Why I will probably not cruise Royal Caribbean again.
Jewel of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern
Southern Caribbean Holiday
Sail date: June 14, 2014
Ship: Jewel of the Seas
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: 3612
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 10 years ago
Review summary
(1) We reserved our hotel near the "normal" cruise ship docks, but RC docked on the other side of the city, costing us excessive taxi fares. (2) There were virtually no water fountains on the ship. There was one in the fitness center, but after the first day, it carried an inop sign. When we purchased bottles of water to quench our thirst, they charged an additional gratuity fee in addition to the one we paid in our original contract. (3) In the daily bulletin, they stated that no shorts, tank tops, etc. could be worn at the evening meal in the Windjammer, (the buffet). Fortunately most passengers ignored this. (4) The ballroom dancing was very inadequate or undesireable. They had two good bands, but always relegated them to the Centrum which had very inadequate seating as well as being a heavily trafficked area of the ship, which made dancing almost impossible because of auxillary traffic through that area. They had several night club type venues that would have been very good for this, but they had less important functions going on in these or they were idle. (5) Some of the fitness machines needed some maintenance. (6) The meeting with the captain and other officers of the ship was excellent, except for the cruise director. When registering our complaints with her, she just responded with, "I'm sorry". (7) Some of the auditorium performances were good, others were not. Also the timing of the stage performances seemed to be such that we had to miss other functions or dinner. (8) Our room attendant was very good, but we have never had a bad room attendant on any of our other cruises. We normally cruise on Norwegian.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
There was a nice circular bar near the pool, that served only drinks. On Norwegian, that same venue was a "standup or takeaway eatery". On a particular evening what they were serving in one of the cover charge restaurants was the same as in the buffet. I'll take the buffett any day!
Ports of call
2 Comments
glomarrone 10 years ago
When I take a cruise I always carry a reusable water bottle with me - one with a wide mouth or screw off top so that I can fill it with ice cubes from the buffet or from my stateroom's ice bucket. Sorry to read that so many things went wrong with your cruise. I hope that your next one goes smoother. It may help to read reviews from past passengers before you book a cruise. Their experiences may alert you about what to expect if you decide to book.
scoobie 10 years ago