Live from Jewel Day 1

[7SeasLover]

Met with Alex the concierge in the GV to review the plans for the Meet and Greet on Friday. They will prepare some mini sandwiches, fruit and veggie platter. They will provide a Cruise Critic sign at the Cagney’s reservation desk so that as our members arrive, they can be escorted to the GV. Alex was very accommodating and helpful.

 

At Tuesday night’s Cruise Critic dinner, we were graciously attended to by Christian, the Maitre D’. (We will invite Christian to the M&G as well as the cruise consultant and, of course, Alex. I did ask Alex if 8 of us could have an early off when we arrive in Venice so as to make the 10:30 mass at St. Mark’s. He said to just give him a call.)

 

We have 38 in the CC group. We made reservations for 30 for dinner, and 28 showed up. Service was prompt, efficient, and friendly. Alex came to greet all of us and everyone had a delightful time. I have pics, but won’t be able to upload with this Ethernet connection.

 

So far, everything is fabulous. I’m impressed with the Jewel.

 

Hubby became a bit ill on Tuesday evening and didn’t make the private tour on Wednesday to Ephesus. The excursion was a bit difficult to traverse, but it was a great tour. We arrived at the ship at 4:00 – all on board was at 4:30. No complaints from any ship members that we heard. So far everyone is pleased with the cruise, ship and crew.

 

Ok, so I guess a negative is due at some point; here is a negative comment – the salt shaker at breakfast was empty.

 

Have eaten at the buffet a few times and have not had anything we didn’t like. I did think that the breakfast (scrambled eggs with ham, bacon, and hash browns) was a bit too greasy. Although it was a bit too greasy for me, it was very tasty. I opted, however, not to finish what I served after a few bites and went back for shredded wheat with skim milk.

 

Salads fixings were very fresh and plentiful and thank heavens they even have fat free dressings. I have been ordering the “cooking light” meals in the main dining room and they are very good. Have also had the “always available” entrees and they have been good too. I am not used to the new menus. I don’t recognize what the food is! I did hear a grumbling passenger; he was complaining because he couldn’t get into Mama’s Kitchen w/o a reservation. The restaurant looked quite empty, but the reception desk said they were full until 10 p.m. He was a bit rude with her, but ended up leaving after saying, a la Arnold, “Asta La Vista”.

 

Blue Lagoon

Someone asked about the Blue Lagoon. It is above the main lobby. Seems more a la carte serving hot dogs, fish and chips, etc. I did not see any children there, but then I’ve only seen two on the entire cruise. While I suppose older kids can eat there alone, it doesn’t seem appropriate for small kids to eat alone. I wouldn’t leave kids alone on the ship period, but everyone is different, I’m sure. It’s a nice place for casual dining.

[kataiga]

Thanks Ginni for posting for us, that are counting the hours until it is our turn.

It is getting closer and closer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next week we are leaving for Barcelona!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!5 days abord the beautyful Jewel!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(as you seeee) I cant wait!!!!

Monday I get the suitcases out and try to figure out what to bring. Until today the wether here in the Med. was quite warm, this ewening it changed ( as I expected at this time of the year) it is now a bit cooler. hmm.

In the Med. in winter you need sunglases. umbrellas.windjacets.somethings for warm weather, something for cold weather . All at the same time!!( I have lived here for 30 years)

You never know howe it turns out and the weather can turn here so fast:o

[Cruiser#5]

Monday I get the suitcases out and try to figure out what to bring. :o

 

Monday :eek: my suitcase came out weeks ago. I'm ready to go now!

See you next week and i'm looking forward to the Meet and Greet.;)

[kataiga]

Monday :eek: my suitcase came out weeks ago. I'm ready to go now!

See you next week and i'm looking forward to the Meet and Greet.;)

We have been working 7 days a week from 15 jan. and close our bisnuiss on un 15.oct ! On monday the suitcases come out and DONT anybody bother me!!!!!!!!!!!!.( the menfolk her at home I mean)

(I have an advantage !!! On day 5 I get to go home !! I can leave one lot of used clothes at home! One of the ports is Palma de Mallorca, where we live) It feels strange to come "home " on a cruise. Last year we thought we wold come down to the harbour to take pics. of the Jewel at home ,newer thinking we would be on her sailing!!!!!!! Life sometimes give you surprises!!:eek: :D

[Cruisin' Patty]

I'm enjoying your day-to-day REVIEW. Hope your remaining time is as great as the beginning.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

[7SeasLover]

Observations:

 

Deck Chairs

Deck chairs should be lounge chairs instead of chairs. Folks looked somewhat uncomfortable with feet down. Some pulled up other chairs on which to rest feet. I would have preferred a lounge vs chair, but I’m not in a penthouse this time, but rather a mini suite.

 

Salt

I’m a salt user and also have limited use of my hands. The “shakers” used in the main dining room contain salt crystals and must be turned for salt. Most of them did not work. Having limited use of my hands, I was unable to twist the salt. We’ve had to send back at least three such salt dispensers in attempts to find one that worked.

 

Buffet

I thoroughly enjoy the layout and ease with which one can get to the food item of choice. I never liked one line and having to wait to get to the desired food. This new layout allows passengers to move quickly throughout the food choices. There does appear to be a back-up at the milk, coffee, and tea section. I would recommend more such sections, or servers pouring coffee.

 

Good selection of food too with separate hot and cold, sugar-free, and dessert station. Food temperatures were perfect, but stay away from drafty areas (like the elevator bank section).

 

 

Staff

I observed the staff quickly clearing the tables and wiping everything. They were very efficient and very polite. I have not met an unhappy crew member.

 

Future Cruise presentation

We attended this session today along with other cruise critic members. It lasted approximately 30 minutes. The cruise consultant seemed knowledgeable and unlike other cruises did not require appointments, but merely complete a form, drop it off, and a quote would be provided. I brought a form, but need to restrain myself until I get through my next two booked NCL cruises (South America and Mexico).

 

Friday October 13 1st Sea Day Meet and Greet

NCL outdid themselves today for our Meet and Greet held in the Garden Villa. The captain and several officers attended our 3 to 5 p.m. social. There were several bartenders serving guests and the food was delicious. The hosts, Karen and Louis, gave the cruise critic group tours of the Garden Villa. The ship’s photographer took several photos of our group around the courtyard pool.

 

Many cruise critics brought gifts for the gift exchange and brought scrumptious chocolates from various places. Alex, the Concierge was in attendance the entire time and did a fabulous job of keeping our group organized and on time. Hopefully, I’ll be able to upload all the photos when I get back so that everyone can enjoy the scenes.

 

Dinner – Formal

It did take an unusually long time to have dinner in Tsar’s, however, we were with another cruise critic couple and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We had reservations at 6 and finished at 8 p.m.

 

Comment about Mini Suite 11152

There is an unending sound of running water in this suite. Don’t know what it’s from. It sounds as if the pool water is on – continuously. If we close the bathroom door, it’s not as pronounced. It was annoying at first, but we’ve become used to it. We know another cruise critic couple in mini suite 11156, so we’ll ask if they have the same sound of running water. Also, we noticed a slight water leak on the outside of the tub. Not sure where it’s from. Neither of these issues is a big deal.

[Cruisin' Patty]

I'm enjoying your cruise right along with you. I'll be sorry to get back to Miami tomorrow.

[Cruisin' Patty]

Miami...right...Medditeranian would be much nicer.

[7SeasLover]

Saturday 10/14/06

Alex the Concierge continues to outdo himself. Some of the things he has done cannot be mentioned on our list at his request, but suffice it to say, he has been wonderful!

 

We ate dinner in the buffet today and again it was very good. The food choices are many, the food is hot, salads are fresh and crisp and the deserts are very good. Always an abundance of plates, silverware, and staff. Five days on board and all five days have been fantastic. Everything going as planned. No negatives (other than the empty salt shaker). One couple was late getting back to the ship today, so we were delayed in our departure by one hour. Other than that, I could ask for a better cruise. NCL is outstanding, as usual.

 

Monday 10/16/06

We were in Venice all day yesterday. I must say that I was surprised that we docked so far from the square. The cost for a water bus was 11 Euros RT per person. That ended coming and going to the ship multiple times each day. And the walk would have been quite far - my guess 3 miles to the square. The ship offered shuttle service for $25 pp, which may have been a good deal, but the explanation for the service was not adequately explained; NCL’s charge vs what was available at the pier. As it turned out, we came and went only twice so we spent 44 Euros. Given what we spent on two Murano vases, that was a real bargain!

 

The Concierge is still doing a great job. The cruise is perfect.

 

Problem with suite 11152

We still have the same problem with noise in our mini suite. The sound of running water is very bothersome. We inquired about it the first day, and again on day 3 or 4. We finally complained to our room steward who sent the housekeeping supervisor to our room.

 

On coming back to our room after breakfast the supervisor was in a cabinet that was adjacent to our mini-suite. We looked inside the cabinet and he said what was in that cabinet were pipes for AC water. Hmmm… he said they would try to quite those pipes.

 

Having become completely tired of the noise, my husband called the concierge and complained about the noise. Alex was very obliging and said he’d look into it.

 

Upon returning to our room after the comedy show (and losing some $$$ in the casino and in the words of our Garden Villa host, Louis, our $$$ isn’t lost – we know EXACTLY where it is!) Anyway upon returning to our room, there was a message from Alex. They have discovered the reason for the noise – it’s too much air in the pipes! Finally, a reason!

 

I’m not quite sure if they have fixed the problem or if they will do it tomorrow. At least we know it’s a fixable condition. I felt sure that I would have to post a “warning” about anyone having the poor fortune of booking this stateroom. Looks like they perhaps can remedy this.

 

Tuesday: we have had NCL crew in/out of our stateroom all morning trying to fix the problem. We were just told that the problem is a design flaw and that there is nothing they can do to stop the noise of running water. That is most unfortunate, it has been a bad experience and I must say that I would never recommend this room to anyone unless they don't mind the sound of running water 24/7.

 

Seas are rough

We felt a bit of rock and rolling at dinner. It got progressively worse. We have “rough” seas with swells of 7.5 to 12 feet with some white caps. (Oh I do love rough seas!) Temp outside is 61 degrees and wind is at 23 knots across the bow. Fun ride!

 

Food

I am quite pleased with the food so far. Everything is delicious, fresh, abundant and well prepared. I might add, however, that some of the breakfast buffet items are a bit too greasy for me. Chefs are generous with oil it seems.

[NWS777]

I am enjoying your reports. We will be in a mini suite too but it is mid-ship so hopefully won't have the same running water noise. Glad to hear the food is good.

[kataiga]

Glad to hear you enjoy the Jewel so much,and that the food is good. On saturday we board in Barcelona,

:D I am so exited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dreamtravelr]

Ginny, did you ever learn who the F&B Dir is? And what is the ship no for Jewel? Thanks, have enjoyed travelling with you, except for the squalls.

[sjbdtz]

Ginny, did you ever learn who the F&B Dir is? And what is the ship no for Jewel? Thanks, have enjoyed travelling with you, except for the squalls.

 

Mirsad was still F&B Dir. when we were onboard in Sept.

 

He was there last year, too.

[7SeasLover]

I think it's Da Silva. Not sure. everyone is leaving the ship during these ports. They are starting vacations, etc.

[7SeasLover]

Despite a 41 hour return trip home (missed one connection), we are home safely and soundly, as are all of our pieces of luggage. Those, I think, are the two main things!

 

NCL never did get the running water noise to stop, and the concierege gave us the address of where to address our concerns. Overall, this trip is a 5-Star trip despite the noisey suite. (Mini-suite 11152). I would have to say that I do NOT recommend that suite to anyone. I would never book it again.The views, howevever are breathtaking!

 

We visited the Spa on the last sea day and it was divine. Now I must win the lottery so we can remodel our bathroom for that treatment! Ahhhhhh! Only one suggestion. They should offer shampoo so your hair would be squeaky clean (and wet) before the treatment starts. It's $75 + their added gratuity for 55 minutes for a couple. Will I induldge again? You bet!

 

(Dianne and Bill - you must try it!!)

 

Food: Excellent

Service: Excellent

Ship design and layout in buffet: Good (If there is any complaint in the buffet area, it's NOT the layout, but the pax who seem to feel it's their last meal before sentencing! Sheesh! There is no need to push or shove. And goodness must the plates be heaped so high? The waste is terrible.)

 

omelette station: Great! Warning - they use a lot of oil so tell them in advance if you want it fairly dry

 

waffle station: Great!

 

salad station: Good, but I would have loved olives.

 

Coffee: Oh my - way too strong for me!

 

I will try to upload my photos and post the link. I burned them to a CD. Was disappointing not to be able to upload as I went, but the connection was so so slow! I only bought 55 minutes, so if you're a dawdler, buy more. I used my MacBook Pro in the room. Those who used the ship's computers complained of slow times also. Caution: There are very few computers! They need a bigger Internet cafe! Several times that we pased, we saw people queuing up for a computer.

 

My ending bill was $360 - one page long. Now I need to change my signature and move my Med cruise to completed. I'll start packing for March on the Crown to South America with my girlfriend!

[Arlington22207]

Thanks so much for all of your detailed information on your trip. It was wonderful to "be there" with you. My wife and I are booked to travel on the Sept 2007 Athens to Istanbul run. What would you say the passenger demographics were? It really doesn't make much of a difference to us -- the itinerary is what we're excited about -- but we're curious!

[henri]

On our tour on Jewel, 09-oct-2006, Istanbul to Barcelona, were 2200 passengers. Don't catch me on some round off's. So....full ship. As far as I remember the enumeration:

Americans : 1000

Cadanian : 400

United Kingdom : 200

Netherlands : 121 (exactly, as I'm one of them, so I remember):D

Germany : 80

And so less and less until 1 from Russia and 1 from Iceland.

Totaly 46 countries.

 

Henri

[7SeasLover]

I was completely surprised with the demographics. Since our roll call was so small (only 38 people) I suspected the ship would be full of Europeans. Not. It was full of Americans. Our roll call, however, brought us folks from Canada, Australia, England, and USA. We had the best cruise critic grip ever! :)

 

You will love the ship. I would say that this was one of my best vacations. It was port intensive, but that's ok. I love sea days so I'm going to look for a trip that has more sea days. I ought to try a transatlantic. Part of our cc group are at sea as we speak on the 2nd portion of their b2b trip. I'm curising with them in my mind!

[Arlington22207]

Thanks to you both! My wife and I would welcome a little diversity anyway, it's always interesting to meet people from other countries.

 

What about ages? Any guess on the age demographics?

[jayintx]

Hi all. Just wanted to put my two cents worth in. We have done more than 30 cruises, and we would both rank this one as #1 or #2! It's a tossup with South America, and since Ginny is headed there, I will be interested to hear her observations.

 

I cannot say enough about the staff. At every juncture, they were incredible. Alex got special mention earlier and it's well deserved. In addition Ginni's experience, he also gave us information about Venice, which was accurate, helped us with the usual reservations and acted as a liason when we were working with the staff to repair some damaged luggage. I was surprised to find out that he is not included in the tip calculations, so we made sure to find him at debarkation and remedy the situation. He seemed most appreciative. Everyone else, waiters, cabin steward, dining room personnel, bar staff were the best we have encountered.

 

The food:

 

First, the positive. The Garden Buffet is the best we have ever encountered. The only issue is just before disembarking for the ports it gets VERY crowded and tables are hard to come by. On most days, they opened Mama's also, so it did relieve the congestion somewhat. The individual stations for different food choices are exceptional. The comments about oil are right on, Barb finally asked the cook at the omelet station to cut the oil about 80% and she said they were very good after that.

 

The specialty restaurants were also exceptional. The quality of food and the service were outstanding. Kudos to all those folks.

 

Now for the dining rooms, Tsar's and Azura. No real problem with the salt shaker :) but I did have to ask one of the waiters to show us the easiest way to use it, you have to unscrew the top until it's loose and then twist while holding the shaker sideways! For some reason, they would always tighten them up again when they cleared the tables - weird. The preparation and quality were also good here, but the menu selection was the worst we have experienced on any cruise. I am a very adventurous eater, and will try most anything once, but I finally got tired of strange food choices, weird spices and poor cuisine in the dining room. If anything, lunches were worse with the exception of the cold fruit soups (only served at lunch) and forced us into the buffet more often than we would have liked. We really enjoy the dining room experience, especially on sea days, and this was the only negative from the entire trip. I saw a LOT of people ordering the "available every day" choices for the same reason. There were a couple of exceptions, when the food was outstanding, but we often found ourselves looking for the ice cream machine or fruit in the buffet after dinner. It is my understanding from a friend who is on the ship now (we met up in Barcelona to pass the torch) that the line has replaced the chef who designed the current menu because of passenger complaints. We would agree with that decision.

 

The Accomodations:

 

Our cabin (11156) was 2 doors down from Ginny, and was perfect. I feel badly about the water noise that they experienced, but we had no problems and the view from the balcony was incredible on sailing days. Our steward was wonderful and we were very comfortable, and slept well every day of the trip.

 

The Entertainment:

 

We thoroughly enjoyed the shows. The guest performers were all great and really seemed to be enjoying themselves. A word to the wise - Don't arrive late! Not because of the crowds, but because of the humiliation. ;) The production shows (2) were amazing. These kids don't have an ounce of fat on them, and it's easy to see why! Don't miss them. There were no problems finding seats, even on the one show nights, and the theater is state of the art.

 

The Ports:

 

The ports were amazing. We were asked to pick our favorite on the comment card, and it was impossible. We had great experiences at each one, and the history had us awestruck so many times. We used private guides in every port except Venice and Dubrovnik (on our own) and had great experiences at each, for less cost than the shore excursions, and in some cases to places that the tour buses were not allowed. Our lunch in a little town on the Amalfi Coast may have been the highlight of the trip! It's so small and the roads are so winding, that only smaller vehicles are allowed. There were two groups of us in small vans, and we arrived about the same time and had the whole place to ourselves. A pitcher of wine, two plates of antipasti, two pasta entrees, dessert and shots of Limoncello - 20 euros per person! The most amazing view I have ever experienced - priceless! Every one of the tours was professionally done, we got back to the ship in plenty of time and our cost was 30% - 60% lower than the ship's tours. I would suggest this approach to anyone cruising. We haven't booked ship's tours in years, and have had nothing but positive experiences.

 

The embarkation and debarkation processes were the smoothest we have ever encountered. I'm sure the Latitudes line helped at the beginning, but nobody seemed to be hassled or stressed during the process. We boarded late on Sunday, so there was no real line, and it took about 2 hours for our luggage to arrive. One of our bags had a bent handle (somehow it got opened during loading) but the ship's carpenter fixed it readily enough.

 

About the front and back ports. We stayed in Istanbul for 3 days pre-cruise at the Sarnic Hotel in the Old City. It was nicely done, all new fixtures, beds, baths and tile, but a little spartan. Still for 70E per night, it was hard to complain. We were 2 blocks from the Blue Mosque and close to everything so we did a lot of walking. We hired a private guide for 2 days ($120 per) and he was critical to our positive experience in the city. The city is remarkable. I don't know what we expected, but it was extraordinary in every way. The people were wonderful, the sites stunning and Kagan (our guide - pronounced "Cahn" as in James Cahn!) could not have been better. Karen and Louis (our Garden Villa pals) hired his wife, Lale, and had the same experience. Do not drive here. These people make the Italians look conservative! It's not uncommon to back up 5 or 6 blocks if you want to go the other way! Traffic was unbelievable in the Old City, but everyone seemed to keep their sense of humor, and would often get out of their cars to help someone maneuver around a logjam. Amazingly, I don't think we saw one seriously dented vehicle. We could have used a few extra days, and the idea of going back to visit is being entertained as we speak.

 

We have been to Barcelona before and enjoyed the city, so we were looking forward to it. It's still a beautiful place with a lot to do, and we did have a good time, but this time we found the people to be a little unfriendly and pushy. Last time high school Spanish and sign language worked well for us, this time we got a lot of surly looks. We also had a bad experience with a thwarted picpocket (Placa d'Espanya) and some police (we think) that left a sour taste in our mouths. Added to the train breakdown one evening that required a subway, walk and taxi detour back to our hotel through a not-so-nice area of town, and we were both a little stressed. For a place whose restaurants don't open for dinner until after 9PM, it's amazingly hard to find a cab after 10! The food was typically good and we still enjoy La Rambla, but be careful! The highlight, as on our last trip, was the Monastery at Montserrat. It's about a one hour train ride out of the city and is the most amazing setting you will ever experience. Easy to do, but again the crowds were a little daunting. Got much better in the afternoon.

 

All in all, don't let the negatives concern you. The entire trip rates an A+, even with the little problems. I would also recommend time in Istanbul if you can afford it. In order of preference, our ports:

 

1. Istanbul

2. Amalfi Coast and Pompeii

3. Izmir (Ephesus)

4. Rome

5. Athens

6. Dubrovnik

7. Venice (go to Burano - amazing!)

8. Barcelona (visit to the Monastery at Montserrat is the best part of the port)

 

From 1 to 6, the differences were so small as to be inconsequential. Venice would have rated higher if we hadn't been there before, and if the crowds had been more manageable. We did enjoy Burano (not Murano), and the Jewish Ghetto (thanks to some CC friends!) a lot. You saw my comments about Barcelona earlier. Another word of advice - we ran into people from 3 separate ship's tours who had been abandoned in St. Marks Square and left to find their own way back to the ship. In one case, their guide told them the lines were too long for her to wait, so she bought tickets for the Doge Palace, passed them out and then left. Two days later, the ship had not made any sort of retribution. I guess it's Caveat Emptor no matter what your plans. A couple of these folks were severely handicapped and it was not a good situation. I didn't hear about any problems in other ports. We shared a water taxi with one of those groups, and met people from the other two the next day. It was a hassle getting back late, so be careful. As always, it's a good idea to know a little about the port and to have a back up plan just in case.

 

Someone asked about age diversity - I would estimate the average age to be mid-50's to mid-60's with a generous sprinkling of younger folks and a few older ones. Actually, the crowd was a little younger than we originally expected. I will say, that it was an active group. I met very few people who hadn't been on the go most of the trip. Of course, the others could have been asleep in their cabins!

 

Please don't focus on any of the negatives, none were bad enough to even partially negate our experience. Be flexible, roll with the punches, get to know the locals and have a great time! The ship is beautiful, the staff is great and, as I said, it was one of our two best trips of all time!

 

By the way, the CC group was amazing! We spent time with a number of these folks on a regular basis and are proud to call some of them lifelong friends now. This is a great place to meet people, and if you're traveling alone, as we were, it's like sailing with friends from the very first! Bon Voyage!

[jayintx]

I have never posted pictures before, so I'm going to try this one. From an overlook at Amalfi in Italy. Some of my friends have accused me of photoshopping our picture over a postcard. Not true, it looks exactly like this!

[jayintx]

This seems to work, so here's one with our CC buddies (yes, Ginni & Del) overlooking Athens. If you squint, you can see the Acropolis in the background. I don't know who the guy in the blue shirt might be!

[jayintx]

Last one, I promise! This is in front of the library in Ephesus.

[jayintx]

Ginny, and others. It might be worth it to double check the SIZE of those pics you are trying to upload. Downsize them to under 100k if they are large. Most photo software will let you rezize, transform, or something like that. that might be your problem.

 

re: ethernet cable. Wireless or not, an ethernet cable STAYS in my bag. Have leared the hard way before.

 

Gary

 

Just as an fyi, CC will only allow jpg files of under 97 kb. Other file formats are actually restricted even further.

[angeljt]

7SeasLover & Jayintx,

Thanks for your reviews. I always love reading 'live' reviews, but enjoy all. Glad you all had such a good experience.

Jackie:D