Well, our last day was upon us. The weather couldn’t have been better and the high seas were super-calm the entire voyage. You never would have known a category 4 hurricane was there just a few days before. We woke up around 9:00. My husband had already left for breakfast as he didn’t want to wake us, but when I heard him leave I wanted to go ahead and wake up and make the most of our last day, so I woke Emily up and we headed to Windjammers for breakfast.
It was such a peaceful morning. As we walked across the deck we noticed morning yoga was going on by the pool.
I found my husband, along with all our other friends enjoying breakfast on the aft deck of Windjammers. So, we joined them. I had my usual breakfast of unhealthy comfort food. I love eating breakfast seaside! If only I could do that every morning!
I wanted to spend the day hanging out on the sun decks, enjoying the views and sounds of the ocean. It was a very windy day. Unfortunately, I lost my favorite Disney Vacation Club hat to a nasty wind gust. I hope the fish enjoy it! I was trying my best to protect my face from the sun since I got burned pretty badly in Cozumel. Even though I work out in the sun, there is nothing like the sun in Mexico. I burned pretty quickly and it was painful!
There were a few things we wanted to do today. First, Emily wanted to attempt the rock climbing wall. She did pretty well considering she wasn’t feeling all that well.
We also wanted to check out the arcade. Harry put $20 on our Sea pass so Emily could play games in the arcade. Air hockey was $2 a game. It was very frustrating that we never were able to finish a game because it kept timing out, after about 5 minutes of play. Later that night we went back to finish our credits and put our card in for air hockey. After the machine turned on, there was no puck, so we wasted $2. Most games were between $1.50-$4/game. I recommend not wasting your money there!
I wanted to see the Sexiest Man in the World contest because it is pretty funny! I was the only one who watched that one while some of the kids played in the pool and others went to flower-folding class.
At 2:45 Emily and my husband went to see the comedian in the theater. It was the Comedy Show with Steve White. Steve has appeared in five Spike Lee movies, Oprah, and as a guest announcer on The Price is Right. She really enjoyed that and said he was pretty funny. She says she wishes I would have joined her. His act was for more mature audiences, so she warns parents that they should not go with younger kids.
Around 3:00 my friend's family decided to give the rock climbing a try. They did really well! London made it to the top on her first try! Gianna made it a quarter of the way up, but she is tiny! Christian almost made it up on the first try and was very successful the second try, ringing the bell at the top! Me, I didn’t try! Maybe next time!
I left to meet Emily in the Centrum at 4:00 for Salsa class. London wanted to try, but she was more interested in doing rock climbing again, so I took her back up to meet her family. Emily stayed and really enjoyed learning new dance moves. She catches on pretty fast!
Emily and London give Salsa Dance Class a try
Emily is a fast learner!
I went back down for a little while and watched her but then I needed to head up to the room to pack because we were watching the production show: Center Stage at 7:00 and heading to dinner straight from there and that was the only chance I had to pack. By the time dinner would be over, our luggage needed to be out in order to check it. I loved the show! This is definitely another “must do” if you plan on traveling on Brilliance of the Seas. The live music really makes the show incredible! At the end of the show, the cruise director brought out a large amount of the department managers to recognize them for their hard work. I’m sure it was to remind the passengers to tip them graciously.
Our wait staff sang for us once more and surprised the girls with a dance. After dinner, we all took one last stroll around the deck, and everyone but Tony (our friend), Emily (my daughter), and myself went to bed. We had to watch “The Quest” game show! It is literally the funniest thing you will see throughout the entire voyage. It is a show for 18 and older, but we were far enough away that if there was any accidental nudity, my daughter could not see it. A few times she ducked her head and covered her face, and I found myself in an awkward position! Overall, she loved it and Tony could not stop laughing! The picture shows our view of the game show. I just wish this was done in the theater. On Oasis it was in the ice skating rink. There was not enough room and the large pillars made it hard to see.
Afterthoughts
That show marked the end of a nice vacation. After being spoiled on three of the four Disney vessels with Disney pixie dust tucked behind every corner, and being entertained with loads of amenities on Norwegian Escape and Oasis of the Seas (both mega-ships), I have to conclude that Brilliance of the Seas is not a ship I will sail on again, more than likely. The small centrum collected the cigarette smoke from the nearby casino and made it hard to breathe. That, along with the lack of amenities for our kids (comparatively speaking) helped form my decision.
Personally, I really enjoy the larger ships that keep you busy the entire time or ones where I can visit with my favorite Disney characters! I had fun and it was our first time cruising with friends. All in all, the smaller ships might be for some, but they are not for me. We booked our next cruise on Harmony of the Seas for the next Halloween while we were on the ship. Not only do you get a reduced deposit ($100/person versus $250/person), you get 30 days to make changes with no penalty (no grace period when you book off the ship, with a $100/person change fee for ship or sail date change), and the onboard credit was twice as much! Triple score! I cannot wait until our next cruise!
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