Back from the Jewel 12/15/13 - 12/22/13

[Wedgie Wedgie]

Our Jewel sailing last week exceeded expectations in both the culinary experiences and the service throughout the ship. This was our fifth NCL sailing so we knew what to expect coming in- and the Jewel excelled!

 

We were in an aft corner suite on the 10th deck. The room was large and the balcony was terrific. The bed was extremely comfy and the bathroom with full tub was dandy.

 

Dining- we enjoyed the chef's table and bonded with the other attending guests- there were 13 guests at the private table setup in LeBistro. We also had very good dinners in Cagneys (rack of lamb), LaCucina (veal ossobucco) and the remaining evenings in Tsars (lobster, lamb shank twice and prime rib) as you can see I blazed a carnivorous trail while my wife had mostly seafood and she was likewise very pleased. Also, on the first sailing night we had the most scrumptious, tender lobster tail we had ever had on a

cruise ship. Also, despite the poor reviews of Mamas (LaCucina) our meal there was exceptional from start to finish. A bonus was an invite to the captains cocktail party in the Haven where we consumed Manhattans and Appletinis with many fine hors d'oeuvres.

 

Ports- we have visited all three islands previously and opted for our own adventures instead of any planned excursions:

 

Montego Bay- the ship docks at a commercial pier that is close to the main dock and is a 2 minute mandatory shuttle ride. I wanted to find a private taxi and just cruise around to areas where we could avoid seeing any tourists. We were very lucky to meet Sheryl McIntosh (1-876-855-5002) who was happy to drive us around while reciting interesting historical facts about Jamaica. She also can be found on Facebook. We told her we wanted to find the least expensive Blue Mountain Coffee and some Jerk Seasoning to bring home - she took us to the locals grocery which was the size of a Walmart and very busy with locals doing their everyday shopping- she brought us right to

the coffee aisle and found the seasonings quickly and helped direct us through the speed checkout line which which is almost an oxymoron as the "speed line" was obviously still moving on island time. We actually found the simple experience of grocery shopping entertaining with Sheryl's expertise.

 

Grand Cayman- we are both experienced divers but decided to just do a snorkel on this trip so had brought our own gear. We are huge fans of public transportation when we travel and GC proved to have an exceptional system. Only 1-2 blocks away from where we tendered in is the bus depot. The "buses" are actually new air-conditioned minivans and a one way trip was only $2.50. Locals hop on and off on their way to work or to run errands. We took about a 15 minute ride to "Cemetery Beach" which is part of 7 mile beach. There is a sandy trail leading directly to a gorgeous beach that adjoins a sunny oceanfront cemetery. Large sea-grape trees provide shade and there is plenty of beach to spread out on. We snorkeled directly out from the beach about 100 yards to the reef which was loaded with elkhorn and brain corals, sponges, sea fans and an abundance of tropical fish as well as some large snapper and jacks. The visibility was excellent and we enjoyed a very nice 2 hour snorkel. There are no facilities to rinse after so we did our best to dry out our gear on a tree and laid out on our towels. Bring water and any snacks as there is nothing available- just a pristine, beautiful beach. We hopped the bus back into town- there is a shaded bus stand right across the street from the cemetery.

 

Cozumel- We have traveled all over this island previously and decided to just hoof it to a very cool tiki bar we had previously stumbled upon - Wet Wendys - I believe it is about 3-4 blocks away from the pier area off of 8th avenue but google can help you locate this fine restaurant/bar- it is owned by Americans. The house margaritas are made from scratch and are ginormous, fish tacos were authentic Mexican fare - much better than the ones I experience in our home town beach restaurants. I anchored myself at the open air bar while my wife would wander off to shop.

 

The service on the ship was very good. Our SuperHeros were:

 

Rommell, waiter in Cagneys who always had a smile and displayed a wry sense of humor. When I had dinner in Cagneys I opted for the wedge salad- when he served the salad he sang, "Wedgie-wedgie" to the same cadence as the "washy washy" song.

 

Kumar, bartender in the Star Bar and sometimes poolside. He explained to us that his specialties were "tantalizing martinis" so

 

we soon renamed him "Kumartini Rocks!" He was alot of fun.

 

Ernesto, bartender poolside. He is an obvious veteran and leader of the bar staff. His service was quick and efficient and he serves some very strong drinks.

 

Elvina, #1 concierge. She never missed a beat on any of our requests or dinner reservations. She is a pro.

 

Chef Angelito Santos, he put on a great chef's table with his course descriptions and also provided a fantastic behind the scenes private galley tour. He has a great sense of humor and laughed when I caught him fixing the model train that was running in the lobby at the large Christmas Gingerbread display.

 

My only Jewel neg is that while I enjoy playing blackjack in the casino, the cigarette smoke proved intolerable.

 

Thanks to all of the Jewel staff- you succeeded in exceeding our expectations. Fire away with any questions, I'll do my best to answer.

Edited December 23, 2013 by Wedgie Wedgie
spelling

[logan25]

I too enjoy checking out the local grocery stores in foreign countries. Have been to the Mega Mart in Cozumel a number of times.

[mr&mrscruiselover]

Would you mind sharing what you paid for the Blue Mountain Coffee. We love it!

[david_sobe]

I too enjoy checking out the local grocery stores in foreign countries. Have been to the Mega Mart in Cozumel a number of times.

Ha Ha, that store is the highlight of any trip to Cozumel. Where else can you get fresh fruit, bread, a TV, and mini-bike all in the same store :)

Edited December 23, 2013 by david_sobe

[jmele999]

Our Jewel sailing last week exceeded expectations in both the culinary experiences and the service throughout the ship. This was our fifth NCL sailing so we knew what to expect coming in- and the Jewel excelled!

 

We were in an aft corner suite on the 10th deck. The room was large and the balcony was terrific. The bed was extremely comfy and the bathroom with full tub was dandy.

 

Dining- we enjoyed the chef's table and bonded with the other attending guests- there were 13 guests at the private table setup in LeBistro. We also had very good dinners in Cagneys (rack of lamb), LaCucina (veal ossobucco) and the remaining evenings in Tsars (lobster, lamb shank twice and prime rib) as you can see I blazed a carnivorous trail while my wife had mostly seafood and she was likewise very pleased. Also, on the first sailing night we had the most scrumptious, tender lobster tail we had ever had on a

cruise ship. Also, despite the poor reviews of Mamas (LaCucina) our meal there was exceptional from start to finish. A bonus was an invite to the captains cocktail party in the Haven where we consumed Manhattans and Appletinis with many fine hors d'oeuvres.

 

Ports- we have visited all three islands previously and opted for our own adventures instead of any planned excursions:

 

Montego Bay- the ship docks at a commercial pier that is close to the main dock and is a 2 minute mandatory shuttle ride. I wanted to find a private taxi and just cruise around to areas where we could avoid seeing any tourists. We were very lucky to meet Sheryl McIntosh (1-876-855-5002) who was happy to drive us around while reciting interesting historical facts about Jamaica. She also can be found on Facebook. We told her we wanted to find the least expensive Blue Mountain Coffee and some Jerk Seasoning to bring home - she took us to the locals grocery which was the size of a Walmart and very busy with locals doing their everyday shopping- she brought us right to

the coffee aisle and found the seasonings quickly and helped direct us through the speed checkout line which which is almost an oxymoron as the "speed line" was obviously still moving on island time. We actually found the simple experience of grocery shopping entertaining with Sheryl's expertise.

 

Grand Cayman- we are both experienced divers but decided to just do a snorkel on this trip so had brought our own gear. We are huge fans of public transportation when we travel and GC proved to have an exceptional system. Only 1-2 blocks away from where we tendered in is the bus depot. The "buses" are actually new air-conditioned minivans and a one way trip was only $2.50. Locals hop on and off on their way to work or to run errands. We took about a 15 minute ride to "Cemetery Beach" which is part of 7 mile beach. There is a sandy trail leading directly to a gorgeous beach that adjoins a sunny oceanfront cemetery. Large sea-grape trees provide shade and there is plenty of beach to spread out on. We snorkeled directly out from the beach about 100 yards to the reef which was loaded with elkhorn and brain corals, sponges, sea fans and an abundance of tropical fish as well as some large snapper and jacks. The visibility was excellent and we enjoyed a very nice 2 hour snorkel. There are no facilities to rinse after so we did our best to dry out our gear on a tree and laid out on our towels. Bring water and any snacks as there is nothing available- just a pristine, beautiful beach. We hopped the bus back into town- there is a shaded bus stand right across the street from the cemetery.

 

Cozumel- We have traveled all over this island previously and decided to just hoof it to a very cool tiki bar we had previously stumbled upon - Wet Wendys - I believe it is about 3-4 blocks away from the pier area off of 8th avenue but google can help you locate this fine restaurant/bar- it is owned by Americans. The house margaritas are made from scratch and are ginormous, fish tacos were authentic Mexican fare - much better than the ones I experience in our home town beach restaurants. I anchored myself at the open air bar while my wife would wander off to shop.

 

The service on the ship was very good. Our SuperHeros were:

 

Rommell, waiter in Cagneys who always had a smile and displayed a wry sense of humor. When I had dinner in Cagneys I opted for the wedge salad- when he served the salad he sang, "Wedgie-wedgie" to the same cadence as the "washy washy" song.

 

Kumar, bartender in the Star Bar and sometimes poolside. He explained to us that his specialties were "tantalizing martinis" so

 

we soon renamed him "Kumartini Rocks!" He was alot of fun.

 

Ernesto, bartender poolside. He is an obvious veteran and leader of the bar staff. His service was quick and efficient and he serves some very strong drinks.

 

Elvina, #1 concierge. She never missed a beat on any of our requests or dinner reservations. She is a pro.

 

Chef Angelito Santos, he put on a great chef's table with his course descriptions and also provided a fantastic behind the scenes private galley tour. He has a great sense of humor and laughed when I caught him fixing the model train that was running in the lobby at the large Christmas Gingerbread display.

 

My only Jewel neg is that while I enjoy playing blackjack in the casino, the cigarette smoke proved intolerable.

 

Thanks to all of the Jewel staff- you succeeded in exceeding our expectations. Fire away with any questions, I'll do my best to answer.

 

Thanks for the review. We are in 10166 (same deck) in a month. Two questions.

 

1) How was the butler?

 

2) When was the Chef's table held?

 

Thanks.

[Wedgie Wedgie]

Would you mind sharing what you paid for the Blue Mountain Coffee. We love it!

 

It was a burlap bag of JABLUM Blue Mountain beans. I happened to have the receipt handy, this is how it rang up-

 

JABLUM ROASTED BEANS 34OG./12OZ $1538.49 + 16.5% GCT

 

I believe the exchange rate on 12/18/13 was $1 = J$104

 

including tax it percolates down to about $1.07 per oz...

 

...so we only drink it on Sunday mornings!

[Wedgie Wedgie]

Thanks for the review. We are in 10166 (same deck) in a month. Two questions.

 

1) How was the butler?

 

2) When was the Chef's table held?

 

Thanks.

 

1. Butler was fine, we don't use them much. I did email the concierge ahead of time to order the bday package in the cabin for arrival day for my wife ($35). It was executed flawlessly. I'm not sure if the steward or the butler does the decorations of balloons and streamers, cake etc.

 

2. Chef's table was Wed nite, we departed on a Sun. I also emailed a reservation request to the concierge ahead of time but the reply was they could not book it in advance- the good news is that when Elvina initially greeted us before boarding she already had us down with the reservation. They did walk around Cagneys during the first lunch and try to fill the last 4 spots.

[medicalma'am]

OK, got to say I love the "Wedgie Wedgie" screen name! It's so you.

 

I wonder if our itinerary had anything to do with Chef's Table being on Wednesday. We had the alternate Jewel itinerary. I have had it before on the Star out of NOLA after Cozumel day (Thursday). That was the Belize, Roatan and Cozumel itinerary in January.

[loopy]

Thank you for the review. We were on the Jewel over Thanksgiving and went every night to have a drink with Kumar! We loved him.

 

He introduced me to the Lychee Martini...yum!