mzloolue

Haven't been on the Sunshine just got back off the Jewel. I have done both lines and wouldn't hesitate to do either one again. I liked them both for different reasons and chose based on where we wanted to go that year.

What was your favorite thing about Jewel?

And what did you not like?

Last year we bought the Pandora like bracelets, and I still enjoy mine. However we also bought the watches in the gift boxes, and discovered the one we gave to my son in law had a date dial - which actually was fake! Beware.

Stay away from those watches!

I don't buy much.

I already have too much junk.:)

-+*

I would choose Jewel, but that is solely because I prefer NCL over CCL (by quite a lot)

ymmv

 

 

 

That is about the time Kevin Sheehan took over and things are very good since he took the reigns.

We sailed out first NCL cruise in 2007 and it was OK. Every NCL cruise we took after that were hands down the best cruises we have ever taken.

This sounds good.

I have read references to add on cost on Norwegian, but not specifically what the additional costs are.

We are trying to work around several people planning this cruise.

My sister's husband does not like sea days or beach days.

Basically he does not want to get wet or have wind blow on him.

He also needs entertainment.

And he wants to go somewhere he has not been before.

He is kind of a problem child in this.

He seems to like excursions where people ride on things.

Myself, I like a five day cruise, a good book in a shady deck chair, and as many sea days as I can get.

I don't get bored as DH and I keep ourselves amused.

-

I have sailed Elation 5 times.

Elation is the prettiest of the Fantasy class that I have been on.

Elation does a really good past guest party.

And the food in the buffet is actually good, especially if you get there as they are putting out dinner.

The serenity area is okay.

I try to slip out there and get a good chair fairly early.

Sitting on the serenity deck of Elation with a Long Island tea watching cars cross the bridge before sailaway is a totally relaxing and I know then that I am actually on vacation!

If you have any specific question I will try to answer it.

I will be able to answer your question when we get back on Feb 16th...we are going on the Jewel for a week then hopping on the Sunshine for a week :)

Please come back and tell us what you think.

The specialty restaurants were great and worth the money. We were a large group of 14 and they were always able to accommodate us. Buffet was large with plenty of selections. They also have a washy washy girl at the entrance who would spray your hands with hand sanitizer before you entered the buffet...this was a great idea.

 

The shows were entertaining.

 

Our room steward was very attentive.

 

We traveled in August and were worried we wouldn't be able to find a spot around the pool but we never had a problem.

 

It's been 2 years so I don't remember everything, but I would cruise Jewel again.

Okay, here is the big question about Jewel, do you remember if they had deck chairs looking out to the sea, but not around the pool?

Loved the Jewel in 2011 and am booked for Sunshine this summer.

What was good about Jewel?

Depending on the date, Jewel is $20 to $80 less than Sunshine.

Jewel also has four port days.

So, I am looking at cruises coming up from New Orleans.

Norwegian Jewel has a good price.

I have heard a lot about Sunshine that sounds not so good.

But I know nothing about Jewel except that I have seen it docked and it looks like a fairly new big white boat.

Has anyone been on one or the other or especially both and can help compare and contrast each ships good and not so good points?

Would Sunshine be worth more than Jewel to you?

Thanks!

Now I WOULD go to a hairy junk contest.

I might go too.

Once anyway.:)

If you got rid of it there would be a missing gap in the trip DVDs they want to sell you. :D

;)

I have wondered how many of those dvds they actually sell.

I don't know anyone who had actually bought one, do y'all?

... If they want my drink money, put steel drums back on Lido and forget the hairy chest junk.

Please don't give them any ideas.

A hairy junk contest would scare me...a lot!:eek:

It really doesnt cost them anything to do this so they figure why change.

 

and yes some days at sea there really isnt much to do.

 

Some new activities or games would be very welcome

This is probably true.

I would not miss the hairy chest contest.

Actually I have only seen part of it once.

That was enough.

I would be less likely to sail Carnival if I was not platinum already.

I enjoyed this thread.

My question is, I have not been on Destiny or Sunshine, but on Triumph, Glory, and Conquest there were areas on the side under the lifeboats with deck chairs.

Does Destiny/Sunshine have the deck chairs on the side?

DH says that if Sunshine has the deckchairs on the side he will go, if not, then he is waiting for Dream or doing another Elation cruise.

Love Elation, but we have done her five times now and it would be nice to be on a ship we don't know like the back of our hands.

DH likes the comedy club too, so I guess maybe we should say good riddance to Sunshine.

Man, I miss Triumph...

There are as many cookies as you want for no additional cost.

I guess it is fine with Carnival if you want to buy more cookies when you have already paid for all the food you care to eat.

That is cool!

Do you have any idea why you were chosen?

Wow, that is a deal.

Is this another casino deal?

The only thing we got was a card to DH that says "Belize Navidad" and hope to see you back in 2014.

I just went and got it to make sure it was not an offer.

It was not.

And I checked their site to see if we had any special offers and we don't.

Oh well, it was worth checking.

And congrats to those who get the offer!

We sailed on our first Holland America cruise last summer. At 82,000 tons, the Westerdam was hardly a small ship, but definitely smaller than my two previous ships (the 130,000 ton Carnival Dream and the 225,000 ton Allure of the Seas).

 

The experience was definitely a throwback to the more traditional days of cruising, with a more sophisticated atmosphere, port lecturers, fully stocked libraries, truly formal evenings, attention to detail, zero stupid pool games, and a blissfully quiet lido deck.

 

But as much as we enjoyed the experience provided by Holland, I can see how today's average cruiser, used to modern cruising and entertainment, would be bored to death on Holland. It's truly not for everyone.

That sounds really nice.

I think that DH and I would enjoy that. but

We don't get bored on cruises and we don't usually go to any of Carnival's offerings.

Maybe the early comedy show if we can get in.

Our first cruise was in 1982 on Song of Norway.

There was entertainment on one night.

No televisions in the cabins.

We were not bored.

Some folks still think that the mainstream cruise lines offer 'gourmet' food in the MDR. Really, it's on par (sometimes) with good hotel banquet fare. I'm just as happy to chow down at the buffet feeding troughs. At least you know what you're putting on your plate and not getting disappointed when served in the MDR.

 

Keep your expectations low and enjoy the cruise.

DH and I were on Elation last spring and spent a good bit of time sitting out in that outside area behind the buffet dining room and the serenity area, which on Elation is right under and behind the buffet eating area.

Anyway, we were passing through the buffet a bit more than we usually have.

And happened to notice when they were putting out dinner and it looked really good.

Then we went to the dining room and had stressed out servers and a really bad table.

So, we checked out the buffet again at dinner and ate there several evenings.

Right after they put out the dinner it was hot and fresh and the waiting time was very short.

It seemed to us that as the dinner service has declined, the buffet offerings have improved...a lot.

Thanks for posting these pictures. Was surprised when Bitter N Blanc was removed as I thought that was a popular dessert. As a matter of fact, a lot of my favorite desserts were removed such as the Crème Brulee and Grand Marnier Souffle. Also liked the cheese plate.

Yup.

It depends.

We used to sail from Mobile a bit.

It was a pretty easy drive and we could leave really early in the morning and get there by 2 or 3.

If we had to work the day before, it was still doable.

And kind of cool to go on a five day cruise, but only be gone from home for four days... kind of like a time warp.

That said, I would rather be there a day early and get on the boat early in the day.

It is more relaxed.

Now we mostly sail from New Orleans.

We leave after work and drive to about McComb or Hammond, then stop for the night and drive into New Orleans in the morning.

I am amazed at how many younger couples will put more on their sign and sail card than we paid for the cruise itself. One reason Carnival is more interested in the new cruisers than us repeaters.

This is true.

We used to go to WDW a lot.

This was starting in the years after 9-11.

I knew all the ins and outs and how to book for the most bang for the buck.

And WDW catered a bit to the repeat customer and Annual Pass Holders.

Then things changed.

They started liking their new friends better than their old friends.

WDW started closing up all the little ways to get a bit more for less.

The little perks for insiders disappeared.

They started charging more and giving less.

I know that they were seeking to maximize the amount of money they bring in.

Their advertising changed.

And they priced themselves out of my economic reality.

But a lot of people will tell you that it is still a good value, but not for me.

And every year they get a whole new crop of people who dream of taking their kids to see the mouse and spend way more money than I ever would or could.

I bring this up because I see the same things happening with Carnival.

I would not be surprised if the same people who changed things at Disney are working for Carnival now.

The advertising is similar and they seem to be adding more things that require extra payment.

The new customers spend more and they accept things as they find them.

I know that eventually Carnival too will price itself out of my economic reality.

But I am trying to enjoy it while I can.

I think it means he's at a job he hates. And that's 51 weeks a year.

He must hate it really really a lot.

I have had a few bad days on cruises.

Being at work would have been less stressful.

People who say that a bad day on a cruise is better than a good day at work must really not have experienced a bad day on a cruise.

Thanks for the video. I didn't think no tablecloths is a big thing but the service issues concern me. I still say they need to reduce the amount of tables each wait staff team covers.

True.

Service is really different now than it was a few years ago.

The waiters seem stressed out.