I took my 30-year old and 15-year old daughters on the Jewel of the Seas for a 6-night Western Caribbean cruise. I had cruised once before on the Voyager, but this was my daughters' first time.

Pre Night Stay - Coming from Omaha NE, I didn't want any winter weather delays to ruin our trip so we came into Ft. Lauderdale a day early and stayed at the Comfort Inn Airport. We waited about an hour for the free shuttle and I called once to ensure they were still on their way. Their hotel lobby was always packed and not big enough to accommodate all the cruisers and their luggage. The beds were comfortable, but the room was not very clean. The location was nice as several restaurants and an outdoor mall are within a couple blocks. I would not stay at this hotel again, however, mostly because the staff could really care less about anything, including being friendly  we found that attitude prevalent in all the surrounding shops and restaurants we went into in the area. The free breakfast was nice, but again, the area in which it was served failed to meet the needs of all the guests.

Boarding was extremely easy. From the minute you get to the port, everyone is friendly, accommodating and patient. I had read other reviews that indicated they boarded earlier than the stated boarding time, so I called RC to see if that was correct; however, they gave me the same boarding time as was printed on our itinerary. I think they do this because your room is not guaranteed to be ready if you board before the stated time. Our time was 2:00 but we boarded at 12:30 and some had said they were on as early as 11:00. Going early not only helps avoid the crowd, but it gives you that much more time on the ship! Read more