Jubilee - opinions please?

[kitkat]

My daughter wants to go on the Jubilee in Jan for her birthday. I know it is one of the older, smaller ships. this would be a 4 day sailing. Is it worth the money? How is the ship, the food, etc.

We have been on a larger and newer ship and know that it will be different. Any thoughts and opinions are appreciated.

Kat

 

[Al]

What ship have you previously sailed? You may be in for a real surprise if it's one of the newest ones. I cruised on the Jubilee in 1995, and was disappointed. It's now 16 years old, and not much has changed. The buffet lines are interminable (only two stations), and there's not much to do, in comparison with the bigger vessels. But on the other hand, it's probably a decent choice for a short cruise. The food shouldn't be any different from other Carnival ships, although the choices might be a bit limited. January is a pretty good time for decent prices (folks suffering from credit card shock after Christmas), so if you can come in under $100/day, you should be fine. Understand, however, that the cost per day is greater on the shorter runs. In any event, it's better than not cruising at all. Enjoy!!

 

[Linda C]

Hi Kat. My family and I sailed on the Jubilee out of Tampa in July 2002 and we had a wonderful time. Although the ship IS an older one, she is still in great shape. The cabins are spacious and the little amenity baskets were a nice touch. The food was very good and the service we received from all of the staff was exceptional. This was the third cruise for my hubby and I, the first for our girls, ages 11 and 15. We took the 5 day to W Caribbean and my only complaint is that it was too short. I must admit that I was a little apprehensive about the Jubilee after reading some negative reviews but if you keep an open mind, you'll have a blast. Hope this helps.
Linda

 

[celticcruiser]

KitKat,

My husband & I have sailed on both the "Celebration" & the "Jubilee", and we had a wonderful time on both. One real advantage to the smaller ships is that it's easier to get familiar with the layout AND with your fellow passengers & the crew. You don't say how old your daughter is, but if she's young, this can be a definite plus.

The food onboard was fabulous, and the service was excellent, from cabin steward to maitre'd. As for activities, there is plenty to do for everyone. On our first cruise, it rained too hard to go ashore at Calica, so we spent the day at bingo and other games, playing board games & using the computers in the library, taking a tour of the engine room, having tea & cakes in the piano bar, etc. I guess in the end it all boils down to what you make of it.

As for the price, if you don't pay full price, it's well worth it. If you need a reference for a travel agent who knows what she's doing in planning cruises, email me for the name & phone number.

Hope your daughter has a wonderful trip!

 

[soochr]

Kit Kat...i was on the jubilee last jan and it was horrible. the ship is very old, the stabelizers are in bad shape and you felt EVERY rock and roll, on sea days there was nothing to do, the lounges in the eveing were never open. Im from sarasota and we met another couple from sarasota and became very friendly. they are cruisers also and when we get together, all we can talk about was how bad this cruise was. my opinion, just an opinion, go on a newer ship. i think you will like it alot better. there really is nothing worse than looking forward to something so much and being disappointed. im not slamming carnival as i have another cruise planned for january on the sensation out of tampa and really looking forward to it.

 

[D]

We went on the Jubilee 2 years ago in Nov. I must say that it remains my least favorite ship due to the fact that the ship rocked and rolled a lot and the beds were hard! On the other hand, we had a good time in spite of that. We have sailed on Sovereign, Monarch, Grand Princess, Pride, and Triumph in addition to the Jubilee.

 

[Don & Annie]

It is the smallest ship we've ever cruised, but my brother and I and our wives invited Mom & Dad earlier this year for a 4 day cruise since they winter in St. Petersburg, FL and we had a wonderful time. Very clean and very nice, just not as big as we'd cruised in the past. This was Mom & Dad's first cruise, and they were so impressed, they're ready to go again. I'd go on another Jubilee cruise any time without giving it a second thought.