Like any vacation, going on a cruise is supposed to be a break from modern life. It’s a time to unwind from work and life’s daily responsibilities and expectations. Most people expect a certain standard of care to justify the expense, whether it’s room service or the buffet.
When one woman ordered room service on the Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas, she noticed something she said significantly diminished her cruise ship experience. Georgia-based content creator Tamika Reeves-Thomas (@marriedwithchildren03) had a “perfect” and “exceptional” experience on the cruise ship. But then her room service showed up under what she describes as a filthy lid.
Reeves-Thomas said the lid was “greasy” and had ketchup on it although their order didn’t include the condiment.
“Please do better. Pay too much money for this type of service,” Reeves-Thomas said.
As of this writing, her post has more than 273,000 views.
Reeves-Thomas said she tried to be understanding because the ship deals with a huge number of passengers.
“At the same time, that’s even more of a reason to make sure that you are careful,” she said.
While it’s possible the kitchen staff accidentally wiped some ketchup on the lid while preparing her order, it made her pay extra attention to the lids on her room service orders. She claims that none of them were clean.
“So pretty much almost all of them [were not clean],” Reeves-Thomas said. “They didn’t have stuff like this… But the tops were definitely greasy… as if they’re not washing them.”
For Reeves-Thomas, this poses a specific risk. She said she has an immune disease that means she “can’t do” dirty dishes or lids.
Reeves-Thomas didn’t respond to a TikTok direct message seeking comment.
Reeves-Thomas isn’t the person who’s called out the Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas. Online, the cruise ship has some notable reviews discussing unclean amenities.
In one review posted on Cruisecritic, a person said they noticed a “substance” on their in-room television, which had “split down the screen.” The substance was “difficult to clean off,” they wrote. They also noted that the bathroom, while clean, was “tired to say the least.”
A person on Reddit claimed that the Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas was not clean.
“There was no hygiene at all,” they wrote. “No one was making people wash [their] hands before entering the buffet. There was a purell stand but at least half the guests just walked right by it. More than once we witnessed tongs get dropped on the floor and put right back into the food.”
They continued, “Several of the dishes were dirty. No one was wiping tables between guests just clearing dirty plates. And the ship was packed with people coughing and sneezing constantly.”
Royal Caribbean didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.
Viewers who saw Reeves-Thomas’s post recommended other cruises.
One person, who claimed they’ve traveled on Jewel of the Seas, said, “My room was never vacuumed. I was so disgusted. They DID make it right though, they came by and cleaned up nicely and we enjoyed our time. Jewel is getting old, it’s time they redo some things.”
Another person said, “We literally just stayed on Royal Caribbean and got DIRTY coffee cups one day! And their answer was to give us a discount on a next cruise. They then sent me a certificate for only $100 off my next cruise. I’m a travel agent btw and told them I wouldn’t be selling Royal anymore. They don’t care!!! We were on Jewel too. We also had bed bugs.”
Then a third said, “I just got off that ship 2 weeks ago. I agree they need to do better, especially with the food choices. I didn’t have any dirty dish issues, but I wouldn’t sail on that particular ship again.”
@marriedwithchildren03 @Royal Caribbean🚢 🌊. I loved the stay until this happened today. Please do better. Pay too much money for this type of service. #royalcarribean #cruiseship #jeweloftheseas #anniversary #vacation ♬ original sound – Tamika Reeves-Thomas
