Writer M.L. Abbott based this independent review on her 6-night Western Caribbean cruise departing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Jewel of the Seas quickly proves an endearing beauty, mixing a bit of whimsy with classy elegance. It’s easy to feel like Cinderella as you descend the lighted glass staircase in the nine-deck atrium, or ride a glass elevator overlooking the ocean. And when you reach the top of the ship -- no, you’re not dreaming -- you do see three tall flamingo sculptures in party dress. They’re part of the ship’s $5.3 million art collection: Eclectic, like the ship.

Kids have their area, and adults have their own retreat: A spa, a fitness center, and the Thai-inspired Solarium with pool. But don’t start to think that Jewel is too formal. There’s hot action at the rock-climbing wall, the basketball court, and the pool tables; and the Latin dance class draws a crowd. No Cinderella ball gown needed to enjoy the party here.

Why Jewel of the Seas?

• A new sparkle: She’s the latest addition to Royal Caribbean’s fleet and a serious contender for the most beautiful ship, with lots of glass to capture that romance of the sea.
• The right size: Not too big, not too small, she’s 90,000 tons and carries about 2,000 passengers. Translated, that means she has a more spacious feeling, as some other ships squeeze 2,000 passengers onto a 70,000-ton vessel.
• Cruising your way: No worry about old routines here, as there are dining and entertainment options to suit a variety of lifestyles and a large fitness center to keep in shape.

Who should go
Young honeymooners, empty nesters, retirees, and young families come aboard for a relaxed camaraderie with an international spirit. Jewel has an enticing retreat for spa enthusiasts, a cinema for film buffs, and -- a rarity on cruise ships -- pool tables for billiards fans.

Who shouldn’t go
Young singles seeking other young singles may find the scene lacking. Families with restless teens should consider Jewel’s larger Voyager-class sister ships with more sports venues.

Hits and misses

• Don’t miss: The Vortex disco’s revolving bar is a nightly hot spot. Also make sure you view the whimsical artwork flamingoes dressed in tux and Carmen Miranda-style hats and gowns. They’re seen from the glass elevators outside the disco on Deck 13.
• Best part of the ship: It’s a three-way tie -- the dramatic Centrum with exterior glass wall; the Solarium’s relaxing, exotic tropical jungle; and the Safari Club, taking guests to a retreat in the wilds of Africa.
• Best experience: Bon Voyage Sail Away Festivities are a magical start to a cruise. At Port Everglades, Florida, watch half a dozen large ships maneuver like cars from their parking spaces and parade to sea, with passengers filling the decks to wave to each other.
• Best shipboard activities: The ’50s & ’60s rock ‘n’ roll night features entertainers from the era, with music and dancing throughout the ship.
• Needs improvement: The casual Windjammer Café salad bar has a wide selection of veggies and items to enhance the greens, but the containers are too deep to see what’s in them. It would help if the bins were recessed a bit or mirrors were added above them.
• Activities to skip: The wine tasting seminar is not the normal swirl, sniff, and sip experience. There’s hardly any analysis of the chosen reds and whites. To top it off, there’s a fee to participate.

How to meet the captain
The captain still personally greets guests and poses for pictures at the first formal night champagne reception. You’re rewarded with a complimentary drink, and the captain usually speaks briefly and introduces his top staff. He also speaks at the invitation-only reception for past passengers. He or another high-ranking officer may host VIP guests one or two nights for dinner -- check the large table in front of the mural in the main dining room.

Beyond the customary main dining room, specialty restaurants, and traditional buffet, Jewel has some pleasant surprises: An often-overlooked little seaside-style café, and a snack place in the Solarium with made-to-order crêpes. Dress up or go casual. Enjoy fine dining or get chili and a beer to watch a football game.

Tides Dining Room
A beautiful room, Tides is predominantly gold and coral, with a scalloped balcony, curving stairs, and huge columns covered with fluted fabric. Behind the captain’s table is an eye-catching, two-deck-high glass mosaic mural of couples dancing by a moonlit sea. Soft live music accompanies dinner. The service is orchestrated well, and the food is tasty, hot, and attractively presented. Standouts: Chilled soups, escargot, duck a l’orange, key lime pie, Grand Marnier soufflé, and flourless chocolate cake.

Chops Grille
Meat lovers should reserve a night (or two) at this steakhouse. A loaf of crusty sun-dried tomato bread with roasted pepper cream cheese comes as you study the menu. The New York sirloin steak is the signature meat, but the veal chop is outstanding, and lamb lovers will find chops. (Chicken and salmon are also available.) The beefsteak tomato salad and steamed asparagus are excellent, each enough for two people. Dessert? Oh, dear -- go ahead and do the warm brioche pudding, but you really can’t go wrong with any. Ask for a table by the window. ($20 fee per person; reservations required.)

Portofino
For a romantic “night out,” this is the place: A Tuscany-inspired setting with views of the sea and a wall mural that looks like Florence. But the artistically presented food, special wines, and attentive service are the stars. Don’t overload on the focaccia with tapenade and salsa, for there are appetizers, soups, salads, pastas, entrées, and desserts to come. The penne pasta with crisped basil leaf and prosciutto crafted as a sail was perfecto. The veal saltimbocca was not as thinly sliced as desired, but the roasted hazelnut meringue with berries and Frangelico sabayon was divine.

Other dining options

• Windjammer Café: This is one of the best casual dining buffet setups at sea, with separate stations clearly labeled with what they serve. Stations include Fresh from the Garden; Hot & Tasty; Thirst Quencher; Pasta, Pasta, Pasta; and Sweet Dreams. Lunch adds soups and sandwiches and an Asian Flavors station with stir-fry, noodles, and other Oriental specialties. The dinner buffet usually duplicates some choices in the main dining room. If you can’t find a place to sit, go all the way to the back, where there’s outside seating.
• Seaview Café: Don’t miss this place, as many do. It’s a perfect, quieter luncheon spot at the top of the ship aft. It’s open in the afternoon and again from 10 PM until late. You order from a board menu and waiters deliver the food to your inside or outside table. Among soup and freshly made sandwiches and salads, choices include fish ‘n’ chips, burgers, chili, Reuben sandwiches, tuna melts, and crab salad. Favorites include the grilled grouper Caesar salad and a warm Cuban sandwich with roast pork, ham, and Swiss cheese. A don’t miss: Milkshakes. (Food free, shakes extra.)
• Solarium Café: A good place to get a quick bite at breakfast, a light lunch, or a late-night dessert crêpe. You’ll always find fruit to go. In the morning, grab a yogurt, fruit, rolls, and coffee. All afternoon, and again from 9:30 PM until late, it has freshly made pizza and crêpes (ham, shrimp, cheese, or dessert ones with nuts and sauces), wraps, and Middle Eastern hummus and tabouli.
• Café Latte-Tudes: Can’t face the day without your latte? Seattle’s Best is here with specialty coffees, chocolate, and tea (extra cost), plus croissants and sweet rolls (free). It’s open all day until late evening.

Best dining

• Dish: The tender veal chop was a standout at Chops Grille. In the dining room, give your taste buds a refreshing surprise with the chilled cherry yogurt soup.
• Dessert: Try the ever-so-light hazelnut meringue on berries with a Frangelico sabayon sauce; or the Royal chocolate cake, a decadently dense flourless concoction. Either crowns a meal well.
• Restaurant: Portofino, the Italian specialty restaurant, has an intimate atmosphere, good food, and gracious service. It’s a lovely “evening out.” ($20 per person.)
• Food seminar: Follow your nose to the inviting aromas wafting through the atrium as the chef whips up such dishes as seafood paella. Pastry chefs show off their cakes and teach you how to shape marzipan into those beautiful decorative flowers.

How to…

• Get a table for two: At Portofino and Chops Grille, request one when you make a reservation. In the Tides Dining Room, it’s better to request one when you book the cruise, but the maître d’ may be able to accommodate you when you board. There are more tables for two on the upper level.
• Celebrate a birthday/anniversary: Arrange with the maître d’ (or the assistant maître d’, who usually stops by tables in the evenings) for a cake at your dining table. Or you can request it be sent to your cabin. A small cake is $7.95. Flower, chocolates, wine, and other items can be ordered through the gifts and gear hotline.
• Change seating: See the maître d’ or the person at the dining entrance podium the afternoon you board or in the early evening just prior to the first seating. In the specialty restaurants, simply ask the manager for another table if you don’t like the one offered.
• Dress for formal night: Go as festive as you wish but don’t worry about whether you have a long gown or pants or a sexy short dress, as the parade encompasses nearly everything. Some men put on tuxes but most wear dark suits. On her Northern European sailings, expect Jewel to be dressier than when in the Caribbean. And remember that Northern Europe can be cool in summer.
• Dress for casual night: In the Caribbean, go for the bright island look in pants outfits and sport shirts with khakis. In Europe, think city sophisticate or country club casual with a sweater or jacket as necessary.

Tips:

• At the Solarium Café, indulge in a freshly made pistachio crêpe with chocolate sauce.
• Instead of (or in addition to) dessert, consider a specialty coffee in one of the dining rooms. Nordic coffee adds hazelnut-flavored Frangelico liqueur and whipped cream to make a divine drink.
• There’s one grand midnight buffet, and it’s worth looking at even if you can’t eat any morsel more. Other nights, waiters circulate trays of hors d’oeuvres in public areas at midnight.

Cabins have a rich warmth, with more wood than normal and deeper-hued colors with a masterful mix of complimentary patterns. There’s a designer’s look, with navy loveseats piped in tan and grained honey-toned wood bordered with darker wood. Gold, tan, terra cotta, and navy dominate the décor. Storage space is good for two people, with six desk drawers and small shelves behind the desk mirrors, two bedside drawers and shelves, and a closet with three compartments -- two sides for hanging and a third for stacking clothes. The mini refrigerator is hidden under the TV and the cabinet above has a minisafe and shelves. Bathrooms have accent tiles with a blue-and-gold rope pattern. Sinks have good counter space, storage behind the mirror, and an under-sink shelf. Showers are cylinder-like, with sliding doors rather than the aggravating clinging curtains. However, showers are so snug it’s hard to bend over if you drop the soap.

You will find a few extra touches: Wall-mounted bed lights have maneuverable reading lights, and desks have pull-out shelves. Beds are made up with a third sheet, one over the blanket. Bathrooms have towel racks placed so you actually can hang up towels if you wish to reuse them, as Save the Waves cards request.

Cabins for guests with disabilities
There are 19 wheelchair-accessible cabins, including inside, oceanview, and balcony rooms on different decks. All are near elevators. Devices are available to help the hearing impaired, and there’s Braille assistance for those needing visual aids.

Tips:

• With CyberCabin service, passengers can rent modems to plug in their laptops for in-cabin, dial-up Internet access. Fee: $100 per week.
• A dispenser in the shower has conditioner and shampoo.
• Family suites, located aft, have balconies, two bedrooms each (and one with third/fourth berths), and living rooms with sofa beds. Each sleeps six to eight guests.
• Suggested gratuities for dining room and cabin staff are $9.75 a day. You may charge gratuities to your shipboard account but it is not done automatically.

Heard on the deck (after leaving the ship): “I don’t know how I’m going to sleep tonight, not hearing the ocean anymore.”

Days are lively, with games poolside, and bingo, trivia, art auctions, and dance classes inside. But when the sun goes down, Jewel takes on a special joie de vivre. An evening stroll might show guests matching wits at the Millionaire game show in the Safari Club, singing with the pianist at the Schooner Bar, dancing to live music in the Centrum, betting at the hot tables in the casino, cheering teams on TVs at the sports bar, and applauding the musical production in the theater. Want a quiet evening? Catch a movie in the cinema.

Bars, lounges, and casino
Complementing Jewel’s plethora of glass walls are rich colors and warm woods throughout bars and lounges. For romantics, the Champagne Bar, with a glass wall overlooking the sea, is an elegant spot within hearing distance of music in the Centrum. Piano bar fans congregate in the popular Schooner Bar. Large carved giraffe heads lead into the African-themed Safari Club, with rich wood paneling and warm maroon-and-gold décor. The club encompasses the Cheers-type Congo Bar with large windows aft; the Zanzibar Lounge with tables set up for chess, backgammon, and checkers; and the Game Reserves with self-leveling pool tables. Late-night action goes to the top of the ship at the Vortex disco -- watch your step over the twinkling lights on the floor, as the bar revolves. And for gamblers, the casino is comparatively large with abundant slots and a variety of tables.

Swimming pools
Jewel pampers adults with their own serene retreat: The Thai-themed Solarium with a pool, hot tub, bar, and snack café in a tropical jungle setting. A sliding glass canopy lets you enjoy this place no matter what the weather. Lounge chairs with large cushions invite falling asleep beneath giant bronzed elephant heads as you listen to birds singing (recorded). The pool is accented with a traditional Thai gate and 18th century temple bell.

Two decks of lounges in sun and shade surround the main pool, which swimmers will find small by comparison with some other ships. Two hot tubs border the pool. Kids have the Adventure Beach pool and slide. Around both pools and in other sunny nooks, Jewel has some of the best lounge chairs around: Blue mesh with small head pillows. Towels are available at the pools.

Shows
The main show venue, the two-deck Coral Theatre, has good views from nearly all areas. Balcony seats get a nod for overall perspective. The Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers stage two major productions with popular music, both lively and well-done with beautiful staging. Other nights there are visiting entertainers, including magicians doing impossible-to-believe tricks and ’50s and ’60s bands singing their classic hits. Passengers star in such game shows as Quest and Love and Marriage, both guaranteed to make you laugh -- and marvel at wild things people will say and do while on vacation.

Shore excursions
There’s a boggling bounty of tours to suit both the sedentary and the adventurous, designed for a variety of interests and athletic abilities. Some tours are less than $20 but most are $50 and up. European excursions can exceed $100. For budgeting and trip planning, it’s wise to browse through the options online before departing. You also can book tours online -- a good idea to assure getting what you want. Your tickets are delivered to your cabin the first night, and be sure to check that they’re what you ordered. Once onboard, you can book two ways: Stop at the shore excursion desk and fill out order forms listing all the options, or order tickets using the interactive television in your cabin, which also has short videos about tour options.

Heard on the deck (from a passenger after climbing a steep Mayan pyramid at Chacchoben on a tour from Costa Maya, Mexico): “This must have been the original step exercise.”

Weddings and vow renewals
Jewel has no chapel but weddings can be performed in ports, with prior arrangements. Renewals are performed by the social hostess with prior arrangements. For more information, talk to your Expedia Cruise Specialist.

Looking for…

• Quietest spot: For sunbathing, Decks 11 and 13 on the bow have small lounge areas, accessed by stairs from Deck 12 outside the fitness center. Inside, in the daytime, head to the Viking Crown Lounge or to an upper-deck balcony sitting area overlooking the Centrum.
• Liveliest spot: The lobby of the Centrum is a popular gathering place nearly any time, but late at night the hottest spot is the Vortex disco with its revolving bar in the Viking Crown Lounge.
• Most popular activity: The Quest, a wild, hilarious adult scavenger game, has teams of passengers competing in increasingly crazy challenges, from finding a picture of a baby to men wearing women’s bras. This is one of the funniest games at sea -- far better than hairy leg contests.
• Best view: Experience the views from the midships glass elevators overlooking the ocean, or from the line’s signature Viking Crown Lounge atop the ship.
• Best show: City of Dreams, with the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers, is imaginatively staged, adding acrobatics and ballet to popular songs.
• Best drink: The intriguing Master Card special the last day is a mango and strawberry daiquiri emulating the gold-and-red charge card. How fitting on the evening you get your end-of-cruise bill.

Tips:

• Watch the daily schedule for deadlines to book or cancel tours.
• Check your cabin TV for behind-the-scenes tours of the ship. For instance, you can’t visit the navigational bridge in person anymore, but the captain gives tours on video, explaining all the equipment.
• Can’t find the cinema? It’s tucked behind The Pit Stop sports bar, with entrance port side.
• Internet stations are on Decks 4, 6, and 7 around the atrium. Online costs are 50¢ a minute.

Spa and salon
It’s easy to adopt the soothing adult-only Solarium and adjacent two-deck, spa-fitness center as your personal de-stress zone for the cruise. The Solarium, spa, and hair salon share a Thai-oriented décor with rich colors and woods. Besides a wide variety of treatments to release tension, reduce cellulite, and improve the skin, the spa has a unique thermal suite ($15 per day) with heated loungers, steam, sauna, and aromatherapy rooms and showers emulating gentle rain. Among treatments, a hydralift facial does a deep cleansing, followed by an oxygenating treatment to rejuvenate the skin and fight off aging -- and does leave your face feeling extra soft and radiant. Expect the normal sales pitch for products.

Fitness areas
Jewel’s gym is among the best fitness facilities at sea, with larger-than-usual space, extensive equipment, and a roster of classes. The gym is separated into two rooms: A large mirrored aerobics area, and a separate space for workout equipment, including treadmills, cycles, elliptical steppers, cross-trainers, and weight-training machines. Fitness directors schedule as many as eight classes/seminars a day, with most of them free ($10 fee for some classes). A body composition/metabolic analysis, comparing your fat and lean weight, runs $33.

A Sports Court houses a basketball/volleyball court, a jogging track, a putting green (fun for all ages), and a golf simulator (fee). Of course, at the top is the line’s signature rock-climbing wall, an irresistible challenge for many.

Tips:

• If you have teens on the cruise, ask the staff about special “Generation Y” spa programs, from $23.
• Watch the daily schedule for reduced-price spa specials.

The boutiques flow one into the other in a mini-mall between the Centrum and the theater. The selection ranges from formal wear to logo items, perfume, liquor, jewelry, attractive destination-oriented T-shirts, and stylish color-coordinated resort wear. Brand names among the watch selection include Seiko, Citizen, and Fossil. At the adjacent art gallery, you can preview and consult with experts about works to be auctioned. The sales offer an opportunity to sip complimentary champagne and bid for artwork from modern and Old World masters and new artists at reduced prices.

Tips:

• Browse the merchandise early in the cruise and then watch the daily schedule for specials and sales.
• If you’re doing a multi-generation trip, check with staff at the photo gallery about taking a special group picture.

Heard on the deck (after a sale by the shops): “I got a $30 shirt for $10. That’s a deal!”

Kids are off to all kinds of fun at Adventure Ocean, their own play space on Deck 12 aft. It’s a bright area partitioned for different activities and ages, with places to build volcanoes, make masks, act like pirates, watch movies, play computer games, and hang out with friends. Kids are usually grouped by ages 3-5, 6-8, and 9-11. Outside is Adventure Beach, a large kids’ pool with a curving slide. (Parents can play with kids out here, too.) Also in the area, Fuel is the territory for teens and almost-teens ages 12-14 and 15-17, though they’re frequently hitting the hoops at the nearby Sports Court or testing the rock-climbing wall above. The older kids have dances under the stars and pool parties.

Tips:

• Learn all about Adventure Ocean programs at an open house on embarkation day.
• Kids have their own dinner time some nights.
• The Late Night Party Zone, a fun-and-games group babysitting service, costs $5 an hour from 10 PM to 1 AM, letting parents do some late-night partying of their own.

In winter 2005 and 2006, Jewel sails from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on alternating six-night Western Caribbean and eight-night Eastern Caribbean itineraries. Western Caribbean ports of call are Key West, Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Grand Cayman (or sometimes Nassau, Bahamas). Eastern Caribbean calls are San Juan, St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Thomas, and Nassau. In summer 2005, she does 12-night British Isles/Norwegian Fjords and Scandinavia/Russia cruises from Harwich, England. In September and October 2005, she sails from Boston on 10-night cruises to Bermuda and the Caribbean.

Tip: When going ashore, always take photo ID, such as a driver’s license, and your ship card. In some ports, you’re required to show both when returning to the pier.

• Cruise line - Royal Caribbean
• Ship name - Jewel of the Seas
• Type of cruise - Casual
• Total cabins - 1,055
• Private balcony cabins - 577
• Decks - 13
• Total crew - 859
• Passenger capacity - 2,110
• Ship size - Large
• Officers nationality - Norwegian
• Year entered service - 2004
• Registry - Bahamas
• Ship length - 962 feet
• Tonnage - 90,090 tons