Outstanding Service, Food, and Entertainment on a real Jewel

Item: Jewel of the Seas
Rating: 5
Author: JohnsonL

Jewel of the Seas Cruise Review to Europe - Mediterranean

JohnsonL

Contributor Level: Cruise Director

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 6

Helpful Votes: 294

Overall rating:

5 out of 5

9 Night Greek Isles (Rome Roundtrip)

Sail date: October 09, 2016

Ship: Jewel of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 9582

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 8 years ago

Review summary

Great service from staff from the on-boarding process to the end. Chefs and Main Dining Room management came to our table in the MDR to inquire about the experience and satisfaction. Captain's welcome event in the Safari Room was very special, good music, good communication with passengers, good libation, champagne. We wanted to get a photograph with the Captain, but the line was very long. He is a good successor to the long time RCCL Captain Thor who recently retired. We enjoyed MDR and Windjammer food, but of course the individual preparation of food in Chops and in Giovanni's was well worth the extra fee. Our Giovanni's experience was for the Mystery Dinner theater, and with the wonderful performance and social activity kept up with our very high expectation of this event. We saw management observing and interacting in a helpful way in Windjammer frequently - excellent leadership, not just management from afar - we loved this! We took advantage of the on board movie theater, but it did not have the selections that were available in the Caribbean; not a negative, but we did not catch up on as many new releases as in our previous Jewel of the Seas Cruise. Our room steward Oscar was thorough and once we explained our preferences on embarkation day, he met these with amazing consistency. The Bar staff, Louis, Pedro, and more that we cant remember were friendly, efficient and willing to make each transaction memorable. Finally staff in the Windjammer and MDR; Vincent Verpo, Samvil and Galvin made our meals a reminder of why we enjoy the dining experience on well run cruise ships. The food quality is important, but the service makes the entire experience a lasting good memory.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

We understand that on any large ship the MDR food experience is not going to match a restaurant where food is prepared to order. On this ship in the past, and on this cruise again, the MDR chefs and waitstaff came close. With the quality and variety of food in the Windjammer, we were confronted with 2 excellent choices. We also enjoyed excellent meals and service at Chops and Giovanni's.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5

The shows were good overall, but I would enjoy the Headliner Shows more if they had a theme. Several of the special performances were very good, very well attended, and totally captivating: the R& B Review, the juggler (sorry for not including the show or performer name) were not to be missed. In addition to those, this ship had numerous musical performances at several bars and both music and activities in the Centrum lobby where passengers on 7 or 8 floors could and did enjoy the show.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Service was consistently great from a crew that seemed to really enjoy their jobs and making each passenger feel special. Among too many to name the following were crew that we would take with us on any ship in any fleet: Vincent Verbo: MDR and Windjammer staff Table 221: Samvil, head waiter and assistant Galvin. Solarium Bar: Pedro Room Steward: Oscar Louis at the Schooner Bar

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Jewel of the Seas and RCCL's Radiance Class remind you that it is not size that makes a great cruise, it is service. In addition to that, this ship is well laid out making it easy to go from one place to another. If you want service, relaxation, with plenty of entertainment, and more time being there than getting there, then this is a ship to put very high on your list for the next cruise.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

The cabin was very comfortable and spacious for 2 and with the sleeper sofa could easily accommodate 3. This cabin has a slightly larger balcony since it was where the ship bows out. This additional balcony was more significant for taking pictures from the balcony than for the square footage. The standard balcony was just as comfortable and appropriate for breakfast or just enjoying the view. Our room steward Oscar met us on embarkation day, addressed a couple of things and got our preferences. He checked in with us frequently and kept things as we preferred quickly, without disturbing us, and effectively.

Ship tip

Even though a smaller less frenetic cruise ship, you still need to get to the shows 15 minutes early. For some shows this is to get a better seat, but for some of the shows, just to get in. So when they really hype a show as the 'best', try to be there at least 20 minutes early.

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