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Brilliance of the Seas vs Epic
The Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas was built in 2002. It was renovated in 2025. It's 8 years older than the Epic, which was built in 2010 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 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 Norwegian Epic, the Brilliance of the Seas is 42% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas holds 48% fewer passengers than the Epic 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 Epic. 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.
| Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | Norwegian Epic | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Radiance | Epic |
| Gross Tonnage | 90,090 | 155,873 |
| Length | 962 | 1,081 |
| Beam/Width | 106 | 171 |
| Passenger Decks | 12 | 14 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,142 | 4,100 |
| Crew | 848 | 1,724 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.5 | 2.4 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 38 |
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 Chops Grille, Giovanni's Table, and Windjammer. Of those options, eight are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.
The Epic has eight more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Great Outdoors, Teppanyaki, and La Cucina Italian. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other fourteen have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Epic might be a better choice. It has 89% 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 Epic. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | Norwegian Epic | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 9 | 17 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 8 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 6 | 14 |
| % of Included Options | 33% | 18% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas has 5 fewer bars than the Norwegian Epic. The Brilliance of the Seas has 11 bars like Pool bar, Schooner Bar and The Colony Club. On Brilliance of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Atrium Bar, Epic Theater Bar and Sake Bar.
| Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | Norwegian Epic |
|---|---|
| •Casino Bar • English Pub • Jakarta Lounge • Pool bar • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Singapore Sling's • Sky Bar • Starquest Nightclub • The Colony Club • Vintages | •Atrium Bar • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Cascades Bar • Epic Theater Bar • Headliners Comedy Club • Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill • Posh Beach Club • Sake Bar • Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar • Skyy Vodka Ice Bar • Spice H2O • Starbucks • The Cavern Club • The Haven Bar • Waves Pool Bar |
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 Epic 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.
Norwegian Epic has more pools than the Brilliance of the Seas and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Epic. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and one of the hot tubs are adults only on Brilliance of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | Norwegian Epic | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 5 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | 2 |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 13 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 | 5 |
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. On the Brilliance of the Seas, 70% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Epic, only 59% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | Norwegian Epic | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (free) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bowling Alley | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ice Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sports Square | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian 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 Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas will likely be cheaper than on Norwegian Epic.
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.
| Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas | Norwegian Epic | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.25 See drink menus | $7.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device |
| *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.
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a More at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at specialty restaurants. If you book using this promotion, you'll be responsible for the gratuities on the dining and drink package. If you won't be using these options, booking a "sail away" rate that doesn't include the More at Sea benefits is considerably cheaper. Also, most of these benefits are the base packages; you can spend more to upgrade to better alcoholic drinks or faster/more wifi.
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