We love NCL and the Jewel. This was an excellent itinerary and each port a new and different surprise. Alaska is a new favorite vacation that everyone should do at least once.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
We had purchased priority boarding and had a scheduled check-in time of 9-930. We arrived at 8:50 and we sat for 3 hours before check-in. When they did open check-in they took other rows of people who arrived after us and weren't priority. The priority group only had one check-in person to start then they added a second. If they had taken all of us first we could have used all the 8 agents they had instead of one at at time. After we left the check-in area we were put in another area only to wait another 1.5 hours before being allowed to board. I don't think they are capable of cleaning and flipping the ship in just a few hours to allow us to board after the others have de-ebarked.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The ship was only at 60% so we had no waiting times in any of the dining rooms or specialty restaurants. The service was excellent no matter where we dined.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We were very busy and went in to port each time. On the ship we had an aft balcony so used that mostly when cruising at seat. We did go on deck at the glacier and was able to see it calve. We entered battle of the sexes and went to the Spinaker lounge every night to dance and enjoy the themed parties each night.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The cast show was excellent, we especially loved their first show which should be their final show it is so full of energy. We didn't care for the comedian but truly applauded his effort.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Any personnel we came in contact with were just awesome. Each person was great and if they seemed a little over worked we just told them hey we appreciate you and all you do and they would perk right up. They work long hours and need to hear how much we appreciate all they do. When we did this we noticed they would remember us if we saw them again. We also tipped them even though we pre-paid gratuities, they really don't make much.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
We love the Jewel, this is our second time in the same cabin cruising on her. We like the size of the ship and the layout. The ship is always clean and well maintained.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin has been refurbished since our last time on the Jewel. It is much brighter than before and still very comfortable for us. We love the Aft-facing balcony right in the middle of the back of the ship. We can see everything especially when leaving or entering a port. Worth the extra spend for those truly memorable or long itineraries with lots of ports.
Vancouver was an awesome surprise. We went in 3 days early and did a day excursion with Viator called Sea to Sky Gondola and Whistler. This is a long 11 hour trip but so worth it. We also did a sunset dinner cruise and another day excursion of the Capliano bridge, Grouse mountain and a city tour. The gaslamp district is fun for shopping and dining.
We did the duck tour in this port and it was so much more than I expected. our guide was very funny and city tour was informative. The bus then goes in the water and you get to view wildlife. Lot's of bald eagles in this port.
We took the whale watching &Mendenhall glacier photo safari. This was such a great excursion. We saw whales breaching and the glacier viewing from the boat but then on land you take a short hike to see it up close. This was fantastic!
This was our most expensive but well worth it. We did the dogsledding &glacier flightseeing helicopter. The helicopter ride was about 2 miles up and so smooth with jaw dropping scenery. You land on the glacier where 165 dogs are eager to take you for a ride. We got to pet them and interact with them and then our team of 4 took turns driving. We would do this one again in a heartbeat!
Hubbard glacier is huge and beautiful. While we did not see is calve close up you could hear it happening. Even thought this was the only day overcast it was remarkable to see!
What a great town. This is where our cruise ended and we took the Marine tour through Alaska Railroad Tours. It is a 6 hour tour and let me tell you worth it. We saw Orca's in groups being playful an breaching. Humpback whales, otters, sea lions and visited a Kenai glacier. The next day we took a tour of the exit glacier, this hike was quick and a big strenuous going up but you do have other options. It is much easier going down and quite beautiful. We then visited a dogsledding camp and learned how the dogs are trained during the summer months to stay in shape. The dogs then took us on a ride using a modified large golf cart. Seward is a great town.
The disembarkation went as planned. Very different from boarding. We had our priority time to leave the ship and our exit was very quick. Our luggage was easy to find and there when we got off the ship.
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