1st Family Cruise

Jewel of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 48

Overall rating:

4 out of 5
Verified Review
Jewel of the Seas

Southern Caribbean Holiday

Sail date: March 13, 2016

Ship: Jewel of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 7582

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 8 years ago

Review summary

For a ship that is only a couple of weeks from being refurbished, it was in surprisingly good condition. The service was good as always. The general food was good, but has continuously gone downhill over the years. Specialty restaurants are still very good/excellent. This was my 14th cruise since 4/2005 so I know what I'm talking about. Royal C also appears to be cutting corners and nickel & diming folks to cut costs. Many little things but it's noticeable. For example, the Bingo jackpots on the last day were a joke. Hardly progressive at all. Not providing your Crown & Anchor balcony stateroom members with an inexpensive beach tote like they used to. I booked three balcony cabins and they didn't even recognize my birthday on their own like they used to. I travel the same time each year. The drink service on the pool decks wasn't as pronounced as it used to be. 

Even with all this, still a nice cruise and the family had a good time. Royal C really has it's overworked service staff and their friendliness to thank for this. I still recommend the cruise line. 

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
Additional $ restaurants such as Chops and Portofino provide a high quality meal than in main dining. Overall, decent enough

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Never a problem with service or staff. Cruise lines in general should compensate them better.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5
Cabin felt a little cramped and it had a balcony. Also, should have had a flat screen tv given that we're in 2016.

Ports of call

San Juan, Puerto Rico

5 out of 5

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

5 out of 5

Basseterre, St. Kitts

5 out of 5

Oranjestad, Aruba

5 out of 5

Willemstad, Curacao

5 out of 5
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1 Comment

cindy1336    8 years ago

I was on the same cruise. I agree I thought the ship was still in good shape. The food was not always the best sometimes it was dry and seemed overcooked or old. They charge $2/bag of popcorn for the cinema... That is absurd...are they that hard up for money to charge for popcorn?? The staff on the ship was absolutely amazing!! They went above and beyond... They were some of the kindest people from around the world who truly work extra hard for every dollar they make! I too had a balcony stateroom, I'm a crown and anchor member and it was my mother's 65th birthday and we did not receive a single thing from RCCL as well. We still had an amazing time and booked a future cruise with RCCL while on board. I would also recommend this cruise line and the itinerary had great port stops.... Speaking of stops we even rescued two men from a small boat who had been drifting in the middle of the sea for 10 days!!!

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