We flew to London on Monday and stayed at the Westminster Hilton Doubletree Hotel, which included a bus ride to the port in Harwich on Friday morning. The hotel was reasonably priced, and in an excellent location. The "hop on hop off" bus was only two blocks away, and Parliament, and Buckingham Palace within reasonable walking distance. We even found a launderette a few blocks away to do some laundry before our 16-day cruise.
The bus ride brought us to the dock around noon, and even with a large bus groups arriving at that time we were on the ship in 45 minutes. After lunch at the Windjammer our cabins were ready. This was our second trip on the Jewel of the Seas, and we were very happy to be back on this beautiful ship. We saw many familiar faces in the crew, including Murat who was our waiter again, along with Nazareth assistant waiter. My husband and I cannot say enough great things about them. Rosa, Guest Services Manager, is a warm presence all around the ship, always helpful and pleasant. The whole crew on this ship is outstanding, and unfailingly pleasant at all times.
Our Cabin
This balcony cabin is well located on deck nine. There are no cabins across the hall, it is quiet with cabins above and below. It does not have a sofa bed, but this also means that is is much more comfortable to sit on. Perfect for stretching out and reading on long sea days. There is a pullman bed above the couch, so the cabin sleeps three.