Jewel of the Seas - Jan 27 - Feb 3, 2024 - Live Review

[Jasukkie]

Great review! Love your pictures, all the food looks delicious. I was last on Jewel in September up in Greenland. Nice to see she's getting a warm winter away from the icebergs.

 

Sad to hear the internet isn't any better. I thought maybe our extreme northern latitude had something to do with it. I figured out the spots that worked, near the pool seemed best. Never really worked in the cabin, I would open the door and pop out into the hallway to try and get a page to load. It's still one of my favorite ships, love that big outside windjammer and the ability to walk laps around the whole promenade deck.

[AmericanMom]

End of Day 4 - Dinner in the Windjammer was very good. Caribbean cuisine included jerk chicken, beef patties, rice and beans, plantains, escovitch fish, grilled mahi mahi and a banana crumble dessert with vanilla sauce, among other things. Everything was delicious. 

 

After dinner we stopped in at the casino to make a donation at the roulette table. 

 

The music in the Centrum was Latin and the dancing was energetic and fun. We watched for a while (Hubby's not a fan of dancing ☹️) and the headed to the Vortex to watch more dancing to music in English. 🤣. 

 

Tomorrow we wake up in Tobago! 

[Georgeny]

On 1/29/2024 at 4:22 PM, AmericanMom said:

The popcorn from The Pitstop was $3.45 each. 

 

 

Great review and photo's!!! Someone will have to explain to me WHY a cruise line charges so much for popcorn, in fact why they charge at all? To me a real " we just don't care " to the customers that all paid big ( getting bigger every minute ) bucks to sail. RCL has been doing it for years....

[AmericanMom]

2 hours ago, Georgeny said:

 

Great review and photo's!!! Someone will have to explain to me WHY a cruise line charges so much for popcorn, in fact why they charge at all? To me a real " we just don't care " to the customers that all paid big ( getting bigger every minute ) bucks to sail. RCL has been doing it for years....

I agree. Of all things to charge extra for, popcorn is super cheap and a little goes a long way. I assumed it was free when Hubby handed mine to me. It never even occured to me that he had to pay for it at the time. 

[AmericanMom]

I forget to mention Chad Chesswick's show from last night. He was awesome. He does comedy and magic and he's got the perfect light, sarcastic personality for it.  His show was kid friendly and engaged the audience in the front row so if you want to be part of the show, sit there (no one had to get on stage). 

 

We'd seen him before and I didn't remember a lot of his show from the first time (I assume it's a lot different) so it was all surprising. If you get the opportunity, definitely see him perform. 

[SteelCityCruiser10]

2 hours ago, Georgeny said:

 

Great review and photo's!!! Someone will have to explain to me WHY a cruise line charges so much for popcorn, in fact why they charge at all? To me a real " we just don't care " to the customers that all paid big ( getting bigger every minute ) bucks to sail. RCL has been doing it for years....

This was our thoughts too last week on Jewel.  They seem to be experimenting with the cost too.  It was $3.24 at Pit Stop the first night.  It was $2.50 outside the theatre later in the cruise.  

 

@AmericanMom was charged a totally different number.  lol 

 

I thought it was a joke at first when the Pit Stop bartender said it was $3.24.  🤑  I know it’s a very small amount but the message it sends to passengers far outweighs the revenue it generates in my mind.

[AmericanMom]

Day 5 - Tobago. We met at the same place, same time as yesterday. Even got the same tour number: #26. That's essentially the only things that yesterday and today have in common. 

 

As we were led out to the busses, we were trying to board a bus with 4 seats left when a lady jumped in front of us and said she was looking for her parents. They were on the bus so she joined them. Then another lady called her friends over and two more people squeezed by us and hopped aboard. 😮‍💨 My parents are older and my mom needs assistance to board so she's easy to just push aside. So we got back in line and waited for the next maxi to arrive. We got on with a few other couples (there were 12 of us altogether) and we're finally on our way. 

 

Two things I'll mention up front: the maxi had air conditioning but it never really got cold, just cool, even if you're sitting directly under the vent. So, on a hot day in the Caribbean, it was kind of brutal. 

 

The second thing is that yesterday, we had a driver and a tour guide. Today we just had a driver. He was nice enough, but we spent A LOT of time either sitting in silence watching the hills roll by or talking amongst ourselves. My mom asked a few questions to get him talking but he just answered and we went back to silence. Every once in a while he would say something like, "We just crossed into Plymouth. This is on the north-west side of the island." And that was it. 🤦🏾‍♀️

 

The first stop was Fort King George. The scenery was stunning and there was a museum there with a very knowledgeable guy that answered a lot of questions and gave a nice history of Tobago. Don't take any pictures inside here. There are signs around but one lady was asked to delete the photo she took by the security guard (she said she didn't know). 

 

The second stop was the tomb of Betty Stiven with the "mysterious" engraving: 

Within these Walls are Deposited the Bodies of MRS BETTY STIVEN. and her Child. She was the beloved

Wife of ALEX STIVEN, to the end of his days will deplore her Death, which happened upon the 25th day of Nov 1783. in the 23rd Year of her Age. what was remarkable of her She was a Mother without knowing it. and a Wife without letting her Husband know it except by her kind indulgences to him.

 

No one, apparently, knows exactly what that all means. 😳😁

 

Next stop was right up the hill at Fort James. This stop also had beautiful vistas overlooking the hills and the water. There's a snow cone vendor here so if you're feeling the heat, look for her to help you cool down. It was only $2 USD. 

 

Our next stop was at Crown Point beach. There is local shopping, hair braiding, the beach and food here. There are also restrooms but there is a nominal charge to use them (it would have been nice to have been warned about something like that by our driver). I gave the cashier $1 USD and she gave me some change in TTD so the amounts listed on the sign in TTD make it look a lot worse than it is 🤣🤣🤣. 

 

Our driver told us that Miss Jean's had the best food so we waited in line there rather than visit any of the other shacks with similar food and no lines. Island time is real!!! By the time we got our food, it was time to get back on the bus. 

 

We headed back to the port (just talking to one another) and the tour was over.  Mom and dad wanted doubles which you can only get in Scarborough (the capital) so after the tour, we crossed the street to grab some. We also got some chicken from KFC which was supposed to be better than it is in the US. (It isn't). 

 

We also checked out the Port Mall but it's filled with hair shops, sneaker stores, clothing stores, and the same trinkets you can get anywhere. It's not worth the effort if you're tired after a long day.

 

Back to the ship. Tonight is 70's night. 

 

[RobInMN]

59 minutes ago, AmericanMom said:

I agree. Of all things to charge extra for, popcorn is super cheap and a little goes a long way. I assumed it was free when Hubby handed mine to me. It never even occured to me that he had to pay for it at the time. 

I think it's not the money itself, it's the mess avoidance. Can you imagine how much popcorn would end up on the floor (and chairs) if it was free? Think families with multiple kids, each one having their own (to avoid fighting)

[AmericanMom]

28 minutes ago, RobInMN said:

I think it's not the money itself, it's the mess avoidance. Can you imagine how much popcorn would end up on the floor (and chairs) if it was free? Think families with multiple kids, each one having their own (to avoid fighting)

Excellent point! Maybe it gets more expensive when more kids are onboard. LOL!

Edited January 31 by AmericanMom

[AmericanMom]

[AmericanMom]

One other thing I should mention: this is (most of) the walk from the ship to the port. RCL didn't offer any transportation or even wheelchairs. For folks with mobility issues, this is a very long walk. Just something to be aware of. 

[Missusdubbya]

Wonderful review so far @AmericanMom! 
 

Can I please ask - which Bacardi tour did you do? Mixology maybe? Thank you 😁

[AmericanMom]

1 hour ago, Missusdubbya said:

Wonderful review so far @AmericanMom! 
 

Can I please ask - which Bacardi tour did you do? Mixology maybe? Thank you 😁

Yes. We did the mixology tour and we booked it through Viator. It was fantastic. 🍹

[SteelCityCruiser10]

4 hours ago, AmericanMom said:

 

100% agree on this!!  We went into the “Port Mall” looked around for a minute and left.  Not worth the time to cross the street.

[Midwest Sunseeker]

Wonderful pictures.  Thank you for the posts.  We are thinking of booking a cruise with the Jewel.   We went on her years ago and have wonderful memories on the beautiful ship.  Happy sailing. 

[AmericanMom]

End of Day 5 - It was Italian night in the dining room. This was my least favorite meal. I had the Dover Sole. It was ok. Mom had the same and part of her fish wasn't cooked all the way. She didn't complain to the waiters though. Hubby had the lasagna and had to ask for more sauce. Dad had the Lamb Kofta and said it was really good. 

 

70s night turned out to be really entertaining. So many people came with FULL costume and really made it a party. We even saw a guy dressed like a pimp in purple and platforms and fur. It was awesome!!! 

 

After the dancing in the Centrum, we went to the Love & Marriage gameshow. They are always a lot of fun. I was so enthralled I forgot to take pics. 

 

We have the 4x4 Waterfall and Beach Adventure scheduled for St. Lucia tomorrow. 

 

 

 

 

[AmericanMom]

Came back to the room for a little cupcake surprise. 🧁

 

Edited February 1 by AmericanMom

[AmericanMom]

Day 6 - St. Lucia 🇱🇨

Today we had the 4x4 Waterfall and Beach Adventure. After days of taking closed van tours, this was a welcome change. We dressed in swimsuits!!! 🩱🩲 We met the tour guides right outside the ship (where we signed a waiver) and headed to the jeeps. Our tour guide was Disha and our driver was Danny. What a total 180 from yesterday. Disha was fun, energetic and you could tell she loved her country and her job. We rode open-backed through the towns and then the mountainous rain forest to the location of the waterfall. Then we hiked a short distance (maybe 1/4 mile) into the rainforest to the waterfall. Absolutely glorious! Lots of flowers and plants along the way that the guides will talk about. We were able to get into the water and stand under the lowest waterfall but they scale from the top of this cliff and the view is amazing. 
 

Grab a towel at the ship's port and wear water shoes or shoes that can get wet. The path can be muddy and slippery and you need to cross at some points where it's just easiest to walk through the water. One person on our tour wore sneakers and socks. They were both soaked before we ever reached the waterfall. 

 

After the waterfall, we made a quick stop in town for souvenirs and restrooms and then headed to the beach. There are restaurants here and after Sean rented us chairs (for only $5 each) he showed us where to get local food. We got some local delicacies from Eugenie's Delight and then waded in the crystal clear blue water. What a day! We had an hour stop at the beach (this was great - I tend to find that a lot of tours rush you once you get to the beach part) and had time to eat and cool off in the water. 

 

Definitely take your water shoes off. The sand is powdery soft and the water is shallow. 
 

On our ride back, Danny gave us a cup of rum punch and Disha pumped up the music. We had an awesome adventure and I actually can't wait to come back to St. Lucia and stay longer to see more of the island. 
 

Back on the ship, Dad and I laughed at the World's Sexiest Man competition and then came inside just after sail away to cool down and get some drinks. 
 

Tonight is the second formal night (and it's lobster night). 

Edited February 1 by AmericanMom

[AmericanMom]

At the port there is an inviting little bar called the Shark Bar that offers free wifi and Piton beers for $5 apiece. Do not go to this bar if you're getting Piton (the local beer). Pass through the building and on the other side you will find Ti Café. They also have free wifi and Pitons are 2 for $5.

 

Edited February 1 by AmericanMom

[AmericanMom]

6 hours ago, Midwest Sunseeker said:

Wonderful pictures.  Thank you for the posts.  We are thinking of booking a cruise with the Jewel.   We went on her years ago and have wonderful memories on the beautiful ship.  Happy sailing. 

Thanks. It's a small ship so getting from one place to another is super quick (unlike The Wonder where we were always on the opposite side of wherever we needed to be). We miss the Promenade but you can get pizza and snacks in the Solarium Cafe (there's no Sorrento's) and snacks at the Starbucks bar on Deck 6. If you decide to take the trip, I'm sure you will love it. 

[gfargo53]

thanks fof the tip about the shark bar

[Coralc]

3 hours ago, AmericanMom said:

End of Day 5 -

70s night turned out to be really entertaining. So many people came with FULL costume and really made it a party. We even saw a guy dressed like a pimp in purple and platforms and fur. It was awesome!!! 

 

 

Which one is the guy with the alligator head supposed to be? 😃 Military/police character? 

Thank you! Your photos and review are fabulous and enjoyable! 😊I especially like the labeled plants and locations.

Edited February 2 by Coralc

[Destaw71835]

Your tour of St Lucia looks and sounds like it was amazing!

[AmericanMom]

2 hours ago, Coralc said:

Which one is the guy with the alligator head supposed to be? 😃 Military/police character? 

Thank you! Your photos and review are fabulous and enjoyable! 😊I especially like the labeled plants and locations.

Yes, he was the overly dressed police officer. Over the top is so.much more fun on a cruise. 😁

[AmericanMom]

2 hours ago, Destaw71835 said:

Your tour of St Lucia looks and sounds like it was amazing!

It was. It made me want to come back. The tour guides were terrific as well and everyone that we met was very kind. I think St. Lucians are just really nice people.