Jewel of the Seas Review

[DesertGal]

We returned from the Oct 2 sailing a few days ago and really thought the ship was fantastic. However, I do have a few pros and cons.

Pros: Windjammer Buffet was great because you can pick out your own meat, poultry or fish and have it cooked in front of you--nice and hot.

Entertainment was great. Cruise Director was pleasant. Ship is gorgeous.

 

Cons: Dining Room Service was extremely slow. DH stopped eating there because food arrived late and lukewarm on too many occasions. I think RCCL should implement staggered dining times like Carnival so waiters are not having to handle so many tables at one time.

Smoke was a real problem for me on several RCCL cruises. I hate having to walk through the smoke filled casino to get to the theater. Jewel has Portofinos and Chops--not to mention their main entertainment lounge--located where you must walk through a smoke filled piano bar to get to them. Very poor design for these days of non smokers and asthma sufferers. We had a cigar smoker on a balcony near us that kept smoking one cigar after another. I ended up not using my balcony. I wish RCCL ships had smoking rooms for cigar smoking.

 

The cons are problems that could easily be eliminated by designating smoking bars away from foot traffic and offering more dining times. Otherwise, the ship and cruise were fantastic. Unfortunately, RCCL is dropping their Boston to Bermuda/Caribbean cruise for 2006. Wish they would at least bring Voyager up to Boston to do one or two of these runs. I like Bermuda but enjoyed ten days doing both the Caribbean and Bermuda as well. Lots of us would rebook in a minute. Wish RCCL would listen to us. We can do the caribbean anytime, but combining it with Bermuda was brillant. Oh well, looks like NCL is my cruise for Fall 2006.

[cruiser_carol]

My husband and I sailed on the Legend of the Seas on a 14 day Med cruise out of southampton this past August. The entire ship was designated as a non smoking ship with the exception of specific areas. No smoking in any of the cabins was allowed . Smoking was permitted on the Starboard side on the outside decks...specified areas of some of the bars and the viking crown lounge was designated as the cigar officionados' retreat. All the forward section reserved for cigar smokng alone. It was wonderful to have clean air. As an asthma sufferer and the sister of someone who has died very young of cancer from smoking, I am surprised to find that the UK seems to be much more aware of passive smoking and the dangers it poses to non smokers forced to breathe it in, than the US. On another thread there is a topic referring to smoke onboard. A lot of stick is given to non smokers complaining and all the support is going to smokers who keep siting THEIR RIGHTS To smoke wherever they want. Cigarettes KILL..It is THEIR RIGHT To KILL THEMSELVES...But Not The Rest Of Us Along With Them!

[madforcruising]

Unless they changed it the Hollywood Odyssey was the designated Cigar smokers lounge during the evening hours. At least this was the case on my three cruises on the Jewel of the Seas. Though I doubt this would stop any cigar smoker from enjoying the cigar on the balony.

[CINCY40]

...in St Maarten (I think) We docked next to you. We were on the Adventure of the Seas. What was your itinerary? It looks like a nice ship. I would love to cruise Canada/New England etc out of Boston.

 

Nancy