Bahamas Bound Jewel of the Seas Back to Back Cruise #2 Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Adults Only Beach Club in the Bahamas- YES PLEASE!
After 25 26 cruises, we needed to shake things up so Chris and I decided to take a Back to Back cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale, FL. This Back to Back consisted of a 3 day "weekend" cruise followed by a 4 day Monday- Friday cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale, FL. We have never been to Ft. Lauderdale so we flew in 2 days early to explore on our own.
This 4 day cruise was the complete opposite as the previous 3 day weekend cruise loaded with adults overindulging. This 4 day cruise was LOADED with kids and families and there was not near as much "boozing" on this cruise. Due to the July 4th holiday falling on the last day of the cruise, I think families saw an opportunity to take vacation days and take their kids along. We enjoyed this quick cruise to Nassau and Royal Caribbean's private island, Coco Cay so much!
Jewel of the Seas was good to us! Until next time Royal Caribbean!
We really enjoyed this quick cruise to Nassau and Coco Cay. We LOVE Coco Cay so it was nice to be able to "go right back" just a few days later! This Back to Back cruise was AWESOME and I'm so glad we added it to our Cruising Adventure list!
Up Next... Harmony of the Seas with the kids (Winter Break 2026)
Officer on Deck July 1, 2025 Sea Day (Atlantic Ocean)
Sea Days are my FAVORITE!
Morning We decided to sleep in a little bit as we were both pretty tired so we did not wake up until nearly 9AM which is very unusual for both of us. We got ready and then had breakfast in the Windjammer. The Windjammer was crowded but not terrible and it did not take long for us to find a table, plus we were able to get freshly squeezed orange juice which is one of my favorite things about Royal Caribbean.
It's already Tuesday... This cruise needs to slow down!
After breakfast we went to Café Latitude to people watch until it was time for the Coffee with Officers event. Unfortunately, since this was only a 4 day cruise they did not offer a Top Tier Event for Platinum and above cruisers but they did have a separate opportunity to meet the Cruise Director, Captain and other officers at this event.
We were able to meet Jamie, the Cruise Director, as well as the Hotel Director, Staff Engineer and the Captain. We love being able to meet each of these higher up crew members and try to get a little more info about life on board a cruise ship.
We never miss a picture with the CD! Jamie was hilarious and we enjoyed him as a Cruise Director!
It's nice to get a picture with the Captain!
After the Officers event we made our way to the Schooner Bar for our Morning Trivia. We played 3 different trivia but did not win any of them. We were able to meet a teacher from Florida and we talked for a while about teaching in various states as well as cruising with Royal Caribbean.
Afternoon We had lunch in the Main Dining Room and the service was great and very fast but the food was just not up to standard Royal Caribbean fare. I was very disappointed in my entrée but Chris was pleased and would order the Greek Gyro again. We opted to skip dessert as the choices were lacking and this is where Royal drops the ball in the speed of service.
Mozzarella Sticks-4.0 These were good and worth a double order.
Shrimp Caesar Salad- 3.5 I had never put shrimp on this before and it was... interesting!
Butternut squash Risotto- 2.0 For a veggie as powerful and flavorful as butternut squash... This was so bland and to be honest, the risotto was way undercooked. I couldn't even finish it!
After lunch we went to the outside of Deck 5 and walked around the ship several times before making our way to the helicopter pad at the very front of the ship. Since we were going so slow and the weather was near perfect, the helicopter pad was open and we were able to enjoy the part of the ship alone as so many people do not know it even exists. TIP- Royal Caribbean Vision, Radiance, Voyager and Freedom class ships offer access to the helicopter pad weather permitting. It is a great place for sail away or a sunny day at sea.
26 cruises and we still LOVE the wake view!
The seas were SO CALM and just gorgeous!
I'm the king of the world!
Hello from the Heli pad!
We opted to spend some time laying out outside on Deck 5 and we were awoken to an announcement by the cruise director that the pool and the pool deck were closed due to lightening. We decided to try the Vortex Lounge as the "quite hours" were from 2-4 but it was anything but quiet. I am sure the weather had something to do with the noise but we noticed on both cruises seemed to have grown adults blasting videos on their phones. We're talking 50-60 year old's watching reels on their phone at full volume. We found this to be SO RUDE. We opted to go to Schooner Bar and try to get away from it all.
When we got to Schooner Bar we realized that when the pool and pool deck is closed and that is pretty much all this ship offers for kids and teenagers, said kids and teenagers are EVERYWHERE! This was the most crowded and busiest we saw the Schooner Bar and the Safari Lounge but Raj and Simon were fantastic and did a great job keeping everyone happy.
It was getting a little loud so we made our way to Deck 11 in the Solarium to get pizza to hold us over until our late dinner in the MDR. TIP- The Jewel of the Seas DOES offer "Sorrento's" style pizza but it is in a separate location on Deck 11 at the Solarium Café. We never really encountered a line and the pizza was always hot and fresh.
Evening We showered and got ready for our 2nd formal evening aboard the Jewel of the Seas and then went back to the Schooner Bar for Friends Trivia. I did not win this trivia (one question away) but was awarded a koozie for naming all 6 actors. We stayed for Name that Tune 70s and this was SO MUCH fun as a sing along but we did not win.
Chris was not feeling well so he went back to lay down and I went to the Shops of the Centrum to get our traditional ship souvenirs and then enjoyed live music in the Centrum until Chris met me right before dinner. TIP- "The Hits" band on the Jewel was fantastic and we really enjoyed listening to them perform!
Formal Dinner in the Main Dining Room was good but again, the food overall missed the mark in our experience with Royal Caribbean. The service was amazing and we were in and out of the MDR within 90 minutes and for a formal night, that is great.
The Taste of France Menu (usually the 1st formal night menu on 7 day cruises and only formal night on shorter cruises)
Escargot-2.5
These were missing the toast which was a bummer.
Beef Tenderloin-3.5 This was cooked well but was delivered just warm, not hot!
Crème Brulee- 4.0 This was cooked very well and we both enjoyed it!
After dinner we went to Vintages to enjoy more live music from the Centrum. TIP- I am not a huge fan of the Vintages on Jewel of the Seas. I prefer the "wine only" Vintages found on Oasis class ships as it is isolated and really focuses on wines. The Jewel Vintages was very well decorated and the bartenders were great but it was just another bar at the end of the day.
We made our way to the late night adults only comedy with the comedian from the previous cruise and he did a great job of making the show adult but didn't just curse the whole time. We enjoyed the show and had hoped to end the night at the Pit Stop but it was closed. In fact, most bars on the Jewel of the Seas closed at midnight. Only the Casino bar stayed open until 1AM. If late night drinking is your thing... the Jewel may not be for you. We called it a night shortly after midnight!
It's hard to believe we've been married 19 years... But here we are!
Any day at sea... Is a PERFECT day!
It was a very CHILL Sea Day and that is PERFECT to us!
Up Next... Our return to Nassau after 8 years to check out the NEW and IMPROVED port!
After 26 cruises... It's time for a BACK TO BACK! Cruise #27 STARTS NOW!
Morning Our alarm woke us up at 6:45AM and we got ready for the day as this would be a day we have never experienced. We decided to eat in the Main Dining Room for breakfast and the service was quick and painless. After breakfast, as the rest of the passengers were getting off the ship, we went back to our stateroom to get our passports so we could make the turnaround for the back to back cruisers.
Hello Monday and day #1 of Cruise #2.
MDR Breakfast Burrito- 2.5 The sausage was super weird and dry
We were scheduled to meet in the Main Dining Room on Deck 5 at 9AM but it was still early so we grabbed a coffee at Café Latitudes and then went exploring various cabins on the ship. We were able to see standard balcony cabins, junior suites and even the presidential "Vivaldi" suite on Deck 10.
At 9AM we made our way to the MDR to sit with the other 34 Back to Back cruisers. We were supposed to have a special B2B lunch in the Main Dining Room but "due to the number of back to back cruisers" we cannot accommodate the meal this time. I was pretty frustrated about this as obviously, Royal Caribbean knew how many of us would be continuous cruisers and could have left this lunch announcement out of the letter they sent us and I would not have known it was a thing. But, we got over it and moved on.
Around 9:15AM an officer came to walk us off the ship. The ship had to get a "Zero Count" of all passengers so we walked off the ship into the terminal at Ft. Lauderdale so the Coast Guard could complete their assessment and ensure the "Zero Count". We waited in the Port Everglades terminal for about 10 minutes and then we went into the customs area to get checked back into the next cruise. They gave us new cards and we were even able to see the Captain who was waiting with his wife in the terminal. We were scanned back into the Jewel of the Seas at 9:43AM and they never even looked at our passports.
Waiting in the Port Everglades terminal to get back on the ship!
Back on the Jewel of the Seas for Cruise #27
CHECK OUT THE STEP BY STEP PROCESS IN REAL TIME:
Our Jewel of the Seas Turnaround experience!
We then made our way back to the Centrum to watch the crew "flip" the ship. This calm before the storm was just incredible to watch. The crew did all kinds of cleaning including the floors, bars, elevators, stair rails and so much more. We even saw a crew member go around with some sort of disinfecting spray all over the Centrum area. Unfortunately, Café Latitudes was not open during this time but we did not let that bother us.
Around 10:30AM the suite guests started arriving on board and the ship almost immediately came to life. It was so special to watch and made me have a new appreciation for the crew members. We walked around and sent a few videos to the kids before going to the Windjammer for lunch.
Jewel of the Seas may not have been my favorite but a day on a cruise is ALWAYS better than NOT being on a cruise!
Afternoon We were able to eat lunch in the Windjammer before the major crowds arrived and despite it not being my favorite of any cruise, the buffet was not absolutely terrible and since it was early we were able to find seats without any issues. After lunch we went to Schooner Bar and checked emails and texts before Chris went and took a nap in the stateroom.
I opted to read a book in the Safari Lounge before going back to Schooner Bar for Afternoon Trivia. Chris and I met up for this trivia and we were able to win this general knowledge trivia and this would be the THIRD trivia win of the cruise. We sat at Schooner Bar for the majority of the afternoon before going to Vortex Lounge.We noticed this 4 day cruise had a LOT more kids and less "drinking" from the adults. In fact the 2 cruises could not have been more different. 3 Day= Booze Cruise and 4 Day= Family Cruise. The amount of kids was some what shocking as this ship literally had NOTHING to offer for kids and teenagers but with only 2,100 passengers on board, over 900 were under 18.
Our sail away from Ft. Lauderdale was delayed so we opted to go to the outside area of Deck 5 to enjoy the weather and hope to watch sail away form there. The Jewel of the Seas set sail for Nassau nearly 2 hours late at 5:40PM but the sail away was beautiful. We were able to see Ft. Lauderdale and Miami Beach from the ship and the waters were calm and peaceful.
It's FINALLY time for Sail Away... Goodbye Ft. Lauderdale!
Ft. Lauderdale hotel district and beach area as we sailed away!
Disney Dream sailing towards Castaway Cay (their private island).
Evening After sail away we went to Vintages on Deck 5 and then Schooner Bar for 80s Trivia but we did not win this one and once again, the vibe was more family friendly than the previous 3 day cruise. We decided to play our traditional Mini Golf contest on Deck 13 since the weather was not too hot and we assumed it would not be too crowded this early in the cruise. We did have to wait a bit but we were able to play all 9 holes and believe it or not, I actually WON. I have been on a 13 cruise LOSING streak so this felt pretty good.
Winner Winner... I am FINALLY the Winner! He swears he didn't "let me win" so I will take it!
After golf we went to the Centrum to listen to the live music and enjoy coffee and snacks from Café Latitudes. This band was really good for a smaller ship and really enjoyed listening to them all week. We then got ready for our late dinner at 8:30PM in the Main Dining Room.
The MDR dinner service was not near as good as the Anthem of the Seas and made us question the theory of "Smaller ships provide better service". While our service in the MDR for the 4 day cruise was good, it was also forgettable and did not stand out as exceptional service like the Anthem did. Our wait staff worked hard and was overloaded each night it seemed. The most disappointing part of the MDR experience was the actual food. It has been a long time since I have been disappointed in the Royal Caribbean food but this 4 day cruise in the MDR was lacking quite a bit. AND, we had just sailed on Anthem of the Seas with the same menu so we were very disappointed.
The Welcome Aboard Menu
Crab cake- 4.0 Tomato Soup- 3.0 Lacking in flavor and thickness... I was immediately disappointed!
Spaghetti Bolognese- 1.5 Wow... This was truly awful. I couldn't even finish it!
We were able to get out of the MDR before 10PM and make it to the comedy show in the Coral Theater. The comedian was the same from the previous cruise and we weren't even surprised that the show as the exact same- jokes and all. We left the show early and went to the Pit-Stop for late night drinks before going to bed around 11PM.
The Jewel of the Seas band was really good for a smaller ship! I was impressed!
It was a very unique and some what odd day spent onboard the Jewel of the Seas. I am not sure if I like my traditional day 4 (that is usually spent at sea or port) being interrupted with the turnaround but it was definitely an experience! Now it's time to enjoy cruise #2 of our Back to Back adventure!
It wasn't a typical DAY 4... But memories were made!
The Ultimate Weekend Getaway Jewel of the Seas Back to Back Cruise #1 Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Weekend Getaway to Coco Cay... Doesn't get much better!
After 25 cruises, we needed to shake things up so Chris and I decided to take a Back to Back cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale, FL. This Back to Back consisted of a 3 day "weekend" cruise followed by a 4 day Monday- Friday cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale, FL. We have never been to Ft. Lauderdale so we flew in 2 days early to explore on our own.
This 3 day cruise was very interesting as most of the passengers were adults and were READY to party... To say the least. This is what I would assume a "Booze Cruise" would be like and it was a fun people watching cruise. We enjoyed getting to go to Coco Cay and explore this private island on our own.
This cruise was the ULTIMATE getaway as we had the Ultimate Beverage Package in addition to the Ultimate Dining Package, which was a splurge for us. This allowed us to have lunch AND dinner in a Specialty Restaurant of our choice each day of this 3 day cruise and let me say, I could get used to this. We lived the ULTIMATE life on the Jewel of the Seas and it was INCREDIBLE!
Another cruise and another stop in Coco Cay... LIFE IS GOOD!
We really enjoyed this ULTIMATE 3 day cruise and so excited to jump back on ship for the 2nd part of our Back to Back adventure on the Jewel of the Seas.
Up Next... The 2nd Half of our Back to Back cruise on Jewel of the Seas.
