Brilliance of the Seas is the second in Royal Caribbean's relatively new Radiance class (following, of course, Radiance of the Seas). The ship, similar in layout and facilities to its radiant sister, does an excellent job of incorporating some of the best features from the mega-Voyager class—easily another third larger than this ship—and the somewhat smaller Legend-class ships. Such as? You'll find classics like the Schooner Bar (note the nifty hickory-smoked smell—or is that gunpowder?—that conveys an "ahoy matey" sensory experience), but there's also miniature and simulated golf, and the best-kept secret, Seaview Café. Some Royal Caribbean traditions have received intriguing new twists. We love the funky, newly revamped Viking Crown Lounge. Here it's called the Starquest Disco Bar, and the bar itself actually revolves. Business and conference facilities have been expanded on this ship. Latte-tudes Coffee bar, which replicates a coffeehouse atmosphere (complete with Internet terminals), replaces Radiance's café/bookshop combo.

One of the immediate impressions we got on Brilliance was an imitation of a cash register ringing in our ear: K'ching. Royal Caribbean seems to be moving ever further into à la carte territory, and by this we mean beyond the usual stuff for which you're prepared to spend money, like shore excursions, spa services, and casino gaming. In this case, be prepared to pay $10 to take Pathway to Yoga at the fitness center, 99¢ and up to buy a pastry from Latte-tudes, $9.95 to watch relatively recent-run movies on RCTV, and a $20 service fee to eat in the ship's alternative restaurants.

Brilliance tries to be all things to all cruisers, and most of the time it works. While the ship is most definitely smaller than its 142,000 ton Voyager brethren, it does have enough room for all the extras we're coming to expect on contemporary cruise ships. These include an excellent range of restaurant options, and a big enough fitness facility with rock climbing, miniature golf, virtual golf, waterslide, and a generous basketball court to complement the usual ping-pong and shuffleboard. There are so many bars (and all of them, large or small, manage to be cozy, fun hangouts) that even after a 12-day cruise we're not sure we found them all. And service (particularly bar and dining room waitstaff), after an extremely rocky start, was generally very warm and personable.

But that "big ship" atmosphere has a down side, too. Our experience with Guest Relations was inconsistent at best. Rarely, when calling, did we actually get through without waiting on hold for a minute to five and 10 or longer. And while the ship's layout aims to spread passengers out, it can get congested at "rush hours," and passengers often got a bit aggressive, particularly at the centrum elevators, just before main- and late-seating dinner, at the guest relations/shore excursion desk early and late in the voyage, and, most particularly, getting back onboard when shore excursion buses all pull up at the same time late in the afternoon.

Of the total 1,050 cabins, 813 have ocean views. Of these, 577 have balconies (about 77 percent, the highest ratio in the Royal Caribbean fleet). All cabins have color televisions with remote control, which broadcast a variety of channels, from RCTV's interactive network (where you can order room service or pay-per-view flicks, buy shore excursions, or check your onboard tab) to CNN. All have minibars (you pay for what you use) that are refilled as needed, telephones, 110-220 electrical outlets, beds that convert to doubles or singles, loveseats, and in-cabin computer jacks for Internet hookups. Cabins in categories C and higher have bathrooms with bathtubs; all others just have showers.

Standard oceanview cabins are very roomy and attractive and have huge porthole-style windows and loveseats. Standard balcony cabins are about the same size with the additional space of a balcony. Note: Balcony cabins on Deck 7 face an overhang (that conceals tenders). Inside cabins are surprisingly roomy.

Beyond the basic-style cabins (inside or oceanview), Brilliance has a succession of suites, starting with category C, which is just a more spacious version of the deluxe balcony cabins (with a slightly larger balcony). Category A and B cabins get a few additional extras, like in-cabin DVD and access to the nifty Concierge Lounge, where passengers need not mix with the hoi polloi at breakfast (continental) or during cocktail hour (complimentary). The Concierge Lounge also has two Internet stations and, of course, a concierge, who enthusiastically and ably assists these guests with just about any request ranging from reservations at the alternative restaurant to concrete tips on the best nightclubs in port. Note: Diamond-level members of Crown & Anchor (passengers having sailed 10 or more Royal Caribbean cruises) also receive access to the Concierge Lounge, regardless of cabin level.

In the Minstrel Dining Room, the ship's traditional restaurant, we were pleasantly surprised at the consistently well-prepared dishes and, after the first couple of days, the waiters made every effort to accommodate meat-cooking preferences. Minstrel, a two-tiered room mostly set up with larger tables of 6-10-12, is open seating for breakfast and lunch every day; then set seating (6 PM for main, 8:30 PM for late) at dinner time. Romantics may need luck to snag a two-top as there weren't many (or plan to head to the alternative restaurants).

Windjammer Café, Brilliance's quite attractive buffet restaurant, was easily the most popular daytime eatery on the ship. It is open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks, and informal dinners. There are numerous stations for burgers, pasta, sweets, and the like. One interesting feature is an onsite bar for soda, wine, and beer purchases; nice, because diners didn't have to wait for a waiter. Another nice touch: Aft, there are a number of outside tables. The food was generally quite good for buffet fare, though the breakfast selection got pretty humdrum after a few days. Windjammer also has basic 24-hour beverage stations (coffee, tea, and water).

We stumbled onto Seaview Café quite by accident and it became a regular lunch/snack haunt. The atmosphere, windows overlook a deck with tables and the sea, evokes a cozy beach-front café. Seaview is "Johnny Rockets" with a bigger menu. Beyond burgers and hot dogs you can request made-to-order fish-n-chips, not to mention scrumptious onion rings, and decadent brownies, all at no additional charge. It's got a beer/wine/soda bar as well. Seaview is typically open for lunch when the ship is at sea. On port days, it opens for late afternoon snacking and post-dinner noshing.

The Solarium Café has a pizza bar and is open all afternoon.

Brilliance boasts two alternative restaurants and we'll tell you up front, each requires a $20 per person service fee. Is it worth it? We loved the six-course menus (and the food, too) at both. You definitely feel like you are in a small, upscale restaurant, and as one fellow diner commented, "When is the last time you got this much for $20?" At the elegant mahogany-styled Chops Grille, choices include a range of steaks (from New York Strip to filet mignon), lamb chops, prime rib, chicken, and a fish-o-the-day, all beautifully prepared. Cozy twosomes may want to request one of the banquette tables. At Portofino, the meal included an antipasti, soup, salad, pasta, main course (try the lobster), and dessert. One note: On our cruise, the dining rooms at both spots were rarely more than half-filled, and yet the service was inconsistent. Later in the cruise, both Portofino and Chops Grille were opened up for lunch as well as dinner. The same service fee and menu apply.

Room service is available around the clock. The standard menu's basic offerings include salads, sandwiches, pizza, burgers, and a handful of desserts. For breakfast, there's a wide-ranging menu that includes hot egg dishes as well as the usual continental fare.

Soda/juice packages
Royal Caribbean offers a fountain soda/juice package for both adults and children. Packages are available for purchase at all bars and lounges the day of embarkation. Stickers are placed on boarding cards and allow consumption of unlimited fountain sodas (no cans) and juice (orange, grapefruit, pineapple, and cranberry) at all restaurants, bars and lounges, and private destinations (CocoCay and Labadee). Purchasers also receive a complimentary Coca-Cola® souvenir cup.

Drink packages are currently priced at $6 per day for adults, $4 per day for children, and are applicable to the total days of the cruise. Gratuities are not included in the price. Alcoholic drink packages are no longer offered on Royal Caribbean cruises.

The tone is set by the seven-deck-high atrium, which serves as a central connection spot for activities in the ship's center. Evenings, there was always music in the Lobby Bar that drifted beautifully along common areas. The Lobby Bar on Deck 4 attracted early evening dancing aficionados; the Champagne Bar, with its wall of windows, is a wonderful spot during the daytime (and at sunset); Latte-tudes offers specialty coffees; and the Casino Royale has the usual gaming tables and slots.

The really interesting main hub lounges emanated from the Schooner Bar, which straddles Portofino and Chops Grille, and has a fabulous pianist who played everything from Chopin to contemporary pop tunes. Beyond Schooner is the ship's most distinctive hangout: The Colony Club, incorporating four different lounges/rooms. Its most unusual feature: The Bombay Billiards Club, which has self-leveling pool tables. Singapore Sling is the ship's events lounge, the place where the captain's "welcome onboard" reception and the past passenger party are held along with various entertainment. During regular times its back-of-the-ship span of windows makes it a wonderful observation spot. Check out the nifty backgammon, checkers, and chess tables over by the bar in the Jakarta Lounge. Tucked away behind Jakarta is the Calcutta Card Club, where guests can play board games and bridge.

The lavish, two-deck Pacifica Theater hosts the big-number production shows and funnier, quirkier fare. We howled at the "Love and Marriage Game Show,' a takeoff from TV's "Newlywed Game." We also loved the ship's 40-seat stadium-style cinema (only wish the flicks that played there were a little more current). Next door is the Scoreboard Lounge which seems as if it hasn't found its niche; it plays sports-oriented flicks (or events) on a variety of screens, but the bar was rarely open (and subsequently the lounge was usually deserted).

Other performance venues include the very cozy Hollywood Odyssey, the place to go for torch songs and karaoke, and the Starquest Disco, which is a popular disco, particularly late at night. It's also a gorgeous spot to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail and the sunset.

On a more practical note, the ship is well equipped with three Internet stations (50¢ a minute), which seemed more than adequate. They are located on a variety of decks and several are even tucked into Latte-tudes for a true Internet café experience. One tip: Passengers who travel with their own laptops can plug into the ship's Cyber-Cabin program. For about $10 a day (a bargain if you go online for anything more than 20 minutes each day) you can hook up right from your stateroom. It worked beautifully, and despite conflicting information from guest relations staffers, connects for both Windows- and Macintosh-based computers. One more tip: There's no guarantee that the satellite will cooperate every time you log on, whether in the cabin or in one of the workstations. You are on a ship, after all. Just be patient.

The ship's library is a disappointment. Its diminutive size, not to mention sparse selection of books, is woefully inadequate for the capacity of the ship. Tucked away off Deck 5 is Brilliance's assortment of shops, all carrying the usual Royal Caribbean retail outlets—from duty-free liquor to insignia wear to jewelry and perfumes. Regarding Royal Caribbean's liquor policy, passengers can buy at duty free prices (and have their purchases delivered to their cabin on the last day) or opt for immediate consumption. The price differential is fairly significant. For instance, the duty-free price for a bottle of Absolut vodka was $9.95; the immediate takeaway cost for that same bottle is $19.45. The ship also has an expansive photo area, where snapshots taken by ship photographers can be purchased. Adjacent are two conference/board rooms, where all sorts of meetings are held, as well as interdenominational and Catholic religious services.

Brilliance has a state-of-the-art medical facility and also has a helicopter landing pad for emergency medical evacuations.

Let's start with evenings: In the Pacifica Theater, the big-ticket venue, there were three major production shows: Very lavish, very professional, and yes, quite entertaining. Other nights the stage hosted comedians, cabaret singers, and musicians. In lounges, musical programs included an intimate, cabaret-style duo in the Hollywood, 70s night with a disc jockey in Starquest Disco, solo piano in the Schooner, and fabulous cha-cha (and other dance tunes) with a three-piece band in the Lobby Bar.

Days at sea were filled with mostly traditional-style diversions: Napkin folding, bingo, cooking demos, and art auctions— though some of the most interesting involved crew members who demonstrated their capability at everything from cooking to towel folding to bartender bottle tossing. The pool area usually had some kind of three-piece band live entertainment at prime-time sunning hours.

One big disappointment for movie lovers was the ship's in-cabin and cinema selection of flicks, some so old that we saw them on cruise ships last winter. Passengers who want to relax privately with a more current movie are required to opt for the pay-per-view option.

Brilliance's ShipShape Center and Day Spa offers all the important machines, from treadmills to stairmasters to stationary bikes to weight machines, not to mention free weights. Each day the fitness director leads quite well-attended workouts geared to a variety of themes, from Pilates and Cardio Ki-Bo to abdominals and walk-a-mile. Upstairs, the spa, operated by Steiner of course (expect the usual product pitch after a treatment), offers a variety of services. Along with the usual—relaxing massages, facials, pedicures, and manicures—some more exotic options include Rasul, an Arabian mud treatment; Ionithermie Algae Detox; and Aroma Stone Therapy.

The spa's Thermal Suite, available for an unlimited rate of $50 or a daily tariff of $15 on our voyage, includes tiled, heated beds (great for sore backs), showers that operate in mist or tropical forms, and (unisex) aromatherapy-oriented steam and sauna. The spa's mens' and ladies' locker rooms feature standard style shower, steam, and sauna faculties.

Jocks may want to head to The Country Club. This area, aft on the top two decks, houses all the really active sport areas: Basketball court, miniature golf, rock-climbing wall, and golf simulator.

The main pool has two whirlpools. The Solarium pool, with an exotic Indian theme, has an on-again, off-again glass-top roof (really useful for the ship's cooler itineraries) and a whirlpool, along with comfortable, cushion-topped promenade loungers.

A running track snakes around the main pool area; seven times around equals a mile. It is pretty narrow, and gets congested during peak sunning hours, so passengers may want to time their run or walk early or late in the day.

Brilliance of the Seas is superbly designed to accommodate families. The extensive Adventure Ocean Programs (grouping kids in five categories: Ages 3-5, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, and 15-17) has top-notch facilities, including a computer lab, play stations with video, and Adventure Beach with water slide and pool. Programs offer arts and crafts, games, rock climbing (older kids, natch), and science fun. The "camp," as passengers were calling it, also uses the ship for various other activities: Dedicated swimming times, movie showings, and special group meals offered throughout the program. The in-cabin televisions have a dedicated children's channel, and there's the Captain Sealy's Kids Galley Menu. Group babysitting service is available late nights. Children must be at least 3 years old and potty trained. The rate is $5 per hour per child. For private in-cabin babysitting (up to 2 children), the rate is $8 per hour with a minimum of two hours. Requests should be made 24 hours in advance.

There are a handful of "family suites," which can accommodate up to eight guests. In addition, many deluxe and superior oceanview cabins have couches with sofa beds.

On this, and every other Royal Caribbean ship, there is a Youth Evacuation Program. Children who register in the Adventure Ocean program are issued wristbands with safety details.

You name it! Utterly diverse passengers, from young couples to families and retirees. This ship is also popular with groups, whether friends traveling together, or those rewarded with corporate incentive getaways.

Royal Caribbean recommends $3.50 per person, per day to your cabin attendant; $3.50 pp/pd to your dining room waiter; and $2 pp/pd to your assistant waiter. Gratuities for the head waiter are left to guests' discretion.

One option is to have a charge of $9.75 per person, per day automatically charged to your account and distributed among the dining room and in-cabin service staff.

During the day, passengers wear casual togs: Shorts, T-shirts, and some slightly more elegant resort wear. But at night there are three different dress codes: "Casual" means sundresses or pants outfits for women, khakis and polos for men, and most often occurs after a long day in port; "Smart Casual" is slightly dressier, with dresses or pants combos for women and jackets for men, and takes place on sea days or less-than-full days at sea; and "Formal," of which there were two on our 12-night trip, always occurs on sea days and requires ladies to wear cocktail dresses, and men to wear suits or tuxedos. Regardless of the ship's official dress code, guests who eat at Portofino or Chops Grille are asked to dress "smart casual."

• Cruise line - Royal Caribbean
• Ship name - Brilliance of the Seas
• Type of cruise - Casual
• Total cabins - 1050
• Private balcony cabins - 577
• Decks - 12
• Total crew - 859
• Passenger capacity - 2100
• Ship size - Large
• Officers nationality - Norwegian
• Year entered service - 2002
• Registry - Bahamas
• Ship length - 962
• Tonnage - 90,000

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