My husband and I took my mother on the Jewel on October 14th to celebrate her birthday. We had TS-8668, which is a two bedroom, two bath suite with balcony. We had plenty of space and the suite features are great. One bedroom has a TV (flat screen) and ensuite bathroom with tub, no window or porthole. The other bedroom also has no window or porthole, but it has no TV or ensuite bathroom. The second bathroom has a shower and opens into the living area. The living area has a couch, dining table, chair, and flat screen TV. The balcony furniture is nice. We are not sure 8 people would be comfortable in this suite, but maybe if you had young children it would work.

My mother and I had been on the Jewel for a similar itinerary in 2006, and we were amazed how beautiful the ship still is. The wood trim everywhere makes the ship look so unique. The staff is still very friendly and the food is great. Having been on a Princess cruise in September, we were amazed how much better the food was on the Jewel.

We ate at Chops one night and it was wonderful. We also went to the Mystery Dinner Theater (Ba Da Bing, Ba Da Boom) and had a great time. You start out at the Safari Club with champagne and appetizers. They began the skit there and the actors were hilarious. After the murder (which we didn't see, just heard the guns), we were moved by table numbers to Portofino's and had a terrific meal with wine. The cast would continue with the play as the dinner progressed. They even came around to the tables and we could ask them questions. We voted for the most likely suspect and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. We will do this again. Read more