Jewel of the Seas Review
Great time in the Southern Caribbean (even with a late start)
Rating by category
Additional details
This was our 10th trip on RC, 3rd on Jewel. Our trip had two unique aspects. First, we arrived a day late due to an aircraft mechanical issue. Second, we traveled with a three year old child. To start, our flight out was delayed to the extent that the connection to San Juan couldn't happen. The airline booked us through to St. Martin for the next day. We arrived at the ship with bags in tow in the middle of the afternoon. Security brought us under the shade of a tent while Guest Services could be summoned. We were escorted on board for paperwork and safety briefing. Our bags went straight to the room. The week proceeded seamlessly from there other than a minor credit card account glitch. I was surprised how smooth it went.
To address the numerous other posts about the appearance of the ship, we too noted some aging. Overall though, it is clean and well-polished. We know what she looked like ten years ago as well as what she will look like after the impending overhaul having sailed on Radiance after a similar upgrade. We were happy with her today and will be thrilled to see her in the future.
Our stateroom attendant, Ronnie, was great. He assisted with our unique sleeping arrangements to support our child. We used an inflatable travel bed sitting on the pullout sofa (more of a love seat). He worked around that, including making it up just as nicely as the main bed.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
The room met our expectations of a balcony cabin. There will never be enough space, but experienced cruisers know how to make it work. It was conveniently close to the elevators. A couple nights though, you could hear loud music from the Centrum. If you like quiet, it would be better to move a little further down the hall. We had a child with us, but he was too small to use the overhead bed. The pull out bed did not seem to be comfortable. Only a small person could use it. We anticipated this and brought and inflatable travel bed. With a little creativity, it worked great.