Brilliance Of The Seas

The 2002-built Brilliance of the Seas cruise ship is the second Radiance-class Royal Caribbean liner, alongside sisterships Jewel OTS, Serenade OTS, and Radiance OTS.

The vessel (IMO number 9195200) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311361000) and registered in Nassau.

History - Construction and Ownership

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is a US-based passenger shipping company and a trademarked travel brand, owned by Royal Caribbean Group (RCG). Founded in 1968, RCI holds over one-fifth of the global cruise market and operates RCG's largest fleet by both vessel count and gross tonnage.

All Royal Caribbean ships have names ending in "of the Seas."

The 2500-passenger Brilliance OTS offers a relatively low crew-to-guest ratio. While smaller than the newer Oasis- and Voyager-class ships, she provides a wide range of dining and entertainment options while also supporting more immersive itineraries not accessible to larger vessels.

As with all Radiance-class ships, Brilliance features extensive glass architecture, including glass elevators and a five-story glass wall in the atrium, offering excellent ocean views throughout the interior.

Decks and Cabins

Brilliance of the Seas staterooms (1075 total across 32 grades) include 66 Suites, 513 Balcony, 247 Oceanview, and 249 Inside cabins (including 3 Singles). Most cabins range from 165–190 ft² (15–18 m²), with balconies averaging 45 ft² (4 m²). The smallest are Studio Interior cabins (110 ft² / 10 m²), and the largest is the Royal Suite (1000 ft² / 93 m² plus a 105 ft² / 10 m² terrace). There are 15 wheelchair-accessible cabins onboard.

The ship has 13 decks, 12 of which are accessible to passengers, including 8 with staterooms.

Shipboard Dining Options – Food and Drinks

The Minstrel Dining Room is the main restaurant, featuring elegant two-level seating with panoramic views of the ship’s wake. The menu offers a variety of salads, appetizers, soups, entrées, cheeses, and desserts. The Windjammer Cafe serves as the ship’s main buffet venue, open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks, and casual dinner. Multiple stations offer pasta, burgers, salads, and desserts. A self-service bar is available for soda, beer, and wine purchases—note that wine comes in small airline-style bottles priced at over $6 each.

Here is the full list of Brilliance of the Seas restaurants and food venues:

• Minstrel Restaurant (1226-seat aft dining room with two private areas: 122-seat Zephyr and 32-seat Port Side)
• Windjammer Cafe (696-seat buffet, serves early breakfast at 6:30 a.m., breakfast 7–11:30 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., dinner 6:30–9:00 p.m.)
• Rita’s Cantina (84-seat Mexican restaurant)
• Giovanni’s Table (Italian specialty restaurant; reservations recommended)
• Chops Grille (92-seat specialty steakhouse)
• Chef’s Table (12-seat gourmet dining experience)
• Izumi (89-seat Asian restaurant). Also offers "Make Your Own Sushi" classes for USD 28 per person + 18% gratuity. Includes instruction from an Izumi chef, three sushi roll recipes, a galley tour of the Deck 4 main kitchen, and tasting of all prepared items.

Shipboard Entertainment Options – Fun and Sport

The seven-deck-high Centrum serves as the vibrant social hub of the ship. At night, its Lobby Bar becomes the ship’s top spot for after-dinner dancing. The two-deck Pacifica Theater hosts production shows and game events.

Brilliance of the Seas combines modern features with Royal Caribbean favorites. Passengers can enjoy venues like Schooner Bar and Windjammer Cafe, climb the rock wall up to the smokestack, play mini-golf, or enjoy the waterslide. Additional highlights include the Seaview Cafe and the avant-garde Starquest disco.

Other onboard amenities include complimentary 24-hour room service, supervised youth programs, Internet/WiFi access, and laundry services.

Complete list of lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues:

• Pacifica Theater (900-seat venue for nightly productions with dance, acrobatics, comedy, and game shows)
• Starquest Disco and Nightclub
• Photo Gallery and Shop; Art Gallery
• The Centrum (features aerial acrobatics); Card Room; Next Cruise Lounge
• The Colony Club (381-seat lounge hosting the Captain’s Welcome Party)
• Singapore Slings (105-seat bar)
• Concierge Club (for suite guests and loyalty members); Viking Crown Lounge and Bar; Crown Lounge (formerly Diamond Club Lounge)
• R Bar (35-seat cocktail lounge); Cafe Latte-tudes (34-seat coffee bar with Seattle’s Best Coffee); King and Country Pub (105-seat English-style bar); Vintages (wine bar); Schooner Bar (144-seat piano bar); Sky Bar
• Centrum Boutiques (duty-free retail shops offering clothing, accessories, jewelry, perfume, alcohol, tobacco, souvenirs)
• Scoreboard (53-seat cinema)
• Casino Royale (262-seat casino)
• Royal Caribbean Online Center (24-hour Internet lounge)
• Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center; 3 Jacuzzis; 2 swimming pools
• Solarium Lounge (adults-only area with Park Cafe, pool bar, and pool)
• Outdoor movie screen
• Video Games Arcade; Optix Teen Disco; Living Room teen lounge; Royal Babies and Tots Nursery
• Adventure Beach; Adventure Ocean kids lounge
• Sports Court (golf simulator, table tennis, basketball); Jogging Track; Rock Climbing Wall; Fairways of Brilliance mini-golf

Deck 12 houses the teen club Optix and the interactive “Escape Room,” operated by Puzzle Break in partnership with ShowFX Inc. Groups of 6–12 players are given 60–90 minutes to solve puzzles and uncover clues in order to escape the room. The experience, titled "A Royal Mystery," is complimentary.

Itineraries

Brilliance of the Seas operates seasonal itineraries. In winter, she sails roundtrip Western Caribbean cruises from Tampa, Florida. In summer, she offers European voyages in the Baltic Sea departing from Harwich, UK. The ship also features fall foliage cruises from Boston to Canada, along with Transatlantic repositioning voyages.

Royal Caribbean's Brilliance is part of the company's Radiance-class liners, along with sister ships Jewel, Radiance, and Serenade.

The ship's godmother is Marilyn Ofer, co-founder of the "Eyal and Marilyn Ofer Foundation," which supports cultural and educational initiatives. The naming ceremony took place on July 13, 2002, in Port Harwich, England (UK). Marilyn Ofer also serves on the executive committees of the "British Friends of the Art Museums of Israel" and the "Holocaust Educational Trust." The ship's inaugural voyage began on July 19, 2002—a 7-day Norwegian Fjords itinerary.

The ship's current Captain is Erik Tengelsen.

Brilliance OTS Refurbishment – 2013 Review

During the 2013 drydock refurbishment, the following deck plan changes and upgrades were made:

• “Diamond Club” lounge was added on Deck 13.
• A large outdoor movie screen was installed in the main pool area on Lido Deck 11.
• All staterooms were upgraded with flat-screen TVs.
• New dining venues were introduced, including “Park Cafe” (complimentary deli on Deck 11), “Chef’s Table” (private dining experience), Giovanni’s Table (Italian trattoria on Deck 6), Izumi (Asian/Japanese cuisine on Deck 12), and “Rita’s Cantina” (Mexican cuisine on Deck 11).
• The “Centrum” entertainment program was launched, featuring daily aerial acrobatic shows.
• The 1960s-themed “R Bar” replaced the Lobby Bar on Deck 4.
• “Vintages” wine bar was added on Deck 6.
• “King & Country Pub” replaced the Scoreboard Bar on Deck 6.
• The library was relocated from Deck 9 to Deck 5.
• Royal Caribbean’s signature nursery, “Royal Babies and Tots,” was added on Deck 12.