Jewel of the Seas Review 3-10 May So. Caribbean

[surfnsun]

This is the AZ flag you mentioned.

 

 

Oh yes, I remember! DH mistook it for a North Dakota flag. LOL :D

[Familygoboston]

 

Then, one of the female bartenders actually made a flower. She took a straw and attached the flower made with a tissue knapkin and dipped it in grenadine and it even smelled really good. Can I get a big awwwwww here?: :)

 

 

It brought me to tears and she presented it to me with her husband who is an assistant waiter in the dining room. It was their last cruise on the way home for two months were they could see their son, Rome. He was conceived in...you guessed it...Rome! Their next cruise is an Alaskan cruise and they hope to name their next children Juno! :) I tipped Rome $20.00. :)

 

Awww, what a great story!

 

Also, I love that you found the co workers mom! What did co worker say about it when he saw your pics? Usually, these islands ARE pretty small and most times folks do know or at least know of eachother. :D

 

BTW- thanks for your kind words...I'm am always humbled when people tell me they've read my reviews and enjoyed them:o

Edited May 14, 2014 by Familygoboston

[surfnsun]

Awww, what a great story!

 

Also, I love that you found the co workers mom! What did co worker say about it when he saw your pics? Usually, these islands ARE pretty small and most times folks do know or at least know of eachother. :D

 

BTW- thanks for your kind words...I'm am always humbled when people tell me they've read my reviews and enjoyed them:o

 

Thank you! The day was priceless (albeit I doubled her fare) and the coworker was very surprised and thankful and loved it!

 

You deserve the compliments as you have outstanding reviews! I would love it if you would share the link here for other Jewel folks to enjoy!

[surfnsun]

A little more about the snorkeling on Long Bay....it was very easy to snorkel here. The water is calm and crystal clear and there are tunnel like gulley's guiding you along the way. Here is another video I had difficulty loading last night. Not a lot of fish but intended to just give you more a feel of the experience.

 

One more thing...I've read a lot of complaints about annoying vendors on many beaches in Antigua. There were none here walking the beaches.

 

http://tinypic.com/usermedia.php?uo=fNkd6hpTbcNjOi3OgvAj5Ih4l5k2TGxc#.U3MqtWdOWP8

 

OK..on to a few ship photos as I'm sure some of you have been holding your breath to see. Thank you for your patience.:)

[surfnsun]

The centrum area is very much the heartbeat of the ship. It's not real large in terms of circumference but it does extend from deck 4 (I think) all the way up to deck 12 so it is very tall and impressive. Here are some photos of the centrum area I took one evening. Pretty sure I took these from deck 6:

 

 

 

 

 

[surfnsun]

 

 

[surfnsun]

Here is one in the daytime looking at it from the top down from deck 12 all the way down to deck 4. To help put it in perspective, those small blue squares at the bottom of the photo are chairs configured differently than normal to accommodate a few activities coming up that day like the animal towel folding demonstration and others. Probably would have been a better photo if I stood on the top of the glass but I was only brave enough to lean forward:

 

[surfnsun]

So...if you remember my last installment was finding John Jacob's mom and now we headed to find his retirement home. We got a little lost so DH asked some friendly neighbors and they knew right where to go. And finally we found the home.

 

Friendly neighbors:

 

 

And the home. Emelda is on the phone telling everyone we found it. LOL:

 

[surfnsun]

Finishing the wrap up for day 4 with a little food porn. Escargot, shrimp cocktail and the waiter surprised us with a cheese plate that I don't think was on the menu and I don't recall others having it:

 

 

Tonight will be our St. Lucia excursion. This is our favorite island and we were extremely pleased with our excursion. I think at least two of you are looking for something to do and you may really like this one, so hang with me until this evening as I don't think you'll be disappointed. :) Lots of pics and five videos.

[mychild]

Once again I want to thank you for posting this review!! I have never done this itinerary and will be In March. I am taking notes on everything you have posted!!!! I really appreciate it!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

[surfnsun]

Once again I want to thank you for posting this review!! I have never done this itinerary and will be In March. I am taking notes on everything you have posted!!!! I really appreciate it!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

 

Thank you for your post and comments. It makes me very happy to know I am helping with your future cruise planning. :)

[BillOh]

Excursions: We had planned excursions on every port. Actually, a long story, but we had to change a few of our excursions at the last minute as I started having issues with the disks in my neck (must be a mid-50s issue)

 

I can't imagine having to change excursions because of spinal issues ;)

[BillOh]

We took Southwest non-stop to San Juan to arrive 30 April which was three days...yes...THREE days before our 3 May departure!.

 

It was tough, but encouraging seeing your OSJ pics with 2 work days left to go!

[surfnsun]

I can't imagine having to change excursions because of spinal issues ;)

 

Hi Bill! Thanks for stopping by! Yea I felt like we really had something in common with similar issues. ;)

 

Folks - meet Bill who started our roll call and kept it going for months making it one of the most popular pre cruise roll calls. He also has a review going now so you can enjoy a symphony jewel review experience. :)

[BillOh]

Hey again surfnsun! What did you do in St. Lucia? I am stuck there. I planned some fun stuff for other stops. Please help! Thanks!

 

We did the Soufries Volcano tour. It was fun, but lots of time of a bus on some pretty windy roads.

[thefamilytravelagent]

Hi. I'm really loving your review. It's been so helpful! We're planning a Southern Caribbean on the Jewel next year.

 

I was wondering if the place at Long Bay beach in Antigua was a hotel or a beach club just a bar/restaurant? Do you happen to know what the charge is for an umbrella and a couple chairs for the day? Did you eat or drink anything while there?

 

Thanks so much! :)

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

I will post of my experience with what I think you are looking for. I did the cocounut beach club in Antigua. It was awesome. $45/pp includes use of all facilities including beach chairs and palm umbrella's, full buffet lunch and all you can drink from the bar. A fun day.

 

link to their website http://www.coconutbeachclub.com/

Edited May 14, 2014 by AZ Karaoke Girl

[luvtravel88]

Today marked the first day of several guided tours during this vacation. I knew we wanted to do the rainforest and was having difficulty deciding which company to book. So I asked the El Convento for a recommendation and they stated I could book through them and they would arrange it with E&B Tours. I was happy we did it this way. It costs $62.00 per person for the half day rainforest with no beach at the end, which meant we left at 9am and returned about 230pm instead of about 430pm. The driver picked us up at El Convento at 9am which was very convenient. I'd not found any company that would come to the hotel and I suppose that is because the hotels want you to book through them. Worked for us. We swung by LaConcha to pick up several other folks and headed off to the rainforest with a full van of about 13 people and a great tour guide named Joey. He wore a headset with speaker the whole time so it was easy for all the hear him in the van.

 

We will be in San Juan in August for 3 days pre cruise as well and were looking for a tour to El Yunque. It was a difficult decision, but we have booked with Acampa. They also will pick you up at your hotel and their trip is from 7:30am-1:00pm so you still have all afternoon and evening to do something else.

[thefamilytravelagent]

I will post of my experience with what I think you are looking for. I did the cocounut beach club in Antigua. It was awesome. $45/pp includes use of all facilities including beach chairs and palm umbrella's, full buffet lunch and all you can drink from the bar. A fun day.

 

link to their website http://www.coconutbeachclub.com/

 

Wow that looks great. It reminds me of our day in Cozumel at Nachi Cocom. Did you just show up and pay or did you reserve online? I couldn't find a spot on the website that mentioned just staying for the day. All I saw was the spot to reserve a room at the hotel.

Oh and do you happen to know if (well behaved) children are allowed?

Thanks.

Edited May 14, 2014 by thefamilytravelagent

[Hydrophilic]

I am really enjoying your review. You are bringing back some wonderful memories. Thank you. My husband and I sailed Serenade out of San Juan about (oh gosh, can it be?) 8 years ago. (It was our last cruise before we had children.) We love Old San Juan, El Convento, and the Southern Itinerary. We have cruised twice since then (5-day Brilliance, Western Caribbean, kids in tow and a 5-day to Bermuda blissfully alone), but our Serenade cruise remains very special to me. Reading your review makes me want to try to talk my husband into a Summer 2016 sailing... In addition to the three cruises we already have planned! Hmm... August 2016 will be our "13-year anniversary". That is worth celebrating with a cruise, right? Thank you again!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[MDSue]

Hello from another Tanzanite addicted cruiser who recently finished a review of the Jewel, spent 3 days on OSJ, didn't do any ship shows, and posted pictures almost identical to yours. We also took the rainforest tour through E&B tours, but I chickened out when it came to hiking to the waterfall. I recently recovered from back surgery and my sister has bad knees and we weren't sure we'd make the hike back up. I'm also from Suburban MD.

 

I'm loving your review- it's like Deja-vu for me, and letting me re-live my wonderful vacation through your eyes.

 

My sister and I stayed at Plaza De Armas, visited El Morro, and many of the other locations you did. We spent time near El Convento and I always wondered what the inside was like.

 

We did another itinerary, but otherwise had very similar experiences.

 

Thanks for sharing. I was having vacation withdrawal and your review is a fun remedy!

Edited May 14, 2014 by MDSue

[surfnsun]

Hi. I'm really loving your review. It's been so helpful! We're planning a Southern Caribbean on the Jewel next year.

 

I was wondering if the place at Long Bay beach in Antigua was a hotel or a beach club just a bar/restaurant? Do you happen to know what the charge is for an umbrella and a couple chairs for the day? Did you eat or drink anything while there?

 

Thanks so much! :)

 

Hi! I'm very glad the review is helpful and thank you for your comments and question. :)

 

I don't believe Long Bay had a resort right on the beach so no facilities similar to a day pass type beach option like Lisa described. The umbrella and two chairs we rented was $10 and the snorkel gear for two was $10 as well. This is the one beach that we did not have lunch (which...now that I think about it...explains the two plates of food we had at the Windjammer. :eek::D). And I pretty much stayed in the water and snorkeled the whole time so I don't think I had very many refreshments either.

[surfnsun]

We will be in San Juan in August for 3 days pre cruise as well and were looking for a tour to El Yunque. It was a difficult decision, but we have booked with Acampa. They also will pick you up at your hotel and their trip is from 7:30am-1:00pm so you still have all afternoon and evening to do something else.

 

That sounds great! One reason we didn't include the beach option with ours is because we wanted time to do other things in San Juan, so your option is definitely a good one. Besides, I imagine August will be very warm so the earlier start the better.

[surfnsun]

I am really enjoying your review. You are bringing back some wonderful memories. Thank you. My husband and I sailed Serenade out of San Juan about (oh gosh, can it be?) 8 years ago. (It was our last cruise before we had children.) We love Old San Juan, El Convento, and the Southern Itinerary. We have cruised twice since then (5-day Brilliance, Western Caribbean, kids in tow and a 5-day to Bermuda blissfully alone), but our Serenade cruise remains very special to me. Reading your review makes me want to try to talk my husband into a Summer 2016 sailing... In addition to the three cruises we already have planned! Hmm... August 2016 will be our "13-year anniversary". That is worth celebrating with a cruise, right? Thank you again!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Most definitely you have the right idea! :D:) Our first cruise together was similar to this one and that was 10 years ago. Oh my, how time does fly. I would say that first one and this one ranks right up there in the top two. :D

[surfnsun]

Hello from another Tanzanite addicted cruiser who recently finished a review of the Jewel, spent 3 days on OSJ, didn't do any ship shows, and posted pictures almost identical to yours. We also took the rainforest tour through E&B tours, but I chickened out when it came to hiking to the waterfall. I recently recovered from back surgery and my sister has bad knees and we weren't sure we'd make the hike back up. I'm also from Suburban MD.

 

I'm loving your review- it's like Deja-vu for me, and letting me re-live my wonderful vacation through your eyes.

 

My sister and I stayed at Plaza De Armas, visited El Morro, and many of the other locations you did. We spent time near El Convento and I always wondered what the inside was like.

 

We did another itinerary, but otherwise had very similar experiences.

 

Thanks for sharing. I was having vacation withdrawal and your review is a fun remedy!

 

Hi MDSue! I very much remember your review as it's the last one I read before our departure. It was much needed and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Another outstanding review and I think I posted on your review thread shortly before we left thanking you as well! :):)

 

We have much in common it seems and I'm glad I'm helping with your cruise withdrawal.

 

P.S. Maryland rocks!!!! :D