Jacquelyn Boshoven

Review of Jumeirah Dhevanafushi

Our time in the Maldives was unforgettable. That s...

Our time in the Maldives was unforgettable. That said, we are unlikely to return to Jumeirah Vittaveli due to several issues that arose during our stay which created unnecessary stress.

Accommodations:
We booked the Private Ocean Retreat for our honeymoon. On our flight over, we were emailed that our room would not be ready as the delayed construction upgrades left them overbooked. This left us in the Two Bedroom Beach Villa for the first day with the promise we would be later moved into a Retreat furthest from the construction for our trouble.

The next day, we were told the Retreat promised was permitted a late check-out (+6hrs) and would not be ready anymore. We decided to wait for the one we were initially promised.

Waiting 2 days for our room was stressful, but we finally got into our room late on the second night. It felt communication was inconsistent and disorganized. Our compensation for the trouble was a free buffet dinner and we were later granted late check out in a Sunset Ocean Villa.

So, how did the rooms compare?

The Beach Villa was a bit of a let down for us. Views were blocked by greenery and the beach access wasn t truly private.

The Sunset Ocean Villa was better, but showed more wear, had views obstructed by the Private Ocean Suites, and was surrounded by broken coral.

The Private Ocean Retreat was incomparable! Every room had spectacular views of the ocean. The coral was healthier and allowed us to not only see countless reef fish, but also rays and even sharks (friendly). The water under the Retreat was well lit at night for viewing squid through the over-water hammock.

Food:
We tried the buffet, each of the restaurants (a la carte and reserved set menus), and in-villa dining. The food was expensive for what it was, but expected and understandable. We highly recommend the a la carte options over the buffet at Samsara.

Activities:
There were a handful of water activities from parasailing and jet skis to snorkeling, diving, and fishing. We enjoyed snorkeling with a turtle and viewing the coral reefs at sunset/night. These were expensive, but again not unexpected.

We honestly spent most of our time snorkeling off our villa (equipment provided), swimming in the pool, and relaxing in sun. It was amazing how much we saw from the villa alone (massive reef fish, rays, and blacktip reef sharks)!

Staff:
Natalie and the rest of the staff here were very friendly and helpful. We were often greeted moving around the island, which made us feel like home.

Transfer:
Our boat from the airport was relaxing as we enjoyed an air conditioned ride across clear waters.

Our boat back though was uncomfortable to say the least! After several groups arrived for departure, we were stuck waiting on a couple who was running late. This resulted in the driver trying to make up time. The entire boat repeatedly got air and swerved. Luggage fell over, staff were bounced off their feet, 1 person started throwing up, 2 grabbed life jackets, and another moved up to the front to see what was up. After a few minutes, a siren went off up front. Eventually the driver eased up and things smoothed out, but he continued to make attempts to cut time resulting in more discomfort. It was nice to be back on land.

Overall:
We highly recommend coming to the Maldives! It is a truly relaxing place with plenty of sea life to explore in unbelievably clear water. We look forward to revisiting the Maldives, but it is unlikely we will return to Jumeirah for two reasons:

1- Unsatisfactory resolution of a room issue which was in no way our fault.

2- The lack of responsibility to depart at a reasonable time so the driver wouldn t feel pressured to create a seriously uncomfortable return.

These two things were unexpected and very stressful. Had we gone elsewhere, we could have avoided this stress while still enjoying everything that makes the Maldives worth visiting.