FIRST TIMER: Norwegian Jewel (Jan. 3rd)

Hello Everyone!

I'm going on my first cruise this January. It's sort of in celebration of graduation (my boyfriend and I), anniversary, and my birthday. It both our first time cruising, so I've been trying to do a lot of research on everything and am now hesitating when it comes to purchasing the "extra stuff". So here are the basics: 7 night cruise to Western Caribbean departing from Houston on the Norwegian Jewel. I'm sorry to bombard you all, but I'd love some answers to my questions and I'd LOVE to hear any suggestions, tips, or past experiences you've had as well! Thank you! Here's some questions I have at the moment:

• Is the Houston cruise port the same as the Galveston port?
  
• NCL is offering the unlimited beverages for $54/day. Woud you say this is a good deal? Is it more expensive to purchase it onboard?
  
• What are some things I should avoid/ avoid doing?
  
• How long does it normally take to board the ship? How long until you actually go into your room?
  
• How long does it normally take to depart the ship, I'm scared I'll miss my flight?
  

I can't wait to hear about all of your experiences and tips you have for me! Happy Cruising! :D

Houston and Galveston are two different ports.

The UBP is a good deal if you both drink. Roughly, you'll each have to consume 8-10 drinks a day to break even.

Embarkation is not bad. It should take no more than hour for you to board. Rooms are generally available by 1 PM. Could be earlier or could be later.

Debarkation begins around 8 AM and is usually pretty fast. That said, you can get hung up sometimes. The airport is 30 to 45 minutes depending on where you're flying from. I wouldn't book too early of a flight.

Enjoy your cruise.

Hello Everyone!

 

I'm going on my first cruise this January. It's sort of in celebration of graduation (my boyfriend and I), anniversary, and my birthday. It both our first time cruising, so I've been trying to do a lot of research on everything and am now hesitating when it comes to purchasing the "extra stuff". So here are the basics: 7 night cruise to Western Caribbean departing from Houston on the Norwegian Jewel. I'm sorry to bombard you all, but I'd love some answers to my questions and I'd LOVE to hear any suggestions, tips, or past experiences you've had as well! Thank you! Here's some questions I have at the moment:

• Is the Houston cruise port the same as the Galveston port?
  
• NCL is offering the unlimited beverages for $54/day. Woud you say this is a good deal? Is it more expensive to purchase it onboard?
  
• What are some things I should avoid/ avoid doing?
  
• How long does it normally take to board the ship? How long until you actually go into your room?
  
• How long does it normally take to depart the ship, I'm scared I'll miss my flight?
  

 

I can't wait to hear about all of your experiences and tips you have for me! Happy Cruising! :D

Firstly, we hope that you have a very happy birthday and anniversary during your cruise!!! We are not going on the same cruise date as you, but have been on the Jewel, so, if you have ship specific questions, ask away! We live in the Houston area, so again, ask away! we recommend arriving at least one day early and (if budget allows) see Kemah Boardwalk!

Do NOT buy the drink package if you don't drink more than 4 drinks, each, per day... just not worth it. If you are wine drinker, we would recommend either a "Tasting" or a wine package be booked immediately upon embarkation. Also, they do tend to have some drink specials/tastings that you might enjoy during the cruise. One thing you might like to spend your money on is the Thermal Suite pass (you can read more about this on NCL.com or CC. They do get sold-out quickly, though, as they are VERY popular! DO NOT over-pack!!! Try to "recycle" the same pants/shorts and have enough tops to make you feel comfortable. Boarding the ship can be quite variable, so just be prepared to stand in long lines exchanging stories with fellow shipmates!!!

We have done the Western Caribbean several times, so if you want more info, ask away!

Join the ROLL CALL for your cruise.

Do not think you have to do everything. Many people have a great time even without photos, lots of excursions, speciality dinners or drinks. Really.

Enjoy.

Join the ROLL CALL for your cruise.

 

Do not think you have to do everything. Many people have a great time even without photos, lots of excursions, speciality dinners or drinks. Really.

 

Enjoy.

garycarla gave great advice!!!

DO consider joining the Roll Call. Also, you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a great cruise. We have traveled quite frugally and grandly... always enjoying our cruises! Sometimes we book excursions, sometimes we go O.o.O (on our own), as we like to get the exercise of walking.

I am on the Jewel out of Houston in Oct 18th. We will be the second Cruise for NCL out of Bayport. A lot of the Cruisers on my Roll call are staying in the Area. This will be my second Cruise on the Jewel and she is a wonderful Ship. The Jewel class is a midsize and just right. Everyone has different experiences but I usually like to get to the Ship by 10:30. I may have to wait a bit but I feel like I am finally going. You will have to go through Security and then you will be directed to the line you will be checking in. Once you are aboard you can go to Deck 12 to the Buffet or down to Deck 6 where you go to the Aft and turn right and there is Tsar the Main Dining room and you can have a quiet Lunch. It is about one before they make the call that the Cabins are ready and you can take you hand Luggage to your Cabin. Then it is fun to get out and explore the Jewel. At about 3:30 they want everybody to go to a designed area for the Boat Drill. You sail away at 4 and they are having a big sailaway bash that is fun with Music and a B B Que. There are many choices as to where to eat..MDR ..Buffet..Specialty Dining..O'Sheehan's...I agree with what has been said about the drink package..If you don't drink a lot you can buy a bottle of wine and if you don't finish it the Waiter will mark it and give you a slip of paper and you can present it to the next Dining Room you go to!

Have a wonderful Cruise and check out some of the Jewel Roll calls. There is a lot to be learned there.

I am on the Jewel out of Houston in Oct 18th. We will be the second Cruise for NCL out of Bayport. A lot of the Cruisers on my Roll call are staying in the Area. This will be my second Cruise on the Jewel and she is a wonderful Ship. The Jewel class is a midsize and just right. Everyone has different experiences but I usually like to get to the Ship by 10:30. I may have to wait a bit but I feel like I am finally going. You will have to go through Security and then you will be directed to the line you will be checking in. Once you are aboard you can go to Deck 12 to the Buffet or down to Deck 6 where you go to the Aft and turn right and there is Tsar the Main Dining room and you can have a quiet Lunch. It is about one before they make the call that the Cabins are ready and you can take you hand Luggage to your Cabin. Then it is fun to get out and explore the Jewel. At about 3:30 they want everybody to go to a designed area for the Boat Drill. You sail away at 4 and they are having a big sailaway bash that is fun with Music and a B B Que. There are many choices as to where to eat..MDR ..Buffet..Specialty Dining..O'Sheehan's...I agree with what has been said about the drink package..If you don't drink a lot you can buy a bottle of wine and if you don't finish it the Waiter will mark it and give you a slip of paper and you can present it to the next Dining Room you go to!

Have a wonderful Cruise and check out some of the Jewel Roll calls. There is a lot to be learned there.

About wine (or any drinks) you may take them with you almost anywhere on the ship. If you want to walk out of a restaurant/bar with your drink (wine and glasses) that is ok! And in case you had not been told this yet, your Room Key" is your onboard "credit." (Tips are pre-added to ALL drinks, but feel free to add something extra, or not)

Wow, like I said this is my first time and also my first time posting a thread. I was pleasantly surprised how quickly everyone responded! Thank you so much for all your tips and I'd love to hear more.

I have been thinking about joining Roll Call and saw it when I first joined this, but wasn't sure what it all entailed and if it'd be something my boyfriend would wanna do...

I'm still on the fence about the Beverage Specials. I'm a huge soda drinker and my boyfriend definitely like to sip on beer at meals. So, I don't know if it's worth it...

Also, sidenote. This whole trip is a surprise for my boyfriend, which is why I'm struggling in decisions, because I don't have him to consult with and I'm just guessing blindly on what he might like. Haha. =)

Wow, like I said this is my first time and also my first time posting a thread. I was pleasantly surprised how quickly everyone responded! Thank you so much for all your tips and I'd love to hear more.

 

I have been thinking about joining Roll Call and saw it when I first joined this, but wasn't sure what it all entailed and if it'd be something my boyfriend would wanna do...

 

I'm still on the fence about the Beverage Specials. I'm a huge soda drinker and my boyfriend definitely like to sip on beer at meals. So, I don't know if it's worth it...

 

Also, sidenote. This whole trip is a surprise for my boyfriend, which is why I'm struggling in decisions, because I don't have him to consult with and I'm just guessing blindly on what he might like. Haha. =)

I hope he LOVES his surprise!

Your other options for drinks might be; purchasing "Soda Packages" (PEPSI products!) and/or CORKS and CAPS (since he drinks beers). Or, there usually are daily beer bucket sales, around $25 for 6 bottles. (Remember, they can be taken to your stateroom and kept cold there!) Since it doesn't sound like you drink a lot of alcoholic beverages, the SODA package might work best, and then buy beer buckets as desired.

You can join your roll call, as others have suggested, and get good tips and ideas from the very people who will be on the same cruise as you. It's likely that some of them will also have been on the Jewel in the past and will be able to share some of their experiences with you.

We have been on the Jewel once and will be on her again in just 11 days :D so we promise to take good care of her for you.

Even if you don't post questions on the boards, it's good to read many of the threads and learn all you can before you get on the ship. There is a treasure chest of information here at Cruise Critic.

Enjoy your time!

You can join your roll call and not be obligated to do anything you don't want to do. You can ask questions, if you like, or join in discussion or not. It is totally up to you but there is a lot to be learned on a specific sailing that you are going on.

If you just want to read what is on there, you can do that too. They may plan some activities for the group and you can attend if you like but if you don't want to don't feel like you have to. It is your cruise, do whatever you want to do.

If you have more questions, don't hesitate to ask. Most people on here are more than happy to help any way they can. They have a wealth of experience.

I hope you and your boyfriend have the time of your life. We will be on the Jewel in April. Can't wait!!!

Houston and Galveston are two different ports.

 

The UBP is a good deal if you both drink. Roughly, you'll each have to consume 8-10 drinks a day to break even.

 

Embarkation is not bad. It should take no more than hour for you to board. Rooms are generally available by 1 PM. Could be earlier or could be later.

 

Debarkation begins around 8 AM and is usually pretty fast. That said, you can get hung up sometimes. The airport is 30 to 45 minutes depending on where you're flying from. I wouldn't book too early of a flight.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Awesome! Thanks for the information. For the longest time, whenever I searched Houston Cruise port, it would only pull up the Galveston location, but I seem to be able to find the Port of Houston in Pasadena now. Thank you!

Would you recommend me boarding after or closer to the 1pm mark that way our rooms will be ready for us as well?

The closest airport to the port I'll be taking is Houston (Hobby), TX, correct?

Awesome! Thanks for the information. For the longest time, whenever I searched Houston Cruise port, it would only pull up the Galveston location, but I seem to be able to find the Port of Houston in Pasadena now. Thank you!

 

Would you recommend me boarding after or closer to the 1pm mark that way our rooms will be ready for us as well?

 

The closest airport to the port I'll be taking is Houston (Hobby), TX, correct?

Definitely board early. You will check your luggage with a porter and if you have a carry on bag, you can store it. Explore the ship, get the feel for it, and then go have lunch in the main dining room (NOT the buffet). Once you're done with lunch, your room will probably be ready to go. Your luggage will arrive in a few hours. The Great Outdoors is one of the best spots on the Jewel. ENJOY!!

I think you will really like the Jewel. We just got off of her from an Alaskan cruise. We've been on her twice to Alaska. And twice to Alaska on her sister ship, the Pearl.

We love going to the Spinnaker Lounge during quieter times. They have the coolest bed/lounger things to lay on. Curved. They are so comfy and relaxing. Room for two. Dh and I loved laying there and gazing out to sea. We even fell asleep. Just wonderful!

Another favorite spot of ours in The Great Outdoors. We would take our buffet food out there and enjoy the sun and the views.

We loved sitting in the loungers at the far front of the ship, outside. I think deck 13? Great view.

On embarkation day, go to Tsar's Palace for lunch instead of the over-crowded buffet. So relaxing, and you can often get a nice window seat.

O'Sheehans is a wonderful place to eat if you want faster service than eating in the dining rooms but don't want to do the buffet.

If the Cirque show is still playing, don't sit any closer than row 9 or 10. A lot of the show is aerial, and much of it is over row 7 or so. Don't miss Jean Pierre if he's still performing. Such a great magician and so very funny.

Make sure to check out the Bridge Viewing Room, located deck 11 far front. It's neat to see what goes on in the Bridge. Plus there are some things to see hanging on the walls etc.

Also, just past the Garden Buffet they serve made-to-order crepes. So very yummy. They start serving at 5 pm. Stop at 8:30? Not sure on the ending time. We enjoyed those a lot. My favorite was ordering blueberry and lemon. Yum!

I just got to say what GREAT feed back this young lady got from all of the CC peeps....That's why I love this site....Good job to all... With that done.... I'm a partyer and can drink....Beer mostly, but the price of a beer being 6.50 a beer and 5 beers for 35(they throw the 6th in for free)That's nice of them....LOL... It up to you and the bf... once you get on the ship the beers flow... I've had a bill of $1800(licker only) on a 9 day cruise.. So if you party the UDP is the way to go(You don't have to buy it the 1st day. but you must buy it by the 2nd.. and the 1st nite goes to UBP) Check it out... About the Jewel.. I been on her 4 times.. Out of NY when she was up here... You will love her.. From inside cabin to the havens she just a GREAT ship(and so is ncl)....Have a GREAT CRUISE.... Be safe BUT MOST OF ALL GOD BLESS!!!!!;)

Awesome! Thanks for the information. For the longest time, whenever I searched Houston Cruise port, it would only pull up the Galveston location, but I seem to be able to find the Port of Houston in Pasadena now. Thank you!

 

Would you recommend me boarding after or closer to the 1pm mark that way our rooms will be ready for us as well?

 

The closest airport to the port I'll be taking is Houston (Hobby), TX, correct?

Yes, Hobby airport is much closer than IAH. Mileage to the cruise terminal is nineteen miles from Hobby according to Mapquest.

You might want to check out the Gulf Coast Departures board as there are a number of threads that you might find useful.

Hello Everyone!

 

I'm going on my first cruise this January. It's sort of in celebration of graduation (my boyfriend and I), anniversary, and my birthday. It both our first time cruising, so I've been trying to do a lot of research on everything and am now hesitating when it comes to purchasing the "extra stuff". So here are the basics: 7 night cruise to Western Caribbean departing from Houston on the Norwegian Jewel. I'm sorry to bombard you all, but I'd love some answers to my questions and I'd LOVE to hear any suggestions, tips, or past experiences you've had as well! Thank you! Here's some questions I have at the moment:

• Is the Houston cruise port the same as the Galveston port?
  
• NCL is offering the unlimited beverages for $54/day. Woud you say this is a good deal? Is it more expensive to purchase it onboard?
  
• What are some things I should avoid/ avoid doing?
  
• How long does it normally take to board the ship? How long until you actually go into your room?
  
• How long does it normally take to depart the ship, I'm scared I'll miss my flight?
  

 

I can't wait to hear about all of your experiences and tips you have for me! Happy Cruising! :D

We cruised the Jewel back in December. We left out of NOLA, so don't really know anything about Houston. However, I did a full review on the Jewel with hundreds of pictures if you are interested. It's located in my signature line. :)

I just disembarked from Jewel yesterday and will try to answer any questions. We travelled as a family with two tweens, so our drinking habits may be different from a young couple. That said, I couldn't begin to imagine how I could drink enough to make it worth $54 a day. I would probably worry the whole time that I wasn't "keeping pace." (However, I'd probably stop worrying after drinking all day.) You really can't lose by paying per drink. But you could lose by overpaying for days you drink lightly. Sodas are about $2.40 including the forced gratuity. Beer and wine is about $6 or 7. You can bring soda on the ship and you'll have a mini fridge in your cabin. You can get a cup of ice from the buffet area.

I was so confused about what drinks would be available that I actually packed chocolate syrup to mix in my boys' milk and individual kool-aid and lemonade packets for their water. That was totally unnecessary. Complimentary chocolate milk is available everywhere, and non-carbonated flavored drinks are available almost everywhere. There were two flavors: tropical mango and strawberry kiwi. My husband and I loved the strawberry kiwi drink. The boys always had milk, chocolate milk or ice water. By the way, the water tasted great. No need to worry about that. Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are complimentary. Fruit juices, like orange and apple, are also complimentary.

Following this since DH and I will be on the Jewel Nov. 1. I've only cruised once and it was on the Caribbean Princess and they had a wonderful Coffee Card for 14 specialty coffees. Do they have something similar on NCL?

You will love the Jewel!

I didn't see where anyone mentioned that you could bring on 12 packs or cases of soda and water when you board. Some ports will let you slap on a luggage tag and deliver to the room and others will ask that you bring it on with you. We have a soft sided rolling cooler that is collapsible for this purpose. There is also a fridge in the room. You can snag some of the little milk cartons from the breakfast buffet and put them in the fridge if you like a little milk with a cookie or before bed. The soda onboard NCL is all Pepsi. If I bought the soda card and had only Pepsi to choose from, I would be upset.

You can also bring on wine and pay the corkage fee. For a list of wine costs, visit the NCL website to see if this makes sense to do. Also search on these boards Jewel dailies and you will see a listing for tastings...like martini tastings where you can try different drinks for one price and meet other cruisers as well. They also have pub crawls at certain times as well as the drink of the day.

In cruises past, we have packed one of the bullet type blenders, had the cabin steward bring us ice and we purchased a bottle of rum for the cabin. We had also brought some daiquiri mix and made our own. I know others have used rum runners to bring on their own liquor but you run the risk of being called to the naughty room.

I did not realize on our first NCL cruise that they had made to order omlettes in the buffet or crepes. I also knew nothing of the yummy pretzel rolls until Cruise #2.

The Blue Lagoon (or maybe they have changed it to O'Sheehans now) is a great place for a quick bite of pub type food. You can also get them to put items in a to go box to take back to the cabin. I did not realize until Cruise #3 that they also had breakfast available too. Sometimes it is quicker and less crowded than the buffet.

As others have mentioned, your room key is essentially your money on board. Check your on board balance regularly during the cruise. That way you know how much you are spending and can more easily get mistakes corrected instead of waiting until the day of debarkation....especially if you are in a hurry.

Check out the roll call. You are not obligated to do anything with anyone but you might meet some great people and you can all get excited together.

I would also urge you to read through mitsugirly's Jewel review. Her reviews are THE BEST and there are lots of pics of the ship.

There are also port of call boards if you wanted to book excursions on your own. I find we end up getting a better deal than going with the ship's excursions.

Enjoy and happy planning!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oops I hit SEND instead of going to the next post. Can't delete it. It's an informative post!

Awesome! Thanks for the information. For the longest time, whenever I searched Houston Cruise port, it would only pull up the Galveston location, but I seem to be able to find the Port of Houston in Pasadena now. Thank you!

 

Would you recommend me boarding after or closer to the 1pm mark that way our rooms will be ready for us as well?

 

The closest airport to the port I'll be taking is Houston (Hobby), TX, correct?

Depending on weather and a few other possible factors, boarding a ship at the Port of Houston can sometimes be a bit lengthy and confusing. IF you are being "dropped-off," rather than parking in the lot, things might go a bit more smoothly for you. However, if the ship is delayed by fog, or other problems, lengthy delays can occur heading into the port area. Be prepared to sit in a line of traffic! And, be prepared to stand in a line (outside the building) pre- security. For further information from last year at PoH, look at reviews from Caribbean Princess passengers (Nov 2013 - April 2014).

For example, our cruise in January, was delayed by about 6 hours, due to both fog and a need for Caribbean Princess to be sanitized! We sat in a long line of cars being re-routed through the port area. Then we were directed to where you can drop-off luggage and then headed to parking. Once we parked, we walked over to stand in a line for check-in (security was fairly quick). We were lucky enough to have a mild afternoon, so we enjoyed our wait talking with other passengers! We did NOT have Priority Embarkation, so I can not comment on that.

Some factors that may determine your experiences: Will you be in a Suite with Priority Embarkation? Are you driving to port or being dropped-off? And, of course, the ship may be delayed coming into/leaving port!

With all of that said, I recommend arriving at a time with which YOU feel comfortable. AND, be prepared for possible delays! Be prepared to stand in variable weather (Wear layers and have water repellant outerwear and umbrellas on hand)!

I never saw anything about a coffee card. The complimentary coffee was acceptable. We drank it daily. There is a non-complimentary specialty coffee bar in the Crystal Atrium (the main lobby area) which is where you can also buy Carlo's Bakery items.

I wish NCL did have a coffee card. I'm not interested in the soda or alcohol packages but I'd sure buy a coffee card. We did one cruise on Carnival and bought their coffee card. It was a good investment for us.

But there are coffee makers in the cabins in balcony and above cabins. And in addition to the regular coffee in the buffet, there are grind and brew coffee makers that you can get pretty good coffee from.