Jewel of the Seas Review

3.5 / 5.0
1,642 reviews

First time on Royal Caribbean

Review for the Baltic Sea Cruise on Jewel of the Seas
User Avatar
Jeff Cruise
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

Rating by category

Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: Jun 2012
Cabin: Interior Stateroom

First time on RCI after hearing many good things about them from previous passengers. As my lady and I were previous Celebrity Platinum members our status transferred over to this cruise. A nice plus, except it didn't really translate into many benefits. Our complimentary Internet time amounted to about 15 minutes each (just enough to log in and read a couple of emails on the slower than dirt Internet connection), as opposed to the 250 min each we are used to as Platinum Princess members. We also got a couple of free pulls on a slot machine and a couple of match play coupons for the roulette wheel. That's about it for the freebies.

Stuff that we had taken for granted on other cruise lines we enjoy, such as Celebrity, Carnival and Princess, were not visible on this cruise. Talk about cutting corners...no lobster night and no baked Alaska, buffet closed at 9pm instead of midnight, no International cafe that stays open till the wee hours...only a piss poor hotdog and sandwich place. Also, no chocolates on the pillows at night, no complimentary shampoos, conditioners, creams, etc.

The Windjammer was always mobbed at breakfast and lunch, and tables were hard to come by, especially since we were cruising the North Sea and it was too cold outside to have a meal. Still, I found the buffet food decent enough and comparable to the other major lines. I did like the fact that the sugar free drinks were pre-poured and that the coffee was Seattle's Best instead of syrup. A big plus for us! The desserts, especially the sugar free ones, were enjoyable and I liked the layout of the buffet area. Just hated the hours and lack of available seats. One good idea they had was a single diner's seating area at several barside tables, although in most cases the persons sitting there are leaning directly over a table for two or four.

Cabin Review

Interior Stateroom

previous reviewnext review

Find a Jewel of the Seas Cruise from $260

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.