November 3rd Jewell Review

[NLH Arizona]

Just got back from a seven day cruise on the Jewell. Ports were Montego Bay, Georgetown and Cozumel. I’ll just do a short down and dirty review of the great, good, not so good and bad.

 

 

 

The Great

• I was in an aft penthouse suite. I loved it. The cabin was fantastic, I wouldn’t change a thing.
  
• Love the priority embarkation, disembarkation and priority tendering.
  
• Had a great room steward Jeremiah; he kept everything clean!!!
  
• Had a great butler, Bagus. I only used him for a daily pitcher of water and for cookies the last night (it was a ruse to get him to the cabin so I could give him his tip). He told me he wished he could have done more for me.
  
• John, the concierge, was also great, even though I only used him for embarkation, disembarkation and priority tendering.
  
• The meet and greet, cabin crawl and poker run were all fantastic. Thanks to all who put them all together. It was great meeting a lot of the other cruise critic cruisers and putting a face together with their names.
  
• Had dinner twice at Cagneys, twice at the Teppanyaki restaurant and once at the Italian restaurant. Didn’t eat in either of the MDRs. Love the salad and pasta bars at the buffet.
  
• Started out Hot in the casino and upgraded (in other words, I spent too much) to gold.
  

The Good

• Cagneys for breakfast was good. Only had lunch there on embarkation day, because of the limited menu.
  

The Not So Good

• Even though I was upgraded to gold in the casino, there seems to be a lot of confusion about the new program. I thought they were mirroring Harrah’s program, but I was wrong. They really need to explain everything better on their website.
  
• Had an embarrassing situation on my second visit to the Teppanyaki restaurant and wrote a note to the hotel director in hopes that it wouldn’t happen to anyone else. He called and seemed a little surprised that I didn’t want anything when he asked what he could do for me (he asked me what he could do for me twice). I think NCL is too quick to offer something for every little thing that goes wrong. I think they would be better served to just listen to the passenger and correct the situation going forward.
  

The Bad

• Has nothing to do with NCL, but I wish people wouldn’t leave their manners at home while on vacation. Don’t pick up food from the buffet with your fingers....that is really gross. When you are eating, chew with your mouth closed and don't talk with your mouth full of food...it's also gross. Don’t push the elevator’s close door button when people are trying to get on the elevator; to the man that did this should remember what they say about karma! Don’t play two slot machines when they machines are in high demand.
  

The cruise was over all great.

 

I stayed in New Orleans a day after the cruise (in addition to the three days before) and that just topped off the trip with a fantastic ending. Was there a few minutes on a Buffalo slot machine and hit a $2,400 jackpot and then moved to a Magic Scatter slot machine and hit a $1,325 jackpot. Something I didn’t know, they automatically take out 6 percent in Louisiana taxes, even if you don’t live there.

[coocooforshoes]

Thanks for your review. We will be on the Jewel in December. I am assuming you stayed at Harrahs in NOLA. Can you tell me more? Do they have a diamond lounge? Restaurants? Hotel? Best and worst rooms?

We are staying 2 nights before and 1 night after. I am not sure I will gamble much on the cruise. If we cruise once per year, the benefits are nil. My money is better spent or wagered at CET where at least I get great comps. What is your take on this? I booked with CAS and after reviewing everything I would have been better off booking with AAA, AARP, OBC for 9 months out and special promotions they were offering. I only received 10% off of our suite. Please give me your take on all of it.

Thanks!

[gooch47]

We love the Harrah's hotel. The bathtub is to die for.

 

They have a Diamond Room but both times we tried to get in there was a line.

 

They have restaurants and you can use Reward Points (mostly 2:1 unfortunately) at a lot of outside restaurants, too.

 

We love the whole deal.

Edited November 12, 2013 by gooch47

[gooch47]

We are both Diamond, not Seven Star, so it might make a difference, but if you can't get into Harrah's Hotel they still might put you in one of several partner hotels close by. Not in my opinion as nice, but still a free room.

[NLH Arizona]

Thanks for your review. We will be on the Jewel in December. I am assuming you stayed at Harrahs in NOLA. Can you tell me more? Do they have a diamond lounge? Restaurants? Hotel? Best and worst rooms?

We are staying 2 nights before and 1 night after. I am not sure I will gamble much on the cruise. If we cruise once per year, the benefits are nil. My money is better spent or wagered at CET where at least I get great comps. What is your take on this? I booked with CAS and after reviewing everything I would have been better off booking with AAA, AARP, OBC for 9 months out and special promotions they were offering. I only received 10% off of our suite. Please give me your take on all of it.

Thanks!

Yes, I stayed at Harrah's. When I got there at 10:00pm on 10/31 before the cruise, the funny thing was that my room was not ready, so they put me in a hearing accessible room....I woke up to flashing lights with my wake up call. To make up for it, they put me in a suite on 11/10, which was very nice. Apparently there is a diamond lounge I didn't go there, but they said they didn't have computers in there. There is a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse & and a Besh Steakhouse, Fudruckers, buffet, etc. I would ask for a room on a high floor, so you don't hear any of the street noise.

 

I think they have changed how they offer the perks. I gambled 1/2 as much as I did my last April cruise. After my last cruise in April, I called and booked an 11 day cruise and I was given a aft penthouse for hardly anything. When I called today to book an Alaska cruise, they would only give me a free oceanview. I ended up booking a 5 day Pacific Coastal in an aft penthouse (first time I called they said they would give me a free oceanview, seond time a free mini-suite, so I upgraded to aft penthouse) for $674 ($350 plus port and tax charges). I did notice that even NCL's 5 day regular price in a mid-ship balcony is more expensive than what I priced for an 8 day Paific Coastal on Celebrity.

 

I also asked how the program worked. On the ship they told me that if I didn't cruise before 11/9/14 (one year after I made gold), I would start off at lucky on my next cruise. When I spoke with CAS, they told me that I would be gold on the 11/20/14 cruise, but would have to requalify during the April through March program dates. It is so confusing; you get different information from CAS than you do on the ship.

[coocooforshoes]

Thank you for your replies. I appreciate it. We are booked at Harrah's in December and I have never been there. I was just wondering about the Hotel and restaurants. Did you leave your car parked there? I know Diamond players get free parking and when I called the person told me to just leave it there for the week. Did you do this and taxi to port?

Thanks for your reply.

[NLH Arizona]

Thank you for your replies. I appreciate it. We are booked at Harrah's in December and I have never been there. I was just wondering about the Hotel and restaurants. Did you leave your car parked there? I know Diamond players get free parking and when I called the person told me to just leave it there for the week. Did you do this and taxi to port?

Thanks for your reply.

I flew in from Phoenix, so no car. I did meet some diamond folks on the ship that left their car there. I took a taxi to the port, it is close but not enough if you have luggage plus the construction messes things up; it cost $10 before tip and took all of maybe 4 or 5 minutes.

[coocooforshoes]

Thank you so much!:)

[gooch47]

We have left our car there for the week with no charge.

 

Internet in the hotel is free for Diamond players.

 

I pack light so dragging our luggage to the port is no big deal. We can use the exercise.

Edited November 12, 2013 by gooch47

[jdvmd]

Thanks for your comments!

[Keith1010]

Thank you for your review.

 

Keith