Jewel of the Seas Review - 01/18/2019

[rego007]

Background

 

My wife and I are in our 40s and have been on a total of 43 (if my math is right) cruises with RCI, Celebrity and Carnival.  We have cruised mainly in the Caribbean, and are particularly fond of itineraries with lots of sea days.  Our cruising experience spans ships between about 70,000 GRT to 220,000.  That said, we tend to prefer ships in the 90,000 -120,000 range.  I'll explain the reasons for that as I get a little further into my review.  This 9-day cruise was originally scheduled to call at Labadee, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.  Several weeks before the cruise, however, we were notified the itinerary had been changed, eliminating Labadee and replacing it with a stop at Nassau the day before arriving back in Miami.  We weren't thrilled with the change, but we roll with the punches pretty easily.  Besides, we could always remain on board and enjoy the ship with fewer passengers.  And it still beats the hell out of working.

 

The Ship

 

This was our second experience on a Radiance Class ship, as we cruised on Brilliance of the Seas 11 years ago.  I personally find this class, along with the slightly bigger Solstice Class from Celebrity, to be the "sweet spot" with regard to ship size.  The Jewel had everything we wanted and was large enough to ride comfortably, and yet didn't feel like a theme park or a shopping mall.  This class are designed with lots of glass and outdoor areas where you can really experience the connection with the sea.  This is totally different from the Oasis Class in particular, which feel to me like very indoor-focused ships.  A good example of this can be found in the Schooner Bar.  On the Oasis Class, there are no windows and you might as well be sitting in a shopping mall.  On Jewel, there is a wall of glass looking out onto the ocean.  It's a totally different experience in what should be somewhat similar venues.  

 

Despite approaching middle age in cruise ship terms, Jewel was very clean and appeared to be well-maintained.  Sure there were a few odd spots that could use a paint touch-up, but there was always someone cleaning and maintaining virtually all parts of the ship.  She was definitely in better condition than her age might initially make you think.  

 

Dining

 

Food across the board was what I would consider above average.  As expected, some items in the Windjammer were a bit repetitive, and maybe just a little on the bland side in some cases.  That said, I understand when chefs are cooking for the masses they tend to stay middle-of-the road with this stuff.  Besides, it's nothing a bit of salt and pepper couldn't cure.  We did a five-night specialty dining package (which would later turn into six, but more on that later).  Specialty dining on Jewel included Izumi, Chops and Giovanni's Table.  We did not visit Izumi. 

 

Chops

 

We did Chops three nights, which was very good.  The steaks and sides were cooked properly and there were no complaints.  Service at Chops was very good for the most part.  Worth noting, however, was the fact that Chops was an absolute madhouse.  I suspect there was probably some sort of "First Night Done Right" promotion which likely caused this.  The servers were completely overwhelmed, but still did their very best to muddle through it.  It was actually exhausting to watch...literally!  The maître d' even got involved by having to expedite meals from the kitchen...something we'd never seen happen before.  Kudos to him (David from Portugal) for stepping in to help his team.

 

Giovanni's Table

 

We ate here three nights of our cruise and it was great each time.  We had a different server each time, but the food was great across the board.  For some reason, Giovanni's had a filet mignon that blew the one from Chops out of the water.  I suspect it's because it was seasoned just a bit better, although the sous chef told us they were marinated exactly the same as those in Chops.  I chalk it up to different people preparing similar dishes, but man...what a difference!  The gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce and tiramisu were other standouts from this restaurant.

 

Chef's Table

 

We were approached early on to attend the Chef's Table.  While I've read good reviews on this, I initially balked at the idea of spending even more money on top of the 5-night specialty dining package we purchased before the cruise.  Several days in, however, we were approached with what was a buy-one-get-one deal.  We took the bait and attended several nights later.  The experience itself was great.  Eleven of us were given welcome champagne and were taken to a very elegant private dining room located off The Safari Club.  The ensuing dinner was 6 courses, each paired with a specific wine, and a martini to accompany dessert.  The entire experience was about 3.5 hours long.  I know that sounds excessive, but the experience was difficult to describe.  Over the course of the meal (and flowing wine) our group loosened up and had a blast.  One couple, from Québec, spoke only broken English.  But by the time the third course came around, they were having a blast and we all had fun trying to communicate with them.  We found it amazing how much fun the experience was, especially given how uptight and stodgy we all thought it would be when we started.  It truly was like sitting around a large family table...the camaraderie was great and totally worth the cost of admission.  If you get the chance and don't mind parting with the money, DO IT!!!

 

Main Dining Room

 

We were assigned to the Tides Dining Room on Deck 5 for My Time Dining.  Here's where the fun began.

 

On the second night of the cruise (the first formal night), we entered the dining room at about 7pm.  Having done My Time Dining before, I fully expected a short wait for a table to become available.  In a perfect world, we'd walk right in but hey...let's get real, right?  After seating several parties, the line behind us at the maître d' stand grew exponentially.  After returning from seating the couple before us, the maître d', now totally frantic and sweating profusely, flatly told us we would not be seated, as we didn't have a reservation.  Not even a "please check back later".  So there we stood, I in a tuxedo and my wife in a formal dress, being turned away from the largest dining venue on the ship on formal night.  An absolute first for us.  I explained we had no problem waiting, as we are used to with this dining arrangement.  I was then scolded for not making a reservation beforehand.  I'm sure it was at this time my demeanor changed.  I explained that I took "My Time" to mean just that;  I fully expected to have to wait, but I did expect to be seated and not just told to leave.  Another similarly-dressed gentlemen arrived and, bless his heart, got the bigger piece of my mind.  He tried to explain that the dining room simply couldn't accommodate even two more guests...they were just that full.  I made it very clear that the ship, designed to carry and feed a given number of passengers, wasn't designed for guests to be turned away.  If that were the case, it was a management issue and not a capacity issue.  I further went on to state that I had no intention of going to the Windjammer dressed as we were on a formal night.  While I did not outwardly demand anything, I made it clear how if we were being flatly turned away, I expected him to get us into one of the specialty restaurants...at their cost.  He made a call to Chops and got us directly in.  I took his name, fully expecting an argument when I was presented with the bill or if that visit was taken from the five visits allowed on our dining package.  I confirmed my expectations with David at Chops when we arrived, and that particular visit was, in fact, comped without issue. 

 

Now please let me be clear, as I totally expect to get roasted for may actions and expectations.  The complaint never went any further than our dialog at the maître d' stand that night.  Things went south with the dining room allegedly being slammed;  I worked in fine dining for a while, and I understand that's life and things happen.  No big deal.  But when they do happen, the guest should not just be abandoned and turned away.  An effort (any effort!) should be made to reach some other solution.  That's what was not done, and that's the only part of this I have an issue with.  Obtaining a solution should not be left to the guest, period.

 

The only other experience we had in the dining room was a few nights later when we returned (again, with out a reservation, but willing to wait, because...you know...it's "My Time Dining").  When the same flustered maître d' (now much calmer), asked if this was my first visit to Tides during this cruise.  I reminded him of our experience a few nights before, and the total recall in his expression couldn't be hidden.  Needless to say, we got a bottle of champagne and service befitting the Staff Captain himself.  The dinner that night was very good, as was the service.  The only reason we didn't return was because we had specialty dining nights from our package that had to be used up.

 

Entertainment

 

We only attended one production show, called City of Dreams, if I remember correctly.  I'm not sure why, but over the past several cruises we've taken, we've sort of lost our desire to go to many of these.  Most seem to be some sort of Tribute-to-Broadway something-or-other, and somehow they all seem to blend together if they're not along a single storyline.  There are exceptions, of course, along the lines of Mama Mia of Grease or something like that.  I'm talking mostly about the mainstream, lesser shows.

 

There were a variety of live music entertainers on this cruise, with several playing nightly in the Centrum.  They varied in performances from mainstream to jazz and Latin, and all were talented.  The same could not be said for the nightly pianist in the Schooner Bar, however.  While I'm sure he could pay the piano well enough, it was his singing (and more to the point, talking through his singing) that was dreadful.  He would start a well-known song, often in some strange arrangement.  Then, after a verse or two, he talk about something parallel to the lyrics he just sang.  For example, imagine..."Sweet Caroline...bom bom BOMM", then he'd tell you about how he once knew a girl with that name...that he met on a 7th grade field trip.  In Indiana.  In 1973.  Or was it '74?  Only then would he continue on to the next verse.  I'm not exaggerating here, folks...it was that bad, and it really interrupted the flow of his music.  Something tells me he didn't do that at his audition.  This is likely why he never packed the place at night, like usually happens in the Schooner Bar.

 

The only other minor issue was during one of the "Sexy Felix" dance classes that was held on the pool deck during one of the sea days.  This was hosted by the surely-self-titled "Sexy Felix", one of the cruise director's staff.  Felix is very energetic, as you'd expect from a member of the entertainment staff.  He loves to get out there and dance and shake and whatever other verb you'd like to apply to what he does.  But on this particular day, the Latin / Portuguese music he blasted was so loud it was actually painful.  You know it's loud when your bartender at the Pool Bar complains about it.  Again, I know the loud music lends to the sense of energy and involvement, but it was pretty bad.  Thankfully all his events, both before and after, were toned down just a bit so everyone in the pool area could still enjoy themselves.

 

Closing Thoughts

 

While it may seem that I had more than my share of negative points in my review, I believe in outlining my experiences honestly.  In fact, I probably described them in even more depth because they were very much the exceptions on this cruise.  Our experience was great overall, and we did not let the few negatives overshadow our vacation.  We met some truly great passengers and crew, one of which was our stateroom attendant Sidik.  Overall, the Jewel is a happy and beautiful ship that still has a lot to offer in a time of always-larger ships in modern cruise lines' fleets.  

 

If there are any questions, please hit me up and I'll answer as soon as I check back.

 

-Chris

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

Thanks for the review Chris! We are on the 2/1 sailing with your same (originally scheduled) itinerary. I’m a little concerned now given your “My Time” dining experience. We always do my time and have never made reservations for the MDR. I suppose that can be done in cruise planner? Do you know how to properly go about that?
I’m also considering a 3 night dining pkg which sounds like you would recommend.


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[rego007]

I'm not sure if it can be done in the cruise planner.  I do know you could call the dining room daily with your preferred dining time.  That is, of course, assuming you know about when you'd like to go.  Apart from this experience, we have always just shown up when we were ready, and were usually accommodated within 5 or 10 minutes.

 

Another thing I should have mentioned is that later in the week, they began opening both entrances to Tides; one for those with reservations and on for those without.  I can't help but think that would help the situation.

 

And yes, we found the specialty dining package to be a good deal, as it ended up being a significant discount over the onboard prices.

[davekathy]

17 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

Thanks for the review Chris! We are on the 2/1 sailing with your same (originally scheduled) itinerary. I’m a little concerned now given your “My Time” dining experience. We always do my time and have never made reservations for the MDR. I suppose that can be done in cruise planner? Do you know how to properly go about that?
I’m also considering a 3 night dining pkg which sounds like you would recommend.


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You can make reservations in your CP for MTD. I do for all our cruises. From the banner that has different options to choose from select dining, then My Time Dining, click on add to cart. The process from there is self explanatory. You will need to repeat this procedure  for each evening even if you have the same dining time for each evening. 

Edited January 28, 2019 by davekathy

[davekathy]

rego007...thanks for taking us along on your cruise. 

[loomabunch]

Rego007~Did you happen to see if they offered a drink card?  If so do you remember which day it was offered?

Thanks for your review, we always do the “my time” dining and just show up and have never waited more than 15 minutes.  After reading your review we will definitely make reservation for formal night. 

[rego007]

Because we had the Deluxe drink package, I honestly didn't pay much attention.  I do remember hearing someone talking about some type of card or booklet for drinks, but it was only in passing and I can't remember if they actually bought one or were looking to buy one.  Sorry I can't help more.

[SteelCityCruiser10]

You can make reservations in your CP for MTD. I do for all our cruises. From the banner that has different options to choose from select dining, then My Time Dining, click on add to cart. The process from there is self explanatory. You will need to repeat this procedure  for each evening even if you have the same dining time for each evening. 

Thank you! I found it in CP. Kind of buried down at the bottom of the dining options. No wonder I never noticed before.

It’s hard to pick a time especially when I have 2 more restaurants to book from the 3 night dining pkg onboard.


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[davekathy]

3 minutes ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

 

Thank you! I found it in CP. Kind of buried down at the bottom of the dining options. No wonder I never noticed before.

It’s hard to pick a time especially when I have 2 more restaurants to book from the 3 night dining pkg onboard.


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You're welcome.