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My fabulous Jewel cruise 11/9/13!

khm1

By khm1,
in Royal Caribbean International

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khm1

khm1

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My DH and I cruised on the Jewel of the Seas on 11/9/13 from San Juan. The itinerary was SJ, St. Thomas, St. Croix, Antigua, Martinique, St. Lucia, then back to SJ. Overall it was an excellent trip. I have never done a review before, but decided to pay it forward. I rely on Cruise Critic heavily for my over-planning tendencies. The advice that I receive on these boards has been invaluable to my cruising experience!

 

DH and I are both in our mid-forties. We have cruised mostly on RCL (8 times). We have been on Princess twice. I am now one cruise shy of becoming diamond. We normally cruise with our 3 kids, and often with extended family. However, we were celebrating our 20th anniversary and I convinced DH that we should leave the kids and parents at home. This cruise is the second cruise that we have been on as a couple. It was just what we needed to decompress from our stressful lives.

We flew to SJU from BWI on Thursday, 11/7. I got a great rate on Southwest for $320/person, round trip. The flight there was VERY LOUD and people were freely drinking although it was an 8:30 am flight. Hey, I guess it was 5 o’clock somewhere! ;) I felt like I was on the party plane. Having flown to SJ many times before, I was familiar with this type of airplane atmosphere. However, this was a lot wilder than I remember.

 

We arrived in SJ at about 1:30. There is a one hour time difference from Eastern Standard time. They do not observe daylight savings time in the Caribbean. We collected our luggage very quickly and made our way to the taxi stand. We shared our taxi with a couple that was headed to our hotel, Marriott San Juan Resort and Stellaris Casino. The total price for the entire cab was $20 plus $1 per bag. We saved about ½ of the fare by sharing!

 

We were at our hotel by about 2:15. There was no line to check in. I had booked our room months before on Hotwire. I paid $126/per night for 2 nights. They did not charge me any resort fees. I had no additional fees on check-out. They automatically upgraded us to a cabana room with a pool and ocean room. We were on the 4th floor. I have previously stayed at this hotel, and preferred the Cabana room to the Tower room that we had before. It was a more convenient location and more quiet. Below is a photo of our view from our balcony and another from the pool area to the Cabana section of the hotel.

 

After we dropped off our bags in the room, we went directly across the street to Buns- a hamburger and hot dog joint. They had excellent burgers. We ate lunch for under $20. I was very happy with our experience there. We went to Walgreens about ½ block away and stocked up on sunscreen and a few forgotten items. We then went to the beach and sat on lounge chairs and watched the brave boogie-boarders. Both DH and I are great swimmers. We were both swam competitively in college. DH still does a lot of open water swimming. There was NO WAY that I would get in the water past my waist at this beach. It was very rough. After a little nap, we went to the room to shower.

 

That night we had dinner down the Condado strip at Ropa Vieja. I was looking forward to eating there. I am first generation Cuban-American and wanted some good Cuban food. I ordered the Mofongo. It was mediocre at best. I am not entirely convinced that it was beef! :eek:DH had a skirt steak and said that it was very good. Stomachs full and the activities of the day had us worn out. We went to bed early to the sounds of the tree frogs and the surf.

 

I will continue this review tomorrow. Stay tuned!

 

COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

 

COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

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khm1

khm1

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On Friday we woke up to beautiful weather. As a matter of fact, we had great weather for our entire trip. We got dressed and went to Danny’s for breakfast. Danny’s is a casual place about 1 ½ blocks from the Marriott. We had a hearty breakfast and two café con leche each, Yummy!

 

I had a tour booked with Louie’s VIP tours to El Yunque rainforest. I found him on TripAdvisor. I know that many people rent a car and go on their own. However, this trip was about relaxation and I did not want to have to stress about directions or traffic. It was a perfect choice for us. I had called him the night before to confirm. He told me to be waiting in front of the hotel at 10 am and that Rupert would pick us up.

 

Right at 10, Rupert arrived in a large, comfortable black van. He is an ex-boxer and a great guy. He gave us a great tour and provided a lot of information on the history of PR. We found him to be a safe driver and very interesting and engaging. We stopped at La Concha to pick up 5 more tourists and were on our way to El Yunque.

 

He took the “Scenic” route on the secondary highway to the rainforest. He pointed out many shopping centers, businesses and gave us information about each neighborhood and town that we passed through. After about a 45 minute drive, we arrived at the visitor center at El Yunque. We spent about 40 minutes exploring what they had to offer there.

dybeqyde.jpg7yta9eze.jpg

 

We then drove to La Coca falls (above). We got out for a few minutes to view the falls which are literally right next to the road. We then went to the Yokahu observation tower. We climbed to the top of the tower for stunning views. It was a very clear day and I got a lot of great pictures. You could see all the way to Culebra and Vieques. Rupert said that on a really good day, you can see St. Thomas with binoculars.

 

ty7ehysy.jpge2yveva6.jpg

 

Next we headed to the trailhead for La Mina falls. There are two trails that lead to the same falls. We took the upper trail in and the lower trail back. Rupert did not go on the trail with us, but was waiting for us on our return. Throughout the day he gave clear instructions for where and when to meet for the next leg of the trip. There were bathroom breaks built into the tour as well.

 

The hike to the falls was on a very well maintained, paved trail. It was steep and slippery in spots. DH and I have hiked extensively in the mountains and found the walk to be moderate in difficulty. It was absolutely beautiful. The photos that I took do not do it justice. We got to the falls and decided to have a swim. We had our suits on under our clothes. The water was FREEZING! I am glad that we went in though. It was a lot of fun and refreshing. If I were to return, I would bring water shoes. It was tricky getting in and out of the water with the wet rocks.

 

zy2epary.jpg

sy3ysuze.jpg

 

We then made the trip back up the lower trail. It was very steep near the end of the trail. The entire hike, including the swim took about an hour and 45 minutes. We got back in the van and were taken to a roadside food stand/restaurant. I had yellow rice with beans and roasted chicken. My husband had the same then had a skewer of barbecued pork that he said was very good.

 

We drove to Luquillo beach to drop off 3 of the tourists who were continuing their tour with the beach visit and Bio Bay that evening. We went back to the hotel via the highway. It was quicker getting back than it was going to the rainforest. We were very satisfied with our tour that day and would recommend it to anyone.

 

We were back at our hotel at about 4:30. We went to the pool with a coffee from the Starbucks across the street. We had dinner plans with my cousin who lives in San Juan. He and his wife picked us up at the Marriott and took us to Santaella for dinner. It is in the Condado area in the Plaza del Marcado It was a very trendy place and very crowded at the bar. There were a lot of young, local people there to see and be seen. It was a very lively bar scene and the food was excellent. We ordered a variety of appetizers and had a tapas style dinner with very good cocktails. I am pretty sure you need reservations to go there and it was very pricey. If you are looking for the “in” spot, this is probably it. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g147320-d2318406-Reviews-Santaella-San_Juan_Puerto_Rico.html

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Embarkation day! We woke up rested and excited on Saturday to another beautiful day. We headed on foot to Ben and Jerry’s seeking a great breakfast. It is in the park adjacent to La Concha resort. We were there by 8 am. Too bad for us, they open at 9! Bummer! I was really looking forward to eating there as the reviews on TripAdvisor are fantastic. We were really hungry and wanted to get ready to go to the ship. We wandered back down towards the Marriott and ended up eating at Latin Star. It was OK. IMO, Danny’s is better.

 

We went back to the hotel and packed up our stuff. We relaxed on the balcony for a while with a cup of coffee. We gathered our things and left the hotel at about 11 am. We were at the ship in no time. There was absolutely no line when we got there at 11:15. We were in the Windjammer by 11:30, beating the rush. We were finished lunch by noon. The ship was still relatively empty at that time. We went to the Solarium and waited in lounge chairs until 1 pm for our room to become available

.

Exactly at one, they opened the door to the cabins. We were in 9078. This cabin is the very first cabin forward of the elevators and right off the Centrum. It is on the hump, therefore has an enormous balcony. It is in an extremely convenient location. It is two floors up to the Windjammer and pool and central to most of the common areas of the ship. The only negative is the noise from the centrum entertainment. It did not keep us awake as we did not retire early. The noise stopped between 11 and 12:30 most nights. It may be a problem for those who go to bed early. Here are some pictures of our cabin:

 

u7ugysyp.jpg

esy9e8um.jpg7uguruga.jpg

u6upuqy5.jpg

 

We met our cabin steward, Gerard. We asked for extra pillows, which he delivered that night. He was efficient and not at all obtrusive. We were very happy with his service all week.

 

At about 2 pm, we decided to head over to Old San Juan to walk around and shop. I noticed that at that time, there was a pretty long line. We shared a cab with some other people headed the same way and split the fee. I can’t remember, but I think that the fare was $18 for the cab. That is me in the middle of the street, in the photo below.

 

3adeqy7u.jpg

 

We wandered around Old San Juan for a couple of hours. I went to the Coach outlet. They were handing out 50% off coupons as you entered the store. I found a great bag and wallet for a great price. I paid less than $200 for the lot. We also went to CVS to pick up a few more items that I forgot. I usually do not forget things when I pack. I am not sure what happened this time!

 

Since I got my shopping fix in, we headed back to the ship. The fare was the same returning to the ship. We did not have anyone to share with this time. When we showed our Seapass, we were directed to bypass the lines. We got a few black looks form those lining up to come onboard. Oh well! We were back on the ship at about 5 pm. All aboard time for everyone was 7 pm.

 

We showered and relaxed until dinner. We had My Time dining and I had reservations for 6 pm the first night, and 6:45 for the rest of the trip. We did not eat in any of the specialty restaurants. We had the same wait team and were in the same section at a table for 2, all week. Our wait team was Jason and Kumar. Kumar was fantastic and received our WOW card at the end of the week. Jason was alright. He seemed a bit overwhelmed, I am not sure why. I will give him the benefit of the doubt since he is from the Philippines and a horrible tragedy had just struck his country.

 

The food was very good all week. There were 2 nights that the menu did not interest me in the least. One of those nights was the last night. I can’t remember when the other was. It may have been the 3d or 4th. Formal nights were night 2 and 5. The fisherman’s plate was served on night 6. The lobsters that they served that night were THE BIGGEST LOBSTERS THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN ON A CRUISE SHIP! When one came out to the table next to ours, I assumed that she had paid extra for it. Then mine came out and it was even bigger! Mine had to be from a 1 ½ lb. lobster. DH had two!

 

Sail away was a bit of a bust. It did not last long, but it started raining right as we started sail away. We were up on the helicopter pad on deck 6. We were chased off at 9 by a crew member who was closing it due to “high winds”. I didn't get any pictures due to the rain.

 

The opening show that night was one show only at 10:30. The headliner was Carl Guerra. He was mildly funny. Not too bad, but not great. We headed back to the cabin and slept fairly well on our ROCK HARD BED. This was the hardest bed that I have ever had on RCL. However, Princess, IMO, had the absolute hardest bed the last time that I sailed that line in 2009. I was stiff all week from sleeping in this bed during this most recent cruise. I really missed my sleep number bed at home!

 

Next up, Day 2 in St. Thomas!

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Great review!!!

 

Were you able to get anything to help soften the rock-hard-bed???

 

No, but I propped myself with so many pillows! It helped a bit. Someone told me that they requested and received a foam topper. I didn't even try. I slept fine. I was just stiff all week. I think that I am spoiled by my bed at home!

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mein18

mein18

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Embarkation day! We woke up rested and excited on Saturday to another beautiful day. We headed on foot to Ben and Jerry’s seeking a great breakfast. It is in the park adjacent to La Concha resort. We were there by 8 am. Too bad for us, they open at 9! Bummer! I was really looking forward to eating there as the reviews on TripAdvisor are fantastic. We were really hungry and wanted to get ready to go to the ship. We wandered back down towards the Marriott and ended up eating at Latin Star. It was OK. IMO, Danny’s is better.

 

We went back to the hotel and packed up our stuff. We relaxed on the balcony for a while with a cup of coffee. We gathered our things and left the hotel at about 11 am. We were at the ship in no time. There was absolutely no line when we got there at 11:15. We were in the Windjammer by 11:30, beating the rush. We were finished lunch by noon. The ship was still relatively empty at that time. We went to the Solarium and waited in lounge chairs until 1 pm for our room to become available

.

Exactly at one, they opened the door to the cabins. We were in 9078. This cabin is the very first cabin forward of the elevators and right off the Centrum. It is on the hump, therefore has an enormous balcony. It is in an extremely convenient location. It is two floors up to the Windjammer and pool and central to most of the common areas of the ship. The only negative is the noise from the centrum entertainment. It did not keep us awake as we did not retire early. The noise stopped between 11 and 12:30 most nights. It may be a problem for those who go to bed early. Here are some pictures of our cabin:

 

u7ugysyp.jpg

esy9e8um.jpg7uguruga.jpg

u6upuqy5.jpg

 

We met our cabin steward, Gerard. We asked for extra pillows, which he delivered that night. He was efficient and not at all obtrusive. We were very happy with his service all week.

 

At about 2 pm, we decided to head over to Old San Juan to walk around and shop. I noticed that at that time, there was a pretty long line. We shared a cab with some other people headed the same way and split the fee. I can’t remember, but I think that the fare was $18 for the cab. That is me in the middle of the street, in the photo below.

 

3adeqy7u.jpg

 

We wandered around Old San Juan for a couple of hours. I went to the Coach outlet. They were handing out 50% off coupons as you entered the store. I found a great bag and wallet for a great price. I paid less than $200 for the lot. We also went to CVS to pick up a few more items that I forgot. I usually do not forget things when I pack. I am not sure what happened this time!

 

Since I got my shopping fix in, we headed back to the ship. The fare was the same returning to the ship. We did not have anyone to share with this time. When we showed our Seapass, we were directed to bypass the lines. We got a few black looks form those lining up to come onboard. Oh well! We were back on the ship at about 5 pm. All aboard time for everyone was 7 pm.

 

We showered and relaxed until dinner. We had My Time dining and I had reservations for 6 pm the first night, and 6:45 for the rest of the trip. We did not eat in any of the specialty restaurants. We had the same wait team and were in the same section at a table for 2, all week. Our wait team was Jason and Kumar. Kumar was fantastic and received our WOW card at the end of the week. Jason was alright. He seemed a bit overwhelmed, I am not sure why. I will give him the benefit of the doubt since he is from the Philippines and a horrible tragedy had just struck his country.

 

The food was very good all week. There were 2 nights that the menu did not interest me in the least. One of those nights was the last night. I can’t remember when the other was. It may have been the 3d or 4th. Formal nights were night 2 and 5. The fisherman’s plate was served on night 6. The lobsters that they served that night were THE BIGGEST LOBSTERS THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN ON A CRUISE SHIP! When one came out to the table next to ours, I assumed that she had paid extra for it. Then mine came out and it was even bigger! Mine had to be from a 1 ½ lb. lobster. DH had two!

 

Sail away was a bit of a bust. It did not last long, but it started raining right as we started sail away. We were up on the helicopter pad on deck 6. We were chased off at 9 by a crew member who was closing it due to “high winds”. I didn't get any pictures due to the rain.

 

The opening show that night was one show only at 10:30. The headliner was Carl Guerra. He was mildly funny. Not too bad, but not great. We headed back to the cabin and slept fairly well on our ROCK HARD BED. This was the hardest bed that I have ever had on RCL. However, Princess, IMO, had the absolute hardest bed the last time that I sailed that line in 2009. I was stiff all week from sleeping in this bed during this most recent cruise. I really missed my sleep number bed at home!

 

Next up, Day 2 in St. Thomas!

 

We coincidentally have our mtd reservations for the exact same times. I hear the tables for 2 are jammed together. Almost like being at one large long table. Is that true?

 

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khm1

khm1

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We coincidentally have our mtd reservations for the exact same times. I hear the tables for 2 are jammed together. Almost like being at one large long table. Is that true?

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Forums mobile app

 

Yes, there is barely enough room to walk between the tables. I found that everyone respected each other's privacy. I never felt that I had to talk to anyone. However, there was some conversation between the tables. We enjoyed it, but we had good neighbors. I did not find the space issue to be a problem for us.

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mein18

mein18

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Yes, there is barely enough room to walk between the tables. I found that everyone respected each other's privacy. I never felt that I had to talk to anyone. However, there was some conversation between the tables. We enjoyed it, but we had good neighbors. I did not find the space issue to be a problem for us.

 

We have had rear ends of people sqeezing through hit our plates in the past. Hope that doesn't happen this time.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Forums mobile app

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