Relaxing Southern Carribean Cruise

Jewel of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern

Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 69

Overall rating:

4.5 out of 5
Verified Review
Jewel of the Seas

7 Night Southern Caribbean (San Juan Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 11, 2018

Ship: Jewel of the Seas

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 3630

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

This cruise was the perfect way to relax over the course of a week. The staff made it very clear they were there to make our stay enjoyable and we did not encounter many issues at all. The 7 day durations is long enough to really get into a relaxed state of mind without being away from reality for too long. Many of the ports still had clear hurricane damage (bright blue FEMA roofs, etc) but the locals were very happy to have tourists around as that is the main source of income for some of the ports. Highly recommend!

Embarkation

4 out of 5
San Juan pier was a bit chaotic and didnt have a bathroom available until you had made your way through all the lines, but the process went smooth ehough.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
Overall kind of disappointed with the food. There were times when I could walk the entire Windjammer buffet and have nothing jump out at me as looking delicious and other times when the food in the dining room was bad enough I wouldn't go for a second bite (Lobster Bisque in particular was gross!). Our server Didi was wonderful though! A true highlight of the trip!

Pool Bar

5 out of 5

Very friendly staff who offered to blend up a custom surprise drink for me based on my drink preferences.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
Hard to find an open lawn chair on the at sea day (they weren't really enforcing the 'no chair reserving' policy) but otherwise pleased with the ship.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
Really enjoyed the illusionist!

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Great service from all the staff (waiters, bartenders, housekeeping, security)!

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Took a while to learn to navigate the ship, but it was well laid out and nicely maintained. Only downsides were when people would occasionally spill/abandon drinks or food on the carpets or in the elevators.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
Closet space was partly obstructed by a structural beam, not sure if this is the case in all rooms of this type.

Ship tip

Please pack formal attire. The people who dress casually on formal nights ruin the atmosphere for everyone else!

Ports of call

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

5 out of 5
We did a great kayaking excursion in the mangroves that was well orchestrated and eco-friendly!

Basseterre, St. Kitts

5 out of 5
Lots of great shopping opportunities! Check out the local vendors!

St. John's, Antigua

5 out of 5
Lots of great shopping opportunities! Check out the local vendors!

Castries, St. Lucia

5 out of 5
Did a Spanish Galleon excursion that was a great way to see the coastline!

Bridgetown, Barbados

4 out of 5
Alright shopping. Did not feel very safe walking to the local beach.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Took longer than the estimated time for us to disembark but otherwise everything ran smoothly
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