Live Jewel 17th Feb 2020, A last minute change of plan.

[kernow]

We're sitting at our gate in Dubai airport waiting for our flight so I'll give some final thoughts.

Disembarkation was easy, we had breakfast in the DL (no sign of Anis the concierge) and walked off at 8.30. There are check in desks inside the terminal for all Emirates flights so we got rid of our luggage.

 

I have not said much about the ship, I wanted to wait until the end of the cruise so I had the full picture. First of all let me say that as always we enjoyed the cruise and loved the itinerary. I know Jewel is an older ship but we both love this class and loved this ship when we were on only 18 months ago. 

This time we both felt that something was missing. There was no one thing that was actually wrong but just a general feeling of things being a bit run down and the staff (with a few noticeable exceptions) being lacklustre. I did question myself a few times but after conversations with other guests many seemed to feel the same way. The DL concierge in particular was terrible, he seemed to ignore the guests, never heard him have an actual conversation with anyone. So different from every other concierge we've ever had.

Dinner in the MDR was good every night and our waitress very friendly. Our stateroom attendant was also fine.

 

I think it was just that nothing 'wowed' me like it usually does. Having said all that I still would have happily stayed on for another week😁.

 

To all those of you travelling soon I hope you have a great trip and let me know if you have any questions.

[jazzmanfive]

30 minutes ago, kernow said:

We're sitting at our gate in Dubai airport waiting for our flight so I'll give some final thoughts.

Disembarkation was easy, we had breakfast in the DL (no sign of Anis the concierge) and walked off at 8.30. There are check in desks inside the terminal for all Emirates flights so we got rid of our luggage.

 

I have not said much about the ship, I wanted to wait until the end of the cruise so I had the full picture. First of all let me say that as always we enjoyed the cruise and loved the itinerary. I know Jewel is an older ship but we both love this class and loved this ship when we were on only 18 months ago. 

This time we both felt that something was missing. There was no one thing that was actually wrong but just a general feeling of things being a bit run down and the staff (with a few noticeable exceptions) being lacklustre. I did question myself a few times but after conversations with other guests many seemed to feel the same way. The DL concierge in particular was terrible, he seemed to ignore the guests, never heard him have an actual conversation with anyone. So different from every other concierge we've ever had.

Dinner in the MDR was good every night and our waitress very friendly. Our stateroom attendant was also fine.

 

I think it was just that nothing 'wowed' me like it usually does. Having said all that I still would have happily stayed on for another week😁.

 

To all those of you travelling soon I hope you have a great trip and let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you for your review, it will be very useful on our upcoming cruise. Sounds like you had a lot of fun. Can you remember what terminal the ship docked at in Port Rashid?

Jazz

Edited February 24, 2020 by jazzmanfive
missing info.

[kernow]

9 minutes ago, jazzmanfive said:

Thank you for your review, it will be very useful on our upcoming cruise. Sounds like you had a lot of fun. Can you remember what terminal the ship docked at in Port Rashid?

Jazz

It's terminal 3, all the cruise ships seem to dock there. This morning as well as Jewel there was a Mein Schiff embarking and yesterday there was a Costa ship.

[jazzmanfive]

1 hour ago, kernow said:

It's terminal 3, all the cruise ships seem to dock there. This morning as well as Jewel there was a Mein Schiff embarking and yesterday there was a Costa ship.

Many Thanks!

 Once again thank you for your review and safe journey home.

Jazz

[MadManOfBethesda]

Thank you for your review.  As with you, my wife and I are also going on Jewel as a substitute for a recently-cancelled Asian cruise.  We were due to board NCL's Jade in Singapore this Thursday for a 20-day cruise that was to end in Dubai.  However, NCL cancelled it last week, two-days before we were scheduled to fly to Singapore.  In lieu thereof, we are flying directly to Dubai this Thursday, spending three nights in a hotel, and then boarding Jewel on Monday. We'll also spend three nights in a post-cruise hotel as well.  I really appreciate all of the photos you uploaded, especially the daily activities,  and also appreciated your comments and recommendations throughout the trip.

 

I do have one questions about your flight on Emirates as I have never flown them and have recently read horror stories about exorbitant charges if you exceed the 7kg carry-on limit.  Are they really that strict? Some people have written that even their duty-free purchases were weighed and included in that 7kg limit even though Emirates website specifically states that duty-free purchases are excluded.  Also, since unlike other airlines there is no "personal item" allowed separately, my wife wanted to know whether her purse would be weighed with her carryon bag and included in the 7kg limit. 

[boogybaby]

Hi, we used emerates in January and duty free wasn’t weighed because we purchased it after check in !, we made sure our carry on was under 7kg and I carried my small handbag and john carried the iPads in a bag with no problems. We did have 30 kg checked allowance which made it easy janice

[boogybaby]

Sorry I should have said in our experience my handbag and iPad bag were not weighed but we were discreet, janice

[MadManOfBethesda]

4 hours ago, boogybaby said:

Sorry I should have said in our experience my handbag and iPad bag were not weighed but we were discreet, janice

Thanks. I'll pass that info on to my wife.

[TRUEBLUE66]

7 hours ago, MadManOfBethesda said:

Thank you for your review.  As with you, my wife and I are also going on Jewel as a substitute for a recently-cancelled Asian cruise.  We were due to board NCL's Jade in Singapore this Thursday for a 20-day cruise that was to end in Dubai.  However, NCL cancelled it last week, two-days before we were scheduled to fly to Singapore.  In lieu thereof, we are flying directly to Dubai this Thursday, spending three nights in a hotel, and then boarding Jewel on Monday. We'll also spend three nights in a post-cruise hotel as well.  I really appreciate all of the photos you uploaded, especially the daily activities,  and also appreciated your comments and recommendations throughout the trip.

 

I do have one questions about your flight on Emirates as I have never flown them and have recently read horror stories about exorbitant charges if you exceed the 7kg carry-on limit.  Are they really that strict? Some people have written that even their duty-free purchases were weighed and included in that 7kg limit even though Emirates website specifically states that duty-free purchases are excluded.  Also, since unlike other airlines there is no "personal item" allowed separately, my wife wanted to know whether her purse would be weighed with her carryon bag and included in the 7kg limit. 

Hi,

     We regularly use Emirates and they are often strict on the 7kg hand luggage rule. Our son had to do a repack in the line once because he was carrying 7.5kg. We make sure now to check before heading to the airport. 

[kernow]

18 hours ago, MadManOfBethesda said:

Thank you for your review.  As with you, my wife and I are also going on Jewel as a substitute for a recently-cancelled Asian cruise.  We were due to board NCL's Jade in Singapore this Thursday for a 20-day cruise that was to end in Dubai.  However, NCL cancelled it last week, two-days before we were scheduled to fly to Singapore.  In lieu thereof, we are flying directly to Dubai this Thursday, spending three nights in a hotel, and then boarding Jewel on Monday. We'll also spend three nights in a post-cruise hotel as well.  I really appreciate all of the photos you uploaded, especially the daily activities,  and also appreciated your comments and recommendations throughout the trip.

 

I do have one questions about your flight on Emirates as I have never flown them and have recently read horror stories about exorbitant charges if you exceed the 7kg carry-on limit.  Are they really that strict? Some people have written that even their duty-free purchases were weighed and included in that 7kg limit even though Emirates website specifically states that duty-free purchases are excluded.  Also, since unlike other airlines there is no "personal item" allowed separately, my wife wanted to know whether her purse would be weighed with her carryon bag and included in the 7kg limit. 

I didn't even know about the 7kg limit😯 and I suspect at least one of our carry ons may have been over but it was never weighed. I also carried a large handbag and Mark had a man bag. At the gate in Dubai they did ask if we wanted to check one of the bags but we said no and they just waved us through. 

[TRUEBLUE66]

Thanks for taking the time to do a review. I followed along just incase we found ourselves in the same situation as you. Now we do!

Had our cruise on the Quantum cancelled yesterday so grabbed a balcony on the Jewel for the 16th. Not what we had planned but having been to Dubai several times it will be nice to eventually do a cruise from there. 

[kernow]

4 hours ago, TRUEBLUE66 said:

Thanks for taking the time to do a review. I followed along just incase we found ourselves in the same situation as you. Now we do!

Had our cruise on the Quantum cancelled yesterday so grabbed a balcony on the Jewel for the 16th. Not what we had planned but having been to Dubai several times it will be nice to eventually do a cruise from there. 

I'm sure you'll enjoy it. We're back home now and on reflection it all turned out all right in the end.  Hopefully they will soon make a proper decision about Quantum so everyone can make plans.

 

Happy cruising.

[maryann2]

I read on another board that The Jewel cancelled Oman.  Correct me if I'm wrong.

Not sure if it was not allowed to dock or fear of the virus.

Iran is serious and possibly the whole of the Middle East now.

 

 

Post 1016 on the Celebrity Coronavirus thread

 

swinny123 has posted about two cancelled ports on the current (2/24/20) Jewel of the Seas sailing:

 

"Current Jewel passengers have Now been told that both Khasab and Muscat have been cancelled. They have an extra sea day tomorrow, but not been told what they are doing instead of the second cancelled port".

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Edited February 26, 2020 by maryann2

[boogybaby]

Hi, does anyone know if there is a library on jewel, we were on last March but I can’t remember and would rather not carry a lot of books, thanks janice

[Bobal]

54 minutes ago, boogybaby said:

Hi, does anyone know if there is a library on jewel, we were on last March but I can’t remember and would rather not carry a lot of books, thanks janice

 

There are a few cabinets with books by the pool tables near the Safari lounge. The cabinets were pretty empty and many of the books were not in the English language so I wouldn't rely on them

[boogybaby]

Thanks, books in hand luggage will be the answer,  we are sailing for 23 nights without WiFi  so I guess I should download some books onto the iPads as well janice

[kernow]

Yes, still not many books on the shelves. I usually leave behind any books I take and finish but this trip I didn't even read my one book!

[TRUEBLUE66]

18 hours ago, kernow said:

I'm sure you'll enjoy it. We're back home now and on reflection it all turned out all right in the end.  Hopefully they will soon make a proper decision about Quantum so everyone can make plans.

 

Happy cruising.

Hi Julie/Mark,

                          If I leave my email borntocruise@btinternet.com can you contact me if you have time. I have a few questions re our sailing that you may know the answer to having just done it. Thanks.

David

[kernow]

6 minutes ago, TRUEBLUE66 said:

Hi Julie/Mark,

                          If I leave my email borntocruise@btinternet.com can you contact me if you have time. I have a few questions re our sailing that you may know the answer to having just done it. Thanks.

David

I've sent you an email.