Jewel - Likes, Dislikes, Insights...

[busy1]

Sailed on the Norwegian Jewel Dec 18-25-- This was my 3rd cruise—the others being 10 and 15 years ago so I cannot compare this ship to others—I am giving my experiences and impressions only. My likes, dislikes and insights…

 

Embarkation – This was a breeze!-We arrived at Miami pier at 11:50am, were in our room by 1:00! When we got to the pier there were 2 lines- one for Latitude members, penthouse and better cabins and non- citizens. The rest of us went to the other line which moved extremely fast and we “sailed” thru in short time. (Note that this ship was FULL—2017 adults and 723 children!)

 

Room—We booked one of the least expensive outside cabins—heck- we didn’t plan on spending much time there and we didn’t need a balcony with so much deck space – and in doing my research these rooms were only 5 sq ft smaller than other cabins at 3 times the price!! We were on the 4th floor—which has advantages and disadvantages—advantage—only ½ of the deck is for rooms (the rest is closed off for the crew rooms), being at the bottom there was no rocking and absolute silence in the halls and from the ship. The big disadvantage is that this is the deck that you disembark for the shore stops so for about an hour the elevators do not go to this level and the lines are waiting down the steps on shore days. The best bet was to plan to have breakfast during this hour or stay inside your cabin! The room was great—lots of shelves and drawers and the best advice I got from these boards was to bring a plastic over-the-door shoe bag which we hung from the closet and held all our lotions, and accessories—great idea! The odd thing about the bedding is that you have a bottom sheet and then a down filled duvet cover. You have your own temperature controls in the room so why would you ever need a down comforter? I asked housekeeping to add a top sheet to the beds and that was enough—

 

Food- So much has been said about this subject and tastes are so different that all I will say is that we were pleased with all the restaurants- We made reservations for the week as soon as we got to the room and we were able to change them as the week progressed. The idea of freestyle is to eat where you want but common sense tells you that a full ship means lots of people so we booked for the entire week and had these reservations as a “safety net”. As the week went on—if we wanted to change we did with no problems (except for Mama’s- always booked). Ate at specialty restaurants for dinner every night but 2- Selections and service were incredible. Note that on “formal” night, lobster can be ordered in ANY restaurant without extra charge. Breakfast was at the buffet or Tsars—never a wait—basic food…

 

Pool- There is plenty of deck chairs on this ship—not a lot around the pool but on every deck there are lounge chairs—Many people “reserved” chairs in the early morning, but we were always able to find 2 together on deck 13 or 14. There is live music most of the time but the bands were not very good and just played the same thing every day so it got really monotonous fast! The drink service here is annoying! Someone comes up to you every 3 minutes asking if you want a drink—Give me a break! If you see me sleeping or reading a book—don’t disturb me!! If I want a drink, there certainly are enough wait staff that I can get one in a minute. The fact that they automatically add a 15% gratuity sure adds up fast and not one outside waiter/waitress ever said a “thank you”. Not one in a week!

 

SPA- I enjoy a nice spa treatment—it is usually a highlight of the trip for me. The Bora Bora spa is beautiful!! The heated tile lounge chairs in the relaxation room will relieve stress even before your massage!! The downside of the spa “experience” is the total unorganization of the running of the spa. Took a tour on the first day of the facilities and decided to book a “package” . Waited on line about 1 hour because only 1 person could do scheduling because everything was being hand written on a calendar! (Ever hear of computers??) When they schedule the different services in a package they do not note anywhere that you should get the discount package rate every time you have one of your services!! This means that at each service, I was charged the full price and had to have the charge reversed and recharged at the “package” rate. The most annoying thing about the services is the upsells—Had a facial and then was prescribed $800 worth of items that I should buy if I wanted to keep the benefits of the facial. Had a hot stone massage (one of the best massages I ever had), but then was told I needed to buy $175 worth of bath salts to continue having the same effect. And I mean a hard sell! Again a 15% gratuity is added to every service- not an option. Note: On shore days- massages and other services are discounted by about 50%!! So if you can come on board a little early or leave a little late—this is a great deal!

 

Entertainment- Again—much has been said about this—2 “must see” shows were Band on the Run and Cirque Bijou—We never had a problem getting seats but we only went to the 9:30 shows.

 

Ports- All ports are the usual cruise ship ports- lots of shops with the same merchandise. It is worth your while to go off the “main” streets and go to the little shops on side streets—much better bargains. As for the shore excursions—did not book any from the ship. At each port we got a ‘city” tour at the dock for $10-$15 – the same itinerary as the $55 cruise ship excursion, with smaller groups and no waiting around for everyone.

 

Other stuff- The gym was packed in the morning and after 3pm—the yoga classes filled up fast on the first few days—then there was plenty of room- There are activities all the time—depending on what you want to do. The kids were kept busy non-stop- never saw them from morning till night—The pools were never full. The cocktail lounges were beautiful- and never full—a great place to relax and listen to the piano. Karaoke was always popular—The casino is your average place—the blackjack tables were always busy but there was never a problem getting a slot machine. Lots of fun at Spinnaker lounge but here again—the waiters and waitress bothered you constantly for drinks. I was asked 8 times in 10 minutes if I wanted cocktails by different people—all while I was watching a game—how annoying!!

 

Disembarkation- We opted for the express disembarkation—that means you get to keep your suitcase (instead of having it out of your room by 2am) and you have to roll it off yourself. We chose this option for 2 reasons—with 5 ships due top dock that morning- we knew the airport would be chaotic and we did not want to have to look for our bags on the pier once we were off. The ship docked at 5am- Express people were called at 7:15 and we were at the airport and checked in by 8am!! Heard from others it took them 2 hours to go thru security at the airport after waiting ½ hour for a cab.

 

You have to “go with the flow” when you plan this type of vacation. We did, so we enjoyed it immensely!

[marilynd]

Thanks for the great review. I have been on the Jewel twice now and can't wait to go again.

[NoName]

Thank you for taking the time to share your trip experience with us. I enjoyed reading it.

 

Kim

[tinkerbelldee]

Thanks for the great review. Can't wait until April!!!

[wibeachbum]

Thanks for your review. The express disembarkation sounds like the way to go. Can't wait until our March cruise:)

[debbiecape]

Thanks for the review- we are onthe 1/22 back to back and can't wait! Were there any 'sing along' entertainers in the bars? On the Dawn there was one in the pub-

[newmexicoNita]

I am just back from our Celebrity cruise and Christmas in Florida. Tomorrow, after I have had a good nights sleep I will write a comparison of the Jewel versus the cruise we just took. I can say, right now, the Jewel stands out above all else I am beginning to think. NMNita

[marilynd]

Welcome back Nita !!! Look forward to that comparison.

 

Marilyn

[Dolphins]

Having sailed on both Dawn and Jewel, I found both had their advantages and disadvantages:

Jewel Advantages- Better theatre layout, nicer Italian Restaurant (Mama's Italian Kitchen), better buffet counter arrangements, unique courtyard villas, two large outdoor pools.

Disadvantages: No movie theatre, no indoor lap pool, unenclosed cigar room in bar central area. Only two main restaurants.

Dawn Advantages: Fewer passengers, nicer soaring atrium with glass elevators, movie theatre, indoor lap pool, more lounge chairs near pool, more tables in Salsa than in Tango, three main restaurants.

Disadvantages: Poor egress from upper center isle of Stardust theatre, only one large outdoor pool. La Trattoria not as distinctive as Mama's Italian Kitchen.

 

Conclusion: Would not hesitate in sailing on either ship.

[bertie1023]

Wow! Thanks for your Review!

 

Our family is ready to go in April!!