I have to say I am somewhat disappointed overall with my trip. I expected there to be more included restaurants. I was disappointed to see that there was only one big dining room and a buffett that we could go to. On other cruise lines there was more variety in food choices that were included. The food served at Tides was decent. Our servers were awesome. I appreciated the fact that they learned our names and remembered things we liked. They had a very personal touch.

The staterooms were what I expected in terms of size. This was my first experience with a balcony room. We sat out there a few days, though the chairs were not comfortable at all. I really disliked the shower. It was like bathing in a tomb. It really made me appreciate my shower at home. The biggest disappointment of the entire trip was the beds. They had to be the most uncomfortable, rock hard mattresses I have ever had the displeasure of sleeping on. And I use the term sleeping loosely. We both tossed and turned all night, every night. It was hard to stay awake for excursions because we were so tired from lack of sleep the night before. I found myself falling sleep everywhere except my room. It made it really difficult to enjoy my vacation.

The entertainment on the ship is top notch. The singers and dancers seemed well trained. They had shows of such quality that I could see myself going to see them when I wasn't on vacation. I have seen other cruise performers that only got my attention because I was captive on a ship. If I had any other alernatives I would have taken them. Not the case on Jewel of the Seas. I also like the themed nights on the ship. I found myself singing along energetically on 70's night, much to the shegrin of my daughter. Read more