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Jewel of the Seas 6/8 6/15/2013 first time on Royal

red132

By red132,
in Royal Caribbean International

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red132

red132

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Let me say - while I admire those who are organized enough to write detailed reviews with lots of pictures, That is not me This will be more of a synopsis of our travels but I am more than happy to answer additional questions and provide pictures if I have them. I was more focused on the trip and did not really plan to write a review until later in our trip.

My wife, Tina, and I have cruised several times before but this was our first time with Royal Caribbean. We met my sister and her husband (Rebecca and Jeremy) in San Juan and they were first time cruisers. We are mid 30s to mid 40s. We had booked the cruise in July of 2012 and were all eagerly waiting for it to arrive.

 

We flew into San Juan on Thursday and took a cab to The Conrad San Juan in Condado. I had booked this through Priceline and got it for $90 a night plus taxes and resort fees. We quickly went to our room which was on the 9th floor overlooking the bay side of the resort. The room was great with tile floors, a king sized bed and ample sized balcony with a couple of chairs and a table. Everything was clean and well maintained. We quickly changed clothes and met the rest of our party in the casino in our hotel.

We walked to Oceano restaurant about fifteen minutes away. We had made reservations in advance and were quickly seated. We had seen the restaurant featured in the show "Chef Wanted: with Anne Burrell" on Foodnetwork. We were seated on the patio with a great view of the water. Dinner was fantastic with good sized portions and everyone really enjoyed all of the dishes that we tried. This is more of a special occasion restaurant. Our total bill was just over $200 for 4 people but definitely worth it. After dinner we went back to our hotels and turned in as it was after 11:00 pm.

The next morning Tina and I got coffee at the Starbucks in the hotel and waited for Rebecca and Jeremy. They stopped by in a cab and we all went to Old San Juan. We went to Cafe Manolin for breakfast. Breakfast was tasty and filling and we were ready to go explore. This is also when we discovered that Jeremy's phone was missing. After retracing our steps we figured it had to have been left in the taxi.

I should say that several ideas for things to do on this cruise were taken from the review that Host Faith did of her trip on the Serenade on the same itinerary. That review can be found here http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1299205 . She did an excellent job with lots of pictures and details!

We wandered around for several hours shopping and taking in the sited then we went to lunch at Raices. Jeremy had seen this on a television show and had been waiting to try it. We all shared two Chuleta Kan Kans. This is a huge pork chop that would be a challenge for a person to eat alone. It includes a salad and a couple of sides. Sharing like we did made prices very reasonable. Shortly after lunch we were ready to head back to the hotel and relax a little. We started to look for a cab - imagine our surprise when we were approached by the driver who had dropped us off earlier and he said "you forgot your phone earlier". Juan had looked for us at Cafe Manolin but we had already left. So he was trying to pick up fares in the area and keeping an eye out for us. Needless to say he got a very good tip when he dropped us off.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing in the casino, pool and hot tub at the Conrad. We ate dinner at the noodle restaurant at the hotel. We also made a trip to the local Dunkin Donuts to celebrate National Donut Day!

Saturday Cruise Day 1 Embarkation in San Juan

Jeremy and Rebecca came to pick us up in a cab around 11:00am and we were off to the port. We could see our ship the whole way and the excitement was building. When we arrived at the port we checked most of our bags with the porters. We had all pre-printed our tags so this was quick and easy. We proceeded into the check-in area and lines were short. We got our Sea Pass cards and moved on to boarding. We were told that cabins would be ready at 1:00pm. We went to the Windjammer and had a leisurely lunch. There were a number of good options and everyone tried something different. After lunch we went to find our cabins. We were in 9576 and my sister was next door in 9578. When we got to the cabins they were ready and the gifts that had been pre-ordered were already in place. After looking the cabins over it was time to explore the rest of the ship. We slowly walked all the decks that had public spaces to become familiar with the location of different services and venues. We took the spa tour and entered the drawing. We also went to Chops and made a reservation for Friday night to end the cruise. After the muster drill, which was held inside, Jeremy and Tina went to the spa for massages that they had booked. While they were gone Rebecca and I unpacked the suitcases that had been delivered. After they returned we changed and went to dinner. We all had My Time dining and had not made reservations. We were quickly seated and met our waiter and assistant waiter, Meckinson and Borko. They were both very friendly and attentive and came to be some of our favorite people that we met on the ship. We finished the day with the "Welcome Aboard" show and the comedian for the week.

 

Sunday Cruise Day 2 - St. Croix

We had breakfast in the MDR and then walked off the ship around 11:00 am. We had nothing planned but going to the beach. The girls looked at some of the vendors and then we walked to the beach near the port. We got a couple of chairs and an umbrella for $14 and settled in to relax. The walk to the beach area was not bad with a path that ended in the sand. Getting in the water is kind of rough on bare feet as there are a number of rocky areas that have to be walked across at the edge. We found it best to float out as soon as you can to avoid as many rocks as possible. We headed back to the ship after 2 to 3 hours. After changing we had lunch in the Windjammer followed by wandering around the ship and participating in a couple of activities. We ended up in the Schooner bar where we watched sail away from the table we had adopted the first day during muster drill. This was our first formal night so we went to change and then went to get pictures taken. Neither Jeremy nor I had brought a tux and wore slacks with a jacket and shirt and tie. After pictures we went to dinner in the MDR. There was quite a line for My Time dining so we went back to the Schooner until almost 9:00 pm. Dinner was again enjoyable with very good recommendations from Meckinson on what to have. After dinner it was time for the "Battle of the Sexes" game show followed by scary karaoke.

Monday Cruise Day 3 - St. Marrten

Rebecca went for a run in the gym as she did most mornings of the cruise. Tina and I had breakfast in the MDR and Jeremy and Rebecca went to the Windjammer after her run. We left the ship and took the water taxi from the port to downtown. Definitely buy the all day pass for $7 instead of the one way for $5. They offer drinks on the taxi at very competitive prices - $1 for water or $2 for sodas and beer. We were greeted by several people at the taxi pier offering everything from chairs to Jet Ski rides. We got 2 chairs and an umbrella for $5 for the day and Jeremy and I settled in on the soft, sandy beach. This is a good shopping port and the girls set off to see what they could find. After a couple of hours they came back with several purchases and spent a little time cooling off in the water. They had a couple more items they wanted to get and I joined them in walking through the shopping area. When we were done we met up with Jeremy and headed back to the ship. After a late lunch we settled in at the Schooner for sail away. After a late dinner in the MDR we listened to a little music and turned in for the night.

 

Tuesday Cruise Day 4 - Antigua

We had breakfast in the Windjammer and got off the ship around 9:00 am. We had planned to do an all day excursion with Creole Cruises. This was the day that Tina had been most excited about since we planned the trip. Mario, Zebo and Nordell picked us up on the dock on schedule at 9:45 and we headed off. We traveled along the coast with periodic stops to point out items of interest and give some history of the island. We arrived at a secluded beach on a smaller island and unloaded supplies and Mario to begin preparing for lunch. All who wanted to snorkel were then taken out to an area off a reef and fitted with masks, snorkels and fins. We were given instruction on safety and allowed to go in the water. We snorkeled around the area for a while and then loaded back in the boat. We headed back to the beach where refreshments were served. Lunch was not quite ready so we were taken on a hike to the top of the island where we had an opportunity for pictures and more information on the area. When we got back to the beach it was time to eat. We had fresh grilled lobsters and sides mad by the owner's wife. There were a number of beverages including wine, beer, water, soda and, of course, rum punch. After everyone was finished we headed out in the boat to a nearby beach to snorkel some more in an area that has a large number of starfish. Then it was time to head back to the port. We arrived back on time and did a little shopping in the port area. Time to change and go to bingo so we could warm up to win the cruise. Dinner in the MDR and lose a little in the casino before bed.

 

Wednesday Cruise Day 5 - St. Lucia

We got a slow start and wandered around the ship as couples in the morning. Then it was time to meet up and head ashore for our last planned day. We had booked the Segway tour through the Lucian Style website and were being picked up at 1:30pm. Rodney picked us up on time and we had one stop to get another couple on the way to the excursion. When we arrived we were given water and helmets and taken to the training area. After instruction and a demonstration we were each fitted to a segway and had time to practice. Our guide, Sheldon, started us all in beginner mode since no one had ridden before. We headed out of the training area and up a trail on a small mountain nearby. We paused for Sheldon to point out items and give history of the area and picture taking. Partway up he changed us to advanced mode. The lady from the other couple was uncomfortable and Sheldon kept her near him so he could be sure she was safe. When we got to the end of the trail, we took more pictures overlooking Rodney Bay and then Sheldon sent us up a walking trail to feed the fish at a natural coy pond. When we came down Sheldon had prepared a snack of some of the best fruit I had all week. When everyone was refreshed we headed back down a different route and ended up on the beach. When the excursion was over we were returned to the port on time. Back to the Schooner for sail away and trivia and then it was time to change for our second formal night - lobster night! More music in the Centrum and then off to bed.

 

Thursday Cruise Day 6 - Barbados

We had a leisurely morning and then got a taxi just outside the port. We asked for a beach with facilities and were taken to The Boatyard. For $12 a person we got chairs with cushions, umbrellas, access to restrooms/changing area, a drink and transportation back to the dock. Great beach day to end the week! Back to the ship in the mid afternoon. Grabbed a snack in the Solarium and then off to the Schooner for sail away and trivia. Dinner late in the MDR and then we headed back to our cabins. Tina and I paused to listen to the music in the Centrum. It was the 70s Disco party and we got sucked in. When the party ended we realized it was time for the Quest and went to watch. They had a team that needed one more male or couple. We ended up joining in and having a great time - if you want details you should have bought the DVD. Went to bed too late but at least we had our bronze medals from the Quest!

 

Friday Cruise Day 7 - Sea Day

Tina and I started the day with breakfast in bed. Then we all enjoyed a lazy, relaxing day wandering the ship. We played bingo, learned to fold towel animals gave the casino some more money and basically went with the flow. This was the day that we had reservations at Chops. The food was great and the service was very good. Definitely worth the price of admission! Then it was time to pack and get ready for the return to reality in the morning.

 

Saturday Cruise Day 8 - Disembarkation Day

We had an 11:55am flight but did not bother with being in the early disembarkation group. We left the ship about 8:30am and were at the airport by 9:15. Customs was quick and painless and there were plenty of cabs available. Time to part ways with Jeremy and Rebecca and head home to the kids and start planning our next adventure.

 

Absolutely a great experience and we will be cruising with Royal Caribbean again in the future. Jeremy and Rebecca enjoyed the experience so much they bought two future cruise certificates before we left and were already looking at possible itineraries when we got back to San Juan and had cell service again. I think we have infected another couple with the cruising bug!

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drarill

drarill

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We started to look for a cab - imagine our surprise when we were approached by the driver who had dropped us off earlier and he said "you forgot your phone earlier". Juan had looked for us at Cafe Manolin but we had already left. So he was trying to pick up fares in the area and keeping an eye out for us. Needless to say he got a very good tip when he dropped us off.

!

 

Great way to start a vacation!! Great review, thanks for sharing your experience with us!!:):)

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red132

red132

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Curious to understand how you got such a nice hotel for $90 please share.

 

I looked on http://www.biddingtraveler.com/ and saw the range that nice hotels in the area were going for and then followed the instructions. I would have been happy with several different properties in the area so I didn't really worry to much about which one I got.

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