Overall, we loved this cruise. as I mentioned earlier, this one was all about the ports for us. I would do it again!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Fast and Easy
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
I am not sure whether the food quality on cruises has changed or we have become more discerning. With each cruise we take we seem to be less impressed with the food. We found the food okay, but generally very bland, overcooked and lacking interesting seasoning. Service though, was excellent.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We tend to not participate in a lot of the on-board activities. We enjoy trivia and did do that and enjoyed ourselves.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The shows were generally good, however, we were fortunate to have Graffiti Classics for two nights and they were the best performance we have seen on any cruise ship. We laughed so hard we had tears running down our faces.
Children's Programs
No kids with us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
As always, the staff were all outstanding and service was excellent.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
jewel is 18 years old and showing it. She was due for a dry dock refurbishing during the pandemic and that is now scheduled for 2023. The crew worked hard to keep the ship clean and attractive. For a smaller ship I enjoy the Radiance class.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Given the very short periods of darkness on this cruise itinerary (only a couple of hours on one night) we were pleased we had opted for an interior cabin. Our stateroom attendant did an outstanding job. again, the age of the ship was apparent with wear and tear of the stateroom. There was a stain on the carpet, the couch was pretty worn and the bathroom showed the wear you would expect of an 18-year-old ship.
Ship tip
This was all about the ports for us, not the ship. If you are looking for an Odyssey of the Seas experience, this is not the cruise and ship for you.
We LOVED Amsterdam. We went in two nights before the cruise and stayed an extra night at the end and enjoyed every minute of it. We visited the Anne Frank and Van agog have Museums, Took a canal cruise, walked many miles, and enjoyed local restaurants and stores.
Iceland was incredibly beautiful. We did a Viator tour the first day of our stop - Lake Myvatn Tour and Godafoss Waterfall. Our guild was very knowledgeable and the time at each stop allowed ample time to enjoy the location. after that we explored the town and enjoyed s famous Icelandic Hotdog. Mine was vegan and if I had no known that, I would never have believed it. I can usually take or more likely leave a hot dog but this was a treat!
The only stop better than Akureyri was Reykjavik. Our Viator tour guide was possibly the best tour guide we have ever had. He was knowledgeable and had one of those voices you could listen to all day. This was the “Golden Circle Tour from Reykjavik Including Gullfoss and Geysir.” Gullfoss is simply breathtaking. Do not go to Iceland and miss this.
We precooked a Black Cab Tour to see the political murals. Our diver/guide Tom was knowledgeable and fun. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Afterwards we explored Belfast on our own, including St. George’s Market which is only open weekends.
We had visited Ireland a couple of years ago but had not gone to Waterford, so this was a treat. We LOVE Ireland. the people are kind, welcoming and very friendly. We took the Waterford Crystal tour which was fascinating and then explored on our own.
We had a short stop here - 10:30 am to 3:30 pm and it was on a bank holiday so many shops and restaurants were either not open or opened late. We took the train from Cobh to Cork and regretted not just staying in Cobh. It is a charming little town and when we hurried back from Cork we saw how lively it was once places were open.
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