Jewel of the Seas, November 15, 2021...a brief recap

[alexandria]

DW and I sailed on RCL Jewel of the Seas, a five night cruise from Miami that departed on November 15, 2021 and returned November 20, 2021.  Originally booked as a Caribbean cruise to Grand Cayman and Cozumel, it became a Mexican cruise when Grand Cayman was cancelled and Costa Maya substituted in its place.  It was our first cruise back since the pandemic and our first on RCL, having sailed primarily HAL and previously CCL and NCL.  A Silversea cruise we had booked for November 2019 to celebrate our retirement was cancelled by Silversea.  While we were less than pleased with Silversea's handing of the cancellation (they rescinded the promised 125% FCC offer in effect at the time we booked, so we took a full cash refund instead) we thought we'd give RCL a try for a short "trial run" before looking at a longer cruise on a more luxurious line.

 

We booked about a month out after receiving an AMEX offer and enjoyed a nice aft balcony at an excellent price, particularly after the AMEX offer.  A price-drop after final payment date and our RCL shares gave us some OBC which we used to purchase refreshment packages for each of us on the cruise planner prior to the cruise.

 

Boarding in Miami was much longer than others have reported experiencing on other RCL cruises.  We had a 12pm check-in time and arrived about 11:45am.  There was already a significant line at Terminal G and nobody was verifying or asking for check-in times.  Just a long line.  When we got to the door, they split the single line into three.  Just our luck, we ended up behind several "unprepared" groups.  The woman in front of us, who cut into the line earlier and later waived her husband forward to join her (I should have said something but didn't want the hassle), ignored the instructions given by several RCL staff along the wait to have your boarding pass, passport/ID, COVID card and test results ready.  So while the other two lines moved pretty smoothly, we waited for nearly fifteen minutes (seriously) behind this couple as the woman fumbled around in her purse for the items, dropped half of the contents, then scrolled through her text messages forever looking for her test results.  As a result, we didn't board the ship until around 1:15pm, a ninety (90) minute check-in and boarding process.  RCL should have kept a single line and let passengers proceed to the next free representative rather than corralling us into separate lines where we were held up.  Either that or ask unprepared passengers who need additional time to locate their boarding paperwork to step aside so others can be helped in the meantime.

 

The ship was immaculate and appeared to be in excellent condition for her age.  She was well-maintained and very clean.  Other than the railings along the staircases, I did not observe, any cleaning of commonly touched surfaces such as elevator buttons and such.  On the other hand, you couldn't even help yourself to ketchup or salt/pepper in the Windjammer, someone served those to you.  So there was some inconsistency in the approach to cleaning.  Hand sanitizer dispensers were everywhere and all worked when used.  With a few exceptions, passengers were very compliant with the mask requirements on board.

 

Food was very good with a few exceptions.  Dinner in the MDR was generally excellent although my prime rib on the first night had quite a bit of gristle or toughness, on the other hand, my wife's piece was tender and juicy.  Windjammer was open for dinner but we did not eat dinner there.  Lunch in both the MDR and Windjammer were very good to excellent although neither my wife nor I enjoyed the chicken and waffles on Sea Day 2 (made with two greasy fried chicken drumsticks rather than breast meat).  Breakfast was excellent in both the MDR and Windjammer but if you enjoy Eggs Benedict, stick to the MDR for those...the ones served in the Windjammer were very cold as though they had been refrigerated and not heated.  We had My Time Dining with the earliest reservation time of 6:45pm.  On two nights we were able to be seated at 6:30 pm.  Plenty of tables for two.  Food and beverage service was also very good to excellent, however, bar service in the Windjammer was very, very slow.  I was disappointed by a less than helpful bar attendant there at lunch one day when the Coke Freestyle machine (only one of two ever worked) was down for service.  I drink Diet Coke at lunch generally and after a long wait in line, I ordered my Diet Coke and asked for a whole can (they serve soft drinks at the Windjammer in small tumblers, probably eight ounces or so).  He said I could not have the can since I had a "package".  I noted that the Freestyle machine was out and asked if I could have two then so I had enough to enjoy with my lunch or if he could fill my Freestyle cup.  He said no to both requests and although I suspected that his refusal was improper, my food was already getting cool while I had been standing in line so I didn't pursue it.  Bar service at the pool deck was also very slow, but everywhere else on board it was fantastic.

 

Another service issue occurred on Day 2 when I noted a charge on the RCL app for "Port Collections" for a few hundred dollars!  We had not made any purchases on board at that time (I thought Port Collections was one of the shops) so I headed to guest services.  I spent ninety minutes there while they attempted to figure it out.  Apparently RCL in Miami claimed I still owed money for the cruise and despite my showing my invoice and everything else to guest services, they said they could not remove the charge but would contact resolutions in Miami.  To their credit, they did so and RCL Miami told them the charge was erroneous and to remove it which was done the following day.  I expressed my displeasure that I spent an hour and a half of my vacation dealing with it only to receive a not very sincere apology.  Even a bottle of their cheap champagne would have been an appreciated gesture.  I did find from chatting with others in line at guest services that day that I was not alone in having that issue, others also found unexpected charges on their onboard accounts that needed to be corrected.

 

Other than a few obnoxious, loud, and ship-wide Park West auction announcements (or were they commercials for a sleazy used car lot), the atmosphere on the ship was great.  Quite in the Solarium, louder on the pool deck, a variety of music in the Centrum, and so on.  Our aft balcony stateroom (deck eight) was very peaceful other than two nights when our neighbors came in around 1am and got a little loud and rowdy on the balcony, fortunately, they didn't stay loud/rowdy too long!  Our stateroom attendant was fantastic, she was attentive yet unobtrusive and cheerful and friendly each time we saw her.  We also received great service from our waiter and assistant waiter at dinner from night two onwards.  (The service on night one was inattentive and sloppy...not sure if it was the waiter/assistant waiter we had on night one or something else).  One difference that I did note between RCL and the other lines we have sailed was that the wait staff on RCL did not know our names (or didn't address us by name) and did not anticipate our wants/needs.  On other cruises with CCL, NCL and HAL, the wait staff called us by name and knew our likes and dislikes very quickly.  I drink coffee after dinner with cream and artificial sweetener, on CCL, NCL and HAL, they always brought it once we had finished our entree and were ready for desert.  On RCL, I had to ask for coffee each night.  Small difference, but noticeable nonetheless.  

 

We didn't go to the shows, but did enjoy the entertainment, primarily the pianist/vocalist at the Schooner Bar and the musicians in the Centrum.  The shows didn't seem appealing to us based on the descriptions we read on the cruise app.  But there was a wide variety of readily available entertainment options all day and half the night long.

 

Costa Maya itself was the pits.  The "port" is essentially a privately owned shopping mall where they hide or block the exits to town.  To get out to a taxi or a privately booked excursion, you have to run the gauntlet of shops, salespeople and so on and find your own way out to where you can grab a cab or meet your group (we went to Maya Chen Beach, a wonderful place). 

 

Debarkation was a zoo.  We were in group 22 and left our stateroom when summoned.  We arrived to a long line at the gangway, apparently CBP told RCL to stop debarking passengers until they got the earlier ones out of the terminal.  Just three CBP officers and no Global Entry kiosk/line/expedited service.  So while we were called to disembark at 9:15 am, we didn't get out of the terminal with our baggage until nearly 11:00 am.  Not RCL's fault but the RCL representatives in the terminal were rather officious, barking out "two in line side by side" and "have your passport open to your photo page now"....despite a line of hundreds of people before you even got close to the CBP officers!  I attempted to ask a few about Global Entry (other posts have indicated that while there is not a kiosk in the Miami cruise terminals, there is often a separate line or they move you to the first available agent) and they simply told me to get back in line, without responding to my question.  I finally found a CBP officer walking by who was able to tell me that Terminal G has no Global Entry processing.

 

Other:  Our RoyalUp bids were not accepted, I don't know whether they filled all of the suites available on this sailing or not.  There were 1,400 passengers onboard this week, just over 50% capacity (of 2,702)

 

In summary....the shipboard experience was fantastic overall.  A very good value and quite enjoyable.  Much better than CCL and NCL but not quite up to HAL experiences.  Off the ship....RCL (and RCCL considering my Silversea experience) is less than impressive, the worst of the lines we have cruised.  The boarding and debarkation process was the slowest we have ever encountered...and the ship was only about half-full.  And having to spend part of my vacation time dealing with an erroneous charge on my onboard account did nothing to improve my opinion of RCCL shoreside operations.  Would we sail RCL again...most likely, yes, for a short "value oriented" cruise (where one would be also considering Carnival, Norwegian and MSC).  

 

Hope this is helpful to others in their cruise vacation planning, feel free to post any questions you may have.

 

***Apologies for the absence of "food porn", after decades of cruising, we just don't have the interest in photographing our food before eating (unless there is some stellar presentation).  Here is a link my earlier post of the Miami skyline at sail away, hope that is enough visual imagery for those who crave it!

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2813614-jewel-has-arrived-in-miami/?do=findComment&comment=62166758

 

 

[Sunshine3601]

Sorry you did not enjoy your Royal cruise on Jewel.    the negative experiences you had, such as billing errors onboard, wait staff not remembering your names, not remembering to bring coffee, etc. are Not the usual.     I have never had those experiences in all my years sailing with Royal.    

 

This was the first sailing Jewel did in the US since the shut down so they probably have some new crew members on board that need further training/experience.   

 

Miami seems to the only port that passengers are reporting issues with the boarding process.    I have never used Global Entry at a cruise terminal as we have always moved through quickly so I am not sure if that is even an option at other terminals.       Do they use the facial recognition for disembarkment/custom process?    Most of the cruise ports are using this system and majority of passengers say the process is very easy and off the ship to their transportation in approx 15 minutes. 

 

[MSPCUBS]

Alexandria,

 

Could you please tell me about any testing that was done while on your cruise.  I know you have to submit a negative Covid test to embark, but did RCL do any testing during the cruise or any before you disembarked?

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, alexandria said:

Just our luck, we ended up behind several "unprepared" groups.  The woman in front of us, who cut into the line earlier and later waived her husband forward to join her (I should have said something but didn't want the hassle), ignored the instructions given by several RCL staff along the wait to have your boarding pass, passport/ID, COVID card and test results ready.  So while the other two lines moved pretty smoothly, we waited for nearly fifteen minutes (seriously) behind this couple as the woman fumbled around in her purse for the items, dropped half of the contents, then scrolled through her text messages forever looking for her test results.  As a result, we didn't board the ship until around 1:15pm, a ninety (90) minute check-in and boarding process.

We'd be miffed also! The RC agent should have instructed the couple to leave the line and go to the end of the line only when they were prepared to proceed with the process.   

[Sayuil]

10 minutes ago, MSPCUBS said:

Alexandria,

 

Could you please tell me about any testing that was done while on your cruise.  I know you have to submit a negative Covid test to embark, but did RCL do any testing during the cruise or any before you disembarked?

No additional testing for vaccinated guests. If you have unvaccinated kids in addition to negative covid test they will also be tested on boarding day and additional times on board depending on length of your cruise. 

[Merion_Mom]

1 hour ago, alexandria said:

In summary....the shipboard experience was fantastic overall.  A very good value and quite enjoyable.  Much better than CCL and NCL but not quite up to HAL experiences. 

 

 

 

53 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Sorry you did not enjoy your Royal cruise on Jewel.   

 

 

I'm pretty sure that she enjoyed her cruise.

[Jimbo]

2 hours ago, alexandria said:

In summary....the shipboard experience was fantastic overall.  A very good value and quite enjoyable.  Much better than CCL and NCL but not quite up to HAL experiences. 

 

 

At least it's good to hear other's think the  HAL experience(service) is better then Royal's.

[alexandria]

2 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Sorry you did not enjoy your Royal cruise on Jewel.    the negative experiences you had, such as billing errors onboard, wait staff not remembering your names, not remembering to bring coffee, etc. are Not the usual.     I have never had those experiences in all my years sailing with Royal.    

 

This was the first sailing Jewel did in the US since the shut down so they probably have some new crew members on board that need further training/experience.   

 

Miami seems to the only port that passengers are reporting issues with the boarding process.    I have never used Global Entry at a cruise terminal as we have always moved through quickly so I am not sure if that is even an option at other terminals.       Do they use the facial recognition for disembarkment/custom process?    Most of the cruise ports are using this system and majority of passengers say the process is very easy and off the ship to their transportation in approx 15 minutes. 

 

 

Sorry if I wasn't clear...we enjoyed the cruise.  Every one we have been on had small issues/room for improvement. 

 

Other than a Carnival cruise decades ago, this was also the first cruise where we weren't quickly  off the ship and out of the terminal.  No facial recognition was used.  CBP asked a few questions and looked at our passports.  (Unlike TSA Precheck, no machines/scanners/cameras used).

 

The billing issue was not the fault of the onboard crew, the improper charge was from the RCL home office which apparently believed we hadn't paid our full cruise balance prior to boarding so they stuck a "port collection" charge on our onboard bill.  However, guest services seemed to be rather unconcerned that I spent so much time at their counter dealing with a RCL billing error when I should have been at the pool or doing something else enjoyable.  Perhaps it is because they frequently deal with bill issues,  This is the first cruise (in dozens over decades) where I have had to speak with guest services about a bill.  Friends who are RCL/Celebrity/Silversea regulars tell us that the shipboard experience is great but that RCCL is one of the worst lines in their shoreside operations.  With my limited RCCL experience, I believe that assessment may be correct.

[alexandria]

2 hours ago, MSPCUBS said:

Alexandria,

 

Could you please tell me about any testing that was done while on your cruise.  I know you have to submit a negative Covid test to embark, but did RCL do any testing during the cruise or any before you disembarked?

 

While I can't speak to testing for those passengers traveling with children (there were not many on board that I saw) nor to any who were unvaccinated or felt ill, there was no general testing on board at any time nor any mention of testing.

[alexandria]

1 hour ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

 

I'm pretty sure that she enjoyed her cruise.

He.  And yes, my wife and I did.  Thanks!

[Sunshine3601]

Glad to hear you did enjoy your cruise.  

Sorry to hear you had to deal with billing issue once onboard, I do not believe that to be a regular occurrence. 

If you do cruise with Royal again, there are a lot of nice ships with some great cabin options and other amenities.

[ONECRUISER]

8 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

 This was the first sailing Jewel did in the US since the shut down so they probably have some new crew members on board that need further training/experience.   

 

Miami seems to the only port that passengers are reporting issues with the boarding process.    I have never used Global Entry at a cruise terminal as we have always moved through quickly so I am not sure if that is even an option at other terminals.       Do they use the facial recognition for disembarkment/custom process?    Most of the cruise ports are using this system and majority of passengers say the process is very easy and off the ship to their transportation in approx 15 minutes. 

 

Agree, almost Booked this one part my B5B but thought prob be some issues and I'd wait until after the first Cruise... To OP, thanks for all the info!

[Crazy planning mom]

Thanks for the detailed review.  You may wish to try Celebrity in the future as that is a premium line  like HAL.

[shelpt]

Thanks for the review! Which stateroom were you in? We have 8168 in January. Hoping the balcony is huge!

[mafig]

Did you go to the casino?  Was it very smokey?  Was social distancing enforced there?

 

 

[Maitaivegas]

Thank you for the report.

I appreciate the heads up about the eggs Benedict, don’t like cold or bad eggs.

 

I feel your pain about the error in billing, every time I rebook my cruise, I get billed in error.

 

[DMWT Cruiser]

9 hours ago, mafig said:

Did you go to the casino?  Was it very smokey?  Was social distancing enforced there?

 

 

 

No, didn't go in the casino, sorry. 

 

However, on board in general, while signage encouraged social distancing I didn't see it being enforced.  Some venues are for vaccinated guests only and folks sat or stood as close to one another as they were comfortable doing.  And the lines for boarding and debarkation were certainly not socially distanced and none of the RCL reps commented or said anything about that.

Edited November 24, 2021 by DMWT Cruiser