I wish I lived on the Jewel!

Norwegian Jewel Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean

RenitaD

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 35

Overall rating:

5 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Western Mediterranean (Barcelona Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 12, 2007

Ship: Norwegian Jewel

Cabin type: Oceanview

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 17 years ago

Review summary

The name Jewel was well chosen for this ship. It was beautiful! The decor was very well done. The ship was quiet, there was not a ton of smoke coming from the smoke stack. It was also very stable, the cruise was rather smooth. I took an excursion at every port. All of them were great, except one. The one that was not great was good. I do suggest researching the Catholic holidays before booking your cruise. If you are interested in visiting the Vatican make sure it is not a holiday because it will be closed. The excursions appear expensive but it is the safest way to see the cities and get back to the ship on time. The guides lived in the cities we visited and took great pride in them. They were very knowledgeable, entertaining and made sure that all were present and accounted for. I will most definitely cruise with NCL again. It was money well spent and I had a great time.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

There was a variety of food for all tastes. I did find the vegetarian entre selection to be rather small, but there was a large salad bar. The specialty resteraunts served delicious food. There were some with a cover charge, but it was only $5 during happy hour and $10 (US) at others. Although we were in the Western Meditteranean the food was somewhat "Americanized" so there was no shock to the taste buds.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

If you were bored on the Jewel it was because you wanted to be. The cruise was very family friendly, I was very surprised to see so many children. There was entertainment for people of all ages, dance lessons for those with two left feet, a magician, Second City Comedy shows and even towel animal folding lessons.

Children's Programs

3 out of 5

I don't have children, but I did notice that every child I saw appeared to be having a great time. The cruise was family friendly.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

The staff of the ship was very diverse; there were people from every continent. Every announcement was given in several languages. The staff (the entire staff) was also very efficient, it was amazing to see how well prepared everything was. They were also genuinely friendly and wanted their guests to have a good time.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

The ship was very clean. Before entering dining areas and the ship, guests were to spray their hands with sanitizer; there was always a person with a spray bottle in hand to make sure that it was done. This prevented the awful ship sickness that many cruisers have experienced. Public areas were clean and comfortable.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

The stateroom was clean and comfortable. It was the size of a dorm room, but you will only use it for sleeping.