The locations were the attraction, not the ship

Norwegian Jewel Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 36

Overall rating:

3 out of 5
Verified Review
Norwegian Jewel

14 Night Panama Canal Westbound (Miami To Los Angeles)

Sail date: February 19, 2017

Ship: Norwegian Jewel

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 8070

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 7 years ago

Review summary

This ship is on its way to dry dock in 2018 (we were told) and it needs it; We choose cruises by where they're going and if they meet our scheduling needs; this one had both.  Ship was sold out, so we accepted an obstructed view cabin, which was well located but extra small and fairly noisy from the outside. Wouldn't do that again, as price is the same.  Probably wouldn't take this ship again until after dry dock.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
Very repetitive offerings

Entertainment

1 out of 5
poor quality, even for a cruise

Service and Staff

3 out of 5
Mostly nice and helpful, but a few key people were really disappointing

Ship Quality

3 out of 5
going to dry dock shortly; needs it

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5
We wanted this trip during these dates; would avoid this cabin unless you must take it to be on a cruise you truly want.

Ports of call

Miami, Florida

2 out of 5

Cartagena, Colombia

3 out of 5
If you're on a budget, take a taxi to the old city instead of the excursion; the excursion was informative.

Panama Canal Transit

3 out of 5

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

2 out of 5
We've been to Costa Rica before and love it; this particular port requires extensive driving for the tours. Our guide here was really lousy.

Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua

3 out of 5
New to this country; enjoyed seeing it. Excursion guide was outstanding!

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

3 out of 5
A new country for us; enjoyed seeing it.

Acapulco, Mexico

1 out of 5
Had been there in the 70's; has grown, but not really gotten better. All the excursions include the cliff divers, which we didn't need to see again; we just walked off ship and along the beaches. Pestered by locals trying to get us to buy things for the first 1/2 mile, but after that an enjoyable walk.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

3 out of 5
First time there; requires a tender; we walked along the marina and a bit through town; clean and largely enjoyable.

San Pedro (Los Angeles), California

2 out of 5
Customs ridiculously slow; no Global Entry or Mobile Pass capabilities, so stand in line for a long time! Hard to find for Uber driver, as address is not where pick-up occurs.
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1 Comment

AlaskanGal    7 years ago

My favorite ship is the Pearl!!!

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