Norwegian Jewel
Sail date: August 17, 2013
I purchased this cruise for my husband because Alaska was on his bucket list. He always wanted to see the glaciers. Alaska is truly God's country. Breathtaking. The views through the passage is indescribable. I would love to combine a land/sea cruise next time. We only did one excursion to Mendenhall Glacier which was more than we could have hoped for. Pictures do not do the experience justice. As for the cruise, neither my husband and I had been on a cruise before. It was a total awesome experience. We both work crazy hours and it was truly a vacation where you can do as much or as little as you want. They have many options available. We did enjoy a few shows and relaxing at the Moderno. We only have a few minor complaints...basically if you do need internet, it is insanely expensive. On the upside of that, it was great to be unplugged from everything. I found out from other passengers that this is pretty standard of all cruise ships. The other thing that bugged us a little was that everything you buy on the cruise as extra is expensive. They do offer drink packages. If you have children I would say the soda package is well worth the price. We tried the Italian restaurant and Chin Chins. We were disappointed with the Italian restaurant with the food, probably because we have fantastic Italian restaurants where we live. The dessert and service was spectacular though and made up for the main course. Chin Chins was a fantastic blend of Asian and Cajun. It was nothing short of spectacular. We enjoyed it so much we went back again. I would highly recommend it. It was unique and we don't have anything like it back home so it was special and we will remember it fondly. The buffet dining was great for breakfast and good for lunch. We enjoyed the dinners in the Azure. Every dinner was delicious and portioned just right. The best part of the cruise itself was the staff. Every employee of NCL was outstanding, very friendly and attentive. They truly made our trip memorable and enjoyable. Many of the staff remembered our names and treated us life family. We definitely have plans to take another cruise in the future.