A first class Cruise

Item: Norwegian Jewel
Rating: 4
Author: KenP1

Norwegian Jewel Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern

KenP1

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 41

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

9 Night Southern Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: November 23, 2007

Ship: Norwegian Jewel

Cabin type: Suite

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 16 years ago

Review summary

My overall impression from beginning to end is what an excellent, clean and new ship the Jewel is. Everything was always being cleaned, the staff was very friendly and the shows fantastic. There wasn't many winners in the casino and they were few and far between. It seems every "extra" activity cost extra from bingo, photos, to soft drinks. Also, there was a hard sell for raffle tickets and "scratch off" cards that nobody won during our trip. The bingo was very expensive for the payoffs. Seems we paid more for the chance to win the cruise for two than the cruise for two was worth.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

I loved the freestyle dining. Dining when and where you want offered more flexibility to see various shows and events on the cruise. Also, if you are not hungary, you don't have to eat when you are not ready. However, I did hear some comments that people liked the set dining times to interact with other diners. We didn't mind. There are several dining opportunities on the Jewel. The two free dining rooms served excellent food with expert presentation. The initial portions were small, but I could always ask for more or double portions and was not embarrased to ask. The small portions is a good idea so there is mimimal food waste. Great idea. The "pay extra" reataurants were OK. The steak place had better steaks that the free restaurants, but we were not impressed with the french restaurant. Most things tasted pre-made. The buffet left much to be desired. It was like a medium buffet in a Las Vegas casino. Towards the end of the cruise, some of the food was left overs.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

The shows were fantastic. First rate. The dance shows were better than Vegas and almost ready for Broadway. The magician was terrific and funny. The lady singer and impressionists were lounge quality. The crew show was little more that karioke.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

The staff was terrific. Everyone was friendly and wanted to help. Even at the busiest times, boarding and de-boarding, the staff was courteous.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

This ship was very clean and easy to get around. There were some places that we did not visit ~ like the spa, exercise room, chapel and library. But, they were there and occupied and looked very up to day and modern. All of the reataurants, rooms and lounges were easy to find and we did not find ourselves getting "lost" after the first day.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

We had a mini-suite and it was great for two people. The balcony was a wonderful touch as the weather was great and we just sat out there for hours. The bed was hard and the pillows flat. That was the worst thing about the room. Bring your own pillow! Everything else was first class.