LONG Jewel – Eastern Caribbean Review – AF Suite etc etc….

We just returned from the Jewel’s inaugural Eastern Caribbean cruise and wanted to share our thoughts and comments.

Keep in mind that this was our first cruise with NCL and our first freestyle cruise.

Embarkation in Miami: Although Miami is still showing significant Wilma damage and clean up is a slow process; the Port of Miami is in full swing. Embarkation was relatively smooth. NCL had a lot of staff on hand to direct passengers to the appropriate lines and then on to the “holding lounge” where embarkation went efficiently by row. We arrived at the pier at noon and were onboard by about 1:20.

Booze Police: We spent a day in South Beach prior to the cruise and purchased some wine for our hotel room while there. Unable to consume the last bottle (hic!) we just popped it in our luggage with the intent to pay the corkage at boarding. Upon arrival at the pier, our luggage was quickly whisked away not allowing us to fess up to the packed bottle. We proceeded to the embarkation lines and boarding. After a quick tour around the ship and a light lunch in Blue Lagoon, we went back to our room to discover a note in our door side mailbox instructing us that a piece of our luggage had “suspicious content” ! *gasp* So off we went to the LifeStyle room to face certain degradation! NOT. Upon arrival, we identified our wayward bag and informed the attendant that we did have a bottle of wine in the bag. He inquired as to the number of bottles, took our word for it, and declined any need to open the bag. A corkage chit was written up and charged to our room, and that was it. Piece of cake ! Be warned though, there was A LOT of baggage in the LifeStyle lounge that had not passed security.

The Jewel: I really had reservations about the busy color palate that was prevalent in all the pre-launch photographs I had seen of this ship. As others have posted, it’s not as bad as it looks in photographs. Although I’m still not a big fan of the contrasting retro styling of most areas of the ship, it wasn’t as hard on the eyes as I was anticipating. Talking to people around the ship – there were lots of people who really loved the color scheme….probably equal to the amount of folks who weren’t fussy on it. The ship itself is spotlessly maintained with a whole crew of coverall-clad workers polishing, painting and cleaning throughout the day. Extremely modern in design and features, even the outside of the ship was meticulously pressure washed each time we were in port. I could go into room by room detail, but that would certainly take forever. Be assured that there is nothing lacking in the practical design and detail of this fine new ship.

Cabin 11062 AF Mini: Our suite was conveniently located on the starboard side just forward of the mid-ship elevators on deck 11. There was lots of space to move around, and ample storage in the bank of drawers and lighted double door closet (even though the closet doors hit the bed and couldn’t be fully opened.) The high gloss wood finish throughout the suite is gleaming. Again, I wasn’t fussy on the green and red “day bedspread” nor the very busy lime green and blue carpeting, but the overall use of mirrors and lighting did a great job of distracting from this. We had a vase of fresh flowers by the door, a basket of fresh fruit that was replenished as used, a coffee set up, and a bottle of both flat and carbonated water (charged to your account if used). Our bar setup did not arrive until the 2nd day. We were told that this was to ensure that it went to the correct room and passengers (??) after embarkation. The balcony was a fair size. After the 1st day, we asked our assistant room steward if we could exchange the two chairs for chaise lounges and he happily complied. It was wonderful to have enough space for two to sprawl out on loungers; use the table and still be able to move around. It was luxurious and one of our favorite afternoon retreats. This particular suite is located under the extended overhang of the lido deck. Because of this, the roof of the balcony extends about 4 ft or so beyond the rail. This was nice with regard to shade; however it acted as an amplified echo chamber along the length of cabins situated under the overhang. We could easily hear conversations held on balconies 2 and 3 doors down ! Coupled with the reflective glass, ones neighbor could easily see and hear every little activity that happens on your balcony !!! Thank goodness for those nice waffle-cotton robes !

The bathroom was of moderate size and amenities. We really enjoyed the full size bathtub and the fact that the toilet was located in a separate area with a sliding door. The bathroom sink had a convenient tall faucet that swiveled. Tons of hot water and excellent water pressure as well.

Our room steward and her assistant were probably two of the most capable stewards I’ve ever encountered while cruising. Their efficiency, friendliness and unobtrusive service added a truly enjoyable element to our cruise. We were informed by Ruth, our concierge, that all staff that are mentioned by name on your comment card are duly recognized for their performance. So naturally we wrote up everybody that went above and beyond.

Dining: Just a few quick comments about our dining experiences. Firstly, I think I’m still a traditionalist when it comes to cruise dining. I like to get to know my dining room tablemates and wait staff….so I’d have to say that freestyle was just OK for me. We enjoyed the stemware in all venues on board….certainly steps above the clunky thick restaurant ware that some lines utilize. Linen napkins and stainless steel cutlery, even on the lido deck, added a refined touch to al fresco dining. In these times of pandemic scares it’s also nice to see antibacterial hand sanitizing stations at the doors to all public rooms.

Blue Lagoon: Had lunch here the 1st day onboard. Limited menu with good service. Didn’t return to it.

Tangos Tapas: Dined here the first night on board. This was AWFUL. The tapas presented to the table appeared to be left over offerings off of the lunch buffet…dried up chicken wings, ribs and falafel that looked like “Gainsburger Dog Snacks” Others that dined with us had quesadillas that looked like Taco Bell fare. Not impressed.

Le Bistro: For formal night we decided upon the Bistro. We utilized the concierge to secure us a table for 9 people (quite a crowd) anytime after 8:00 pm. Ruth left us a message in our stateroom that our reservation was for 9pm. Perfect. Unfortunately when we arrived at the Bistro, we were split over two tables; a square table for 4 and a nearby round table of six. The service staff was adamant that moving square tables together to accommodate our group was out of the question. Within 10 minutes, diners from earlier seatings were leaving to catch the show and, had we waited a bit (which we wouldn’t have minded) we could have easily arranged a single table for all of us. Oh well. Formal night was also lobster night in the main dining room, and with everyone’s Bistro main course we were offered a ‘side’ of lobster tail if we wished….nobody turned it down ! We dined here twice, formal night was excellent….our subsequent night, for just the two of us, wasn’t so good. Our dinners were obviously ‘heat racked’ while we finished our appetizers. When dinner arrived, the plates were too hot to touch, the vegetables were dried out and the sauces were dried up and crispy around the edges. A shame actually because the service staff here is so attentive. Incidentally….on formal night and for reservations before 6:30 the $10.00 surcharge in the Bistro is reduced by half !

Tsars Main Dining Room: After a single visit to the main dining room, I’d have to say that they missed their opportunity to make a good first impression. We approached the maitre-d’s podium at about 8:30 and requested a table for 2 by the window. We were quickly informed that is wasn’t possible to sit by a window. We accepted her assessment and were escorted to a table directly outside the swinging doors to the kitchen. Taking stock of our surroundings, I observed 3 unoccupied tables for 2 by the windows in our immediate vicinity. As we were seated, and our napkins placed in our laps, TWO successive couples were led to the vacant tables by the windows. What’s up with that ? We asked our assistant server if those tables had been reserved, and she informed us that reservations were not accepted in the main dining room. Hmmmm. Our head waiter had all the personality of a wet dish rag. Unfortunate, because his assistant was the only saving grace of the evening. We had decided to indulge in lighter fare on this evening as we had a full day ashore…the menu boasted both a salmon and a chicken entrée with the heavier meat dishes being accompanied by a vegetarian penne pasta. I inquired of our head waiter if we could substitute our potatoes and vegetables with a side order of pasta instead. He gave us a quizzical stare and agreed to it. When the entrees arrived at the table, both my partner and I were astounded….atop plain boiled, unadorned, NAKED penne pasta sat a grilled chicken breast on one plate and a grilled salmon fillet on the other. The head waiter looked at us and sheepishly asked if we would like butter or tomato sauce on that !! What kitchen would present such a meal ? I believe that our waiter was embarrassed at the presentation and I feel the incident is indicative of a lack of communication between the wait staff and the kitchen. It gets worse. As the evening progressed we watched many diners leave the restaurant via the main staircase with a chorus of “goodnight little ones” to the children, “goodnight grandma and grandpa” to the older folks, “goodnight family” to the obvious families….when we got up to depart the restaurant we heard “there goes the lesbians” !!! WHOA ! We chose to ignore this extremely crass remark especially given that, as two women traveling together, we had given no overt flag-waving clue as to our orientation. We never returned to this dining venue.

Cagneys: This was hands down the best restaurant on the ship. We dined here on two evenings and were equally impressed each time. Impressive service, fantastic steak and opulent surroundings. Obtaining a reservation here was difficult, but being late diners we had no problem securing 9:00 reservations when we asked. This restaurant boasts the highest surcharge at $15 pp… with a cocktail, a bottle of wine and additional gratuity this will likely be your most expensive dinner on board.

Garden Café: With our cabin’s close proximity to the buffet, we were able to put together nice appetizer and hors-d’oeuvers plates for our 5:00 “balcony martini”. Other than 2 breakfasts, that was all we utilized the buffet for. (and yes….I like baked beans with my toast !) It was always well attended, and the variety of food looked fresh and varied. We ran into people that took ALL of their meals in this venue….so that must say something !?

Chin Chins: We didn’t partake in dinner or a teppanyaki table at this restaurant; however we did have a sushi lunch here. Unless ordering particular sushi or sashimi pieces, the standard sushi lunch comes with a lot of vegetable rolls. (too many for my liking) If you’re a sushi fan, forego the mango and California rolls for more traditional seafoods.

Room Service: We used room service for breakfast on most mornings. It kept us from the over indulgences of a buffet breakfast ! The menu is light and limited to continental-type items. Fill in the card, hang it on your door handle before you retire and in the morning a quick phone call from room service signals its pending arrival. This worked as a good wake up call too ! In the wee hours of the morning we indulged in pizza delivery on a few occasions (late nights in the casino left us hungry at 3am !) The pizza was actually better than expected…it arrived quickly and was hot and stringy with cheese. (I wouldn’t recommend it 5 minutes before you go to sleep unless you’re on vacation !)

Miscellaneous: The pool deck was an absolute zoo. Most chairs were “claimed” in the early hours of the morning. If you didn’t surface until after 9 you were out of luck and had to hunt around on the upper sun decks for a spot in the sun. The band by the pool was excellent and played a nice mix of reggae to keep that island feel going on. The “Freestyle Sun Deck” was just that….lots of opportunity to erase the tan lines on your upper body with limited ogling by the big hairy goons that always venture to such spots.

The casino was a fantastic evening diversion. We saw lots of people hitting good sized slots jackpots and we walked away with enough Blackjack booty to substantially pay down our account on the final day. The staff here is excellent and truly wants you to have a good time.

Shows ??…..ut oh….see above. We were blackjack addicts.

Being big red wine drinkers, we found out on the first day that for every 5 bottles of wine you order, you get the 6th one free (they take an average cost for the 6th) At our first lunch on board we ordered 6 bottles to have sent to the room and the wine steward told us to keep all receipts from subsequent bottles ordered elsewhere. Once we got 5 receipts, we merely had to show them to get the free 6th bottle. If you drink wine, order by the bottle rather than by the glass. This was an excellent perk !

All in all we had a fantastic time. As this review is getting very long winded….feel free to ask any questions you may have….I’ve got to get back to work !

Thank you for an excellent review. We are on the Jewel 1/1/06 and can't wait.

Great review. I'd like to comment on a few items:

1. As a gay male couple we NEVER encountered a single disparaging remark on any of the 3 NCL cruises we've taken. I would be horrified if something like your experience happened, but I am equally pleased to indicate that this was clearly a one-off situation.

2. At Tsar's Palace we were seated at a window seat both times we ate there. On the Dawn, we were provided a window seat each time one was available. I'm not sure why you weren't accommodated.

3. Congrats on the casino wins. If you registered for a Casinos at Sea card, you can accumulate points which you can redeem for credits against your shipboard account. If you play enough, the Casinos at Sea program might offer complimentary accomodations on your next trip, or discounts off the best price you could get otherwise.

Something to bear in mind.

Duplicate post.

Thanks for the great information! I am setting sail on the Jewel on Dec 18th-- was wondering if you got off the boat at the ports and how hectic/crazy it was. Any pointers on this?? Thanks again for the info!

Linda

I forgot one other item:

- The Jewel has staff from 65 different countries, and as such many service personnel speak English as a second language and also come from many different cultures. You mentioned that your waiter gave you a strange look when you asked for Penne, yet later speculated that the problem was communication between the waiter & kitchen.

Based on your report, I would speculate that the waiter didn't understand what exactly you were hoping to accomplish. They probably thought you were a little weird for wanting plain pasta with your chicken & fish! :eek:

---------------

Linda, port disembarkation is one area where there are still problems. How do you disembark 2000 people through 1 or 2 doors, in order to start their tours all at the same time? This is just a logistical nightmare, and remains a challenge. Be prepared for it, and you'll cope just fine.

Thanks!

I always "go with the flow" and since I don't plan on going on any organized shore excursions-- I am sure I can wait til the crowd has finished and then go on my merry way!:)

Hey sjbdtz....nope....can't say it was a misunderstanding between the head waiter and ourselves. We asked for a "side order of the pasta" and actually pointed it out on the menu ! His incredulous stare was more as though we were inconveniencing him.

Being a mature, middle-aged (ouch), professional couple who really don't fit the "stereotypical" image of what some might perceive a gay female couple to look like; we really are at a loss for the overall poor service received in Tsars. Likely an isolated “bad experience”, so we didn't react (or over react) to it...but it didn't make us want to return there.

Linda....something I neglected in my post. Debarkation ! Back in Miami it was very smoothly coordinated. Shipboard announcements went by luggage tag color and it was very orderly. Luggage retrieval was equally smooth.

The only port of call that we tendered to was Great Stirrup Cay. Reviewing our ports prior to the trip, we had no real desire to venture ashore for this one. BUT, curiosity got the better of us and we joined into the herd. And what a herd it was ! For the first hour or so of tendering, you required a numbered ticket. These numbers were called over the PA system and passengers lined up accordingly. We decided to wait until after the initial rush and head to the tenders at about 11:00 when no more tickets were required. We lined up … and lined up some more. With tenders on deck 4…the lines were solid all the way up the stairs to deck 6. Eventually we boarded the tender; which was heaving wildly alongside. After a rough ride to the beach, we disembarked to join the masses. The beach was wall to wall passengers in the swimmable section to the left of the tenders. Beach chairs were literally shoulder to shoulder. The tenders coming and going really churn up the water, so the water was fairly clouded and the beach was steeply eroded in some parts. We chose to avoid this crowd and walk over the cement pier to the beach to the right of the tenders. I wouldn’t classify this beach as good for swimming. The shoreline consists of slippery dead coral heads and the surf into the beach makes for a dangerous entry into the water. Lots of people chose to set up in this area, even though the beach was unmaintained and there was a distinct odor of decaying marine life ! The BBQ was in full swing and again there were lines of people queuing up for hamburgers and hot dogs. We toured the straw market -- make sure you take cash ashore as the vendors are independent of NCL and after about an hour we headed back to the ship (as did a large number of other passengers who decided that the ship would be a nicer spot to have lunch and spend the day.) Talking to fellow passengers, again there were mixed reviews from raves to complete disappointment. It’s too bad that the ship’s staff have to work so terribly hard for this 6 hour excursion. Lugging everything ashore and back in the blazing sun must be very difficult for them.

We didn’t take part in the ship’s excursions as we’d been to all of the other ports several times before. We had an eye opening experience in Antigua though. We chose to drop the $100 pp to get a day pass at Sandals. I can remember when I thought the ultimate vacation would be a week at Sandal’s “flagship” resort in Antigua. I’m glad I only spent the day. This resort is showing severe signs of wear and doesn’t come close to the amenities of its reputation. Save your money, rent a chair and spend the day on the same beach for $10 !

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Another discussion thread regarding Sandals, and how it related to LGBT:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=248893

Another discussion thread regarding Sandals, and how it related to LGBT:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=248893

Thanks for all the detailed responses-- Much appreciated!!

Linda:cool:

The “Freestyle Sun Deck” was just that….lots of opportunity to erase the tan lines on your upper body with limited ogling by the big hairy goons that always venture to such spots.

I know what you mean. And even some of the men hang around there too!:D

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!

That made my day !

Thanks, FloatMyBoat, for the great review! I think detailed reviews such as yours really give a lot of information to prospective cruisers, and I appreciate your efforts. And particularly I appreciate your even-handedness for both the good and the bad. So many people use these boards to either gush unnecessarily or to vent their spleens about some problems that they found--and maybe even brought aboard with them.

Hello!

Thanks for the review!

I was hoping you wouldn't mind another question?

In your reviewabout the pool area you made reference to a zoo?;)

I can imagine how crowded it was!:rolleyes:

I gather that you werent traveling with children, but was hoping to get some observations?

Were there many heathens running rampid around the pool?

Did you see any evidence of entertained young people by or with the staff?

Maybe happen to talk to or hmmm...hear of any parents pleased?, anxious?, or ready to toss their offspring overboard?

We are traveling with our 7 and 8 yr olds, and this will be their first cruise.

Thank you again for your review!!

Stacey

Very nice info. But what about any shore excursions (or things to do in port)? We generally set up a bunch of stuff Online and/or through people we know at certain locations, but we didn't do anything this time. Some things sound fun, but I always imagine a big hassle and huge crowd. (Such as, Horseback riding in P.R. could be great, or it could stink).

Any work - or gossip you heard?

Thanks!

This was an excellent review. Thank you for being so honest. I will be sailing the Jewel next summer and look forward to experiencing her myself. Freestyle dining is new to me, but I'm looking forward to trying it.

BTW, I was sorry to hear about the staffs comment in Tsars. That was totally rude. They should have been reported for that comment.