MITSUGIRLYS JEWEL OF A CRUISE review and pictorial

[mitsugirly]

We watched one of the dock workers go over to a tree and pick some fruit to throw over to the other worker of the port area.

 

 

 

Off we go...a little late at everything we do just like I said.

 

 

 

Yes I know the date is wrong on my watch. When they had us turn our clocks up, it changed my date.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We watched several pelicans dive for fish while we were sailing away.

 

[mitsugirly]

So it's a little after 1am and I'm going to stop my story here at sailing and will continue later with the rest of the day and how it went. I feel like no one is with me today. Am I missing a holiday? :eek: Maybe I've lost my touch with this review. Maybe I'm using too many pictures to hold your interest? Let me know people if you want me to continue with a lot of pictures or speed it up with less.

 

Goodnight to all.

[OurDogCisco]

I love your review and pictures. I'm a picture person. I've been sitting here all night reading reviews so don't stop.

[dlynn0366]

Enjoying your review & pics very much :)

[snowcones]

Really enjoy reading your review and such beautiful pictures. Anxious waiting for more!

[pickler1]

Keep the pictures coming. We like to see them!

[pcreek]

So it's a little after 1am and I'm going to stop my story here at sailing and will continue later with the rest of the day and how it went. I feel like no one is with me today. Am I missing a holiday? :eek: Maybe I've lost my touch with this review. Maybe I'm using too many pictures to hold your interest? Let me know people if you want me to continue with a lot of pictures or speed it up with less.

 

Goodnight to all.

 

 

WHEW! So glad you found your hubby!! (although he probably wasn't at that point happy that you found him!)

Do NOT stop what you're doing with this review!! It is terrific - like all your others - and a very enjoyable read. I love your photos!! I especially enjoyed those 'cloud' ones you posted - I am a cloud/sky freak and about 70% of all my photos are sky!! The thing I like about sky photos the most is they continually change..5 min after the first one, it's a totally new picture to capture!

Keep on going Kim - we all love your reviews!:D:D

[ABCGreys]

I'm loving your review and the pics! Don't stop!!

[mickev99]

Don't change a thing, there are a lot of us here reading. I was out playing trivia with my hubby last night (parents in town to watch the kiddos and give us date night, yay), and I kept clicking over on my phone to read when you posted something new. He told me I am obsessed, LOL!

[lisakoivu]

SPOILER ALERT (not really).

 

I always love your reviews and the great pics, so keep it coming.

 

I was hoping you were going to say you loved the Jewel (my favourite ship), especially since you splurged for the balcony, but I have this uneasy feeling that at the end of the review you're going to say the STAR was your fave - that STAR review I just read over and over, it just seemed to have a lot more "wow" stuff... so I'm reading this one, waiting for every instalment and picture, but I'm really on the edge of my seat....hoping you were totally wowed on your Jewel balcony cruise, but I'm not sure...keep going and put us all out of our misery ;-)

[smlnd]

So that’s my story and the basics about me…now on the FUN!!! THE REVIEW!!! I hope you enjoy. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. :D

 

Just wanted to let you know that there are several of us following your story who will be on the January 12th sailing of the Jewel. We LOVE you sense of humor and the great detail and pictures. Keep them coming!!!!

[MemphisWife4]

I am one that is sailing away on the Jewel on Jan. 12th and I too cannot get enough of your review!

[mitsugirly]

Thanks for the replies everyone. It felt like a "dead" day yesterday and I figured everyone was extremely busy. (That or I was just adding way too many pictures for this review and people have lost interest...or their email was blowing up lol).

 

Like every review, I ALWAYS forget something. This time, at Hilton Rose Hall, I forgot to add there was a "normal" pool there as well. We didn't swim in it, but it was the first thing that you would see when you came out of the hotel. It was also located right where I ended up ordering food and drinks.

 

[ahaught]

I'm still following along, there is just alot to read. 15 pages already and only on the first port!

[JJinAK]

Loving your review and I say YES to pictures!! I have already picked out my new camera, Olympus Tough, and several places to go once we get on the ship in November!! Now, if you can just recommend a bathing suit I will be set!!:)

Jules

[NancyL2]

I'm so enjoying your review of the Jewel and love all the pictures you are posting!

I'll be on the Jewel September 6th on my way to Alaska.

Bring on more pics! :)

[Name Of The Game]

Another fan of your reviews here! :)

[mitsugirly]

I love your review and pictures. I'm a picture person. I've been sitting here all night reading reviews so don't stop.

 

I'm a picture person too (as you can tell), but don't want to overwhelm everyone. It was really hard to pick from all of the pictures I took and limit it down to just what I shared. :D

 

Enjoying your review & pics very much :)

 

Thanks so much.

 

Keep the pictures coming. We like to see them!

 

Thanks so much.

 

WHEW! So glad you found your hubby!! (although he probably wasn't at that point happy that you found him!)

Do NOT stop what you're doing with this review!! It is terrific - like all your others - and a very enjoyable read. I love your photos!! I especially enjoyed those 'cloud' ones you posted - I am a cloud/sky freak and about 70% of all my photos are sky!! The thing I like about sky photos the most is they continually change..5 min after the first one, it's a totally new picture to capture!

Keep on going Kim - we all love your reviews!

 

Yea, he had this look of "oh no, I'm in trouble."

 

I like clouds too, especially on a cloudy day, they can make for some very interesting pictures.

 

I'm loving your review and the pics! Don't stop!!

 

Thanks...and I love that show too. :D

 

Don't change a thing, there are a lot of us here reading. I was out playing trivia with my hubby last night (parents in town to watch the kiddos and give us date night, yay), and I kept clicking over on my phone to read when you posted something new. He told me I am obsessed, LOL!

 

LOL @ obsessed. Thanks and I'll keep them coming.

 

SPOILER ALERT (not really).

 

I always love your reviews and the great pics, so keep it coming.

 

I was hoping you were going to say you loved the Jewel (my favourite ship), especially since you splurged for the balcony, but I have this uneasy feeling that at the end of the review you're going to say the STAR was your fave - that STAR review I just read over and over, it just seemed to have a lot more "wow" stuff... so I'm reading this one, waiting for every instalment and picture, but I'm really on the edge of my seat....hoping you were totally wowed on your Jewel balcony cruise, but I'm not sure...keep going and put us all out of our misery ;-)

 

Thanks so much.

 

No, the Star was not my favorite ship. I loved the way it looked and it had that wow factor, but the Epic remains my favorite ship with the Spirit my second favorite of the NCL fleet. ;)

 

Just wanted to let you know that there are several of us following your story who will be on the January 12th sailing of the Jewel. We LOVE you sense of humor and the great detail and pictures. Keep them coming!!!!

 

Aw, thanks so much. Glad to have you along.

 

I am one that is sailing away on the Jewel on Jan. 12th and I too cannot get enough of your review!

 

Thanks so much.

 

I'm still following along, there is just alot to read. 15 pages already and only on the first port!

You need to put your settings on this board for more per page,. :p I'm only on page 8 on my screen. hehe

 

Loving your review and I say YES to pictures!! I have already picked out my new camera, Olympus Tough, and several places to go once we get on the ship in November!! Now, if you can just recommend a bathing suit I will be set!!:)

Jules

 

Oh my gosh, you are going to love the Olympus Tough. I have actually considered getting another one...just in case. It is definitely out doing my Canon D10 at the moment and I take it everywhere I go. I have stopped taking my DSLR camera with my on vacations. It's just too much to haul around with all of the equipment, lens, and so on. I think the Olympus does a good enough job that I don't need to carry all of that heavy "stuff".

 

I'm so enjoying your review of the Jewel and love all the pictures you are posting!

I'll be on the Jewel September 6th on my way to Alaska.

Bring on more pics!

 

I hope to some day make it on an Alaska cruise. I know my munchkin would love to see all of the animals she normally doesn't see on a Caribbean cruise.

 

Another fan of your reviews here!

 

Thanks so much for joining my adventure.

[lostone65]

I just started reading the review Kim..Excellent so far as always! I can't believe how big Sakari is getting! Looks like a great ship!

[mitsugirly]

I just started reading the review Kim..Excellent so far as always! I can't believe how big Sakari is getting! Looks like a great ship!

 

 

Good to have you. I was wondering where you have been. :D Yes, she is growing like a weed these days. I think I need a second job just to feed her...or go on another cruise so she can eat all day long. :p

[mitsugirly]

So finishing out the day now.

 

We went to go grab a bite to eat after the ship sailed away. I absolutely love their pasta station where they make it right there in front of you and you pick the type of noodles and sauce wanted. I always have to get this a few times during the cruise.

 

 

We watched the sunset from our balcony after we got our belly full. We were waiting until 6pm because Dora was hosting a Dance Party in the Fyzz lounge and Sakari didn't want to miss it. Dora is such a good host to invite us.

 

 

 

We arrived at Dora's party and Sakari met up with her cruising friends from our Star cruise and she had a blast.

 

 

 

 

 

They did a lot of interactive kids songs like: The wheels on the bus, Old McDonald, BINGO and so on. They had moves for everyone of their songs and crowd went wild. (Remember, these are kids, they are REALLY wild). We had a lady sitting behind us that probably sang the songs louder than any of the kids put together. She was hilarious. I told her "Sing it girl!" She informed me that she use to teach preschool with kids from ages 3-5 and she knew them all.

 

Then after the dance party, the kids could stay and have a Nick craft party. We had no idea what this was, but Sakari wanted to stay. I knew we wanted to catch the 7:15pm show tonight because it was the ventriloquist and I love those shows. We knew this was going to be a hectic next few hours with Sakari. After this craft event, we would have to rush her to the kids club, then rush back to the Stardust to "try" to find a seat...which we knew most times if you didn't get there soon enough, you would be sitting on strangers laps.

 

The Nick members passed out tee shirts to all of the kids and a bundled up batch of markers to each child. They were told to color their tee shirt as fast as they can and they were going to have (what I heard) was a tee shirt parade at the end. What the hubby heard was a judging contest with prizes. :confused: Um, ok. I'll let you be the judge of who was right....

Edited December 29, 2013 by mitsugirly

[mitsugirly]

So Sakari colored away

 

 

 

 

 

 

So the kids were done with their tee shirts and it was already 7pm. I knew there was no way that were would have time to take Sakari to the kids club AND make it to the show. I kept urging my husband to "Let's go" and he kept saying we were staying for the judging contest.

 

Well...here you go...this is what they did:

 

 

They all posed for a picture with their shirts. They posed smiling. They posed with funny faces. They paraded around. That was the end. Yep, I'm a winner just like always, but I didn't rub it in with the hubby of course. (Insert big smiley grinning I told ya so here).

 

So it was time for the show to begin and we grabbed Sakari and off to the Stardust we went. She was not happy about this and kept saying she didn't want to go to the show. She wanted to go to the kids club to see her friends. But, we didn't have a choice. I told her it was going to be a funny show with a puppet.

 

Of course, like everything else on the ship, the show started a little later than the scheduled time. Yes, this was a pattern during the entire cruise.

 

 

The guy was Kenny Byrd. Here is the history of him according to his site:

Kenny Byrd and Friends create entertainment for audiences of all ages. His characters are so life-like, audiences forget that they are an extension of Kenny Byrd's energy. Performing for television, clubs, corporate events, colleges, resorts and charitable organizations.

Kenny Byrd uniquely creates from the moment. Audiences are drawn into an intimate family to share sidesplitting laughter. Refreshing involvement, followed by praise long after the stage is empty, has earned Kenny Byrd his reputation for being the catalyst for fun.

 

 

 

 

So the show began and I'm a huge Jeff Dunham fan. I go to his shows every time he's in town and I just love him. Well, I'm sorry, but this guy doesn't hold a candle to Jeff and I have to say that I really didn't find "too" much of his material that great. Even the hubby didn't care for it. He does have a character that is an elderly man (kinda looks like Jeff's character Walter), but the rest of the characters just wasn't appealing TO ME. But, at the end of the show, he brought up a lady and a man from the audience and made it seem as if their voices had changed and it was hilarious to watch. So, I'm glad it picked up a little toward the end and we chalked it up to a decent show.

[spacewoman]

Great review! Love the photos.

 

We loved the Jewel cruises we did in 2010 and 2011. Glad you enjoyed it.

 

Your daughter is getting sooo big!

 

Kathy

 

BTW you do not look 47 :)

[mitsugirly]

So after the show, Sakari was still complaining about wanting to head to the kids club. When we got there, the door was shut and locked. Um, ok that was strange. We knew they were having a Nick deck party, but the Nick team and the kids club are 2 different things that don't interact. But, we figured we would check it out just to see.

 

It was another "Slime" event where the kids participated in games and got slimed and a pie in the face. We watched from a distance.

 

Then we headed back to the kids club and the door was still locked. We noticed that "smaller" children were going to the 6-9 year old check in, so we decided to find out why. Well, that's where all the kids were that night. Now mind you, you have to pass that in order to go down the long hall to the other kids club. They could at least put a sign out there letting you know to check them in there instead on certain nights (yes, this would become a habit several nights of checking them into the older kids club).

 

After dropping her off, we headed to the Casino for "our" time.

 

Then at 10:30pm we picked the munchkin back up and headed to the room. Along the way they had a display of fruits out on the pool deck. I'm not sure what it was for. It was just a display and there wasn't anyone around or things to eat from there since it was roped off. Maybe there was going to be more to it later in the evening and we were just early.

 

 

 

 

Tonight our towel animal was a dog? He had my sunglasses on this time and thought he was just as cool as they come. Sakari got a kick out of it.

 

 

 

Trixie must be scared of dogs and we found her hanging by the smoke detector tonight above the dog. Someone needs to tell her this is not lady like. We could see up her skirt.

 

 

Tonight's VIP plate was strawberry covered in chocolate. Sakari loved her little snack and ate them up.

 

 

 

We sat out on the balcony and enjoyed the moonlight. It was real cloudy that night and it gave off a really eery feeling. However, the stars were EXTREMELY bright tonight and a few of them really sparkling. I tried and tried to capture some of them, but this is where I need my DSLR with the 100-300 lens. Oh well. You can see one of them to the left of the moon in this one.

 

 

 

We sat the wake up call for 6am for tomorrow. We knew that our day in Grand Cayman was (fingers crossed) going to be an exciting day. We were in bed by 11pm....light out.

 

 

 

***I almost forgot, tonight we would also come back to find our balcony door unlocked...I made note of it****

Edited December 29, 2013 by mitsugirly

[mitsugirly]

Great review! Love the photos.

 

We loved the Jewel cruises we did in 2010 and 2011. Glad you enjoyed it.

 

Your daughter is getting sooo big!

 

Kathy

 

BTW you do not look 47 :)

 

I LOVE YOU! hehe