean Blog and help fuel some of the really amazing ideas, projects and new content that we have lined up.

As a way of saying thank you for your contribution, there are some fun rewards for being a member of the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders.

Becoming a member of the Royal Caribbean Blog Insiders is completely up to you and you can cancel at any time. No questions asked! 

As always, thank you for visiting Royal Caribbean Blog and being a part of our community!

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Writing Horseback blogged about the Carousel at Sea on Oasis of the Seas.

Cruise & Ferry interviewed Royal Caribbean Chairman and CEO Richard Fain.

In the Loop Travel listed seven thrilling shore excursions in the Caribbean (hint: Labadee made the list).

Cruise Currents shared 6 reasons to love Anthem of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean is offering double Cruise Points for guests sailing in Royal Suite Class accommodations on Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas this summer.

This means guests can earn 4 points per night on qualifying cruises.

To qualify for the double cruise points, guests need to register their booking at www.royalcaribbean.com/DoublePoints.

Guests can also combine this offer with the BOGO GETTER deal.

Bonus Cruise Points Offer is applicable to individual bookings of Royal Suite Class staterooms made Dec 4-31, 2015.

Bonus cruise points promotion applies to Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas sailings departing May 1 — August 31, 2016.

Royal Caribbean is launching a special 72-hour sale that offers guests up to $350 in onboard spending money, plus free Voom internet.

The 72-hour sale runs between December 7-9, 2015 and is eligible for all sailings departing on or after Dec 10, 2015.  Offer excludes China departures.

Here is what is included with the sale:

• 50% off cruise fare of second guest booked in the same stateroom as first full fare guest
• 50% reduced deposit
• 25% off 3rd and 4th guests on all offer eligible sailings.
• One Voom internet package for one device for Anthem, Harmony, Allure, Oasis, Freedom, and Enchantment of the Seas departing between May 1 – Sep 30, 2016
• Free onboard credit
  • Oasis of the Seas & Allure of the Seas sailings departing on or after Jan. 7, 2016
    • Interior: $125 per stateroom
    • Oceanview: $225 per stateroom
    • Balcony & Suite: $350 per stateroom
  • All other ships
    • Interior: $100 per stateroom
    • Oceanview: $200 per stateroom
    • Balcony & Suite: $300 per stateroom

BOGO is combinable with the adjoining OBC, 3rd and 4th Guest Savings and Voom offers, Crown & Anchor discounts and NextCruise offers; BOGO and 3rd and 4th Guest Savings are not combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military). OBC and Voom offers are combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, BOGO) and NextCruise offers. OBC and Voom offers are not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts. Neither offer is combinable with any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, weekly Sales Events, Net Rates, Shareholder Benefits.

Offer available to residents of United States and Canada.

Royal Caribbean has commited itself to providing its guests with 100% cage-free eggs and sourcing all of its pork from gestation-free crates by 2022.

The effort builds on an initiative that first introduced cage-free eggs into its supply chain in 2010.

“By moving to 100 percent cage-free eggs we are not only delivering quality food, but acting responsibly when it comes to the welfare of animals in the food system,” said Mike Jones, Vice President, Supply Chain, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 

Royal Caribbean had promised to provide sustainably sourced food for guests including sourcing pork from gestation crate free suppliers.

Jones said, “Royal Caribbean supports the continual movement of the food service industry in this direction, and remains committed to keeping the treatment of animals in consideration when supplying its fleet with food.”

When we talk about favorite restaurants on Royal Caribbean Blog, Izumi is at the top of the list and for good reason.

On Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas, we had the chance to dine at Izumi. Three times. Suffice to say, we had a pretty good look at what Izumi offers.

With Izumi, Royal Caribbean offers its passengers a high quality Japanese cuisine experience.  And with sushi being as popular as ever, we had to give Izumi another try on Brilliance of the Seas to ensure the experience has not changed.

Read on to see what our experience was like.

Atmosphere

Izumi is located on deck 12 at the aft of Brilliance of the Seas, where the Seaview Cafe used to be located.

Looking purely at the exterior, you would be hard pressed to know there is a Japanese restaurant inside, given that the traditional hallmarks of a Japanese restaurant are not evident outside.

Once inside Izumi, you quickly get that feeling of being in a Japanese restaurant.

Izumi on Brilliance of the Seas features a lot of dark woods and oranges mixed with bright colors, notably a light blue.

I am not certain I could pull off the color motif found in Izumi in my living room, but it is aesthetically pleasing, especially at the bar.

The seating area is comprised of one large room, with optional seating at the sushi bar.

The best seats have to be by the window, which offer views out to the ocean and deck twelve.  The larger capacity tables are at the center of the restaurant.

You may not mistake the restaurant for a little piece of Tokyo from looks alone, but the food will make you second guess yourself!

Eats

On Brilliance of the Seas, we dined at Izumi on three separate occasions for "research" purposes.  The Izumi menu offers a fairly wide selection of food.  

Sushi dominates the menu, but there are also a good selection of starters, salads, soups and ishiyake (hot rocks).

It should be noted that there is no cover charge at Izumi on Brilliance of the Seas. Rather, you will pay a la carte pricing for all items on the menu.

All guests receive a complimentary bowl of edamame soy beans, sprinkled with salt.  It is a delicious appetizer and I highly recommend trying them.

Interestingly, the miso soup at Izumi on Brilliance of the Seas now costs extra.  On all of our previous Izumi experiences, the miso soup was complimentary as well, but it seems to be a change on some ships.

I ordered the miso soup and at $2, it was the largest serving of miso soup I have ever had.   

Like all Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants, there is a full bar selection.  I would be remiss not to sample the hot sake while dining at Izumi.

There is a serving of hot organic sake that is included with the premium unlimited alcohol package and it definitely hit the spot. Try ordering a beer and dropping a cup of your sake in it for a sake bomb!

By far, the reason most guests go to Izumi is for the sushi and this was no exception.  Guests will find a large selection of sushi to choose from, including hand rolls, sashimi, combinations, signature rolls and chef's signature rolls.

The best value is in one of the combination plates, signature rolls or chef's signature rolls.  We found it difficult to order any of the nigri or sashimi pieces without realizing we were better off financially to order one of the combination plates.

In addition, the signature rolls offer more pieces and the best quality sushi.  There is nothing wrong with the individual pieces of sushi, but we gravitated towards the signature rolls and combinations for those exact reasons.

You might be wondering how good the sushi is and I can easily tell you it is as good or better than many land based sushi restaurants I have been to.  The basic hand rolls were a bit small, but any of the signature rolls were ample in size and serving.

There is also something to be said about presentation, and the sushi chefs at Izumi do a fantastic job at making their food as pretty to look at as it is to eat.

Those looking for the best value, stick with the combination plates, which offer a lot to enjoy in one price.  If you want the best sushi Izumi has to offer, go with any of the signature rolls. 

If sushi is not your thing, there are some other options worth considering.  My wife has no love in her heart for fish, so she picks the hot rock plates.

Essentially, the hot rocks are slabs of rock that are heated to to 575 °F and guests are invited to cook their choice of seafood, chicken, or beef.

If this sounds fun, it really is.  And not to worry if you are not sure what you are doing, because the staff is happy to help you cook the pre-seasoned food.

There are also a good variety of salads and soups, although I cannot speak for them since I always saved room for the sushi!

Overall

When looking at Izumi on Brilliance of the Seas, I am biased in the sense that I really love sushi.  But on the other hand, I eat so much sushi on land that I feel I can make an informed decision about how good or bad Izumi is.

In terms of service, Izumi has a very attentive staff that responded very well to everything we asked for.  

The bottom line is Izumi offers great sushi (and other Japanese cuisine) for a fair price.  Most of the prices you will find at Izumi are about what you would pay at any reputable sushi establishment on land.  As noted earlier, the combination plates are easily the best value of the menu, given how much you get for the price.

I would love to hear your opinion on Izumi.  Have you enjoyed dining at Izumi? Let us know in the comments below.