Brilliance of the Seas docked in Argostoli, Kefalonia
History
Bahamas
NameBrilliance of the Seas
OwnerRoyal Caribbean Group
Operator Royal Caribbean International
Port of registryNassau,  Bahamas[1]
Ordered9 April 1998
BuilderMeyer Werft, (Papenburg, Germany)[1]
CostUS $350 million[1]
Yard number656
Laid down25 June 1998[2]
Launched1 December 2001[2]
Christened13 July 2002 by Marilyn Ofer in Harwich, England
Acquired5 July 2002[2]
Maiden voyage19 July 2002[3]
In service2002–present
Identification
StatusCruising
General characteristics [2]
Class and typeRadiance-class cruise ship
Tonnage
Length292 m (958 ft 0 in)
Beam39.8 m (130 ft 7 in)[2]
Draft8.5 m (27 ft 11 in)[2]
Depth11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)
Decks12 decks[1]
Installed powerTwo General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines (20.5 MW each)[1][4]
Propulsion
Speed25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)[1]
Capacity
  • 2,140 passengers (double occupancy)
  • 2,543 passengers (maximum)
Crew848

Brilliance of the Seas is a cruise ship belonging to the Royal Caribbean's Radiance class. Brilliance of the Seas is operated by RCL UK Ltd., a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Brilliance of the Seas has a maximum capacity of 2,543 passengers and carries 848 crew.[5]

Areas of operation

Brilliance of the Seas undertakes Western Caribbean cruises out of Tampa, Florida during the winter season and cruises Vancouver to Alaska in the summer. Now it also offers cruises to the Bahamas and to the Caribbean.[6]

Incidents

Heeling incident

On December 11, 2010, Brilliance of the Seas left Rhodes, Greece on a cruise around the eastern Mediterranean, and experienced very high seas and 80 mph (130 km/h) wind gusts. At around 2:15 AM, it was reported that in a cluster of ships rushing to enter the port of Alexandria, a freighter turned in front of Brilliance of the Seas, forcing the ship's captain, Erik Tengelsen, to slow below the 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) necessary to maintain her stabilisers' function. The ship started to heel to port and starboard violently. Passengers reported that they were thrown out of beds; furniture and unsecured objects tossed and slid about their staterooms. Two grand pianos broke free and were demolished during the incident. Windows and mirrors were smashed, and the spa basins were damaged. A reported 138 passengers needed medical treatment for their injuries, the most serious of which were two guests that sustained broken bones. The heeling incident lasted several minutes, after which the captain acknowledged that it had been a "horrifying experience." Captain Tengelsen reported to news outlets that he was taken by surprise at the force of the storm when, he said, weather reports leaving Rhodes only forecast winds at 45 knots (83 km/h; 52 mph) with gusts of 50–60 knots (93–111 km/h; 58–69 mph). The next morning, Royal Caribbean International announced through its crew that a $200 per-stateroom refund would be given. Following a brief, but vocal outrage by passengers, Royal announced that on top of the $200, passengers could also expect a full refund of each passenger's stateroom fare.[7][8] A lawsuit brought by the husband of Barbara Davey, a Scottish woman who fell into a coma three days afterwards and later died, claimed that her death had been caused by head injuries sustained during the incident.[9]

Disappearance of George Allen Smith

George Allen Smith disappeared on July 5, 2005 when the Brilliance of the Seas was between Greece and Turkey. He was a passenger on his honeymoon. Blood was found inside and outside his room. His family accuses Royal Caribbean of failing to adequately handle the case. The case led to an FBI investigation and a congressional inquiry in the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ward, Douglas (2005). Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. Singapore: Berlitz. ISBN 978-981-246-510-8.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Brilliance of the Seas (21563)". DNV Vessel Register. DNV. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  3. ↑ Brilliance Of The Seas Facts
  4. 1 2 "Brilliance of the Seas Fast Facts sheet" (PDF). Royal Caribbean International. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  5. ↑ "How big are Royal Caribbean cruise ships?". Royal Caribbean. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  6. ↑ "Brilliance of the Seas | Cruise Ships | Royal Caribbean Cruises". Brilliance of the Seas. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  7. ↑ "Cruise injury count rockets". fairplay.co.uk. 2010-12-18. Archived from the original on 2012-07-30. Retrieved 2010-12-18.
  8. ↑ "Passengers on nightmare cruise get full refund". msnbc.com.
  9. ↑ Scott, Marion (30 January 2011). "Taxi driver sues Royal Caribbean cruise line over his wife's death". dailyrecord.
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