Cruise Spotlight
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MSC Virtuosa vs Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas
The MSC Virtuosa was built in 2021. It was renovated in 2025. It's 19 years newer than the Brilliance of the Seas, which was built in 2002 and renovated in 2025.
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
Ship Size
The Virtuosa is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,086 feet long and 141 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3 football fields, as wide as 2.7 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 15-story building. Compared to the Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas, the Virtuosa is 102% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
The MSC Virtuosa holds more than double the amount of people as the Brilliance of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Virtuosa has less space per person compared to the Brilliance of the Seas.
| MSC Virtuosa | Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Meraviglia Plus-class | Radiance |
| Gross Tonnage | 181,541 | 90,090 |
| Length | 1,086 | 962 |
| Beam/Width | 141 | 106 |
| Passenger Decks | 15 | 12 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 4,842 | 2,142 |
| Crew | 1,704 | 848 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.8 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 37 | 42 |
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 Virtuosa has fourteen different dining options like HOLA! Tacos & Cantina, Indochine, and Jean-Philippe Chocolat & Cafe. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other eleven options have an additional fee.
The Brilliance of the Seas has five fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Chops Grille, Izumi Sushi & Hot Rocks, and Giovanni's Table. Eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Virtuosa might be a better choice. It has 56% more dining options than the Brilliance of the Seas.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Brilliance of the Seas might be a better choice then the Virtuosa. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| MSC Virtuosa | Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 14 | 9 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 9 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 11 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 21% | 33% |
| See the options | See the options |
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.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Brilliance 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 MSC Virtuosa has a total of 5 pools and 9 hot tubs. 1 of the pools and 3 of the hot tubs are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.
Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas has fewer pools than the Virtuosa and fewer hot tubs. There are fewer exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Brilliance of the Seas. If you like ships without extra charges or exclusive areas, this might be a better choice since everyone will have access to these areas.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools are adults only on Virtuosa.| MSC Virtuosa | Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 5 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | 0 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 9 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 6 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 3 | 0 |
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 Virtuosa. Only 47% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Brilliance of the Seas, 70% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| MSC Virtuosa | Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Adventure Trail | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bowling Alley | ✓ | ✗ |
| Carousel Acrobatic Production Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| F1 Simulator | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Indoor Sportsplex | ✓ | ✗ |
| Interactive XD Cinema | ✓ | ✗ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Robotic Bartender | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Theater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
MSC and Royal Caribbean are both considered "Mainstream" cruise lines. 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 MSC Virtuosa will likely be more expensive than on Royal Caribbean Brilliance 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 compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| MSC Virtuosa | Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $9.00 | $7.49 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $46 - $85 | $77 - $118 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $17 - $27 per device per day | $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.
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