THE MA'AMs SWEET JEWEL SUITE review and pictoral

[bluesea777]

UH OH' date=' I was just reading a thread about bringing wine and liquor on board and realized I had left something out of my review that I said I would talk more about later: the corkage fee.

 

[b']I had brought 3 three bottles of wine on board and paid the corkage fees. I ended up only opening up one bottle, and headed down to the front desk the last afternoon to get my corkage fee returned for the two unopened bottles. I waited in line for about 10 minutes, but when I got to the desk I was told that I had to do it the last morning. Now I had read on here that people had made this transaction the last afternoon, so was disappointed that I could not go ahead and take care of it. She apologized and said I had to do it the last morning.[/b]

So I took the wine back to the room, and waited until the last morning. I ended up killing two birds with one stone, as they had double billed me for the martini tasting, which I also took care of the next morning. They have to call the Restaurant director to the desk to take care of this, and he did. They then printed out my revised account record, showing both refunds and the new total.

 

You could have kept the bottles and bring them to the next cruise with the stickers still on .... ;)

[Planmaam]

You could have kept the bottles and bring them to the next cruise with the stickers still on .... ;)

 

Well, no I couldn't. We live in Utah and can get arrested for bringing liquor into the state; only the state can bring it in.

Luckily we went to Houston for Christmas with family after the cruise, so it didn't last long;)

 

I managed to one-finger type this from my phone!

[bluesea777]

Well' date=' no I couldn't. [b']We live in Utah and can get arrested for bringing liquor into the state; only the state can bring it in.[/b]

Luckily we went to Houston for Christmas with family after the cruise, so it didn't last long;)

 

I managed to one-finger type this from my phone!

 

Wow! Didn't realize that.

[medicalma'am]

Well, now I am re-thinking my spa decision. I will just have to check it out once on board and decide. It may be worth it because we have 4 sea days as this is an 8 night cruise. I will look for pics online too. Thanks for the info!

[Planmaam]

Well, with 4 sea days, I think it's a no-brainer! Take a tour of the spa and see if you like it, and if so, go for it! You know how we enjoy those spas! (And the heat and water therapy will be good for you knee!;)

[jdvmd]

Love it!

[rowdyrosie]

See I am lurking.....I noted that you cruised the Star to Mexican Riveria, did you review this trip?

My daughter and I are doing this itinerary next cruise on the Star..

[Planmaam]

See I am lurking.....I noted that you cruised the Star to Mexican Riveria, did you review this trip?

My daughter and I are doing this itinerary next cruise on the Star..

 

No, rowdyrosie, we didn't. But believe it or not I had to go search to see if we had! I had made a photobook of that cruise, and that is what I was remembering. :o

[Mel&Ken]

Hello again ladies. Thank you so much for the great review, I enjoyed every word and picture! I hope you don't mind a few questions about your suite experience as this will be our first.

 

How did you contact the preconcierge - phone or email - and did they respond back to you or just fulfill your requests? How did you know what to request re: the coffee bar. We love coffee but nothing flavoured. Are you able to request half and half to have in the fridge?

 

I think I read about you guys having juice in your room - is that free too?

 

Finally, your daily canapes.....we had a plate of them on our last NCL cruise and I wasn't thrilled. We'd prefer maybe cheese/crackers, sandwiches, pretzels, fruit, sweets....did you get anything like that or were you able to change it up if needed?

 

I think I am struggling with what is available to us and what we can ask for. I suppose i can wait and see.....but that is just torture! :eek:

[Planmaam]

Hello again ladies. Thank you so much for the great review, I enjoyed every word and picture! I hope you don't mind a few questions about your suite experience as this will be our first.

 

How did you contact the preconcierge - phone or email - and did they respond back to you or just fulfill your requests? How did you know what to request re: the coffee bar. We love coffee but nothing flavoured. Are you able to request half and half to have in the fridge?

 

I think I read about you guys having juice in your room - is that free too?

 

Finally, your daily canapes.....we had a plate of them on our last NCL cruise and I wasn't thrilled. We'd prefer maybe cheese/crackers, sandwiches, pretzels, fruit, sweets....did you get anything like that or were you able to change it up if needed?

 

I think I am struggling with what is available to us and what we can ask for. I suppose i can wait and see.....but that is just torture! :eek:

 

Hello, Mel&Ken, and thank you! Happy to answer any and all questions.

 

We received a letter with our welcome aboard package with the phone number and e-mail address for the pre-cruise concierge. I didn't check your signature before posting, is your cruise close enough to have gotten your packet yet? I called; I like to be able to get a live person to ask questions.

 

I knew about the coffee because this was our second time in a suite. Yes, they can bring you half and half and orange juice, both are free.

 

You can talk to your butler about the kind of treats you like so that you get what you like and don't waste what they may bring if you don't like it.

 

I never used the e-mail for the pre-cruise concierge, and I don't remember if Medicalma'am did or not. I've read on here that most people don't get an e-mail response, but if they do it takes a while. My requests were just met without further communication.

 

I've read here on CC that the butler greatly appreciates the requests made through the pre-cruise concierge, as that eases the embarkations day tasks. So don't worry about making your requests, they want you to do it early!

 

Enjoy your cruise and your suite! It is certainly true that you can't go back once in a suite; I've booked my next cruise, and it's in a suite, too!

[jjikids]

We did it by email. Asked for no feather pillows, extra towels and requested three different types of pillows from the pillow menus. We also asked for the mini bar to be emptied. We received a confirmation of what we asked for. It was incorrect. We emailed them back and they sent a corrected email. Everything was done to specifications. Very easy by email.

[medicalma'am]

I did not use the pre-concierge. We just asked our butler for what we wanted. If you know what afternoon treats you want, do ask for them! The cheese and crackers were a favorite of mine. The chocolate chip cookies are wonderful, and the fruit always goes well with the cheese plate. They truly want to please you, so do let them know.

 

The purple coffee pod is fabulous and not flavored.

[Planmaam]

They also have decaf coffee pods, which I enjoyed in the evening!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I want to thank both of you for the Great review and pictures. I have been so busy since the first of the year with work that I have not had much chance to spend in CC but since eDocs are ready today to print for our NCL Jewel cruise I thought reading your review would be a great way to celebrate :D We will be just up from you on deck 10 in 10666 aft Suite and this will be our third Aft Suite on NCL. Glad to see that the Jewel does the Welcome Back Party in Spinnakers like the Pearl did and thrilled to see that the VIP party is held in The Haven ;) Thanks again for sharing everything with us :)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Hi, I have just a couple of questions :) It sounds like it was Monday the first Sea day you had the Captain's Party in The Haven, is that correct? Can you tell me what time that was?

Then I know sometimes with the Latitude Parties they have two the first for those that are Gold and Platinum and the second for those that are Bronze and Silver. Do you know if there were two for your sailing? I know it totally depends on how many Latitude members there are and each sailing is different.

Also one last question is about the Spa but I think I know the answer. :o I know that the Jewel's Spa is very similar to the Pearls and I absolutely love it. But with our itinerary there are just 2 sea days and we have plans in all of the ports so I am afraid i would I hardly get to use it except for the two sea days. Do they allow to purchase a Pass for just one day? Or if you have a treatment done do they allow to use the spa for that day? And last what was the cost of the week's pass for the spa.

Thanks so much :)

[Planmaam]

Hi, I have just a couple of questions :) It sounds like it was Monday the first Sea day you had the Captain's Party in The Haven, is that correct? Can you tell me what time that was?

Then I know sometimes with the Latitude Parties they have two the first for those that are Gold and Platinum and the second for those that are Bronze and Silver. Do you know if there were two for your sailing? I know it totally depends on how many Latitude members there are and each sailing is different.

Also one last question is about the Spa but I think I know the answer. :o I know that the Jewel's Spa is very similar to the Pearls and I absolutely love it. But with our itinerary there are just 2 sea days and we have plans in all of the ports so I am afraid i would I hardly get to use it except for the two sea days. Do they allow to purchase a Pass for just one day? Or if you have a treatment done do they allow to use the spa for that day? And last what was the cost of the week's pass for the spa.

Thanks so much :)

 

Hi, Laffnvegas, no problem at all. I just had to wait until I was home again to look through my literature! The captain's party in the Haven was on Monday from 6:30 to 7:15. We had to leave early, though, because we had 7:00 dinner reservations.

 

The only day I saw the Lattitudes party was on Monday, also. It said Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. So either that is all they do or they didn't have enough on our sailing to have more than one.

 

The spa pass on our cruise was $149.00/pp, and did not include any extras. We had heard that the week before it was the same price but included some salts to give yourself a scrub, but not our week. Could have had to do with having 4 sea days and only 3 port days.

 

I don't have any first-hand knowledge about day passes to the spa. I've read here on CC that they have them, but that is the extent of my knowledge of them.

 

I wish the Jewel spa was like the Pearl spa, which is the best spa I've encountered on any of the 4 ships I've been on myself. I love the large thelosotherapy pool at the Pearl spa with the different "stations". The Jewel's spa's thelosotherapy pool is about 10' square at the most, and has the lounger at one end that would only fit 4 people across. In the Pearl's 6 would comfortably fit. But I like the Jewel's spa better than the Star's. Oh, and I didn't see the spa on the Sun when I sailed her over 10 years ago. In fact, does the Sun have a spa?

 

Whether the spa is worth it with only two sea days is a judgement call. It will be interesting to see how much they want for it that week. Did you see that you can get your spa pass just outside the suite check-in area? Then you have to take your receipt to the spa to get your sticker.

 

I'm excited for you and your upcoming cruise. Be sure to come back after and let us know how it was! Have a wonderful time!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Thanks so much Wendy :) Actually I will be reporting in Daily doing a "Live From the Jewel" and will also be posting pictures along the way. I recently did a Live from on the HAL Veendam for New Years and added a special International Internet plan on my phone for just the week and to my surprise the cost was not much at all for the time I used it, it came out much cheaper than using the ships Internet. I usually buy the $100 plan but think I will skip that this time ;) I just got myself a new iPhone 5s so think I will use my phone to just report in all week and post pictures.

 

We are normally early eaters but something tells me that we will not finish Moderno in time for the Captain's Party so think we will make 7 or 7:15 reservations. Thanks again for this information :)

[zounds]

Hello again, ladies. I never got around to thanking you for the fabulous photos, especially the ones approaching Jamaica, as we had the same view from our starboard mini. Re: Lattitudes parties, we went to the one on Thursday afternoon ( we were Silver) where there was plenty of beer, wine and champagne to go around. Yes, we were on her the same wk. as the Ma'ams. We're booked on the Sun for next Jan., so it will be a looong wait. steve

[Planmaam]

Hello again, ladies. I never got around to thanking you for the fabulous photos, especially the ones approaching Jamaica, as we had the same view from our starboard mini. Re: Lattitudes parties, we went to the one on Thursday afternoon ( we were Silver) where there was plenty of beer, wine and champagne to go around. Yes, we were on her the same wk. as the Ma'ams. We're booked on the Sun for next Jan., so it will be a looong wait. steve

 

Thanks for chiming in, Steve. I had looked at my Dailies, and on Monday it said to see the invitation in your room for the date of your Latitudes party. So that answers the question. Ours said Monday, and yours said Thursday! We were gold, so they must have divided them up: Platinum and Gold on Monday, Silver and Bronze on Thursday.

 

LAFFNVEGAS, I'm SO looking forward to your live review for your cruise. When do you sail?

 

Right now I am having post-cruise depression! The other Ma'ams leave on the Epic on Saturday for an 8-day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean, and I wish I could be going with them! Right now I'm living vicariously through Medicalma'am's preparations!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Wendy, we cruise on March 23rd :) Although since my husband has never been to New Orleans and it is has been since my senior class trip in 1973 :eek: since I have been there figured we would go two days in advance to spend some time there. We are staying at the Sheraton through NCL. Since we are going in the heart of Spring Break hotels were crazy high but NCL's price was pretty good for a change. I will start reporting in as soon as we hit the airport here in Las Vegas :D

[medicalma'am]

Laffnvegus, You were living well. In 1973 for my Sr. Class 'trip' we got on a bus and went to Houston and saw the movie "Sounder". Lame.

[Planmaam]

And for my senior trip we got on a bus and went to Houston and saw the movie "Oliver." :(

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Laffnvegus' date=' You were living well. In 1973 for my Sr. Class 'trip' we got on a bus and went to Houston and saw the movie "Sounder". Lame.[/size']

 

And for my senior trip we got on a bus and went to Houston and saw the movie "Oliver." :(

 

:) Well sounds like we did good for a bunch of Iowa students :D But if I remember right we had to sell a lot of Chocolate Bars to get there. Actually it was the Senior trip of the Concert Choir' date=' we definitely got to have a lot of fun :cool: [/size']

[Planmaam]

I find it amazing how much profit can be made with chocolate bars!!!!!

 

I remember students peddling them for every good cause. Just wish this had been an option when I was in high school. ;)

[Planmaam]

after months of scattered info on the Jewel it is nice to see an influx of reviews.

We head to NOLA a week tomorrow. Our first time so I am really hoping for decent weather. and no rain as we have mostly out door activities planned

We sail a week from Sunday all these reviews are making me giddy to board!:)

 

So gardiner41, how was your cruise?