Cruise Spotlight
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Brilliance of the Seas vs Harmony of the Seas
The Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas was built in 2002. It was renovated in 2022. It's 14 years older than the Harmony of the Seas, which was built in 2016.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
Ship Size
The Brilliance of the Seas is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 962 feet long and 106 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 12-story building. Compared to the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas, the Brilliance of the Seas is 60% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas holds 61% fewer passengers than the Harmony of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Brilliance of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Harmony of the Seas. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
The Harmony of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Radiance | Oasis |
| Gross Tonnage | 90,090 | 226,963 |
| Length | 962 | 1,188 |
| Beam/Width | 106 | 216 |
| Passenger Decks | 12 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,142 | 5,497 |
| Crew | 848 | 2,200 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 41 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Brilliance of the Seas has nine different dining options like Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks, Windjammer, and Giovanni's Table. Of those options, eight are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.
The Harmony of the Seas has eleven more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Jamie's Italian, Windjammer, and Solarium Bistro. fourteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other twelve have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Harmony of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 122% more dining options than the Brilliance of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Harmony of the Seas might be a better choice then the Brilliance of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas & Harmony of the Seas
| Restaurant | Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas |
Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Cafe Promenade | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Dog House | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Main Dining Room | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Mini Bites | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Park Cafe | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Solarium Bistro | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Sorrento's Pizza | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Vitality Cafe | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Windjammer | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| A la carte | |||
| Cafe Latte-tudes | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Ice Cream Parlor | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Starbucks | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Vintages Wine Bar | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Flat fee | |||
| 150 Central Park | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Chops Grille | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Giovanni's Table | ✓ | ✗ | Learn More |
| Izumi Hibachi & Sushi | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Jamie's Italian | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Johnny Rockets | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Sabor | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Wonderland | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Exclusive (open to select guests only) | |||
| Coastal Kitchen | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas has 9 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas.
| Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Bionic Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Boleros | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dazzles | ✗ | ✓ |
| English Pub | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jakarta Lounge | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mast Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| On Air Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| R Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Rising Tide Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sabor Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Sand Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Schooner Bar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Singapore Sling's | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sky Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Solarium Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Starquest Nightclub | ✓ | ✗ |
| Suite Lounge* | ✗ | ✓ |
| Suite Sun Deck Bar* | ✗ | ✓ |
| The Attic | ✗ | ✓ |
| The Colony Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Trellis Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Vintages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wipeout Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Wonderland | ✗ | ✓ |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Brilliance of the Seas and the Harmony of the Seas below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas has a total of 2 pools and 3 hot tubs.
Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas has more pools than the Brilliance of the Seas and more hot tubs.
Worried about lots of kids onboard? Visit The Solarium, an adult-only area for guests 18 and older only. Only Brilliance of the Seas has an adult-only pool in its Solarium (it’s a full-depth pool). Brilliance of the Seas’ adult-only area is covered by a retractable glass roof, while Harmony of the Seas’ is is open to the elements with some wind breakers. The Brilliance of the Seas’ adult-only area is in the middle, while the Harmony of the Seas’ is in the front.
| Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 10 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 8 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 0 |
Cruise Coloring and Activity Books for Kids
Get your kids ready for their cruise or keep them entertained while on board with our custom made coloring and activity books. These are the Royal Caribbean editions with places like Studio B and Sorrento's featured.
Cruise Ship Coloring Book for Kids 3-5 - Royal Caribbean Edition
Let's Get Cruising Activity Book for Kids 6-8 - Royal Caribbean Edition
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. You might up paying more while on board the Brilliance of the Seas. Only 70% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Harmony of the Seas, 77% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bionic Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean is a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas will likely be cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you understand what you might spend onboard a Royal Caribbean ship.
| Royal Caribbean | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | |
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.
We sailed aboard the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
Follow along on our sailing on the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Fort Lauderdale
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Costa Maya
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Cozumel
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
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