February 4, 2008: Key West
	February 3, 2008: Fort Lauderdale
	Return to the Caribbean Cruise Master Index

You have already seen some of our ship in the pictures we took on our first day, but before we continue on with the cruise, you might want to take a tour of the ship- at least the exterior portion. This will help you get your bearings as you see subsequent pictures and hear us refer to locations on the outside of the ship. There are significant outside areas accessible by passengers on Decks 5, 11 and 12, so those are the decks we will tour on this page. Deck 5 (and part of Deck 6 as I'll explain presently) offers an entire circumnavigation of the ship, and so we'll begin there. After we tour Deck 5 (which we will do in four sections), we'll take a look at Deck 11, whose main outside feature is the pool, and Deck 12, where most of the other outdoor activities are located.

I should note that the pictures you will see on your exterior tour were not all taken at the same time. Rather than have pictures of any particular exterior point on the ship sprinkled throughout the album pages whenever we happened to go there, I have brought most of those pictures together here, and have "stitched them together" to form a continuous tour of the ship, as if they HAD all be taken in sequence. Because this has been done, the observant of you will notice different lighting and different backgrounds as we tour around the ship. Don't pay any attention to that, but just focus on the ship itself.

Circumnavigating the Ship on Decks 5 and 6

We are going to begin our tour where we, ourselves, began it. As soon as the ship sailed, Fred and I found our way to the very bow of the ship, which as it turned out, was on Deck 6, and so that is where our circumnavigation of the ship will begin. Take a look at the diagram below, and I'll lay out the route we are going to follow on our tour:

We're going to begin on the bow with some additional pictures not found elsewhere in the album. The passenger-accessible bow (the helicopter pad) is actually on a level equivalent to Deck 6 on the rest of the ship. So, when we head aft (towards the stern) we will go down the port stairs that lead to Deck 5. (If you don't know already, "port" refers to the left side of the ship as you are facing forward; "starboard" refers to the right side of the ship given the same orientation.) We'll follow the ship's railing all the way to the stern on Deck 5; there is a walkway that will take us around the main atrium. At the stern, we'll cross to the starboard side of the ship and then walk forward to the bow.

It might also be illustrative if you can see where Deck 5 is vertically. The diagram at left highlights Deck 5 (and the raised helicopter pad at the bow). Below Deck 5, on Decks 4 and 3, there are staterooms with windows. And above Deck 5, on Decks 6-10, there are staterooms with balconies. So the only deck that has walkways outside (at least below Deck 11) is Deck 5.

The Bow

The View from the Bow

We begin, then, at the bow of the ship. Standing on the helicopter pad, we have an unobstructed view out ahead of the ship, as this view of Fred at the bow indicates. Of course, the really fun thing is to stand right at the prow of the ship, right up against the railing, in the same position as was made famous in the movie "Titanic." That was one of my favorite spots on the entire ship, and I stood there often throughout our trip, just gazing out at the view ahead of the ship.

Looking back at the ship from that vantage point, we see the forward superstructure. We are at the level of Deck 6, and behind the sloping superstructure at our level is the upper level of the Coral Theatre. The lowest row of windows is Deck 7, and the next two rows Decks 8 and 9. Each of the windows is for one of the staterooms on those levels (the only staterooms on those levels that do not have balconies).

The glass-fronted sweep across Deck 10 is the bridge. The bridge sticks out on both sides, as shown here; the reason for this is to allow the crew to see back along the ship on both sides (presumably for docking or to check ship status or to check nearby traffic). Rearview mirrors just wouldn't do. You might notice that one of the window panes was at just the right angle to reflect the ocean down to us where we were standing.

As I said, the helicopter pad and access to the prow of the ship are on a raised area above Deck 6. I am actually standing by the starboard railing on Deck 6 looking up at Fred on the raised helicopter pad. We spent a lot of time here during the cruise, but we need to continue our tour. Let's go back up onto the helicopter pad and cross to the port side of the ship and go down the short flight of stairs to Deck 6 and start astern along the port side of the ship.

The Port Side

The stairs down to Deck 5 from the bow lead immediately into a corridor that goes underneath the actual Deck 6. Along this corridor are viewing portholes that bring some light into the corridor and also offer some intriguing photos. As soon as you come out of the corridor, you are on Deck 5 and ahead stretched the promenade to the atrium, which is the angled blue-trimmed glass wall over a hundred feet away.

As we walk down the deck for a ways, we come abreast of the doors into the casino and the cinema. Here, we paused for some pictures- one of Fred on the Deck 5 promenade and one of Fred by the rail. When we had gotten near the glass wall around the atrium elevator bank, we turned back to look forward. Fred got a picture of me with the lifeboats overhead and I got a good picture of Fred reaching up to touch a lifeboat.

We have now walked all the way back to the glass-enclosed atrium elevators, and at this point I thought I would make a movie of our progress further along the port side of the ship. I did accomplish that, but I was not aware that my movie would record our progress all the way back to the stern itself. Beginning with the atrium, we next passed the curved glass wall around the Tides Dining Room- the main dining room where we'd be having dinner fairly often. Then we would find that the deck continued past some odd stored equipment (I jokingly referred to them as depth charges for that is what they looked like) and then into an enclosed corridor that would curve around to starboard and deposit us at the stern.

Just before we got to the stern of the ship, we passed a piece of equipment that we could not identify. It wasn't until we saw the instructions posted on the wall opposite that we realized it was a compact lifeboat.

So, the movie that I made ends our walk down the port side of the ship and introduces you to the stern, so I guess now is an appropriate time to watch it.

The Stern

The View from the Stern

I think the stern of the ship is a pretty amazing place. The primary reason why, of course, is the view. Most of us don't spend much time, say, looking out the back window of a car when we are driving; everyone is usually looking out the front. And perhaps that's why when we started our walk around the ship, we immediately headed for the bow of the ship and began with the view ahead. When you DO spend some time looking out your car's rear window, though, it seems a bit odd, but then you realize how interesting it is. (Presumably you are not, at the same time, driving.)

That was the feeling here. It was so odd, but so restful, just to gaze back behind us- not because there were ships or anything much to look at, usually, but just because that view of the ship's wake extending as far as you can see is somehow so calming. Fred and I both took quite a few pictures of the view behind us. One of them is at the left. I have put some thumbnails for a few more of the best ones below; to look at any full-sized image, just click on its thumbnail:

(Click on Thumbnails to View)

Other than the view, there is not much of interest at the stern. There were these odd exhaust‑like tubes overhead; I never did find out what they were for. There is also a flag mast and a few support wires and a light or two here, but not much more than that. We each took a picture of the other here at the stern, so there is one of me and there is one of Fred.

Before we head around to the starboard side of the ship, I do have one more movie that I took here at the stern of the sights and sounds of the ship's wake; you will find it beautifully calming.

The Starboard Side

A View to Starboard

The starboard side of the ship is pretty much a mirror image of the port side, and so as we came out of the corridor from the stern and began to walk forward, we found the same equipment and the same structures (glass wall around the dining room and glass enclosure for the atrium) as we encountered on the port side- except in reverse. For example, when we came onto the starboard side from the stern, we found the same mysterious equipment that looked like depth charges but which is probably some automated life preserver or lifeboat system. (They might also be emergency beacons or buoys to mark a location.)

Just forward of that equipment we found one of the few life preservers that we found on the ship; I guess there aren't that many people who fall overboard. Just forward of that life preserver, right alongside the Tides Dining Room enclosure, I snapped a picture, looking forward, of Fred on the starboard side of the ship. We continued walking forward along the starboard side, and just before we got to the atrium, Fred got a picture of me at the starboard rail and I got a picture, looking astern, of Fred near the atrium enclosure.

We continued walking forward along the wide deck promenade until we reached the doors into the forward elevator lobby and Coral Theatre, at which point I photographed Fred and the starboard deck. Then it was into the starboard bow corridor, passed the porthole openings in the outside corridor wall, and up the stairs to the bow platform on Deck 6 and back to where we started on this tour around the ship on Deck 5.

A Tour of the Outside on Activity Deck 11

Taking a look at the outside features of Deck 11 won't be like our tour of Deck 5; there is no promenade circling this deck as there is down there. On this deck, there are two enclosed areas- one forward and one aft- with the pool area between them. You can see these two enclosed areas (which rise to Deck 13) in the little side view of the ship at the left. You can also see the communications and navigation towers and gear atop those two enclosed areas.

Deck 11 is an activity deck; there are no staterooms here. The rear enclosed area is mostly taken up with the atrium and the Windjammer Cafe/Buffet. The forward enclosed area contains the solarium and spa. We will take a look at those interior spaces when we take a tour of the interior public areas of the ship on another album page. For now, though, since we are dealing with the exterior areas of the ship, I'd like to show you those exterior areas on this deck. Take a look at the Deck 11 schematic below:

We aren't going to take a tour of this deck as we did on Deck 5, since there are no continuous outside promenades as there are there. I have simply marked the three major outside areas on this deck on the schematic above. These areas are (1) the main pool and spas, (2) the stern outside eating area used by the Windjammer Cafe and by the late-night food kiosks and (3) the sun deck adjacent to (and reached through) the day spa.

The Main Pool Area (1)

The Main (Outdoor) Pool

In between the Windjammer Cafe (inside the ship in the background of the picture at the right), and the solarium/spa (inside the structure behind me in the picture at the right) is the main pool area on the 'Jewel of the Seas.' (I say "main" pool area because there is also an enclosed swimming pool inside the solarium, presumably for days when it might be raining or for folks who have a low tolerance for sunlight.). Actually, the picture at the right can also be used to explain a bit about the deck structure in this part of the ship.

The pool itself is actually on Deck 11. In the aft enclosed area, the Windjammer Cafe is on the same level as the pool, and extends back to the stern. Deck 12 in that enclosed area is the top of the Atrium (the Crown and Anchor Lounge) and most of the activities for kids. Deck 13, the round area at the top, is the Vortex nightclub. But we'll talk a bit more about those areas when we take our interior tour. I might mention here that the rock-climbing wall is on the back of that enclosed area, spanning Decks 12 and 13.

The upper‑level walkways that surround the pool are actually on Deck 12; these are used for more deck chair space on the sides, and for the pool bar forward and the atrium access aft. In the picture you just looked at (and the pictures you will see shortly), the pool area is crowded to watch Charles Bach- the escape artist who performed on our last full day on board. The pool is usually busy, but not SRO.

Next to the pool, on a raised platform, are the two hot tubs which were usually being used late into the night (although not so much now as everyone is watching the show). On the aft Deck 12 balcony is the ship's crest- colorful enough that Fred thought it deserved a picture. I took a movie today, but I am going to use it to describe Deck 12 in the section below.

Fred took a movie last night here at the pool, when things were a good deal quieter than they are now and, although the movie is a little frenetic and lacks narration, it will give you a good idea of what it was like to be poolside here on the ship.

We took a few more picture of the pool and its surroundings, and you may wish to look at them. To see any of these full-size pictures, just click on the thumbnails below:

(Click on Thumbnails to View)

The Stern Lounge and Eating Area (2)

On Deck 11, at the rear of the Windjammer Cafe, doors from the cafe open out onto an open but mostly covered deck that wraps entirely around the stern. When the cafe is open, this us used as an open‑air eating area. Fred and I enjoyed eating out here as the cafe itself was often a bit over-airconditioned. Plus, we could hear the pleasant background noise that is crusing. When the Windjammer is closed, and the access doors from the cafe not usable, there are stairs down to this area from Deck 12, above. As I said, there is no outside passage around the cafe.

The Forward Spa Sundeck (3)

The only other open area on Deck 11 is the sundeck forward, which wraps around the front of the ship outside the day spa. This sundeck, like the aft eating area, is only accessible through the day spa, and only when the day spa is open. There are no stairs down to it from Deck 12.

This picture of the spa sundeck was actually taken from Deck 12, and if the picture looks familiar, that's because I also used it in the section describing the bow area, above.

A Tour of the Outside on Activity Deck 12

The last set of exterior features that I want to show you here on the 'Jewel of the Seas' are on Deck 12- another deck with no staterooms but only public areas. Like Deck 5, it is possible to walk entirely around this deck, and so that is what we will do. As on Deck 11, there are two enclosed areas- one forward and one aft- with the pool area between them. You can see these two enclosed areas on the little side view of the ship at the left. Only the aft area has one more deck level- Deck 13 where the Vortex nightclub is located.

On Deck 12, the aft enclosed area contains some snack bar facilities and most of the kid's activities- a facility called "Adventure Ocean." There is also an arcade and, at the top of the atrium, the Crown and Anchor Lounge and a teenage disco. The forward area houses the fitness center (the spa on Deck 11 being more of a relaxation/meditation/beauty kind of place). The two areas are connected by a raised deck around the main pool. Finally, aft of the fitness center is the geodesic domed roof of the solarium.

Since there is a promenade all the way around this deck, we can tour it like we did Deck 5. The pictures that I'll use on our "tour" were, again, taken at different times, so don't be bothered by differences in lighting or background. I'll make notes as we go as to where we are on the schematic above, in case you are interested.

We'll begin at the most forward point on Deck 12 (#1), outside the front of the fitness center overlooking the bow; this view is always impressive and it made using the exercise bikes in the center much more interesting because of the wide views out ahead of the ship. We'll walk down the port side of the ship first; just around from the bow, outside the front of the fitness center (#2), are some deck chairs and the stairway down to Deck 11. You can see those features and a view out ahead of the ship here.

Since there is a deck immediately below, this part of Deck 12 has a glass shield attached to the rail, so that people won't accidentally drop things onto people below. Here's a view of Fred looking out to port. Walking further back along the port side of the jogging track that goes around the fitness center and solarium, we have just reached the aft end of the fitness center itself (#3). This afternoon, this particular area was in shadow, but you can still see Fred taking pictures looking out the port side of the ship.

We continue to walk aft along the jogging track and pass the solarium, where we reach the point at which the jogging track curves back around the solarium to head forward again (#4). This picture of Fred and I on the Deck 12 promenade near the pool was actually taken earlier today by Joe, just after we had watched the escape artist perform. There is a "Sky Bar" on this level (to the left, out of the picture) that faces the pool, and you can see that Deck 12 continues around the pool and back to the stern (with a number of stairways down to the pool itself.

You can see some of these features more clearly in a movie that I took at this spot while the escape artist was performing later in the cruise; that movie is in the player at left.

One can continue to walk along Deck 12 and the port side of the ship all the way to the stern. The evening we actually did this, there wasn't much to take pictures of. There's a little basketball/volleyball court and some other sports-related stuff on the way to the stern. Going around the stern, there is a short miniature golf course and also a netted golf simulator, where I suppose golfers can hit balls without losing them. Not sure. The night we walked around here, the Seaview Cafe on the starboard side of the ship was open, but we were too full to patronize it. (Damn, I hate passing up free food- particularly french fries!) As you walk forward now, along the starboard side of the ship, there is a small water park for kids and then, attached to the aft face of the structure containing the arcade and, above, the Vortex nightclub, is the rock‑climbing wall (#5).

The starboard side of the pool area was a repeat of the port side, but we did stop as we came alongside the dome over the solarium (#6) to take a picture of the view looking aft past the pool area towards Vortex. There were quite a few people out today; this was a cruising day, so no excursions to take people off the ship, and it was the last day of the cruise. As we pause here by the solarium dome you can see clearly the plants and stuff inside it. When we do the interior tour, I'll show you some pictures taken inside the solarium itself.

As we walked back forward along the starboard side of the fitness center, we took some more pictures, and I want to include three of the best ones here. One picture was taken at the boundary between the fitness center and the solarium (#6) but looking forward rather than aft, and you can see that picture of me here. As we approach the front of the fitness center (#7), Fred took a picture of me; this picture looks aft, of course. And I took a picture of the starboard side of the jogging track.

This brought us back to the bow of the ship (or as close as we could get to it on Deck 12) and ends our little tour of this deck.

So that's the exterior of the 'Jewel of the Seas.' We did a lot of walking on all three of these exterior decks, and I hope these three sets of pictures have given you an appreciation for what the ship itself was like. After you look at the pictures we took in Key West, coming up, you might want to examine some of the interior spaces aboard our ship.

You can use the links below to continue to another photo album page.

	February 4, 2008: Key West
	February 3, 2008: Fort Lauderdale
	Return to the Caribbean Cruise Master Index