We left from Tampa right on time after boarding with almost no wait time at 11-ish. Looked around a bit since this was our first time on Jewel of the Seas, then went to the buffet. Food was very good and quite a variety to pick from. Everything was very clean and service was great.

After our meal we grabbed a drink and headed to the Solarium. This was quite nice and very similar to the Solarium on Serenade of the Seas, although Serenade is just a bit nicer and seemingly newer than the one on Jewel. Our room was ready by 1pm and our bags were waiting outside our room. This was very nice since we have had times where we waiting a bit for our luggage to arrive. We had a balcony room and it was very clean and roomy. We had originally booked an inside cabin months earlier and as the final date approached I found balcony cabins drastically reduced in price. I ended up changing my room for only $60. Although it was partially obstructed (you could not see directly below into the water), you could still see straight out to the ocean and was well worth the little bit more we paid. Bernadette was our cabin attendant and she has our room done every time we returned. She did an excellent job and I loved her smile and kindness.

We ate every dinner in the main dining room. I love not having to cook, clean, and also love being waited on instead of getting the food myself. We were informed that there was a new menu for this ship and I must say, the food was excellent! Our waiter was Jon Jon and our assistant waiter was Yuliani. They were so quick with everything that I must say this was the quickest service we have ever gotten on any cruise ship. I have never had bad service on any Royal Caribbean ship, but it just seems to get beter with every cruise. The food on this new menu did not disappoint.......it was unbelievable. We loved everything and had a hard time choosing what to eat because we wanted it all. Jon Jon and Yuliani were very sweet and we loved talking with them. Lunch buffet was very good especially the veggie lasagna, nachos, and fried chicken. Everything was delicious. Read more