Jewel of the Seas for Northern Europe ...or Cystal?

[Dr. Pam]

Our family is looking to northern Europe and Russia for July 2013, It seems that the Jewel will most likely be on that route. The reviews of this ship are frankly not very good. We have cruised on the Brilliance and loved her design. However, we found the food and service below average. Now fast forward to my amazing time on the Oasis. We loved it. Sooo, my question is, "Are the Oasis and Allure a step above all of the other RC ships and will I be disappointed with anything less than this class of ship?" The reviews of the Crystal Symphony on this route look great. Thoughts, anyone?

[Mrssmithysrat]

we did this cruise on Jewel in August 2011. Absolutely loved it and the ship. It IS a lot smaller than Oasis but then we dont like the look of the massive ships. The staff were attentive and friendly, the food was lovely. The entertainment was good the majority of the time (the comedian was a bit naff).

 

There weren't too many kids about on the ship which is mainly why we chose this itinerary as a) i'm a teacher and was on summer holiday, and b)it was our honeymoon.

 

The ports we visited were interesting and there was plenty to do in each. The only one we didnt really enjoy was Gothenburg as the ship docked so far out of town the only option was to use the ships shuttle.

 

All other ones it was easy to get about, and there were hoho busses at every port so if you wanted to do your own thing it was easy enough.

 

Jewel departs from Harwich, Uk which as a port is lacking in facilities but is extremely easy to get to. The train from London pulls up right next to the ship!

 

Cant really comment on the other ships and itinerys as this is the only cruise Ive done so far, but hubby has done more and he loved Jewel too.

[Dr. Pam]

Thank you for your thoughts. It is nice to get another perspective on the Jewel, as the member reviews were actually not very good. I am a little disappointed in RCCL today because of a turn of events in my Crown and Anchor points. I may post this info tomorrow....

[critterchick]

The Jewel is my favorite RCI ship. I'm not a fan of Oasis and Allure (I acknowledge that they're amazing vessels, but I don't want to spend a week on either of them, although I likely will because the husband does and once in awhile he gets what he wants), so I would say that no, they're not a step above the other ships in the fleet. They are newer, bigger and have more things to do onboard, but that doesn't make them "better" to me, just a different experience that I'm not ready for.

 

When you cruise on the big girls, the ship is your destination. When you cruise on Jewel or any of the "smaller" ships, it's a combination of ship and ports - our Northern Europe itinerary consisted of 8 port days out of 12, so once we got going, we never stopped until the last two sea days returning to Harwich. But we loved our 4 sea days (and we sailed her again in October, so we were reminded of all the things we loved about the ship).

 

She's really pretty, the prettiest of the 4 Radiance class ships. You've already been on Brilliance, so you know that she's a cruise ship, not a floating resort. The service on her was top notch at all levels. The food was good in the main dining room, very good in Chops and wonderful at Portofino. We never made it to the Windjammer other than on the first day, so I can't really comment.

 

But you could probably do that itinerary in a rowboat and have a great time because there's so much to do and see in each port.

[apk1389]

have nothing but good things about the jewel to say. been on her twice out of harwich and been our favorite ship and fav ports out there. never tried crystal, but again nothing wrong with jewel, my fav ship

[silentbob007]

The Jewel is a fine ship, but you know what to expect when it comes to food. I don't really think you can compare her to a Crystal ship ... mass-market to premium line.

[rafinmd]

I just came off the Jewel on the 16th, and my previous cruise was on the Crystal Symphony in October. There is nothing wrong with the Jewel, but I don't think I would take it on a destination centered itinerary. My Jewel cruise had only 1 stop (Cozumel) and RCI provided nothing in the way of information on the history, what to do there, or anything at all except a "shopping map". I love the "Crystal Visions" enrichment program and you can expect world class experts on sea days providing insights on the history and culture of the area you will be visiting. It always enhances my experience in a region and helps put in context.

 

I think you will be doing mostly private excursions but Crystal's are a fabulous experience. Busses are typically run well below capacity, guides are generally excellent, and each group has an escort from the ship who makes sure everything works the way it should.

 

You will have a challenge with Crystal on accommodating your family and a penthouse plus another cabin will not be inexpensive, but if the price doesn't scare you off you'll have a wonderful experience. I think you should also look at some of the more upscale lines like Cunard, HAL, and Celebrity. Whatever you do you'll love the itinerary.

 

Roy

[Dr. Pam]

Hi Rafinmd, Thanks for the info. I have priced out the Crystal Serenity and yes it is more expensive. I since found out that Crystal is now incorporating their alcohol package into the cruise fare rather than giving each guest a 1000 OBC to do what they would like. I am taking a step back on Crystal because of this reason....my teenage kids will not be drinking...why should I pay? Also the itineray on the Russia/ Baltic tour has only 1 ship day, so really we will not be using much of the ship's resources. I am thinking that I might like to try out Crystal on a less port intensive cruise where we can actually enjoy the ship. The verdict is still out..... We have cruised on the Celebrity Equinox last summer in the Med in a Royal Suite, but it just did not hit the expectations in the food and service department, whereas the Oasis exceeded in these areas. Decisions, decisions.

[Dr. Pam]

The Jewel is a fine ship, but you know what to expect when it comes to food. I don't really think you can compare her to a Crystal ship ... mass-market to premium line.

 

Hi Silentbob! I do not think that I am comparing the 2 lines, just questioning the perceived ROI. It is a port intensive cruise, and we intend to maximize this time. I am leaning to checking out Serenity when our kids are a bit older (So that they may enjoy the gratis wine), and a less port intensive cruise. At the end of the day, I think this trip will be more about the itinerary (And I tend to arrange private tours and not utilize cruise excursions). However, I have not discounted anything, and that is why these boards are absolutely fantastic for gaining insight. Thank you!

[critterchick]

I just came off the Jewel on the 16th, and my previous cruise was on the Crystal Symphony in October. There is nothing wrong with the Jewel, but I don't think I would take it on a destination centered itinerary. My Jewel cruise had only 1 stop (Cozumel) and RCI provided nothing in the way of information on the history, what to do there, or anything at all except a "shopping map". I love the "Crystal Visions" enrichment program and you can expect world class experts on sea days providing insights on the history and culture of the area you will be visiting. It always enhances my experience in a region and helps put in context.

 

I think you will be doing mostly private excursions but Crystal's are a fabulous experience. Busses are typically run well below capacity, guides are generally excellent, and each group has an escort from the ship who makes sure everything works the way it should.

 

You will have a challenge with Crystal on accommodating your family and a penthouse plus another cabin will not be inexpensive, but if the price doesn't scare you off you'll have a wonderful experience. I think you should also look at some of the more upscale lines like Cunard, HAL, and Celebrity. Whatever you do you'll love the itinerary.

 

Roy

 

On the longer, more "exotic" itineraries, RCI often provides a lecturer on the various ports - we had one or more in 2007 and again on our Hawaii to Vancouver cruise this past May.

 

It's easy to do most of the ports on your own with a good guidebook (I'm partial to Rick Steves and Eyewitness Travel). St. Petersburg is more challenging because of visa requirements (both the ship and independent tour operators will procure them for you). Also, the major sights are far-flung so it would be tough to do them on your own.

 

OP, since you are planning on maximizing your time in port, I'd agree with the way you're leaning and save the expense of Crystal for another cruise with more sea days. Just my two cents.:)

[Dr. Pam]

We are now reserved on Crystal. A new TA quoted a price with OBC that seemed to give me a better ROI :) Nothing is written in stone....this cruise is a long way off. However, I certainly do not have an issue with laying down a couple of $ to hold our space. Stay tuned.