First Cruise...Outstanding!!!

Jewel of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Reviews: 0
Helpful Votes: 33

Overall rating:

5 out of 5
Verified Review
Jewel of the Seas

13 Night Special Caribbean (Boston To Ft. Lauderdale)

Sail date: October 30, 2010

Ship: Jewel of the Seas

Cabin type: Inside

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 13 years ago

Review summary

This was my first cruise and I was sailing solo. However, for several months before the cruise, I became involved in a fantastic blog of fellow Jewel cruisers who not only walked me through the whole daunting process of the first cruise planning, but actually graciously invited me into their ship-board group which added immensely to my enjoyment. The entertainment onboard the Jewel was absolutely unbelievable. Everything from full musical productions to Vegas-quality standup comics. The quality of the entertainers was first-rate. Additionally, there were other fantastic entertainers all day throughout the ship. The nightly trio in the central portion of the ship every night just blew me away. The service by everyone from the Captain to my cabin steward was beyond my expectations....5A all the way. They were not only always helpful, they were very knowledgeable and if they weren't sure, they found out for you. The Compass (the ship's daily news) with all of the next day's activities was also great. It really laid out the next days onboard goings-on very well; even down to what the special drink of the day was going to be. Speaking of drinks, they too were a pleasant surprise. Even though I don't drink much, I was concerned that since they had a captured audience, the drinks would be expensive and weak. No on both counts. The bartender (our favorite was the Champagne Bar) was outstanding both in the way he made the drinks, but in the manner in which he greeted us every night (he remembered all of our names after the first night). The prices were about what you'd pay in a regular club on shore. I think that the only negative that I had with the drinks is the mandatory 15% gratuity that they put on every drink. We all tipped our bartender above and beyond the gratuity because of his excellent service, but, at least with our group, he would have gotten the 15% ++ anyway. The food was good, not outstanding, but it's understandable that with preparing for that many people, quality will suffer a bit. The wait staff, on the other hand, was truly fantastic; efficient, personable, professional and extremely entertaining and about as friendly as you'd find anywhere. All in all, this first trip was OUTSTANDING and I have already signed up for the same trip on the same ship for next year.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
The food was good and plentiful and the variety was outstanding. The My Time Dining was the best. As noted above, the wait staff was beyond great!

Entertainment

5 out of 5
As noted above, absolutely fantastic!

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
For this category, there should be 10 smily faces. For the most part, they were all outstanding. I think that the only group that needs to have a little sensitivity seminar is the security staff. Given their responsibilities, they can't be as "up" as the rest of the staff, but they need to take the edge off just a wee bit.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
This being my 1st cruise, thus not having any other ship to compare, I found the Jewel of the Seas absolutely fantastic in every way!! However, the fellow cruisers in my group did have many cruises under their collective belts and noted that the Jewel is probably one of the best if not THE best ship on which they've sailed.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Again, this being my first cruise and sailing solo, I opted for and inside cabin to keep the cost down. The cabin was great; clean, well appointed, comfortable bed, semi-spacious (enough for a solo) bathroom and plenty of closet space. The cabin steward was outstanding.

Pros: Everything about the Jewel of the Seas

Cons: None

Recommends Jewel of the Seas? Yes!

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