LIVE forn the JEWEL of the SEAS, Lots of Pictures, Island reviews and more!

[onyx007]

Great to hear that you have a great time as well.

I spent two weeks on a b2b in march on the Jewel and I enjoyed it very much.

 

Here is my review:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2016498

[MDSue]

Bonjour from Hotel Balfour in Martinique. We bought a few local souvenirs from local artisans in town and then grabbed a ferry to the beach. We opted to rent 2 chairs and an umbrella at a local resort rather than going to the free beach. Here we have Internet, rest rooms, and a small sandy beach area with a bar on the beach. We have a beautiful view of the island from our seats. Life is good

So far we've had no problems communicating. We may head back in a few hours for an island tour, but we are happy for now.

Susan

[librarylady19]

Enjoying your live review and looking forward to seeing yr photos of Jewel when you return. We are doing the Pacific coast cruise on Jewel next fall!

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

[BillOh]

I love Maho Beach and the planes! I definitely want to go back.

 

So far, my back has held up well with all the bumpy taxi rides here and there. I have a back brace that I wear if I know I'm going to be riding or sitting for a long time. It has come in handy- but it's hot.

 

Today, I really wanted to rent a jet-ski- but decided against it. Maybe, one day:)

 

Sounds wise. I did the Jet skis in both Labadee and CoCo Cay and love it, but I'm just now getting out of my back brace and It will be a year post surgery before I even consider it. Today is day one of Physical Terrorism for me. Sorry meant, Therapy.

[onyx007]

We have never been to Nelson's Dockyard. Thinking of going on our July Jewel cruise. Looking forward to your review. How are you getting there? Anything we should not miss?

Rosa

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

If you have time, Nelson's Dockyard is the only thing you like to see and you like to save money then you can walk 10 min to the West bus terminal (along Marketstreet) and get bus 17 for less than 2 dollars per person each way. On your way from St.John to Nelson's Dockyard you might have to wait a little bit till the bus is full but on the way back the bus will pick you up and drive off right away.

 

I did it and was back for lunch at the port and had plenty of time to walk around St.John after lunch.

[MDSue]

Good evening all,

 

Well we departed from our last port of St. Lucia today. So far, every day was gloriously sunny and beautiful, not counting a handful of sprinkles on the beach this morning- not more than 5 minutes worth the whole day.

 

So I finally have the answer to what on earth to do in Martinique. For months before our trip I researched the island and looked for reviews but little was to be found. Most of the reviews I found were negative.

 

Well. I'd just like to say we absolutely loved the island- it kind of reminded me of my trip to France a few years back. The locals working on the pier were very helpful in providing information about available tours and were more than happy to help.

 

We took the ferry over to the beaches and had a wonderful day there. I'll post a full review next week.

 

Today, in St. Lucia, we decided at the last minute to wing it again and ended booking a last minute driver through Cosul tours for just my sister and I. We ran into the tour guide who was waiting for the people who were booked for the all day Cosul tour. We told him we didn't want to do an all day tour and mentioned we were thinking about going to Marigot Bay and discussed a few other places we wanted to see. We settled on a price of $50 each for our own driver for the day.

 

We made a few stops and then spent a few hours at Marigot which was very nice and perfect for one last beach stop.

 

Here are a few pictures to tide you over till I can write a full review:

 

Hotel Bakour (sp?) in Martinique:

 

 

Scenic overlook in St. Lucia at Caribelle Batiks:

 

 

The beach at Marigot Bay:

 

Edited April 18, 2014 by MDSue

[MDSue]

Sounds wise. I did the Jet skis in both Labadee and CoCo Cay and love it, but I'm just now getting out of my back brace and It will be a year post surgery before I even consider it. Today is day one of Physical Terrorism for me. Sorry meant, Therapy.

 

Physical Terrorism sounds just about right :)

[MDSue]

Enjoying your live review and looking forward to seeing yr photos of Jewel when you return. We are doing the Pacific coast cruise on Jewel next fall!

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

 

We are really enjoying the ship and the staff. We sailed the serenade twice which is the same class of ship and they are my favorite. You'll really love it! I'd love to try a Pacific Coastal cruise one day.

 

Susan

[MDSue]

Great to hear that you have a great time as well.

I spent two weeks on a b2b in march on the Jewel and I enjoyed it very much.

 

Here is my review:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2016498

 

I'm looking forward to checking your review out when I get home- wish they'd give me some free Internet minutes onboard!

 

Susan

[MDSue]

Hi all, Over the years, I've pretty much become a skeptic when it comes to good onboard entertainment, but last night the Jewel staff proved me dead wrong!

 

As I was sitting and typing my review last night overlooking the atrium, I was really enjoying the band that was playing in the atrium. They've had entertainment there every evening and catered to every music taste and age level. All were good. Last night, the band was playing mostly 60's- through 90's music- a soft rock like the Bee Gees. After I was done with the review, I decided to hang out and listen some more.

 

Soon, the band took a break and a male and female duo took over the dance floor and got everyone moving. They had sparkling lights that they kept handing to the audience and getting them on the dance floor. Before long, dozens of people were on the floor with sparkly things and having a blast.

 

They performed for awhile and then the Disco Dancers showed up- overdressed for the part and extremely funny and entertaining- the place was hopping and everyone was having a blast. Everyone form kids to senior citizens filled the floor. Even the people in the elevators were rocking the boat.

 

Soon the YMCA dancers showed up and by then, it was wall to wall people.

 

It was the liveliest, funniest, entertainment I've seen yet and words can't really describe the scene. My sister took cell phone pics and video because I didn't have mine with me. I'll try to post some next week.

 

All I can say is if you are cruising the Jewel anytime soon- MARK YOUR CALENDARS and be at the atrium on Thursday. It makes me wonder what other fun shows I've missed!

 

The pool area has a nice Calypso band that also plays other style music in the atrium as well. I haven't checked out any of the bars or lounges, but maybe others can chip in on the entertainment onboard. It's been awhile since I sailed RCCL and I realize how much I missed the live entertainment they offer compared to the "other" lines.

 

Sadly, my cruise is coming to an end- but the review is just starting- so please come back next week to see a full review from the very start- I'll be including lots more pictures of the ship and the islands, and review the activities and excursions we went on.

 

Today, I'm off to discover everything there is to do onboard.

 

Also- for the one who was interested in cooking demos- they had a cake decorating demo in the atrium this morning. I'm going to go through the daily planners and see what other related activities I can find.

 

My minutes are in short supply, but feel free to ask any last minute questions and I'll try to find out today.

 

I'll check in one more time today- and then travel home on Saturday and spend Easter with my family.

 

Happy Easter and safe travels and happy cruise dreaming:):)

 

Susan

[Quilting Queen]

Wonderful review. We will be there in 3 weeks.

 

Can you post the wine and beer list? I am iInterested in the prices and types of chardonay wine. Also can you give me an idea of the drink of the day, pina coladas and dirty banana prices ?

 

Thanks,

Norine

[Clarea]

Wonderful review. We will be there in 3 weeks.

 

Can you post the wine and beer list? I am iInterested in the prices and types of chardonay wine. Also can you give me an idea of the drink of the day, pina coladas and dirty banana prices ?

 

Thanks,

Norine

Here's a drink list from Gambee:

 

http://cruisewithgambee.com/royal-caribbean-drink/

Edited April 19, 2014 by clarea

[MDSue]

Wonderful review. We will be there in 3 weeks.

 

Can you post the wine and beer list? I am iInterested in the prices and types of chardonay wine. Also can you give me an idea of the drink of the day, pina coladas and dirty banana prices ?

 

Thanks,

Norine

 

Hi Noreen, I'll see if I can find a wine and beer list for you. I'm not sure what the drink of the day cost, but the fancy drink I ordered this evening was $7. I'll post next week when I get home.

 

You'll really enjoy the ship!

[Quilting Queen]

Thank you Bob and Susan. I was trying ot figure out if the drink or wine package would be worth it. I think it is too high for the amount I will drink, drink of the day and glass of wine with dinner.

 

Norine

[MDSue]

Thank you Bob and Susan. I was trying ot figure out if the drink or wine package would be worth it. I think it is too high for the amount I will drink, drink of the day and glass of wine with dinner.

 

Norine

 

I agree Norine, It seems like you'd have to drink quite a few drinks per day to make it worth the package.

 

We carry on our own sodas- I like Mt. Dew and it's not available on the ship, so we always leave some room in our carry on and pick up what we need in San Juan before departure.

 

I know it's different with alcohol, but they don't even bat an eye at sodas.

 

Susan

[MDSue]

Hi All, We had a super easy departure this morning. Our flight out of San Juan was 12:40, so we were given an 8:30 departure time from the ship.

 

We waited in one of the lounges near the exit area and only waited a few minutes before walking off the ship. The lines seemed a little long through customs but moved very rapidly. The whole departure process from leaving our room to sitting at the gate at the airport was a little over an hour.

 

I always hear nightmare stories about how hard it is to fly in and out of San Juan, but I disagree completely. In five trips to San Juan, the only issue we've ever had was when our plane broke down on the runway ( and I can't really blame the airport for that)/

 

We were loaded in a taxi and it cost $25 for the two of us for taxi fare. That's $19, plus a dollar each per bag and a $2 gas surcharge. The ship charges $18 per person for transportation so unless you are traveling solo, the taxis are much faster and a better value. There is no waiting for the taxis.

 

We are currently sitting at our connecting airport for our return flight to home. It's cool and rainy here- a far cry from the sunny, warm, and delightful temperatures we had every day in the Caribbean.

 

I really enjoyed being back on Royal Caribbean again, but I have to admit I missed the beautiful Easter decorations that Princess displays every year on Easter (certainly not a deal breaker, though- just a comparison). There were no signs of Easter onboard.

 

Well our plane just pulled up.

 

I'm looking forward to sharing my pictures and experiences in the next few days.

 

See you soon,

 

Susan

[librarylady19]

Great live posts. Thanks! Looking forward to your full report when you have recovered !

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MDSue]

Hi all, It's been a long, but wonderful week and a half, but I'm finally home and somewhat rested up. We spent a wonderful Easter Sunday with the family yesterday. Today, I did a little unpacking and refilling the fridge. Now, I'm going through hundreds of pictures and trying to decide which ones to share.

 

For a recap- we spent 3 days in Puerto Rico at the Plaza De Armas Hotel located right in the heart of Old San Juan. While there, we took a tour of the El Yunque Rainforest and spent a short time at Luquillo Beach, did a walking tour of El Morro National Park, and a walking tour of the city, and watched the practice run of the big Good Friday procession.

 

I'm going to go back day by day, starting with our tour of El Yunque and Luquillo Beach. Feel free to ask questions or share your own pictures.

 

We booked our tour through the hotel staff. I had inquired with a few recommended tour guides on my own, but most wanted a larger group and the price was over $100 each for the day. The hotel uses E & B tours and the price was $62 for a tour that went from 9am to about 6pm. They picked us up at the hotel.

 

When we arrived at the hotel and we mentioned the tour, the hotel staff on duty called the tour company to double check our reservations. Good thing he did, because we weren't on the list. We had chosen just the rainforest tour which was from 9 to 3 because I wasn't sure I was up to a longer day (because of recent back surgery). Fortunately, they still had an opening and we were added to the tour.

 

At 9 am the tour van drove up and we were quickly loaded into the van. The driver said nothing other than to check our names off. I was a little worried about his lack of communication. We drove around town and picked up many more customers until the van was completely full.

 

At some point, another passenger doubled checked to make sure he was on the rainforest/beach tour. That's when I discovered we were on the wrong tour- we had requested the rainforest only. Oh well- I didn't want to miss the tour so we decided to do both. I'm glad we did.

 

Once everyone was picked up, we started to drive towards the rainforest and the driver suddenly pulled over into a gas station. There, he must have finally came to life and introduced himself and gave us an introduction to our day. It was a relief to know our guide was a pretty nice guy after all. Maybe he just needed a little while to wake up!

 

Next- picture, pictures, and more pictures of the rainforest....

 

Susan

Edited April 22, 2014 by MDSue

[MDSue]

El Yunque (pronounced El-Joon-Kay) National Forest is the only rainforest in the US National Park system.

 

It was about an hour drive from Old San Juan to get there. It is lush, green, and mountainous. Our stops included a stop at the Welcome Center, La Coca Wateralls, Yakahu Tower Observation Point, a stop for a delicious lunch at Yuquiyu Grill, and a hike to another waterfall. Our guide, Carlos, warned us that the hike was super strenuous and we decided against going. My sister wasn't sure her knee would hold up. When the group came back to the meeting point about an hour and a half later, they were really huffing and puffing, but every one made it.

 

We spent time at the Yuquiyu Grill where I took some bird pictures and hiked on a shorter trail.

 

Here are some pictures from the Welcome Center:

 

 

 

 

 

Lots more to come...

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I can't wait for the rest! Pretty soon we will be leaving and this is just what I need to pass the time.:)

[MDSue]

Did I mention I like to take bird pictures? I pretty much love to photograph all scenery, but birds are a particular favorite. When I was recovering from back surgery for the last few month and we had lots of snow outside, I spent many hours photographing a variety of birds outside my bedroom window.

 

I don't really have a good birding lens, but here's a few shots of the birds in the park:

 

These ones were fairly common throughout the Caribbean and not too shy:

 

 

 

And a Gray Kingbird:

 

 

More Rainforest pictures coming up......

 

Susan

[MDSue]

La Coca Falls was right by the road, so no hiking necessary for a great view:

 

 

 

[MDSue]

I can't wait for the rest! Pretty soon we will be leaving and this is just what I need to pass the time.:)

 

Thanks, the photo-hosting site I'm using is uploading slower than molasses tonight and I'm hating the new Windows program I have on my new laptop. It's all slow frustratingly slow. I have a ton more pictures to go!

 

I'll keep them coming over the next week.

 

Susan

[MDSue]

Hi Sue,

Have a great time. We will be on Jewel July 5. Our itinerary is a little different but we are also staying in San Juan a few days prior to departure.

 

We've been to St. Croix twice and took the Gecko island adventure ATV tour. It was lots of fun and a nice way to see the island. We had never done an ATV tour before.

 

This year in St. Lucia we have booked Joe Knows Tours for a speedboat tour. We will see Marigot Bay, Soufriere, mudbaths, waterfall, lunch pitons swim and snorkel. They got all great reviews on trip advisor.

 

Hope this helps you and I'm looking forward to following your live report.

 

Laurie

 

Hi Laurie, Sorry it took so long to reply, but it's cheaper to buy gold than Internet minutes on the ship:)

 

Your upcoming tour with Joe Knows sounds wonderful. Last year I did a speedboat tour in the Dominican Republic and had an absolute blast. I have a bad back and knew I shouldn't do it, but the temptation was too great. It definitely didn't do the back any good, but I think the pain was worth every minute!

 

Marigot Bay was beautiful. There isn't a lot to see and do there, but a great place just to enjoy a small beach or shop in some of the stores at the marina. A few years ago, I bought a nice piece of pottery from a local artist at the port in St. Lucia. I was looking forward to buying another piece this year. I found the pottery at a store in Marigot and bought another beautiful piece. It turns out they no longer have the store in port, so it worked out great we found it there.

 

I'll post some pictures from Marigot when I get to St. Lucia. The Pitons are breathtaking, so you'll really enjoy your swim there. A Cruise Critic friend we made onboard snorkeled by the Pitons and said it was some of the best snorkeling she has done in ages.

 

Susan

[MDSue]

Here's a drink list from Gambee:

 

http://cruisewithgambee.com/royal-caribbean-drink/

 

Thanks so much for posting. We had such busy port days and our last day we both exhausted and busy exploring the ship. By the time I checked in on the last day, I was too exhausted to find the answers.

 

It's always great when others chip in:)