We're glad we did the eastbound sailing. This kept the cruise's highlight moment something to be anticipated for the majority of the cruise.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
The San Diego terminal is small. There was a backup due to not enough baggage screening machines. One more would have helped a lot. Otherwise, the process went smoothly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food in the Main Dining Room was average, at best, and the menu options seemed limited. We almost never eat in the Windjammer. We did so at least 25% of the time on Jewel. We found the food there to be excellent, both in the variety offered and the quality.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The Solarium spa was almost always luke warm. It was significantly cooler than the Pool Deck spas. Despite being alerted to the problem the pool attendants did not correct what appeared to be a problem.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The talent was varied and very good.
Children's Programs
We didn't travel with children.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our cabin steward and assistant waiter were the best we've ever had. Our waiter, while nice, seemed to become the invisible man after he took our meal order.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship seems to be a bit dated. The design is what it it. We often saw items on the decks that needed to be picked up but were apparently unnoticed by the crew.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
This cabin is huge and a great value for the dollar spent. It is at the front of the ship, overlooking the helipad. We were not bothered by the motion of the ocean. However, BEWARE! There is what sounded like a crew work room located directly below. All was quiet at night but during the day banging, scraping, drilling, and dragging noises could be heard. It was enough to be noticed and distracting. If you want a more quiet experience book another cabin. If you want suite-like room for an ocean view price, this is the ticket.
WE bought the Panama Canal "engineering" experience. For $172 one gets to ride in a smaller boat through the Miraflores Locks and the Pedro and Miguel Lock. A very good lunch was included. However, it was little more than what we did the day before on Jewel, albeit with a much better view. The on-board narrator presented the same information as the narrator on Jewel did the day prior.
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