Only minor issues, so cannot give a 5 star

Just returned today from our first trip using Royal Caribbean, ship was Jewel of the Seas. Ports were St Thomas, St Criox, Antigua, St Lucia, Grenada. All but St Criox and St Lucia had very aggressive people that live there who sell their products in a VERY aggressive manner. Just keep walking and say "no". If you stop to engage in conversation at all, they are relentless, but that is to be expected.

Regarding the ship, it was pretty good. I tried to be honest for our personal experience.

The good: Stewards were attentive, ship was clean, shows were great, slots were tight (aren't they always tho on a ship lol), buffet food was good, evening events were entertaining, cruise director was fun, salon facial and massage were wonderful, lots of excursions to choose from, multiple pools to choose from, decor was current, staff was very helpful and friendly.

The not so good:  Pillows were mega flat, but the main thing was the bed. We both had issues with the bed, so did the other couple traveling with us. I'm not particularly someone who has issues with a firm bed, but Holy Cow....this mattress was so hard I could not sleep more than two hours at a time.  We all woke up sore, sore, sore. To adapt we would stay up until we were exhausted, then take a Tylenol  or something. I wish they would invest in a better mattress.....or topper at least. That alone would make me rethink this line, even though everything else was good. That said, maybe it was just our floor, 9th, who knows. Try other reviews.

The only other thing, the buffet dinner gets a little old after a few days, menu doesn't vary a ton. Get the "on time" dining, it's well worth it. We ended up eating there and the food was superb!! Bravo on that.

Free beverages only includes water and sugar free flavored waters, coffee, tea etc. We were suprised you had to pay for soft drinks, that's a first for us on a cruise line. I can understand charging for alcohol, so just purchase a case of sodas at the port stores, it's alot cheaper. You can get  case for $5.00.

Singers and dancers in the evening were great! Cruise director is hilarious, porters were really friendly and helpful on our floor.

All in all, would have given a perfect score if the beds and pillows were better, and soft drinks were provided. How easy is that to fix?    If you can't get a good night sleep on a cruise...it's no fun. That will probably make me check out other lines for the next cruise this year. However, if you are into SUPER firm mattresses, you'll love this line. 

These are my honest opinions....just mine.