Guest toodle68 Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 Adventure Of The Seas vs. Jewel Of The Seas I am looking at a 7 night southern Caribbean cruise at the end of March 2018. Two ships have almost identical itineraries (1 different port, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas vs. Philipsburg, St. Maarten). Different classes, similar prices except for the suite which is $300 cheaper on Jewel. Anyone have strong opinions on which they would pick? I see that AotS is a newer class and ship. Has 15 decks. Looks similar to Liberty. Both appears to have been refurbished in 2016. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toodle68 Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 Just reading another post.. was Adventure refurbished in 2016? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 Just reading another post.. was Adventure refurbished in 2016? Yes, and it's why I'd probably lean towards Adventure. I sailed on Jewel doing the Southern Caribbean a few years ago and loved it: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/category/category/jewel-of-the-seas-live-blog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 I prefer St. Maarten over St. Thomas, but the Adventure does have a lot more to offer compared to the Jewel. Given the port intensive nature of the cruise, this may not be a big issue unless you will use those added options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flypped73 Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 While I know many on these boards rave about the Radiance class ships (sorry Matt, don't banish me), I found Adventure of the Seas to be superior to Jewel of the Seas in nearly every way. Both of these ships offer amazing itineraries. There is just so much more to do on Adventure and I found the service to be much better (amongst the best in the fleet, by many accounts). I did the Adventure of the Seas with Aruba, Curacao, St. Maarten and St. Thomas. On Jewel I did Barbados, Antigua, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, and St. Croix. Special note: If you are considering balconies, nearly all balconies on Deck Seven (and to some extent Deck Eight) of Jewel of the Seas have significantly obstructed views, despite not being identified or disclosed as such. When sitting on the balcony, nearly 75% of your sea view is blocked by an overhang that shields the lifeboat Deck 5/6 area. When I complained about this major obstruction on-board, I received no assistance. When I complained about it in my post-cruise reviews/surveys, I received no response whatsoever. It almost turned me off Royal Caribbean altogether. The only saving grace was that these cruises are so port-intensive, that I spent much less time on my balcony than any other cruise I've taken. Had there been 2, 3, 4 sea days, my disappointment and anger would surely have escalated. Some advantages of each ship as I see it: Adventure of the Seas: Royal Promenade! Ice Rink Water slides Flowrider Amazing service More & better Windjammer food options Jewel of the Seas: Al Fresco dining option in the Windjammer Sorry to be so down on Jewel, but it was by far my worst ship experience of the Royal Caribbean fleet. The itinerary was the only good thing about my experience (and it WAS great). Just my opinion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 I will add my 2 cents. I, too, think that Adventure is a better choice, especially if you have cruisers that will use the water slides and Flow rider. I love both ships but for someone looking for maximum outdoor entertainment, Adventure is the clear winner, IMO. The only place where I can say that Jewel would be superior to Adventure is, the aft balconies on the Radiance class are far better, IMO, than the aft balconies on either the Voyager or Freedom class ships. The structural steel on the aft end of the V and F classes definitely diminishes the aft view where the R class ships have a beautiful, unobstructed aft view. bobroo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toodle68 Posted January 26, 2017 Report Share Posted January 26, 2017 Thank you all for the information.. very helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jticarruthers Posted January 27, 2017 Report Share Posted January 27, 2017 Much as I disliked my experience aboard Adventure, I do think she is probably the better of the two options. My issues were related to the drydock incident and have largely been addressed now so I think for a "future" cruise would not be an issue. I would say that with the itineraries in question, there are a lot of port stops and if you plan to spend time in each port the amenities on the ship are less relevant since you wont be on the ship as much ;) Still for a similar price Adventure > Jewel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLA Posted January 27, 2017 Report Share Posted January 27, 2017 I think this is one of those calls you make between whether you prefer a big ship or small ship. Jewel is among the largest of the small ships and Adventure is among the smallest of the large ships. Really comes down to how important a promenade is to you, IMO. Jewel was also refurbished fairly recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toodle68 Posted January 27, 2017 Report Share Posted January 27, 2017 Thanks... We decided on Adventure. The suite was cheaper on Jewel but we decided that such a port intensive cruise did not justify the cost of a suite or balcony. We like the promenade, but everything about this cruise says, breakfast, port, dinner, show, walk, bed :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLA Posted January 27, 2017 Report Share Posted January 27, 2017 Thanks... We decided on Adventure. The suite was cheaper on Jewel but we decided that such a port intensive cruise did not justify the cost of a suite or balcony. We like the promenade, but everything about this cruise says, breakfast, port, dinner, show, walk, bed :) Enjoy! :D I have Adventure booked as well for Feb 2018 and I can't wait! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted January 27, 2017 Report Share Posted January 27, 2017 Thanks... We decided on Adventure. The suite was cheaper on Jewel but we decided that such a port intensive cruise did not justify the cost of a suite or balcony. We like the promenade, but everything about this cruise says, breakfast, port, dinner, show, walk, bed :) My wife has been on 24 cruises and the Royal Promenade has been her favorite feature on any so this far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toodle68 Posted January 27, 2017 Report Share Posted January 27, 2017 My wife has been on 24 cruises and the Royal Promenade has been her favorite feature on any so this far. We grab a coffee/tea and just sit and watch the people.. very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted January 27, 2017 Report Share Posted January 27, 2017 My wife has been on 24 cruises and the Royal Promenade has been her favorite feature on any so this far. Your wife has good taste. I feel the Promenade has a lot more going on than the Centrum, and the "flow" of the area works a whole lot better. Now the real test is if your wife prefers Promenade or Esplanade! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela27 Posted January 28, 2017 Report Share Posted January 28, 2017 Never been on the Jewel. But we love Adventure of the seas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted January 28, 2017 Report Share Posted January 28, 2017 Was on the Jewel a couple of years ago. Incredibly beautiful and ornate ship. Lots of great art work, sculptures, etc. through the ship. I guess that's why it's called the Jewel of the Seas! DocLC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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