LIVE from Jewel May 15, 2024 - 27 nights

[andreasfcb]

1 minute ago, island lady said:

 

Ships internet before Elon came along....cave man days.  😉 

 

Obviously Starlink helps a lot, but I have to say that the newer ships had amazing internet even before Starlink was installed.

 

I cruised on Harmony of the Seas in 2016 and I was able to make video calls without any issues. But on older ships I was barely able to load a simple website.

[island lady]

3 minutes ago, andreasfcb said:

 

Obviously Starlink helps a lot, but I have to say that the newer ships had amazing internet even before Starlink was installed.

 

I cruised on Harmony of the Seas in 2016 and I was able to make video calls without any issues. But on older ships I was barely able to load a simple website.

 

Yup...the older ships connection and speed indeed...like watching paint dry.  😄 

[twangster]

12 minutes ago, andreasfcb said:

 

Obviously Starlink helps a lot, but I have to say that the newer ships had amazing internet even before Starlink was installed.

 

I cruised on Harmony of the Seas in 2016 and I was able to make video calls without any issues. But on older ships I was barely able to load a simple website.

…and yet older ships now blow newer ship out of the water, at least as internet goes.  
 

 

[andreasfcb]

1 minute ago, twangster said:

…and yet older ships now blow newer ship out of the water, at least as internet goes.  
 

 

 

Well if 10k people perform regular speedtests like you, they need to install 1000 Starlink antennas. Probably not very practical. 😂

[cruiselvr04]

How’s the bed on Jewel? Tell me they ares softer than usual. 
 

We spent 46 nights on Brilliance earlier this year and had to go find a mattress topper on a port day. The beds were so hard.  Just off Navigator and again the bed was hard as a rock.  I put up with it because it was only 4 nights but I don’t rest well.  I don’t want to drag a topper across the ocean but IKEA would be a long trip in Amsterdam for a cheap topper. 

[Biker19]

3 minutes ago, cruiselvr04 said:

 I don’t want to drag a topper across the ocean but IKEA would be a long trip in Amsterdam for a cheap topper. 

Invest in a blow up Klymit or similar topper - they take up very little space. You can never count on any soft mattresses on RCI and no, Jewel didn’t get any better after her dry dock. 

[twangster]

7 hours ago, andreasfcb said:

 

Well if 10k people perform regular speedtests like you, they need to install 1000 Starlink antennas. Probably not very practical. 😂

Oasis class use 18 starlink modems versus the 8 on Radiance class. 
 

That’s an aggregate of over 5Gbps of throughout.  
 

Where I work we routinely have over 10,000 wireless clients that don’t consume that much bandwidth.  Plus we have a lot more streaming occurring.  
 

They can handle it.  
 

 

[twangster]

6:16am they announced self-assist can leave.  

[twangster]

Day One - Amsterdam

 

We’re back!

 

 

Even before they announced self assist could leave I noticed people with luggage leaving.  

 

Showered and finished packing then down to Chops for the suites & pinnacle breakfast.  It starts at 6:30am today.  

 

Self assisters going through the obstacle rope course.  

 

Edited May 30 by twangster

[twangster]

Last night I enjoyed the Schooner Bar with Harrison Smart until late.  I wasn’t so inclined to wake up at 2am to see the lock transit in the dark.  I’m hoping it won’t be raining tonight when we depart.  
 

Forecast says zero percent chance of precipitation after 4pm.  We’ll see.  

[twangster]

6:59am luggage tag one is ready shoreside.   

 

That’s suites and pinnacle typically.  

[twangster]

I know some folks are trying to judge timing for departures.  

 

From Chops I’ve been watching the forklifts busy moving luggage carts on the pier.  

 

We seem to be around 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

 

 

The last luggage tag not pictured here has an estimated time of 9am.   I’m betting they’ll call the last group early.  

 

[twangster]

Just after 8am and Voom is still working from cruise #1.

 

These pictures were taken earlier.  They are calling tags 1 - 20 here at 8:09am so basically on time.  The formula one chicane in the deck 4 Centrum was packed a few minutes ago but is pretty clear as I post this.   

 

 

 

 

It's been a very orderly debarkation process at least here on the ship.

 

Cruise one summary: 3,732 nm sailed.

 

Solo in a balcony so 30 CAS points earned. 

 

 

 

 

Those extra points helped to secure my access to the Concierge Lounge for cruise number two.

 

 

As requested I've been limiting my time in the club so that suite holders are not impacted during the happy hours.  

 

Most nights I used my CAS vouchers at various bars around the ship chasing the live musicians that suit my taste.  I would much rather listen to live music at a real bar over the the club on deck 13.  That may help to explain why so many bartenders know me by name now.  Hmmm.  Maybe that's not a good thing.  🙂 

 

Time to head to the theater to be checked in for cruise number two.

 

[twangster]

They have us, around 30 of us, lined up at the entrance to the theater on deck 6.   
 

We’ve been asked to queue based on the time we were provided.  
 

 

8:30am appears to be the earliest time.  Others have 8:45am and 9am.  The later tickets were moved to the back of the line so there is no need to come before your time.  

[twangster]

At the starboard side entrance to the theater on deck 6 they scan us “off the ship” (and keep the old sea pass card), we move through the theater, collect our new seapass card, then at the exit of the theater on the port side there are interline agents to check us in much like you would in the terminal.   You’ll need a setsail pass and passport.  I used my phone.  
 

Next we are scanned “onto the ship” like you would be in the terminal upon boarding.   

 

Using this process we officially “leave” the ship for cruise #1 and immediately “board” the ship for cruise #2.  
 

With that we are free to wander the ship.  

[twangster]

If you are a consecutive cruiser who plans to explore Amsterdam on turn around day they ask that you don't go through the theater B2B process.  This would mess up the "leaving" the ship and "boarding" the ship that you will do in the terminal like everyone else leaving today and those subsequently boarding today.  

 

The letter we received asked those consecutive cruisers planning to explore Amsterdam to visit guest services before 8am to get your new seapass card and an "in transit" card.  You'll leave the ship through the normal debarkation process and board the ship after 11am like new cruisers embarking today.  

[twangster]

9:08am and a PA announcement asking all remaining guests to leave now. 

[twangster]

So far Voom from cruise #1 is still working.  I expect at some point soon they will reset the platform, load the new manifest and I'll need to create a new account.

[twangster]

9:21am.  Paging six passengers from deck 9.  You are urgently requested to go to the gangway.  🤣

 

 

[FionaMG]

1 minute ago, twangster said:

9:21am.  Paging six passengers from deck 9.  You are urgently requested to go to the gangway.  🤣

 

 

Guess they had such a great time they don't want to go home. 😂

[twangster]

Looks like at 9:30am they reset Voom.

 

 

Tethered to my phone for internet at the moment.

 

 

[twangster]

Cruise #2 stats

 

2,178 guests

 

1,214 CAS

45 P

229 D+

322 D

 

73 Key guests

[twangster]

10:17am Voom working again for cruise #2.

 

I was able to recreate my Voom account nearly 25 minutes ago but then it didn't have my plan loaded and wanted to charge me.  Finally a few minutes ago it had my prepaid plan loaded.  

[twangster]

Day 1 cruise compass

 

JW May 30 day 1 cruisecompass.pdf

[Hoopster95]

Hey @twangster! I’m in the waiting room waiting to board as you’re posting. It’s packed down here. Looks like Key, Pn’s etc just starting to move now.

 

Thx for all your updates. I caught up on this thread last night and this morning. Are you ok with me joining this thread to add photos etc like we did on the Ovation-Alaska thread a few years back? I not interested in posting my own reviews anymore as you know. I understand if you wish to keep this thread yours alone.