Jewel of the seas & Port Canaveral first timer

[Gabrielle R.]

My DH and I are going on the Jewel in December.  First cruise 2019!  Any information that you can give me about the Jewel is greatly appreciated.  Any information on what to expect in port (cape Canaveral) is appreciated.  Yes, to vaccinated & boosted.  We’ve been to Cape Canaveral many times…. Just never been on a cruise from there 😉

[Dett]

1 hour ago, Gabrielle R. said:

My DH and I are going on the Jewel in December.  First cruise 2019!  Any information that you can give me about the Jewel is greatly appreciated.  Any information on what to expect in port (cape Canaveral) is appreciated.  Yes, to vaccinated & boosted.  We’ve been to Cape Canaveral many times…. Just never been on a cruise from there 😉

We are also on the Jewel for 2 cruises in December.  December 3 and 9..   You might want to join our roll call.  Have cruised out of Port Canaveral many times.   What do you want to know?

[BND]

We're on Jewel on 6 and 13 Nov.  6 Nov is the first cruise back in the US.  We've always wanted to do a Radiance class ship.  PC is so easy to cruise from as it's T1 which is away from the crowded other terminals.  We've cruised out of PC a lot and have been out of T1 a couple of times on Oasis and Harmony. . Previous cruises were out of other terminals on Freedom and a few Carnival ships.   We have our SUV because we take the Auto Train down so we've parked there.  You pull in and drop off luggage and then go park.  

Edited August 10, 2022 by BND

[Gabrielle R.]

1 hour ago, BND said:

We're on Jewel on 6 and 13 Nov.  6 Nov is the first cruise back in the US.  We've always wanted to do a Radiance class ship.  PC is so easy to cruise from as it's T1 which is away from the crowded other terminals.  We've cruised out of PC a lot and have been out of T1 a couple of times on Oasis and Harmony. . Previous cruises were out of other terminals on Freedom and a few Carnival ships.   We have our SUV because we take the Auto Train down so we've parked there.  You pull in and drop off luggage and then go park.  

THANKS!!  we know the area pretty well since we spent 2 months last winter there.  We knew we liked the port.  And wondered how nice T1 was.  Good to know about dropping off luggage and go and park.

[Ashland]

We just got off the Arctic Circle 12 nighter on Jewel...Do you have any specific questions I might be able to answer?

[island lady]

Our routine:

 

Arrive earlier than assigned check in time (for us to score inside parking at the garage). 

 

Drive into garage, (very well marked) drop checked luggage with porters... u turn to head up to parking garage.  

 

Leave carry on bags in vehicle, walk over to Grills for a Bloody Mary.  😉 

 

Return at check in time, pick up carry on bags, walk into check in...with a smile on our face.  😁

[Capt_BJ]

looking at the port schedule .... JEWEL is scheduled for T-5 in December ....

https://www.portcanaveral.com/getattachment/Cruise/Cruise-Lines-Schedules/CPA-Website-Schedule_Aug22-Dec22.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US   

 

sample page

 

 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Capt_BJ

[island lady]

4 minutes ago, Capt_BJ said:

looking at the port schedule .... JEWEL is scheduled for T-5 in December ....

https://www.portcanaveral.com/getattachment/Cruise/Cruise-Lines-Schedules/CPA-Website-Schedule_Aug22-Dec22.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US   

 

sample page

 

 

Ahh...good catch!  Makes sense to port at #5, since Mariner has been doing the same thing for the 6/8 cruises.  Does free up space in the garage at #1.  

 

Will need to check it when we cruise Jewel in January.  

 

Will just have to do our Grills Bloody Mary routine for Harmony next month.  😉 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 11, 2022 by island lady

[Gabrielle R.]

11 hours ago, island lady said:

Our routine:

 

Arrive earlier than assigned check in time (for us to score inside parking at the garage). 

 

Drive into garage, (very well marked) drop checked luggage with porters... u turn to head up to parking garage.  

 

Leave carry on bags in vehicle, walk over to Grills for a Bloody Mary.  😉 

 

Return at check in time, pick up carry on bags, walk into check in...with a smile on our face.  😁

We love Grills!  Thanks for the advice!

[Gabrielle R.]

10 hours ago, Capt_BJ said:

looking at the port schedule .... JEWEL is scheduled for T-5 in December ....

https://www.portcanaveral.com/getattachment/Cruise/Cruise-Lines-Schedules/CPA-Website-Schedule_Aug22-Dec22.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US   

 

sample page

 

 

Thanks for the information 

Edited August 12, 2022 by Gabrielle R.

[Gabrielle R.]

22 hours ago, Ashland said:

We just got off the Arctic Circle 12 nighter on Jewel...Do you have any specific questions I might be able to answer?

Any thing you really enjoyed on the ship?  Any must dos?  It’s been awhile since I’ve cruised, so new changes that you saw.  Thanks!

[Hans Solo]

We always arrive the day before our departure and spend the night at a hotel near the port.  All it takes is one major motor vehicle crash on I 95 ( speaking from experience) to delay you from getting to the port on departure day without being stressed out about using your trip insurance.  As others have already posted,  arrive at the parking garage earlier to get a parking space close to ground level to make it easier to leave after the cruise.

[BND]

11 hours ago, Capt_BJ said:

looking at the port schedule .... JEWEL is scheduled for T-5 in December ....

https://www.portcanaveral.com/getattachment/Cruise/Cruise-Lines-Schedules/CPA-Website-Schedule_Aug22-Dec22.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US   

 

sample page

 

 

Interesting.  We were expecting T1.  Don't particularly care for T5.   I thought HOT was gone by then.  Last time I checked the port schedule it didn't go out past Sept.

Edited August 12, 2022 by BND

[rizkeeper]

Tagging along on this thread, we are on the Jewel for 8 days starting 11/19..we are platinum with Carnival, but this is our first Royal cruise. The ship doesn’t appear overly large, and the layout and deck designs seem to maximize outdoor spaces and interior window side seating and eating. Looks like a great ship!!   Having said all that, anyone know why there is a helicopter landing pad on the bow?  Seems like a better spot for a pool and water slides. 

Edited August 12, 2022 by rizkeeper

[twangster]

As far as Port Canaveral goes I like the accessibility of the port to the public in general. 

 

Port Everglades is a fortress.  No one would go to Port Everglades if not going on a cruise, in fact you can't really.  The Port of Miami doesn't really lend itself as a port to drop by and enjoy the port without a cruise either.

 

Port Canaveral is a place where you can go and find many restaurants/bars and other attractions so that you could go there without being booked on a cruise.   As a cruise guest that's easier when sailing from terminals 1 and 3 and less so for terminals like 5 and higher yet a local can go to PCN and enjoy the port without being booked on a cruise at all and that is rare for many cruise ports in the US.  For example there is a campground at PCN for folks that have nothing to do with a cruise.

 

Edited August 12, 2022 by twangster

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, rizkeeper said:

Tagging along on this thread, we are on the Jewel for 8 days starting 11/19..we are platinum with Carnival, but this is our first Royal cruise. The ship doesn’t appear overly large, and the layout and deck designs seem to maximize outdoor spaces and interior window side seating and eating. Looks like a great ship!!   Having said all that, anyone know why there is a helicopter landing pad on the bow?  Seems like a better spot for a pool and water slides. 

Where else is the helicopter pad supposed to be on this older class of ship? Limited access really to this area so not really designed for a pool. The pool is mid-ship. Love this class of ship and have enjoyed it many times as recently as last week and will be again in September and October.

[RobInMN]

9 hours ago, rizkeeper said:

Having said all that, anyone know why there is a helicopter landing pad on the bow?  Seems like a better spot for a pool and water slides. 

 

Why? not exactly sure, but basically every class of ship up until the the Quantum class had a "helipad" on the bow. I put that in quotes because if you search the forum, you'll find more than one conversation about whether or not a helicopter could actually land. I think the accepted answer is 'no', and so, at most, it is the designated helicopter evac location if anyone needed to be emergency evacuated from the ship. A number of people have said that they have witnessed just that.

 

That said, it still doesn't answer the question as to why they have it. No body else does it? And you don't actually need a designated space like that to do a helicopter evac (just watch Deadliest Catch).

Looks kind of cool though, and it does make for a great space for people to watch the scenery with a greater than 270 degree view in places like Alaska and Norway (fjords, glaciers, etc.).

On Quantum class ships, I think the bow space on all of them is designed a crew-only outdoor area, which is a really nice feature for them.

[RobInMN]

On 8/10/2022 at 9:23 PM, Ashland said:

We just got off the Arctic Circle 12 nighter on Jewel...Do you have any specific questions I might be able to answer?

That's so awesome! We just did the 12 night Arctic Circle B2B with the 12 night Iceland & Ireland from Jun 20 to July 14. Norway was absolutely stunning!

Anyway, I would also be available for specific questions.

My favorite space on the ship was the Schooner lounge. One of the nicest on ships I've been on. Big trivia fan.

[dream2cruise]

Jewel was my first Royal Caribbean cruise and remains my favorite ship.  On the night of Day 1, I had the solarium pool to myself and was able float on my back and watch the stars overhead.  It was glorious. 

 

My one regret is we did not purchase the cruise video from our sailing.  They had a mystery dinner with cocktails in a lounge followed by dinner in the Italian restaurant.  The actors began the mystery in the lounge, and they picked my husband out of the audience to strut the catwalk to "I'm too sexy for my shirt".  It was a priceless memory from our 10th anniversary in 2007.

[Spif Barwunkel]

12 hours ago, BND said:

Interesting.  We were expecting T1.  Don't particularly care for T5.   I thought HOT was gone by then.  Last time I checked the port schedule it didn't go out past Sept.

Actually, Harmony sails out of PC through October. Beginning in November Wonder replaces Harmony at the port.

[BND]

Just now, Spif Barwunkel said:

Actually, Harmony sails out of PC through October. Beginning in November Wonder replaces Harmony at the port.

I meant the schedule was only out through Sept.   I knew someone would misread it.  

Edited August 12, 2022 by BND

[island lady]

13 hours ago, Gabrielle R. said:

We love Grills!  Thanks for the advice!

 

Your are most welcome...though as CaptainBJ pointed out...I had not researched the terminal we are leaving out of.  Drats...we are going out of T #5  down at the other end.  Nothing around there.  😞 

[island lady]

13 hours ago, Hans Solo said:

We always arrive the day before our departure and spend the night at a hotel near the port.  All it takes is one major motor vehicle crash on I 95 ( speaking from experience) to delay you from getting to the port on departure day without being stressed out about using your trip insurance.  As others have already posted,  arrive at the parking garage earlier to get a parking space close to ground level to make it easier to leave after the cruise.

 

I live 15 miles away from PC....  😉 

[molly361]

12 hours ago, BND said:

Interesting.  We were expecting T1.  Don't particularly care for T5.   I thought HOT was gone by then.  Last time I checked the port schedule it didn't go out past Sept.

I think after November it's going to be Wonder and Indy at T1 and Mariner and Jewel T5-  Don't like T5 either

[BND]

23 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Your are most welcome...though as CaptainBJ pointed out...I had not researched the terminal we are leaving out of.  Drats...we are going out of T #5  down at the other end.  Nothing around there.  😞 

In April on EN we had a port call in PC and walked over to Grills for lunch.  We went at 11 so we could get a seat outside because we know how crazy busy it gets.  We cruise out of PC about every one to two years.  T5 is just next to other terminals unfortunately.  We usually stay one night in PC but this trip we're staying three.  We're heading to FL on Oct 31 on the Auto Train so we'll have our car.  We arrive on 1 Nov and are heading to visit DH's aunt and cousin sw of Orlando and then will be heading to the Radisson resort at the port on 3 Nov.  We have friends on Merritt Island that we saw last fall and will probably see again (if they're in town).  We usually eat at Kelsey's one night.  No seafood for us so some places are off the table.  

Edited August 12, 2022 by BND