Back from the Jewel - mixed review

[TexasMom2]

I was on this cruise and it was fabulous. I traveled with my diabetic mother and never had a problem getting a snack for her when needed. Plenty of options for healthy eating almost 24 hours a day. Used room service for coffee and ice every morning while getting ready and occasionally fruit and/or a pastry to tide her over until our dining room or Windjammer breakfast.

 

I'll have my review posted later today.

[NancyIL]

lesson learned dont take infants on cruises

 

That was my thought, too. Or - cruise with Disney, since they have tons of babies onboard.

[gkrebs]

Voyager et al,

 

Stbmom was very informed as to what to expect. What she didnt expect was the time change, which is unusual for RCCL ships. Her thinking that she could have her child eat at 6pm eastern time everyday was very reasonable based on her past experience. She is not a newbie cruiser. As to what was on the menu, she couldn't look before hand as none have been posted for a 6 day cruise. I looked for her and others. Seattles best coffee, the way its made on the ship is the worst in the world in my opinion. Always has been. They only way to make any of it palatable is to cut it with hot water then add plenty of cream.The stirrers could have stood up in it. To request room service from a 24 hour service and have to wait over 2 hours (regardless of the time of day) for it is attrocious at best and the rest of us would be saying something about it if it happened to us.

 

The advice to have talked to the Head Waiter about it is excellent. Had we both not have been late for our get together, some of our more experienced cruisers could have recommended that she do that, but unfortuantely that did not occur. Could have saved her some grief. No child is going to sit in a high chair for 2 hours and not start whinning and I applaud her decision on going to the Windjammer to make everyone elses dinners less noisy.

 

Every review that I have ever read lingers on the negatives for the most part, this was no exception, but the family still had a great time in spite of these issues.

[hstrybuf]

First, I'm glad that you enjoyed your cruise for the most part.

 

I understand the time change was unexpected. In that case, could you not have "rolled with the punches" and adapted? Snacks, extra naps? I have two grown children. We didn't travel with them until they were 6 and 4 and were able to adapt to time/food/location changes a little better.

 

Room service being 2 hours late is unacceptable especially since you did not order hot food. In your research before the cruise, did you happen to notice anything that would give you a clue as to what foods might be available, from which dining options and at what times? As someone mentioned above, they are usually very good about accommodating special requests.

 

As for the coffee, you can hardly expect one company to make the other company's types of coffee. :confused:

 

Besides the fact that you said you had a good time, what comes through most clearly is that you expected the cruiseline to bend to your needs. It just doesn't work that way. YOU have to be the one to adapt. Yes, I understand about cranky children and that they may not adapt quickly to new things, but there are always options. They do make an attempt to accommodate requests . . . within reason.

 

This is not a personal atttack either. Just my observations. I hope what you get from this thread is that you need to know your options and have a Plan B when you travel, especially with very young children. Good luck with whatever you choose for your next cruise.

[stbmom]

Thanks gkrebs!

 

For the record - this was my 4th cruise with RCCL and my 2nd time on the Jewel. I didn't remember the time change from 2 years ago, but was relying on a post from someone posting "Live" from my route 2 weeks before. They had 2 days of CST on their cruise. On our cruise, it was 3 days - so the length of this issue was very unexpected.

 

Secondly, I had asked several times about room service on this thread and even called RCCL about it. Here are some of the issues I encountered:

 

In the book supplied in the room there was a page that said "24 hour room service menu". I expected this to mean I could order anything off this menu 24 hours a day. I called at 10:30 CST to order a turkey sandwhich for ds. I was told I could NOT have a turkey sandwhich because they were serving breakfast until 11:00. I said "I thought I could order off this menu 24 hours a day". I was told "No, not during breakfast hours". The only meat available during breakfast hours was susage or bacon. I didn't think I was asking for "special treatment" as someone mentioned when I asked for a turkey sandwhich off the 24 hour room service menu! And no, they would not compromise and allow me to get a turkey sandwhich.

We had brought on the ship with us babyfood (fruit), organic crackers, and Cheerios - so ds had that to eat most of the time.

Yes, I was very surprised that I couldn't get something like carrots, broccoli, or green beans in the Windjammer during lunch or from room service.

Yes, I did have a problem with them saying I couldn't have the lobster dinner from room service. If you advertise that you can order off the dining room menu during dinner hours that is what should be available. RCCL advertised this, not me!

 

I didn't expect them to make me a Starbucks drink - I was basically asking for the equvalent of a blending iced mocha. When I asked the person "well, could I have get an iced mocha and have it blended" I was told "no, the only blended drinks I do is the mango and XXXX (I forgot the other, but it was a fruit drink). In my experience in the past with RCCL - a bartender will make you whatever you ask for as long as they have all the ingrediants. So yes, I was surprised that she wouldn't blend the iced mocha for me. This was not my experience at the Sports Bar where I told the bartender my dh was looking for a virgin drink and he made up something for him - using the blender. It has been highly touted on these boards that bartenders will make up drinks for you as long as you tell them what you are looking for (and tip well) so I was surprised that something that seemed like a small request wasn't granted. She wasn't busy - I was the only one in line.

 

Now, if these request seem over the top to anyone I am stunned.

 

And yes, we did make sure to get bananas for my son and served him his baby food and crackers and went to whatever places were open to eat. But, I was VERY disappointed that we couldn't get reasonable food for him. Again, how could we not expect to be able to order off of an advertised "24 hour" menu?

[bchalker]

We just returned from 8 days on the Radiance and found the Windjammer options to be very good on that ship. They had a huge salad bar, fruit station, and the cooks would prepare chicken or about anything else to order. Maybe your ship was different. I saw many instances of RCL employees bending over backwards to meet the needs of the passengers on the Radiance.

[onetimeposter]

We were on the Dec. 2nd cruise on the Jewel and had a fabulous time. The ONLY problem we had the whole cruise was with room service. We waited 2 hours for wine glasses and only got them after calling guest relations. After that we took them from the dining room when we were bringing wine back to the cabin.

 

We didn't have a baby with us this trip, but next summer we will have our granddaughter with us, who will be about 13 months at the time. Therefore, I really appreciate reading any problems (and solutions) about traveling with a baby.

[kitty9]

I think if you had been a little less adamant about not dining in the main dining room, you would have found things much easier for you. One has to wonder why you made this decision in the first place? Waitstaff bend over backward to help their passengers and they absolutely adore babies. My guess is that if you had made the effort to dine in the main dining room, you would have been much happier. If you had gone to the main dining room, your head waiter would have made every effort to deliver whatever healthy items you desired. My mom needs special meals and all we did was tell our waiter and head waiter and what we needed was there every meal. I love steamed veggies and no matter what I wanted, it was served at my table every evening. Once, my mom mentioned she loved watermelon, and there it was waiting at our table every evening. Our waiter overheard me tell my sister that I missed seeing mangos at the buffet, and there they were, at the table for dessert.

 

As for the 24 hour room service menu, I have to ask, have you ever stayed at any hotel in the world that has 24 hour room service? I've never seen any hotel that serves all items all the time-----saying they provide room service 24 hours a day doesn't mean they're going to serve you breakfast at 1pm. Virtually all room service menus have time limitations as to what you can order at a specific time.

 

I have to agree with a previous poster who said that if you had been willing to bend, even just a little, then things might have been different. You must remember, you're cruising with a couple thousand passengers and they just cannot change how operate for just one cabin.

[stbmom]

There were THREE menus in the book:

24 hour menu

Breakfast menu (7 am - 11 am)

lunch menu (no stated time, but indicated each item would take 30 minutes to prepare

 

So YES when I see a men that says "24 hour menu", then a seperate menu that says "breakfast menu" - I DO assume that the 24 hour menu is 24 hours. There are SEVERAL resturants that serve breakfast any time and lunch/dinner any time and it is indicated on their menu. So when I see 3 different menus and 1 indicates it is the "24 hour menu" - why exactly would I assume I couldn't get the items 24 hours a day?

Please enlighten me?

 

I didn't want to dine in the dining room because it doesn't make since to drag a child into a dining venue that takes approximately 2 hours. I didn't want the other guest to have to suffer if my child decided to have a meltdown halfway through the meal. I didn't want the other diners at my table to have to rush through the meal on account of me. I didn't want the wait staff to have to cater to me and my child and serve the other diners a more moderately paced meal. I wanted to be in my cabin since my ds does sometimes choose to throw food or if he tastes something he doesn't like - chooses to spit it across the room. These are all things I don't have a problem with, but I didn't want my tablemates to have to suffer through these things.

[PH8]

You could have gotten a table just for your family........that way,you could finish your meal in less than 2 hours.......

 

Then again,if your child acts like that when he eats,you're right not to eat in public.

[stbmom]

You could have gotten a table just for your family........that way,you could finish your meal in less than 2 hours.......

 

Then again,if your child acts like that when he eats,you're right not to eat in public.

 

You know, I am just going to pray for you and call it a night. That comment was completely uncalled for. How could you speak that way of a 13 month old:mad:

What a terrible, terrible comment to make!

Guess what, 13 months olds sometimes throw things - food included. 13 month olds don't know how to swallow a food they think is terrible just to be polite! There really isn't a need to explain to such a person as you. Maybe God can change your terrible attitude!

[samtig]

Sorry you had such a problem with room service. That particular ship must be having problems. We just returned from our 1st RCI cruise on another ship & were most impressed with room service. The room service menu for 24 hr. service, breakfast, lunch & dinner was broadcast over the TV. We could get most dinner items from room service with the exception of a few, including lobster. I think this is standard on RCI from what I've read. On our ship the longest we had to wait was around 20 minutes. Two hrs. is ridiculous. I would suggest talking with the head waiter next time regarding food for the baby. From what I have learned from others, cruiselines are usually most accommodating to special circumstances if they are aware of them. I know they will package food to go to accommodate medically needy passengers & may also do special room service meals. Guess a lot depends too upon the staff on a particular ship. Sorry you had problems.

[PH8]

You know, I am just going to pray for you and call it a night. That comment was completely uncalled for. How could you speak that way of a 13 month old:mad:

What a terrible, terrible comment to make!

Guess what, 13 months olds sometimes throw things - food included. 13 month olds don't know how to swallow a food they think is terrible just to be polite! There really isn't a need to explain to such a person as you. Maybe God can change your terrible attitude!

 

Hey,I didnt make an assumption on how your son acts......you told us.....and I said you were right not to eat in public since you yourself were afraid he might act up..........I wasnt being critical........You were the one who stated the facts........and I just happened to agree with you..

 

Thanks for the prayers though...........always appreciated.........

[bplazo]

Maybe a cruise vacation is not a good idea if someone is so picky about the food. A better choice would maybe be a beach house where YOU do the cooking.

 

I have always found something I could eat on the menu and so has my daughter.

[kitty9]

There are many tables for two or four, that would have easily accommodated your family. Plus, dining quickly is absolutely no problem. We sat between two tables of 2 and despite the fact they had different waiters, those tables were served efficiently, quickly and didn't put off the timing of the other large tables. And those tables for two were finished eating within an hour.

 

Unfortunately for your cruise vacation, you may have expected too much from areas that really cannot be helped, and again unfortunately, you put too little faith in your potential waitstaff and the other passengers around you. Thousands of babies cruise every year, dining in the main dining room with absolutely no problem. Yes, you can be congratulated for taking others into consideration, but you overdid it to the detriment of your holiday.

 

Try cruising again, but next time, put a little faith into the crew and they will happily surprise you.

 

BTW, Parrothead did not slam you with the comment. You stated that your child behaves in a certain way, and Parrothead was just seconding your assertion as to why you might not want to dine in public with your child. Don't get defensive when someone was just agreeing with your own comments.

[PH8]

Thank you Darcie...........that was very kind of you.......:)

[hstrybuf]

Children are like little sponges, soaking up knowledge. If your child still thinks at 13 months that it's okay to spit food across the room or throw it, then perhaps a little positive reinforcement for the opposite behavior would be in order.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Voyager et al,

 

Stbmom was very informed as to what to expect. What she didnt expect was the time change, which is unusual for RCCL ships.

 

LOL, we had to change our clocks THREE times on a recent 5-nighter from Boston to Bermuda :eek: :confused:

 

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[TerriDHair]

Children are like little sponges, soaking up knowledge. If your child still thinks at 13 months that it's okay to spit food across the room or throw it, then perhaps a little positive reinforcement for the opposite behavior would be in order.

 

I agree. My parents called that "spanking".

But to stay on topic and respond to the OP: I will say that I hope you have learned that cruising may not be for you during this stage in your life. I'm sure there are many other types of vacations that are more suitable for you and offer more "flexible" choices as far as accommodating you and your family. And I imagine that you may actually enjoy your trip more doing something where you are in more control of the schedule. That said, I applaude you for not taking your baby to the DR for dinner, knowing what you know. I've had many dinners spoiled (both on ships and land) but inconsiderate parents who have chosen to take their child into such an environment before he or she was ready.

[Hlitner]

I found the review interesting. Its hard to imagine why cruise lines do not make their schedules more accomodating for 1 year olds! (you have got to be kidding). There was a time when most cruise lines would not allow children under 2 or 3, and I also recall some lines not accepting children who were not potty trained. On a recent crusie they had to close the pools twice, because parents took babies into the pools (against the rules) and quickly polluted the water...which had to be drained. I know its not politically correct to say this, but I do not think cruise ships are the place for toddlers. I might mention that we are not opposed to traveling with children (our daughter was diamond by age 15) but cruise ships are just not the best place for babies. The bottom line is that often the babies are very unhappy, their parents are miserable, and anyone in a cabin next to a crying baby is not exactly happy. By the way, have you ever seen a baby with Norovirus (I have)? Its not a pretty sight.

 

Hank

[PH8]

LOL, we had to change our clocks THREE times on a recent 5-nighter from Boston to Bermuda :eek: :confused:

 

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3 times??? I would have thought Boston and Bermuda were in the same time zone...

[bmvcanton]

This is our first cruise and my husband and I have lost more than 70lbs between us, so I'd like to know if on the Brillance, will we be able to order a salad of any sort from anywhere at lunch that does not come off the buffet?? We do eat almost totally organic, but understand that this is just impossible for any cruiseline to accommadate, but we'd like to stick to as healthy as possible but avoid the buffets if we can....any tips or advice?? thnks

[Cruising89143]

This is our first cruise and my husband and I have lost more than 70lbs between us, so I'd like to know if on the Brillance, will we be able to order a salad of any sort from anywhere at lunch that does not come off the buffet?? We do eat almost totally organic, but understand that this is just impossible for any cruiseline to accommadate, but we'd like to stick to as healthy as possible but avoid the buffets if we can....any tips or advice?? thnks

 

Not sure why you would want to avoid the buffet for lunch as they have a very nice salad bar where one can eat healthy. Room service also has two salads that are available to order also.

[TexasMom2]

The Seaview Cafe also has very nice salads, with tuna, crab salad or a Greek salad, I believe. I had no problem choosing foods that balanced out the desserts I had and always left food on my plate at dinner and still felt satisfied. The sugar-free desserts are really good and I believe the yogurt is sugar-free. You can always find roasted meats as well on the buffet to go with your salads.

[gkrebs]

LOL, we had to change our clocks THREE times on a recent 5-nighter from Boston to Bermuda :eek: :confused:

 

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Guess I dont have to say anything, Parrothead already did.