Jewel Repositioning May 11-18 Review - the No Prep cruise

Just got back from the wonderful Jewel repositioning cruise from Tampa to San Juan. We booked this cruise for two main reasons:

1. The itinerary included 3 ports we'd never visited - Key West, Samana, and Tortola. It was also a perfect 7 day length for a spring Caribbean cruise and past Spring Break.

2. The Jewel is our favorite ship of the fleet. Having sailed on her for a Scandinavia/Russia cruise, a Transatlantic, and a short holiday cruise, we'd always had a great experience.

I called this the "no prep" cruise, because of the nearly complete lack of planning we did prior to the cruise. We booked some excursions about a week before sailing, did our SetSail passes, and that was it. This is a huge deal for me. I am usually the uber planner. For our Hawaii cruise I pored over guidebooks. For the Baltics, I printed out the excursion descriptions and read up on the sites that we would be visiting. For the TA, I printed out city maps and highlighted the routes we would be walking.

This review will reflect some of the impact of winging it for a reformed (albeit, temporary) plan-o-holic. It will also include lots of details, unsolicited advice, and digressions. When possible, I will point these out ahead of time so you do not find yourself in the middle of an aside and wonder what the heck it has to do with cruising.

DAY 1 - TAMPA, FLORIDA

Because of a prior commitment on Friday ("work"), we flew in on the day of the cruise. Yes, I know many of you are cringing at the thought, but in my no prep prep, I did consider the risks. We would be taking a 6am direct flight, and in the very worst case scenario where we would by delayed 5 hours and miss sail away, we could still find a relatively easy way to Key West, which was our first port the very next day.

The flight was uneventful, and we landed in Tampa just after 9. We made the obligatory pit stop and ride the tram to the baggage claim area, where we find the last of the luggage already on the carousel and our bags already set aside. Those TPA baggage guys are efficient!

We check in for our transfers with the RCI rep, and because this was the no prep cruise, we get some luggage tags from her and affix them. In hindsight, it would have been much better for peace of mind to have done our own luggage tags, which I'll get to later.

Because it is very early, the rep asks the 5-10 of us gathered to wait for a while in the baggage claim area. At about 9:45, another rep leads us to the shuttle waiting area outside and tells us the transfer should be here by 10, 10:30 at the latest.

10 rolls by. 10:30 rolls by. Someone asks the rep what's going on, with no success. Finally, at 10:50, a transfer shows up. We pile on, and the driver loads up the bus. At 11:15 we finally hit the road - yay! - and get to the port about 20 minutes later, where the driver then unloads the baggage. He explains that we need to claim our bags and hand them over to the porters, who are standing right beside the bus. It is a bit of a mess as 50 people are looking for their bags and trying to maneuver them over to the porters who are literally 3 feet away, but like in some vacation version of musical luggage we all connect with our bags, get them to the right place, and then scramble upstairs for our next checkpoint in the Amazing Check-In Race.

I check my watch, and it's 11:50 by now. We make it through security, and then go over to the check-in lines. A rep asks us what status we are, and because the Platinum, Diamond, and D+ line is really long, he lets us go in the Suite line, which has only about 3 parties ahead of us. Yay!

We finally hit the front of the line, show our SetSail passes, and - the moment the vacation starts for me - get our SeaPass cards! By now it is 12:15. We bypass the welcome aboard pics and a hop, skip, and a jump later, we are on the ship and luckily get an elevator right away straight up to the Windjammer.

I know a lot of you are not crazy about the Windjammer, especially on the first day. I like it, especially on the first day. For one, I am usually starving. On this particular cruise, we'd had breakfast at the airport at 5am. For two, I tend to watch what I eat every day, and while I don't completely go nuts on vacation (well, not completely, but I'll get to that later in the cruise), I do let loose a little when on a cruise. I'll have some more fried food, and maybe an extra helping, and never ever ever skip dessert. So, that first Windjammer lunch is something I look forward to!

Of course, it is insane in the Windjammer, but we go straight to our secret seating area -- the room on the Starboard side, in the front of the Windjammer. There are sliding doors into the room, and it is almost never crowded and relatively quiet in the chaos compared to the rest of the Windjammer. We each get our plates - a piece of honey stung chicken, some mashed potatoes, and string beans for me with strudel and a coconut slice for dessert - and enjoy the first few peaceful moments of the day. Mindful that more people are coming in, we leave when we finish (though we do see people loitering).

It is 12:45 now. We head up to Deck 9, and hang out outside the library for a few minutes. At exactly 1pm, the doors to the staterooms open, and the droves all swarm to our rooms.

In our stateroom, we find 2 baskets of fruit (our D+ amenity), 3 bottles of water, and 3 D+ coupon books. Keep this in mind, because the stash will grow. It became a little like the 12 days of Christmas.

We relax for a while, unpack our carry-ons, and meet our stateroom attendant Kumar, whom we get to know in the next few days as detail oriented and thoughtful. We also take a well-needed nap, having gotten up at 2:30 for our early flight.

Refreshed after a few z's, we head up to muster at 4, where the captain informs us that no one will be allowed to leave muster until everyone shows up. (!). Our muster captain mumbles a few things, and we all look over to the muster group next to us, who are cheering and seem to be having fun with their captain. I half expect the wave or a beach ball to be passed around. I start thinking about what it means to have a fun muster captain vs a boring one but am stopped when we are dismissed. I guess those missing people showed up. I make a mental note to finish the fun vs boring muster captain thought at another time.

In an attempt to avoid the packs of people trying to head upstairs, we go and check out our MDR table. A 4-top, just as we'd wanted - yay! We also meet our waiter, Edwin, who will turn out to be one half of one of our favorite waiter teams ever, but I'll get to that later.

By the time we get back to our cabin, the bags for the rest of the family have arrived, except for mine. No worries, there really isn't enough room for everyone to unpack at the same time anyway, so I chill out on the balcony.

Aside - sometimes there are questions about how many people can comfortably fit in a stateroom. Our family of 3 adults have always done ok in a D1. Like on the rest of the ship, there are a few times when it can get crowded (like if everyone got their bags at the same time) but those are few and far in between in things are planned out correctly.

Really, unless we are sleeping, we are rarely all in the room at the same time. And even when we are all in the room, say, getting ready in the morning or for dinner, if someone is on the balcony - as we are apt to do - we love our balcony! - and another is taking a shower, it leaves only one person in the main stateroom.

Anyway, back to the cruise, we watch the sail away out of Tampa port. This is our first time on the port side, so we pass by what looks like quarries. Does anyone who is still reading this know what those quarries are? There also seem to be ships being fixed, like a ship body shop.

The captain advises that we would be sailing under the bridge at around 6:45 and 7. It is only 5, so we go and wander around the ship a little. Having just been on the Jewel a few months ago, there are few surprises, but it's always fun to walk around on the first day.

By 6, I head back to the stateroom to see if my bag had arrived.

Nope. I start thinking about the bus/porter mess earlier in the day. Did I not affix the luggage tag well enough? Did we not tip the porter enough? What if my bag is in Tampa still?!

I call GS.

Me (blithely): Hi, I know it takes a while for all the bags to get to the staterooms, but I was wondering when would be the latest time I could get my bag?

GS: Do you have liquids in your bag?

Me: Some shampoo.

GS: Come on down to Deck 4. We have some bags here.

I head down, and while there are about a dozen bags there, none of them are mine. None of them have luggage tags, either.

Dejected, I head back to Deck 9 and think that perhaps someone misread the tag. I walk up and down the corridor until a stateroom attendant takes pity on me.

SA: Are you looking for a room?

Me: I'm looking for a bag.

SA (eyeing me suspiciously): Do you have liquids?

Me: Just shampoo. Really!

SA: Go down to Deck 2.

As I turn around to head down to my first visit to the infamous naughty room, another stateroom attendant comes out of a crew stairwell and in her hand is my bag!! I claim it with delight. She shrugs and lets me take it. I drag it over to the other end of the ship, and run into Kumar, who says he just got a phone call and was about to go retrieve my bag.

Aside- yes, I bring my own shampoo. I don't like the ship's shampoo.

Reunited with my bag, I happily unpack. By 6:45, we are nearing the bridge, and we go up to Deck 11 to see the ship pass underneath with only 6 feet to spare. Since it is a Saturday night there is less traffic on the bridge (unlike the Verrazano on a weekday morning) and thus less honking but still quite a sight!

More to come on Day 1...

Wow. I hadn't realized how wordy the review is when posted. Bear with me, folks, I'll try to make it less…wordy in future posts.

We get ready for dinner and in a last minute decision, head down to the theater for the welcome aboard show. We have skipped this show for many cruises, usually because we're tired on the first day. To our surprise, the theater is packed. We find a few seats on the sides of the balcony. The CD is Carly Boileau, who is a delight. While some CDs have that game show smarminess and others are always "on", Carly is pure charm. We would later see her greeting folks coming back from port always with a kind word or a joke ("AC is just a few steps away!").

At 8:30 we head down to the MDR. I had seen a few threads about the new menus and was curious. Although we had just been on the Jewel, it was only a 4 night, and we made the decision not to go to the MDR. This was the first time with the menus, and overall, I thought it was a great improvement for most dishes, but some were definite misses. The biggest change I think was the portions. I liked that the appetizers were smaller, and in some cases, closer to an amuse bouche in a restaurant. This suited me better as I certainly did not need to eat more.

I will score my meals like this:

Excellent (*****) I loved this, probably one of the best things I've had on a ship and will definitely order again.

Very Good (****) It was delicious and definitely one of the better things on the menu. I will likely order it again unless there is something else I'd rather try.

Fair (***) It was not great but not bad. A solid effort and a safe choice for next time.

Needs Improvement (**) Just not very good. It will require a lot for me to order it again.

Poor (*) Never again. Ever.

The menu's theme was MOJO.

Appetizer: Smoked Fish Rilettes

Very Good

The fish was chopped and in a creamy base. Flavorful and fresh, and not overly salty. Came with 2 toasted slices of baguette. Size was perfect for an appetizer. Solid, tasty. I'd order it again.

Entree: Seafood Spaghetti

Excellent

I love my pasta but rarely order it for dinner. I had seen others on CC describing this dish, though, and really looked forward to trying it. It did not disappoint. Mussels, shrimp, and I think some shrimp, in a light sauce over perfect al dente spaghetti. The portion did not look large but was perfect for me. One of my favorite entrees ever.

Dessert: Carrot Cake

Fair

I had it in my head prior to the cruise that I wanted some carrot cake. It was fine. Nothing wrong with it, but it didn't blow me away. I thought the frosting was a little over sweet, but I tend not to like anything really sweet. For me, the cake just really wasn't anything special, but others may like it.

I also should add that Edwin and Ivan (our assistant waiter) were amazing. Edwin was the consummate professional, giving pointers on the dishes, bringing out extras without prompting, and so, so fast. Ivan, who was also professional, provided levity and chitchat, and also moved so quickly, making dishes disappear like magic. We really enjoyed meeting the two of them, and they reminded us of waiter teams from years ago, when we built more of a camaraderie. Perhaps it was our luck or a sign of the times, but the last few years, we felt the waiter teams have been so busy that we felt bad talking with them.

By the end of dinner, we were all exhausted after a very long day, and although I had wanted to watch the balloon drop from the top of the Centrum at 10:45, I called it quits and hit the hay.

Next...our first time in the Conch Republic!

Looking forward to the rest of your review. We will be sailing on Jewel in 6 (hopefully) short days!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great Review so far! Really enjoy your reporting.

We love the Jewel too...I'm eager for more.

Wind jamming, so happy to see your report! Jewel is one on my favs too, which is why I am glad you helped sail her down to SJ, so DH and I can sail the S Caribbean on her too!:D

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Tortola- one of her regular ports once she's based in SJ. We've never been either and although I have a Baths snorkel trip planned; I'm still open to suggestions;)

I particularly like that this is the no "planning cruise" for you, I'm anxious to hear how that worked out for you... We just completed our military invasion ....umm....sailing on Allure:p and after Oasis or Allure DH is always ready for something, shall we say ...less strategic:rolleyes:

So I booked Jewel. ( I've been he hasn't yet) Because I don't think you have to plan much to love this ship...it's real go with the flow isn't it!? And he will love that. I have made some excursion plans- but agin, anxious to hear your thoughts about San Juan and BVI:D

Ps we missed the first night menu on Allure ( our first cruise with the new menus) but your recommendation of the seafood pasta has me thinking we will not miss it on Jewel!

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip! (Any pics?;))

DAY 2 - KEY WEST, FLORIDA

Key West was somewhere I'd wanted to visit for a really long time. It was probably the top draw of this cruise, so I was really excited to be finally visiting. I am also going to claim it as a win for my personal "places listed in Kokomo" bingo card. Yes, I realize they refer to Key Largo, but it is close enough for this northerner who is cold 10 months of the year. (Sorry Aquahound and other Key West locals if I am offending.)

We weren't scheduled to dock until 11, so we had the entire morning free. I saw they had a daily stretch class at 7, so I got up early and headed up to the Shipshape Center. There were 4 of us, and the instructor was about as uninterested as you could be as he led us through some various leg and arm stretches. Enthusiastic or not, his guided poses helped stretch out my back and legs, which were in sore need of some relaxation. There was an abs class right afterwards, but I was more interested in breakfast so I left.

Aside/Rant: it was a little strange that the Cruise Compass did not have these gym classes listed. They were in a little box on the inside of the cover but not on the main schedule. I wonder how many people actually showed up.

Overall, while I thought the ship was well run, I thought communications needed improvement. There were typos and grammatical errors every day in the Cruise Compass, and we got an invite later in the cruise for "Dinning with the Officers" that looked forward to "Dinning" with us. In the excursions brochure they even got San Juan, Tortola, and St. Maarten mixed up on the map. I get that publishing a Pulitzer Prize winning Cruise Compass isn't on the agenda and English may not be the primary language for many, but I just found the lack of attention to detail a little bothersome.

Anyway, rant over.

Breakfast was on the agenda. I have a rule for the Windjammer. For portion control, I get only 3 things on my plate at a time. Usually one protein, one starch or bread, and one fruit/vegetable. For breakfast, I'd have a few pieces of watermelon or pineapple, a fried egg, and an English muffin.

Unsolicited advice: you can also ask the person manning the toaster to "custom" toast things for you. Later in the cruise, I would ask her to toast a couple slices of the multigrain toast for breakfast.

We go to the Concierge Lounge to get a cappuccino after breakfast and meet Karen Hernandez, the Concierge. Karen is warm and friendly and remembers everything! She's also the first Concierge I've seen introduce herself to everyone. We see her multiple times all week, and not always in the Concierge Lounge.

It is still early, so we wander the ship a little. We go to the game room and find a puzzle. On the Radiance Hawaii cruise last year, we really liked that they had set up a puzzle in the elevator area of Deck 9, and people could walk by and work on the puzzle for a few minutes (or hours). We set up a puzzle in the game room here and try to assemble the edges as much as possible.

We do this for about a half hour and decide to hit the Casino for double points on slot machines from 9-11. On the Jewel TA, we had a little group of "regulars" who would each claim our own machine during the double points times. We got to know each other and would greet each other on the ship but never knew each others names except for "Cleopatra guy" or "Wolf Run woman".

The slots were ok, but we bored quickly and decided to get upstairs to snag a Next Cruise in prep for the Quantum bookings opening. We only needed to wait a few minutes for one of the LA assistants to free up. We say we'd like a Next Cruise and ask if she had any additional information about the Quantum. She asked what level we were with C&A and then told us bookings would be open for us on May 29. That should have been my first sign that she may not have had the latest info.

While we filled out the NC form that she handed us, I then tried a few more questions:

Me: Any idea what itinerary she'll offer?

LA Asst: No, no one knows

Me: So what will happen to the Explorer?

LA Asst: Not sure, no one knows

Me: Thoughts on what rooms are best?

LA Asst: No one knows

Me: What is your favorite color?? (No, I did not say that, but bonus points to anyone who immediately thought of Monty Python)

Oh well. We get the NC, which was our intent, so no loss there. At this time, we see people walking around with pieces of cake. It's around 10:30. We go and check out the Windjammer and see the Hotel Director Adriana with a couple of the team slicing up a huge Mother's Day cake. Appropriately enough, I am with my Mom, so we grab a couple of slices and also one for my Dad, and head back to our stateroom.

Semi-aside #1. This was definitely the cruise of late risers. Personally, I like getting up early, and enjoying the peace and quiet of the ship in the morning is one of my favorite things. At 10, the WJ was a completely different story than what it was 2 hours before. Does anyone remember that TV movie based on Stephen King's story, "The Langoliers"? That's what it was like. There were people everywhere. I am sure I never saw those people again on the cruise, because our schedules were completely off!

Semi-aside #2. Adriana the HD was really visible, maybe only beat on visibility by Robert Taggert, who was HD also on the Jewel on our TA. I liked that she was out talking with people, at port, even helping slicing the cake.

By the time we finish the cake, it's around 11, and we are docking and getting our first glimpse of Key West.

Next…stepping foot in the Conch Republic!

Enjoying your review so far. Thank you for sharing. :)

Wind jamming, so happy to see your report! Jewel is one on my favs too, which is why I am glad you helped sail her down to SJ, so DH and I can sail the S Caribbean on her too!:D

 

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Tortola- one of her regular ports once she's based in SJ. We've never been either and although I have a Baths snorkel trip planned; I'm still open to suggestions;)

 

I particularly like that this is the no "planning cruise" for you, I'm anxious to hear how that worked out for you... We just completed our military invasion ....umm....sailing on Allure:p and after Oasis or Allure DH is always ready for something, shall we say ...less strategic:rolleyes:

 

So I booked Jewel. ( I've been he hasn't yet) Because I don't think you have to plan much to love this ship...it's real go with the flow isn't it!? And he will love that. I have made some excursion plans- but agin, anxious to hear your thoughts about San Juan and BVI:D

 

Ps we missed the first night menu on Allure ( our first cruise with the new menus) but your recommendation of the seafood pasta has me thinking we will not miss it on Jewel!

 

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip! (Any pics?;))

Familygoboston, it is because of your reviews that I am inspired to do a trip report - my first! I love how you blend humor and details and helpful advice. I have pics! Let me try to get them cleaned up and maybe I can do a picture thread or something at the end. Will also discuss San Juan and BVI later in the report.

Definitely don't need to plan for the Jewel. She is a beauty. The no planning was awesome! I felt a little like a rebel. Now I'm probably going to go count my change or something really detail oriented.

And I was definitely thinking of your baggage situation when I was wondering where my bag was. Was my bag sitting on the curb without the benefit of a Randy?

Entree: Seafood Spaghetti

Excellent

I love my pasta but rarely order it for dinner. I had seen others on CC describing this dish, though, and really looked forward to trying it. It did not disappoint. Mussels, shrimp, and I think some shrimp, in a light sauce over perfect al dente spaghetti. The portion did not look large but was perfect for me. One of my favorite entrees ever.

Oops, I meant there was scallops. Although there may have been some shrimp, too. :)

Familygoboston, it is because of your reviews that I am inspired to do a trip report - my first! I love how you blend humor and details and helpful advice. I have pics! Let me try to get them cleaned up and maybe I can do a picture thread or something at the end. Will also discuss San Juan and BVI later in the report.

 

Definitely don't need to plan for the Jewel. She is a beauty. The no planning was awesome! I felt a little like a rebel. Now I'm probably going to go count my change or something really detail oriented.

 

And I was definitely thinking of your baggage situation when I was wondering where my bag was. Was my bag sitting on the curb without the benefit of a Randy?

Aww shucks! :o If my reviews get others writing, then I am very happy, because I looooove reading them! No planning rebels- I like it-we should start a twelve step group, "Hi! I'm Kathy and Im a compulsive planner";)

Everyone needs a Randy!:D Glad you found your bag...the shampoo may have done you in...I'm sure my zip lock bag full of sunscreen bottles is what holds mine up.:rolleyes:

Can't wait for the rest!

Keep it coming. Great review. The Explorer is going to be in Port Canaveral the end of 2014.

Windjamming:

Loving your review & your "no prep" attitude!! We were driving close to the PanAm Pier yesterday and I saw the Jewel and all the taxis coming and going!! I wish I was the one going to the Jewel!! Well, I only have to wait two more months for our next cruise!

DAY 2 - KEY WEST, FLORIDA

 

Overall, while I thought the ship was well run, I thought communications needed improvement. There were typos and grammatical errors every day in the Cruise Compass, and we got an invite later in the cruise for "Dinning with the Officers" that looked forward to "Dinning" with us. In the excursions brochure they even got San Juan, Tortola, and St. Maarten mixed up on the map. I get that publishing a Pulitzer Prize winning Cruise Compass isn't on the agenda and English may not be the primary language for many, but I just found the lack of attention to detail a little bothersome.

 

We were on this same cruise, deck 9 with Kumar. We thought he did a great job. I definitely agree with you on the communication; we had similar issues. We had a Portifino's reservation for Sunday and on Tuesday (May 14th) we received our reservation card for Portifino's on May 12th :confused: . We also noticed several inconsistencies in the Compass.

I am thoroughly enjoying your review and can't wait for more and pictures too. We will be on the Jewel next May and your review is helping to get me very excited for our cruise even though it is still pretty far out.

Kathy :)

Looking forward to the pics.

I was on this cruise and had an amazing time except for Tortolla. Very disappointed in a private tour I booked with Sam at BVI 360. This was to go to JVD which I had so looked forward to and one reason this itinerary appealed to me. (I am a Diamond Plus member so I have done my homework prior to taking many cruises and excursions). Anyway I showed up to take the tour and no prior noticed this was cancelled as only I and my husband showed. He decided to take people on a cab ride instead after I already prepaid this tour. Now by this time it was too late to jump on the ships tour. Went back on the ship and was told couldn't get into ANY other excursion. Others at the desk had complaints about other ship tours booked. Besides this huge inconvenience I met some great cruisers and staff and cannot wait to sail again but will be cautious about private excursions in the future!!!

I was on this cruise and had an amazing time except for Tortolla. Very disappointed in a private tour I booked with Sam at BVI 360. This was to go to JVD which I had so looked forward to and one reason this itinerary appealed to me. (I am a Diamond Plus member so I have done my homework prior to taking many cruises and excursions). Anyway I showed up to take the tour and no prior noticed this was cancelled as only I and my husband showed. He decided to take people on a cab ride instead after I already prepaid this tour. Now by this time it was too late to jump on the ships tour. Went back on the ship and was told couldn't get into ANY other excursion. Others at the desk had complaints about other ship tours booked. Besides this huge inconvenience I met some great cruisers and staff and cannot wait to sail again but will be cautious about private excursions in the future!!!

I'm so sorry to hear about what happened on Tortola, out2sea! What a disappointment it must have been. We also did not have a great experience on BVI, but for entirely different reasons. It was so bad it became a running joke on our tour, which in turn led to a lot of giggles and shared laughs. What's the phrase, misery loves company?

Glad you had a great rest of the cruise.

Thanks all for the kind words. I'll be back later tonight with more. My life seems to be rearing its head trying to get my attention away from my vacation!

Will you be taking the first southern Caribbean route. Would love to hear all about it when you get back. We sail July 6th. Would love to see the compass and hear about the ports. We really enjoy the shows but can't plan since we don't know what will be when on this new itinerary

Have a great time

Ok...my laundry won the staring contest this afternoon, but I'm back with another installment.

DAY 2 - KEY WEST (continued)

This was the No Prep cruise, so we did very little research on Key West prior to arriving. A week before sailing, we quickly looked at the excursions the ship offered and chose to do the Old Town Trolley.

I will rate each port using a 3-part system:

Port - is the port itself easy to get around, shopping opportunities near the port, facilities..etc.

Content - Did the port and/or excursion showcase interesting places and things to see?

Presentation (Excursion only) - Was the tour guide good. Did they make us like the port more or less? I realize this is highly subjective, based on the particular tour guide, but I strongly believe that a good tour guide can substantially improve perception of the city or even country they are showing. They are true ambassadors.

Ratings will be:

Excellent - Much more than expected

Fair - Not bad, not good

Poor - Will never want to see/do this again

Excursion: Key West - Old Town Trolley

Port: Excellent

Content: Excellent

Presentation: Fair

The Old Town Trolley had 12 stops and was more covered, unlike the Conch Train, which was more open. We purchased the tickets through Royal Caribbean. In hindsight, it was not a problem at all to purchase them on the ground, but the name of this cruise's game was ease, so I have no regrets having gone through the ship.

The tour was about 90 minutes long and took us about 2/3 of the way around the 2x4 mi island. We did not go all the way to the far northeast side, as it seems that Route 1 was having some construction done. It was a hop on hop off tour, and while many people did get off and come on, about half the trolley stayed onboard the entire time, including us. The driver had mentioned at the very beginning that trolleys were every half hour but on a busy day like that day, you may have to wait more than half hour if a trolley was busy and they had to call in reinforcements.

The driver was just ok. I think her name was Pam. She recited all the things she had to, but she really didn't engage with the passengers much. Once in a while she'd tell people to talk quietly so others could hear the tour, but otherwise there was little interaction.

I'm not sure what a non-cruise ship day is like, but Key West was crowded that day! The line to take pictures with the famous "Southernmost point in the continental US" marker was 15-20 long, and there were people everywhere on Duval Street. When we finished the tour in Mallory Square, right near the pier, we considered grabbing lunch onshore, but at around 2 it looked like everything was packed. We decided to head back to the ship to eat.

My mom and I went back ashore after lunch and did some shopping right in Mallory Square. I got some really cute Christmas ornaments made with starfish. I only started collecting Christmas ornaments recently, but I like the idea of having a tree full of fun vacation memories. The guy at the checkout counter said that they sold a LOT of Christmas ornaments, and he figured it was a nice way to reflect on the year.

When we were on shore, a guy we didn't recognize called out our name. We looked at him, and he introduced himself as our stateroom attendant from our December Jewel cruise! It took a minute, but by golly, it was Percy! Have I mentioned that I really like the Jewel??

Anyway, back to Key West. I love it. It's everything I imagined, and more. It's got a real Caribbean vibe but is distinctly American. Very laid back yet has its own unique, enticing energy. It's the only frost-free place in the continental US! I was ready to move there, if only I had any skills that would be useful! Definitely a place to come back to at a later time, though!

Tonight was formal night, and the menu theme was SAFFRON.

Appetizer: Bay Scallop Gratin

Fair

This was the replacement for the escargots. It was everything the escargots were but only with bay scallops in each of the dish divots. I got it on a whim to give it a try, but I didn't love it. It was buttery and rich but a little too oily for me.

Entree: Roast Duck

Needs Improvement

The duck tonight was very dry and tough, which is difficult for a bird that is considered very fatty usually. We have had duck on other ships which have been melt on your tongue tender, so I'm chalking this up to a one-off experience. The cabbage helped, and I'm a big fan of the potato croquettes, so it was not a complete disaster.

Dessert: Sugar Free Chocolate Pot De Creme

Fair

This was mousse in an oval creme brûlée dish. It seemed to me that the desserts seemed to get bigger while every other course became smaller. This was one of them. The old Pot de Creme were in a small glass dish if I recall correctly. This was substantially larger. I liked it but found it too big for me. Luckily my Dad finished it for me. :)

I think we walked around a little, enjoying the ship after dinner and then wrapped up the evening.

Next up…our only day at sea!

DAY 2 - KEY WEST, FLORIDA

 

We do this for about a half hour and decide to hit the Casino for double points on slot machines from 9-11. On the Jewel TA, we had a little group of "regulars" who would each claim our own machine during the double points times. We got to know each other and would greet each other on the ship but never knew each others names except for "Cleopatra guy" or "Wolf Run woman".

 

Oops! I just looked at my notes, and we hit the casino for double points on our day at sea. The casino was not open in the morning we were sailing into Key West. I wondered how we managed to do everything within a couple of hours!

DAY 3 - AT SEA

This was a very port intensive cruise, and we would only have one day at sea. I planned absolutely nothing except to hit the Seaview Cafe.

For those uninitiated with the awesomeness of the Seaview Cafe, it is a little restaurant (free of charge) right above the Windjammer on the starboard side. They offer fried baskets like fish and chips, and "feathers and fingers" (chicken wings and fingers) and the most amazing onion rings. They also have Cuban and Reuben sandwiches, clam chowder, and a few other things. Everything is made to order, and it's all delicious!

The Seaview Cafe used to be on all Radiance class ships before the upgrades, and now only the Jewel is left with one. (In the very old days the Jewel even had a crepe grill in the Solarium, but I am digressing!) When I said at the beginning of the review that there were 2 main reasons we chose the Jewel, I should have added that there was a third - and that was the Seaview Cafe.

My Mom and I had decided that our lunch on the day at sea was to be from the Seaview Cafe. And no, we would not eat it there. We would get it "to go" and bring it to our stateroom and enjoy all the fried goodness on our balcony, in the open breeze. We have enjoyed the Seaview Cafe many times before, but it was only on our recent December Jewel cruise that we found out the "to go" option, and we were instant converts.

My Dad is more of a meat and potatoes guy, so he decided to Windjammer it. We decided to go with him early, to get some salad as a starter.

As I grab my plate, I decided to do a walk around to check out the rest of the Windjammer, still fully intending to get a small salad as a starter. It was then, during the walk around, that, like a moth drawn to flame, I mysteriously found myself walking towards the biggest pan of spaghetti and meatballs ever.

I've mentioned already that I love my pasta. Especially spaghetti. There is something about swirling that perfectly al dente clump of pasta around your fork that is so enticing! It was almost too much to see that much yummy pasta and not partake in its yumminess. Of course I twirl some spaghetti onto my plate and add a few meatballs for completeness.

Pleased with my find, I go back to our table, where my mom is sitting with a small salad. For a starter. Like we agreed.

She looks at my plate and then at me.

I sheepishly suggest that this is "my starter".

She looks at me again, with that look that only Moms can give.

I still finish the plate of spaghetti.

Anyway, we finish our starters and head upstairs to the Seaview Cafe, which is already packed. We get a basket of fish and chips, feathers and fingers, 2 orders of onion rings, and a clam chowder for my Dad. We haul it back to our room, and have an absolutely wonderful experience enjoying all the fried goodness. It is honestly more fried food than I have in a year, and it is FABULOUS.

Next up…more of enjoying a day of nothing!

Looking forward to the rest of your review. We will be sailing on Jewel in 6 (hopefully) short days!!

 

 

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Have fun emmac25! You will love the Jewel!!

Windjamming:

Loving your review & your "no prep" attitude!! We were driving close to the PanAm Pier yesterday and I saw the Jewel and all the taxis coming and going!! I wish I was the one going to the Jewel!! Well, I only have to wait two more months for our next cruise!

Thanks, I wish I could go "no prep" for the rest of my life, too! :) Your two months will go by in a flash, and then you'll be the ones going on the ship!!

Keep it coming. Great review. The Explorer is going to be in Port Canaveral the end of 2014.

Good to know! I love that I can get better information on CC than from the LA staff onboard!

We were on this same cruise, deck 9 with Kumar. We thought he did a great job. I definitely agree with you on the communication; we had similar issues. We had a Portifino's reservation for Sunday and on Tuesday (May 14th) we received our reservation card for Portifino's on May 12th :confused: . We also noticed several inconsistencies in the Compass.

Hello neighbor! Kumar was wonderful. I was hoping he could make the beds and clean the bathrooms today!

Really enjoying the review so far. I will be getting on the Jewel the first week of July. Will you be posting pictures?

Really enjoying the review so far. I will be getting on the Jewel the first week of July. Will you be posting pictures?

Thanks! You are in for a treat on the Jewel. She is a beauty!

Yes, will post pics, probably not until this weekend though, when I get a chance to clean them up and, more importantly, figure out how to post pictures. (If anyone can provide a quick primer, I'd be super appreciative!)