NCL Norwegian Jewel Review- Just Back!!!

HISTORY:

I returned last Sunday,March 18th, from the NCL Norwegian Jewel. This was our fourth cruise with NCL, having been on the Star when it first started sailing in Hawaii, the Sky in Alaska, and the Dawn when it sailed from Florida (not NYC) to the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean.

Overall this was our 12th cruise overall, having sailed with other great lines, including other favorites like Celebrity and Holland America.

We have no children and are 40 and 43. We love to travel the world and don’t just go on cruises. We enjoy seeing the USA as well as other countries and continents and travel quite regularly.

I preface my review with this information, so that it may be more pertinent to like travelers. We see things slightly differently due to our age and not having any children.

CHECK-IN AND APPEARANCE OF SHIP:

We left out of Miami, Pier 10, as the Pearl was in. It was a little confusing getting to #10 by taxi, after turning at the sign that said #10….we made the block, got back in line and followed the other cars straight up to the ship in an area marked for deliveries or some other vehicles. It WAS the correct drop-off point though.

Immediately, our bags were taken, and we were sent to the “first tent”…..a holding area.

In line, there were probably no more than 60 people ahead of us. It was approximately 11:15 a.m. We were soon ushered into the larger tent system. Quickly we were given ship cards, photographed and sent aboard. We proceeded to the ship where we were warmly greeted and made our way to the cabin.

On our way we passed Tango’s and after having read online about booking dinner reservations, we were the first in line to book our first night reservation. We had a coupon for a buy one get one free at those specialty restaurants on the first night. We picked Teppanyaki. At first, she denied the coupon and then DH spoke to her about how it did not state that on the coupon. She called the manager, and the coupon was given the okay.

OUR CABIN:

Proceeded then to our Cabin…#11147, Handicapped (though we are NOT) inside cabin that is SOOOOO spacious. It was great. We had picked the cabin knowing that if it was needed for a special guest, we would give it up for an upgrade to the next category. We were fine with that. So, we did not have to give up the cabin and had a VERY spacious inside room. It even has a sofa, but the big deal is the extra space. It did have a roll-in shower. Personally we loved having a larger bathroom and room. IT is a better deal for us than having a balcony or a window. We are from Texas and like our space. For just the two of us, we are very organized and like unpacking our suitcases, stowing them neatly under the bed and having things all in their places. The only drawback to a handicapped shower is that the bathroom does flood, but quickly it dissipates down the drains. Never did our cabin flood. And some days, when we had spa treatments or bought a day pass, we showered in the spa.

The cabin is equipped with a very good “HOT POT” type of water kettle and a very good hairdryer (and I AM picky about the hairdryer). I had even taken my own, but never did I have to use my own hairdryer. The ship hairdryer works well.

In addition, we took extra hangers in our suitcases to hang our clothing. Being organized, it makes it all a little easier to fit everything into the closet and know what we will be wearing each day (and night).

The ship’s appearance is beautiful. It is spotless on the outside and painted with the bright colors like the other NCL newer ships. Personally, it is jazzy. This lets you know that you are on an exciting journey, a lively ship. The inside of the ship is both elegant and whimsical. The carpet is lively and good quality for a cruise ship. The décor is sea-inspired and features ornate décor in restaurants and artwork throughout the ship. The main show theatre is beautiful. We found the ship to be so much like the Star and Dawn, but each ship has its own unique features to it.

This ship is missing a movie theater. Coming from a tiny town in Texas, we often look forward to seeing a first-run movie onboard. Not to fret, movies are shown round-the-clock on two channels on the tv in your cabin. Not quite the feel of the movies, but still engaging enough to relax in your cabin and catch a flick. BUT, in a deck plan I had from the ship at one point, a theater had been in the plan. I guess that changed.

Additionally, there is now a BRIDGE VIEWING ROOM. It is a great feature since there are no more bridge tours. (Remember the old days? I have pictures of my husband at the helm.) In this room, you find memorabilia. It is under the spa at the bridge. Sometimes the shades are drawn, according to what the Captain said, but we never encountered that problem. You will also find navigational info as to location of the ship, knots, etc. by radar for you to see what they see.

THE SPA AND FITNESS CENTER:

The spa is a Mandara Spa. It has Elemis products and is quite modern. The thermal loungers look out to sea at the front of the ship. In the Dawn and the Star, I believe the spa was at the back. This ship it is at the front. Missing from the Jewel is the indoor lap pool found on the other two sister ships built prior to this one. BUT, the Jewel does have a thalassotherapy pool, men’s and women’s changing rooms equipped with showers, wet and dry sauna, and whirlpool Jacuzzi as well as loungers looking out to sea. We both had massages by Maria and thoroughly enjoyed it. She is a tiny thing, but a powerhouse. She is so strong. It is by far one of the best I have had in the last year. (1 out of 10) Of course, they do have you fill out a form about your ailments, etc. and try to sell you items after the treatment.

On the first day, we also had toured the spa. After the spa tour, you can register to win a spa treatment. They gave away 4 treatments, but you had to be present to win. Only 7 of us showed up for the drawing. 4 winners…our chances were good. I won a foot and ankle massage. A nice freebie. My DH won a spa day pass. (He loved that.) The other two won mini-facial (male and female). Then I believe the spa felt sorry for the other 3 (all one family) and offered them one more item. I am not sure what, but it was a nice touch since the 4 original winners were two couples (another couple and us).

The fitness center had ample equipment and offered free classes throughout the week. We tried yoga (stretch class) and step aerobics. Patrick was helpful.

PUBLIC AREAS:

We found the public areas to be kept clean and neat. I saw an employee cleaning crevices in the Garden Café along a divider wall. I was impressed. The ship sparkles and shines. It smells fresh. Hand sanitizers are placed throughout the ship, and guests are encouraged to use them and discouraged from shaking hands.

Missing in the atrium area is the grand atrium going MANY stories up. To me, it was not a big deal. There is much to see and do in this area anyway, and it still seems beautiful. The front desk in that area was never crowded. My husband checked the bill throughout the cruise and found that the staff were courteous to him at all times, and he rarely had to wait but a minute in line.

SHOPPING:

Shopping on board is limited to the main duty free store with liquor, t-shirts and souvenirs and Columbian Emeralds jewelry store and one other perfumery/Swarovski/Lladro type store. The selection of things that were shipboard specials did appear on certain nights and were listed in the Freestyle Daily or flyers.

I purchased a beautiful cultured pearl necklace on the last day at sea for half price, $100. It is quite nice and included a bracelet. Smaller tiny pearls and gold beads were $49.95. I think mine is a value as I have priced them elsewhere.

SERVICE:

The service on the Jewel is top-notch. The staff is courteous and accommodating. They seem to know the people that like to visit and those that don’t want to visit with them. Our cabin stewards were Bernandy and Francis. They did a remarkable job of keeping our cabin perfect. Nightly, we had the towel animals. In addition, the Captain, Concierge and Hotel Manager sent us canapés. A nice touch!

Restaurant service was perfect. I drink a lot of water or tea. Constantly it was being refilled by the various staff. Luis, the Maitre D’ in the Tsar’s Palace was so friendly and helpful. A request to sit in another part of the dining room was remembered when we arrived the next night. On another night, a special table was prepared to seat us in an area we wanted to be in. They went to great strides to make us happy.

The auto-tipping is fair to all, in our opinion. In the old days, I would see the unhappy faces of some of the waiters or the cruisers that would skip dinner on the last night to skip tipping. I know that is the pits, but it happened. It was unfair. $10 per person per day is a small amount to pay to share with all service employees. I think most of the time the ones that complain about it are the ones trying to be frugal. If you don’t think your service was as great, you can talk to the front desk, remove the charges and pay your own gratuities. I think it is important to remember that the employees are counting on at least the minimum tip. It is expected in their pay.

RESTAURANTS:

We did eat at Teppanyaki on the first night. The food was fabulous and company friendly. We had a 7:30 reservation, and it went like clock-work…in/out, and service with a smile. Great presentation skills were had by the chefs! In addition to the extra service fee for this specialty restaurant we used the first night coupon from a book given to us by the TA. My steak was the best I had all week. My husband had scallops and added a lobster tail. It was delicious. My request for no-garlic was honored. (I am allergic.)

It does seem that NCL is making up for keeping the prices low, by adding fees for more things. There is a fee for a spa pass daily of $15.00 without a major treatment. With a treatment, you may use the facilities for an hour before or after the treatment. The spa pass allows you access all day. They have a week pass. We did not see it reasonable as we usually only want to go there two or three times and are busy onboard or onshore anyway. They also are charging for some of the specialty restaurants and have gone up on the additional fees. Corkage fees (I am told) are charged for opening your own bottle of wine. Photos seems to be pricier.

Personally, we are fine keeping the costs lower overall and then charging for the extras. It makes a lot of sense, providing they are upfront with cruisers prior to the trip.

As for the main dining restaurants, the menus are identical. The food in these restaurants is good. I did feel, after dining on the Star and the Dawn (same size ship as the Jewel) and the Sky, that the main dining room is not seeming to offer the variety that NCL used to for the main restaurants. I think they are provoking guests to try specialty restaurants for maybe more upscale items. Just my thoughts.

BUT, to be fair to NCL , the food was great everywhere. The buffet in the Garden Café was fresh and actually the best buffet of any cruise I have been on. They now have a salad and soup station, a hot station, a dessert station, and fresh to order pasta or omelettes, fruit and cold cuts, and a sandwich station. The coffee maker is impressive with options such as café latte, cappuccino, espresso, regular and decaf. Tea is available and hot tea options are many. I, personally, loved the Lipton “Lemon Lane” tea, but enjoyed the variety. I even made some in the room. The ice cream machine allowed guests to make their own sundaes or cones. Sometimes it oozed and was the butt of a joke at the Second City Improv show….but for the most part, it was always perfect.

The pool-side bbq smelled great and looked good. Again, the staff constantly cleaned up in a hurry and shuffled the debris and tools away neatly. They seem to have the routine down well.

Mama’s Kitchen was nice. It is a specialty restaurant, but it doesn’t require an additional fee. For us, we made a reservation. It seemed to be hard for some to get into, but for a table for two, we had no trouble. Tiramisu was fabulous here. Nice ambiance.

Tsar’s is beautiful. It is very similar to the big dining on the Star and Dawn and one of the main reason’s we love the NCL fleet. It is elegant and reminiscent of the Titanic type dining room, being very palatial.

Azure is also pretty in a trendy modern way. We ate there for the Murder Mystery Dinner, which you must sign up for the day before. We then attended the dinner. We had met some people and told them about it, so we had a group. They divided us into groups of 8 to play characters and dine, acting it out. If you have some fun people, it is great. Ours was a hoot. We really enjoyed the charade. It is a great time. (And some women played male roles, etc.)

WINE LIST:

The wine list is extensive and has many fair prices. They will cork it and store it for you for no fees and you can drink on another night.

The regular bar drinks (not call alcohol or frozen concoctions) were a fair price.

If you buy a souvenir glass or a frozen concoction, it seemed rather pricey.

You have to save your receipt to get your $5.00 deposit back for your helmut for your beer.(I am told....I did not drink beer.)

SHORE EXCURSIONS:

We booked our shore excursions online. By doing this several weeks ahead of time, we then had a confirmation sent back by email. When we arrived, the shore excursion tickets were on our bed, along with welcome letters, etc. MANY shore excursions were sold out. Since we are picky about what we want to do, as we have been to all the islands many times before by boat or staying on them for a week at a time, we know what we want to do at each port. We like to know that we will get our pick. It is relatively easy to maneuver the website for the shore excursions.

CRUISE CRITIC MEETING:

Likewise, we made the arrangements with NCL’s ship coordinator for the JEWEL, to confirm the meeting for the Cruise Critics free of charge in the Star Bar, Deck 13, by Cagney’s. It was scheduled for the first sea day, Monday, at 10:30 a.m. If you have a large enough group that can get together, it helped having the ship coordinator. She will know if anything is already scheduled for the meeting spot. Some have informally set up meetings in the past, only to find BINGO going on or something else in the designated meeting spot. At our meeting, they offered us juices and water and cookies. Nice touch. Not really hungry, but effort put into making it nice. SURPRISE! The Captain and Crew (officers, Hotel Manager, Room Service Manager) came to our meeting. It was great meeting him firsthand. Captain Tom (Tommy) Stensrud is first-class. He is a great speaker, personable (my husband ran into him in the spa sans nametag working out and he still was friendly), young (48), and knowledgeable. He anwered questions and volunteered to meet again to listen to suggestions, etc. Hotel Manager Arnando d’ Silva from Madeira was a character. He LITERALLY runs a tight ship. He has so much to oversee, and it all runs so smoothly. He seems to love his job as well.

Being Latitudes members, we saw the same crew later in the day, and again, they were cordial and recognized us.

Then, once more, my husband and I met them for the VIP party, dressed a little better and drinking some fine wine. We were honored to be included in the festivities were we met some fellow Texans that were traveling in high style in the Villas.

NCL has gone above and beyond to make me feel welcome and special. It is hard to think of going back to some other line when they really all seem to care. From the waiters to the stewards to the Maitre’ D to the Captain, it seems they all care and know that is what it is all about in the cruise industry. Happy cruisers make happy customers. Happy customers come back for more.

ONBOARD ACTIVITIES:

There were plenty of Spring Breakers, but they managed to keep them under control (and surveillance). The eye in the sky is always at work. I am amazed. They knew when the SB’s had tried to pass a bottle of booze under the table at dinner. Caught red-handed.

NCL does a great job of trying to get people involved onboard. We tried Karaoke. The cruise staff sings, too, and sometimes they are not so good. I think that is a good thing, because this makes others think, “What the heck! If he can sing, so can I.” It is a fun time and guests enjoyed listening. My husband and I participated twice each. We had a hard time finding songs we knew. It seemed a little more geared to teenage music, but we did find several selections. (And he cannot sing at all by the way…but some good laughs.) This is in the Fyzz bar. The karaoke rooms were never used that I ever saw. They, too, are apparently for rent. It would have been nice to send the little kids in there. They love karaoke, but they are not so great and to couples watching, we got a little tired of all the little kids. (Not to say a little is not okay…but late at night drinking and visiting, it would be nice to limit it to adults. Other times of the evening, I could see letting them have the limelight.) Apparently, they also offered Twisted Karaoke, which was led by the Second City Improv group. It was supposed to be a hoot.

The library and card room had great selections of books and games. They did not have playing cards. You could buy them in the gift shop; however, we had taken our own.

Other things onboard include: Jeopardy and trivia (and now trivia via plasma tv in the Fyzz lounge, an interactive trivia game); the Newlywed-Not-SO-Newlywed game; Family Feud; Guest Talent Show; regular shows, magician, sexy legs by the pool contest for males, etc.

As for the production shows, the Jean Ann Ryan Company must be the best in the business. They put on a Cirque Bijou show that was fabulous, with trapeze artists swinging above the theater seats, etc. The Magician was pretty good. He hails currently from Las Vegas and has a good stage presence. The Second City Group is hilarious. We only saw them once, and that was by chance since we were in the theatre after the Murder Mystery to find out “WHODUNNIT?” We ended up staying for the Improv and laughed so hard. So many of the things are pertinent to the actual things happening onboard at that time…ex: leaky sanitizer in the Garden Café. The pianist was great and bands that played onboard sounded fabulous. It is a little different hearing an accented Polynesian looking female singing Patsy Cline or other country hits…but they still were amazing.

DOCTORS:

I had no reason to see the staff doctors, but I did meet a person that had an unfortunate need for one. It seemed that several cruisers ate at the sandwich bar on the day of St. Thomas and fell ill. The fact is that I, too, picked up a sandwich between the shopping and beach tour. I picked the right sandwich, a turkey pita. Unfortunately, the ham pita was a bad choice. This gal was very sick. They ship gave her a shot and waved the doctor’s fee and sold her medicine. Food illnesses happen. But, when many people are ill and all are confined to the same place, it is easier to find how or where it happened. On a cruise when this happens, they now have you fill out a lengthy survey to pinpoint what it could be. This is how they knew what the commonality was between all of the people that were ill. Unfortunate, but they did take responsibility.

While that is not good, I am not unreasonable and realize mistakes like that happen. Could it have been from sitting out too long on the sandwich bar….are ham pita pockets popular? I don’t know. It is unfortunate.

NOTE ON CHILDREN:

I have no children, and I am a teacher. I like a break from them. I don’t mind being around some kids, but I don’t want to be bombarded with all little kids on a ship. In addition, I know picking to go at Spring Break is risky.( I actually went sailing with some of the SB’ers…and they were quite fun….) I feel like NCL is smart because they offer something for all ages. It is not totally geared to families or totally marketed as a party boat, but is unique that it wants to be for everyone. Young, old, with family reunion type, with friends, couples, honeymooners, single people, siblings traveling together, with teens or babies, etc. I like that. I think it gives the ship character. In the end, they did a farewell show featuring

”We are the World” music. It really seems to fit the image.

OVERALL:

This is a lengthy review; however, I have tried to be specific to help others understand what Freestyle Cruising is about. Having options to dine whenever, wherever with whomever suits us. We sometimes are out for a table for two; take a nap and want to dine later; need a little snack or want to eat early and catch a show. Freestyle is about doing what you want when you want and setting your own schedule. Freestyle cruising on a beautiful ship makes for the perfect vacation in my opinion.

I loved the Norwegian Jewel and our whole experience. I did not mention the ports, because that is a personal preference. We booked this particular cruise specifically for the ship. We were happy, and it met our expectations and then some.

I hope this helps other cruisers. That is my purpose for spending my time writing. I always appreciate candid comments that help me learn about a new ship.

If you need more information, post a reply, and I will do my best to answer.

**********Always read the dailies when they come out each night, spa specials are offered and this changes week to week, day to day. You get a lot of good info. in the shipboard schedule/paper "Freestyle Daily".

Pardon my typos. I have had a long week back to school...and have written this review late at night ( or late to me). I know how to spell...I know the difference in "where" and "were" and how to spell "answer" and realized I wrote "KNOTS" and not Nautical Miles. BIG OOPS!

I am embarrassed, so please FORGIVE my mistakes this evening. Also, I am not the best typist.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ..... Must go catch some.

EXCELLENT review!

For guests never sailing the Jewel before...you provided a great insight.

We also loved our time on the Jewel!

Happy sailing:)

Wow! Welcome back and you obviously had a wonderful time.:D

Great review! You've given us a good feel for the ship! Also, I liked the tip about booking the handicapped cabin -- how very clever -- I wouldn't have thought of that!

Wonderful review. Even though I'm not sailing on her (yet;)) I read every word just because it was so interesting! Thanks:)!

Thanks for the very interesting review. Nice job!

Glad you had such a good time.

Jackie

Now that I have had a night of sleep, I have remembered a few other things.

Tack these on to my review....

RESTAURANT AVAILABILITY MONITORS

There are pasma tv-like monitors outside of all restaurants that give you the update on capacity or wait at the restaurant. They are quite useful. We really never had a problem with getting in to a restaurant, but we made reservations for dinner at specialty restaurants through the concierge. In addition, we signed up for the Murder Mystery Dinner which has a set dining time. The monitors ARE great for knowing when the buffet is open. They do close now and then for cleaning and setting up. THey are not closed for very long.

SODA/BEVERAGE CARD:

The soda, otherwise knows as the COKE card, was available for purchase. They give you a sticker to put on your stateroom key card. In the past my husband has purchased the coke card, but I was the soda drinker. He put it on his card, because he was always the one going to the bar to get it for me. This included tonic or club soda.

This trip the price jumped significantly. It used to be for around $28. Now it is over $40. I have tried to quit drinking so many of those type beverages, so I did not buy a card. Instead, I purchased two cokes (in cans) from the bar. In addition, I believe the coke card will not give you cans. You get it from the "gun" at bars. It does not include the cokes from the in-room refrigerator either. The price of a regular coke was $1.25 from the "gun" and $1.75 per can...not including tip. Do you drink a lot of cokes? If so..it could be a good deal,but remember it is not by the can...unless you are in the Garden Cafe and they pour you one.

I also failed to mention eating at Cagney's. We were given the option to dine there for breakfast and lunch...a gift from the Captain after our meeting. It is usually reserved for SUites and Villa patrons. We did dine there ONCE for breakfast and planned accordingly at dinner the night before by having some lighter fare for dinner. The reason: Cagney's offers a steak option for breakfast! It was fantastic. ( I am on the protein diet....so it works.) Our meal there was excellent. We had fresh squeezed juices, etc. I am sure dinner is great if breakfast is any indication of the quality and service. We had looked at the menu on other days, however, we preferred the menu from the Tsar's for the day. They do post all menus outside of restaurants each day as the menus change. We, being "food critics" and trying to maintain our weight (and not gain on a cruise) DO check out the menus ahead of time to decide our preference of place to eat.

I also want to mention that we packed a small jug-like thermos. It is nice-looking and not too bulky or too ridiculous looking. It has a shoulder strap to carry it and is pretty inconspicuous. With that, we were able to get juice or coffee or tea by going to the Garden Cafe and refilling it. Sometimes we used it for ice water (going to the beach). Just a hint. Without cokes, I am trying to drink other non-sweetened things.

I did not mention some of the sports type things aboard. They have shuffleboard (of course), golf putting, basketball (don't book a cabin underneath the court...they say it is a nightmare during the day!!!!) and Ping Pong. (My DH won the tourney.) I think there is a video game area as well.

If I remember other things...I will post later.

Thank you for the nice comments. I hope I helped some of you.

Excellent review! I enjoyed reading it very much! I sailed her last November and I agree with all your comments about NCL's attributes. I wish I had gone to the breakfast option at Cagney's...steak for breakfast...yum!

Coka

Great review!! Do you recall if there was a talent show for the kids on board?

Shelly

as we are set to sail in less then a moth it was nice to read your review. i also read your added stuff. as soon as i read about the basketball court i ran to my NCL book to see where we were compared to the court. i know you said, "you heard" that it could be noisy from the courts, but i wonder. the courts are on deck 13 and the first deck to have rooms under the court is deck 11. i think they would have to be, no pun intended, but "some big balls".

anyways, we are on deck 11, but mid ship, so no worries. so happy you enjoyed your cruise. thanks so much for taking the time to write it.

I CANT WAIT!!!!!

As for a kids' talent show, I did not see one. I think they could be included in the regular talent show, but I am not sure. I did not attend.

As for the basketball, my husband says that he is sure that some people had complaints about the basketball court. I understand about the location of the rooms, but he said some people had specific concerns over hearing it during the day in their rooms. Not sure of the location of those rooms. We were in the back on deck 11 and had no trouble. I do know that they take away the basketballs early in the evening so as not to bother the dinner guests.

I will look at my NCL map to see if I can figure it out as well. I asked my DH if it could have been the kids' club. He said, "No. It was the basketball/tennis court." So....I am not exactly sure where that room was that the person complained about. I had no trouble sleeping or hearing my neighbor's even.

The rooms are solid. I heard nothing. I almost felt like having that hc room was so different than a reg. room. The door was so heavy. Could it be a fire door to protect a hc person more? I don't know but I have never been in such a quiet cabin. #11147 aft deck 11

Thanks for the great review! We are sailing her April 15th!

Unfortunately our roll call only has 2 of us talking, so we obviously don't need to book a room to do a cruise critic meeting:cool: Is that where the captain invited you to breakfast at Cagney's?

I love the idea of the handicap room. I am going to check with my TA to see if it is still available. I have been waiting for an upsell, but haven't heard anything yet. We had a superior interior on the Sun last year, and it was very large and had the couch as well. Very handy. Unfortunately they don't have those on the Jewel. Maybe we get lucky on the handicap room.

Question about the deck party they have one night. Do they still do the same "Ms. Norwegian" contest? I have been hoping for something new as it seems to be the same every year.

And lastly, which night was formal night?

Thanks

Formal night for this Eastern Carib. cruise was on the first sea day of Monday.

Very crowded at Tsar's. Make a reservation if you can ahead of time. On that night, they did hand out pagers. We picked one up and went to have our formal portraits made.

The invitation for lunch at Cagney's appeared on Monday on our bed. The steward delivered our "mail." It was a great touch. Again, it was available all week and we only took part for the one breakfast. When in there, there were only 3 other people dining, and wearing normal casual clothes. Not fancy...and no requirements to attire for breakfast and lunch...but very good.

Also, you can look at the ship layout and figure out which rooms are bigger. Our next door neighbor's had a hc room that had a big steel pole in it and no sofa. It was basically the same as ours otherwise. The layout also will tell you if it is for more than two guests. We picked the one for three or four. I just presumed there may be more space. The one for three had the steel pole in front of the foot of the bed...and no space for a bed to fold out.

Like I said in the review, some hc cabins are not larger. They are set up for different handicaps: like hearing impaired. So you might just look at the layout and ask the TA to check on square footage. NCL will tell you the specific size of the cabin. I think that balconies are figured into the square footage. You might check on that...don't be fooled into thinking the actual cabin space is larger if they add on the balcony.

We were on this same cruise, our first, and it was truly wonderful. Thank you Camille, for setting up the meet and greet, it was fun to match faces with the names we'd been seeing on the message boards. We celebrated our anniversary, and my birthday, during the cruise. At the meet and greet, we were pleased that we could have our photo taken with the captain and several of the other crew that attended. The next day, we too recieved an invitation to the captains reception, and also a note offering us to dine at our choice of specialty restaurants, with a complementary bottle of wine included. Very thoughtful and appreciated.

Even though the ship was full to capacity, and there were some spring-breakers, we were always able to find places to have coffee, or sit and read, that were rather quiet. We had brought 2 travel mugs with, and never did use them, as coffee/tea/water/iced tea were always available.

Upon returning, we've decided we may need to repeat this cruise, it was so much fun, and there were more things to do in the various ports that we just didn't have time enough to do in the time allowed.

Our cabin was 5580, porthole view, and we found that although small, there was plenty of space to store everything. Really now, where else can you stand in the shower, and reach to the other side of the bathroom to grab a towel off the rack?! I think in the future, a balcony cabin would be fun to try.

We're not picky eaters, but do enjoy well-prepared meals, and found all our meals to be very good. Plenty of choices on the buffets. Breakfast at Tzars was wonderful, go early, plenty of tables for 2 by a window. At Cagneys, we just couldn't decide, and asked our waiter, Noel, what his recommendations were. He smiled, took our menus, and said he'd take care of everything, which he certainly did - brought us some of just about everything!, and it was all superb. We ate twice at Le Bistro, service there was fantastic also.

We found the staff to be always friendly, willing to help you in any way they could. We enjoyed visiting with many of them, hearing about where they were from, and how long they had been working on the ship. What a hard-working bunch of people!

Thanks for providing all the great info on the Jewel. My wife and I are sailing from Athens to Istanbul in May and are looking forward to the trip. Hope we have as good an experience as you.

You mentioned liquor sales in the ship's stores. I assume you are able to buy the liquor for consumption in your cabin. Do you know if that is the case?

Thanks. Ralph

I am not sure about the liquor in the cabin. I never saw a price list for such.

The liquor sales I am talking about are the duty-free sales. In the past, this was one of the things we rushed to do; however, now with us having to pack all liquids like alcohol in our checked bags we did not purchase ANY. We had carried it on the plane in our carry-ons, stored under the seat in front of us and saved so much on various liquors to stock the bar. (We are not big drinkers...but do have big parties on occasion, so this came in handy.) Now...we skip the liquor sales due to having to put them in our checked baggage. I know that they bubble wrap them...but I just am leary.

If you do purchase duty-free on an EC cruise, you can get your duty-free liquor on the last evening. It is delivered for you to pack in your suitcase.

I am sure somewhere there is liquor to purchase by bottle for your stateroom. I just don't know about that. In the Garden Villa, I believe they deliver and stock 4 bottles. Just what I heard.

Great to hear from you Pam. I am glad it was all you expected and then some. My sister heard all about it today and saw your picture and the stories about the CCritics. What a nice time. So saddened that Noleshaun had the unfortunate circumstance and missed the trip.

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[quote=ralphedel;

You mentioned liquor sales in the ship's stores. I assume you are able to buy the liquor for consumption in your cabin. Do you know if that is the case?

Thanks. Ralph

No..the liquor cannot be purchased for consumption in your cabin. That is why you pick it up the night before you disembark the ship.

If you would like a bar set-up in your cabin, order it before you board the ship!

Enjoy your cruise:)

Great review! You've given us a good feel for the ship! Also, I liked the tip about booking the handicapped cabin -- how very clever -- I wouldn't have thought of that!

Please don't book a handicapped cabin, on purpose, unless you are disabled. You might prevent a disabled person from cruising. There are not that many HC cabins available, and a person with a disability does not have a choice of a regular cabin as do able bodied cruisers.

We did purchase some liquor on board, we picked it up Saturday evening. I was a little worried about breakage, so packed it in the suitcase with all the washable clothes. And, those pesky snorking fins that I just had to bring with came in quite handy - they made great stabilizers, one on each side of the bottles, which were in bubble wrap and an large plastic bag. When we picked up our luggage, I noticed the outside of one of our duffles (pack an extra, it comes in handy!) smelled like liquor - I think someone else must have had breakage. Moral of the story - pack those darn fins!

Please don't book a handicapped cabin, on purpose, unless you are disabled. You might prevent a disabled person from cruising. There are not that many HC cabins available, and a person with a disability does not have a choice of a regular cabin as do able bodied cruisers.

I think NCL has a good policy and doesn't book people in the handicap rooms just because they want it. I'm not sure what the requirements are, but I believe you have to show some kind of proof of handicap. Isn't there a form such as one in applying for a handicap tag? Maybe that's what they use. However, I do think you can call at the last minute and if it is still available you could possibly move to it.

Thank you, :) Camille and Nick for such wonderful information about the Jewel. We sail on April 7th on her sister ship the Star down to Acapulco. This is our family’s first cruise and after reading about your wonderful experience on the Jewel, I am even more excited then I thought possible. I hope the Star is as nice!!:D

I think my sons ages 11 twins and our 17 year old will have a great time at the arcade and kids programs. I can’t wait to try my hand at Bingo and enjoying all the shows.

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Thanks for the wonderful review. Hope you submit it to the Members Review section as you're so thorough!

I'm a little surprised they allowed you to refill your water bottle/thermos in the Garden Cafe. I've seen them stop people who go to the water spout as it may not be sanitary to have your bottle under there.

Do try Cagney's for dinner next time. It's a real nice dinner with great service. Glad you enjoyed your steak for breakfast.:D

Agree with you that "Cirque Bijou" is a must especially for the terrific aerial stunts.

Sounds like NCL treated you royally.:)