Jewel - shopping and dining a severe disappointment

[pisces1]

Wow- We splurged for this cruise and chose an Owner's Suite on deck 10. We were very delighted with our initial impressions both on the condition and cleanliness of the ship and the graciousness of the staff.

 

Just a preface - I really enjoy cooking and educating myself about the culinary world so I am always exited to try new venues and recipes. I am as happy munching on a great cheesesteak as I am sampling a seared duck breast with blackberry sauce.

 

First experience: Cagney's Steakhouse for lunch. This quiet and well appointed venue is available only to suite passengers for breakfast and lunch. Dinner it is $25 charge p/p and is open to everyone.

 

My husband and I both started with the shrimp cocktail which was excellent. Plump, jumbo chilled shrimp with a touch of dill were served in a martini glass. Happy. We ordered truffled pasta with wild mushrooms and an ahi tuna burger. Both we quite good. Again, our expectations soared.

 

We decided to eat dinner at one of the "free" dining rooms. Both Azure and Tsar's Palace share the same menu the latter is just more formal and lavishly decorated. The menu was just so so. One side was the night's specials and the right side was the available all the time selections.

 

Nothing struck my fancy so I ordered a steak with a red wine sauce and frites (fries). I wish I could remember what my husband ordered but it was that forgettable. The dining room was a bit chaotic. This can definitely be attributed to the "free style" dining concept, but you take the good with the bad. The NY Strip looked like a Country Buffet reject. Thin, overcooked and curled at the edges. After one bite, I turned to my fries for consolation. Surprisingly, they were very good. McDonald like.

 

We took desserts to go, a brulee and a bread pudding of which neither warranted more than a first bite. Sigh.

 

Breakfast in the Garden Buffet was decent as I like omelets so always got a small one loaded with veggies. Anything cooked to order has much more potential than what stews under the heat lamps. Selection was good too for healthier choices - yogurt, fruit, oatmeal etc.

 

Lunch in the Buffet had all the usual suspects, but also with some surprises like the Indian offerings (curries and such). I usually opted for a salad, as everything else I tried remained on my plate. Carved meats were mostly overcooked and dry, stir fries salty, burgers more like cow chips. One day my husband tried the shrimp fried rice. He only found one and it was as big as an infant's pinkie nail clipping. Not kidding. We have a good sense of humor so we had a good laugh over that discovery.

 

Next attempt - Le Bistro ($20 p/p). Have to say the venue really captured the atmosphere of an old fashioned brasserie in the heart of Paris. The mushroom soup was the only star of the evening. The duck was over cooked and hard and the apple galette was droopy and tasteless.

 

We were told not to miss the Teppanyaki Room ($25 p/p). Hibachi style, reservations needed, chef throws eggs in his hat and juggles spatula etc. We thought, hey if the food is bad at least we have entertainment. Well both were disappointing. Very limited choices but that's understandable due to the nature of the restaurant. Two choices for starters: soup or a seaweed salad. We had the latter. Don't ask I don't remember. The show was just so so, the fried rice bland and the chunks of steak and three shrimp were below average. So far we were losing big time especially for the amount of money we were blowing on sub par food, when our stateroom already broke the bank.

 

We didn't even bother with other venues as there is just NO way to justify the additional cost for fajitas, burritos, and pastas. Crazy!

 

Lastly, as suite guests, we received early evening "canapes" delivered to our stateroom. I was almost embarrassed to answer the door to get a plate with SALTINE crackers and misshapen cheese chunks probably snatched from the pool snack buffet. Another reason to laugh.

 

In regards to shopping - be very very careful. They advertised one morning on deals for cosmetics and fragrances in addition to the "25%" they claim is already off retail products. We needed some Clinique items and I purchased them only to realize when I got home that we didn't get discounts, we got mark-ups. Something I usually pay $13 for I paid $18. For shame.

 

Another day, amongst the "specials" was 40% amber. I am very familiar with this Jewelry as my parents are from the Baltic Coast and I have purchased numerous amber jewelry pieces. I saw the most generic of earrings marked at $150 with 40%. Highway robbery even with the discount.

So future cruisers beware. Don't let the excitement of a great vacation and cruise cloud your judgement. NCL seems very experienced at increasing its profit margins.

[Crusin6]

well I never understood the appeal of buying stuff like perfume and jewelry in port or on a ship...but that is just me.

 

I always book very modest accomodations while cruising as I always hear people complain about the cost for the top notch stuff and then they don't get treated much differently than most...and of course have to tip more to the butler etc.....but that is just me..I would prefer to cruise more often

 

 

But this is really what I want to know...you mention Cagney's and the shrimp and something else...but then you stop...and say you went to the MDR. What happened to the rest of the Cagney's meal?

[pisces1]

Well we in no way expected extra special dinners because we were suite guests since all dinners in alternative restaurants are the same and charged the same regardless of your cabin.. Our only exclusive dining area for breakfast and lunch was Cagney's which served a menu completely different than the dinner menu which cost $25 p/p. We did not go back there for dinner for a variety of reasons, one of which was the cost. We also read reviews from previous guests that were extremely disappointed with their dinner meals.

 

At those prices, they should be serving "prime" beef not "premium" Angus. I was not inferring that suite guests should expect more. On the contrary, I was informing folks of all stateroom categories that they may want to think twice before spending additional funds for alternative restaurants that don't offer much more than what you can get at the main dining rooms.

[MMMD]

We were on the Jewel in January in an AD Suite.

 

Food is subjective, but we liked the offerings at Cagney's for lunch. The fatoush salad (sp) with grilled chicken became my favorite.

 

We didn't eat much in the buffet, but the times we did I thought the salads and pasta dishes were fresh, hot and tasty. I loved the sandwiches with the different fillings made from the pretzel bread or the sunflower seed rolls. For me the bread pudding with vanilla sauce was to die for.

 

I wasn't much of a fan of Teppanyaki. Not that the food wasn't good, but I didn't get much chicken and the rice was just OK. Glad I tried it, but my favorite was Mama's Italian. I had the Roasted Chicken Pizza every time we ate there along with the creamy Tiramisu. We loved Cagney's for dinner and Chin-Chin was fabulous.

 

I liked the cheese tortellini in the MDR and had it as an appetizer the 2 times we ate there.

 

A couple nights we had our Butler (Ravi) bring ice cream sundaes, cheesecake & brownies. Delicious.

You could have swapped out your Suite canapes for anything else you wanted. I didn't like them either, but once I told Ravi he substituted what we did like.

 

I even had the Blue Lagoon wrap up their brownie sundae to go, as we were so full from eating dinner there that we wanted to walk around a bit. They provided us with spoons and we ate it while walking around the deck. We loved their wings & fries, fish & chips and chicken tenders.

 

We thought we got a great deal shopping on the ship. My husband didn't bring his watch and by the second day we were tired of not knowing what time it was.

We walked around the jewelry department and found a beautiful Citizen watch. It was 40% off and I know I saved at least $100 because I was looking at the very same watch back home at Christmas time but didn't buy it then.

 

Between the 40% off and not having to pay tax on it, it was a great deal.

I picked up some perfume for gifts and knew the prices at home, online and in the ports. We purchased the perfume on the ship as it was the best deal.

 

I absolutely believe that everyone should know the prices of things back home and check your receipts before leaving the store. Mistakes happen in Department Stores on land too.

 

It's too bad that you didn't try some of the other restaurants on board, as you missed out on a lot of great food.

For us the extra cost wasn't a factor. The pay restaurants allow you to order as many appetizers and desserts you like for the same low fee. No land restaurant allows that.

 

I agree that the staff is wonderful. We always received a greeting and a smile no matter where we were. One of my favorite places on the ship was the Java Cafe. One particular employee made my daily Caramel Macchiato so good....that I still miss her! The desserts there were also very good and free.

 

It doesn't seem like you utilized all the Suite privileges you could have.

 

Oh and by the way, most Corporations are experienced in increasing profit margins. That's how they remain in business.

 

Hope your next vacation goes better.

[Gregor4500]

It sounds like you only ate at Cagneys the first day for lunch. Even though their menu is limited we enjoy them most days for breakfast and lunch.

[RedFlavoredJellybeans]

I agree about the part with the overcooked steak. First time, I asked for medium, it came well done. So I assumed if I ordered rare next time it'll be medium. I ordered rare next time, it came well done. I think they just make it well done for everybody. :p But it didn't bother me much because it was just for lunch and it made me explore the other choices on the lunch menu.

[garycarla]

I do hope the OP ate at Cagneys for Breakfast and Lunch each day.

 

The reviews of evening food is probably accurate.

 

As to shopping - I have yet to see any reason to buy anything on any of the ships we have sailed. They are not the place to buy anything. Okay, maybe stuff from the $10 store is worth it.

 

Nothing else.

[jaja]

Just my 2 dents..

 

We were in our 1st suite on the Jewel in December...

We ate breakfast and lunch every day in Cagneys..and loved every meal and the service! We did not eat dinner there or at any specialty restaurants.Enjoyed our selections in the MDR..at dinner...sometimes the specials,,sometimes from fixed menu..

 

 

On a few occasions..checked out the buffet for a snack or dessert....and was pleasantly surprised with the selection and quality of most items....esp carving station , sandwiches and fresh cut fruit..

 

 

I have never purchased anything of value onboard...so cannot comment on the prices...

[pisces1]

My purpose for my post was for new travelers on the Jewel and in general the NCL line. Yes everything is subjective, but you cannot tell me that we experienced anything that we did not since you were not there. C'mon folks this is an opinion forum.

 

We are not inexperienced cruisers. We have done multiple trips on Cunard, HAL and Celebrity and the food on NCL was not even in a comparison league. If you enjoyed your experience then that is great. If you don't do duty free shopping great too, but I have and had never seen such innaccurate pricing that I did on Jewel. It's an observation and a heads up. If you don't shop then don't comment. We met many first time cruisers on our journey and I thought they could benefit from our review.

[terrymtex01]

My purpose for my post was for new travelers on the Jewel and in general the NCL line. Yes everything is subjective, but you cannot tell me that we experienced anything that we did not since you were not there. C'mon folks this is an opinion forum.

 

We are not inexperienced cruisers. We have done multiple trips on Cunard, HAL and Celebrity and the food on NCL was not even in a comparison league. If you enjoyed your experience then that is great. If you don't do duty free shopping great too, but I have and had never seen such innaccurate pricing that I did on Jewel. It's an observation and a heads up. If you don't shop then don't comment. We met many first time cruisers on our journey and I thought they could benefit from our review.

 

OP.. I agree that opinions should always be shared in a forum like this. But you must also remember that if someone post a different experience, it doesn't mean they are saying you did not experience yours. If your purpose was to inform potential cruises, surely you would want them to have information from all points of view.. right?

 

I do this this posting I quoted above would have been helpful in your initial posting since it, to me, explains a lot of why you felt like you did. I honestly do not believe you could put HAL, Cunard or Celebrity in the same catagory as NCL. NCL is more in the lines of RCCL, Carnival and Princess. I also can't help but believe almost all would agree that overall you will get better food on those three cruise lines. As big of a fan of NCL as I am, I always say I feel like, in general, we had better food in the MDR's of Carnival and RCCL, but then again, it wasn't Freestyle dining (which does make a difference) and it was also when the economy was strong. All of the main stream cruiselines have had to make cut backs in food to survive. This doesn't mean that I feel like the food on NCL has not been good to great, but I just feel like it makes sense that when you have a traditional dining as opposed to Freestyle, it is easier to make the food "better" since you know when everyone will be dining.

[jaja]

OP.. I agree that opinions should always be shared in a forum like this. But you must also remember that if someone post a different experience, it doesn't mean they are saying you did not experience yours. If your purpose was to inform potential cruises, surely you would want them to have information from all points of view.. right?

 

.

 

 

Terry ..I agree..

 

AND to the OP..

 

if by chance you were referring to my post....I was giving my opinion (subjective though it be)--as a FIRST time suite cruiser...thinking it would helpful, additional info to your post for other new cruisers and/or suite cruisers (re: Cagneys ) No, I was not "there" or attempt to "know" what you experienced..but rather..sharing what I experienced...

[newmexicoNita]

op, I have to agree and disagree with you at the same time. I have a degree in foods and nutrition, I love to cook, everything from doing most of my own canning to gourmet and I have never really had any problems with the food on NCL. some is ok, and some outstanding.

 

I do agree with you on the Amber. Our daughter and son in law lived in Poland for 2 years. We have a lot of amber from there, as well as Amber from DR from years ago. It is grossly overpriced on the cruise ship, but was just as high on HAL and Princess. Remember, the shops on cruise ships are indepentently owned and operated. This has very little to do with the cruise lines.

 

From our travels we have learned to be very careful about where we shop and what we purchase. Not often, regardless of where we are in the world do we find great deals. We usually stick with purchases that are native to the region we are traveling in.

 

As for food, again, cruise ships are not meant to be 5 star dining unless you want to pay a primium price for a truely luxury liner. I consider, like Terry, NCL to be on par with RCI and Carnival thus they are mid priced, mass marketed ships and I do not expect food to be outstanding. I also do not consider $25 per person all that expensive when you are getting an appitizer, salad, entree, soup if you desire and dessert. Even at Outback, that would cost you more like $40 per person. We just ate at a modest chain with the family a couple of weeks ago, the prices started at around $20 and did not include dessert (which was $4 to $6) nor did it include soup or appitizers.

 

I realize we all have different expectations and obviously yours were higher than some might have been. I hope your next cruise is more to your liking.

 

Nita

[BadKitteh]

I have been on the Jewel and your review makes me feel as if we were on different ships.

 

If you want five star dining, you won't really find it here. The food is plentiful and tasty. Sure, some of it comes with flaws and not everything will always be perfect. It happens.

 

What did you think of the rest of the trip?

 

I do agree that the shopping leaves something to be desired. The jewelry was no special deal. I work for a major jeweler so it was easy to compare and the prices in the ports were even worse.

[njhorseman]

Well we in no way expected extra special dinners because we were suite guests since all dinners in alternative restaurants are the same and charged the same regardless of your cabin.. Our only exclusive dining area for breakfast and lunch was Cagney's which served a menu completely different than the dinner menu which cost $25 p/p. We did not go back there for dinner for a variety of reasons, one of which was the cost. We also read reviews from previous guests that were extremely disappointed with their dinner meals.

 

At those prices, they should be serving "prime" beef not "premium" Angus. I was not inferring that suite guests should expect more. On the contrary, I was informing folks of all stateroom categories that they may want to think twice before spending additional funds for alternative restaurants that don't offer much more than what you can get at the main dining rooms.

 

Please tell me the name of a restaurant that serves a full course dinner with actual USDA prime steaks for $25, because I'm moving to that town and eating in that restaurant every night.

[josumello]

Wow- We splurged for this cruise and chose an Owner's Suite on deck 10. We were very delighted with our initial impressions both on the condition and cleanliness of the ship and the graciousness of the staff.

 

Just a preface - I really enjoy cooking and educating myself about the culinary world so I am always exited to try new venues and recipes. I am as happy munching on a great cheesesteak as I am sampling a seared duck breast with blackberry sauce.

 

First experience: Cagney's Steakhouse for lunch. This quiet and well appointed venue is available only to suite passengers for breakfast and lunch. Dinner it is $25 charge p/p and is open to everyone.

 

My husband and I both started with the shrimp cocktail which was excellent. Plump, jumbo chilled shrimp with a touch of dill were served in a martini glass. Happy. We ordered truffled pasta with wild mushrooms and an ahi tuna burger. Both we quite good. Again, our expectations soared.

 

We decided to eat dinner at one of the "free" dining rooms. Both Azure and Tsar's Palace share the same menu the latter is just more formal and lavishly decorated. The menu was just so so. One side was the night's specials and the right side was the available all the time selections.

 

Nothing struck my fancy so I ordered a steak with a red wine sauce and frites (fries). I wish I could remember what my husband ordered but it was that forgettable. The dining room was a bit chaotic. This can definitely be attributed to the "free style" dining concept, but you take the good with the bad. The NY Strip looked like a Country Buffet reject. Thin, overcooked and curled at the edges. After one bite, I turned to my fries for consolation. Surprisingly, they were very good. McDonald like.

 

We took desserts to go, a brulee and a bread pudding of which neither warranted more than a first bite. Sigh.

 

Breakfast in the Garden Buffet was decent as I like omelets so always got a small one loaded with veggies. Anything cooked to order has much more potential than what stews under the heat lamps. Selection was good too for healthier choices - yogurt, fruit, oatmeal etc.

 

Lunch in the Buffet had all the usual suspects, but also with some surprises like the Indian offerings (curries and such). I usually opted for a salad, as everything else I tried remained on my plate. Carved meats were mostly overcooked and dry, stir fries salty, burgers more like cow chips. One day my husband tried the shrimp fried rice. He only found one and it was as big as an infant's pinkie nail clipping. Not kidding. We have a good sense of humor so we had a good laugh over that discovery.

 

Next attempt - Le Bistro ($20 p/p). Have to say the venue really captured the atmosphere of an old fashioned brasserie in the heart of Paris. The mushroom soup was the only star of the evening. The duck was over cooked and hard and the apple galette was droopy and tasteless.

 

We were told not to miss the Teppanyaki Room ($25 p/p). Hibachi style, reservations needed, chef throws eggs in his hat and juggles spatula etc. We thought, hey if the food is bad at least we have entertainment. Well both were disappointing. Very limited choices but that's understandable due to the nature of the restaurant. Two choices for starters: soup or a seaweed salad. We had the latter. Don't ask I don't remember. The show was just so so, the fried rice bland and the chunks of steak and three shrimp were below average. So far we were losing big time especially for the amount of money we were blowing on sub par food, when our stateroom already broke the bank.

 

We didn't even bother with other venues as there is just NO way to justify the additional cost for fajitas, burritos, and pastas. Crazy!

 

Lastly, as suite guests, we received early evening "canapes" delivered to our stateroom. I was almost embarrassed to answer the door to get a plate with SALTINE crackers and misshapen cheese chunks probably snatched from the pool snack buffet. Another reason to laugh.

 

In regards to shopping - be very very careful. They advertised one morning on deals for cosmetics and fragrances in addition to the "25%" they claim is already off retail products. We needed some Clinique items and I purchased them only to realize when I got home that we didn't get discounts, we got mark-ups. Something I usually pay $13 for I paid $18. For shame.

 

Another day, amongst the "specials" was 40% amber. I am very familiar with this Jewelry as my parents are from the Baltic Coast and I have purchased numerous amber jewelry pieces. I saw the most generic of earrings marked at $150 with 40%. Highway robbery even with the discount.

So future cruisers beware. Don't let the excitement of a great vacation and cruise cloud your judgement. NCL seems very experienced at increasing its profit margins.

 

Have not been on The Jewel but have been on The Gem recently. Agree with you about NCL. For some reason the NCl board has very loyal cheerleaders. God forbid if you post someting critical of NCL. Your observations are as valid as the next persons.............

[Richie2pies]

Please tell me the name of a restaurant that serves a full course dinner with actual USDA prime steaks for $25, because I'm moving to that town and eating in that restaurant every night.

 

 

Being that you're already paying for food, $25 p/p does seem high. NCL has the cheapest prices (usually) but the worst food of the major cruislines. This seems to be the opinion of most experienced cruisers except for the NCL cheerleaders of whom some are TAs which get a better commission by booking more NCL cruises.

[njhorseman]

Being that you're already paying for food, $25 p/p does seem high. NCL has the cheapest prices (usually) but the worst food of the major cruislines. This seems to be the opinion of most experienced cruisers except for the NCL cheerleaders of whom some are TAs which get a better commission by booking more NCL cruises.

 

Your response has zero, nothing, nada to do with my post. Again, can you name a restaurant that serves full course steak dinners with real USDA Prime beef for $25?

[Army/Police Vet]

Let me help you. You are paying MUCH more than $25pp for that meal. All meals are included in the price of the cruise, so your $25 figure is INCORRECT.

[marelind]

OP, I'm so sorry you didn't get the service you felt you should have. What steps did you take to resolve the situations with food and Clinique? And how did the staff respond to your concerns? I had a similar problem on the Star with overcooked meat. The first time I asked for my beef medium rare. The waiter brought medium well. I sat and looked at it for a minute considering whether I wanted to send it back. The maitre 'd saw my face and asked what was wrong. I said, "I ordered medium rare." Immediately he whisked the plate away and within 3 minutes I had a perfectly cooked medium rare piece of beef in front of me. Another night I said medium rare and the waiter said medium. I caught his mistake and specifically corrected him. The order came correctly this time.

 

As far as Clinique goes, I looked up online my usual Clinique items before I got on the ship. I wanted to know if the duty free prices really were better. I must say the selection was very limited, however the prices I compared were equal to or better than I would have paid online. Then at the checkout I got an additional 10% off for my bronze latitudes status. It is possible that the items you purchased were not as good a deal as the items I was looking at.

[insidecabin]

For the suites cagnies b,fast and lunch are the way to go unless there is something very special on the dinning room or buffet.

 

Menu may be limited but you can ask for other stuff and also mix/match the menu to make your own creations.

They will run to the buffet if there is something there you know you would like but want the ambience of cagnies.

 

Also sounds like no food went back to be changed, just lived with the mistakes. THe steak and duck both should have been rejected if that bad.

 

With tepanyaki it is a good idea to double up on the mains get 2 if very hungry or 3 between 2 if not so.

[insidecabin]

Let me help you. You are paying MUCH more than $25pp for that meal. All meals are included in the price of the cruise, so your $25 figure is INCORRECT.

 

The average daily cost per pax for food across the fleet in 2010 was $11.94

 

I think that also include the food for crew so actual pax costs are even lower.

[cynbar]

We have sailed twice on the Gem, enjoyed both cruises and will surely sail NCL again. But I have to agre with the OP, the food in the MDR on our cruises was not as good as the other lines we have sailed (princess, RCI, Celebrity, Carnival.) Of course, everyone's opinion is different, but we didn't have one MDR dinner that I would recommend. However, we believe all cruise lines have their pros and cons --- this would have to go on the con list for us. Naturally, the specialty restaurants were much better, and we didn't mind the surcharge. But I think it's fair to highlight that we were not paying $25 for a Cagney's dinner, we were paying $25 on top of what we had already paid in our cruise fare. If other people feel the MDR food is great, they are just as much entitled to their opinion as the OP and I are to ours.

[raventhebouv]

Please tell me the name of a restaurant that serves a full course dinner with actual USDA prime steaks for $25, because I'm moving to that town and eating in that restaurant every night.

Me too!:D

[raventhebouv]

OP, I'm so sorry you didn't get the service you felt you should have. What steps did you take to resolve the situations with food and Clinique? And how did the staff respond to your concerns? I had a similar problem on the Star with overcooked meat. The first time I asked for my beef medium rare. The waiter brought medium well. I sat and looked at it for a minute considering whether I wanted to send it back. The maitre 'd saw my face and asked what was wrong. I said, "I ordered medium rare." Immediately he whisked the plate away and within 3 minutes I had a perfectly cooked medium rare piece of beef in front of me. Another night I said medium rare and the waiter said medium. I caught his mistake and specifically corrected him. The order came correctly this time.

 

As far as Clinique goes, I looked up online my usual Clinique items before I got on the ship. I wanted to know if the duty free prices really were better. I must say the selection was very limited, however the prices I compared were equal to or better than I would have paid online. Then at the checkout I got an additional 10% off for my bronze latitudes status. It is possible that the items you purchased were not as good a deal as the items I was looking at.

 

Nicely said and I agree...if there is a problem with anything while on board, you have to try and resolve it, even if it means contacting the person in charge. That's why it's always good to attend the Meet & Greet. Usually the Heads of all departments are there and give out their names and phone extensions. Shopping on any ship is not something I recommend unless you know your prices. Even the alcohol in their liquor store may be cheaper at home...so buyer beware!

 

For me, being on a cruise is the most relaxing vacation...no cooking, cleaning, working, dealing with life's problems. The least of my worries is the quality of the food...and I am an excellent cook and love wonderful food. LOL, I'm more worried about finding a lounge chair by the pool! We have cruised with X but find the freestyle cruising with NCL more to our liking than the more formal mode of cruising with X or HAL. It sounds like the latter lines would suit you better than NCL. For first time cruisers, you have to try out different lines and find the one that works for you.

[njhorseman]

Let me help you. You are paying MUCH more than $25pp for that meal. All meals are included in the price of the cruise, so your $25 figure is INCORRECT.

 

No, you're not paying MUCH more, because NCL's expenditure for food per passenger per day is under $10, and that includes the food for every meal and snack you eat.

 

So let's revise the figure to $35. Again I ask...please name a restaurant that serves a full course dinner with actual USDA Prime steak for $35?