Jewel of the Seas Review 3-10 May So. Caribbean

[surfnsun]

You read my review but did you really get the message? Let me explain. I like to tell stories and I believe there is a "message" in every story. So, my review consisted of the typical things you see in many reviews that help you gain information valuable in planning your future cruises, whether that be in photos, videos, or verbage. You can also see what we did that worked for us, albeit you could take the same exact excursion and not have the same experience. I elected to share some personal stories in my review and while they may have seemed useless in terms of information, I told them for a specific reason related to cruising.

 

Story and Message #1: The flower the staff made for me at DH's request. Message is to use a cruise experience to connect more (or again) with your significant other, mother, children, sister, etc. You can connect again in the simplest way, even with a tissue flower dipped in grenadine attached to a drinking straw.

 

Story and Message #2: The crew couple who made the flower and has a son named Rome and a maybe a child in the future named Juno. Message is while you may have bad service or rude waitstaff, there are good crew members who care, who are making sacrifices to make a living for themselves and their family, and they want you to have a good time. If you come across those rude waitstaff, make the choice to leave and find others like the couple who made the flower.

 

Story and Message #3: Emelda of Cuties Tour and Taxi Service. Message is you can do all the research you want for days and sometimes the best aren't even in the reviews. Don't be afraid to take some risks. Your best experience might come in small, unknown packages.

 

Story and Message #4: Meeting John Jacob's mother. Message is to be thankful and grateful for what you have and the fact that you can afford to cruise. One night, as I sat in Portofino's for three hours waiting for a meal, I started to get pretty irritated. And then I thought of John Jacob's mother. I remembered the home she lived in and how her only request was to pray she would soon see her son again. I thought about the fact no ship has ever been graced with her presence. And while the service was slow, my perception changed and it was tolerable.

 

Story and Message #5: Almost losing my camera/purse case. Message is to know your limits. It is so easy on a port intensive itinerary to have so much fun that the adrenaline just keeps going and you don't know when you should just stop for a little bit. If you can make your sea day on the last day, that is best because you will likely need it. Don't push it too hard and recognize the fact that if you don't get the rest you need, you could make a mistake that could potentially ruin your entire cruising experience.

 

I think that is all and let me know if I missed any. :)

 

And now you know, my following friends, why I tend to keep my reviews pretty positive.

Edited May 15, 2014 by surfnsun

[surfnsun]

I finish this review with one final post. A picture and a thought:

 

 

It's not so much what is happening around us; rather, it is our reaction to what's happening around us that develops our character and gives us inner peace.

[MDSue]

I hate to see your review come to an end because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I definitely agree with your final thoughts that a cruise (or vacation) is what you make it. If you go in expecting to be disappointed or have a bad time, then you probably will.

 

My sister and I have a rule that there is no such thing as a bad time on a cruise, and so far, that has come true every time. We go with the flow and don't sweat the small stuff.

 

I've read so many bad reviews about different islands or ships and I have to think these people must have been on a different island or ship, because we always find something fun to see and do.

 

I also learned to upload my pictures every single day, because I can't stand the thought of losing my memories. (My husband thinks I should just enjoy the experience and quit taking so many pictures, but the photographer in me has to have permanent memories).

 

I'm looking forward to reading future reviews from you. Have you booked your next cruise yet?

[dancer19]

Forgot to mention the price of the tour was $100.00 per person and included all transportation, including the taxi ride to/from the port, unlimited drinks (alcoholic or otherwise), lunch and snorkel gear.

 

We left the ship and headed out to the specified taxi location to meet our taxi transport. Here is where the taxi called Elegance and they gladly accepted us for a total of 9 people, as very comfortable number and under the catamaran maximum occupant limitation.

 

The taxi left the port area and we took a ride over to the Hilton to pick up another couple (which was not too inconvenient because we got to see some of the island and Carlyle bay (which is where Bob's family went for the day and liked it). (Feel free to comment on that, dancer19) BTW, that was our Plan B if Elegance couldn't accommodate us.

 

We booked with Glory tours in Barbados which was a shuttle service to the beach and included beach chairs, umbrella and a free rum punch for 25$ pp. The beach was called Browns Beach, beautiful water it was clear and sandy. We would definetly go back there in a heart beat. But I would suggest just taking a taxi as we were very disappointed in the tour company.

[Susie51]

Wonderful review. I enjoy your perspective on life.

[ch214]

Thank you for a wonderful and informative review. Your insights have been so helpful. I totally agree that our adventures in life are what we make of each day. One questions, what type of camera did you use to get the great photos and videos in the water? It would be a pleasure to cruise with you someday!

[nmmickeymom]

What a lovely way to close your review. I agree with you wholeheartedly. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with others.

[surfnsun]

I hate to see your review come to an end because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I definitely agree with your final thoughts that a cruise (or vacation) is what you make it. If you go in expecting to be disappointed or have a bad time, then you probably will.

 

My sister and I have a rule that there is no such thing as a bad time on a cruise, and so far, that has come true every time. We go with the flow and don't sweat the small stuff.

 

I've read so many bad reviews about different islands or ships and I have to think these people must have been on a different island or ship, because we always find something fun to see and do.

 

I also learned to upload my pictures every single day, because I can't stand the thought of losing my memories. (My husband thinks I should just enjoy the experience and quit taking so many pictures, but the photographer in me has to have permanent memories).

 

I'm looking forward to reading future reviews from you. Have you booked your next cruise yet?

 

Hi Neighbor! :) Thank you for your comments! You summed up my points perfectly!

 

This is the first cruise where I actually took the time to buy a decent camera before hand and then also took to the time to think about taking pictures and it didn't seem to really distract from the cruise. It helped me to get good photos knowing I was going to do a review when I returned. And that, in turn, gave me memorable photos of our cruise (who would of thunk that? LOL). I don't travel with any technology to download photos, but I think I better start doing so! :)

 

We've not booked another cruise yet. Next year, our vacation investment may be a trip to visit Walt's place with our grandchildren and I suppose I'll invite their parents. :D I say that, but when I showered the grandchildren with their gifts last weekend, the six year old asked about our vacation and now she would like to go on a cruise. It's very possible next year will be another cruise with them this time because I'm a sucker for anything they ask for. :):):)

 

BTW, we are not far from Montgomery Co....northern Howard County, sandwiched somewhere in between Ellicott City and Mt. Airy.

 

Best,

Surf

[surfnsun]

We booked with Glory tours in Barbados which was a shuttle service to the beach and included beach chairs, umbrella and a free rum punch for 25$ pp. The beach was called Browns Beach, beautiful water it was clear and sandy. We would definetly go back there in a heart beat. But I would suggest just taking a taxi as we were very disappointed in the tour company.

 

Thank you for that helpful information, dancer19! :)

[surfnsun]

Wonderful review. I enjoy your perspective on life.

 

Thank you for your post and comment! :):)

[surfnsun]

Thank you for a wonderful and informative review. Your insights have been so helpful. I totally agree that our adventures in life are what we make of each day. One questions, what type of camera did you use to get the great photos and videos in the water? It would be a pleasure to cruise with you someday!

 

Awwww, Cathy...what a very nice thing to say! Thank you! :) XO

 

it's a Pentax WG-III, which I think is an older style of the underwater Pentax camera, but I got what I think is a great deal at $209.00 and that came with many accessories...on amazon or ebay or one of those sites..I can't remember which one. I purchased the black and purple one. Pretty compact for an underwater camera and easy to use. I played with the camera modes a bit when taking photos and, in some cases, took several shots of the same scene and just kept the one that turned out best. I doubt that's how your supposed to do it, but it worked for me. :) And props to Doc because he's the one that inspired me to invest in the camera and change my perspective on how valuable photos are of your vacation. :):)

[surfnsun]

What a lovely way to close your review. I agree with you wholeheartedly. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with others.

 

And thank you for taking the time to post a response to my review! It took some time for me to figure out how to close the review and I wasn't sure if I should get so "heavy" so I appreciate your comment very much! :):)

[surfnsun]

Thanks to all of you out there for following along and for all your kind words, comments, and input. And it's not really over yet! Let me explain.

 

Doc and I chatted a bit virtually yesterday and we thought it would be a unique idea for him to add his review of his cruising experience to this thread, since we participated in some excursions with him and his family while others we did not. He could add another perspective and talk about excursions they took which I know were very good and fun. As he has 20+ cruises under his belt, he's a wealth of information and his perspective is similar to mine, I think.

 

I know this will come as a surprise to all of you that he really is not crazy, doesn't wear a straightjacket and books suites instead of a padded cabin. :rolleyes::D I'll also just add here, that his sense of humour can be a lot like mine and is meant "all in good fun".

 

So....as I exit stage left, please welcome Amit aka Docsdrillers I suspect he will start his review sometime today. :)

Edited May 16, 2014 by surfnsun

[Familygoboston]

There was a slot tournament at about 1230 that day and I decided to try my luck. So off to the casino we went and although it was fun, my luck failed miserably. Not satisfied, I headed over to a slot machine I thought sure to hit. :rolleyes: I stayed a little bit and then walked across the casino in search of another one sure to hit. So, I played that one for a few minutes and as I went to get up from the seat I reached over to grab my camera bag off my shoulder and it wasn't there!!!

 

Let me tell you, folks, the look of panic on my face would have won as Oscar. My heart started racing, my stomach dropped to my knees, my legs got wobbly and somehow I found the strength to literally race over back across to the other side of the casino where I found my camera/purse case resting next to the slot machine I'd last played. (are you feeling my pain here, familygoboston?)

 

It was at that moment that I realized I'd hit my limit. I was done...more fried than an egg on a hot griddle....exhausted....worn-out...finished...spent...."just stick a fork in me" flat out tired.

 

Yup, I sure do...except losing the camera is even worse, because money is replaceable, but losing a weeks worth of photos :eek:...I don't want to imagine it:(

 

I agree about your wall too...sometimes you have to know when to say when! We tend to be very active; not only doing lots of tours on busy itineraries, but we choose itineraries like you did with snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, biking. One of our things is scheduling a nap every afternoon, that way it is really a relaxing vacation! :D

 

Thanks for sharing your stories...one of the biggest parts of traveling for me is the perspective it gives you that you isn't get at home in your own world! I am very happy you shared yours! Happy sailing!

 

Oh, BTW, you mentioned sharing my review, which is very generous of you...here it is, hope it's helpful to others!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1951547

Edited May 16, 2014 by Familygoboston

[BillOh]

And here is a photo taken while I was in the water (without a rum punch, mind you :D) of the surrounding area and other catamarans. Elegance is the one in the middle of the photo wayyyy in the background so I was getting yet more exercise on this vacation. :eek::eek::

 

 

We were on that black catamaran on an excursion through Royal Caribbean. They had about 35 people on that boat. Comfortable, not over crowded.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

We were on the Calabaza that limited to 12 passengers which made it very uncrowded & fun.

[volunteer cruiser]

Enjoyed! thanks

[Az's Cruising Nana]

Thanks for the wonderful review with all the great pictures of the ship. Somehow it makes April 2015 not so far away. I shared your review with the two other couples sailing with us. Now anxiously awaiting what looks like part 2 of this review. Oh Doc??????

 

Sue

[surfnsun]

Enjoyed! thanks

 

My pleasure!

[surfnsun]

Thanks for the wonderful review with all the great pictures of the ship. Somehow it makes April 2015 not so far away. I shared your review with the two other couples sailing with us. Now anxiously awaiting what looks like part 2 of this review. Oh Doc??????

 

Sue

 

You r very welcome and thanks for following along an sharing.

 

You go girl! Get Doc over here! :D

[Let'sGo!]

I feel like I just finished reading a great book!

 

Thank you so much for a great review. My husband and I should totally cruise with you sometime, because it seems we have a lot in common about our approaches to the whole experience!

 

I always say I'm going to do a review, but then never do it. I feel really bad because I know I should pay great people back for the wonderful experience. Maybe this time... :rolleyes:.

 

Ann

[docsdrillers]

This intro almost brought me to tears and makes me regret taking those jabs at you........not:)

 

Peggy it was a real pleasure meeting you and Pete and hopefully we stay in touch and have a chance to do this again someday.

 

Your zest for life and viewpoints mirror those of mine and your sense of humour although sick like mine was greatly appreciated.

 

I was also very impressed with your new tech skills with the Pentax WG-3 GPS camera that we both bought...it really was a great investment and was so easy to use both above and below the water.

 

I loved your review and i don't generally do any of my own...i won't go over anything ship related but will just make some general comments about the other ports of call that we did without you.

 

This cruise was awesome in every way...the best itinerary possible for Caribbean cruises and a super departure point.

 

Our family opted for a more relaxing and modern 3 night pre cruise stay at the La Concha hotel...we just wanted to relax after a very harsh winter and this hotel didn't let us down.

 

We had a beautiful 1 bedroom suite in the new tower with a stunning ocean view..the pool below us overlooked the beach and was an infinity pool which created a neat effect where you felt you could just step into the ocean from the pool.

 

The beach was incredible with soft white sand and soothing warm water...a bit rough but still fun to wave hop.

 

We walked down the street to the Ali Baba Turkish Mideast restaurant and coming from an Israeli it was some of the best food i've ever tasted...try the Sangria..you won't regret it.

 

Despite knowing that the sun is quite strong this time of year and taking the proper precautions we still got burnt.

 

So we hopped into a cab and went to the Plaza Los Americas for a great dinner at Cheesecake factory. not your authentic Puerto Rican food:).. but we're Canadians and don't get to eat there unless we are on a trip to Florida...

 

The mall is as modern and impressive as any top mall you'd find any where else in the states...Bought myself 3 shirts with SPF 50 protection and wore those all week while swimming and never got burnt again...a very worthy investment that i would strongly recommend especially for those planning on snorkeling 5 days in a row as we did on our excursions.

 

Later i'll post mini reviews on our day in St Maarten,St Kitts and the best tour ever with Eli's Eco tours, the Extreme Circum Nav in Antigua.

 

Amit

 

Thanks to all of you out there for following along and for all your kind words, comments, and input. And it's not really over yet! Let me explain.

 

Doc and I chatted a bit virtually yesterday and we thought it would be a unique idea for him to add his review of his cruising experience to this thread, since we participated in some excursions with him and his family while others we did not. He could add another perspective and talk about excursions they took which I know were very good and fun. As he has 20+ cruises under his belt, he's a wealth of information and his perspective is similar to mine, I think.

 

I know this will come as a surprise to all of you that he really is not crazy, doesn't wear a straightjacket and books suites instead of a padded cabin. :rolleyes::D I'll also just add here, that his sense of humour can be a lot like mine and is meant "all in good fun".

 

So....as I exit stage left, please welcome Amit aka Docsdrillers I suspect he will start his review sometime today. :)

[Debitoo]

Wonderful review! I was sorry to see it end but am looking forward to reading what docsdrillers thoughts are! ITA about Elegance tours. We used them in Dec 2012 and they were everything you said. We only had 6 of us on our tour. We will book them again next time we port in Antigua.

[docsdrillers]

Peggy covered all the basics and it was indeed an incredible day.

I'm just going to copy my TA review as it sets the record straight for all those that contact Calabazza and are sent elsewhere when they are full.

 

I believe Calley and his company at Elegance deserve to have the truth known.

 

An Exceptional day With elegance and her crew in Barbados” Reviewed 15 May 2014 NEW

There were 5 of us from the Jewel of the Seas.

 

What can I say about this day other than to use the word Perfect..in every way.

The Elegance is a gorgeous Catamaran with a great owner,Calley and shipmate Ashley...they were the consumate hosts always looking out for us both on the boat and in the water.

 

We were constantly offered drinks...non stop.

The buffet meal was delicious and abundant..everyone found something to eat...and we had 2 desserts too.

 

When we first looked for a tour our roll call suggested Calabazza which I found out was full.When I asked them for alternative choices I found it odd that I was given several but not the Elegance...puzzling because Elegance was number 2 on TripAdvisor with exceptional reviews.

 

It seems that the Elegance is their direct rivals because Calley used to work for Calabazza before going on his own.

 

I'm just posting this so that everyone knows that when Calabazza doesn't mention them it's not because the Elegance isn't worthy.

 

The Elegance took 9 of us on this tour.When I booked the tour it originally was just the 3 of us and I was assured that once they take a booking they will go out..no minimum required...that was reassuring.

 

If you want a super duper day with kind,professional hosts then this tour is for you.

thanks,

amit

 

Visited May 2014

 

 

 

Wonderful review! I was sorry to see it end but am looking forward to reading what docsdrillers thoughts are! ITA about Elegance tours. We used them in Dec 2012 and they were everything you said. We only had 6 of us on our tour. We will book them again next time we port in Antigua.

[docsdrillers]

We mulled over several options for this day but since we had visited St Kitts before we opted for a relaxing beach day...we knew we had a stretch of 5 straight ports of call with private tours booked at each port.

 

I contacted the resort a few months before our sail date and was told to get back in touch about one month before sailing.

 

We were offered several options; a day rate of $35/pp which included use of the facilities but without towels,a day room rate at the hotel part and for a bit more a day room rate at the Marriott Timeshare.

There were 5 of us in our group with a possibility of another couple joining us last minute...that would be Peggy and Pete:)

 

We opted for the Timeshare day rate for 2 reasons.One we are Marriott timeshare owners and knew what type of luxuirious room we were getting and secondly that room comes with a washer and dryer which my wife loved and allowed her to do some basic washing of the dirty clothes accumulated on our 3 day precruise days in San Juan and our first 2 cruise days.

 

The room was a 2 bedroom villa at about 1400 SQ ft...the timehare rooms are closer to the pools and ocean and oceanbar/restaurant(food was great here,big portions and very reasonably priced) so that was a big plus too.

 

The cost for 5 of us came out to 41/pp and included the much nicer room at a better location on the property and came with 10 beach towels...had the other couple joined us we were told no extra charge would apply....that indeed would be a bargain:)

 

It was really nice to have a quick shower and dress up in non swim clothing before departing the resort.

 

The cab ride is approximately 10-15 minutes at a cost of 3/pp.

 

The resort was practically empty and getting cabanas and chairs at the beach or pools was no problem at all....they are now in low season right through the end of the hurricane season.

 

The beach is spectacular...it is pure white sand and spotless...the water too had a nice sandy bottom with no pebbles or anything on the bottom..it almost felt man made.

 

Although the beach is on the Atlantic side the hotel built a breakwater and the waves were extremely calm and the snorkeling along the rocks was terrific.

 

All in all a beautiful resort with very friendly and courteous staff and we had a vey nice relaxing day from 930 am to 5 pm...all for 41/pp plus food and cab fare...very reasonable indeed.

Amit