Jewel of the Seas Review

3.5 / 5.0
1,646 reviews

Worst Cruise Experience

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Jewel of the Seas
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mcbilly
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Dec 2007
Traveled with children

We recently traveled with Royal Caribbean on their Western Caribbean Cruise. We have traveled with R.C before, but they have made a number of changes and because of this we will no longer cruise with them. First and foremost, the company must have had some type of problem with teenagers. They have recently implemented a rule that forbids kids who are less than age 18 to be out of their rooms after 1. While I don't have a problem with the rule, I do have a problem with its implementation. My 19 year old daughter was literally harassed every night by R.C. security. They would literally ask for her armband (one hole punch means ages 18-21) every fifteen minutes. She and several other kids were sitting up at the pool area talking quietly. They didn't want to hang out at the disco bar as the older passengers kept hitting on them. The same two guards would ask them for proof of age repeatedly until they finally gave up and returned to their stateroom. One evening the guards plunked themselves down in chairs and literally stared at the girls. My son, who is seventeen decided he wanted to refill his cola glass. R.C. issues an all you can drink cup for an outrageous fee. The cup must be refilled at the bar. When my son went to the bar to request a cola the on board security guard literally followed him from the bar to the room even though it was well before curfew. I tried to speak to Royal Caribbean Customer Relations about our experiences, but they gave me excuses and platitudes. I honestly recommend that families with teenage kids find another cruiseline on which to travel. R.C offers excellent rooms. They are good sized and they are kept relatively clean. The bathrooms are good sized too and offer lots of storage. I don't particularly like RC cruises. I think they cost way more than they should and are often mediocre experiences. Last but not least, R.C. has changed its food service by cheapening up on the foods offered at the Wind Jammer (lunch and breakfast buffet). We used to look forward to lunches but on this cruise the lunches were terrible. The food selection was poor and the taste was disappointing at best. We ended up eating hamburgers every day because we couldn't find anything palatable. We have cruised Royal Caribbean four other times. They have never been a particularly teen friendly boat, but their treatment in the past was tolerable. After this last cruise, we have sworn off Royal Caribbean. I would warn anyone who is planning on taking a honeymoon- make sure you are at least twenty one years of age or you will be very unhappy.

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