Disappointing Jewel Mexican Riviera Cruise

Norwegian Jewel Cruise Review to Mexico

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 26

Overall rating:

3.6 out of 5
Verified Review
Norwegian Jewel

7 Night Mexican Riviera (San Diego Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 07, 2023

Ship: Norwegian Jewel

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 8062

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Not the best cruise/ship if you’re looking for lots of activity/entertainment. Great for people preferring smaller ships.

Embarkation

3 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

2 out of 5
Same food choices through most complimentary dining choices. Most food too salty. Not able to identify gluten free foods for those with allergies. Inconvenient preordering process for gluten free options. Orders must be placed 24 hours in advance

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5
Not many activities offered. Pools larger than most. Pools closed one day due to rough seas. It’s a small boat. Would assume the pools close often for this.

Entertainment

3 out of 5
Not much variety. Not many shows, other than your basic nightly show. Not much to do during daytime hours. Performers were ok. Nothing spectacular.

Children's Programs

No children

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
This was the one area that stood out above all other cruises. Every single staff we encountered was genuinely happy, wanting to help with any needs. Joel, a server in O’Sheehan’s restaurant, really stood out. He went over and above to make sure I was taken care of when I wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t go to the restaurant. He always arranged to send food to my room, either delivered-free of charge or packaged up and sent with my husband.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
This is a smaller ship. It was quick and easy to get where you wanted to be. Everything was very clean. Not many garbage bins to be found, so would have to leave debris on tables/counters. Staff was very quick to pick these items up, especially in the open dining areas.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
It was a basic cabin, nothing super special. Giving 4 stars because it has slightly more storage area than most ships. Also, the bathroom is nicely remodeled. The shower is larger than most other cruise ships.

Ship tip

Keep in mind that this is a smaller ship with not much entertainment or activities. Some people prefer smaller ships. This would be for them.

Ports of call

San Diego, California

3 out of 5

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

4 out of 5
The tender port ran smoother than expected.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

4 out of 5

Ensenada, Mexico

4 out of 5

Disembarkation

4 out of 5
Smoother than past experiences on other ships.
Was this review helpful? 26

4 Comments

Cruisers4Lyfe     5 months ago

Thanks for sharing

landa1995    1 year ago

Thank you for the review. I have seen several people comment about the lack of activities. I am a little worried about that as we really enjoy activities.

Gwbigdog    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise

javawoody    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing

Other reviews of this sailing