Back from Jewel 12/18-12/25

[DroopySails]

Thanks for all the replies regarding the dining. It sounds like there is a little more work involved to get in your restaurant of choice than on our previous cruise on the Star. We never made a reservation except for Le Bistro (we were a party of 7.) We were always able to walk up to the restaurant that evening and either get right in or wait a short while for a table. Maybe we were lucky? Is this unusual with Freestyle dining? With the Jewel's new system of allowing reservations for the entire cruise, I can see how it might make it more difficult to do that (walk up.)

However, it sounds like it's not nearly as bad of a situation as my clients described for me. My guess is that they always went at prime time and never tried more than 1 restaurant? They did state that they should have made reservations when they got on board, but being new to cruising and the Jewel they just weren't sure what restaurants to make reservations in. What I can't understand is that they state when trying to make reservations 1,2 or 3 days out they couldn't even get in to a dining room or speciality restaurant. Where others in this thread have stated that they could easily change their reservations the same day.

Hmmmm....something just doesn't make sense there.:confused:

 

Anyway, just curious, for those that have cruised with NCL in the past and now on the Jewel...do you prefer being able to make reservations for the entire cruise upon embarkation, or do you think this creates more problems?

 

We enjoyed being able to make reservations for the entire week on the first day, although we've never had problems getting reservations a day ahead on other NCL ships (probably because we don't mind eating at 9 p.m.). The problem with the Jewel system is that you don't get an advance entertainment schedule, and we missed a couple of shows we wanted to see because we had reservations that would have been hard to replace.

 

Maybe the reservations counter could keep a copy of the entertainment schedule for the whole week on hand?

[bmwman]

I suggest that this is a problem on the Jewel especially when it is near capacity. We were on the "innaugral" sailng in August and the problems that your clients had were exactly the same epecially Mamas kitchen. I suspect that the loss of impressions is part of the problem but also that there simply is not enough waiting staff.

[big al]

I'm a TA and just had clients return from this sailing on the Jewel. They called to tell me about their cruise and complained about the dining onboard. Their main complaint was that they could never get a reservation in any of the dining rooms or restaurants. I was told that they were only able to eat in the Tsar's 1 night, and the rest of the cruise they ended up in the buffet. They said that every time they tried getting a reservation or tried going to one of the other dining venues they were not able to get in. They stated that Freestyle dining wasn't "Freestyle" at all. I was very surprised to hear this since I did not encounter any problems at all on our cruise on the Star last spring. It does not sound like the previous posters encountered this?

 

I'm just curious if anyone on this sailing experienced what my clients did? Any comments from others on this sailing...?

 

Thanks!

 

 

AJ-I am a P/T home-based cruise agent and my wife & I sailed the NCL Sun in Dec.'01.The key to getting reservations was to go early.On the Sun at that time,you could only book a dining venue 36 hours before-no further...so Mon AM you could book for either Mon. night or Tuesday night..not Wednesday or later.I found MANY passengers who were just plain lazy and when I told them I got up and went to the actual restaurant at 8-8:15 AM,they scoffed at me and said,"I'm not getting up at 8 on my cruise vacation to book a dinner venue"...We had NO problems eating 4 nights at the fee paid places and they were THE best meals we've ever had on all 12 ships we've been on.......service impeccable and the escargots in Le Bistro were the best I've had at sea anywhere.......We love freestyle dining,but it takes just a little effort on your part to make it work.Forget dining between 7 -8 PM,the busiest time...eat early like 6-6:15PM those nights,and I hear now on the Jewel(which we will cruise Nov.'06) you can make reservations the 1st day for the whole week!When I get on board,after going to see my cabin,I go to see my dining situation,where & when,etc.,RIGHT AWAY!!This is a whole lot easier than the Sun was.......

 

Big Al

[atlmichelle]

OK, I realize that I am reviving a nearly year-old thread here, but I have a pretty specific question for you December cruisers.....

 

We are booked on the Pearl for the week before Christmas, and I am very curious about how festive the ship might be for our trip? I assume that the ships are all decked out for sailings over Christmas DAY. But just wondering who could fill me in about what to expect on a pre-Christmas cruise?

[Missilecop]

I was on the Jewel last Dec. I myself expected more lites and stuff around the ship. They had some trees up but I found if you were not looking for them you could easily miss them. Don't get me wrong the Jewel is a beautiful ship. In fact I took lots of pics and I don't remember one with a tree or decorations in it.

[atlmichelle]

Thanks for the info Missilecop. I know it seems like a silly thing to worry about, but this trip is what our family is doing INSTEAD of doing a traditional Christmas celebration and gifts. Maybe we'll bring along a few little holiday items from home as well.

[newmexicoNita]

We cruised Celebrity last Dec (a week prior to Christmas) and there was practically nothing. Yes a few lights and I think a couple of trees. Several years ago we did a Dec sailing on RCI< they did have more, but even then nothing like we see at home. NMNita