The introduction of the super cruise
ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas created a problem for
Royal Caribbean. Not just in size but in the array of entertainment
and dining choices that the ships offered, they were beyond pretty
much any ship in service. However, not only did they render almost
every other ship then in service out-of-date, they also did the same
to Royal's existing fleet.
The solution was to undertake a
fleetwide revitalization program that would give the existing ships
some of the features of Oasis and Allure. Obviously, because they
are not as big as the two giants, the existing ships would not be
able to offer everything that you can find on the Oasis class ships
but they could add some of the more popular features in order to give
guests more choice throughout the Royal Caribbean fleet. It is a
business strategy that makes a lot of sense.
This strategy was not without risk,
however. Quite a few of the existing Royal Caribbean ships are very
popular and have their own loyal following. For those ships, didn't
Royal risk violating the old adage if it ain't broke don't fix it.
This was particularly true for Royal's
four Radiance class ships. These ships are big but not too big.
They are elegantly designed but not stuffy. They have relatively few
passengers for their size, giving the ships a passenger space ratio
that is more like that of an upmarket ship. In addition, they have a
loyal following, particularly among frequent cruisers.
It was with these conflicting thoughts
in mind that I joined Brilliance of the Seas for a transatlantic
crossing. I had sailed on this ship, the second ship built in the
Radiance class, less than a year before. However, since then she had
been through the revitalization refit, adding several new dining and
entertainment venues.
I was relieved to find, in the words
of Cruise Director Steve Davis, that the Brilliance is still the
Brilliance. Her essential character has not been changed. She is
still presents a sophisticated version of the Royal Caribbean
experience.
The changes that were made blend in
nicely with the ship's character. The additional dining venues give
you more options, which is particularly nice on a long cruise. I
particularly liked the transformation of the Solarium Cafe into the
Park Cafe. The atmosphere is the same but the menu and the hours
have been enlarged. I was also impressed with Giovanni's Table,
which has taken over from Portofino's. (See review
http://www.beyondships2.com/brilliance-of-the-seas-giovanni-review.html
)
I was disappointed that the Sea View
Cafe, a venue found only on the Radiance class ships, was replaced
with Izumi. I have nothing against Izumi but the Sea View was unique
and I have enjoyed a number of meals there.
With regard to entertainment, the
Centrum has been modified to make it more of an entertainment venue.
Previously, the atrium had been used for theme parties and some other
forms of entertainment but the glass stairs and the floor plan of
the lobby made it difficult for the entertainers. That has all been
changed and a new layout created that is more conducive to
entertainment.
The giant sculpture that hung in the
atrium has also been removed so as to allow aerialists to perform in
this space. It is impressive but “flying” shows are no longer
something new on cruise ships and so I am skeptical of whether it
creates the “wow” that Royal was hoping to achieve.
There has also been the addition of a
giant outdoor television/movie screen on the pool deck. Several of
the bars have been changed as well. The most dramatic change has
been the transformation of the Sports Bar into the King and Country
Pub. The fact that it was full every night whereas the Sports Bar
was never full testifies to the success of this change.
Beyondships' multi-page photo tour of
Brilliance of the Seas has been updated to reflect the
revitalization. It begins at
http://beyondships.com/RCI-BOS-Tour-1.html
I spoke with Captain Stig Nilsen,
Hotel Director Dean Bailey and Cruise Director Steve Davis to get
their thoughts about Brilliance after the revitalization. That
interview is posted at
http://www.beyondships2.com/brilliance-of-the-seas-revitalized.html
I also spoke with them about sailing
transatlantic on the Brilliance. A transatlantic crossing is a
unique cruise experience. It is one that a large number of frequent
cruisers savor. The experience on Brilliance is much different than
crossing on Queen Mary 2, which I have written about in the past.
(see http://www.beyondships2.com/queen-mary-2-shepard.html
). Moreover, the far northern route that Brilliance followed
across the Atlantic also made the crossing different than the more
southerly crossings made by other cruise ships. My article on
crossing on Brilliance is at
http://www.beyondships2.com/brilliance-of-the-seas-transatlantic.html
The crossing on Brilliance began with
what was in essence a European cruise. This enabled me to take some
photos of the ship in various European ports. They are posted at
http://www.beyondships2.com/brilliance-of-the-seas-in-europe.html
In addition, Brilliance's menus page
has been updated with new menus from the main dining room and the
specialty restaurants.
http://www.beyondships2.com/brilliance-of-the-seas-menus.html
The daily programs page has been updated with new Cruise Compasses.
http://www.beyondships2.com/brilliance-of-the-seas-daily-programs.html
The informationals page has been updated with a variety of
different leaflets distributed onboard Brilliance.
http://www.beyondships2.com/brilliance-of-the-seas-informationals.html
And, of course, a new deck plan has been added which reflects the
changes made during the revitalization.
http://www.beyondships2.com/brilliance-of-the-seas-deck-plans.html
No comments:
Post a Comment