Norwegian Jewel Cruise Reviews - Reviews

I have been on NCL cruise and I think this one is the worst I have ever done. We spent a lot of $$$ for the shore excursions and did not have enough time to do or had to cancel because of always delayed disembarkation..ex. we docked at 7:00 am and we did not disembarked till 1:00pm. Our tour guide has been waiting for us sine 8:00am. late disembarkation and early return to the ship was the cause for missing most of our paid excursions

This cruise was wonderful, from the gorgeous scenery in Alaska to the ship itself, definitely a bucket list destination. The weather was wonderful as we only had rain in two ports (Ketchikan and Juneau) and it was not during our whole port stay either, we also had the opportunity to see a lot of wildlife, even a couple of bears!

This cruise on the Jewel was to celebrate our 50th anniversary. It was an awesome celebration! The length of the cruise was perfect. The ports (especially cruising Glacier Bay) were all unique and enjoyable. The on-board entertainment was varied and excellent. We also felt that we received great value from the drink package we purchased. Our room steward and the dining staff were all very personable and attentive. Great cruise!

Internet service very poorly handled with never heard excuses and explanations. $50 onboard spending credits for missing two major north Japan ports is completely unacceptable. Purpose of cruise was to see fall color changing in North Japan. It’s like flights canceled but we will give you $50 onboard spending but you have to pay another flight and go there, we don’t care how much you pay. It’s not our business.

Read the above items but disappointed enough that I will not be cruising with NCL in the future

I can't recommend enough choosing NCL's Haven experience! As a first time cruise, the Haven exceeded all expectations. Having the courtyard and sundeck on the Jewel made it feel like we were at a spacious resort with so much space to spread out and relax.

The cruise was wonderful. The weather was typical for SE Alaska, and that was a bummer. Possibly a July or August cruise would have better weather.

Lovely ship, stable sail, awesome crew and fantastic trip all around.

Cruising is the way to go! This was the second time we cruised to Alaska. We left the itinerary to the experts who took excellent care of us. I always say I love to be waited on, no cooking, or cleaning and great entertainment.

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

We have loved this itinerary and have sailed this cruise line with this itinerary 4 other times……this is the only time we have been this disappointed.

Beautiful scenery. Something checked on my bucket list and many lovely photos to capture the picturesque views. Very rainy, two of three ports were just down pours. The on-ship glacier viewing was the best. Tour to Mendenhall Glacier disappointing. Can't get close and the down pour was miserable. 12 ft of rain per yr so the chances will be high that you'll experience that too. Felt privileged no rain during the on-ship glacier viewing as that truly was the highlight. Loved the White Pass/Suspension Bridge tour by bus, as well as the bus tour by coach from Seward to the airport. I could've skipped the nature center as it was a down pour again and a muddy mess. Loved the staff, from the "Happy-happy-washy-washy" guy in the buffet to Stefan our solo cruise coordinator, to my cabin steward Benjamin. All just fantastic. The spa could use an extra person at the counter to take and return cards for the limited 100 people going in and out of the thermal spa. Hated waiting for that when it was such a simple transaction and complicated things happening ahead of me. Should be a better, automated, check in/out swiping system. Stefan coordinated our solo events. He booked restaurant reservations for the standard dining rooms (tough to get into specialty so book before the trip), and held a row for us in the Stardust Lounge for entertainment which I loved. Had a special champagne and cheese set up for us on the last night and took a group pic behind the Captains area where all the action is. Very cool. He also provided a cake and champagne to celebrate the b-day of one of the guests' husband who died a yr ago. She had been on the Jewel several times with him and it was very emotional for her. I have never seen anyone do anything like that on a cruise. Not only will she be a customer for life, but NCL is #1 with me now. I just know the food isn't very good, but I don't go for food so its all good with me. If I have to pick between good staff and food, I'll always take good staff/service. Thank you for letting me provide input.

I have to think this was a once in a lifetime because they have pulled out of Fuerte Amador. The ability to fly to Panama, do a full transit, and see five ports in nine days was amazing

While I chose this cruise for its itinerary, I would not recommend NCL to a friend. Service charges are up, and I believe services are down. There is no evening cabin turn down service , and I feel that the entertainment and food were not up to par of previous NCL cruises. I was not pleased with any of the excursions. I enjoy guest lecturers on sea days, but there were none. I was especially unhappy with the situation on the dock in Bangkok. Hard working friendly staff was excellent.

The Jewel is an older ship , when booking, expect that. I had been on the Jade in Greece a few years back , and the two ships are the same. Set your expectations accordingly. With the exception of 1 person at the front desk and another at the NextCruise desk , the staff has been quite accommodating . This cruise we booked a Forward Penthouse Suite . The cabin was nice and a little roomier .. the deck was huge … but you trade that for a heavy water tight hatch , the cabins under the bridge have zero deck privacy and heavy stepping crew members can be heard throughout the night . The bathroom / walk-in shower is specious and upgraded . Strangely enough , I liked that the best after experiencing old NCL tub showers or the Royal Caribbean shower phone booth. Suite amenities such as exclusive dining for breakfast and lunch , priority boarding and exit , daily goodies along with a concierge and butler are great. Internet … it’s bad . I bought the upgrade for 24/7 access which was helpful ; however it’s still slow. I am sure the ship throttles it’s down to encourage upgrades . I enjoy the daily navigation information .. past ships regardless of cruise line show time , map, course , etc. on the Jewel it was sporadic and missing information , showing an “ N/A” on most data points 98% of the time. No bueno If you pre-pay gratuities , bring documentation .. actually bring docs on any this you paid for up front . Their book keeping is poor . For a quick sampling of Japan , this was a nice cruise. This country demands more time. Give yourself and extra 2-4 days on either or both ends. Come prepared with translator apps… I find “Papago” to be most accurate . Google Lens is good to translate text ( a must for menus ) The Pasmo app is a must for public transportation and “Go” taxi app is the Japanese Uber . If you don’t have these then let the confusion commence ! Before traveling use the visit Japan Web for customs .. it speeds things up , this country is serious about customs , especially with cruise ships . This is the last Japanese cruise until Jewels transition to Alaska . After Alaska , Jewel goes to Tampa , then Boston . I’ll sail with NCL again as they have great deals; however I’ll pick a newer ship .

Chose this cruise for the ports of call and they did not disappoint, some excelled our expectations. Didn’t find long lines or wait times to get on or off at each port. Could not fault food anywhere on board. Especially enjoyed breakfast in O’Sheehans, much more quiet and relaxing than the buffet. Bar tenders on NCL are the best at sea for cocktails and the staff on Jewel are some of the best for sure.

Great way to travel, only have to unpack once! The servers were great. My favorite is the nightly shows with professional singers and dancers,?they are amazing. Especially the airialist and gymnast and dancers! Wow what a performance!

Alaska is so amazing, and we really enjoyed the senary, and seeing all the wildlife. God is such an incredible creator.

Positive overall notwithstandingthe disappointments. NCL quick to refund the canceled port bookings.

It was really enjoyable! We liked having so many sea days to relax and enjoy the ship. It was nice not to have a schedule every day.