Kudos to the Jewel - Disembarking was a breeze!

[vickiw0318]

I've just returned from a five day Canada/New England cruise on the Jewel. Since there was no way to put this on a comment card, I just wanted to post to say how much we enjoyed the organized departure process we experienced yesterday. I always knew it could be done and now I've experienced it. We went to our assigned departure lounge and it was only a few minutes past our assigned time when the young man in charge of those waiting in the Coral Theater announced that there was a problem with getting the luggage off and that we'd be a few minutes late. He kept welcoming people and relaying the same message as newbies trickled in. After just a 10-15 minute delay, our color was called and we we lead through the casino, done one flight of stairs and then directed around and down the flight of stairs in the Centrum from Deck 5 to Deck 4. There was actually a line and actually staff members helping to create it and keep it moving. It was great!

 

Thank you employees of the Jewel!

 

P.S. The young man in the theater had a great personality and kept us laughing with his trivia questions.

[maggieq]

Hi Vicki,

 

We cruised on the Indy the same time this year.

 

We were thinking very seriously about the Jewel Canadian cruise...

 

Please share your thoughts of itin./ship/service/entertainment.

 

thanks.

[negc]

I've just returned from a five day Canada/New England cruise on the Jewel. Since there was no way to put this on a comment card, I just wanted to post to say how much we enjoyed the organized departure process we experienced yesterday. I always knew it could be done and now I've experienced it. We went to our assigned departure lounge and it was only a few minutes past our assigned time when the young man in charge of those waiting in the Coral Theater announced that there was a problem with getting the luggage off and that we'd be a few minutes late. He kept welcoming people and relaying the same message as newbies trickled in. After just a 10-15 minute delay, our color was called and we we lead through the casino, done one flight of stairs and then directed around and down the flight of stairs in the Centrum from Deck 5 to Deck 4. There was actually a line and actually staff members helping to create it and keep it moving. It was great!

 

Thank you employees of the Jewel!

 

P.S. The young man in the theater had a great personality and kept us laughing with his trivia questions.

 

RCI also had a great disembarkation plan for those of us who were on the cruise prior to yours (the 2009 westbound TA). Unfortunately the customs authorities failure to send an appropriate number of officers to process the 2400 passengers delayed things considerably. This was a situation totally beyond the control of Royal Caribbean and I am pleased to hear that this week everything went as it was supposed to. Normally boarding and disembarking at Black Falcon terminal are a breeze.:)

[rucruisn2]

You are so lucky. We disembarked in Miami yesterday and it was awful. Rain delayed the off-loading of luggage, everything backed up. The dock workers in Miami won't work in the rain. Go figure.

[tocanada]

I love the word "Kudos" so I feel obligated to do a posting.

I was also on this cruise and it was just fantastic. This was my 4th time on Jewel and it is my favourite class of ship.

Hotel Director Robert Taggart is terrific (well, he is Canadian!) and all the employees are friendly and helpful.

The US immigration officers were a little late boarding the ship and it delayed our departure a bit. I did the Express Departure (carrying my own luggage) and it worked very well.

MAGGIEQ - I would highly recommend doing this cruise. We visited Portland (easy to just walk around by yourself - I visited Victoria House, went to the Art Gallery, climbed the Observatory, walked along the path through the park), Bar Harbour (went sea kayaking which was fun), Halifax (had booked a cycling excursion but it was cancelled so walked along the boardwalk to the Casino and then up to the Citadel). Ship is in great shape and service and food was excellent. We had two production shows (Tango Buenos Aires and West End to Broadway), comedian Don Gavin, singer Paul Boland, gymnast Lance Ringwald. Joff Eaton (from England) was the Cruise Director and was brilliant.

 

This was my first cruise where we did not have to wear life jackets. My muster station was in the Theatre. Very pleasant experience. No more C&A gifts. The Concierge lounge was excellently looked after by Amanda and Marlon. The Diamond lounge was in the Vortex on Deck 13 and was never crowded.

Hope that helps.

andrew

[vickiw0318]

Maggieq, sorry I didn't see your post earlier. The Indy and the Jewel are both great ships. I have a preference for the Radiance class ships so I was quite happy onboard. I like my aft cabins so I like not having to peer through the superstructure. There are a lot of good dining choices onboard. The only one I really miss is the Promenade cafe and its tasty sandwiches and cakes.

 

Of course, the itinerary is quite different. We rented a car in Portland and drove south to Kennebunkport - a favorite destination of mine when I lived in Boston years ago. It's still a favorite. We walked the streets of Portland and did some window shopping when we returned. In Bar Harbor, we spent the day with some of my husband's family, but managed to eat lobster, see Acadia National Park and eat popovers at the Jordan Pond house. In Halifax, we just walked around a bit since we'd spent a couple of pretty intensive days sightseeing in the two other stops.

 

The activities are different from those planned for a Caribbean cruise, but we had fun. Still wish I'd taken the Salsa class on the last day. The passenger demographic was older. No young families with children since school had just started. My thirty something husband's kids (this was a surprise birthday cruise for their dad) were in the minority.

 

The Jewel crew is wonderful. The service is very good. All in all, this is a cruise I'd like to take again - maybe the 7 day one though, so I could go to a couple of other Canadian ports.

 

Any other specifics?

[batoryfirst]

I love the word "Kudos" so I feel obligated to do a posting.

I was also on this cruise and it was just fantastic. This was my 4th time on Jewel and it is my favourite class of ship.

Hotel Director Robert Taggart is terrific (well, he is Canadian!) and all the employees are friendly and helpful.

The US immigration officers were a little late boarding the ship and it delayed our departure a bit. I did the Express Departure (carrying my own luggage) and it worked very well.

MAGGIEQ - I would highly recommend doing this cruise. We visited Portland (easy to just walk around by yourself - I visited Victoria House, went to the Art Gallery, climbed the Observatory, walked along the path through the park), Bar Harbour (went sea kayaking which was fun), Halifax (had booked a cycling excursion but it was cancelled so walked along the boardwalk to the Casino and then up to the Citadel). Ship is in great shape and service and food was excellent. We had two production shows (Tango Buenos Aires and West End to Broadway), comedian Don Gavin, singer Paul Boland, gymnast Lance Ringwald. Joff Eaton (from England) was the Cruise Director and was brilliant.

 

This was my first cruise where we did not have to wear life jackets. My muster station was in the Theatre. Very pleasant experience. No more C&A gifts. The Concierge lounge was excellently looked after by Amanda and Marlon. The Diamond lounge was in the Vortex on Deck 13 and was never crowded.

Hope that helps.

andrew

 

Hi Andrew from Nancy & Buddy. We're on this cruise on the Oct. 10th sailing. I think we'll do what you did EXCEPT for the kayaking. Interesting about Tango Buenos Aires. Do you think that's the same show from our South American trip this past Jan/Feb?

 

What's your next trip? We leave tomorrow for a 4-night Enchantment and we're doing the Indy TA in Nov. from Southampton. Yikes. London is expensive. I'm looking very closely at the Navigator TA next October.

 

By the way Buddy finished and published his cruise ship murder mystery that you saw him writing on his laptop on the Voyager TA this past November and the Radiance South American. It's called Overboard.

 

Nancy

[tocanada]

Hi Andrew from Nancy & Buddy. We're on this cruise on the Oct. 10th sailing. I think we'll do what you did EXCEPT for the kayaking. Interesting about Tango Buenos Aires. Do you think that's the same show from our South American trip this past Jan/Feb?

 

What's your next trip? We leave tomorrow for a 4-night Enchantment and we're doing the Indy TA in Nov. from Southampton. Yikes. London is expensive. I'm looking very closely at the Navigator TA next October.

 

By the way Buddy finished and published his cruise ship murder mystery that you saw him writing on his laptop on the Voyager TA this past November and the Radiance South American. It's called Overboard.

 

Nancy

 

Hi Nancy & Buddy,

Congrats on getting the book published. I wonder if it is available in Canada?

Below are my cruises. I will also be on Navigator T/A next October.

Enjoy Enchantment. I think the tango show was the same. I have certainly seen the show before but not sure on which ship

andrew

[batoryfirst]

Andrew,

 

I've been lurking on Navigator M&M. It's very active and I haven't seen you on there. I really want to do that one, but we want to go to Belgium next year to see my son and daughter-n-law as well. They have just moved there. I'm going to try to make it all work.

 

Buddy's book is on Amazon - Shelton "Buddy" Wilkes.

 

Nancy

[top_frog]

Vicki,

 

When did you disembark? I was on that cruise and we had the 7:50 time slot and we didn't get off the boat until around 8:50. Long delay calling us (grey 5) and a very slow and long line to get off the ship. They said that they could only use 1 exit because of the tide and they had a lot of delays with passengers needing extra assistance getting off the boat.

 

Still a great cruise, but our last onboard experience was not the best. But I must say that Joff was an incredible cruise director.

 

Jason