This 2,112-passenger vessel is a casually elegant mid-size ship that straddles the big-ship, small-ship realm with her extensive amenities yet intimate feel. The final of the four Radiance-class ships, the Jewel of the Seas was built in 2004, and will receive an extensive renovation in April 2016, which will add several new restaurants and poolside movie screens, among other upgrades.
Light-Filled: Jewel’s acres of floor-to-ceiling glass walls — and four banks of glass elevators — flood the ship in natural light, and provide sweeping vistas of the sea and approaching ports from many of the public areas.
9-Night Greek Isles, Turkey, and Italy Cruise: Sometimes a week is too short and two weeks is too long. This round-trip itinerary is the perfect length: It leaves Civitavecchia (Rome) and hits the region’s beautiful and historically significant marque ports of call including Naples and Sicily (Italy), Santorini, Mykonos, and Athens (Greece), and Kusadasi (Turkey) for the spectacular ruins of Ephesus.
Hopping Nightlife: Choose from the Vegas-style casino with its dozen gaming tables and 195 slots to the self-leveling pool tables in the Safari Club. Take in a Broadway-style show in the three-story theater, or watch a game in the Pit Stop Sports Bar. In all, there are 16 bars, clubs, and lounges to experience.
Restaurant Scene: Choose from a wide variety of dining options, including Izumi for traditional Japanese cuisine and Giovanni’s Table for Italian food. These options complement the existing traditional main dining room, Windjammer buffet and Chops Grille steakhouse.
Families: This is a ship both adults and kids will enjoy. The little ones have a playroom and a kiddie pool with a slide, while teens have their own disco. Meanwhile, mom and dad can laze around the serene, adults-only solarium and take a dip in its pool, or catch up on their reading or emails in one of the many quiet, ocean-view lounges. (Come evening, these become great night spots.) For fun family time, there’s a climbing wall, mini-golf, a basketball court, and a poolside movie screen.
Couples: With the exception of summers and holiday periods like Christmas when there are lots of families with kids, Jewel is a real gem for couples who appreciate the many dining and nightlife choices, and the Balinese-inspired spa and solarium.
Compact Cabins: Standard inside and outside cabins are efficiently designed, but small (measuring 160 to 169 square feet). Bathroom space is also tight.
