Brilliance of the Seas

GTS 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 passing Logan International Airport while departing from Boston, Massachusetts on 26 October 2004
History
Bahamas
Name: Brilliance of the Seas
Owner:
Operator:
Port of registry: Nassau,  Bahamas[3]
Ordered: 9 April 1998
Builder: Meyer Werft, (Papenburg, Germany)[3]
Cost: US $350 million[3]
Yard number: 656
Laid down: 25 June 1998[1]
Launched: 1 December 2001[1]
Christened: July 13, 2002 by Marilyn Ofer in Harwich, England
Acquired: 5 July 2002[1]
Maiden voyage: 19 July 2002[4]
In service: 2002-present
Identification:
Status: Service suspended
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: Radiance-class cruise ship
Tonnage:
Length: 292 m (958 ft 0 in)
Beam: 39.8 m (130 ft 7 in)[1]
Draft: 8.5 m (27 ft 11 in)[1]
Depth: 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)
Decks: 12 decks[3]
Installed power: Two General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines (20.5 MW each)[3][5]
Propulsion:
Speed: 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)[3]
Capacity: 2,501 passengers
Crew: 859

Areas of operation

Brilliance of the Seas undertakes Western Caribbean cruises out of Tampa, Florida during the winter season and cruises in European waters during the summer and fall season.

Incidents

Heeling incident

On December 11, 2010, Brilliance of the Seas left Rhodes, Greece on a 6-port cruise to Alexandria, Egypt, and other stops around the eastern Mediterranean and experienced very high seas and 80 mph wind gusts. At around 2:15 AM, it is reported that in a cluster of ships rushing to enter the port of Alexandria, a freighter turned in front of the Brilliance of the Seas, forcing the ship's captain, Erik Tengelsen, to slow below the 9 knots necessary to maintain her stabilizers' function. Brilliance of the Seas started to heel 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 Erik 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 (52 mph) with gusts of 50–60 knots (58–69 mph). It is for that reason that many passengers felt the Captain and Royal Caribbean were partly responsible for the horrifying heeling incident that passengers were subjected to, since they knew well in advance what the potential for trouble was. 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.[6][7] 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.[8]

Disappearance of George Allen Smith
Main article: Disappearance of George 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. "Brilliance of the Seas (21563)". DNV GL Vessel Register. Det Norske Veritas. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  2. ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD. "Form 8-K 2014-12-12". EDGAR. United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  3. Ward, Douglas (2005). Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. Singapore: Berlitz. ISBN 978-981-246-510-8.
  4. Brilliance Of The Seas Facts
  5. "Brilliance of the Seas Fast Facts sheet" (PDF). Royal Caribbean International. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  6. "www.fairplay.co.uk - Cruise injury count rockets". 2010-12-18. Retrieved 2010-12-18.
  7. "Passengers on nightmare cruise get full refund". msnbc.com.
  8. Marion Scott (30 January 2011). "Taxi driver sues Royal Caribbean cruise line over his wife's death". dailyrecord.
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