A review from the Aft of the Jewel - January 17, 2015

[jmele999]

 

 

[jmele999]

Arizona Packer...I will pop over to our roll call and respond. :).

 

OP ...great pics of the cooking excursion! If we weren't planning on diving we def would do this!

 

We are definitely planning on going back to playa Mia.

[Linda the Book Lover]

Playa Mia looks like fun. I have a shrimp allergy so I will skip the filling but I am sure my DH could have his arm twisted into eating my shrimp too..LOL

[LAKECLIFF]

Around 3:30 pm, the officers and crew started welcoming everyone back onboard. Everyone was dancing a having a good time.

 

 

 

 

 

Even Mesiah, the food and beverage director, was having a good time.

 

Shortly before 5:00 pm we said good-bye to Cozumel and started sailing towards Belize.

 

I love Messiah! My favorite crew member from ANY cruise line! :D I will remember the difference between the Jewel and the HAL welcome back parties this month when I am on the Zuiderdam (remembering the pics from last years cruise...lol) Maybe we will dock next to an NCL ship again and I can join the party line on my way back to my ship...:D

[jmele999]

Playa Mia looks like fun. I have a shrimp allergy so I will skip the filling but I am sure my DH could have his arm twisted into eating my shrimp too..LOL

 

Funny that you mention that about your husband. The lady at our cooking station also had a shrimp allergy and her husband shared the extra shrimp with us. We made sure that she had her own cooking utensils when we were preparing the shrimp.

[jmele999]

I love Messiah! My favorite crew member from ANY cruise line! :D I will remember the difference between the Jewel and the HAL welcome back parties this month when I am on the Zuiderdam (remembering the pics from last years cruise...lol) Maybe we will dock next to an NCL ship again and I can join the party line on my way back to my ship...:D

 

Welcome. Looking forward to your pictures of the panama canal.

[tanyaheart]

Day 2 - Sunday - At sea

 

 

 

 

I love days at sea and we had a full day planned with activities - Cruise critic meet & greet, Latitudes welcome back reception, relaxing, martini tasting, VIP reception, dinner at Le Bistro (our favorite restaurant), and Norwegian's Night Out Party.

 

Could you please tell me what time the Latitudes Party begins?

[jmele999]

Could you please tell me what time the Latitudes Party begins?

 

The Latitudes party started at 1:00 pm and has always been at the same time on all of our cruises.

[jmele999]

Belize is a tender port, and arriving in Belize is always interesting because you don't arrive at a port, but anchor about 5 miles from the cruise terminal. When we arrived at our destination (somewhere near Belize city), Carnival was already there, and Celebrity Equinox arrived at 9:00 am. Celebrity Equinox is a huge and beautiful ship.

 

 

Since we didn't have any plans that morning, we had a late and peaceful breakfast at Moderno. Here is the French pressed coffee. Wish I could have a cup right now.

 

 

We spent the rest of the morning relaxing. I spent the morning in the balcony and using the empty hot tubs.

 

 

While DP spent the morning in his "own" private courtyard.

 

[jmele999]

His "own" private courtyard.

 

I call this space his own private courtyard because very few people know about it. It is located on Deck 15 and until recently it was reserved for Haven guests. DP spent most days there and he noted that there was almost nobody there. Here is how you find the private courtyard, but please don't tell anyone that I shared this information with you.

 

You need to enter on the starboard side of Deck 13 after Cagney's and Moderno near the funnel and walk up to Deck 14

 

 

Then go up the stairs to Deck 15

 

 

When you get to deck 15, you will notice a very peaceful and quiet space where you can sunbathe, read a book, sleep or just relax.

 

Edited February 2, 2015 by jmele999

[jmele999]

We had a quiet lunch at Moderno, but very entertaining as we were watching adults trying to make it down the water slide. However, most of the got stuck halfway down the slide and had to walk the rest of the way down. This went on for about 20 minutes and it was funny watching some people try time after time.

 

 

After lunch, we boarded a tender boat for a 15 minute ride to the cruise (tourist) terminal.

 

 

The ride was very interesting as I was trying to take a panoramic picture. Here are the results, but please don't make fun of me.

 

 

 

And here is the best picture.

 

[jmele999]

In Belize city, we shopped around and met up with some friends we had met on last year's cruise. They were on Celebrity Equinox and we had made plans to meet up after their excursion.

 

We went back to ship around 3:30 pm, but the ride back was not as entertaining as the previous ride. The tender boat was full as most people were trying to back to the ship even though we were not scheduled to leave until 6:00 pm.

 

We said good-bye to Belize from DP's private courtyard (LOL).

 

 

And then went to our balcony to enjoy the sunset.

 

[jmele999]

The sunset was beautiful and we enjoyed it with our neighbors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next - Mojitos and dinner at Cagney's

Edited February 2, 2015 by jmele999

[jmele999]

Before dinner we decided to stop by the Sugarcane Mojito Bar, which is located inside Moderno to enjoy some Mojitos.

 

 

 

I ordered the mojito flight ($15).

 

 

And DP had the pimms cup

 

 

The mojito flight was very interesting and tasty. My favorite was the spicy passion mojito, but have to say that the jalapeño cucumber mojito was very very good. DP enjoyed his pimm's cup and even enjoyed some of my mojitos:mad:. Overall the mojito flight is a great deal for $15 and I wish that we had more time to enjoy another flight.

Edited February 2, 2015 by jmele999

[Linda the Book Lover]

On the top of the to do list especially after seeing these pics...Mojito flight!

[jmele999]

We had 7:15 pm dinner reservations at Cagney's

 

 

For appetizers, DP and I shared the lump crab salad and the baked potato soup. Both of them were excellent. The crab was very fresh (maybe we picked up off the coast of Belize - just kidding), and the potato soup was rich, smooth and tasty.

 

For entrees, DP ordered the 8 oz filet mignon with a side of mushrooms, and I ordered the grilled sea bass. We shared both entrees.

 

 

 

Both entrees were excellent and the service was top notch. The Asst. Maitre'D stopped by twice to check on us, and even pour us some wine while complementing our wine selection.

 

The dessert menus were presented shortly after removing our dinner plates (A+ service).

 

 

We opted for the Raspberry creme brûlée and the Oreo cheesecake. I finished my creme brûlée, but DP could only finish half of his cheesecake.

 

 

 

Prior to last year's cruise, we were not fans of Cagney's. However, last year dinner was good, and so we decided to try cagney's again this year. I am happy to report that it was the best meal we had all week. The food was excellent and the service was outstanding. Overall, A+

Edited February 3, 2015 by jmele999

[DMH15]

Thank you so much for all of your hard work on this review. It is a joy to read.

[jmele999]

Thank you so much for all of your hard work on this review. It is a joy to read.

 

You are welcome. Looking forward to what you have to say after your cruise in April.

[DMH15]

You are welcome. Looking forward to what you have to say after your cruise in April.

 

 

Starting to get excited. Just 8 weeks away

 

You have shown me things about the Jewel

I did not know or remember.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jmele999]

Just a few more comments to end Day 4.

 

After dinner and with our bellies full, we walked around the ship and went to the 9:15 show in the Stardust. The show that night was Duo Deja Vu. I am going to spoil the show for you, but you should plan to attend this show. The show is based on a husband-wife team who perform an incredible gymnastic routine. They are great. A must see!

 

After the show, we stopped by the Caribbean deck party on the pool deck. It looked like a fun party, but we were tired and decided to go back to the cabin (no casino that night) and found a new friend.

 

Edited February 3, 2015 by jmele999

[Speasda]

We had 7:15 pm dinner reservations at Cagney's

 

 

For appetizers, DP and I shared the lump crab salad and the baked potato soup. Both of them were excellent. The crab was very fresh (maybe we picked up off the coast of Belize - just kidding), and the potato soup was rich, smooth and tasty.

 

For entrees, DP ordered the 8 oz filet mignon with a side of mushrooms, and I ordered the grilled sea bass. We shared both entrees.

 

 

 

Both entrees were excellent and the service was top notch. The Asst. Maitre'D stopped by twice to check on us, and even pour us some wine while complementing our wine selection.

 

The dessert menus were presented shortly after removing our dinner plates (A+ service).

 

 

We opted for the Raspberry creme brûlée and the Oreo cheesecake. I finished my creme brûlée, but DP could only finish half of his cheesecake.

 

 

 

Prior to last year's cruise, we were not fans of Cagney's. However, last year dinner was good, and so we decided to try cagney's again this year. I am happy to report that it was the best meal we had all week. The food was excellent and the service was outstanding. Overall, A+

 

I am loving all the great food pictures. I am already planning to have the Bison steak and Oreo cheesecake when I am on the Jewel in March.

 

Thanks for the fabulous review. Looking forward to Trujillo review!

[zzzztravel]

Leaving on this cruise in a few weeks and want to know how you all got to the port from Internation Houston airport???

 

1. By car and what company did you uses and were did you can drop the car off.

2. Did you have trouble finding the port were the cruise is.

3. Did you use the Norwegian transportation and how much did it cost.

 

Thanks, I have been on the phone and everyone is so busy, thanks for your help.

[jmele999]

 

 

Edited February 3, 2015 by jmele999

[jmele999]

Leaving on this cruise in a few weeks and want to know how you all got to the port from Internation Houston airport???

 

1. By car and what company did you uses and were did you can drop the car off.

2. Did you have trouble finding the port were the cruise is.

3. Did you use the Norwegian transportation and how much did it cost.

 

Thanks, I have been on the phone and everyone is so busy, thanks for your help.

 

The port is easy to find. The NCL transportation is $45 per person from Bush intercontinental to the port. $35 from Hobby airport.

[zzzztravel]

Thank you so much!