Port Canaveral, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa. All are cruise
ports within are relatively short drive via automobile at 70+ miles per hour. A
different story when travelling at around 22 knots in a massive cruise ship.
Each port of embarkation yields slightly different routes and itineraries under
the shared name of ‘Western Caribbean’ cruise.
We’re just over a week away from a five night Western
Caribbean cruise out of Tampa on board Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the
Seas. The last minute price for this cruise has dropped to as low as $179 per
person for an interior stateroom or $35.80 per person per night.
The Cruise
This five night Western Caribbean itinerary embarks from
Tampa, Florida at 4pm on Saturday, December 7, 2013. After spending Sunday at
sea, rounding the western tip of Cuba, Brilliance of the Seas makes its first
of two port calls at Georgetown, Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands.
The ship stays docked in Georgetown from 7am to 3:30 in the
afternoon. Grand Cayman is all about the water surrounding the island and not
so much the land the island is made of. The thing to do is visit Stingray City
Sandbar. This is an opportunity to swim up close and personal with stingrays in
their environment. Although you can use U.S. dollars in Georgetown, the
official currency is the Caymanian Dollar (KYD). One Canadian dollar is
currently valued at .77 KYD.
The following morning, Brilliance of the Seas moves a little
further west and docks at Cozumel, Mexico. The ship will remain at the Mexican
island resort area from 10am to 7pm.
Wednesday is another full day at sea as the ship makes its
way back across the Gulf of Mexico. Brilliance returns to Tampa on the morning
of Thursday, December 12, 2013 at 7am.
The Pricing
As mentioned, an interior stateroom, based on double
occupancy, can be had for as low as $179 per person. This price does not
include the $65.76 per person in government taxes and fees. With all the taxes
included, a couple could pay as low as $486 total to take the cruise. For just
$20 more per person, the cruise can be upgraded to an Ocean View room.
The Ship
Brilliance of the Seas is one of four Radiance Class ships
in the Royal Caribbean fleet. She made her maiden voyage in July, 2002 and is a
medium-large sized ship by today’s standards. Brilliance has a gross tonnage of
90,000 and is 962 feet or 292 metres long. There are 12 decks accessible to the
capacity 2,501 passengers. 848 crew members are on board to make everything run
smooth.
Brilliance is the second oldest of the Radiance Class of
ships. All four are nearly identical and the first was Radiance of the Seas,
put in service in 2001. Brilliance was followed by Serenade of the Seas in 2003
and Jewel of the Seas in 2004.
The Small Print
·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.
·Prices are in Canadian dollars.
·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!
·Also not included are gratuities.
·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.
