Norwegian Jewel Cruise Reviews - Reviews

We had a wonderful time.  Others had told us how wonderful the cruise was and the actual trip lived up to expectations.  There was plenty to do on the ship, the staff was very helpful and friendly and the food choices were great.  We attended many of the offered programs and had a great time at them.  it was an opportunity to relax and try new things with others also willing to step outside of their comfort zone.  We were sad when the trip ended.  We are definitely considering traveling again with Norwegian.

We had a great time on this Alaskan cruise and enjoyed ourselves immensely. But, there are some areas for improvement for NCL. First, the food on this cruise was really mediocre at best. The selection was not very broad or very flavorful. We have cruised with NCL before and had great food and a great variety to choose from. Also, requiring certain attire in the Azur dining room, which is complementary, was really off-putting. I can see maybe having a different dress code for the high-end steak house, but not a complementary venue. In addition, the beverage package for soda products was great, if you could find somewhere to get a soda. During the day, several bars were closed and if you could find one open, the employees didn't seem to want to wait on you if you had one of the insulated cups. I guess they thought they weren't getting a tip, but we tip generously if given a reason. Other than those things, we enjoyed our cruise.  Really good entertainment and activities and always something to do. I definitely recommend NCL. We put a down payment on a future NCL cruise and hope that one will meet every expectation.

This was the fourth cruise we've taken, the first to Alaska and the first on a Norwegian ship.  We had a balcony room, a first also.  We enjoyed the ease at getting to fresh air and seeing glaciers as we sailed by.  The staff was friendly and readily available for any of our needs.  The food was plentiful and the shows were entertaining.  Wish there was a way to keep the cigarette smoke out of the casino, but I guess that was one way to save some money.  It kept ME out of the casino.  I hope to take another cruise, via a different route, to Alaska in the future.  Norwegian will be my first stop when I shop.

I have had some friends take this cruise (but on a different NCL ship) and they had a great time.  I think maybe my expectations were based on their experiences.  I'll start with announcements - these are made all day but you can't hear them in your cabin so if you miss the announcement you are missing information.  The cabin was very hot even though we had the air conditioner set on the lowest setting - thankfully we had a balcony so we could open the door.  On the 1st day at port (Ketchikan)we ordered breakfast to be delivered at 7 am - we had to call twice before it showed up at 8 am (we had a tour scheduled for 8:15) so we missed eating before the tour.  We never received an apology or explanation other than the kitchen was very busy. I was really disappointed in the on-board activities for days we were sailing.  If you aren't interested in Trivia, dancing classes or talks on anti-aging make sure you bring along plenty of reading material!  I couldn't figure out why they would charge for alcohol tastings (such as martinis) when we had the beverage package - wouldn't you think this was included when you could get these drinks for free at the bar?  At two stops you have to pay for shuttles to get back and forth to the cities (Skagway and Victoria - Victoria is a 35 - 40 minute walk from the ship).  We did find out after the cruise that there was an announcement made in Skagway that you could pick up wrist bands that allowed you to travel on the shuttle for free (but of course you couldn't hear that in your cabin)......  Also I wouldn't recommend the Italian restaurant that is not included in the complementary package.  The waiter was very friendly but the food was not as good as expected.  Also - they need some more bartenders at some of the restaurants during peak hours.  We waited almost 30 minutes at O'Sheehan's to order a drink and dinner at the bar but the bartender could never get to us.  At one point he asked a server to help us but they declined since we were sitting at the bar,

Overall we spent most of the time on board wandering around the deck and in our room watching movies since there wasn't a lot of activities to hold our interest for long.

Pictures do not do the state of Alaska justice. We had an absolute fabulous time. The crew aboard the Norwegian Jewell exceeded all expectations. When you asked for something you received it with a smile.This being my 10th cruise and those that went with me  their first. They were amazed at the quality of service and friendliness of everyoneonboard as well as each port. I do recommend Norwegian cruise line to anyone that asks, but the cruise to Alaska was amazing. Already planning return visit next year!

The reasons why I liked this particular cruise:

-The ports were great. Alaska is beautiful and a cruise is a great way to experience it.

-The buffet food was great. Lots to choose from and well stocked and clean. Not at all like your usual buffet.

-The dining rooms (free ones) were elegant and tasty. It was fun to be able to order the appetizer, main dish, and dessert without having to be concerned about additional cost. 

-We didn't feel under dressed anywhere on the ship. I wore jeans all the time and felt comfortable. Although I did wear a nice blouse with my jeans for dinner, lots of people just wore t-shirts.

-We could dine at any time, and could dine alone - rather than with a bunch of strangers.

-It's great to be taken care of. Having our stateroom ready for us when we got back from anything was so refreshing. Plus, being treated like we were important all over the ship was really nice, especially at dinner.

The reasons why I didn't like this particular cruise:

-Although the buffet was pretty fabulous, finding a seat each time was a great big hassle. I felt like a vulture hovering about until someone would get up to leave and I could grab their table. This made the buffet less enjoyable for me, but my husband didn't seem to mind.

-The two free dining rooms always had the same menu. Why have two different dining rooms offering the same food? I think they meant to do that because one looks more upscale, but when everyone is dressed casual, it doesn't seem to matter. Also, the dining room menu of about 12 entrees, only changed a couple of them each night, and the rest remained the same. So, for someone like me, that doesn't like very much (no chicken or seafood, just beef or pasta) that didn't leave me many choices. Also, their lasagna was pretty bad - so I didn't order pasta more than once. The steak was really good, though.

-The ship only has one theater - and that theater offers the same show twice a night. We saw a show there every night. With the exception of the first night - the rest of the shows were very low quality. The magician, who was also a comedian, did very little magic and what he did could be done by amateur magicians. The comedian on the comedy night was fairly funny, but he was also easily distracted and didn't seem to have much of a show, more of a rambling about whatever came to his mind. The acrobat/music combo Cirque show on the final night was downright embarrassing to watch. It was awful as the singers were off key and the acrobats looked like they were in pain.

-For day time entertainment, if you didn't want to partake with the rowdy poolside crowd - you were left with either Bingo or Deal or No Deal. Both of which cost (in my opinion) too much. $40 for Bingo, $20 for Deal or No Deal. We did play Deal or No Deal, which was kinda fun. I was hoping for a movie theater - or at least for more daytime activities which didn't involve dance lessons or paying money to participate. So, I would have liked to see more entertainment during the day which wouldn't cost money.

-When we cruised by the glacier, it would have been so great if they would have turned off the music blaring from the poolside, so that we could hear the sounds of nature and potentially hear calving from the glacier, or seals barking. When my sister cruised, she said they had complete silence on the boat. That would have been awesome.

For anyone considering this cruise, keep in mind that the two at-sea days can be problematic if you get seasick. On our way back from Alaska, the seas were rough and many people stayed in the cabins the whole day. I normally am quite prone to seasickness, but I had been taken Bonine regularly and it kept the sickness away. Also, if you take the train ride in Skagway, keep in mind that this can cause motion sickness. Especially if you take a lot of pictures (which you should!).

Although I'm not recommending this cruise, I do have to say that the ports of call made our trip completely worth it. If the cruise portion would have lived up to the hype, I know I would be whole-heartedly recommending it. This being said, the next time I cruise, it would have to either be on a different NCL ship, or on a different cruise line.

An Alaskan cruise has been on the "bucket list" for along time and finally became a reality.  We had only been on one previous cruise about 15 years ago, and I don't know if Norwegian is the best cruise line available, but I do know we had a wonderful time and everything about the cruise  far exceeded our expectations.  The only "hiccup" came at check out time.  We booked a more expensive stateroom,, which came with onboard credits.  We were told we could use the onboard credits to pay for gratuities, but at check out we found the gratuities were charged separately to my credit card, and I was left with a large balance of unused onboard credit. However, the nice lady at the customer service desk refunded the charge to my credit card, and I walked away a happy Norwegian  customer.  I would certainly not hestitate to book another Norwegian cruise.

The staff was incredibly rude, refused to honor my 50.00 on board credit and then double charged my credit card after departing and said it would take weeks to figure things out to possibly credit my debit card the mischarged fees. DO NOT DEAL WITH THIS CRUISE LINE !!!!!!!!

I loved the cruise but I would loved to had more time in the ports.  I would have enjoyed it more if there would not have been so many kids on board.   Couldn't really get to the spas, they were covered with kids.  I wish they had divided them so that some were for kids and some for adults.

The only problem with the cruise is the time difference. I am from the East Coast and couldn't get my biological clock adjusted. We only had a week, but if we had more time I would have loved to do a land tour/cruise and gone to more ports. Highly recommend splurging and taking a helicopter ride to walk on a glacier. We went to the dog camp and had a great time. Everyone was very helpful. Alaska is amazing, and cruising is a great way to get from place to place. The snow/ice from winter was still melting so we saw many waterfalls. Investigate shore excursions outside of the cruise line. We did a sea cycle tour in Ketchican. It was a blast, small group, got up close to seals and jelly fish. Did a bicycle/train tour in Skagway. Again, a small group and got up close with the scenery. Our helicopter/dogsled tour was with NCL. Pricy but worth it. We lucked out with the weather, very little rain (in May, 2015), not too cold. Bring layers, as it can get cold at night.

Our family had a great time on this cruise. The staff loved our little "cowboys" and could always tell us where they were, if we were separated. The only recommendation to Norwegian would be to improve the notification sound on the texting app. All four of our phones would only emit a small noise when we received a text. Other than that, it was amazing!

We really enjoyed our cruise to Alaska on the Norwegian Jewel.  This was our first trip to Alaska and it was simply amazing!  The food was great and the upgrade well worth the money for the specialty restaurants. Our favorites were Cagney's Steakhouse (Filet Mignon) and La Bistro (Escargot and Lobster). The excursions were awesome and I would highly recommend this cruise if you want to visit Alaska.  We had a balcony which added to our views of the magnificent scenery.  The shows were excellent, especially La Cirque Bijoux.  The staterooms seemed somewhat small but that is typical of most cruise ships unless you get a suite.  All in all, we would highly recommend this cruise.

We have been on four cruises in the last 6 years on different cruise lines, this cruise was the most expense and had the worst food and service. The ports were wonderful and is the only reason it gets a 2. Would not travel with them again

I expected fun programs during day time but couldn't find any...

Reserved 2 times at Teppanyaki and La Cucina but we canceled after we ate there.

Chef needs to clean more often burnt surface in Teppanyaki. We had  bunt taste most time except first 2 cooked meals.

Noodle day at Chin Chin, noodle soup wasn't cooked enough to be soft and I couldn't explain the taste of shrimp pot stickers which was so poor quality.

Hope more fun grograms during day time.

Dance lessons, Sing along, and singers...

But I had a good time overall. 

The scenery in Alaska was absolutely breathtaking.  We decided just to walk around Ketchikan and shop, which is GREAT!  In Juneau we did the Mendenhall Glacier/Whale Quest and saw whales, sea lions, American Eagles and on the way to the glacier we even saw a bear walking next to the road.  In Skagway we selected to Whitepass Railway, would not do this again.  It was 3 hours long and 2 people cramped together in a seat.  There was a group in our car of hearing impaired and one of the interpreters said thy each had to have their own seat, I suffer from severe arthritis in my lower back and couldn't understand why they had to have individual seats.  When we made a complaint to Norwegian they said there was nothing they could do about it and walked away.  This was their attitude about EVERYTHING!!!!!!! I have taken 27 cruises on 6 cruise lines, Norwegian is on the bottom of the list!!!!!!!!

Having cruise on other cruise lines we were interested in what FreeStyle cruising would be like as we have a cruise on the Norwegian Jade in October.  There was a second benefit to sailing on the Jewel, no airfare as we live in the Seatte area.  The boarding was very fast, around 20 minutes from entering the terminal to being on board.  We had only booked the cruise 3 days before and choose an ocean view and a dining package for three dinners in their specialty restaurants.  The room we were given was probably an up grade from the base price as it was not obstructed. The room was on the small size, no couch, but except for the carpet being well worn and a dingy look, the room was clean. We were in room 5040, which is above the working area on deck 4, so some noise from their.  I would next time take the booze package  ( which is not being offered now) as we found the free dining room, pub and buffet to be very good on choice and quality.  Yes the steak in Cagney's was VERY good.  The weather was great on the port stops and as this was our 3rd cruise to Alaska we did more walking in the towns then excursions.  Back in Seattle we were about 10th in line on the walk off and NCL had people at the gangway, pointing out the end  of the line for those who thought they could cut in.   As we are taking another NCL cruise in the fall we were very happy with what we experienced and look forward to the Jade.  

For a first time cruiser, I couldn't have asked for better.  The staff service was outstanding and accommodations far better than I expected.  Our weather was perfect and unusual for the season, sunny and warm with no rain.  I enjoyed running on the outdoor track even in the wind and pitching deck and we absolutely LOVED the evening programs, especially the acrobats and magician.  The food was fantastic and I'm running even more now to lost the weight I gained.  Thank you for a very memorable experience.

This cruise was great for all ages!  We took our grandson and were concerned, at first, that he would be bored on the ship.  He was completely entertained the entire cruise:  Splash Academy took childcare and kid-friendly activities to a whole new level!  There was hours of energy-draining fun available along with learning events.  He was even on stage with the Splash Academy presentation; he felt comfortable and made many friends. He says Splash Academy was the best time he has ever had!   We all enjoyed the dining options available:  sometimes we dressed up and when we didn't feel like it, we grabbed food from the outside buffet.  And, don't let the idea of Alaska prevent you from bringing a swimsuit and jumping in the pool or hot tubs -- you will be glad you did!  Otherwise, enjoy the care and pampering you will get from all of the NCL crew. The excellent service and attitudes are completely opposite of the airline/TSA hassle we routinely experience when on vacation. A great time!

My wife and I had excellent time on NCL Jewel. We had a mini suite comfortable accommodation. Entertainment is good every evening and we had Premium Dinning package so the dinning experience is excellent. Overall we had a wonderful time.

The scenery, ports, whales,and eagles provide so many incredible photo ops! The first whale I saw on this trip was from my balcony while still docked in Seatlle! Docked in Juneau an eagle landed on a light pole just outside my balcony! When cruising AK you can watch for humpback, orca, seals, etc. instead of just seeing water and more water! Read the Freestyle Daily that is put in your cabin each evening! It tells everything that is going on around the ship and where things are located. The paper lists all the restaurants and times open along with the activities you can choose to participate in. One of the complimentary dining rooms you can just wear jeans and shirt.This was my 17th trip to AK and each time I have seen something different.