Greek Island Cruise on Royal Caribbean's Jewel Of The Seas
We flew to Rome and boarded at the port of Civitavecchia. The whole experience of the check in at Civitavecchia, about a 45 minute drive north of Rome Airport, was so easy and straight forward. The cabin was ready from around 1pm so we had lunch in the Windjammer buffet restaurant and took the time to look around the ship.
What a beautiful ship Jewel of the Seas is, simply stunning, with glass lifts over the atrium and the sea! Never a dull view! Our luggage arrived in our cabin during the afternoon so after leaving it on the portside, we then didn’t see it until it was delivered to the cabin. We had a balcony cabin which was worth it to watch the beautiful places go by. After two nights (with a full day and half at sea) we reached Santorini, but this gave us a good chance to get to know the ship and although it got busy around the pool, there was always a place to sit either in the sun or the shade. Pool towels are provided so more room in the suitcase for your clothes or any shopping that you acquire during your trip!
At dinner in the evening we chose a table for 10 and ended up with some lovely people, both couples and singles. It was a good mix and we all got on very well together. The food was amazing, I can’t understand how they can serve such quality food for so many people (Jewel can take 2500 passengers). The three courses were all fantastic – there was no meal that I could say wasn’t either up to standard or I didn’t like.
In entertainment there was something for everyone – shows, lively bars, quiet bars, games rooms, casino, dancing, late night discos. It had just about anything that you’d want from a holiday!
Ports of call
Santorini was just breath taking – the scenery was stunning with white washed buildings with blue rooves, perched on top of sheer volcanic cliffs. Black sand beaches and views out over the Caldera from Fira.
Mykonos also had white buildings with blue rooves, a labyrinthine of streets that lie behind the harbour front at Mykonos town, and some shops to die for!
Piraeus is the port of Athens. There is so much to see here such as the Acropolis, the Olympic Stadium, The Parthenon and shopping in the Plaka to name just a few.
Katakolon was our last port of call before heading back to Rome. We just went to the beach here but the ancient Olympia ruins are near here, where the original Olympic Games took place.
So it is now Friday and time to leave Katakolon and head back for Rome for our arrival on Sunday morning. Time to relax on board for the journey back to Civitavecchia. Our second formal night of the trip, so it’s good to get the long dress and tuxedo (not essential) out for a lovely dressy night.
There is time to get your photos taken, although this happens all throughout the trip if you want to be photographed! You can then view them and pay and collect if you want them – a nice souvenir!
All in all, a fantastic trip and one I will definitely do again. It also gave me the insight into the destinations and a holiday in any of the ports of call another time would be fabulous without doubt! Get in touch if you’d like to know more about this cruise or any of the destinations.