Embarkation was super-fast (less than 15 minutes).

For a ten year old ship, I thought the Jewel was in excellent condition! She was very clean and the crew were constantly housekeeping and maintaining the common spaces. All of the elevators worked and the pools were invitingly clean. The gym was really nice with a large number of treadmills and an excellent selection of weight machines with no wait required.

Of special note was the Captain (his name escapes me), he ran a tight ship and during the muster drill made the announcement that “underage drinking would not be tolerated and that parents were responsible for their children”, it was the first time I have heard a Captain say that, and it was beautiful! Even better, it worked. Read more