Just off Jewel of the Seas, Any Questions?

[lexingtonave]

I sailed Jewel on 1/24. Just returned on Sunday. It was a wonderful cruise, loved our ports, and the crew was great. There were many people who did not make the cruise due to the winter storm that hit the east coast. Crew members said it was in the hundreds. Hope they had insurance.

 

If anyone has questions, if I can help I will be happy to respond.

[cruizeblues]

Which islands did you visit and what excursions did you do? Trying to plan my upcoming cruise on Adventure 😄

[rsharp83]

We were on Jewel the week before. One crew member told us they were expecting more than 800 people to miss the sailing. Did the ship seem to be less crowded or only partially full? I would think that if 800 people were missing it would be noticeable.

 

Also you had a big drug bust to start your cruise. Any info on that or did you even know that occurred?

[ValerieJo]

Did they offer the Specialty Dining discount deals once you were on board? Did they have shrimp cocktail available every night?

 

Thanks for taking the time to post.

[ParRoo]

Does the Jewel have freestyle machines?

[Clarea]

Does the Jewel have freestyle machines?

Yes.

[rsharp83]

Does the Jewel have freestyle machines?

 

Yes -- However there were only 2 of them that I ever found and both were located in the Wind Jammer. So not always accessible.

[ParRoo]

Thanks. Do you know if the bars carried Smirnoff Ice, Mikes Hard or any other coolers?

 

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

[lexingtonave]

On our trip we visited Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, ST. Maarten and St. Croix. We did not do any excursions because we have visited these island before. We headed to a beach every day.

Barbados-Tiki Bar at Accra Beach

St. Lucia- The Lucian

Antigua-Friars Beach

St. Maarten- Mullett Bay

St. Croix- The Sand Castle

 

I was not aware of a drug bust.

 

Discounts for speciality dining were available on our embarkation day.

 

We did not have any shrimp cocktail. I asked our server and was told it was not available. I learned from another crew member that it was available on day 6 and 7 if you asked for it. It was not on any menu.

 

Freestyle machines were in the Windjammer.

 

I don't know if any coolers like Mike's hard lemonade are available.

 

Yes, the ship was much less crowded than usual. Many empty or half full tables in the MDR. On sea day, you could still find lounges at noon. Never thought I'd see that.

 

Hope this helps.

[ValerieJo]

Thank you for your input.

 

We've been to these islands before as well, with the exception of St. Croix. We are also doing Sandcastle Beach. Can you tell me a little about it? What we might expect? Is there a town within walking distance of the port to look around after we are done at the beach?

 

Thank you again.

[Clarea]

Thank you for your input.

 

We've been to these islands before as well, with the exception of St. Croix. We are also doing Sandcastle Beach. Can you tell me a little about it? What we might expect? Is there a town within walking distance of the port to look around after we are done at the beach?

 

Thank you again.

In St. Croix, you dock right in the town of Frederiksted, within walking distance.

[lexingtonave]

Sand Castle is one of my favorite beaches. It is a small hotel, very near the cruise port. Round trip transportation is $6.00 per person. A van takes you and makes continuous trips throughout the day, The cost to rent an umbrella and two chairs is $20.00, but for $25.00 you also get two rum punches. When you are ready to return to the ship, just walk outside and wait. The van usually runs every 20 or 30 minutes.

I love the beach. You can snorkel or swim. There is also a small pool you can use. A restaurant and bar are also there. This is the one beach I always go to when in St. Croix.

The ship docks in Frederiksted so you can walk to the shops.

Have fun!

[sandyd29]

Glad to hear you enjoyed the cruise. We're on it Feb 14th and I have a few questions. What time can we board on Sunday? I read something about 1:00, does everyone have the same idea, get on for lunch? What time is the muster drill. I'm thinking its late since the ship leaves at 8:30. Also, do you think there's any chance catching the Daytona 500 on the ship?

[printingchick]

We did this same itinerary January 10-17 and loved it. We didn't go to Sandcastle Beach Resort on St. Croix this time, but we did on our last visit and I highly recommend. For those about to do this itinerary and trying to decide on excursions, here is a brief outline of what we did.

 

BARBADOS:

We chose Calabaza Catamaran. It was lovely and relaxing and the food was amazing. We could have skipped breakfast. They were serving food all day! Banana bread, humus and crackers, fresh fruit, a full hot lunch, deserts...

 

Our adult kids chose the half day excursion on Stiletto Catamaran. (Our son has dietary restrictions and would not have been able to eat the lunch.) They rated that excursion very highly as well.

 

ST. LUCIA:

We all did the Land & Sea Tour with Herod's and LOVED it. I highly recommend. Well worth the money - really excellent.

 

ANTIGUA:

We booked with Paddles, for a land/sea/snorkeling/kayaking excursion and it was fantastic. I'd done this excursion some 10+ years ago and remembered it fondly. You'll get a better price if you book direct. It's owned/run by a family who relocated to the island from Great Britain over 30 years ago.

 

ST. MAARTEN:

We toured with Bernard's (tour guide "DJ Dave") and I now see why this tour is so highly recommended. It was my son's very favorite port of call. For a 22-year-old to name an "island tour" as the BEST is saying a lot!

 

ST. CROIX:

We went to Buck Island with Big Beard's Buck Island Adventure. We did the full-day trip and so glad we did. Initially I was wishing we'd booked the half day, to give us more time to see other parts of the island. So glad we opted for the full day as it was a fabulous experience. PLUS, it was RAINING on the mainland, but NOT where we were! By the time we returned to shore for our BBQ lunch, the rain was departing. Perfect!

 

As for the logistical questions:

We boarded around 3:30, simply due to our late arrive to the port, so I can't say how crowded it was at 1:00. We were able to walk right on. Muster Drill was at 8:00. There is a sports pub on the ship with a lot of TVs. I suspect you can see a lot of the major sports events there.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Edited February 3, 2016 by printingchick

[sandyd29]

That sounds like a wonderful cruise, on our Feb 14th cruise we're doing different ports, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Aruba,Curacao, any excursion suggestions?

[sandyd29]

Also, what is there to do on Sea Days (other than relax), we're bringing our 20yr old DD, she's wondering about the gym, are there any classes offered, Zumba, Spin

[clarky213]

That sounds like a wonderful cruise, on our Feb 14th cruise we're doing different ports, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Aruba,Curacao, any excursion suggestions?

 

We done this route on 17th Jan. Our tours were:

 

St Thomas: Godfrey Tours Shop & Island Tour - Dropped us off in the Town for 2 hrs shopping then picked us up for a wonderful tour of the island. We did have the option of staying at Coki Beach for 2 hours, but we decided to return to the ship.

 

St Kitts :The Capital Tour and Beach Splash St Kitts" through Thenford Grey Tours. We had what turned out to be a private tour of the Port, very good tour guide. Then dropped us off at Reggae Beach Bar & Grill for approx 4 hours. We then had 2 other people who had returned on a boat from Nevis on our return to the ship

 

Aruba: Trikes Aruba. What more can I say...........Awesome!! Just do it:D

 

Curacao:Fun Beach Express, Sightseeing & Snorkel (RCCI Excursion) This was the only ship tour we booked and was actually great value for money.

Tour of the local area with a lovely old lady guide, then 2 hours snorkelling at Blue Bay Beach resort. Lovely beach , beds included in the price of the tour.

[sandyd29]

Thanks for the info, they all sound great. I think the one you did in Curacao I was thinking about booking. This is not our first cruise, but I've always been nervous about booking a private tour. How do you go about finding the good ones and not worry about being taken? The trike tour in Aruba sure looks like fun. Can the bikes fit 3 people.

[Clarea]

Thanks for the info, they all sound great. I think the one you did in Curacao I was thinking about booking. This is not our first cruise, but I've always been nervous about booking a private tour. How do you go about finding the good ones and not worry about being taken? The trike tour in Aruba sure looks like fun. Can the bikes fit 3 people.

Research. Check out Trip Advisor, and the Ports of Call forums here.

[clarky213]

Thanks for the info, they all sound great. I think the one you did in Curacao I was thinking about booking. This is not our first cruise, but I've always been nervous about booking a private tour. How do you go about finding the good ones and not worry about being taken? The trike tour in Aruba sure looks like fun. Can the bikes fit 3 people.

 

My first three tours were all recommended in another review, I'd actually already planned the first two so to see them get a good review helped me make my decision.

 

For Aruba, I originally booked a ship tour. but after reading the review of the Trikes, I had to give it a go. Yes, they do have Trikes that take 3 passengers.

 

I have arranged private tours on both my Caribbean Cruises without any worries, as Bob says, read reviews on Trip Adviser and also in the Ports forums.

[sandyd29]

Thanks for the info, I'll check it out.

[lexingtonave]

We were at the port by 11:00am. No lines. Got right on and checked in. We were sitting by the pool at 11:20.

Dining in the main dining room was moved to 5:30 on this day only, due to the muster drill. The drill was at 8:00pm. Late seating was at 8:30.

[lexingtonave]

I forgot to mention the Daytona 500. You will probably find it on TV in the sports bar behind the casino, or in the schooner bar. The area just beyond the schooner bar, as you walk into the safari club, also has two big TV's. Many sporting events, football, basketball, etc, were being shown.

[Clarea]

We were at the port by 11:00am. No lines. Got right on and checked in. We were sitting by the pool at 11:20.

Dining in the main dining room was moved to 5:30 on this day only, due to the muster drill. The drill was at 8:00pm. Late seating was at 8:30.

Interesting, and different than Adventure. What time was the show that night?

[printingchick]

I believe the show on Embarkation night was at 10PM.

 

As for the other set of islands, here's what I've done at those locations, if anyone is interested.

 

St Thomas: RED HOOK FERRY TO ST. JOHN - I vastly prefer less developed to touristy. St. John is 75% protected park land. Trunk Bay is gorgeous, but you can venture off the beaten trail to a huge number of lovely beaches, some of which you will have all to yourself! It's a little scary for a newbie, as you're dependent on the ferry schedule. I would at least recommend booking a ship excursion that takes you to St. John. So much more beautiful than St. Thomas in my opinion.

 

St Kitts : ROYSTON ISLAND TOUR. Have been to St. Kitts on more than one occasion and you really need to do some sort of island tour there in order to see all the highlights. I's an amazingly beautiful island. Every time I've visited, I've realized that my most GORGEOUS photos were all taken on St. Kitts. I've done more than one of the highly recommended island tours. All are good, but I believe Royston's is the very best.

 

Aruba: I was only there once, so I'll let others provide recommendations here. I'm not a huge fan of this port.

 

Curacao: HATO CAVES. Lovely and a really unique thing to do on a Caribbean Cruise. It doesn't take the entire day, so you'll still have time to see the floating bridge and explore the down town. You don't need to book an excursion. You can get there by taxi.

 

ENJOY!!!! [/color]

Edited February 4, 2016 by printingchick