Jewel Review 10/21/2005 (long)

[Tomct]

Norwegian Jewel Canada/New England Cruise, 10/21/2005- 11/1/2005

 

Background: This was our 6th cruise, dating back to April, 2002, and all have been with NCL. As great fans of FreeStyle, NCL service, food, ships, and entertainment, we have yet to find a need to look elsewhere.

 

Arrival/Return: We made the 1 ½ hour drive from our home in Connecticut, parked at the pier, where we took advantage of the new elevators in the garage, paid the monthly fee of $180, and set foot in the terminal at 11:30 a.m. We were directed to a Latitudes waiting area where we spent no more than 10 minutes, before we began the “Embarkation” process. Only the VIP’s were ahead of, along with some travel agents who went onboard for a presentation. By noon we were in our cabin, took a quick tour of Decks 7 and 12, and headed for a nice lunch at Tsar’s.

 

“Disembarkation” was smooth to say the least, beginning at 8:30 am, and on the Henry Hudson Parkway at 9 am. One of the Longshoremen took our bags on his cart, took us up to the pier level where our car was parked. I retrieved the car, loaded it up away from the hustle and bustle of passengers leaving, taxi’s arriving, etc., and we headed home.

 

Ship: Of course it is a beauty, sparkling clean and bright, in show room condition. They are constantly maintaining it in mint shape, as I saw them replacing a patch of carpeting that led to a kitchen area, probably soiled from heavy use or spillage. Outside, crew was spotted regularly power washing the hull while we were ashore, right up to sail away time.

 

Staff: Jewel staff is certainly consistent with the high quality service we have come to expect with NCL. Hotel Director Klaus Lugmaier heads up a team of top notch managers and associates. We met Klaus in 2003 on the Dawn, and have sailed his former ship, the Dawn three times. Accordingly we were excited to have the opportunity to cruise with him on the Jewel, and enjoyed every minute of it. Our experience has been that all staff have been trained to go above and beyond our expectations, as they are constantly exceeding our high expectations. Some fear that non traditional dining eliminates the motivation to excel, but we’ve never sensed it. From cabin stewards to wait staff to senior staff, right up to the Captain and Hotel Director, NCL service has been terrific for us on all six cruises.

 

Restaurants: S.T.Y.L.E. is the way to go for us, as we love the options available so we can match our daily plans with dining preferences, allowing us the freedom to pick our restaurants each day in line with our schedule. It also allows us to modify dining plans as needed. For instance, on this trip we met a couple late in the cruise who had not eaten in any of the Specialty restaurants, because they did not get their reservations in early enough. As big fans of NCL, we wanted them to experience Cagney’s with us, so we were able to change our reservation from two to four, and they fully appreciated and enjoyed the evening. Our preference for food and service is the Specialties, so as soon as we boarded, we made our reservations for two nights each at LeBistro, Cagney’s and Mama’s, 6 pm each day. As FreeStyle Dailies were delivered, we occasionally modified our schedule. We also managed to sneak in a nice dinner at Tango’s. Being our 6th cruise, we have developed some favorite menu items we look forward to at each restaurant, including Cream of Forest Mushroom Soup, Escargot, and Chocolate Fondue at LeBistro, Filet Mignon and the daily Flambé’ at Cagney’s, and Lasagna and Tiramisu at Mamma’s. Cagney’s also offered a 1 ½ lbs. Maine Lobster, as good as I’ve ever had. The new station arrangement at the Garden Café enticed us to eat there more often than usual, mainly some breakfasts and a couple of dinners. No longer self-service, we never found much of a wait. As noted often on the board, we enjoyed taking our meals into Mama’s for a quiet dining experience. We also appreciate the hand sanitizers at each entrance.

 

Entertainment: NCL entertainment has built a reputation for great shows and high quality entertainers, and the Jewel does not disappoint. Starting with the Jean Ann Ryan Shows, they are “Don’t Miss” productions. Three great shows of continuous singing and dancing are held in a spectacular setting at the Stardust Theater. Lead singer Eric Reid is a favorite of ours. Other shows included a terrific comedian, David Naster, a highly skilled and entertaining juggler, and other fine artists each evening. We also enjoy the passenger talent show, as well as the crew version. Our favorite band aboard NCL ships is a 7 piece band called the Ironics. Hailing from the Philippines, three young ladies sing the majority of their songs as a trio, but often perform some solos and duets from their nightly location in Spinnakers. The cold weather limited their poolside shows to the sail away. Their music spans recent decades, and were focused on an audience who head to Spinnakers for their listening and dancing pleasure. The Ironics basically sing everything, and will take requests and dedications, and are a very personable group. Other quality music can be found throughout the ship in the Atrium, Fyzz (recorded), and piano locations. Fyzz is the place for karaoke, including three sound booths for small groups to reserve and have their own private venue. Cruise Director Paul Baya is the best we’ve experienced, though all of them have been terrific. This was our 2nd time with Paul, and he is a classy guy, very professional, very entertaining, and is also a great singer. His staff seems to be everywhere, and I always seem to pick out one of them as an up and coming star, and this time it was Amy Robinson, from the good old USA (Florida). She is a hostess and performed duties such a line dance instructor, some bingo calling, played Vanna in the game show, worked the exit at disembarkation, and was often present during the nightly Spinnaker shows.

 

Excursions: Though we did not take advantage of many ship sponsored excursions, there was a wide variety of offerings which allowed passengers to experience the highlights of the six port cities we visited. Since we booked this cruise at the last minute, we pretty much waited until we arrived in port to finalize our plans for the day, also taking the cold or inclement weather into account when applicable. Since this was the last of four New England/Canada cruises for the Jewel, I’ll skip the details, but we enjoyed our visits to each city, and were grateful for the terrific welcomes and farewells we experienced throughout the journey. Sydney stands out as one where a local singer performed a lengthy welcome concert upon arrival, and a sizeable band did the same upon our departure. The “finale” included a moving tribute from a female soloist, singing “The Star Spangled Banner”, “Oh, Canada”, and “God Bless America” as we watched from above while the Jewel prepared to sail. It was also common to be warmly greeted by bagpipers.

 

Dawn vs. Jewel Preferences: Since a complete list of differences is available on the board, I’ll just mention those which were most noticeable to us.

 

- Though cold weather negated the regular use of the hot tubs, we would much prefer at least one hot tub in a location similar to the Dawn’s facility located in the bow.

 

- The large water slide was very inviting on the warmest of days, but never did try it.

 

- The permanent nature of Mama’s is much nicer than LaTrattoria, though we enjoy both.

 

- Not pleased about the Cigar Bar not being enclosed on the Jewel.

 

- Having enjoyed a number of late night grilled snacks and pizza on the Majesty’s outdoor grill, I was a little disappointed the Great Outdoor Grill did not have a similar offering. I realize the cold weather may have been a factor, as well as the totally adult crowd, but there were no pizza ovens so I wonder how it will be utilized in Miami. It basically appeared to be an extension to the Garden Café.

 

- We did not miss the Cinema, as anytime in the past we tried to go to the theater, too many others were thinking the same thing, and it was always filled. We did enjoy two recent release movies in Stardust. On a related issue, we did miss the fresh pop corn machine from the Dawn, a favorite stopping point for us.

 

- Speaking of the pop corn machine, located in the Pearly King’s Pub, we really missed that bar and atmosphere. We preferred the separate bar locations to the Jewel’s multi themed approach. No big deal, but just our preference.

 

- The new Blue Lagoon setup has its’ pros and cons. It has a more formal look to it, and no longer has any “walk up” features. I liked going by there in the morning or evening for a quick coffee, and maybe a cookie or two. On the Jewel, it is now a nice place to stop for breakfast, a new alternative. The menu is limited, but there appears to be something for everyone. Some items were not readily available, but our waitress offered to get them for us, but we chose to order what was available. Bobby Gangte from Cagney’s managed the breakfasts there, and she was one of our favorites at both locations. At night, the Blue Lagoon area serves as an extension to Tango’s. We also noticed that Tango’s was a popular spot during the day for passengers to play cards and other table games.

 

- The Specialty restaurants had half price dinners from 5:30 - 6:30 each evening.

 

 

Other:

 

- As a “Frequent Flyer” at NCL Martini Clinics, I much preferred the Dawn and Star venues at Star Bar. I’m assuming they were moved to the Martini Bar on the Jewel to showcase the new area, but would suggest the clinic themselves would be more entertaining, enjoyable, and yes, educational, at the more “secluded” and “captive” area.

 

- The Jewel sent a strong contingent to our Cruise Critic gathering on Saturday morning, prior to arriving in Boston. Hotel Director Klaus Lugmaier led his group with a great welcoming talk, and invited everyone to call the appropriate staff if they needed with anything. The best part of such an offering from Klaus and his NCL counterparts is that they mean it. They do not want you to feel unsatisfied with any particular issue or problem, rather you give them a chance to fix it.

 

- Ruth Haggar is the current Concierge on board, and now has an able assistant, Haley. One of them is nearly always available to those passengers they serve. I’m assuming the new villas necessitated the added staffing.

 

- The Galleria had some nice specials on liquor, presenting a challenge for disembarkation.

 

Summary: The Jewel is a beautiful ship, and her staff is a credit to the industry and NCL. We don’t know what are future holds for cruising, but we certainly will favorably upon another voyage on the Jewel.

[Cosmopolitan]

Tomct ~

 

Your review is wonderful and right on the mark!

 

Yes, the Mama's set up was much better than the Dawn.

 

We also were surprised that the Cigar bar was not enclosed. Though I do smoke, there were many people who utilized the cigar bar...more so, then we recalled on the Dawn.

 

We also preferred the separate locations of the bars and missed Pearly Kings Pub...just a nice place to stop in... for a number of reasons.

 

We did not like the Blue Lagoon giving up tables to Tangos. If we go to Tangos..we want a Tangos table..just our preference.

 

Yes, we preferred the Star Bar for the Martini clinic also. More intimate:)

 

We did, however, judge it all on the fact that the Jewel was only doing 4 Canada/New England cruises.

We believe that much of the set-up will change for the Miami cruises and for the European cruises.

 

I hope that Ruth/Hayley's burden will be relieved on future cruises. They really had a heavy burden on these cruises. Yet, they were ALWAYS so pleasant and accommodating.

[mafig]

Tom,

Garden Cafe "no longer self service." What does that mean? I don't understand.:confused:

 

Thanks for your review. We're on the Jewel this coming Sunday, and I'll probably be referencing your review many times before that!;) :)

[micheleg]

Tom,

 

Thanks for your review. We had some friends on the one night sailing on Saturday out of Miami and they loved it. The anticipation of our getting married and honeymooning on her just grow day by day!

 

Thanks again,

Michele :)

[cruisin0504]

Thanks for the great review. A couple of Dawn/Jewel questions:

 

Is there an indoor pool area on the Jewel similar to the Dawn or is that only available if you are getting a massage?

 

Who are the special chairs in that area (with water running through them) available to?

 

What is the "Great Outdoors"?

 

What was on the room service menu?

 

Thanks!!!

[rbiz]

Thanks Tom for the excellent review ! !

What type of room did you stay in ? Any Photos?

We are in the Romance Suite on Dec. 4th, and anxiously awaiting any feedback from current cruisers that have stayed in this type of suite.

[Stillfloatin']

Thanks for the review, it is certainly appreciated by us future Jewel cruisers. I'd like to add a quick question to the list: What items are offered for breakfast in Blue Lagoon?

[Dolphins]

Tom,

Garden Cafe "no longer self service." What does that mean? I don't understand.:confused:

 

Thanks for your review. We're on the Jewel this coming Sunday, and I'll probably be referencing your review many times before that!;) :)

 

Garden Cafe no longer self-service means that each food station had its own servers and all the ladles, forks etc. were on the server's side and you had to ask for what you wanted, you didn't just take any items yourself. Even the soft ice cream machine, iced tea, milk had servers dispensing those items to passengers.

[flalady]

Hey rbiz:

 

We're going to be neighbors! We are also in a Romance Suite on the Dec 4th Jewel sailing.

 

I was interested in the concierge service. I called NCL and they said that being in a suite doesn't get you anything special at check in. I know we get hors d'oeuvres at embarkation, but do we get them anytime else? What other amenities do we get in the suite?

 

Looking forward to our 20th anniversary celebration!

 

flalady

[Tomct]

Tom,

Garden Cafe "no longer self service." What does that mean? I don't understand.:confused:

 

See other questions below:

 

 

I think that has now been answered, but I like the concept, and there was never much of a wait, rarely a line. Actually they served the same food options on two sides of each station. It does take a little getting used to ordering and pointing, especially when you may be getting seconds, or may just want only one small item from a large station.

 

What items are offered for breakfast in Blue Lagoon?

 

I was afraid someone would ask - Scrambled egg on a croissant w/tomato was the egg item, very good, but you could order any style. I think they had bacon, sausage, omelettes, hashbrowns, some fruit, pancakes, cereal, toast, etc., but maybe only 6 or 7 items in total. I'm not sure which ones were actually listed vs. what we ordered. Juice was limited to Orange, but our waitress offerred to get cranberry or tomato from another kitchen, but I took the OJ. Our cabin was a short distance from there on Deck 8, so we made a couple stops there when we were short on time.

 

What type of room did you stay in ? Any Photos?

 

An ocean view on Deck 8, aft, right off the elevators on Starboard side, a great location. We're usually on Deck 10, but 8 was really convenient on this cruise, as we didn't spend as much time topside as we normally do. It was great to go down one flight to all the features on Deck 7, though for Deck 6, we had to go down a flight, and then over to the mid ship areas to go down one. Deck 6 aft takes you to Tsar's lower level, only. We have limited photos from our cabin, mainly towel animals, and a few shots out the window. I actually forgot to mention the cabin in my review, but it seemed larger than our inside and balcony cabins on the Dawn, and liked how they changed their shelving. Those located inside the closet area are gone, and replaced by more shelves around the closet area, and across the room around the desk area. I usually run out of storage area, real quick, and this time never utilized all the shelves. The ones formerly inside the closet were awkward to use.

 

We did not like the Blue Lagoon giving up tables to Tangos. If we go to Tangos..we want a Tangos table..just our preference.

 

I actually forgot there was a difference in the chairs we utilized for Tangos while sitting in Blue Lagoon. We had decided about 8 pm one night to try for seating at Tango's, and were told to come down in a 1/2 hour. We instead chose to go there and sit at the small bar area, where we were content to stay, but after having a drink, and eating some appetizers, the Maitre' D' came over and escorted us to a Blue Lagoon table, so we were pleased. Others should note the Blue Lagoon chairs are hard, kinda like cafeteria tables, I guess.

 

micheleg:

Thanks for your review. We had some friends on the one night sailing on Saturday out of Miami and they loved it. The anticipation of our getting married and honeymooning on her just grow day by day!

 

When is your wedding and cruise? Best of luck to you, I'm sure you will have a great time.

 

Is there an indoor pool area on the Jewel similar to the Dawn or is that only available if you are getting a massage?

 

No indoor pool, replaced by a large tub, see next question

 

Who are the special chairs in that area (with water running through them) available to?

 

There are two "special" type chairs in the Spa area, forward ship. I think the one you are referring to is located in a large hot tub, facing out the front of the ship, with mild "water action" or flow. The fixed lounge chair is the width of the tub, seating maybe 4 people across, reclined format, but uncomfortable to me. The other half of the tub is more like a hot tub, without the bubble action. So far they have been charging $15 pp/per day, or $60 for our 11 day cruise. The other chairs I mentioned were all aligned across the front of the room, also facing out, and appeared to be made of a marble type materia, with a warming element, but they too were uncomfortable to me. I guess I prefer a plain old adjustable lounge chair.

 

What is the "Great Outdoors"?

 

Aft ship, Deck 12, a large area with tables and chairs, and a bar, immediately following the Garden Cafe on one side, and Mama's on the other. It's pretty much an extension of the buffet. We only saw the buffet area being used for breakfast, I'm not sure how it may have been utulized otherwise. We just came off a Bermuda cruise on the Majesty this summer, and they had a great late night snack area in that location, very popular for late night munchies.

 

What was on the room service menu?

 

Sorry, I personally never looked at it. From the sounds of what my wife was reading, it was the same or simlar to the Dawn. We always talk about getting room service, but rarely do it, and then always for breakfast when we are in a rush to leave the ship. Then it's muffins, coffee, and pastry. We are still yet to try the items others have talked about, like chocolate mousse, pizza, and even heard their grilled cheese was good. We almost ordered soup and grilled cheese, just to try it, but maybe next time.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Thank you so much for taking the time to post such a detailed and informative review. I would appreciate it if you could tell me about the gym (if there is one), if there is a jogging track, a basketball court, putt putt golf, table tennis, billiards or shuffleboard. These are features Hubby and I really appreciate on RCI, but if the Jewel has some or all of them, we might give it a try when it leaves from Miami for cruises.

 

Also I'm not clear on the many restuarants. Are some of them extra pay? Is there a coffee station such as a Starbucks? You mentioned a popcorn station. RCI doesn't offer that. Dang! I wish they would! I'd be a big fan. Are there formal nights?

 

Thanking you again for your complete review. I really appreciate it.

[Host Kewlguy]

Great review Tom. It was a pleasure meeting you and Sue. Look forward to sailing again with you in the future.

[Tomct]

Thank you so much for taking the time to post such a detailed and informative review. I would appreciate it if you could tell me about the gym (if there is one), if there is a jogging track, a basketball court, putt putt golf, table tennis, billiards or shuffleboard. These are features Hubby and I really appreciate on RCI, but if the Jewel has some or all of them, we might give it a try when it leaves from Miami for cruises.

 

Also I'm not clear on the many restuarants. Are some of them extra pay? Is there a coffee station such as a Starbucks? You mentioned a popcorn station. RCI doesn't offer that. Dang! I wish they would! I'd be a big fan. Are there formal nights?

 

Thanking you again for your complete review. I really appreciate it.

 

Gym or Jim? I did not meet either!! Actually we did take a look at the gym, huge in my eyes, with tons of machines with TV's built in for your personal viewing while you work out. It was a sparkling area.

 

There is a marked jogging track, though with this cruise, the average age did not yield too many joggers, but there were some, and many getting their exercise the old fashioned way, walking.

 

If you want to play basketball, you will love the Jewel. There's a large court, and if you have fans, there's a large seating area above the court, facing aft. I'm sure they will schedule some "hot" events on those cruises with more players. They were also set up to play soccer.

 

Other game areas included a driving range net, shuffleboard, table tennis, and a large chess board, with figures about 3 feet tall.

 

On the Canadian cruises, the Specialty restaurant charges were $15 for Cagney's, $10 for Le Bistro, and $10 for Chin Chin. There were some additional surcharges for items like surf & turf and Cagney's had a whole 1 1/2 lbs. Maine lobster. Chin Chin had an all you can eat Sushi for $5, and other A la Carte pricing. They also had 1/2 price night the first evening, and happy hour 1/2 price each evening from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. There is no charge for Tango's or Mama's, but make reservations, they fill up fast.

 

The pop corn machine is on the Dawn, my wife gets her money's worth on that alone. There is a coffee bar with desserts in the atrium area, for an additional fee, though we never tried it. My only visit there was for an Irish Coffee on the Dawn's version.

 

Sorry I don't have the statistics on the gym's machines and the track, but they can be found on this board. If someone doesn't post them, which they likely will, you can try a search. There's also pictures around, certainly of the gym, and I think I've seen some pix of the chess board too, pretty neat. The Dawn also has the chess game.

 

Oh, you mentioned putt putt - there is no mini golf set up, but NCl does have regular putting contests onboard, and our cruise was no exception.

 

If I come across the "numbers" I referred to, I'll post them as well.

 

I hope you get a chance to experience the Jewel, a great ship, and a great crew.

[Tomct]

Great review Tom. It was a pleasure meeting you and Sue. Look forward to sailing again with you in the future.

 

We certainly enjoyed our vists with you and the lovely Alina. I hope we cross paths again, as well, we'll just stay in touch. I still have her cell number, so don't be shocked at a phone call somewhere along the line, just to say hello. We didn't get to explore all we have in common, but Bermuda is one, and our high regard for our terrific Hotel Director, Klaus, is another.

[shoreguy]

Tomct

 

I am glad the Jewel did not disappoint. Having had time to reflect on my cruise on the Jewel and having just spent a night on the Dawn again I think it is a better ship especially in warm weather.

 

I like you and others miss some of the interior features of the Dawn. But I am happy the NCL continues to try new things. None of us would be happy with 3 new Dawn clones.

 

The least valuable change was taking that the space that was Pearly King's and turn it into marketing space for the Art Auction.

 

Perhaps we will meet onboard one of these days.

 

Thank you for taking the time to post your review.

[micheleg]

micheleg: Thanks for your review. We had some friends on the one night sailing on Saturday out of Miami and they loved it. The anticipation of our getting married and honeymooning on her just grow day by day!

 

When is your wedding and cruise? Best of luck to you, I'm sure you will have a great time.

 

Hi Tom,

 

We're getting married on April 30th, on the Jewel before we sail out of Miami. We're doing the 14 day repositioning from Miami ending in Barcelona. What a way to get married and do a honeymoon huh? :) We are so absolutely excited, we just can't wait and every glowing review just enhances those feelings!

 

Thanks for your best wishes. John and I appreciate them and all of the information that everyone provides to us on this thread as first time NCL cruisers.

 

Happy Cruising!

Michele & John :)

[Stillfloatin']

Tomct

 

I am glad the Jewel did not disappoint. Having had time to reflect on my cruise on the Jewel and having just spent a night on the Dawn again I think it is a better ship especially in warm weather.

 

I like you and others miss some of the interior features of the Dawn. But I am happy the NCL continues to try new things. None of us would be happy with 3 new Dawn clones.

 

The least valuable change was taking that the space that was Pearly King's and turn it into marketing space for the Art Auction.

 

Perhaps we will meet onboard one of these days.

 

Thank you for taking the time to post your review.

 

Shoreguy, it wasn't clear to me if you meant the Jewel or the Dawn was better for warm weather. I would be interested in which one you meant, and why. Thanks in advance.:D

[mafig]

Tom, Regarding the coffee bar and deserts in the atrium area, which are additional fee, coffee or derserts, or both?

[Fairy Godmother]

I enjoyed reading your review of the Jewel. I am travelling on her in January. In the meantime I'm watching the bridge cam as she sails the Eastern Caribbean. Do you happen to know who has access to the bow of the ship(it appears on the bridge cam)?

[MIDWEST-CRUISER]

That is the off dudy crew. It is fun to see them finally in sunny weather.

[tom_uk]

Garden Cafe no longer self-service means that each food station had its own servers and all the ladles, forks etc. were on the server's side and you had to ask for what you wanted, you didn't just take any items yourself. Even the soft ice cream machine, iced tea, milk had servers dispensing those items to passengers.

 

Interesting. The Garden Cafe on Jewel was definitely self-service on the 2-night taster cruise in August (Dover - Amsterdam & back). They did, however, often have waiters helping with hot drinks up there.

[Host Kewlguy]

We certainly enjoyed our vists with you and the lovely Alina. I hope we cross paths again, as well, we'll just stay in touch. I still have her cell number, so don't be shocked at a phone call somewhere along the line, just to say hello. We didn't get to explore all we have in common, but Bermuda is one, and our high regard for our terrific Hotel Director, Klaus, is another.

 

You're welcome to call anytime. :) There is a great picture of the four of us on our roll call thread.

[Tomct]

Hi Tom,

 

We're getting married on April 30th, on the Jewel before we sail out of Miami. We're doing the 14 day repositioning from Miami ending in Barcelona. What a way to get married and do a honeymoon huh? :) We are so absolutely excited, we just can't wait and every glowing review just enhances those feelings!

 

Thanks for your best wishes. John and I appreciate them and all of the information that everyone provides to us on this thread as first time NCL cruisers.

 

Happy Cruising!

Michele & John :)

 

Thanks for the update; for sure, a great way to jump start your marriage!! Sounds great! We were just talking today, how it might have been a neat idea for someone to use the one night Spirit cruise to nowhere on the Spirit for a wedding. They could have boarded early, had the ceremony, and partied all night with lots of friends and family on board.

 

This board is such a great place for info, and I don't know what we'd do without it.

 

Stay in touch!

[Tomct]

You're welcome to call anytime. :) There is a great picture of the four of us on our roll call thread.

 

It was great to see those pictures, and that shot will most likely land in our photo album. I should be working on printing my pictures, but get sidetracked.

[shoreguy]

Shoreguy' date=' it wasn't clear to me if you meant the Jewel or the Dawn was better for warm weather. I would be interested in which one you meant, and why. Thanks in advance.:D[/quote']

 

I think the Jewel - two full sized pools in a more open area, water slide, the great outdoors to enjoy breakfast or just hang out away from the crowd, & multiple sun decks.