So we decided to try cruising again and chose the Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas because the dates, embarkation port and the ports of call matched what we wanted to do. But we had no idea we were sailing with the "No You Can't" cruise line....

Jewel of the Seas is a beautiful ship with lots of light, space and lovely areas to relax. The crew was uniformly wonderful - attentive, polite and professional. But the RCI rules were frustrating and insulting. First, my husband about blew a gasket when he found I had booked us on a ship that would not allow him to take his favorite single-malt scotch on board. He isn't much of a drinker, but relaxing at the end of the evening with a really good Islay scotch is his thing - and there was no such thing aboard this ship. Their best $15 a shot whisky is a very middle of the road drink that just annoyed him more than anything else. I had traipsed across Boston to buy a rare special whisky for him, just in case it would be let through by a sympathetic screener, but no such luck. We had to go to the "naughty room" to have it confiscated for the duration of the cruise. If they are going to be so stringent, they should at least offer something worthwhile to drink on board!

Secondly, we purchased the top of the line wine package, but could only get a bottle of wine from room service or in a dining room. No relaxing with a bottle in a lounge chair unless you want to wait for room service, then carry a bottle and glasses through a pitching ship. Generally, we confined our wine consumption to dinner, but it still would have been nice to have the option. Read more