Jewel of the Seas - Southern Caribbean
Jewel of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern
Southern Caribbean Holiday
Sail date: March 28, 2015
Ship: Jewel of the Seas
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 7532
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 9 years ago
Review summary
Excellent itinerary- we really liked the idea of visiting different ports nearly every day. The food and service was excellent in the Tides Dining Room. We used "My Time" dining and really liked the flexibility, but would have enjoyed sitting with other people at a table as we did at breakfast. We ate in the Wind Jammer Cafe for lunch most days and once for breakfast. Nice to have the buffet, however some of the food looks like it has been sitting around too long there. We didn't feel the need to pay extra for specialty restaurants with excellent food and service in the Tides Dining Room.
Shows on board were mixed, some shows such as the Broadway style shows weren't great, but the other nights were much better. It seems there should be more activities in the evenings before and after shows. The Casino had a "dead atmosphere". We spent no time there as it was smoky and it never seemed to have anyone playing at the tables when we went in.
We enjoyed shore excursions on St Kitts - guided ATV tour, and on Dominica - kayaking down a river to the ocean. Both were great, and very well run tours. We went to the beautiful beaches and shopped in the local shops on the other islands.
Our day at sea was very relaxing, but it is frustrating trying to find deck chairs near the pool when everyone is on board. Too many people saving chairs, makes it difficult to sit where you want.
Overall a great vacation, I would definitely recommend getting to San Juan the day before, as our flights were delayed causing us to barely make it to the ship before it sailed. It all worked out for us, but some other travelers were not as fortunate and had to catch the ship the next day at St Thomas.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
If you're sailing from San Juan, get there a day early. We booked flights to arrive mid-afternoon, but ended up getting there just before it sailed due to flight delays. We missed the first day- in port on the ship because of this.