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I am hoping that they hold some reservations back for people to book once onboard.  My husband hesitated and now it is sold out for our Mardi Gras sailing next month.

Thank you for allowing us to join you for Trivia and other events.  It was wonderful to meet you both and I appreciate your review of your B2B.

On 12/14/2023 at 6:16 AM, Stealthdog said:

When we play trivia, I usually provide 1-2 answers and he handles the rest. 😂

Sounds like my husband and I as well 😉

8 hours ago, LuCruise said:

This may be a bit of an odd question but was thinking about logistics for our upcoming visit to Labadee.

We signed our kids up for the Tail Coaster ride early in the morning at 10am.  As a comparison, I know that CoCo Cay loungers go fast so wondering if it's the same at Labdee and have some questions.

 

Questions

1. What is the best free area for beach time?
2. Is it near the Tail Coaster?
3. Will we have issues getting loungers?  Or should we try and go a bit early to grab a couple? (Also don't want to be a chair hog...guessing the Tail Coaster doesn't take long though).  Originally I was thinking we would just go to the Tail Coaster when we arrive but also want to make sure we have somewhere to sit during the day that is decent.

 

Thanks.

Hi there.  I can't say what is 'best' but I can let you know my experience.  I booked the tail coaster when I went in December 2021,  Therefore, we spent the day at Adrenaline Beach.  We loved the location:  Near the floating bar if you like that, not far from buffet area, had loungers with umbrellas that did not get filled up as fast as on Coco Cay, and swings in the water.  But be warned, the water has rocks. It is easy to stub your toes if not wearing water shoes.  Now this is our go-to area whether I do the tail coaster or not.  

The tail coaster will take you less than 15 minutes. I was able to bring my husband on my first ride as the 'free guest'.  He was one and done, lol!

check pricing, there are many lovely hotels in the area.  Last January I stayed at Royal Olympic Hotel.  It was on par with about a 3.5 star hotel in America, and that's the price point I paid.  there is a roof garden restaurant where breakfast is served with a view of the Temple of Zeus ruins and the Acropolis.  Acropolis museum is only 2 blocks away, and once there you can walk through Plaka neighborhood and end up in Monastiraki, passing other ruins on the  way.  Syntagma and Ermou are only a couple stops away on the subway.  Athens is absolutely safe, just be wary of pickpockets at all times. 

22 hours ago, Gray Lady said:

I want to thank everybody for their insights. We have decided to not spend our money on a Caribbean cruise at this time. Instead, we will roll it into our dream cruise next year to the Mediterranean. We will use our COVID refund from our non-cruise last year and find a good itinerary on a smaller ship. We can then splurge a bit and get a nice cabin. Fingers crossed that it can all come together. I have never been to Europe, so it will all be an adventure of firsts! Any opinions on a Mediterranean cruise would be much appreciated!

I found a book by Rick Steves on Med. Cruise ports to be invaluable for learning about the areas and choosing what to do.

1 minute ago, hannibal54 said:

There is also the #10 Jitney Bus that would take you to the Fish Fry for $1.25 each there and the same price going back. The Buses are located at Bay & Fredrick St.s.

Thank you for this information.  Will they accept US dollars?

8 hours ago, FourBoyMom said:

My husband and I are traveling for the first time on a cruise with our 4 boys (4y-13y) and both our sets of parents on the Jewel of the Seas Holiday Cruise Dec 22-31.  Any secret tips would be so appreciated!!

Are the cabanas on Haiti worth it?  Does the ship provide beach towels? Do the in room tvs have movies or shows for children? Sorry for all the questions, just freaking out about traveling on a cruise ship with all my kids lol!

Thank you!!

Hi!  That sounds like an amazing family holiday 🙂 You will have a blast!.  We are also a couple in our 50s, so I cannot answer most of your  questions. 

The ship provides beach towels but you need to scan your sea pass (room key) to check them out and there is a charge if you do not return them. 

For the cabana, that is personal preference.  I will say that I leave the ship fairly early and there are many many beach umbrellas available.

We never really turned on the TV, we were too busy out and about and we bring our own  tablets with movies/shows/books loaded on them.

I will say that I was on the Thanksgiving sailing which meant many many young ones.  They all seemed quite happy 🙂 

I agree with the tip about magnetic hooks.  I don't cruise without them.  I also bring magnet decorations for my door.  It helps when walking down the long hall of staterooms.

Lastly, if any of you find a 'toy' duck, it is perfectly ok to keep it (or them)  I myself hide about 40 every cruise in areas for both kids and adults 😄

2 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

Quest was back on Grandeur a few weeks ago. Was a hoot! Glad they brought it back! Now...how about the official Meet and Mingle? Any chance that will be brought back or gone forever?

I have been checking nearly every day, lol.  I have another cruise on Royal in December.  Then we are taking a year off to explore other travel/lines.

On 11/27/2022 at 9:09 PM, Dp1997 said:

Hey! I’m going on the Jewel on Dec. 9. How did your cruise go? What’s the general vibe like on the ship? Is the staffing good? Is the food quality? This will be my first cruise in 8 years and my husband’s first ever so I’m trying to figure out what to expect. 

Staff were great for the most part.  We especially enjoyed the Cruise Activities Staff and our Steward was the second best that we have had since cruising restart (about 6 cruises).  Food was hit or miss.  For example, they would not toast the breakfast power wrap and embarkation prime rib was inedible.  The  Braised Shortrib in the dining room was excellent as always, my DH says.  But there seemed to be a lot of new staff that still needed training.  Asking for a cup of ice really threw one of them off 🙂 

One thing I really really enjoyed about the ship is that nearly everywhere you go, you can see the ocean view.  You will understand once you are onboard. It's breathtaking.

Also adding:  I sailed over Thanksgiving which meant many kids and teenagers.  I think the staff may have found them overwhelming as it was only the third or fourth sailing since returning from Europe.  Our  sailing was sold out.  Your experience will probably be even better 🙂

21 hours ago, HolyShip! said:

What do people throw down instead of a cruise compass (since the physical copies are slowly being retired!)

She accepted either paper copies or showing the activities on the app

Otherwise known as    Voluntary Familiarity with Strangers

Please ask any questions and I will try to answer

Hands down, my favorite is the power wrap.  It's a spinach tortilla filled with egg whites, cheese, veg and turkey.  Just make sure  they heat/toast it.  Last December on Harmony they insisted it was to be served cold, yuk!! 

We sail Jewel in November.  It will be our first time on this class of ship.  I would not mind knowing the options, please.

2 hours ago, CanHardlyWait4NextYear said:

Ok, wondering if who you book with plays into when you find out? I didn't book with Royal. Did it with priceline. How about everyone else?

I have nearly always booked GTY.  Once, I found out Wednesday before a Saturday Cruise.  Just 2 weeks ago I booked GTY for a cruise 94 days out and found out the next day. 

I booked GTY for the cruise I am doing in December and my cabin was assigned approximately 8 months in advance. 

In each of these varied instances, I booked with a Travel Advisor.

On 5/7/2022 at 12:53 PM, wdblake said:

Eagle beach is in my opinion one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, it's a must see! I show you just how easy and cheap it is to get there!

 

 

Thank you for this video.  Which bus do you take? What is the name of the resort you rented the chairs from?

29 minutes ago, Rewind said:

We have a late flight tonight, going over to Kennedy Space Center for the day.

Thank you for sharing!  Have a great tour at the Space Center and I wish you safe travels home.

13 hours ago, one9marine said:

i've been on 14 RCL cruises and never worried about washing my cup. Rinsed it maybe, but then what the hell I ate Viet Nam dirt and drank bomb crater water so I'm probably not the best one to ask.

SFMF!

Thank you for your service and sacrifices

To the OP:  Welcome back to cruising.  It may become a more frequent habit 🙂 I have a small travel size of dish detergent and a small approx 2" square sponge that I cut down from a regular size sponge.  I keep these in a ziplock bag in my travel bag.  I use them in any stateroom/hotel room to wash out aforementioned cups, reusable water bottles, yeti tumblers, etc. on every trip.  

As needed, I simply refill the small bottle of detergent. 

It also helps out in a pinch to wash out greasy stains, 🙂

2 hours ago, RKHOOKER said:

I would definitely recommend to do the train trip on your own.  If you download Rick Steves Audio Europe App it will take you on a very similar walking tour the cruise line organises (& charges $200) for free… well for the cost of the return train trip (€15).

My tip is simple for Rome, check what time the ship departs Civitavecchia port & allow 3 hours to get back onto the ship from central Rome.  So, if the ship is departing at 7PM check the train timetable for a train leaving around 4PM & plan to get on it.  Worst case scenario you take a taxi back to the ship, if there is a problem with the trains.

I second this recommendation to check out Rick Steves books and podcasts. The knowledge I gleaned from there and forums such as cruisecritic allowed me to take my daughter to Rome for the day, a whirlwind look at Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Colosseum from the outside, and a spot of shopping while we waited for our train back to Civitavecchia.  Note:  I would not have tried this with my other daughter or husband who cannot handle that much walking.

8 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

I am the OP.  I slept in my recliner thinking I would wake up during the night and check in and then go to bed after.  Well, I guess I have a comfy chair as I didn't wake up until 5:30. Lol.  I still got 11 am check in, so all is well.  I guess 11 is the earliest time?  When should we show up at the parking deck?  I hear Port Canaveral parking can be difficult.  If we show up at 10:30ish can we drop off our luggage then and hang out in our car until 11?   

I am guessing we will see you there! this is my first time getting such an early time as well.port canaveral parking is easy. they will guide you to either drop off luggage first or park first, depending on what flow is working for them. we have been a few times recently and have never had a problem. each of those times we arrived between 11 @ 12.

When I sailed on the Freedom of the Seas in 2015, it had the Freestyle machines available to anyone with a drink package.  These machines had many options of sugar-free drinks such as Sprite zero in many flavors, Diet Dr Pepper in many flavors and even zero Power ade.  I was spoilt for choice 🙂