Amazing New Zealand

Item: Norwegian Jewel
Rating: 4.7
Author: KDF55

Norwegian Jewel Cruise Review

KDF55

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 11

Overall rating:

4.7 out of 5

11 Night Australia & New Zealand (Auckland To Sydney)

Sail date: December 11, 2019

Ship: Norwegian Jewel

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 11102

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

We have taken several cruises with NCL but this was our favorite! We enjoyed every port. We found the people friendly and the countryside was amazing. Entertainment on the Jewel was a little disappointing but there was a little bit of everything. The Cirque show definitely our favorite. We had the dining package and enjoyed all of the specialty restaurants. O Sheehans is great for drinks and afternoon snacks. Topsider Grill was our favorite spot for breakfast.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ship tip

Be sure to check out the Specialty restaurants. So good! Cagney’s was our favorite.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Akaroa, New Zealand

5 out of 5

Beautiful countryside. We did an NCL excursion to a family sheep farm. Learned history of the farm, sheep dog demonstration, watched a sheep sheared and enjoyed homemade scones at the farmhouse. Truly enjoyable, personalized experience.

Thumbs Up 1

Tauranga, New Zealand

5 out of 5

Hobbiton is a must see. Even if you have never read the books or seen the movies, it was beautiful. That said, I would recommend watching Fellowship of the Rings before visiting. We booked on our own at a much better price than NCL excursion.

Thumbs Up 0

Wellington, New Zealand

5 out of 5

Definitely recommend exploring Wellington on your own. The free shuttle will take you within a couple of blocks of the the Te Papa museum which was excellent, and admission is free. We particularly enjoyed the war exhibit. Then we walked to the cable car, took it one way and walked through the botanical gardens. It was about a 45 minute walk thru the gardens, mostly downhill and brings you back to within another couple of blocks of a shuttle stop back to the port.

Thumbs Up 1

Sydney, Australia

5 out of 5

Wish we had more time here. The port is within walking distance of so much! The iconic Opera House, the harbor bridge, the Rocks, the botanical gardens, just to name a few. We did the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee. Beautiful beaches and amazing views. Cafes in Bronte made a perfect lunch spot about midway. We took Uber to and from the port. Easier and cheaper than public transportation for four, but you can take train and bus to get there as well.

Thumbs Up 1

Auckland, New Zealand

5 out of 5

Beautiful city! Recommend taking ferry to Waiheke Island Hop on Hop off tour. Great wineries and do it at your own pace. Auckland Hop on Hop off also great to see city highlights.

Thumbs Up 0

Port Chalmers (Dunedin), New Zealand

4 out of 5

This was our only rainy day so put a bit of a damper on our day. Had an NCL excursion, which was pretty disappointing partly because of the rain, but also a poor tour guide. The train station is not to be missed.

Thumbs Up 0

Napier, New Zealand

4 out of 5

Known for it’s Art Deco architecture. The walking tour from the Art Deco Center was inexpensive and very informative.

Thumbs Up 0

Picton, New Zealand

4 out of 5

We took a cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound and the Captain Cook Monument. Relaxing trip. Beautiful scenery.

Thumbs Up 1

Cruise Milford Sound

5 out of 5

Cruise Doubtful Sound