Jewel Review 10-17-10 and Photo Links of Ship and GSC

[dbcnwa]

It's been a week since we left the Jewel, but I finally got around to writing a review and going through photos of our cruise:

 

 

 

This was our third cruise with NCL and fourth cruise overall. Although this itinerary draws in passengers primarily from the Northeast, we flew from Colorado and spent a couple of days in New York City before boarding the Jewel. We stayed in Downtown Manhattan at the Embassy Suites. If you get a harbor view room you can see the Jewel sail by early in the morning. It had great service, provided a quiet location compared to some midtown hotels, and was just a 15-minute cab ride to the pier.

 

 

Embarkation: We arrived at the pier around 11:30am. The line for Latitudes members was as long as first time cruisers, so they both moved equally as slow. It took about 45 minutes to get through the line. Only suite and higher tier Latitudes members boarded quicker. Once on board we left the crowd behind and first on my list of things to do was to find a bar with champagne since it’s no longer included on boarding. We went to Tsar’s Palace for a relaxing lunch and by the time we were done, the cabins were ready.

 

Stateroom: This was our first time in an aft balcony (BA). The extra balcony space was nice as there was room for a reclining lounge chair in addition to the standard 2 chairs and small table. The only word of caution here is that all aft balconies on Deck 10 and a few on Deck 09 below get a lot of incinerator soot. They don’t run the incinerator all the time, but on 4 of the 7 days it was quite evident. Deck 10 protrudes about 2-3 feet out from Deck 11 above, so expect to find soot on the railings, chairs and table. We also found occasional food pieces that fell from The Great Outdoors above. Other than that, the views are great and little to no wind. Our cabin was showing its age, mainly in the form of cigarette burns on the carpet. Our room steward James introduced himself on the first day and we saw him quite a lot throughout the cruise. He did a great job of cleaning the cabin and always greeted us with a smile.

 

Dining: I won’t get into the taste of the food, since it’s a matter of opinion. For every dish or item I found delicious, I’m sure there was someone out there that found it tasteless or disgusting. However I did want to mention the food and beverage team got a lot of applause and a few standing ovations during the crew farewell on the last night of the cruise. I also want to mention how great the dining staff was in general and how accommodating they are when it comes to special diets. Between the two of us we needed a vegan and a gluten-free diet. Gluten-free requests are handled ahead of time with the NCL Access desk, and are very well handled once onboard. We met with a maitre’d from Azura who went over the menu to point out what was gluten free and how to order ahead of time for the next day. The chef working at the Garden Café came out to show what was safe to eat. If you have any food allergies make sure to speak to either the chef or an officer working the buffet. Not everyone working the counters knows the ingredients, so don’t hesitate to ask for someone from the kitchen to come out and address your concern. As for a vegan diet, since it’s not a food allergy you’re on your own but you can ask for items to be prepared differently or items not on the menu. Overall they are very helpful with special requests. Veggie burgers were available most days, including the Great Stirrup Cay buffet if you ask for them. Soymilk is also available, but again ask for it. I want to mention how helpful Cherry, the Asst Maitre’d of Chin Chin, was. She helped us out when dining at Chin Chin, Teppanyaki and Mongolian Hot Pots. We first me her at Tsar’s while having lunch on our first day and she remembered us throughout the cruise. She was quick with recommendations and made sure her staff was well informed of our dietary needs.

 

Ports and Shore Excursions:

 

Port Canaveral: We visited the Orlando area last year on vacation so we skipped seeing Kennedy Space Center or the theme parks on this cruise. Going back to either one would be nice but not for the amount of time we were in port. We were looking for something more relaxing and chose the airboat ride which takes you on the St. Johns River and it’s a great place to spot wildlife. We saw numerous alligators and various types of birds including a pair of bald eagles. There were two times being offered, so we picked the later time at 3:30pm to avoid the rush getting off the ship.

 

Great Stirrup Cay: We booked two excursions here, parasailing and the guided jet ski tour. If you’re considering an excursion on this island it’s best to book it ahead of time. The excursion ticket acts as your tender ticket for one of the early tenders. You’ll avoid a huge line that formed for tender tickets. We got on the second tender and there were plenty of beach chairs to choose from. We only used the chairs for a little while as we waited for our excursions. I recommend both the parasailing and jet ski tour. Just be aware even though your parasail ticket has a time on it, it runs on a first come-first served basis. We got on the waiting list, but had to push it back further as it was going to interfere with the jet ski tour (which only runs at specific times). The jet ski tour is a guided tour, so you won’t be able to ride off on your own. It’s still a lot of fun unless you get stuck behind someone with little experience. They do ask for those with experience to be in the front. You’re supposed to follow the jet ski ahead in a single file line, so if the people ahead of you aren’t confident on a high performance watercraft, they will slow the line down. No problem if you don’t have experience, there is another guide bringing up the rear which will assist you. We stopped at an area and jumped in water about 3-4 feet deep. We were able to see and touch a starfish and conch shell (with the resident still inside). Parasailing was great. Even though you’re only in the air for a few minutes, you get great views of the island and the ship. I got some great aerial photos of both.

 

Nassau: There was only one other cruise ship in port that day, so it wasn’t too crowded. We took the boat to Blue Lagoon Island for the Sea Lion Encounter. They are best known for their dolphin encounters (which I highly recommend), but we did a similar program last year on vacation. The Sea Lion Encounter was the least crowded. About 20 people did this one, so it was a relaxing and an educational experience interacting with a sea lion. We meet Maggie, a female sea lion who was eager to put on a show for us. It started raining while on the island, so we took the earliest ferry back to Nassau. We walked around and took our time getting back onboard before leaving.

 

 

Facilities: The ship is well maintained overall. There were always crewmembers cleaning something. I like the layout of this ship and I found it easy to navigate. I would hear people getting lost or heading the wrong direction when looking for something, so I was happy to guide them the right direction. A couple of tips regarding the orientation of this ship. The fish on the carpet throughout the hallways always point towards the front of the vessel. The floor plans found in the elevator lobbies for each floor are oriented so if you see something on the right side of the diagram, head right down the hallway. If you see something on the left side of the floor plan, make a left at the hallway to get there. I did notice a design flaw in this ship at the fitness center. First of all, it’s no longer open 24 hours like they used to be. Now it’s open 6am-11pm, however, the staff will rope off half the treadmills and a couple of weightlifting machines until 9am because of the noise it makes for one of the suites below.

 

Entertainment: The shows were great for the most part. My least favorite was the juggling/comedian act. I couldn’t tell if they were messing up the juggling act on purpose or if they needed more practice. The best was Le Cirque Bijou on the last night. The Second City Troupe put on a good show in the Stardust Theatre, but I think they were even better at their improv performances in the Spinnaker Lounge. Crew organized activities were entertaining as well. My favorite here was The Quest game show. It’s a scavenger hunt for adults only, but very amusing to watch what some people will do for a few prizes.

 

 

Disembarkation: We, along with a few hundred fellow passengers, chose the early walk off option. Needless to say the line was huge and went from the atrium to the aft elevators, out the port side promenade, back through the forward elevators, through the FYZZ Lounge and finally out the starboard forward promenade. NCL needs to better organize the line inside the ship or advise people the night before how crowded it gets and where the line forms. It would also help if fellow passengers weren’t so inconsiderate of others. For some reason, a few thought their reason for getting off the ship was more important then anyone else’s. There was one couple that originally started behind us as we were on the starboard side of the ship, and constantly complaining about the line pushed their way ahead of us by the time we were in the FYZZ Lounge. One wouldn’t stop whining even as her partner was telling her to calm down. Part of the reason the line was moving so slow is that the port limits NCL how many people to let out at once due to their facility limitations. Once we left the ship, the line inside customs moved quickly and we were cleared in about 15 minutes.

 

Summary: Overall it was a great relaxing cruise and we lucked out with beautiful weather. The Jewel is a great ship on its own, but the crew make it better. From the officers to all the staff, they make it a memorable experience. It’s a good balance of port days and days at sea, so you have plenty of opportunities to relax and explore. Although the Alaska scenery can’t be beat (our first NCL cruise), this was my favorite cruise with NCL so far.

 

Here's a link to photos throughout the Jewel:

 

Here's a link to photos of GSC, including a couple showing construction progress:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dbcnwa/sets/72157625275471270/

 

Enjoy!

[hateswaterloves2cruise]

Thank you so much for the review and especially the photos! They are fantastic. Looking forward to our Jan 2011 cruise on the Jewel already, now I am even more excited!!!!

[Midge8]

Thank you for posting the pics are great can't wait to be on her in only 14 days.

[winterfleer]

Thanks for posting the link to your photos. Your shooting angles made for some very intriguing photos.

[auntierobin]

Those pictures were wonderful, We sail on the Jewel in June and your pictures truly gave us feel of what the cruise will be like. If I might ask what camera were you using?

[dbcnwa]

The Jewel is a colorful ship inside and out. You'll really enjoy it!

 

Those pictures were wonderful, We sail on the Jewel in June and your pictures truly gave us feel of what the cruise will be like. If I might ask what camera were you using?

 

I was using a Canon EOS 5D MkII. I used a 35mm lens for the majority of the photos, a 15mm lens for those real wide angles, and a 70-200mm lens to zoom in on far away subjects. Glad you all enjoyed them and enjoy your future cruises!

[Partyatsea]

Thanks for the great pics, we have been to GSC every cruise but 1 (the CTN) and really love it. Can't wait to go again, unfortunatley we don't stop there on the Epic, but I think there would be to many people anyway. :)