Jewel trip report - Dec 14-21st - Tortola, Dominica, Barbados Itin.

[jb008]

Jewel of the Seas pre-Holiday cruise (Dec. 14-21st, 2013) out of San Juan

Background:

DW and I are young professionals, both about 30, from NY and were grateful to get away from the winter weather on our recent vacation. We've cruised the Bahamas/Caribbean multiple times before, including out of San Juan w/Princess in 2008. We're not highly sporty, but do enjoy light hiking, snorkeling, and a little adventure. We also are not gourmet foodies, but have dined at a few famous restaurants and eat out regularly (but also are fine with hitting up a Chipotle for dinner when we're feeling too lazy to cook).

 

Pre-cruise travel:

We chose to go in a day early (flew in on the 13th) to provide some safety against travel delays, and were fortunate to have done so as a number of flights were cancelled on embarkation day. We did carry travel insurance, and luckily didn't need to use it again. We stayed at the Embassy Suites and had booked it nearly 8 months in advance, at a final price of about $160 for the night. I chose Embassy Suites since it included breakfast and was close to a grocery store if we decided to grab any last minute items.

 

We had a very early flight, and were up shortly after 3 AM on our departure day ("lucky" Friday the 13th). We arrived to the hotel in SJU about 2:30 PM and were able to check-in immediately and drop luggage in our room. We changed and then hopped a cab to El Morro in OSJ. Both El Morro and San Cristobal forts are set up for self guided walking tours, with pamphlets available at the desks, included with the entry fee of $3/pp for 1 fort. On the return we'd signed up for the Old and New San Juan City Tour with Airport Drop-Off (SJ46) through RCL, which included a visit to San Cristobal so we only wanted to hit El Morro on the front end of the trip.

 

After the fort, we picked up the free shuttle at the fort and used it to head towards the shopping district of OSJ. We grabbed burgers and beers at Vaca Brava - it's a very casual basic restaurant with mixed reviews - but I'd been there before with friends who live in SJU and knew the burgers there were solid! After dinner we walked the block to the nearby taxi "spot" and got a ride back to the hotel. Cabs work on a zone basis, and we spent about $20 each way plus tip to get from the hotel to OSJ and back. There is an option to use the public buses, but we decided to spend $ on the cab vs. spending time on the bus. YMMV

 

Embarkation Day in San Juan:

Had breakfast at the hotel, then headed to the pier (Pan-Am) leaving about 10:30 AM and arriving there by 10:45 AM. Taxi cost another ~$25 from our hotel to the pier. Note that there are no sidewalks leading to the pier, so even if you're staying within "walking distance", you'd be advised to consider taking a taxi. If price sensitive, one options might be to share a cab from hotel to pier. Lugging bags, on an active roadway, in sun and 80 degrees and humidity isn't how I'd choose to start embarkation IMHO.

 

Short lines were already formed, with porters available to staple bag tags and handing out blank sticky bag tags. Bags were collected and processing started about 11:00 AM, and we were on board <20 minutes later. Fire doors to rooms were still closed, so we headed to the library to check out a few books and then relaxed at the (unstaffed) champagne bar until ~1. We then dropped our bags in the room and headed to the windjammer for lunch.

 

Our balcony stateroom was as expected, with no major complaints at arrival. I did comment to our cabin steward that the light in the bathroom was flickering and very slow (>20s) to turn on, but nothing ever came of that. I also asked for the stuff in the mini-fridge to be removed, but was told it had to stay in the cabin and he suggested I tuck it away on the shelves above the safe. We were in 8524, and had booked as a guaranty balcony, so all in all were quite pleased with what we got. Although on our last full day, we woke up to heavy wind noise (first morning we slept in and weren't up to wake up call) whistling through the frame of the door. Turns out there were several big gaps in the seal around the fixed glass door. I stuffed the holes with tissue and voila - the noise went away.

 

Day 2- Tortola, BVI:

In Tortola we opted for the Virgin Gorda Baths excursion. They used a large ferry for the excursion, but the trip was pretty rough and several people were seasick on the way over. Baths were AMAZING and DW considered it her favorite excursion. I'm still sorting pictures, but will upload accompanying pictures for this review over the weekend.

 

Day 3- St. Maarten:

We originally had the semi-submerged boat tour excursion booked, but it ended up being cancelled due to rough water and low visibility. We opted to tour the town ourselves, having been here a year ago on a previous cruise. We hopped the water ferry then walked most of the way back shopping along the way. I did take advantage of the $1.50 beer along the beach to check my e-mail via wifi, but the beach near the pier was too crowded for me to want to just chill there. Not sure what to do if we end up in St. Maarten for a third year in a row, but I guess that would be a fortunate "issue" to deal with. :)

 

Day 4- St. Kitts:

We made the mistake of doing the Beach Extravaganza excursion ($45/pp) - a complete ripoff! They loaded us into air-conditioned vans and headed for Cockleshell beach. Stopped for ~20 minutes at the overlook showing where the Atlantic and Caribbean Seas meet, and had the opportunity to get pictures with a monkey or a mule dressed up for Christmas, then finally continued on to the beach. The excursion included 2 glasses of fruit punch and 2 chairs, but an umbrella was extra. For the return we waited on the bus ~20 minutes for one missing couple. End result being that we only spent a few hours at the beach, and overpaid by about 2x.

 

For comparison, a stand on the beach was offering 2 Chairs w/Umbrella for $15.00, and the shared taxi ride from the beach back to the ship was $7.00 pp (presumably comparable rate to get from ship to beach). There were plenty of taxis idling and looking for riders as they headed back to the pier (more people per van the more the taxi driver makes, so they're very happy to have you along). The views from the beach were of a dormant volcano and the beach was quite nice - probably too rough for snorkeling, but not at all crowded and a nice spot to sunbathe and go for a swim.

 

I should add though, if you've never been to St. Kitts before, the island feature some very nice volcanic geology and extensive rain forests. I'd encourage visitors to consider a proper tour or rainforest hike there over a beach day.

 

Day 5- Dominica:

We did the Trafalgar Falls & Sulphur Springs excursion through RCL. We really enjoyed the tour and had a very friendly and knowledgeable guide and driver team. The tour started out at the falls, where we got a little bonus and were led for a quick hike down from the viewing platform to the rivers themselves. We then loaded back on the bus and continued on to the sulphur springs, and then stopped at a homestead (famous past singer of the island?) where we had some fruit drinks and a coconut cracking demo, then headed to a highpoint overlooking the port for pictures, before returning to the pier. Dominica was quite beautiful, with a more natural feel than some of the other islands. There appeared to be a fair amount of shopping within easy walking distance of the ship, but I got carsick and slept through the afternoon.

 

Day 6- Barbados:

We opted to do the Harrison's Cave tour, again through the ship excursion desk. Was a fascinating visit to an informational center about some of the local ecosystem and geologic formations, and then a very exciting tour through the caves themselves. The tour is done via electric tram, with stops for pictures. The caves are pretty damp, with water dripping from the ceiling - I was OK using my point and shoot and high-zoom point and shoot, but might have been concerned if I had a thousand dollars worth of DSLR equipment on me for this tour. There was also a nice gift shop at the caves where we picked up some packaged spice mixes and bottles of hot sauce as souvenirs. The pier had limited shopping options, and a bar. Don't plan to do significant shopping right by the ship in Barbados. Next time back in Barbados, DW and I plan to use it as a beach day, with an eye towards boatyard beach.

 

Day 7- Sea:

We took advantage of various talks and seminars on the sea day. There was an officers' presentation/Q&A in the centrum in the morning, featuring the captain, chief engineer, staff captain, hr manager, and hotel manager that was informative and interesting. We also attended a powerpoint and talk about the Save the Waves program, an info session done by the singers & dancers (was a simple Q&A with them sitting on the front edge of the stage and audience in the first few rows of the auditorium), and bought shirts to support RCL's Wishes at Sea program in support of the Make-A-Wish foundation.

 

Disembarkation Day:

We ended our trip with the Old and New San Juan City Tour with Airport Drop-Off ($35/pp). Disembarkation was pretty straight forward, we met in the lounge and then someone came and told us our group was to disembark. The lines for the CBP took about a half hour, and there was an option to request assistance from a porter, which landed you in a much shorter line. We weren't really in a rush, as we had the tour booked and a 3:30 pm flight.

 

The tour consisted of a drive to OSJ, about an hour at San Cristobal fort, about an hour to shop OSJ, and then a narrated drive through SJU and then we were dropped off at the airport about 1 pm. Agriculture check took about 5 minutes, and then we checked in with our airline, dropped off the bags and headed to security. One oddity to note, SJU airport didn't have a priority TSA line running and we waited for about 15 minutes to clear TSA. There was TSA PreCheck, but the frequent flier/Premium cabin line was closed. Not a major problem for us, but if you're trying to catch an early flight be warned you might not be able to count on priority TSA lines even if you're a frequent flier or on a first/business class ticket.

 

We closed out our time in SJU by grabbing lunch at the margaritaville restaurant before making our way to the gate for our flight.

 

Dining Experiences:

-We were unimpressed with the MDR menus, although the menus seemed to get progressively better throughout the cruise. As a cutback, service is now designed for 1 appetizer, an entree, and then dessert. I routinely ordered 2 apps and was never denied, however the pacing was off about 50% of the time, with the first and 2nd app being served either together, or the 2nd app being served with my entree, and the other half the time being served properly as 4 courses. Waiter and asst waiter were both very friendly, and otherwise fantastic. Although lobster appears as an additional fee item on the menu every night, they did serve both lobster and escargot on the regular menu once during the cruise (escargot was formal night #1, formal night 2 had a pretty blasé menu, and lobster was served on the last night).

 

-Windjammer food was perfectly fine quality wise, but seemed very repetitive by day 3. My major complaint was that smoked salmon was only abundantly available on something like the 4th morning, and I saw evidence it had been out (empty tray and a small piece sitting on the side of the buffet table) on the 5th morning, but otherwise nada.

 

-Breakfast in the MDR was great, and I'd highly recommend if time/schedule permits.

 

-In summary, no meal was terrible, but we were only impressed by a handful (~3) of meals, and we had one MDR dinner that was followed up by a visit to the sea view cafe for a midnight snack (ps, we were in the 2nd seating).

 

On board experience:

-Staff customer service and friendliness were top notch throughout the cruise!

-Live musicians and guest performers were all quite good, with the dancers at or above average, and the singers fine but not spectacular. I was surprised at the lack of vocal range for some of the vocalists, and it was exacerbated by some of the song choices used in the West End to Broadway show, where they featured songs from both Phantom and Les Mis that require some pretty significant vocal chops. I suspect they took advantage of some sound processing tweaks for a few of the songs too. To sum up the live performances, I would describe as perfectly adequate, but I would not choose (or avoid) RCL based on the live performances.

 

-Evening entertainment seemed to focus on DJs and dancing, with a few events like the Quest and Love & Marriage thrown in.

 

-We were surprised by how much music and dancing was done in the centrum. And wondered just how loud the cabins nearest to centrum would be?

 

-Announcements were done first in English and then in Spanish.

 

-Beach towel system on RCL was horrible, but a recent post here on CC indicates that a new policy just rolled out. In short, you pick up towels on the pool deck and have to exchange, and eventually return them there. DW said no big deal, but I likened it to the idea that we should bus our own tables in the Wind Jammer. <shrug>

 

In summary:

San Juan is a great port of departure and I encourage guests to consider an extra day pre (and maybe even post) cruise to relax and explore. Sailing out of SJU offers great itineraries with fewer sea days, and the Jewel had great staff & service, food was fine, entertainment was a little inconsistent but overall good. Although, we'll likely try Celebrity Summit if we do a similar trip next year, this vacation was relaxing and I'd be happy to cruise with RCL (and on Jewel) again if the price or itinerary was too good to pass up.

Edited January 2, 2014 by jb008

[The Big Booper]

Thanks for the review. We are sailing on the Jewel in July. Do you have some background in theater, considering your very specific analysis of the singers?

 

You said you were from New York and your location says WNY. Is that West New York, New Jersey? I used to have 2 clients in that city.

Edited January 2, 2014 by The Big Booper

[jb008]

Thanks for the review. We are sailing on the Jewel in July. Do you have some background in theater, considering your very specific analysis of the singers?

 

You said you were from New York and your location says WNY. Is that West New York, New Jersey? I used to have 2 clients in that city.

 

Not an extensive background in theater, but had the luck to live in NYC for a while and see a number of broadway shows live (including several that were sampled in the production show) and a few professional operas. Although I also grew up playing viola and have some family who were semi-professional musicians. The singers were in tune, but didn't have an extensive vocal range - by itself not a problem, however some of the production theater songs chosen really called out the limited vocal range (and at a few points in songs both the male and female vocals together went much higher pitch than either had demonstrated previously, but without the natural range expected). I think I was just a little bored and am OCD enough to notice it (sentence added in edit).

 

Also kind of moot, as I forgot to add that the singers and dancers only had about a month left on their contracts. By July it'll be a whole new set of performers.

 

Regarding your WNY question, Western NY, aka Finger Lakes region. Not West of NY© :)

Edited January 2, 2014 by jb008

[mommie_2_3_krazy_teens]

Thank you for the review! I liked your details!

 

What night were the formal nights? Was lobster served both those nights? I am trying to decide if and when to have dinner at Chops?

 

Also, do you recall any information about a guided behind the scenes tour of the ship? I would love to get this as a birthday gift for my son.

 

We are considering zip lining in St. Kitts, did you meet any passengers who did this excursion? Do you recall any feedback?

 

Lastly, do you remember at what time you were off the ship with all of your luggage on disembarking day?

 

THANK YOU!!! :D

[jb008]

Glad you found my posts helpful!

 

In reply to your questions:

Day 1 (SJU) - Casual

Day 2 (Tortola) - Formal

Day 3 (St. Maarten) - Smart Casual/50's & 60's Rock n Roll

Day 4 (St Kitts) - Casual/White (with the "White" party on deck about 11pm)

Day 5 (Dominica) - Formal

Day 6 - Smart Casual/70's

Day 7 - Casual

 

Lobster was available as an additional fee item in the MDR every night, and was only served for free on Day 6 (*I actually had it wrong in my initial writeup where I'd said Day 7) as part of a "Fisherman's Platter", which included lobster tail and shrimp - both of which were excellent. I asked for 2 platters and they instead added a 2nd tail to my platter :)

 

Unfortunately I never saw a behind the scenes tour offered, I'd heard someone mention signup being offered on day 1 or 2 through guest services. DW and I had done it with another line and weren't really willing to pay to do it again so soon.

 

I didn't talk to anyone who did the zip lining, but the video descriptions through the TV did look pretty cool! It is a "high activity" excursion, and the weight limits are supposedly adhered to closely for safety.

 

We disembarked the ship about 7:45 AM as part of the RCL organized excursions (told to assemble at 7:30 AM in the main theater). We hit a snafu of one of our bags being in the wrong spots inside the terminal pre-CBP, so we weren't in line with luggage until ~8:20 AM, and cleared that no later than 9 AM. If in a rush, there are porters that will carry your bags and gets you access to a shorter porter only line.

 

I typed up the disembarkation groups below for your information.

 

7-7:15 AM - Self Assist

7:15 AM - Groups 1 & 2 (Pre-Registered Early Flights Only)

7:20 AM - Groups 3 & 4

7:30 AM - Groups 7 & 8 (RCI Shore Excursions)

8:15 AM - Groups 9 & 10

8:30 AM - Groups 11 & 12

8:45 AM - Groups 15 & 16

9:00 AM - Groups 17 & 18

9:15 AM - Groups 19 & 20

9:30 AM - Groups 21 & 22

9:45 AM - Groups 23 & 24

9:50 AM - Groups 25 & 26

[mommie_2_3_krazy_teens]

Glad you found my posts helpful!

 

In reply to your questions:

Day 1 (SJU) - Casual

Day 2 (Tortola) - Formal

Day 3 (St. Maarten) - Smart Casual/50's & 60's Rock n Roll

Day 4 (St Kitts) - Casual/White (with the "White" party on deck about 11pm)

Day 5 (Dominica) - Formal

Day 6 - Smart Casual/70's

Day 7 - Casual

 

Lobster was available as an additional fee item in the MDR every night, and was only served for free on Day 6 (*I actually had it wrong in my initial writeup where I'd said Day 7) as part of a "Fisherman's Platter", which included lobster tail and shrimp - both of which were excellent. I asked for 2 platters and they instead added a 2nd tail to my platter :)

 

Unfortunately I never saw a behind the scenes tour offered, I'd heard someone mention signup being offered on day 1 or 2 through guest services. DW and I had done it with another line and weren't really willing to pay to do it again so soon.

 

I didn't talk to anyone who did the zip lining, but the video descriptions through the TV did look pretty cool! It is a "high activity" excursion, and the weight limits are supposedly adhered to closely for safety.

 

We disembarked the ship about 7:45 AM as part of the RCL organized excursions (told to assemble at 7:30 AM in the main theater). We hit a snafu of one of our bags being in the wrong spots inside the terminal pre-CBP, so we weren't in line with luggage until ~8:20 AM, and cleared that no later than 9 AM. If in a rush, there are porters that will carry your bags and gets you access to a shorter porter only line.

 

I typed up the disembarkation groups below for your information.

 

7-7:15 AM - Self Assist

7:15 AM - Groups 1 & 2 (Pre-Registered Early Flights Only)

7:20 AM - Groups 3 & 4

7:30 AM - Groups 7 & 8 (RCI Shore Excursions)

8:15 AM - Groups 9 & 10

8:30 AM - Groups 11 & 12

8:45 AM - Groups 15 & 16

9:00 AM - Groups 17 & 18

9:15 AM - Groups 19 & 20

9:30 AM - Groups 21 & 22

9:45 AM - Groups 23 & 24

9:50 AM - Groups 25 & 26

 

Thanks for all of the detailed answers, I sincerely appreciate it! Another question: What time was the muster drill on Saturday?

[kcdancerkc]

I don't remember what time the muster drill was - around 8:30?

 

The one thing that wasn't fun for us, in our review, is that our "disembarkation" was 8:45 am - but they stuck us in that lounge, not enough chairs, not enough water - and we were stuck there for over an hour - so be prepared! First time in several cruses that we felt perturbed.... could have slept another hour! Was our first Royal cruise - hope is not always that way!

 

On our last carnival ship, we waited in a hammock, munching on breakfast on the aft deck outside

till they called our numbers, and we didn't HAVE to wait in any specified Room.

Edited January 4, 2014 by kcdancerkc

[jb008]

Muster was 8 pm, with a warning about 15 minutes prior. We went straight from muster to dinner (and I believe many from the early seating came directly from dinner). Life jackets weren't required to be carried to muster, but were demoed by cruise staff.

 

Roll call was taken via paper checklist, and missing names were double checked by being called aloud by staff before security was presumably sent to come look for you.

[jb008]

I also saved the Cruise Compass from all days and have many of the other miscellaneous documents tucked into a manilla folder as well. I did look for something about the behind the scenes ship tour before I replied to the earlier question and didn't see it mentioned in either Day 1 or Day 2 compasses fwiw.

 

That tour is definitely worth trying to get info on, we loved it when we did it with Princess, and it was well worth the $ to get a peek at what happens behind the scenes.

[jb008]

I don't remember what time the muster drill was - around 8:30?

 

The one thing that wasn't fun for us, in our review, is that our "disembarkation" was 8:45 am - but they stuck us in that lounge, not enough chairs, not enough water - and we were stuck there for over an hour - so be prepared! First time in several cruses that we felt perturbed.... could have slept another hour! Was our first Royal cruise - hope is not always that way!

 

On our last carnival ship, we waited in a hammock, munching on breakfast on the aft deck outside

till they called our numbers, and we didn't HAVE to wait in any specified Room.

 

On our last cruise with another line, we had a slightly later breakfast and didn't make it to the rendezvous until after our group had already been called, so we basically just got there and said "Sorry we're late, long lines at breakfast, can we just head off now?" and were sent on our way. Anyone has experience with how RCL would treat a similar approach? The only reason we tried to be prompt this time was because of the excursion and we'd hate to be the cause of everyone else waiting on us.

[Familygoboston]

Nice job!! Thanks!!

 

It's a well kept secret that they are not going to "prevent you" from leaving the ship later than your group; ( and honestly, if you go earlier, you won't be stopped...but your luggage may not be "out" yet) so if you are running late and your "group" has already been called, just head out...worst that can happen is they say "Im so sorry you can't leave, you must sail another week with us" :D:D

 

Sounds like you had a great trip!!:D

Edited January 5, 2014 by Familygoboston

[derekmcsd]

You mentioned during disembarkation being jammed in a small area. For some reason royal does that to all first timers. As soon as you cruise one time you are gold status and have a decent lounge to leave from. Our first cruise we were stuck in an ice rink for over an hour.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Marylandteachergirl]

It looks like you took the ship sponsored (RCI) excursion to The Baths in Tortola. I am undecided between booking this and the independent ferry, Speedy's or Smith's.

 

Did you feel the excursion was overly rushed and crowded, or did you get to see/do what you wanted at The Baths?

 

Thank you so much!!!

[jb008]

It looks like you took the ship sponsored (RCI) excursion to The Baths in Tortola. I am undecided between booking this and the independent ferry, Speedy's or Smith's.

 

Did you feel the excursion was overly rushed and crowded, or did you get to see/do what you wanted at The Baths?

 

Thank you so much!!!

 

That is correct that we did the baths through the ship excursions. I think the biggest difference was that we had a larger ferry than some of the private operators who used smaller boats for the trip. We also had a fairly good sized group navigating the actual bath paths through the rocks/boulders. We didn't feel rushed or crowded though and had about 1.5-2 hours of unstructured beach time, split with 1/3 before the rock paths and 2/3 after. Think of it as beach... rock tour... beach.

 

I could have happily spent DAYS on the beach there, but as a cruiser we didn't get that option :)

 

I'm glad that my writeup and the replies are helpful!

Edited January 5, 2014 by jb008

[mommie_2_3_krazy_teens]

That is correct that we did the baths through the ship excursions. I think the biggest difference was that we had a larger ferry than some of the private operators who used smaller boats for the trip. We also had a fairly good sized group navigating the actual bath paths through the rocks/boulders. We didn't feel rushed or crowded though and had about 1.5-2 hours of unstructured beach time, split with 1/3 before the rock paths and 2/3 after. Think of it as beach... rock tour... beach.

 

I could have happily spent DAYS on the beach there, but as a cruiser we didn't get that option :)

 

I'm glad that my writeup and the replies are helpful!

 

Thank you again for all of the useful information.

 

We are also considering the ship's Bath's tour...I am curious: The ferry takes you to a location (to land or beach?), and then you walk through the rocks? The rocks are in the water, correct? (If I am wrong, please feel free to correct).

 

I ask because we have a daughter who wears a leg brace. Without it, she walks on her very tip toes, and does OK. When on land, she is in a brace with tennis shoes. When she is in water, she is barefoot and tip toed on the one foot (though I did purchase her some stretchy water shoes for this trip which may protect her toes). Knowing all of this information, do you think that this is a tour that she will be able to navigate? She is otherwise fit and healthy...she was born with a leg length discrepancy and a club foot that has caused her ankle/foot to be this way. I guess, what I am asking is: What is the actual terrain when going through the rocks. Is it land or water or BOTH? Do you think a strong smart 15 year old with a leg/foot disability can manage it? Thanks for your input. I know ultimately it will be up to us, but I really want to have a good idea about some of this. I would hate for us to miss a once in a lifetime thing if it is something that she may be able to manage. Her dad and brother can also lift her easily if needed (she's about 110 lbs) Much thanks for your candid take on this tour. This has been the most useful information I have found, and I am very appreciative!!!!

[scomar]

Thank you again for all of the useful information.

 

We are also considering the ship's Bath's tour...I am curious: The ferry takes you to a location (to land or beach?), and then you walk through the rocks? The rocks are in the water, correct? (If I am wrong, please feel free to correct).

 

I ask because we have a daughter who wears a leg brace. Without it, she walks on her very tip toes, and does OK. When on land, she is in a brace with tennis shoes. When she is in water, she is barefoot and tip toed on the one foot (though I did purchase her some stretchy water shoes for this trip which may protect her toes). Knowing all of this information, do you think that this is a tour that she will be able to navigate? She is otherwise fit and healthy...she was born with a leg length discrepancy and a club foot that has caused her ankle/foot to be this way. I guess, what I am asking is: What is the actual terrain when going through the rocks. Is it land or water or BOTH? Do you think a strong smart 15 year old with a leg/foot disability can manage it? Thanks for your input. I know ultimately it will be up to us, but I really want to have a good idea about some of this. I would hate for us to miss a once in a lifetime thing if it is something that she may be able to manage. Her dad and brother can also lift her easily if needed (she's about 110 lbs) Much thanks for your candid take on this tour. This has been the most useful information I have found, and I am very appreciative!!!!

 

I was on the same cruise as the OP and we did the Baths as well, although we did the Baths with a private tour guide, which will not matter for the question you have asked. I personally think she would not have too much problem, especially since you have help of her dad and brother. There are a few ladders you have to go up and a steep incline you have to transverse with the help of a rope. The Baths are definitely something that should not be missed. I guess you can try it and if it is too much just turn around and go back. I think the whole trail took about 15 or 20 minutes for my wife and I to go through. Here are a few photos of us going through so you can see what the narrow areas are like:

[mommie_2_3_krazy_teens]

I was on the same cruise as the OP and we did the Baths as well, although we did the Baths with a private tour guide, which will not matter for the question you have asked. I personally think she would not have too much problem, especially since you have help of her dad and brother. There are a few ladders you have to go up and a steep incline you have to transverse with the help of a rope. The Baths are definitely something that should not be missed. I guess you can try it and if it is too much just turn around and go back. I think the whole trail took about 15 or 20 minutes for my wife and I to go through. Here are a few photos of us going through so you can see what the narrow areas are like:

 

This is so awesome!! I really appreciate how helpful so many on this site are!!! Did you and your wife wear water shoes the whole time then? Also, if you had to carry a backpack, would it stay dry as you went through the rocks and the trail?

[codyboy]

160 per night orper person?k

[scomar]

This is so awesome!! I really appreciate how helpful so many on this site are!!! Did you and your wife wear water shoes the whole time then? Also, if you had to carry a backpack, would it stay dry as you went through the rocks and the trail?

 

We just had a beach bag made of netting and nothing got wet for us. You would have to take the backpack on and off to get through some of the narrow areas

[kcdancerkc]

yes, water shoes helped us greatly!

 

We did a private tour also, I think we had more time than the cruise people....I think we at least 2 more hours than they had.

 

Once we got back thru and ate some lunch, somebody told us there was a shortcut thru to devils bay (gorgeous beach at the end of the boulders) -

 

, but I don't know how long it takes for the short cut, or how much you miss out on by taking that way!

 

I think it took us more like 30 minutes or more, but hubby took pictures, and took our time - some people were going faster than we were, but we were kind of exploring nooks and crannies on the way - this place is a bucket list item for sure!

 

Bought a tshirt at the top, at the end in one of the little shops.

Edited January 5, 2014 by kcdancerkc

[jb008]

For our tour we caught buses from the ferry pier to the parking lot at the top of the baths. Then we had a ~10 minute hike down to the beach. You then navigate from one beach to the other by walking through the boulders (there's another path that skips the rocks and just goes through the woods and is normal trails that connects the two beaches). She also could wear the brace and tennis shoes down to the beach, and then again from the beach back up to the parking space.

 

I actually went barefoot when I walked through the boulders and carried my shoes - there were a few spots that were a little rocky, but I was getting small pebbles and sand into my shoes and was more uncomfortable with them on. I carried a small backpack that was easy to keep dry, though I did have to take it off a few times to get through some lower spots. It's similar to walking the sea shore and sort of walking into and out of water up to about 8 inches deep. I'd think she'd be fine - the only issue might be that there's a few spots that would be single file, but she should be fine. I'll try to post some pictures from our hike through.

 

@Codyboy - hotel was $160 for one night, double occupancy - the rooms are suite style (hence embassy suites) so I think you could fit a 3rd and 4th person with reasonably comfort, but might have a small fee for the >2 people. The $160 includes tax and the resort fee.

Edited January 5, 2014 by jb008

[Fast_Camaro]

Deleted - wrong thread. Sorry.

Edited January 5, 2014 by Fast_Camaro
Wrong thread

[jb008]

Path up from the baths:

 

 

 

Beach names and parking area if you wanted to look the spots up

 

 

 

 

An example of one of the tightest spots:

 

[lovelife]

You mentioned during disembarkation being jammed in a small area. For some reason royal does that to all first timers. As soon as you cruise one time you are gold status and have a decent lounge to leave from. Our first cruise we were stuck in an ice rink for over an hour.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Funny! We recenty waited in the ice rink for departure from our 21st cruise!

[stinkboat1]

Glad you found my posts helpful!

 

In reply to your questions:

Day 1 (SJU) - Casual

Day 2 (Tortola) - Formal

Day 3 (St. Maarten) - Smart Casual/50's & 60's Rock n Roll

Day 4 (St Kitts) - Casual/White (with the "White" party on deck about 11pm)

Day 5 (Dominica) - Formal

Day 6 - Smart Casual/70's

Day 7 - Casual

 

Lobster was available as an additional fee item in the MDR every night, and was only served for free on Day 6 (*I actually had it wrong in my initial writeup where I'd said Day 7) as part of a "Fisherman's Platter", which included lobster tail and shrimp - both of which were excellent. I asked for 2 platters and they instead added a 2nd tail to my platter :)

 

Unfortunately I never saw a behind the scenes tour offered, I'd heard someone mention signup being offered on day 1 or 2 through guest services. DW and I had done it with another line and weren't really willing to pay to do it again so soon.

 

I didn't talk to anyone who did the zip lining, but the video descriptions through the TV did look pretty cool! It is a "high activity" excursion, and the weight limits are supposedly adhered to closely for safety.

 

We disembarked the ship about 7:45 AM as part of the RCL organized excursions (told to assemble at 7:30 AM in the main theater). We hit a snafu of one of our bags being in the wrong spots inside the terminal pre-CBP, so we weren't in line with luggage until ~8:20 AM, and cleared that no later than 9 AM. If in a rush, there are porters that will carry your bags and gets you access to a shorter porter only line.

 

I typed up the disembarkation groups below for your information.

 

7-7:15 AM - Self Assist

7:15 AM - Groups 1 & 2 (Pre-Registered Early Flights Only)

7:20 AM - Groups 3 & 4

7:30 AM - Groups 7 & 8 (RCI Shore Excursions)

8:15 AM - Groups 9 & 10

8:30 AM - Groups 11 & 12

8:45 AM - Groups 15 & 16

9:00 AM - Groups 17 & 18

9:15 AM - Groups 19 & 20

9:30 AM - Groups 21 & 22

9:45 AM - Groups 23 & 24

9:50 AM - Groups 25 & 26

We have an early flight (11:30 a.m.) out of San Juan in May. I see Disembarkation Groups 1 & 2 are for pre-registered early flights only - how do you sign up for this? And would you advise using the porters to make it even faster?