Brilliance of the Seas: the newest addition to the line's "midsize" class lets the sun shine in - Ship of the Month - Product/Service Evaluation

Cruise Travel, May-June, 2003 by Georgina Cruz

After taking the Conch Train tour and visiting Hemingway's House and the Mel Fisher"s Maritime Heritage Museum in Key West on the first day of a Caribbean voyage aboard Royal Caribbean International's Brilliance of the Seas, we had an ambitious agenda to accomplish before dinner. It went like this: watch the departure from Key West from the Viking Crown Lounge, high up on Deck 13, and relax with the view of indigo waters; play a game of Scrabble in the Calcutta Card Club and relax with the view of indigo waters; enjoy a latte while sending e-mails to the folks back home and relax with the view of indigo waters; get postage for our postcards at Guest Relations and relax with the view of indigo waters; toast the sunset with a glass of bubbly in the Champagne Bar and relax with the view of indigo waters as they blushed with the kiss of the sun.

Check ... check ... check ... check ... check .... We did it ail, because those public areas and many others (16 in all)--and even the exterior elevators that took us from one deck to another as we went about our afternoon--have glass walls and big windows, part of the acres of glass on the Brilliance of the Seas, an optimum vessel for that "at sea" feeling that so many passengers crave. "it's just wonderful--half the ship is glass. This class of ship has more glass than any other ship in the world," said Helmut Leikauf, general manager onboard.

The 90,090-gross-register-ton/2,112-passenger Brilliance of the Seas, which entered service in 2002, is the second of a class of radiant--and yes, brilliant--ships that debuted with the Radiance of the Seas in 2001. This class is kind of a Goldilocks-just-right-in-between category for RCI, complementing the line's Voyager Class (comprising the reigning biggest cruise ships in the world), which started in 1999 with the 142,000-grt Voyager of the Seas, and the smaller Vision Class, which dates to 1995 and the 69,130-grt Legend of the Seas.

The Brilliance of the Seas incorporates the best features of those other two classes: many of the multi-activity/entertainment/dining options of the mega-liner Voyager vessels, and the openness of the smaller, glass-everywhere Vision ships, which were dubbed "Ships of Light" when they came on the scene in the mid to late 1990s. So passengers find on the Brilliance of the Seas the best of both those two worlds: the rock-climbing wall, the multiple dining venues and, on a smaller scale, the activity and entertainment options of the Voyager Class, plus the acres of glass of the Vision Class with its subsequent airiness and views of the sea galore.

The Brilliance of the Seas, with the same layout, amenities and attractive, streamlined look as the Radiance of the Seas--and with state-of-the-art technology including smokeless gas turbines--indeed has glass practically wherever you look, including the nine levels of her Centrum atrium, which is surrounded by lounges and other public areas such as Latte-tudes (an Internet Cafe) and the intimate Champagne Bar, on decks 5 and 6 respectively, where most indoor public areas are located. Adding another touch of sparkle to the Centrum is a luminous, monumental stainless-steel and mesh sculpture, "Spiral Light" by American artists Warren Seelig and Sheryl Gibson. The shimmering, spiraling sculpture, which spans several of the Centrum's levels, is illuminated in soft colors that change during the day and evening and energize the atrium. Glass exterior elevators, first seen at sea on sister line Celebrity Cruises' Millennium Class vessels, span 12 decks. So even while guests go from one deck to another, they do not have to stare at blank walls, but can enjoy the panoramas of ocean and ports.

Many a passenger is quite content to bask in the views and light in the ship's Solarium on Deck 11 on a lazy day at sea--it was our favorite spot onboard both on days at sea and port days after exploring the islands. An inviting place, quieter than the main pool/whirlpools area (supervised children may use it only twice a day during posted times), it has a cascade and pool that seem to say, "Come on in, the water's fine!" The weather is always perfect here, due to its retractable glass canopy. The exotic India theme is both relaxing and stimulating: three 16-foot high stone elephants stand guard by the pool, two smaller bronze elephant sculptures, vegetation, a fountain, a bridge, a relief panel depicting a jungle temple, sculptures of Hindu deities, and other decor elements create the illusion of a lush oasis. Comfortable, thick-cushion-topped loungers are the perfect spot to relax after a dip in the pool (it has a swim-against-the-current feature) or the whirlpool. And for those who wouldn't think of moving from this spot all day, the Solarium has its own cafe and bar.

The adjoining Steiner-managed ShipShape Spa, also with an India theme including a mosaic of the Taj Mahal, beckons health-conscious passengers with sauna, steam, 13 rooms (11 with ocean view) for such exotic treatments as aroma stone therapy (with heated basalt stones) and seaweed wraps, plus a Rasul Oriental ceremony suite. The spa's gym has 18 treadmills with ocean view, state-of-the-art Reebok exercise equipment, and a free-weights area plus a stereo sound system and television monitors. An aerobics area features a wood-suspended aerobics floor, mirrored wall, two large-screen television monitors, and wrap-around windows. A roster of fitness classes and activities including stretching, aerobics, walkathons, dance lessons, ping-pong tournaments, and aquadynamics keeps active passengers occupied. Not to mention the Sports Court & Country Club, complete with golf simulators and basketball court, a nine-hole miniature golf course, a jogging track, and the awesome rock-climbing wall, with five climbing tracks reaching a height of 200 feet above the sea. For those, like us, who have never attempted it, lessons are available (and even if you don't dare challenge the wall, it's still fun to just watch).